Inside the arena, Raziel waited with anticipation for the event to begin. For an otaku like him, witnessing a battle like this promised to be a thrilling experience.
He had already put his earlier interaction with Erick out of his mind, dismissing it as a minor nuisance.
Though he lost his cool again, Raziel didn't mind, believing that as long as Erick understood the meaning behind his words, there would be no need for any future encounters.
As Raziel settled into his comfortable seat, he noticed students walking by, selling snacks like popcorn, candy, lollipops, and even barbecue. Naturally, he bought some to enjoy during the show.
A few moments later, several strange white circles appeared in the sky, displaying unknown drawings.
Then, a male voice echoed loudly to the audience. It was a sound enhancement spell, ensuring everyone in the arena could hear clearly.
"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to our glorious arena!" the announcer's deep voice said, filled with excitement.
Most of the students cheered, giving Raziel the sensation of watching a football match in a European stadium.
"We are delighted to have you all here today for another annual tournament at our cherished Revery Academy. Now, without further ado, let's welcome our eighty-four first-year participants into the arena!"
Once the announcer finished speaking, a large yellow magic circle appeared in the center of the arena moments later, and several individuals instantly materialized above it.
The crowd cheered loudly once again, as first-year students typically attracted more attention than upper years, offering the perfect chance to spot emerging talents.
Raziel was eager to watch the match. Although he already knew who the two main winners would be, it didn't diminish his anticipation.
Before the event officially began, the announcer stated that he would hand the spell control to the headmaster, who was going to share some motivational words.
As soon as the word "headmaster" was mentioned, all the students fell silent and turned their attention to a specific spot in the arena, where an elevated balcony adorned with curtains awaited.
From behind the curtains on that same balcony, a figure emerged, followed by two individuals clad in full golden knight armor, each wielding a long golden battle axe.
The figure wore a luxurious dark robe, adorned with golden accents and intricate embroidery. A silver mask covered most of his face, featuring elaborate designs and patterns. His hands, hidden beneath lightly transparent white gloves, gripped a wooden cane.
This individual was the headmaster of Revery Academy and the most powerful mage on the Éden continent.
Just his presence made Raziel immediately aware of the man's immense power, even without attempting to sense his mana.
The mysterious figure stepped to the edge of the balcony and said, "Greetings, dear students. I am Holdwin Veltecrasa, the current headmaster of Revery Academy. While many of you may already know me, a mage must always take pride in announcing their name."
His words filled the mages in the crowd with pride, yet the other primary class users felt no offense, sensing no disdain in the headmaster's tone.
"Today marks the beginning of the qualifiers, with the first-year students taking the stage first, as is tradition. Before the main event begins, I will offer a brief speech," his husky, calm voice echoed through the arena.
While Holdwin delivered a powerful and emotive speech, Raziel grew increasingly bored. He casually reached into his interdimensional ring and pulled out a novel to read.
Some students nearby noticed, exchanging whispers about how audacious it was for him to ignore the words of such a respected and important figure like the headmaster
After Holdwin finally concluded his speech and clarified the important rules, he sat down in a seat that resembled a throne in the middle of the balcony.
Then, with his right hand raised, he said, "
Suddenly, a dark dome enveloped all the first-year students in the center of the arena, and multiple floating magic screens materialized for the audience to observe.
The participants were transported to a dimension called Unnatural Heaven, a powerful realm where Holdwin held absolute control.
This was a space-time spell that no one else in the world could wield, as only the headmaster possessed the ability to perform it, earning him the title of Void Emperor.
Within the dark dome, the students were dispersed across different locations, each representing one of five biomes: jungle, desert, snowy terrain, swamp, and mountain range.
Raziel, having already noticed the event had begun, turned his attention to one of the floating screens and saw that the participants were already engaging in combat.
He could even see the black fog slowly engulfing the biomes, designed to prevent participants from hiding. Staying inside the fog too long would cause participants to pass out, leading to their elimination from the competition.
A method very similar to the battle royale games he used to play.
On one of the screens, Raziel noticed someone familiar, which immediately drew his attention.
'Oh, I know this guy. I think he's Javier Villacrés, the strongest summoner in the first year. He can summon a demonic fire cheetah that enhances his speed and strength,' Raziel thought, munching on some popcorn.
Javier ran across the snowy terrain with his two friends, searching for opponents to fight. Suddenly, he sensed an attack from his right, aimed directly at his head.
Without hesitation, he leaped into a backflip and rolled through the snow, narrowly avoiding the strike.
The bright projectile shot past him with remarkable speed, making him turn toward the direction it had come from.
At a distance, four figures stood together, one holding a wand and preparing another ball of warm light.
With swift agility, Javier launched himself from the snowy ground, summoning his beast mid-air.
"{By the pact with the Hellish Spirits, I summon my contracted beast, Fiuker!}"
A large red magic circle materialized in the air, and from it emerged a massive crimson cheetah, around two meters in size, roaring flames from its breath.
The sight made the enemy mage shudder, but he pressed on, continuing his incantation while the other three rushed forward, drawing their weapons to fight the beast.
