The sudden knock on the restroom door was initially drowned out by the celebratory clamor of the SIGMA Academy students. Gradually, it grew louder, until Ruby Nicolas, ever observant, noticed and opened the door.
Standing there was a cool-looking boy with meticulously styled golden hair, undeterred by Ruby's irritated expression.
"Who the hell are you?" Ruby grunted.
"May I come in?" the boy responded with arrogance, completely ignoring Ruby's question.
But he soon realised he might be messing with the wrong person.
Realizing his mistake, the boy's expression shifted as the door, once opened, slammed shut with a forceful tremor, followed by the distinct click of the lock.
His face froze, and he knocked again, this time with a frown of remorse. "I'm sorry! Please, let me in!"
"We are contestants from the Lordrixis West Academy, seeking an alliance for the upcoming elimination deathmatch!"
Inside, the room fell silent. Leon quickly suggested, "An ally could be beneficial. I'd assume other teams are secretly collaborating to secure a spot in the semi-finals."
Vito shook his head. "We don't need allies if they are just useless imbeciles that do more harm than good."
"No," Shun interjected, resting his head on his hands with a lingering smirk. "We need them to secure victory. Ruby, please open the door for our comrades in arms."
As the door reopened, the boy stumbled in, his face a mixture of excitement and relief. "Thank you, merciful saints of SIGMA Academy!"
Silver whispered to Shun, "Do you really want to work with...him?" Her eyes filled with confusion and concern.
Shun whispered back, her scent both alluring and innocent, "They are our hope for victory. Their potential is beyond your imagination."
"I have good news and bad news. Which would you like to hear first?" the boy asked.
Before the students could reply, the boy interrupted, "My name is Jeremy Lionheart, by the way."
"Lionheart?" Emilia echoed, astonished.
Jeremy snapped his fingers proudly. "Exactly, the courageous, fearless, valiant, powerful, prominent Lionheart family, descendants of Crusader General Stevenson Lionheart, who fought alongside King Nathaniel Heaven." Every time he repeated the word "Lionheart," his voice trembled with pride.
"And I," he continued, placing a hand on his chest, "am the beacon of hope for my family's pride, King of the West Lordrixis Academy team, Jeremy Lionheart, born to restore its renown!"
"Yap yap yap," Osward muttered, turning away.
"I think the family is screwed," Ruby said, covering her face in embarrassment.
Deeply hurt by the reactions, Jeremy continued with an afflicted tone, "Back to the point. Good news or bad news?"
"Always bad news first," Vito replied.
Jeremy's voice turned serious. "Haven Royal Academy is teaming up with the Belkarn Clan."
Everyone raised their eyebrows, surprised by the collaboration of these adversaries. "What about the good news?" Shun asked.
"The good news is, since the Belkarn Clan absolutely HATES the Lordrixis East Academy, they will have no chance of joining their alliance." Jeremy smiled and pointed his finger upward, a gesture reminiscent of Leon Ermy. "This means that if we all target the Lordrixis East Academy, we can ensure our spot in the semi-finals."
"Given the strength of this generation, that result would already be very impressive," he shrugged.
"But why is our alliance necessary?" Silver questioned.
Shun responded before Jeremy could. "We don't know which team the other alliance will target, making everyone vulnerable."
"But if we form another alliance without including the leftover team, our victory will be assured."
"Exactly!" Jeremy smiled.
"Alright, let's discuss our strategies then," Shun replied.
"The rest of us will leave; it's not like the fight involves us anyway," Rayden announced, signaling the others to follow him into another room.
For the first time, every student followed his lead, driven by both his fearless sacrifice and the desire to escape the insufferable Jeremy Lionheart.
...
The tournament arena buzzed with anticipation. Today marked the beginning of the truly exhilarating phase of the Interacademy Ethereal Combat Tournament.
"Where is Vergil?" King Eldran asked Dominic, Vergil's close friend.
"Probably one of those days," Dominic replied, taking a sip of his wine. He was known for being drunk almost the entire day. "You know, his ability has its side effects."
The king sighed and shook his head sorrowfully.
"Alfred, what do you think will happen in today's matchup?" Glynn Belkarn asked gently, still wearing his usual smile.
Having gained respect and acknowledgment from King Nathaniel Heaven, Glynn had the privilege of addressing the king by his first name.
"Didn't you form an alliance with the Royal Academy? Tough luck on the Lordrixis East Academy."
"Oh? So you predict Lordrixis East Academy will be the one eliminated?" Glynn's smile widened into a full-sized laugh.
"I'd argue differently..." His voice started to fade, Glynn fell back on his chair lazily, staring at the arena below in amusement.
The Kings and Queens of each team had already entered the arena, their expressions varied.
Silver's fist tightened, struggling to maintain her composure.
Shun, on the other hand, looked confident and prepared.
"Scared? King of SIGMA Academy team?" Glunn Belkarn, son of Glynn Belkarn, King of the Belkarn Clan team, mocked.
"Enough, even weaklings fight back at times," Ray Scarlet, King of Haven Royal Academy, remarked sardonically.
Silver didn't reply, her thoughts elsewhere.
"This is the best solution," Shun whispered, attempting to comfort her.
Before long, the countdown interrupted their conversation.
"3"
"2"
"1"
"Commence!"
The audience roared with excitement; a deathmatch was never boring to watch.
"Remember our strategy?" Shun asked as Jeremy and his queen, Katie Collins, rushed towards them.
"Embedded in our hearts," Jeremy replied confidently. Katie, usually shy, also nodded with determination.
Suddenly, Ray swung his trident, creating waves that surged towards the alliance.
Meanwhile, Glunn launched himself at the Lordrixis East Academy team, thick green tentacles sprouting from his back, their toxic substances corroding the ground.
"Jeremy!" Shun yelled.
Jeremy unleashed his ethereal arm, a spear of pure lightning materializing in his hands, crackling with raw power and growing larger as the wave approached. His eyes were focused, his aim precise, ready to strike Ray down.
Just as he was about to throw the spear at Ray, he was hindered by the confused and horrified look on Ray's face.
And two bloody daggers suddenly pierced his body from behind, embedding themselves deep into his flesh.
"Shun?" Jeremy turned around with difficulty, disbelief in his eyes.
"Thank you for your contribution," Shun replied, his voice dripping with mock gratitude.
To Jeremy, Shun looked less like a comrade and more like a vile demon reveling in his betrayal.
"I really appreciate it." He smiled brightly.