Chapter 20: Round One

"Today's the day then."

"The first round is you and Athena versus Eris and Diablo."

"That'll be fine then."

We all teleported to the academy as we were instantly approched by my teammate.

"Levantes it's us in a couple of minutes, so hurry up."

"If you value your life then don't order me around."

A few minutes later we heard an announcement from Tartarus.

"Can Levantes Artrium Volomir and Athena Heroidias go to Hall 2-A and can Diablo Volodia and Eris Dryadilas go to Hall 2-B to get ready for the first round of the tournament."

"Looks like I need to go."

"We'll watch you from the crowd."

I walked towards the designated hall where I found the floor has been cleared and a large portal awaited me at the end of the hall.

"Don't disappoint me."

I looked behind me trying to find who spoke.

"You're here, Nyx."

"I'm gonna be watching."

Athena and I then walked into the portal, we found ourselves in a forest with a crown behind us, to forest was large. Wherever you looked all you can see are trees.

"I see."

"What?"

"Capture the crown."

"Attention students, in this round you will try and take your opponents crown whoever does wins the round and qualifies to the next round. Choose who wears the crown and choose wisely. The person wearing the crown cannot take off the crown until the end of the game. The person wearing the crown can give the crown to the other team. That is all so have fun during the round. Let the round begin."

"So who is going to wear it."

"You wear it."

"Me?"

"Yeah."

"Okay then." Athena said as she out the crown upon her head.

"How is it?"

"It's a bit heavy other than that it's alright."

"I wasn't talking to you."

"Oh, who are you talking to then."

"My mana beast, Longwang."

"Also you cannot use your mana beasts other than that you can use magic to your delight." Tartarus announced as if he knew my plans already.

"Looks like your plan might not work."

"It is, in fact it might work a bit too much."

"Where do you think the other team is?"

"With my observations I can guess that they split up."

"Why would they split up?"

"They probably already knew about the huge possiblity of losing so they took a gamble. On your left in about three minutes Eris will try attack you from the trees, she will have the crown or so she will say, when actually Diablo has the crown because he thought it would be safer that way but then Eris thought that he would get absolutely destroyed by me and there was a lower chance of losing if she had the crown so that would mean she is saying the truth but will try make it seem that she's lying."

"How the hell did you get that?"

"I can hear them."

"WHAT!"

"I can hear anything clearly within a 300km radius anything further will be hard to understand unless it's a single noise such as water falling or vehicles."

"That's some serious hearing."

"They're here. Run straight ahead."

Athena then ran into the forest without looking back.

"Now that she's gone let's play for a while, Diablo."

"You noticed, Levantes. Well we both know you will win but it's meaningless when both the crowns are gone."

"That's true, well in your perspective, let's see how this round ends."

"Athena is weaker than Eris as she ranks higher so it's a clear win."

"Sure, let's fight for a bit then, don't worry I have my limiters in place all 2,500."

"LET'S FIGHT THEN!"

Athena's perspective:

I ran towards the trees of the forest on Levantes's command.

I wonder why he told me to.

Suddenly, I heard the rustling of leaves as if a large storm was going to happen. I looked behind me to see nothing but trees.

"Hello there Athena."

I looked behind me but saw no one. I then looked at the trees but saw no one. I quickly whipped my head around trying to search for Eris.

"Athena, look here."

I then followed the voice to find multiple large tornados coming towards me. I then flew in the air but then was hit by a barrier.

"I'm not stupid you know."

"Eris come out." I growled.

"Fine then."

I looked in the air above me to see a girl with blonde hair and blue eyes, she was about my height and her rank was higher than mine. She was a High Complex Dimensional rank from what I researched.

"I'm sure King Levantes would destroy Diablo with no difficulty but with you having the crown instead of him, that was a stupid move, brave but stupid. I'm sure everyone watching this right now already knew that we would have no chance of winning especially because the King is on your team but considering that our battle IQ is higher we will win this for sure, at this point you might as well give the crown because you don't want to have broken bones do you?"

"You might break my bones but the devil on the other side of this forest who's destroying your teammate as we speak will erase my very existence if I give you the crown, so between you two I'd rather have my bones broken."

"Fine then. Have it your way."

Eris conjured multiple spells which I then dodge then teleported behind Eris, I then used 'Enhanced Abilities' making my physical abilities about 50x stronger. With the enhanced abilities I know had I tried piercing Eris with my sword.

"Useless." Eris said as she dodged my sword with ease.

"Shit!"

Eris then teleported behind me and stabbed me from the back with a sword she created with her Air attribute: Wind magic. I then choked perpetually.

What the hell is happening? I thought as I felt weaker and weaker.

"I removed the oxygen from the area inside my barrier, Air attribute: Oxygen Manipulation."

