Chapter 558: A Toasted Finral!
Chapter 558
"So everyone, without any further ado, let the tournament begin and let the first blue band student make his pick." Leo announced as he turned toward the crowd before taking his seat.
Kent glanced down at the sheet in his hand and then called out a blue band student.
"Choose the yellow band you want to fight." Kent ordered, and with a shaky breath the student stepped forward and pointed at a yellow band. "Do you accept this fight?"
"Yeah, sure." The yellow band student replied, and without hesitation the duo walked out onto the platform, waiting for the signal to attack.
The platform gleamed under the coliseum lights. The air smelled faintly of sweat and dust, and the crowd’s murmur swelled like a distant tide. Grey watched from the stands, hood drawn low, mask hiding his expression but not his attention. He listened to the clash of nearby conversations, the shuffle of feet, the metallic clink of weapons being readied. The moment felt strangely familiar.
’You know, this tournament feels familiar. Like I was sidelined from a tournament once. Hmm, I wonder if I ever made a comeback. By the feels of it, looks like I was in an academy back on my world. Damn my weak memory. When am I going to get them back?’ Grey roared inwardly, keeping his face neutral as he watched on.
The two students on the platform held their weapons. The blue band wielded a spear while the yellow band held a sword, each standing on opposite ends of the platform. The instructor prepared to call the match.
"Ready?" he asked the duo. They both nodded.
"Fight."
With that single word, they dashed at one another with full speed. The blue band student was a little slow; in a few seconds the yellow band had closed the gap.
The yellow band swung his sword from down below in a fierce, wild slash. The blue band managed to bring his spear into the sword’s path.
CLANG!
The clash reverberated across the platform, the blue band’s hands trembling as the impact sent him skidding a few centimetres.
Before he could regain his footing, the yellow band reappeared beside him and thrust his sword forward. The spear wielder spun on his foot, dodging the thrust by the skin of his teeth; the sword sliced his cloth but did not wound him.
In one massive burst of speed, the blue band lunged with a quick jab, but the yellow band smashed his sword into the spear, knocking it away and making the student stumble forward.
Swirling Ki to his feet, the yellow band bolted and slammed a Ki filled kick straight into the blue band’s side. The force sent the young man tumbling across the platform toward the edge.
He stabbed his spear into the wood, managing to halt his fall by a sliver, the tip biting into the surface and grinding.
The yellow band did not relent. He charged and, in a flash, delivered another brutal Ki filled kick to the blue band’s head. The boy’s head snapped back, and his whole body tumbled off the platform toward the ground below.
"Ouch. And the first win goes to the yellow bands and the first loss to the blue bands." Leo announced with a grin on his face.
The yellow band who had just won muttered, "Huh?" as he turned to face the vice principal, still catching his breath.
"Oh! Did I forget to mention that any student who loses or wins, the point would be attributed to their bands which means that if your band gets below a certain point, the whole band would be disbanded and your instructor would be punished along with your weapon’s instructor." Leo added, his voice taking on a sinister chuckle at the end.
The announcement landed like a stone in a pond. The audience quieted for a heartbeat, then erupted into low conversations and nervous glances. The blue bands shared worried looks; the yellow and red bands shifted, a mixture of relief and calculation running over their faces. Grey let the news sink in. This tournament was not just about pride. Stakes were higher than he expected. The atmosphere in the coliseum tightened, as though the air itself braced for what would follow.
"Wait, what?!" Finral shouted in pure shock, his expression and reaction mirroring everyone else’s. When he turned to look at Kent, the instructor only nodded with a forced-out smile, clearly uncomfortable.
"Oh, this is getting good," Rowen grinned wider, eyes glinting with amusement.
’Shit, this is bad for all of us,’ Ray thought, clenching his hands tightly while staring down at his gauntlets — the same pair Grey had given him once.
"Thalos, are you cool with letting your band get disbanded? Because I’m sure as hell that the blue bands can’t win this tournament," Grey whispered toward the disguised gargoyle beside him.
"What do I care?" Thalos shrugged casually, his tone completely unbothered as if the entire thing was none of his concern.
"Now, onto the next blue band," Kent said, scanning the list before calling out another name. The next student stepped forward, nerves clear in his every movement, and picked a yellow band opponent he thought would be easy bait.
The moment the fight began, the yellow band’s blade slashed sideways. The blue band barely managed to duck in time, the edge of the sword nicking a few strands of his hair.
He stumbled backward, his heartbeat pounding so loudly it echoed in his ears. His knees trembled as he realized just how close he came to death. He was about to go on the offensive when the yellow band suddenly appeared in front of him, slamming a powerful kick straight into his gut. The blow sent his body skidding several meters across the platform, nearly toppling him over the edge.
"Catch!" the yellow band shouted, hurling his sword toward the struggling student. The blue band’s eyes widened in fear, and he dropped low in pure panic just before the weapon flew past, embedding itself deep into the ground with a sharp metallic clang.
"I... I give up! I can’t fight!" the student stammered out, crouching and trembling in defeat.
Selene, watching from her seat, pressed her palm against her face, clearly disappointed. The crowd murmured in mixed reactions — some in pity, others in laughter.
Another victory was awarded to the yellow bands. The pattern continued, one battle after another, until only half of the ten blue band students managed to claim victories of their own. The rest were either defeated brutally or surrendered in fear.
Finally, it was time for the yellow bands to take the stage.
"Uhm... Finral, you’re up," Kent called out after glancing at the sheet in his hand.
’Finral, huh? Knowing how hot-headed he is, I already know who he’ll pick,’ Grey sighed, shaking his head in mild disbelief.
"The blue bands are ready ma—"
"I choose to fight a red band," Finral’s firm voice cut Kent off mid-sentence.
The instructor froze for a moment, eyes wide, while the crowd collectively gasped in shock.
"Are you sure about your choice?" Kent asked, his tone more hesitant this time, and he gulped hard after speaking.
"Yes," Finral replied firmly, his gaze sharp. Then he raised his hand and pointed at someone in the distance. "I want to fight him."
The entire crowd followed the direction of his finger, and when they realized who he was pointing at, a ripple of horror spread through the students. Finral had chosen Mada.
’Oh yeah, he’s toast,’ Grey sighed again, his tone flat and resigned as he leaned back to watch what was about to unfold.