372 A Change?
Just two minutes before, Jayden made a cut on Reece's face.
"That looks like it hurts," Damian said, looking at the stage.
Amelia looked at Damian, who was excitedly watching the match and shook her head.
'Both of them are weird,' Amelia thought, looking at Asher and Damian.
She didn't understand how they could keep a straight face this whole time.
But knowing Asher, she could kind of understand how he had no reaction, but Damian was definitely weird.
'But I hope Mom and Dad didn't show all this to Liv and Lucas,' Amelia thought.
Amelia nodded her head, confirming her statement.
She opened her eyes and looked at Asher, who was looking back at her.
Suddenly, she felt embarrassed and confused simultaneously.
He stood up, increasing her confusion.
"W-What-" Amelia began but was interrupted when Asher spoke.
"I am going back," Asher said, causing Damian to turn his face.
"What? You aren't going to see who wins?" Damian asked.
"No, I want to go rest," Asher said with a straight face.
"Oh, okay," Damian responded, not pushing Asher to stay.
Asher exited the room, and the door closed behind him.
His right eye squinted as if something was tearing his head apart.
The headache grew more intense as he recalled the memories of the match between Jayden and Reece.
It grew more and more intense, but Asher endured it. However, after watching the match for so long, he believed he could predict the winner.
[ Warning, Host's mental state is crumbling ]
The warning appeared again.
Asher's eyes grew cold as he walked down the empty hallway back to his room.
He could still hear the sounds of the clash between Jayden and Reece, but they faded with each step.
Asher returned to the Ranker's Dorm as the headache intensified.
He reached the Ranker's dorm in 7 minutes. No one noticed him because everyone was at the Arena except for the staff, a few professors, and security.
Asher entered his floor. As he opened his door and walked towards his room, his killing intent leaked out of him.
Struggling to control it, he reached into his spatial ring and retrieved a syringe filled with a strange black liquid.
He injected the liquid into his body, feeling his mana weaken steadily.
[ Warning: Host's mana is decreasing by 50% ]
[ Host's body is weakening ]
Warnings from the system appeared, but Asher ignored them.
He collapsed onto his bed, staring up at the ceiling.
His crimson-red eyes shone brightly as he opened his mouth.
"So, I was right- agh," Asher muttered, the headache intensifying.
Before leaving the Arena, he had ascertained the likely winner of the match. This confirmation also cleared up some lingering suspicions.
"It seems you're destined to lose this time," he murmured, a sinister smile curling his lips.
His overwhelming killing intent took over the room.
[ Hidden Quest Completed ]
[ Change World Academy's fate... ]
[ Reward: 2000 Fate Poi...]
[ Warning! Host's body is weakening ]
Asher could no longer see the system warnings. He felt his eyes grow heavy, the room's light gradually being consumed by encroaching darkness.
Meanwhile, 30 seconds prior at the Arena:
Sitting and engrossed in the duel, Alfred suddenly glanced to his right, sensing a presence. Yet, nothing was there.
Alfred tapped his finger on his left wrist a few times, but he looked back at the stage when he felt nothing around him.
The duel was ongoing, and as he watched, even the other SSS Rank Hunters were interested in seeing who would win.
The stage was nearly destroyed, but runes illuminated the boundary line, so it remained visible.
On the damaged ground, Jayden was pressing against Reece's sword, blood dripping from a significant slash on his chest.
Their body armor was broken, indicating they had pushed themselves to their limits.
Reece had a sword wound on his back, a strike Jayden managed to land amidst Reece's movement.
CRACK!
Reece's left leg gave out, forcing him to kneel as he resisted Jayden's sword thrust.
Jayden's eyes were smeared with blood. He had overextended his mana for his body's healing and using his Energy Manipulation Element.
'Tch, I can't lose,' Reece thought.
He knew the wound on his leg was severe, but he couldn't afford to lose it now.
'If only that damn thing was ready earlier,' Reece thought as he pushed back against Jayden's sword.
Large water bubbles enveloped Reece, sealing his wounds and halting the bleeding.
