Just moments later, we saw hundreds of enormous flying buses soaring through the sky. Each one was big enough to hold 2,000 people.
"I think that's our ride," Felix muttered, eyeing the closest one.
Every student on campus stood in awe as one of the massive buses began its descent. The noise of engines filled the air, along with the distant shouts of passengers aboard the other buses. Their voices carried over to us, taunting, full of smug superiority.
"They're probably from the other schools competing in the rank tournament. Look at these clowns, shouting at us like we're ants or something." Ryota's frustration was clear—he'd just been humiliated by a stronger opponent, and it still stung.
The bus finally touched down, and a few people stepped out, likely the caretakers.
"Alright, everyone, get on the bus, and do so slowly," the principal instructed.
As we boarded, the interior of the bus took us by surprise. Despite its massive size, there were still over 3,000 vacant seats. Windows lined every side, and the floor was covered with rich, red silk carpets. We quickly took our seats, and I sat together with my faction.
Once the bus lifted off again, Yuri couldn't hide her curiosity. "How did humanity even create something like this?"
"This is probably someone's Trick," Amara muttered, glancing out the window.
That was a possibility, but the person who could create not one, but hundreds of these buses with just a Trick had to be incredibly powerful.
While we flew, I decided to ask a few questions about my friends.
"You've never told us where you're from, Ryota."
"Well, I was born in Wincona."
"Wincona? Isn't that where the Ancient Tomb was first spotted?" Felix asked, his curiosity piqued.
Ryota nodded. "Yeah, that's right."
I turned to Amara next. "What about your parents?"
"My mother's name is Hiyori Zura," he replied.
"And your father?"
"His name is Shinunaki Zoe."
A jolt of shock hit me. _Shinunaki Zoe? Is this a coincidence?_
Amara's father was none other than my teacher, Shinunaki Zoe.
"Why do you look so shocked, Komaru?" Amara asked, his brow furrowed with concern.
"Your father... he taught me. He was my mentor for five years," I explained.
"Woah, no way! What was he doing in Farukan all that time?" Amara looked as astonished as I felt.
Shinunaki-sensei had been with me for years, but I had no idea why he wasn't with his own child. Still, it felt too personal to ask, so I dropped the subject.
After our brief conversation, the bus finally landed at our destination. As we stepped off, our jaws dropped. The bus, which had felt enormous at 200 by 300 meters, seemed insignificant compared to the colossal stadium in front of us. It was vast, capable of holding over a million people. As we entered, we saw more than 30,000 students, each carrying a flag representing their school.
"This... this is where we'll fight? Against all these students?" Yuri's voice was filled with amazement. We were all in shock, overwhelmed by the scale of the event.
On a large monitor near the stands, two figures with long ears appeared on the screen.
"No way, are those Elves?" Amara's fists clenched in excitement.
"They are indeed," said Ademanis, who stood beside us. "These two are from the Elven World, representing the Elven Leaderboards. The tall woman is Lilith, ranked 132. The other is Brandy, ranked 72."
Elves ranked this high? And then there were even more to come.
Ademanis continued. "Not only will they be here, but so will two from the top ten of the Human Leaderboards. And let's not forget the Catalog is watching. There will also be a few high-ranking demons present."
This was turning into one of the most significant events in human history. The sheer magnitude of it made my heart race with excitement.
A sudden voice interrupted our thoughts. "Attention, everyone." A tall figure appeared on the screen, taking the mic. "My name is Phlox Clore, ranked 8th on the Human Leaderboards. I'm the highest-ranked human here, and I have a few things to say. First of all, this tournament will be a free-for-all. All 30,000 students will fight at once. The rules are simple: you'll each receive a band. If it's broken, you're out. The event ends when either one person or one faction remains standing. That's it."
Phlox Clore, ranked 8th, was overseeing the event? This was unreal.
As we received our bands, we registered our names and prepared ourselves.
"Now that everyone is registered," Phlox said, "I'll leave you with one final command: BEGIN THE TOURNAMENT."
Chaos erupted. Every student immediately sprang into action.
"Let's go, everyone," Felix urged, taking the lead.
A massive monitor displayed tournament updates, including the current number of contestants:
*Total number of contestants: 30,000*
*Most bands broken by: Diego Tim (42)*
Whoever Diego Tim was, he was no joke, breaking 42 bands right off the bat. But soon, the display updated with a more familiar name.
*Most bands broken by: Felix Izuki (49)*
The crowd roared as Felix took the lead, but this also painted a target on his back.
A girl approached him, determined. "I'm gonna take your ban—"
*BOOM.*
It wasn't an explosion, but the sound of Felix's fist smashing into her face, sending her flying. He calmly broke her band.
But the leaderboard shifted again.
*Most bands broken by: Kaneri Kansai (137)*
One hundred thirty-seven bands? This person had to be ranked incredibly high.
As the contestant count continued to drop, I knew I had to act. I spotted a distracted student engaged in a fight with three others. Taking advantage of the chaos, I used my Trick to manipulate gravity, throwing the group off balance. Yuri followed up with her own Trick, and we knocked them all out, breaking their bands.
As I did so, a notification appeared on my band, allowing me to check the band count of my faction.
*Displaying your faction members:*
*Felix Izuki: 96 bands broken*
*Ryosuke Amara: 32 bands broken*
*Kitagawa Yuri: 6 bands broken*
*Sawanagi Komaru: 5 bands broken*
*Amane Ryota: 2 bands broken*
Felix was leading with an impressive 96 bands, but what shocked me even more was that Ryota had broken two bands. Even a small number was surprising coming from him.
