The crowd was loud.
If not for the strong material used to make the stands then all the stomping and jumping might have formed cracks in the walls.
The reason behind their excitement was the next contestant who was about to battle.
The rumors of a strong contender participating from the Valorian Academy have reached the ears of many students across the globe.
An S-rank participating in the contest was not a small thing. After all, those S-ranks they have heard about or read about were all working for the Council.
So having a warrior who stands at the pinnacle of the rankings, participating in the tournament was, naturally, quite a big event for everyone.
Every academy—except for Valorian—watched intently, analyzing the opponent they might face in the future. Her victory today was inevitable, but if they could spot even the slightest weakness in her performance, they might just find a way to bring her down in the team battles ahead.
Austin was sitting beside Rudolph as he watched the match with great focus.
His interest in watching Valerie in action aside, he couldn’t miss watching a battle fought between two high-ranking warriors.
After all, if the strongest one from Valorian was standing on one side, then on the other side was an Elite from the Ravencourt.
’Best of luck, Val.’ He muttered under his breath as he saw the two participants making their way to the center.
....
In the arena, Valerie silently walked towards the center as she heard numerous voices from her surroundings.
There were hundreds of people, however, the person her eyes caught watching her was the most handsome man out there.
’Watch me closely.’ Unlike that time during the trials, she wasn’t supposed to be holding back here. Here, she was only supposed to win as such, she was going to give a spectacle to her Lord.
On the other side, it was a slim dark-blue-haired man who walked towards her
Slanted eyes and a smirk on his face as he called out, "I heard you once were invited to study at the Ravencourt, but you rejected?"
Valerie remained silent; waiting for the referee to come up on the stage
The other one continued, "I, Leo Aketoth, will make you realize what a great opportunity you missed by rejecting the offer. I will show you-"
"Who are you talking to?" The match referee suddenly appeared before them as he asked. From his perception, Valerie was looking away and seemed completely unaware that the other person was talking.
Leo scoffed, "No one."
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The match referee signaled them to take their stance before he relayed the rules to the two.
Valerie finally tore her eyes away from her beloved and looked at her opponent.
She doesn’t remember what she learned about her potential opponent, so she decided to just fight like she always does.
The referee raised his hand, and asked, "Participants, ready?"
Leo nodded, already having his Shard summoned.
Valerie also nodded, summoning her Shard.
The brilliant light that appeared with the spear made everyone gasp.
It was the first time for many to see a Shard, which has gone through three evolutions.
The bright silver spear was an intimidating yet captivating weapon. Faint engravings ran along its length, whispering of craftsmanship and legacy. The blade, sharp and well-defined, shimmered with a cold brilliance, honed for precise, lethal strikes.
Leo was ready.
He knew exactly who he was facing. There was no holding back—he had to end this in one strike.
His fingers tightened around his gauntlet-shaped Shards, muscles coiling like a spring.
Now or never...
The referee’s hand moved.
Time slowed.
Leo’s breath steadied, his heart pounded, and his soul energy surged around him like a storm. His eyes locked onto the referee’s hand, tracking every inch as it dropped.
The instant it reached the bottom—
"BEGIN!"
Leo roared, "Death Fl—"
TING!
The sharp ring of metal striking stone echoed for a mere second—before the world shattered.
CRACK!
The ground split apart. Ice erupted like a tidal wave, spiraling into jagged spikes that speared toward the sky. A deafening roar of frost filled the arena as the temperature plunged.
Leo’s eyes barely widened before—
SNAP!
His body was swallowed by the surging ice.
A massive glacier-like formation rose where he once stood, layers of frost creeping higher, consuming him in an unrelenting grip. His roar of defiance never made it past his lips—his voice was lost inside the crystalline prison.
The audience gasped, their breath turning visible in the freezing air.
"What… what just happened?" someone stammered.
"He’s… he’s done! He didn’t even move!"
"She ended it in a single strike—"
The chaos from moments ago shattered into silence. Shock and disbelief are written over their faces.
Every eye locked onto the massive pillar of ice where Leo had once stood.
And at its base, spear still buried in the ground, stood Valerie—unmoving.
Expression calm.
As if the battle had never even begun.
Even the referee was caught in the ice, his legs frozen as he looked at Valerie helplessly.
Valerie approached the referee before she used the bottom of her Shard to break the ice.
Turning towards Leo, who was completely encased in ice, he declared, "Since the opponent could no longer continue the battle, Valerie wins!"
There was no cheering this time. People were still trying to register what they just witnessed.
Even the Elites had their eyes widened and minds failing to register what level of sorcery they just saw.
The only people who clapped without reservation were from Valorian Academy.
However, Ryan didn’t share the sentiment. His mouth was hung open as he realized what the girl was capable of.
’If she really wanted...she could have defeated me instantly that day....’
Valerie smiling waved at her teammates before she made her way out of the arena.
.....
Every member of the Elite squad was gathered in the Command Tent to discuss the situation.
"Fortunately, we have won all the three matches we have played." Annabelle had a wide smile on her face when she announced that.
On the first day, Austin was victorious.
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On the second day, Rhea surprised the world with her dual awakening.
And the third day went as everyone expected.
Tomorrow, Rudolph will be playing his match, and it is highly likely that he will win.
After all, not only was he one of the top students in Valorian, but he was also trained by the Commander General and his father.
So there was a high chance that the Valorian Academy would get their four semi-finalists tomorrow.
However, it wasn’t like the others were going to stop there.
Everyone has come here to win; as such, even if Rudolph wins tomorrow, they will do their best to win their matches as well.
Although the pressure has elevated, that’s fine.
"Okay then, the meeting is adjourned. Let’s meet tomorrow morning." Annabelle declared before everyone slowly began to get up and leave
Valerie and Austin were also heading out together, when Valerie asked, "Should we go get dinner?"
Austin sighed before shaking his head, "We need to be somewhere else, Val."
The violette frowned as she tilted her head questioningly.
So many things have happened, that Austin wasn’t surprised that she forgot.
In a heavy voice, he reminded her, "We need to meet Madame Selner today at the Union Council’s headquarters."
A sudden rush ran down her spine, the excitement dying with that reminder. However, she didn’t back off and while holding his hand firmly, she said,
"Then let’s get going."
°°°°°°°°°
A/N:- Many secrets would unfold maybe. Drop a comment.