The Fight Begins

Silver skipped into the restroom, a sheet of paper clutched in her hands.

"Is that the group list?" Leon asked without looking up.

"Yes," Silver replied, "As always, the Big Five are separated into different groups. Our main contestants for second place are Wonderland Academy and the Belkarn Clan."

"Fortunately, not only are we not paired with any of them, they were both placed in Group 1."

"With the presence of Lordrixis South Academy in Group 1, it's likely one of them will be eliminated."

"With this in mind, our only concerning opponent is Lordrixis North Academy, which we don't even have to defeat to ascend to the next phase."

Before she could continue, a powerful kick blasted the door open.

Principal Enwyld Lorthus stood at the doorway, fury evident on his face. He opened his mouth and spoke, spittle flying.

"Students, listen up!" He rammed his staff into the ground, almost causing the floor to crack. "Obliterate the bastards from Lordrixis North Academy!"

"But we only need to get second place to advance to the next phase…" Rayden stated quietly, a contrast to his usual liveliness.

Principal Lorthus continued, completely ignoring Rayden's voice. "That old fool Jozeph Lander dared to challenge the pride of our academy and trash-talked my instructor Vladimir Sandrea! Show no mercy towards his students! Completely step on their faces!"

He then stormed out, slamming the door shut.

"Huh?" Jaylen, still surprised at the principal's words, asked in confusion.

"So we have to try?" Rin yawned, her slumber interrupted by the principal's previous screams.

"We should try anyway. Getting first place in our group secures our chances in the elimination phase," Vito said slowly. "First place is usually paired with a second place in the elimination phase, making it easier to defeat our opponents."

"But that also means most of our abilities will be revealed to our future opponents," Emilia explained.

"Keep a few tricks up your sleeves," Shun advised. "Make sure we win, but just barely."

...

Cloudy Adaires gazed at the sky, doubt and worry in her eyes.

"El... Prince Albert Eldran..."

Her eyes slowly became misty. Despite being an ascended ethereal warrior, it was uncertain whether the king would permit their relationship.

"There you are," a voice called from behind her.

"Worried about whether you are worthy of the position of princess?" Shun smirked.

"Shun... I would prefer some personal space, thank you." She turned back after wiping her tears away.

Shun sighed but did as she asked. He returned to the inner chamber, leaving several words behind him.

"If you truly understood El as a person, your heart would not be shadowed with uncertainty."

Back in the chamber, Albert Eldran was wandering in circles, confused and puzzled.

"Shun, what did she say?" Albert asked hastily as soon as he saw Shun.

"What do you think? I'd imagine your understanding of her surpasses mine," Shun sighed. "This is not something I can help you with; only you can persuade her."

"But why?" Albert grabbed Shun by the shoulders. "What's wrong with being a princess? Why is she so insecure about it?"

Shun shook his hands off, annoyance visible in his expression. "I despise royal arrogance, absolutely no understanding of anyone's feelings. Not even the person you love, let alone the irrelevant citizens."

Shun walked away, leaving Albert's hand hanging in midair.

"Cloudy..."

...

"Welcome, all citizens of Lordrixis!"

"This is the first day of the most glorious tournament among the new generation, the Interacademy Ethereal Combat Tournament!"

"As previously decided, academies are separated into five groups of five. Each team will engage in a fight with every other team in the allocated group."

"To stimulate the intensity, the strongest academies will be paired together on the first day, guaranteed to provide us with a magnificent performance!"

King Eldran looked down from his seat, trying to locate his son among the participants.

"I can't wait to witness today's show," Glynn Belkarn, seated beside the throne, smirked joyfully.

The Belkarn Clan, one of the most mysterious associations within the Kingdom.

The clan seemed to have a significant plan in mind that they were constantly preparing for, but no one knew exactly what.

But every Haven citizen knew if you want to uncover the secrets of anyone, the Belkarn Clan is the place to go.

Due to their contributions to the kingdom, they had previously gained several privileges, including participation in the tournament.

Glynn Belkarn, the 19th complete ethereal warrior, is also the clan's grand head.

"Still laughing after seeing the matchup?" Kael Franklin, on the other side of the throne, spoke with a powerful tone. "Your team is paired with the Lordrixis South Academy, not the easiest fight ever."

"Hahaha," Glynn's smile did not falter.

"I can't even imagine my team losing." His eyes filled with confidence.

...

The rule of the fight is simple: the first team to defeat the opposing side's king wins.

There are ten different arenas across the tournament area, so the stage was not quite spacious for 32 students; every second is vulnerable for attacks.

Their first opponent is their nemesis, Lordrixis North Academy.

"Silver Iricson, king of the SIGMA Academy team."

"Dylan Kin, king of the Lordrixis South Academy team." Dylan was shorter than an average teenager, barely tall enough to look Silver in the eye without lifting his head too much.

He looked worried, intimidated by the presence of a complete ethereal warrior, a prince, and a descendant of an ancient hero on the other team.

"I hope you guys put up a decent fight." A tall boy spat across the stage, especially aiming towards Shun.

"We might not have to." Shun shrugged, staring at the boy with a murderous look.

A tournament, perfect for an accident.

"Commence!" the judge announced.

All competitors unleashed their ethereal arms, beams of brilliance shining across all ten arenas.

The tournament that ultimately decides their life, begins at this exact moment.