The Thrill of Victory, the Agony of Defeat

At the end of the day, all these students were their opponents too and the duo didn't know when they could betray them. It was better to avoid everyone who was their competitor before the tournament ended.

Sophia and Lucas, though disappointed, understood Nyla's stance and nodded their acceptance. They knew better than anyone that Rio was stubborn, and cold and was afraid of getting into his bad books. 

Soon, Rio and Nyla made their way out of the battle sites, going further from their schoolmates. They were going to rest for a while in the wonderous forest realm before going to hunt again.

Seventeen days passed...

The Grand hall was adorned with flags of the participating military schools, a sea of colors symbolizing the diversity of the different cities.

A red carpet was laid out, leading to the stage, where a large backdrop proudly displayed the tournament logo and the names of the competing schools.