Javier landed on the ground, atop his summon, and called out, "Gatito, deal with these idiots!"
Fiuker, receiving the command from his contractor, bolted forward like a bullet, moving so quickly that the three fighters supporting the mage didn't even notice him approaching.
Immediately, Javier jumped off the beast and dashed toward the mage, who was trying to cast another spell.
"
Just as the mage tried to release the spell, Javier jumped over him and landed a spinning kick to his neck, knocking him out cold and sending him flying five meters away.
As soon as Javier confirmed the mage was unconscious, he turned to check on his summon.
The cheetah played with the three fighters, savoring the fear in their eyes like a predator relishing its prey.
When Fiuker grew bored, it knocked them out with a swipe of its claws.
"Damn, Javier, save some for us!"
"Yeah, man, don't be too greedy,"
Javier's two friends watched the fight with admiration, tossing out playful remarks.
"Sorry, guys, I'll leave the next one for you," Javier said with a sincere grin.
He was a handsome young man, with sleek black hair falling to his shoulders and piercing green eyes that seemed to captivate everyone.
His strength, good looks, and approachable personality earned him the title of the Fourth King of Revery Academy.
After a brief moment of laughter, the trio continued on their way, heading toward a new area.
Raziel had no doubt Javier would advance to the next phase of the tournament. His skill and potential marked him as a formidable figure, one destined to become Erick's rival.
On other screen, someone intriguing appeared, quickly drawing Raziel's focus.
A handsome blonde man with a center-part mullet and black round glasses stood surrounded by seven others: two mages, two warriors, and three spiritual beast summoners.
They cornered the boy in the jungle biome, blocking any chance of escape.
A tall man with an arrogant grin stepped forward and said, "Castyel, it's over! Once we eliminate you, my group will have a shot at the finals, hahaha!"
The boy remained silent as the man kept talking, his words so dull that Castyel pulled a small book from his pocket and began reading.
With fury evident on his face, the man ordered his allies to break Castyel's arms and legs.
Without hesitation, the mages cast aggressive fire and water spells, the summoners sent their beasts charging at him, and the warriors waited for an opening to strike.
The arrogant man, a summoner himself, remained motionless, certain that this would be enough.
Castyel seemed completely unfazed by the situation, his expression unchanged and showing no fear.
"Sigh...
Upon completing his recitation, a cube of light materialized around Castyel, forming a barrier that blocked the incoming spells. The summoners and fighters were powerless to break through it.
Frustrated by their failure to break the barrier, the leader began shouting insults, calling him a coward.
Castyel waved his right hand, and the barrier began to take on a humanoid form, lifting him into the center.
A towering six-meter golem, composed of cubic light shapes, materialized, leaving everyone watching in awe.
Fire chains materialized in the golem's hands, crafting a fearsome image that sent waves of terror through the attackers.
The following moments were even more chilling as the boy swung the chains at them, swiftly bringing down the summoners along their summons, and effortlessly overpowering the fighters and mages with just a few strikes.
The gap in power was so evident that Castyel yawned, while the leader watched in disbelief as everyone was easily defeated.
"Castyel Marsheil, you... I'm going to defeat you!" the leader yelled in fury as he summoned his spiritual beast, a two-meter wind falcon that charged straight toward the light golem.
Castyel casually swung a chain of fire at the bird, effortlessly taking it down. He then aimed another strike at the loudmouthed guy, burning parts of his clothes and hair in the process.
'Wow, Alizze's little brother is really ruthless,' Raziel thought, impressed by the boy's strength.
Just like his sister Alizze, Castyel was an offensive healer with considerable strength. While it wasn't on the same level as hers, he was still regarded as very strong for his age, earning respect and preventing most people from underestimating him.
His unique magic allowed him to mimic a golem summoner. By using his light barrier, he could mold it into strange figures that he could easily control.
And, combined with his handsome appearance, it earned him the title of the Second King of Revery Academy.
These two fights, along with a few others, were the only ones worth watching. By midday, the competition concluded.
Javier and Castyel easily qualified, along with fourteen other students.
Raziel found the fights entertaining, enjoying them as he munched on his snacks.
A few minutes later, the announcer introduced the start of the second round, featuring the second-year students.
There were around seventy-six participants, and Raziel quickly spotted Erick and Sylfi in the middle of the group.
However, he spotted someone that made him spit out his food in shock.
"W-what is that girl doing here? She shouldn't be participating in these qualifiers." he said, his voice filled with confusion.
The person in question was Anya. Upon seeing her, most of the boys became excited, while many of the girls looked on with envy.
Her popularity at the academy was unmatched, earning her the title of the Third Queen of Revery Academy after defeating Sylfi in a duel.
Although Sylfi was undeniably beautiful and held the title of the Fourth Queen, her slightly cold demeanor and engagement to Raziel often caused boys to focus more on Anya, who frequently stole the spotlight.
The pink-haired girl's constant display of cuteness and friendliness, along with her status as a single woman, made her the center of attention, capturing the hearts of many, especially the boys at the academy.
'Why do I have this feeling that something complicated is about to happen? I hope I'm wrong.'