Chapter 373: Inter-Academy Tournament (XXV)
The third trial of the Inter-Academy Tournament began a few days after the second challenge ended.
The grand arena was once again packed with spectators, the excitement in the air even higher than before.
This was the second-to-last stage where all years of each academy would join together in one massive challenge.
The referee stood on the central platform, his voice amplified by powerful magic as he addressed the crowd and the participants.
"Welcome to the third and second-to-last trial of the Inter-Academy Exchange! In this challenge, all years - 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th - from each remaining academy will fight together as one team. Only one academy will be eliminated, leaving the two remaining academies in a 1v1 situation for the ultimate championship!"
The crowd erupted in loud cheers.
The screens showed the participants from Clementine’s Sword & Magic Academy, Gloria Academy, and Dragon Slaying Academy gathering in their respective areas.
The referee continued explaining the rules.
"This trial is called the Grand Dominion Siege! The battlefield is a massive, multi-layered fortress island. Each academy must capture and hold key strongholds across the island. The team with the most strongholds at the end of the six-hour limit wins. If there is a tie, a final 1v1 duel between two academies will be held; the leaders will decide the winner. Killing is not allowed, but serious injuries are possible. Students who are knocked unconscious or fall off the island’s boundaries will be eliminated. Teamwork, strategy, and individual strength are all crucial in this challenge!"
The participants listened intently as the referee finished.
"Only the two strongest academies will remain for the final stage of the Inter-Academy Tournament. Good luck to all!"
The crowd cheered loudly as the three academies prepared for the trial.
In Clementine’s Sword & Magic Academy’s area, the girls from the Phoenix Class immediately surrounded Gray.
"Leader! You have to be our leader again!" one of the girls said excitedly.
"Yes! We worked so well together in the first challenge. We trust you the most!"
The other girls nodded in agreement, their eyes shining as they looked at Gray.
The boys from the 4th year immediately pushed back. A tall, muscular young man with short brown hair and a confident posture stepped forward, his voice loud and firm.
"Hold on. I think I should be the leader. I’m Damien, the strongest in the 4th year. I had an exquisite performance in the previous challenges. I have more experience, more power, and I know how to command a large group. Gray is strong, but he’s only in the 2nd year. It doesn’t make sense for him to lead all of us in a full academy battle."
Another boy from the 3rd year nodded in agreement, crossing his arms.
"Yeah, Damien is right. We need someone with real leadership experience. Gray did well in the first challenge, but that was with a small group of girls. This is different. We’re talking about coordinating hundreds of students from all years. Damien has the strength and the respect to lead us properly."
A few more boys voiced their support, their tones growing more heated.
"Damien carried our 4th year in the second challenge. He’s the obvious choice."
"We can’t let a 2nd year lead the entire academy. It’s disrespectful to the older students."
The girls immediately fired back, their voices rising in anger and frustration.
"Gray is the only one who actually knows how to coordinate us! We won the first challenge because of him. Damien might be strong, but he doesn’t understand how to work with everyone like Gray does!"
Another girl from the 3rd year added sharply.
"Damien is just ego. He wants the glory for himself. Gray actually cares about the team winning. We trust Gray completely. He’s the only leader we want!"
The argument grew louder and more furious as both sides refused to back down.
A boy from the 4th year shouted back.
"You girls are just biased because Gray is handsome! This is a serious battle, not a popularity contest!"
A Phoenix Class girl shot back immediately.
"And you boys are just jealous because Gray is better than all of you combined! We saw how he handled the first challenge. He made us stronger as a team. Damien would just charge in and get everyone eliminated!"
The boys and girls were now almost yelling at each other, the tension in the Clementine area reaching a boiling point. The other academies were watching with amusement as the conflict continued.
Damien crossed his arms, his voice loud and confident.
"I’m not saying Gray is weak. I’m saying I have more experience. As the strongest in the 4th year, I should lead. It’s logical."
A girl from the 2nd year stepped forward, pointing at Damien.
"Logical? You just want the credit! Gray led us to victory before. We’re not changing leaders just because you have an ego!"
The argument was getting more heated by the second, with both sides refusing to compromise. The referee noticed the conflict and raised his staff.
"Each academy must choose their leader quickly! The trial will begin in five minutes!"
The girls immediately surrounded Gray again, their voices overlapping.
"Please, Gray! Be our leader!"
"We only trust you!"
The boys continued supporting Damien, their voices loud and insistent.
"Damien is the right choice!"
"We need real leadership, not a 2nd year favorite!"
The conflict in the Clementine’s Sword & Magic Academy area was reaching a boiling point.
The girls and boys were arguing fiercely, their voices overlapping as they tried to push their preferred leader.
The other academies were watching with clear amusement, and the referee was starting to look impatient as the trial was about to begin.
In the VIP section, Gloria couldn’t resist the opportunity to mock Aurora. She turned to her rival with a cold, satisfied smile, her golden eyes practically glowing with mockery.
"Look at that, Aurora," Gloria stated sarcastically.
"Your precious academy can’t even decide on a single leader. All these talented students, and they’re fighting like children over who should lead them. How embarrassing for you. I thought Clementine’s was supposed to be the academy of excellence. Yet here they are, arguing like a bunch of undisciplined brats. Maybe you should have trained them better in leadership instead of letting them fawn over one boy."
Gloria leaned back in her seat, crossing her arms as she continued, her tone growing more mocking.
"Gray is only in the 2nd year, and your girls are treating him like some kind of savior. It’s pathetic. My academy has a clear hierarchy. The strongest lead. That’s how it should be. But your students? They’re too busy simping for a single talented boy to think rationally. This is exactly why Clementine’s will never truly surpass Gloria Academy. You rely on one genius instead of building a proper system. How does it feel, Aurora? Watching your students embarrass you in front of the entire kingdom?"
She let out a cold laugh, her voice carrying just enough to be heard by those around them.
"I almost feel sorry for you. All that talk about your ’genius student’ Gray, and now even your own academy can’t agree on him as leader. Maybe he’s not as influential as you thought. Or maybe your girls are just too emotional to make smart decisions. Either way, it’s quite the show. I’m enjoying this more than the actual challenge."
Gloria’s smile was sharp and triumphant as she looked at Aurora, clearly enjoying the moment of mockery.
Aurora, however, simply smiled confidently, her eyes calmly looking over the projection before she replied:
"I have confidence in my students," she stated, though her eyes were practically glued to Gray’s figure.
Her faith in Gray was pretty much boundless.
"They know who the real leader is. Gray has already proven himself. The fact that the girls trust him so much shows how much he has earned their respect. Unlike your academy, where leadership is forced by hierarchy, my students choose based on results. They won the first challenge because of Gray. They know he can lead them to victory again. The boys will come around eventually. True leadership isn’t about age or year... or even a show of strength; it’s about ability. And Gray has that in spades. So go ahead and laugh, Gloria. When this trial ends with Clementine at the top, we’ll see who is really embarrassed."
Gloria rolled her eyes and scoffed at Aurora’s words.
Though she was surprised by Gray’s performance on that first challenge, she knew that with that power, he couldn’t possibly be able to deal with 4th years.
Especially the ones that she gave a little extra attention to make sure that they got stronger in a short span of time.
’I won’t regret any past decisions...!’
Her eyes burned as she looked at Gray, who was calmly looking at his hands in a trance instead of trying to ease the conflict between the students.
’Never... never, never, NEVER!’
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