Shit! I didn't know that Air was that strong.

"Next time you fight, Athena, open a book because if you knew the abilities of the Air attribute you'll also know that most people have 'Zero Oxygen' a spell that allows the user to not need oxygen, your teammate has this but he still sent you, this is the consequences of his foolishness."

I then collapsed to the ground and fainted, with the ounce of consciousness I had left I felt the crown being taken off of my head.

Levantes's perceptive:

Diablo then conjured multiple spells about on the level of the 17th tier.

"Those won't work on me you know." I said as I countered them with Anti-Magic.

"I know but the person with the crown is not here but is fighting a person stronger than her." Diablo said as he conjured more and more 16th tier spells.

"Your life's on the line and you're still thinking about the crown."

"I know you won't kill me."

"Who the hell said that? I just need to wait for your mana to run out."

"I have a a titanic mana capacity, what about you how many Cosmic Tier spells can you conjure?" Diablo said as he conjured another set of 16th tier spells.

"Enough to kill you."

"Do it then."

"I don't need to, you're too weak anyways. This is getting boring, Erase."

Diablo then fell to the ground. He had bruises on his face and body as blood poured out of his nose.

"What did you do?" He said as he coughed out blood.

"I erased your mana, don't worry you'll get it back."

"Looks like we lost the moment the round started." Diablo siad as he laughed hesterically.

"Shut up."

"Sorry my king."

I then teleported to Athena.

"What the hell? WHY IS THE ROUND NOT ENDING?!"

"I have the crown Eris."

Eris then looked behind her with horror. She then bowed to me and didn't rise until a few dozen seconds later.

"We've won, I was joking about having the crown before but you didn't take the real crown off of Athena. No one said that the crown has to be on the head just that it has to be worn throughout the whole round. For me this is a simple game. Reveal."

A crown then appeared on Athena's unconscious back, as the crown appeared Eris looked in surprise as she didn't even think that I would do this.

"See she still has it. Now I'll say the spell, Checkmate."

Athena was now infront of me holding Eris's crown while Eris was unconscious on the floor.

"Winner of Around One, Levantes and Athena." Tartarus announced.

Everyone spectating then started cheering.

"Did you plan for this to happen?"

"You could say that, if I really did go full out we would've won but it wouldn't be as fun, but it was too quick how about I do this instead."

"What are you gonna do?"

Eris was now next to Athena.

"What the hell?"

"Levantes and Athena do you choose this way?" Tartarus asked through the microphone.

"Yeah, Athena what about you?"

"If you do then I'll agree."

"With that the round continues." Tartarus declared.

We heard confused muttering in the audience as they watched through the screens that were infront of them.

"What are you planning?"

"Don't worry Athena, we will still win it's just I didn't want that ending so I'm gonna do this instead."

Eris then punched Athena in the face knocking her out while blood spurting out from her nose, she then bleed so much that there was a pool of blood under her.

"Now then I'll end it now." Eris said as she tried to take the crown from Athena's head.

"It's not real."

"You couldn't have done that I'm a 4th dimensional being."

"I know but you're stupid as well. You called me stupid but you didn't realise that that person on the floor is a decoy, a clone."

Eris then looked at me with confusion as I walked towards her and took the crown from her head.

"I'm joking."

"Winner of Round One is Levantes and Athena, for the second time."

"Eris, I know that most people in this world are 4th dimensional beings that's why I planned this out. That way I can get rid of the anchor dragging me down."

"So that's why. You really are something else Divine Emperor Levantes Artrium Volomir."

"Don't spell out my full name, it wasn't needed."

"I just tried bringing some atmosphere."

"Well don't."

"Well considering you beat my father, The Chess King in his domain I can't imagine how I thought I would win against you. My father did tell me about a demon boy who lost against him twice then won against him hundreds of times after, he also told me about your training-"

"Don't say that stuff, keep it to yourself or I'll erase your beloved father."

"That was a wonderful round Levantes."

"What do you want Nyx?"

"I'm just congratulating you."

"The battlefield is a chess board, as long as you know that you can fight in the battlefield as if it's a simple game."

"Well it looks like you lost your queen."

I looked down at the ground then smiled.

"She was more of a pawn not even capable of getting promoted."

"Well I'll see how you single handedly take on the rest of the groups. You do know this tournament won't be like the others, it will only be won by the person who has battle IQ along with IQ and good physical abilities as well."

"There's other additional factors."

"I'll let you do as you want."

As Athena was being treated Nyx disappeared in the darkness of the forest.

"Levantes, who do you think will win in the next round?"

"If I told you it wouldn't happen."

"What do you mean? What won't happen?"

"You'll find out sooner or later, until then Eris stay safe." I said as I created a portal then entered it.

Well now I can let loose a bit. With Athena gone I can finally use my real abilities.