The announcement resounded inside the entire academy, and all the students stood up.
They knew the announcement had to be important since it was the academy's highest authority delivering it.
In a particular room, students in white uniforms, all of them having high ability levels, stood upright after the announcement resounded.
The room they were in looked like a luxury restaurant, and the various pieces of furniture screamed quality.
"Rayan, what do you think?" A student who stood at 5'5 asked another who stood at 6'6.
"I don't know," Rayan said.
"But aren't you the top student?"
"According to this, then so." Rayan peeped at the metal handband on his shoulder. It flicked and showed 10.
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BACK AT THE CANTEEN…
[The weekly race has been canceled, and we have now introduced what we called a duel system]
Duel system? The students began to murmur among themselves.
[Yes, it is what you assume it to be]. The duels would enable students to challenge each other to a fight. The number of wins you have would then determine your ranking.
Furthermore, the academy would give you special merits based on the position you occupy in the ranking.]
[The system starts now!]
The students all started sizing anyone close to them as if they were examining them.
The raucous atmosphere suddenly dropped, and it became tense.
The announcement piqued Ethan's interest. He, like the rest, also gazed around, waiting for the first to make a move.
Ethan planned to grasp this opportunity. He knew good performance meant faster recognition. And it would make his mission path clearer a bit.
The present Earth valued strength more than anything, and wealth only came second.
Even the wealthiest people on the planet were not immune. Over the years, they didn't just make money; they also invested in their strength. They naturally hold more respect for the strong. The people didn't appreciate those that were wealthy but still weak. They only cared about strength, and wealth came second.
Ethan had become familiar with this fact, but he still needed strength and wealth.
After a while, a short student made a move. He walked with a heavy foot and the entire hall gazed at him, waiting for what would happen next.
With a closer look, Ethan saw Blocky, the one who had all the students' attention now.
Ethan admired Brocky's courage and bravery. Their last fight made him feel
Blocky walked forward and stopped at Ethan's desk. He looked at everyone and walked past.
Blocky knew better than to challenge anyone at that table. Instead, he would like to become a friend rather than a foe.
"I challenge you!" Blocky pointed at a table right behind Ethan's.
The boys at the table had confused expressions on their faces.
" Which of us?" One of them said, "Be specific."
"You, the one talking." blocky points.
"Come on, Bro. Kick his ass." His friends cheered him on.
Two military personnel, in green uniforms, stomped into the hall immediately after Blocky issued his challenge.
The military personnel appeared so fast because of the multiple cameras monitoring the entire academy.
The military made the surveillance camera in such a way that it would appear invincible to the naked eye, and it won't be easy for anyone to detect it. They only made some of the surveillance cameras visible for show.
The only places that seemed void of this camera were the students' rooms and bathrooms.
But even then, no one could tell if they already had cameras there as well.
The military personnel moved tables and chairs to the sides and made a spot for the fight. After that, they gestured for Blocky and his opponent to come in.
The students all looked at what would become the opening fight.
"Since this is the first fight, we will brief you on the rules." One of the personnel said and looked at the two fighters. " I hope you're OK with that."
They nodded, and he continued, "The rules are as follows: don't make a fatal attack that might kill your opponent; give up if you can't continue; and lastly, you can't issue a rematch." He stared at them as if he was letting his explanation sink into their heads.
"Hope you understand what I said?"
Blocky and the student nodded again.
"Ok, let the fight begin."
Blocky made a move first, and several sharp metals burst out, as if multiple knives were being hauled out, and flew towards the student.
The student suddenly disappeared from the spot, as if he had never been there.
All the students looked around the room, thinking the student teleported himself, but Ethan, with his enhanced sight, saw what just happened.
"Teleportation, huh?" Blocky gazes around the room in a cautious manner.
"Hey, over here." Blocky heard a tiny voice, and he spun himself around, checked his sides, and looked around.
"Fu*k! Where is that... "
Blocky stopped midway and stared down at his shoulder. And a tiny human stood on it.
"Shrinking ability"
The tiny human leaped up, reverted to his human form, and drove a punch right into Blocky's jaws.
Blocky staggered back, held himself, and regained his composure.
The student who uses the shrinking ability shrinks back again.
The student knew he couldn't go toe to toe with Blocky, so he came to this. He feared he would be impaled with several sharp metals, and no one liked that, even though healing pills existed.
He leaped on top of a table and started jumping from table to table. Due to his small size, no one grasps his exact location, thus making it easier for him to build momentum.
He leaped from side to side before he pounced on Blocky.
Blocky squinted his eyes and stared at the student from the side of his eyes.
When the student got closer, Blocky swung his hands backward and delivered a backhand slap.
The slap hit the student, and he crashed to the wall and glued like a bug smashed to a wall.
The poor student, plastered to the wall, reverted to his human form and slumped to the ground.
The two military personnel rushed to his side, placed their hands on the student's neck, and checked for any signs of breathing.
***
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