The Villian Who Broke The Story

Chapter 73: Chapter 73: Preparation for the Second Round

Kael stood quietly among the students who had successfully cleared the preliminary round of the tournament.

Only thirty-two first-years remained.

Around him, the atmosphere buzzed with excitement as the surviving students gradually made their way back into the academy’s massive stadium. Countless voices filled the air as spectators discussed the battles they had just witnessed, while the defeated participants had already taken their seats to watch the remainder of the competition.

The academy’s central arena was enormous, with thousands of seats rising in layers around the battlefield. Above the arena floated dozens of magical screens that had previously displayed every battle taking place inside the Domain. Although the tournament’s first phase had ended, the screens still hovered overhead, replaying some of the day’s most memorable moments to an excited audience.

Kael glanced around before walking toward the section reserved for the remaining competitors.

Thirty-two seats had been arranged near the center of the stadium, separated from the rest of the audience. They faced another elevated platform where ten luxurious seats had already been occupied.

Those seats belonged to the Top Ten.

Kael’s gaze slowly swept across them.

Most of them carried themselves with the quiet confidence expected of the strongest first-years in the academy.

His eyes briefly stopped on Zion.

Even while seated, the young man radiated an intimidating presence. His arms were folded across his chest, his expression calm and unreadable as he silently observed the arena below. Kael had already fought a simulation of him countless times during Stella’s brutal training sessions, yet seeing the real Zion in person felt completely different.

His aura alone was enough to make weaker students hesitate.

Kael’s gaze shifted to another student seated a short distance away.

Auriella Voss.

To the current Rank One among the first-years.

She possessed neatly combed silver hair and sharp red eyes that rarely wandered from the arena. Unlike Zion’s overwhelming pressure, Auriella gave off the impression of a perfectly polished noble. Her posture was flawless, her expression composed, and every movement carried a natural elegance that made her stand out even among the Top Ten.

Kael narrowed his eyes slightly.

"I’ll be fighting all of them sooner or later."

Rather than feeling nervous, excitement slowly welled up inside him.

This...

This was the reason he had pushed himself through weeks of Stella’s hellish training.

Not for the preliminary rounds.

But for the battles that were yet to come.

While Kael observed the Top Ten, movement from another section of the stadium caught his attention.

The current Student Council President stood from her seat alongside two other members of the Student Council. Their academy uniforms differed slightly from those of ordinary students, decorated with silver embroidery that symbolized their authority within the academy.

Several nearby students immediately stepped aside as they approached.

Respect.

Fear.

Admiration.

The Student Council commanded all three.

The President calmly exchanged a few words with the students beside her before turning toward the stadium exit.

"There is still a lot to prepare before tomorrow," she said calmly. "The important guests will begin arriving soon."

The two members beside her nodded.

Before they could leave, another student suddenly appeared behind them.

He had seemingly materialized out of nowhere.

One of the Student Council members nearly jumped in surprise.

"Where’s he"

The young man vanished before he could finish speaking.

The surrounding students blinked in confusion.

"...He disappeared?"

The Student Council President merely sighed before a faint smile appeared on her face.

"I guess they’re still getting along."

The girl standing beside her immediately shook her head.

"Now you’re kidding."

"The Disciplinary Committee and the Student Council President could never get along especially the previous ones."

"So let’s just leave it at that."

The President simply smiled without arguing.

"I don’t even have time for this."

She looked toward the stadium entrance.

"We have a lot of important guests coming tomorrow."

"Let’s go and continue the preparations."

Without another word, the three of them left the stadium together, leaving the remaining students to continue discussing everything that had happened during the preliminary round.

Kael watched them leave for a brief moment before quietly making his way toward the exit himself.

Tomorrow...

The real tournament would finally begin.

Kael had only taken a few steps outside the stadium when he noticed a familiar figure leaning against one of the stone pillars near the entrance.

Long crimson hair cascaded down her back, gently swaying in the evening breeze. Her sharp crimson eyes immediately met his, and despite the stern expression she usually wore, there was the faintest trace of a smile on her lips.

"Miss Stella?" Kael asked as he approached. "Why are you out here?"

Stella folded her arms.

"Well, I know you."

She pushed herself away from the pillar and walked toward him.

"You wouldn’t want to listen to the Principal’s speech."

"I wasn’t exactly planning on staying." Kael replied.

"I figured as much."

For a brief moment, neither of them spoke.

