Chapter 374: Inter-Academy Tournament (XXVI)
The argument in the Clementine area was reaching its peak when the strongest 4th year student, Damien, stepped forward.
His short brown hair was neatly combed, and his eyes were filled with confidence as he looked at Gray.
"How about a duel to decide who gets to be the leader?" Damien stated, his voice was loud enough for everyone to hear.
"If you win, I’ll follow you. If I win, I lead the entire academy. Simple as that."
His words screamed arrogance. He was definitely thinking that although Gray had recovered his genius, he still wasn’t strong enough.
He respected Gray... everyone did, but they simply thought that Gray currently wasn’t strong enough to lead them all.
The girls immediately protested.
"No! That’s not fair! Gray doesn’t need to prove anything!"
"Damien is just trying to show off!"
The boys, however, cheered for the idea.
"Yes! A duel is perfect!"
"Let the strongest lead!"
Gray accepted it calmly.
The referee noticed the heated conflict in the Clementine area and raised his staff to get everyone’s attention.
His voice, amplified by powerful magic, echoed across the entire arena.
"Attention! Clementine’s Sword & Magic Academy has a leadership dispute. To resolve this fairly before the third trial begins, we will allow a duel between the two proposed leaders: Gray Vireux from the 2nd year and Damien from the 4th year. The winner will lead the entire academy in this challenge!"
The crowd in the hall erupted in loud cheers.
Everyone was excited to see the fight.
Both Gray and Damien were very well known: Gray for his dominant performance in the first challenge and, well... his already known reputation, and Damien for his strength as the top 4th year student.
The referee waved his staff, and a special arena platform rose from the ground in the center of the main field, clearly visible to all the spectators on the projection screens.
"Both contestants, step onto the duel platform! The duel will be until one side surrenders or is unable to continue. Begin!"
Gray walked calmly onto the platform, his rapier still sheathed at his waist.
Damien followed with a confident smirk, his sword already drawn as he took his position opposite Gray.
The audience was buzzing with excitement.
"Gray vs Damien! This is going to be good!"
"Gray dominated the first challenge, but Damien is a 4th year powerhouse. Who’s going to win?"
The projection screens showed close-up views of both fighters, and the crowd cheered loudly as the duel was about to begin.
Gray stood calmly on the platform, his rapier still sheathed at his waist.
He had decided not to unsheathe it.
He wanted to prove a point that he didn’t need his weapon to deal with someone like Damien.
Damien noticed Gray’s relaxed stance and sneered arrogantly.
"You’re not even drawing your sword? How cocky."
He directly shot toward Gray, swinging his sword at his head with full force, the blade cutting through the air with a sharp whistle.
’...Slow.’ Gray added inwardly.
He wanted to hide his power... but sometimes, it’s okay to let it go, a little... no?
Clink...
Gray grabbed the tip of the sword with two of his fingers.
The blade stopped dead in its tracks, the force of Damien’s swing completely nullified as if it had hit an unbreakable wall.
The crowd in the hall gasped in shock.
Damien’s eyes widened in disbelief as he tried to pull his sword back, but Gray’s fingers held it firmly, not letting it move an inch.
"What...?" Damien muttered, his arrogant expression cracking as he put more strength into his arms, trying to free his weapon.
Gray looked at him calmly, his black eyes cold as he spoke quietly.
"Is this all you have?"
He flicked his fingers slightly, and the sword was yanked out of Damien’s hands, flying across the platform and embedding itself in the ground far away.
The entire arena fell into stunned silence for a second before erupting in loud cheers and gasps.
"Did you see that?! He stopped the sword with two fingers!"
"Gray is a monster!"
Damien stumbled back, his face pale as he stared at Gray in shock.
Gray silently put his right hand in his pockets before motioning to him with his left hand.
"Come again," he said calmly.
"I’m still waiting."
Damien gritted his teeth, his face turning red with anger and humiliation.
He had never been humiliated like this in front of the entire kingdom. His pride as the strongest in the 4th year was completely shattered in seconds.
"You... you bastard!" he shouted, his voice filled with rage.
He raised his sword with both hands, channeling all his mana into his strongest technique.
The blade glowed with intense golden energy as he swung it downward with everything he had.
"Golden Dragon’s Judgment!"
