And they loathed him for it. Perhaps, if he hadn't been to craven to fight, they might have scored some points off of him and his ineptitude. Of course this was their reasoning. They didn't realize that they were lucky not to have actually fought Zavier. That would have been their undoing.
But Zavier didn't even give a damn about whatever they had to say. Their opinion of him was more or less horse shit to him. He simply did not care, and he infuriated them even further with his assertion;
"That's right! My team mates are the strongest! I sure as hell am the luckiest person here!"
He sensed they were boiling, but there was nothing they could do really. So he eased them even further; "Maybe next year when you try again, you can try to get strong team mates like mine who will carry you to victory! Ha!"
Of course Zavier's words weren't met with kind expressions. The jealous looks and hateful stares were faithful reminders that his words were hitting home. That was more than enough for Zavier. Clearly, he had gotten more comfortable with his new situation. So much so that he could even afford to make jokes now and turn around the vitriol back on the enemy.
Zavier relaxed into the new dynamic and basked in the warmth of his newly found freedom. He felt so free! Totally unshackled by the constraints of having to deal with the thoughts of what people concerning him, he was free to pursue other things- like his happiness. This was a teachable lesson for Zavier; he saw that the best way to get even with anybody is to make them feel angry and helpless with his own happiness.
From this whole thingy, Zavier now understood that if people aren't mad at him, he really must be doing something wrong. And so, Zavier relaxed into a pervading mood of ease, and went on to watch the matches of the second round with ease, amidst the controversy and anger building up around him. It was like sitting in the middle of a scorching desert, but with a tent over his head and a flask containing ice by his side.
As things progressed, the teams they began to encounter got stronger and stronger. This was because each round rooted out the weak ones, leaving only the strongest one behind. It was impractical for them to rely on just one member of their team to take out an entire A-team by themselves. After all, even though they were super mages, they were very much still flesh and blood. And as such, they were limited in sustainable mana and stamina.
They had to switch up their tactics to fit the changing variations in the nature of the battle. Each enemy team they encountered was distinctly dissimilar from the previous one. So they had to adapt. At one point, there was even a team made up of A-listers who relied on a weirdly insane tactic. This maneuverig in particular involved a complex series of delay tactics that was trageted at rapidly depleting the mana of the three girls in front of them.
It was a very unconventional, but nonetheless effective. No one could deny it. The enemies had done their homework and knew that stamina was a problem for them even though they were obviously very skilled. So, they had focused on widening the battlefield and the range of attacks, causing the three girls to run around more and work twice as hard to hit targets that were constantly on the move.
And so, Shiranui had to step in. As expected, Shiranui decked her opponent with a firm hand. Her signature Black Flame really came in handy. Because it had absolute advantage as a magical attribute, there was noting that could negate it or stop it. Paradoxically, much in the same way water quenches a raging flame, Shiranui's Black Flame quenched the rage of the stubborn enemies.
This was very much to the delight of those who came to watch her fight because of her family's lineage. Watching Shiranui gloriously take down her enemies was a sight that no one could easily forget. She was truly in her element. When she fought, it was like she zoned out the world, and just focused her entire being on what was at hand.
Even as the competition got tougher and tougher, Calista's team had every advantage. So, they each adapted and overcame all their opponents with dazzling displays of strength and skills from all of them. There was no doubt that the judges were taking note of their individual performances and their cohesiveness as a team. They were truly a sight to watch. So it wasn't a surprise that they made it all the way to the semifinals.
It was worthy of note that despite all the tedious battles the team had undertaken, Zavier hadn't showed up to a single one. Shiranui had remained the most powerful adversary yet. Naturally, the crowd that was filled with hateful mockers took notice of very glaring gap. Zavier could have at least participated in one or two fights. But with every passing moment, it appeared that he was being protected.
But it wasn't just the students who were murmuring. There arose some questions even from the invigilators and staff of Caesar University. It was indeed odd that Calista's team were marginalizing one of their team mate. Especially when they had an abundance of battles to chose from. Whispers began to fly about, and rumors began to spread that Calista was doing this to protect the Adam boy, just so he could be admitted.
So, a delegate was sent to Calista to inquire about the matter. When she received the news from the delegate, she was calm for a bit before giving the young man her reply;
"First off, let it be known that I have never, and will never disrespect this great citadel by engaging in such practice. I assure you and the board that this is a tactical arrangement for maximum security. I would be failing I my duty if I were to do that."
"So this isn't some ruse to sponsor the Zavier boy is it?"
"No. Not at all."
There was a brief pause.
"Miss Calista, you're aware of the university's stand on social justice and equality. I am sure you can understand why we are very concerned about this. From the public's perspective, your actions are suggestive of the fact that your favoritism on the boy is as a result of his powerful family. It is not hard for anyone to connect the dots."
Calista said nothing. At this point, saying less was far better than saying anything at all. People were going to talk either way. It was best to stick with her plan. Sooner or later, she would unleash Zavier on the world and let them see for themselves. That is of course, if he chose to unveil himself.
While the delegate was relatively placid about this whole thing, Calista was under no impression that this wasn't a big deal.
"I assure you, nothing of the sort is being carried out here. The university can be assured of that."
He lingered for a moment.
"I'm not sure you understand. The major problem here is the optics of things. The university can not be seen to be condoning playing favorites. I trust you'll set this right Miss Calista. Good day."
With that, he returned back to his allotted seat amongst the judges. His long academic robe flapped in the breeze behind him as he left. Leaving Calista with the warning that he had passed ever so slightly. Of course she understood what he had meant in that last part. Either the fixed the situation or they would handle it themselves. The politics involved was just way too grand.
Meanwhile, back at Zavier's end, the hate continued to come his way in quick successive droves. The rancid looks from disgruntled students were coming from all angles now. It was hard to be on the receiving end of this kind of acidic situation. But Zavier remained unmoved. In fact, his level of unbothered was on another level entirely. He was at the center of the vortex, he was in the eye of the storm itself, but he didn't allow that to deter him in anyway.
Of course, even though he appeared to be oblivious of his surroundings, Zavier wasn't totally aloof. His was a kind of selective detachment that gave him the right kind of separation that was needed to maintain a balance between the hate, and all the other stuff that was happening in the outside world. A good part of some of that "stuff" that truly mattered included (and wasn't limited to) the finalists of the competition.
So far, it had been a very interesting tournament. But the final four contenders were a source of great concern to Zavier. Of course, any team that had been able to brave through the odds to get to this level must be something else entirely. But that wasn't what exactly gave Zavier reason to be concerned. The individuals that made up the final four were from their very own Merion High School, Melbourne High School (with three hybrids), Rebecca's Caesar High School, and a strangely unfamiliar name- Sabrina of Cassell High School.
The first three were actually renowned schools. So, considering just how popular they were, it didn't come across as a great surprise to anyone that they had made it this far. In fact, some might say that it was already predestined that they would be at the top of the hierarchy here. But the last school wasn't in the big leagues.
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