Students continued pouring out of the stadium behind them, discussing the tournament excitedly as they walked toward the dormitories. Some were celebrating their victories, while others complained about unlucky matchups and missed opportunities.

Stella ignored the noise entirely.

Her attention remained fixed on Kael.

"Are you ready for tomorrow’s tournament?"

Her tone became noticeably more serious.

"Today was just a test drive."

She paused for a moment before continuing.

"It was meant to show you how much you’ve grown over the past two weeks."

Kael listened quietly.

"Tomorrow..."

Stella looked him directly in the eyes.

"...let’s just hope you can actually fulfill your promise."

"Being Rank One isn’t something you achieve through confidence alone."

Kael smiled.

The expression wasn’t arrogant.

If anything, it carried an unusual amount of certainty.

"Don’t worry."

"I was born ready."

He slipped both hands into his pockets.

"For tomorrow..."

He looked back toward the stadium where the remaining students were still leaving in groups.

"...nothing is going to stop me."

Stella stared at him for several seconds before shaking her head with a faint smile.

"I just hope you’re not overconfident."

"You’ve already proven that your talent is extraordinary."

"You’ve even managed to surprise me more than once."

Her expression became serious again.

"But tomorrow isn’t the preliminary round."

"Every student you’ll face from this point onward is among the academy’s elite."

"One mistake..."

"...and you’ll be eliminated."

Kael nodded.

"I know."

Stella studied his face one last time before turning around.

"Good."

"Then get some rest."

"You’ll need it."

She began walking away before stopping halfway.

Without turning around, she spoke once more.

"Oh..."

" And Rank 1000 .."

"I’ll be watching you."

A small smile appeared on Kael’s face.

"I wouldn’t expect anything less."

Stella waved casually before disappearing into the crowd of instructors.

Kael watched her leave.

A mechanical smile lingered on his face before it slowly faded.

"So..."

He let out a quiet sigh.

"After this tournament..."

"...I’ll probably be moving to Class A."

The thought wasn’t unpleasant.

If anything, he had expected it from the moment Stella began personally training him.

Still...

A new class meant new classmates.

New rivals.

And...

"I wonder if I’ll meet that long-eared elf again."

He couldn’t help recalling the sleepy elf he had encountered during the Domain tournament.

A lazy genius.

Someone who possessed incredible talent yet seemed more interested in sleeping than competing.

Kael chuckled softly.

"It’s almost as though all those long-eared elves are strange."

His thoughts drifted to the battle once more before another voice interrupted him.

"Kael!"

He stopped walking and turned around.

Charlotte hurried toward him, her silver-blonde hair bouncing with each step. Although she tried to look annoyed, the slight puff of her cheeks only made the expression seem strangely adorable.

"Oh..."

Kael smiled.

"She’s definitely pissed."

Charlotte stopped a few meters away.

"Do you know how long I’ve been looking for you?"

She folded her arms.

"Why are you hiding out here?"

Kael shrugged.

"I just didn’t want to bother myself with the Principal’s boring speech."

"I’d rather go and sleep."

Charlotte rolled her eyes.

"That sounds exactly like something you’d do."

She looked at him for a moment before speaking again.

"I guess you were the one who eliminated me from the tournament."

There was a slight pout on her face.

Although she sounded upset...

Kael could clearly see the excitement she was trying to hide.

He couldn’t help smiling.

"I guess you’re happy to be among the Top One Hundred."

"You deserve it."

Charlotte’s expression immediately softened.

Then she noticed the smirk on his face.

"Could you reduce your smirking?"

She sighed dramatically.

"It kills the mood."

"And yes..."

"I know I’m in the Top One Hundred."

Kael laughed quietly.

"With how hard you’ve worked..."

"You earned it."

"I’m sure you’ve trained more than most of the students who made it this far."

Charlotte lowered her gaze for a moment.

Remembering the endless hours inside the gravity room...

The bruises...

The exhaustion...

And Kael constantly forcing her to improve.

Perhaps...

She really had earned it.

Kael turned toward the dormitories once more.

"Get some rest, Charlotte."

"You’ve really earned it."

He looked over his shoulder.

"And remember..."

"Entering the Top One Hundred is one thing."

"Remaining there..."

"...is another matter."

Charlotte nodded silently.

"I know."

Together, they began walking toward the dormitories beneath the warm evening sky, both knowing that tomorrow’s tournament would be far more difficult than anything they had faced today.