A total of eight names were clearly displayed on the multiple screens floating throughout the massive Grand Assembly Hall.
###
Magus Academy Tournament Quarterfinals
[Zetto] versus [Mahinder Nieves]
[Emery Ambrose] versus [Eeshoo Nephilim]
[Zach Talon] versus [Anzi Tamasi]
[Olivier Arkaland] versus [Annara Vermont]
###
However, instead of cheering loudly for the incoming quarterfinal, most of the spectators were busy talking about the incident that happened in the last match.
The one that ended with the death of one of the beloved participants of the tournament.
Some were still in great disbelief at the fact that a half-blood dared to do such a thing in front of so many people, while some had already gathered others into a large crowd to launch a protest to the academy.
The attention of Emery, Klea, Chumo, and the newly recovered Thrax was fixed towards one particular area situated next to the medical center. They rushed into the place, looking for an answer, and found one acolyte they recognized; Lymord, the half-blood subordinate of Roran.
At the moment, the half-blood was blocked by the guards stationed in the area.
"Let me in!! I am looking for my master Roran!!"
The sight of Lymord, who was half-blood and emotional in front of the closed door caused some tension among the guards and people around. A tense situation arose as those people became wary of him.
When he saw the guards begin drawing their weapons, Emery quickly took action and arrived in front of Lymord. Grabbing the shoulders of the emotional half-blood, he looked at the latter and calmed him down.
Since most people knew who Emery was for obvious reasons, everyone in the place quickly calmed down, especially the half-blood Lymord. However, that didn't mean the latter's worries disappeared.
"Emery... It's good that you're here. These people won't let me see him!" His tone turned to that of a plea. "Please help me see him!!"
While Emery was busy calming down the distressed Lymord, it was Julian who, despite his weakened state, approached the guards and then said, "He's our classmate and friend. Let us in."
Everyone could perceive the deep emotional concern hidden beneath the words the Roman spoke. Coupled with his current demeanor, it was clear that he was prepared to do anything if it allowed him to enter the place.
The guards were stumped by the request; they didn't know what to do. Fortunately for them, a prestigious figure walked over to where they were. The other party was a female grand magus that Emery knew well a��� Grand Magus Aurora of the Light Institute.
"It's okay. They may enter," She said to the guards, and receiving confirmation, they immediately opened the door and stepped out of the way.
When the group finally went inside, they could see three medical staff surrounding a long table with a body lying on it motionless. Seeing the lifeless body of a familiar face, everyone turned visibly emotional, especially Lymord and Julian.
While the others mourned over the unexpected loss, Grand Magus Aurora went ahead and did what she planned to do coming here. She had come to do a final check on the body.
She cast a spell to probe the body for a few minutes before she heaves a sigh and stops. Even with her power, the grand magus could only shake her head helplessly after the examination.
"There's no hope," she said in a regretful tone, causing others to turn at her. "The poison has spread and destroyed all of his cells beyond repair. There's no brain activity at all; he's gone."
Hearing such words, Emery was slightly surprised that he took this unexpected loss harder than he had previously thought. Seeing Roran's motionless body, he wished to try it himself; but knowing even a grand magus was unsuccessful, he couldn't help but hesitate.
This hesitation of his apparently was caught by Grand Magus Aurora as she gazed at Emery with much interest. As if she was reading his mind, she smiled at the young wolf and told him to give it a try.
Under the gazes of everyone, he stepped closer to the long table and arrived right before the lifeless body of his Roran.
Inhaling and exhaling deep breath to pacify his nerves, Emery began casting [Nature's Blessing].
The green root-like energy manifested from Emery's palms and entered Roran's body. It didn't take long for him to discover that there wasn't any life sign at all a��� the same result as what the grand magus came into.
Knowing the first spell was fruitless, Emery then hoped to try his new spell [Rebirth]. But before he could cast the spell, a hand suddenly stopped him. It was Grand Magus Aurora.
"No, you are not strong enough."
Emery spent two weeks training at the Light Institute, and during that time Grand Magus Aurora had been guiding him in the mastery of this Divine spell of his.
Throughout his time there, Emery could never successfully cast the spell to others. He even often failed to cast it on himself.
Emery went into contemplation when his thoughts were suddenly interrupted by Julian's emotional outburst. "Elder, what about that girl Annara? Will she be held responsible for this?!"
Cut off from his thoughts and seeing such a reaction from the Roman, Emery quickly tried to calm him down. "Wait, Julian.. Calm down. We don't really know what is really going on.. M-Maybe there's something, and I will surely go find oua���"
His words were cut short as Julian turned enraged. "Don't you defend her, Emery! What else do you need!? She had killed him in cold blood, in front of everyone!"
Heaving a sigh, Emery just fell silent. He didn't try to go on an argument with Julian who was clearly distraught by the situation. He knew that the Roman was close to the deceased Harlight, but never realized it was this close.
He turned to Grand Magus Aurora and said, "Can I see her? Annara Vermont, I mean."
The grand magus gave a long look at him before answering, "No, unfortunately, you can't. The headmaster is with her right now.." She paused for a moment and then said, "But don't worry, I'm sure you will soon enough."
That was the last thing the grand magus said before she left the room.
Emery turned to Lymord and asked about the condition of Lyndell, who had been beaten so badly by Anzi. He also didn't forget to ask about the Harlight family, particularly about their response to the terrible news.
Both apparently would need some time to arrive, meaning they were the only closest people Roran had right now.
Everyone looked at Roran's body lying on the table, and Klea spoke in a calm tone.
"It's ironic, really. The schemer has died because of someone else's scheme."
Klea's words firmly represented what everyone thought. They all believed that Roran's death was just the beginning of something bigger a��� the tip of an iceberg. This was especially true for Emery when he recalled the strange behaviors Annara showed.
The group's attention was diverted when someone suddenly entered the room. It was the dragon half-blood female magus who was also Emery's protector, Magus Shena.
The female magus looked at Emery with a serious expression.
"The King wants you to return to the Zodiac city immediately."
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