(Continuation…)
(Third Person View)
.
On the other hand, Rai ignored everything around him and solely focused on Brooklion Davonte Arjivon, the Rank-[1], and also the Protagonist as he made his way to his designated ring.
Within a short period of one minute, Arjivon came to the battle Ring-[1], his presence drawing the attention of all those present.
Meanwhile, Lucie, unswayed by Rai's sudden actions, diverted her attention to her notebook, diligently jotting down the details for the impending match.
"Don't bother. He will withdraw."(Rai)
However, Rai, observing her actions from the sidelines, spoke with unwavering certainty.
"...how can you be su–"(Lucie)
Lucie was taken aback and started to question Rai's presumption, but before she could finish, the referee overseeing Ring-[1] made an announcement that echoed through the arena.–
Student Quin Tyson of Rank-[101] has chosen to accept defeat and withdraw from the match. This decision comes at the cost of his Streak, which drops to zero from five, effectively eliminating him.|
The announcement elicited mixed reactions from the crowd. Some criticized Tyson's decision as cowardly, while a few had a different perspective.
"I understand that his chances were low, but shouldn't he have at least made an attempt?"(Lucie)
Lucie, sharing the sentiment of the majority, muttered her thoughts.
"...well, maybe he knew he had reached his limit."(Rai)
Rai, still fixated on Arjivon, replied.
"If he is that self-aware, he should have simply withdrawn while he had the chance of retaining his Streak."(Lucie)
Lucie, seeking a clearer explanation, gazed at Rai.
It was apparent that she hadn't fully grasped what he meant.
"Lucie, Not all Students who are partaking in Combat Class are here solely to win.
"In fact, many of them are not.
"They are here to show off(:display) their skills to the fullest.
"And that's it, nothing less, nothing more."(Rai)
Rai, unlike his normal character, didn't disappoint Lucie and explained patiently.
"For whom, though? Instructors?"(Lucie)
Lucie probed further.
Rai shook his head-
"No. It was to the House Leaders and–
"...for fellow students."(Rai)
-and clarified.
By this time, Lucie had gotten the gist of it.
As stated, the Rank system does give them an initial overview of their abilities.
It is important to remember that it is a combination of Physical and Academics aspects.
While both are as crucial as the other if one aspires to become a Soldier or part of the Military.
The harsh truth is that the level of respect accorded to physical prowess and intellectual acumen was distinct.
But again, it was hardly surprising, considering the contrast between risking one's life on the battlefield and making a contribution off the field.
This world still lacks the Wisdom to realize the Power Knowledge holds.
Coming back, irrespective of the competition at hand, in the grand scheme of things, everyone aimed to determine their standings within this hierarchy of students.
"I understand what you are saying.
–Lucie acknowledged.
"But if it is to display one's abilities, shouldn't Student Tyson's have actually benefited if he battled against a top student like Arijvon?-
"He could have given his all, regardless of the outcome."(Lucie)
She reiterated her point.
"...well that's probably because he wishes to join Arijvon's House.
"Whether for better or worse, Tyson isn't Greedy enough."(Rai)
Rai concluded, and for some reason his tone sounded like he would not be taking any further questions.
Simultaneously, Rai's gaze momentarily shifted toward the VIP section on his left for a brief second.
As Rai guessed, Tyson was indeed one of the students aiming to join Arijvon's House.
So stating an unnecessary animosity with the Leader of the House, just so he could display his abilities isn't a wise decision.
"...that actually makes sense."(Lucie)
Lucie muttered in an acceptance tone, though she hadn't fully comprehended Rai's cryptic final words.
.
In this manner, Arjivon effortlessly gained his first winning Streak with ease.
And obviously, he chooses to progress to his next opponent.
.
Meanwhile, as Arjivon was about to engage with his second opponent in the same arena, an intriguing development unfolded, capturing the undivided attention of the entire crowd once more.
The quick succession of shifts in focus of undivided students(:spectators) forced even the ongoing battles in other Rings to halt their moments for a second.
That's when the Rank-[2] Student Lotuscrest Viviana Rosalind, entered the arena from Group-{4} in Ring-[4].
.
The arena now hosted the simultaneous presence of the two top-ranking students from the Entrance Test, both having achieved their present Ranks with only a marginal difference of a couple of points.
Though they weren't facing each other directly, this scenario proved to be the most captivating moment in the entire Combat Class.
As the students in the audience, now transformed into spectators, eagerly anticipated what was about to unfold.
However, nobody besides Rai might have been certain that they wouldn't be disappointed.
…and were in for a surprise beyond their wildest expectations.
.
(Twenty Minutes Later…)
-Silence-
Inside the arena, once vibrant with the cheers of enthusiastic spectators, it turned dead silent with the two remarkable announcements-
Student Brooklion Davonte Arjivon wishes to continue to their next battle with Streak-{16}|
Student Loutuscrest Rosalind Viviana wishes to continue to their next battle with Streak-{15}|
Absurd. Simply beyond Abused.
Both Arjivon and Rosalind scored the height Streak of today's held Combat Class beating Rank-[17] Student with Streak-{11} from Group-[6] who withdrew an hour ago.
Nonetheless, his Streak was unbeaten until a few minutes ago.
Even after achieving this feat, their Streak wasn't met with the cheerful support one would expect.
Instead an eerie silence enveloped the arena.
Maybe the spectators would have erupted in applause and cheers if this record-breaking achievement had occurred after a grueling thirty minutes of battles-
Leaving Arjivon and Rosalind visibly exhausted to the point where their efforts were evident to all.
In fact, if we look at the statistics, there are a couple students with Streak-[10] from Group-{7} and Group-{3}.
So, accumulating Streak-[15] or Streak-[16] shouldn't cause such a commotion if we only look at numbers.
However, this was the result of the sheer dominance they both displayed in every battle by defeating their opponents within ten seconds.
There were even students who ranked above [50] on the list.
On top of it, they both looked perfectly fine, as they were at the beginning of their first battle.
The spectators were awestrucked to the point they felt numb even after seeing them make the decision to continue to battle after their Streak reached ten, which is almost unofficially considered the winner of the Group.
Nonetheless, it is true to say that the entire Stadium's attention, including the fellow House Leaders of those two and instructors from the VIP Box, was now totally grabbed by these two students, Rank-[1] and Rank-[2] with no exception.
Under their eagerness to know what their next course of action was, they continued to their next battle.
…and then to the next.
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As the time passed, Arjivon and Rosalind continued to amass victories while also increasing their Streak.
In a matter of minutes, their Streaks reached [20] and [19], respectively.
Yet, the noteworthy aspect was that the time it took to defeat their opponents wasn't increasing.
The students in the Stadium perception gradually shifted.
They were no longer fixated solely on the steadily rising numbers.
They begin to see something other than that.
They began to see the gap.
Their attention was drawn to the glaring disparity that separated the Rank-[1] and Rank-[2] students from the rest.
It became evident just how far ahead Arjivon and Rosalind were in their abilities.
In the span of twenty to twenty-five minutes, there were a lot of shifts in emotion within them.
They journeyed from their initial Excitement and Eagerness to witness the indirect battle between the top two ranked students to-
Surprise at the unyielding dominance of the top two, followed by Astonishment at their impeccable performance.
Then came, Contemplation set in as the audience grappled with the enormity of the gap between these exceptional students and the rest of the field.
Soon Realization dawned upon them, acknowledging Arjivon and Rosalind, and-
Finally, Fear crept into their hearts as they comprehended the monumental challenge posed by these two formidable students, Rank-[1] and Rank-[2].
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(To be continued…)
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Chapter words : 1412
Total words : 68.73K