"The first-place reward for the Interacademy Ethereal Combat Tournament is the authority over an entire city."
Shun's eyebrows tightened slightly. This wasn't a reward he particularly desired. Becoming a mayor didn't just mean power and fame; it also meant the loss of freedom and privacy.
"Indeed a tricky design," Shun thought. "A perfect method to secure free labor and control over the best of each generation."
However, everyone else seemed focused on something else.
"What is the format of the tournament?" Leon asked after a moment of thought. El and Silver nodded, clearly wanting to ask the same question.
"Education has always been a significant focus of our kingdom," Instructor Lumiel replied patiently. "The one year of education you receive is usually considered the most important year of someone's life.
"Due to this, there are a total of 100 academies across the entire realm, but only those in the most prosperous regions are invited."
"The total number of contestants will be exactly 25 academies, each consisting of a team of 16 students."
"The 25 teams will be split into exactly 5 groups, which will engage in a round-robin format. The two teams with the highest scores will qualify for the next phase, the pure elimination phase."
"Out of the 10 teams left, there will be one-on-one team fights, eliminating the 5 teams that lose."
"After that, the Kings and Queens of the 5 teams will participate in a death match. The first team to lose gets eliminated."
"Then comes the semi-finals and finals, deciding the champion of the tournament."
Leon Ermy raised his hand and started speaking before Instructor Lumiel gave permission.
"How many complete Ethereal Warriors will be there?"
Instructor Lumiel, unbothered by Leon's disrespect, replied, "There will only be 3—2 from the Haven Royal Academy and 1 from our team." She blinked at Silver, who wore a proud smile.
"Then why are we only aiming for the top 5? Shouldn't we at least aim for second place?" Leon continued.
"Despite having a complete warrior, the number of ascended ethereal warriors we have is rather... underwhelming."
"We will have the 8 strongest blessed ethereal warrior students as the pawns of our team. However, certain academies are located in the central area of Lordrixis, meaning their teams are more likely to consist entirely of ascended ethereal warriors."
The difference between a blessed class warrior and an ascended one was challenging to overcome. The students began to comprehend the purpose behind the sparring match with their instructor.
The pressure of this tournament was higher than anything they had encountered before, magnified by the presence of Silver, a complete ethereal warrior.
But most students were more excited than horrified. Truth be told, many had been hiding their true potential, their unique trump cards yet to be revealed to the world.
Especially Silver, her body already trembling with excitement.
"Other specific rules will be explained later. First, let's meet the other members of our team." Instructor Lumiel smiled, waving her hand. Eight screens started popping up in front of her.
The first student to appear was a boy with burning red hair and equally red eyes.
Rayden Asher, Class: Blessed. Ethereal Arm: Scorching Edge.
Then, a girl caught their eyes, the right part of her hair significantly longer than the left, splitting her face into two halves.
Fiana Samuel, Class: Blessed. Ethereal Arm: Twin Mirror.
In contrast to the first boy, the next one was pure white—hair, eyes, and even skin, all glowing with a pale brilliance.
Osward White, Class: Blessed. Ethereal Arm: Pale Thorn.
The next student seemed a bit more ordinary, but her irritated expression perfectly displayed her personality.
Ruby Nicolas, Class: Blessed. Ethereal Arm: Crimson Moon.
Similar to Instructor Lumiel, the following girl had starry eyes and curly hair, though significantly longer than hers.
Rin Dreamer, Class: Blessed. Ethereal Arm: Thousand Hand.
The next person was also a girl, her eyes filled with confidence and heroism.
Yurien Vincy, Class: Blessed. Ethereal Arm: Unyielding Shield.
After her came a boy with facial features reminiscent of an An Dynasty citizen, possibly a hybrid.
Gideon Wu, Class: Blessed. Ethereal Arm: Web of Betrayal.
And lastly:
Mia Hart, Class: Mortal. Ethereal Arm: Spirit of Life.
The last girl was extremely pretty, but the students focused on her class rather than her appearance.
"Mortal?"
They didn't know many students from other classes, but there were definitely more than seven blessed ethereal warriors across the academy.
Fortunately, Instructor Lumiel clarified their confusion.
"She's a healer, the only healer we have within our academy."
A heal-type ethereal arm, potentially rarer than an ascended class one.
Most ethereal arms focused on offensive means, some provided status support, but almost none offered direct healing.
"A healer increases our chances by at least 10%." Silver smiled, her eyes glowing with happiness. Leon and Jaylen nodded in agreement.
"From tomorrow, these eight students will join you in your training. It is up to you to discover their abilities, personalities, and fighting styles. Collaborate well with them." Instructor Lumiel stated.
"Understood." The students replied in harmony, their eyes filled with determination, already eager to meet their comrades.
Shun included
"I hope their abilities are interesting." An unoticeble smile appears on his face.