We fought for another 20 minutes, with the contestant numbers dropping slower now.
*Number of contestants: 7,947*
**Most bands broken: Kaneri Kansai (196)*
The tournament was far from over, and we had a long way to go.
*In the stadium, VIP ROOM*
"What do you think of this so far, Brandy?" Lilith whispered, her voice barely audible as she leaned toward him.
Brandy's sharp eyes gleamed with curiosity. "Kaneri Kansai and Felix Izuki… those two have piqued my interest."
A booming voice cut through the whispering. "What are you two elves muttering about?" A tall figure with broad shoulders, Famisa, glared at them from across the room.
Lilith straightened, her voice faltering. "We were just discussing the tournament, Famisa."
Famisa scoffed, but before he could reply, another voice barked from the shadows. "Will you all shut up? Some of us are trying to watch." Phlox, seated at the far end of the room, glared at the group, anger simmering in his tone.
Famisa wasn't one to let things go easily. "You're getting too cocky, Phlox. Don't forget we're ranked the same."
"Yeah," another woman interjected, her blonde hair catching the dim light. "Famisa, you're ranked 8th on the Demons' Leaderboard, and Phlox is 8th on the Humans'. What's the difference?"
Famisa turned to her with a sneer. "Why do you care, Emily? You're ranked 9th, right below me."
Emily's frustration was palpable, her fists tightening at her sides. "You—"
"Enough," a calm voice broke through the tension. A short woman with pale skin and white cheeks stood at the back, her tone firm yet soothing. "We're here to watch the tournament, not squabble."
Famisa smirked but didn't argue further. "Since you're asking so nicely, Clara, we'll stop. But don't forget, you're only ranked 7th among the Elves."
The tension eased, but the VIP room was filled with high-ranking individuals, each from different races, save for the gods who deemed the event beneath their notice. The air was thick with unspoken rivalries, every word charged with a weight that could shift at any moment.
"So, Emily," Famisa said, turning toward the blonde again. "Any news on the Ancient Relic?"
Emily crossed her arms, her expression softening slightly. "Not much, but I've learned it's tied to *The Sacred Chains*."
Famisa's eyes narrowed with interest. "It's been ages since I've heard of those."
Lilith, who had been quietly observing, spoke up. "Have any of you heard of *The Ancient Sage*?"
Famisa nodded slowly. "I've heard of him. He's the one who defeated Dexter, the 19th-ranked god. But beyond that? Nothing. It's like he doesn't exist."
"Like *The Phoenix*..." Phlox muttered, almost to himself.
Clara's voice rang out again, this time with more intensity. "Phlox, have the humans found anything about the *Ancient Tomb*?"
Phlox glanced at her, his expression guarded. "We have a few theories. One of them is that it's the tomb of the *Serpent God*."
Clara's eyes widened slightly. "The *Serpent God*? I didn't expect to hear that name again."
"It's just speculation," Phlox replied. "We don't know why *The Merchants* built the tomb."
"If the *Serpent God* is involved, the gods won't stay quiet," Famisa added with concern.
"That's true," Lilith said. "But for now, let's focus on this tournament. The winner will see their rank rise significantly."
Phlox sighed and nodded, shifting his gaze back to the screen. The monitor displayed an updated count.
_Number of contestants: 6254_
_Most bands broken by: Felix Izuki (147)_
_Most bands broken by: Kaneri Kansai (234)_
"Felix is keeping up, but Kaneri's lead is growing," Brandy murmured, his eyes glued to the monitor. "This Felix kid… he's either going to burn out or surprise us all. What do you think, Lilith?"
Lilith smirked, her eyes gleaming with anticipation. "We'll find out soon enough. This is only the beginning."
*In the tournament arena*
Chaos reigned on the battlefield. The deafening roar of the crowd and the clash of combatants echoed across the arena. Dust hung in the air, kicked up by frantic movements, while the sun bore down on the fighters, casting long shadows.
Komaru and his faction were in a tight spot, barely holding their ground after a fierce clash with another school's faction. Komaru wiped the sweat from his brow, his breaths coming in shallow bursts.
"We need a better strategy," he muttered, glancing around at the chaotic scene. "This isn't just about survival anymore. If we don't start breaking more bands, we're done for."
Yuri wiped the sweat from her face, her eyes scanning the battlefield. "What if we take advantage of the chaos? Find groups already fighting and swoop in to break their bands."
Amara nodded, keeping his gaze focused. "Some factions are organized, but others are falling apart. We should target the weaker ones first."
Komaru clenched his fists, his mind racing. "Alright. Stay close, and don't engage unless we're sure we can win."
With a new plan in place, they pressed forward into the fray. The heat, the dust, and the noise created an overwhelming atmosphere, but Komaru kept his focus, even as a nagging thought gnawed at the back of his mind—the conversation with Amara about Shinunaki-sensei. Why had his teacher left his own child with him? What was so special about him?
Before he could delve deeper into the thought, a trembling figure approached him. The student's face was pale, their body shaking with fear.
"Please... don't!" the student begged, their voice barely above a whisper.
Komaru hesitated, his grip on his weapon slackening. But before he could make a decision, Felix swooped in like a predator, breaking the student's band with a single strike.
"Don't get soft now, Komaru," Felix snapped, his tone sharp as he moved on to his next target. "This is a fight."
Komaru stood frozen for a moment, watching the bandless student retreat into the crowd, their fear etched into his mind. _Am I really prepared for what this tournament will bring?_ he wondered.
As he tightened his grip on his weapon, the reality of the tournament began to sink in. This wasn't just a test of strength. It was a test of character, and it was starting to reveal who they all really were.