A massive golden dragon-shaped slash erupted from his sword, roaring as it headed straight toward Gray.
The attack was powerful enough to split the platform in half, the air itself trembling as the golden energy cut through everything in its path.
The crowd held their breath, the projection screens showing the massive attack in clear detail.
Gray didn’t move much.
He raised his left hand and pointed the tip of his index finger toward the incoming golden dragon slash.
"Nullification."
[-100 Soul Points!]
The attack dissipated as if it never existed.
The golden energy vanished into thin air the moment it touched the tip of Gray’s finger. There was no explosion, no shockwave, no resistance.
The powerful technique simply ceased to be, like it had been erased from reality.
The entire arena fell into stunned silence.
Damien stood there, his sword still raised, his face frozen in complete shock and disbelief.
The crowd exploded in loud gasps and cheers.
"What just happened?! He erased the attack with one finger?!"
"Gray is a monster! That’s not normal!"
In the VIP section, the Saintess Elara’s silver eyes widened slightly as she watched the scene.
Aurora smiled proudly, while Gloria’s face darkened even more.
Gray lowered his hand, his expression still calm as he looked at Damien.
"Is that all?" he asked quietly.
Clank...
Damien’s sword dropped from his hands as he fell to his knees, his confidence completely broken. He had used his strongest technique, and Gray had nullified it with a single finger.
The referee raised his staff, his voice echoing across the arena.
"The duel is over! Gray Vireux is the winner! He will lead Clementine’s Sword & Magic Academy in the third trial!"
The crowd cheered loudly as Gray stood calmly on the platform, his hands back in his pockets as he looked at the defeated Damien.
Gray turned around and walked back to the Clementine group without a word.
The girls from the Phoenix Class immediately surrounded him, their eyes shining with excitement and admiration.
"Leader! That was amazing!"
"You didn’t even draw your sword! You’re so strong!"
The boys, who had been supporting Damien, stood in stunned silence for a few seconds before they finally accepted the outcome.
Damien was still on his knees, breathing heavily as he looked at Gray with a mix of shock and respect. One of the 4th year boys stepped forward and bowed his head slightly.
"...You’re the leader. We’ll follow you."
The other boys nodded in agreement, their egos finally broken by the monstrous display of strength Gray had shown. They had no choice but to accept him.
Gray nodded calmly, his expression unchanged as he looked at the entire group.
"Good. Let’s win this."
The girls cheered happily, and even the boys looked determined as they prepared for the trial.
The referee raised his staff once more, his voice booming across the arena.
"The leadership disputes have been resolved! The third trial, the Grand Dominion Siege, will now begin! All participants, prepare for teleportation!"
In a flash of light, all the students from the three remaining academies were teleported to the massive floating island.
The second-to-last stage of the tournament had officially started.
The floating island was a gorgeous and intimidating sight.
It was enormous, easily the size of a small country, hovering high in the sky with clouds drifting around its edges.
The island was divided into three distinct layers, each with its own unique environment and challenges.
The outer layer was a vast, rugged wilderness filled with dense forests, rocky mountains, and wide rivers.
Ancient ruins and hidden caves were scattered across the landscape, and powerful beasts roamed freely, guarding the Dominion Tokens.
The ground was uneven and treacherous, with sudden cliffs and hidden traps that could eliminate careless students instantly.
The middle layer was more structured, with large stone fortresses, ancient temples, and wide open battlefields. This was the main area for capturing strongholds.
The strongholds were massive structures that granted special buffs to the controlling team, buffsl ike increased mana recovery, enhanced physical strength, or temporary barriers.
The middle layer was where the real team battles would take place.
The inner core was a mysterious, glowing crystal palace at the center of the island.
It was the final area where the last surviving teams would fight in a single-elimination battle royale.
The core was filled with powerful ancient guardians and traps, making it the most dangerous part of the island.
The sky above the island was a beautiful mix of blue and purple, with floating platforms and bridges connecting different areas.
The entire island was surrounded by a shimmering barrier that prevented students from falling off, but being pushed against the barrier would still result in elimination.
The referee’s voice echoed across the island through powerful magic.
"The Grand Dominion Siege has begun! Six hours remain! Capture strongholds, gather tokens, and eliminate your opponents! The academy with the most strongholds at the end wins! Good luck!"
The three academies were teleported to different starting points on the outer layer.
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