Chapter 45: Battles continuous
Entering the same cave-like dungeon where the earlier match took place, Kevin's group immediately sprang into action, taking formation.
Ice crystallized within his grasp, taking shape as he hurled icy projectiles like a barrage of frozen bullets. However, they quickly melted as the intense heat in the atmosphere caused them to dissolve into a shimmering mist before they reached their target.
"This majestic thunder dragon will take the glory," Leo took the opportunity, attacking with a fast lightning strike, his body crackling with lightning.
Boom--
Leo's attack crashed through the ice wall, and lightning electrocuted Kevin, pushing him back.
Beneath Kevin's feet, ice extended out. However, to his dismay, the ice began to liquefy even before it could manifest, unable to do any damage.
His mind was thrown into disarray by another attack that sent him crashing toward his teammates, messing up the formation.
Leo launched a flurry of attacks, striking Kevin with incredible speed and ferocity, with lightning spreading around, preventing anyone from getting close.
Kevin couldn't even breathe nor bear the onslaught of attacks comming at him. Water evaporated in his hand even before ice could take shape.
Gathering some dust in his clutch hand, he threw it at Leo's eyes. Taking the opportunity, he threw him off, dodged nimbly Leo's counterattack, and wiped the corner of his mouth, standing on his feet.
Spitting some blood, he frowned, avoiding an oncoming strike as fast as he could. Wiping his sweat and raising his head, he became stunned.
A familiar figure protected by two mages, he alone created strong blasting waves of heat that melted his ice and scorched the rocks; the entire cave became like the inside of an oven.
A weak radiation, yet a powerful technique.
Kevin woke up from his stupor, receiving a direct strike to the abdomen and an uppercut that sent him flying. The flag fell from his wrist, and soon after, all his teammates lost.
Ding dong--
The MC's loud, energetic voice was heard from the materialized loudspeakers.
[Congratulations to team D for moving up to the last event of the tournament.]
The door of the dungeon opened, and the team walked out excitedly.
"Your name is Fire Fury, right? That was amazing?" Leo slapped Eddie's back hard and wrapped his hand around his shoulders.
"You're strong buddy; how did you do that?" Leo bombarded Eddie with compliments, wanting to talk more with his new friend from Erou.
"I'm sure I've seen this technique used by a superhero on TV, the one with blasting waves of heat transmitted throughout the entire cave, it's amazing, haha haha."
"I was taught by a friend," Eddie, who has been praised, scratched his head. He's known this guy for only an hour, but he's been talking like they're friends from a long time ago. This guy is an upgraded version of Ash.
"Your friend must be a great guy to teach you such an amazing technique."
"He's indeed an amazing guy," Eddie's back was tense with sweat and nervousness, and he was about to fall from exhaustion when Leo pulled him up by the upper arm and propped him.
"You shouldn't collapse here; you've won like a hero, you should walk out like one," Leo said.
"I've won?" Eddie lowered his head.
"Yes, you won," Leo smiled. "Don't cry on National TV; it's going to be a lifetime's worth of embarrassment."
"Hmm..."
****
"And here I thought Erou, this time changed its entry requirement from quantity to quality, but I was wrong," Malik laughed out loud, his light amber eyes gleaming with delight.
"Only eleven out of sixty students, one is out, and the next three of Erou would be playing against the other two. I can already see Erou losing badly."
"It seems Marcoos not being able to deal with one small villain causes the younger generation to be scared to become heroes," Malik added in amusement, grinning from ear to ear.
Andrew shot him a dark look. This year, Erou has invested a lot of effort and money in raising the students' level and combat awareness, but still, this batch of the first years lost quite tragically from the start.
"People eventually would be dragged down by their qualifications." His eyes darted back to the screen, where Eddie was supported by Leo.
"Hu Huhu, what happened to your face? You look like charcoal," Malik said delightfully, face full of smiles. He had managed an opportunity to poke at his opponent, and he would use it fully, he still didn't forget how he was insulted not long ago.
"What a sore loser," Adam said. "Only an ignorant person would call an Archimage a small villain."
"Hmph, if the former president properly dealt with him ten years ago, nothing..." Malik shut his mouth, his face turned sour, realizing he had mentioned a forbidden topic. 'It isn't funny to step on someone's wound too much.'
The atmosphere turned eerily quiet, and the three looked probingly at Andrew.
Andrew, the one in question, acted as if he didn't hear him.
The one to turn the mood back to normal was Adis, dedicated to his job as a mediator.
"The second years of Erou were incredibly strong. That doesn't mean we should put pressure on the first. It's not a good thing to make fun of the children," Adis said with a bright smile.
"They did their best, and that's what matters. It's not about winning and losing; it's about working hard and becoming friends, clearing our past grudges. That is the purpose of this tournament." Malik spoke nodding his head.
"The second year's tournament, due to time constraints, was an all-out Battle Royal. Erou's command was led by Silver Moon," Adam said, impressed. "To think the child that the Seer hid has such talent."
"You mean face and popularity," Malik grumbled. "Wasn't it because he's a peerlessly handsome youth?"
Adam shook his head and said, "For some who inherited his position, you are probably not aware, but being a leader isn't at all that simple."
"Beauty may play a big role in fooling the masses, but certainly isn't playing any role here," Adis laughed with slight interest.
"Silver Moon is extremely talented in the art of combat and has the intuition of a wild beast. Can't say the same thing about his younger brother, though."
"Slumbering King?" Adam raised an eyebrow. "Ryan? The one whose real name became known to all, even the audience, he's indeed different from his older brother."
"Another child of the seer. It's hard to deduce since throughout the first event he used invisibility to hide from trouble. Even in the Teams Battle, he was a key factor in his team's win," Adis mused.
"If Silver Moon was the type people are drawn to because of his strength and instinct, Ryan is the type that brings out the best in his people while reliably being a support," Adam analyzed based on his years of experience in the army.
"Ryan has a terrifying intuition; he may have been using some sort of ability to avoid the mage's attacks, but to think he didn't shoot down the flying guy even when he could, meant he sensed the mana," Adam continued.
"Fooling his enemy into depleting his mana, forcing him out of his hiding, and leaving the rest to his comrades," Adis mused. "He has a bright future ahead of him."
"But I wonder why it didn't hit the other students," Adis wondered.
"I don't think he's interested in winning, though," Malik, who has been ignored due to his lack of knowledge and only listening from the side, asked. "What do you think, Andrew?"
Andrew, who had been lost in his thoughts while looking at the ongoing battles playing on the TV screen, said without changing his expression, "Shouldn't you be more worried about your students..."
Knock- Knock-
The door opened shortly after, and the four world leaders frowned.