His once bright blue hair was now mixed with both his and Jayden's blood.
Sweat pooled on the ground; both of them were pushing themselves to extremes.
Suddenly, the mana around Reece surged, causing water bubbles to emerge from beneath the fractured stones.
As these water bubbles compressed, Reece's eyes shone. Before Jayden could register them, Reece launched the water bubbles at him. Jayden tried to move as he noticed them, but several hit him, opening wounds across his body.
Reece attempted to stand but faltered slightly; his leg wasn't cooperating. Reece began gathering his mana, shifting his weight, but Jayden suddenly charged at him.
Reece was puzzled. Why was Jayden rushing at him now, especially when Jayden had the advantage of staying at a distance?
As Jayden advanced, he angled his blade towards Reece, who braced himself in place.
Both swung their swords. But Reece noticed Jayden's sword pause momentarily, and its density increased to an extreme level.
Xarax grinned, watching as both swords shattered. Reece Williams was flung into the Arena wall, while Jayden remained in the center where a small crater had formed.
"Jayden Hargrave is the winner!" Gazil announced.
The cheer from the fourth-year students was deafening, particularly from those aligned with Jayden's faction.
Professors Elsa and Arman quickly approached the duelists, offering them A Rank Healing potions. Both fighters were in bad shape.
Jayden didn't hesitate, downing the potion and wiping the blood from his eyes. He grimaced at his right hand, battered by using an advanced element. Using his left hand, he painfully realigned his wrist.
"Hahaha, it's mine now," Jayden murmured.
Lifting his gaze, he saw an older man in a radiant white coat adorned with the World Academy insignia standing onstage.
With a snap of his fingers, Farnus began repairing the damaged stage. Even the bloodstains around Jayden disappeared, evaporated by his lightning.
"Congratulations, Jayden Hargrave, you are the winner of this duel," Farnus declared.
Jayden managed a smile, though his injuries continued to torment him. One healing potion wasn't nearly enough to mend such extensive damage.
Farnus took out a badge meant to be given to Fourth Year students on their Graduation day, which was scheduled after the End Year Tournament.
Unlike the regular badges, this one was golden and had a few gems on it.
It was the badge awarded to the strongest graduate, different from the golden ones given to all Rankers.
Jayden accepted the badge, although it looked like the only reward he got, but that was not the case.
But around the Giant Stone, where all the names of the top rankers were inscribed, a new name appeared: Jayden Hargrave.
Xarax smiled, seeing that Jayden had upheld their family's reputation, which was also what Jayden had been striving for.
Xarax didn't care how badly injured Jayden got during this duel.
The only thing that mattered was that he won.
"This will be the end of the Main Tournament today. Although the Seat Holders will not be present tomorrow, there will be a match with our First Year students against those from other academies," Farnus announced.
"And it will be held in the New Monster Arena we've constructed to introduce a new course in World Academy," he continued.
"Although this was meant for next year, I felt now was a good time to start," Farnus added.
Some students had already heard about this announcement, understanding that participants from different academies were competing for a chance to enter the Trials Ground.
Elsa had also told Venessa, Alyssa, and Asher to secure victories in this tournament against the other academies for some reason.
Seeing her students' performance, Elsa smiled, confident that the trio would certainly emerge victorious.
'Actually, he alone might be enough,' Elsa thought, referring to Asher.
But something she didn't expect to happen tomorrow.
21 hours from now.
Far from the World Academy,
In the Continent of Belvoria, inside a large mansion,
A man wearing a black mask and a white suit stood with his unique black sword embedded in another person's heart, and golden runes appeared around the blade.
"It seems you are mistaken, Neville Head," the masked man said.
"I don't need you; you need me," he remarked, removing his sword and killing the person simultaneously.
"Choose your actions carefully. Do what I ask you to do," he said, looking at his sword that was glowing with golden runes.
The man to whom those words were directed sat silently in his seat.
He had never felt this kind of blood lust from anyone in his entire life.
"Or be the reason the Neville Family is wiped from existence," the masked man said, directing his gaze at the green-haired middle-aged man sitting before him.
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