Chapter 236 — First Match I

Seraphina looked at Damian and sighed, something approaching respect in her violet eyes.

’The military should have this genius. A mind like his, applied to warfare? We’d dominate. But ever since my superiors found out his parents are the Twin Terrors, all surveillance was immediately withdrawn. Nobody wants to antagonize those two.’

Victoria and Fiona exchanged glances, their thoughts written clearly on their faces.

’His vision is terrifying. He’s not just playing the tournament. He’s using this competition as a stage to challenge fundamental assumptions about class and capability.’

Adrian pouted, his silly demeanor returning.

"All of this is very inspiring and revolutionary, but can I just say – ever since I started at this Academy, I haven’t gotten a single chance to show off! Elizabeth won’t spar seriously with me, Damian ends practice matches instantly with his Domain, and everyone else is too scared to actually hit the President’s brother!"

His voice carried genuine frustration beneath the humor.

"I’m talented too! I’m a Murdock! I have things to prove!"

Elizabeth reached over without looking and twisted his ear sharply.

"OW! OW! OW!"

"Get your priorities straight, little brother. This isn’t about your ego."

"But my ear! You’re going to rip it off! I’m sorry! I’m sorry!"

The moment of levity broke some of the tension, several of them smiling despite the circumstances.

But their attention was quickly drawn back to the arena as the barriers fully activated, sealing the combatants inside.

****

[Arena One - Inside the Barrier]

The enemy team’s leader – a tall fourth-year with B rank power and expensive equipment – gathered his teammates in a quick huddle.

"Alright, this will be an easy win. All we have to face is five juniors who are only C- rank. We’re all B rank. This is our time to shine and make our Academy and families proud."

One of his teammates leaned in, voice dropping conspiratorially.

"The Cross Imperial family contacted us. They promised if we eliminate Stormhold in the first match – in the most humiliating way possible – our families will become their subordinate families."

The reactions were immediate – eyes widening, grips tightening on weapons, breathing quickening.

They were all from subordinate families. Families that served the true Nobles but weren’t considered equals. This was their chance to rise, to gain Imperial backing and to become real Nobles instead of just servants playing at status.

All five of them carried their families’ hopes on their shoulders.

This wasn’t just a tournament match anymore.

This was their future.

"Then we don’t just win. We make it brutal. We make it so humiliating that every commoner watching understands their place. We remind the world why Nobles rule and commoners serve."

****

[Stormhold Team - Across the Arena]

Edrin, Ariana, Ronan, Lysa, and Zavier stood in formation, facing their opponents with expressions that showed nothing.

Lysa’s eyes glowed faintly – her innate sensory skill activating, picking up sound vibrations and reading lips through minute air movements.

She relayed the conversation quietly.

"They’re planning to humiliate us. The Cross Imperial family promised them subordinate status if they destroyed us publicly. They’re going to try making it brutal."

Edrin’s tactical mind processed instantly.

"Alright. Since they want to humiliate us, no need to hold back. Finish this fast."

Zavier looked at his spear, his voice completely flat.

"I can let loose, right?"

There was something in his tone – something dark and hungry – that made even his teammates pause slightly.

Ronan’s grin was predatory.

"Go ahead. Our whole Mafia – members and their families – is in Tranquil City now, completely protected. They can’t retaliate against us."

Ariana stood slightly apart, her katana held loosely in one hand, her spatial awareness mapping every inch of the arena.

She looked outside the barrier at Damian.

He nodded with a slight smile.

Permission granted.

She turned back to her opponents, her brown eyes becoming intense and focused.

The referee – an S- rank healer capable of intervening instantly if someone was about to die – stood at the far end of the arena, hand raised.

The hosts’ voices boomed across the stadium.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! ARE YOU READY FOR THE OPENING MATCH?!"

ROAR!

The crowd roared in response.

"ARENA ONE! STORMHOLD ACADEMY VERSUS WESTRIDGE ACADEMY! DEFENDING CHAMPIONS VERSUS HOPEFUL CHALLENGERS!"

The noise was deafening with fifty thousand people screaming.

"FIGHTERS! PREPARE YOURSELVES!"

Both teams tensed, Auras beginning to flare.

"BEGIN!"

****

[The Fight - Five Seconds That Changed Everything]

The Stormhold team moved.

Not like students and not like tournament competitors.

But like soldiers who’d seen real combat and survived.

[First Second]

All five activated their weapon arts simultaneously.

Ronan’s brown Aura exploded outward as he activated Titan’s Wrath – an SS rank earth-principle based fist weapon art that had been completely inaccessible to commoners until Damian’s reforms.

CRACK

His frame expanded, muscles swelling and the ground beneath his feet cracking. Earth element Aura was attracted to his fists like magnetism, chunks of broken arena floor adhering to his hands, making them look like massive stone gauntlets.

Lysa’s ice-blue Aura formed around her hands as Glacial Volley activated – an SS rank ice-principle bow weapon art.

Multiple translucent arrows materialized from pure Aura, each one crackling with freezing energy, frost spreading across her fingers.

Edrin’s twin swords began emitting a high-pitched whistle as Tempest Edge activated – an SS-rank wind-principle sword weapon art.

Green wind Aura wrapped around both blades, making them nearly invisible from speed, his movements becoming a blur.

Zavier’s spear ignited with crimson flames as Inferno Piercer activated – an SS rank fire-principle spear weapon art.

The weapon’s steel glowed white-hot, flames wrapping around the shaft, heat distorting the air around him.

Ariana’s katana seemed to flicker in and out of existence as Void Severance activated – the SS rank spatial art Seraphina had given her.

The blade’s edge became a thin line of spatial distortion that could cut through anything.

All SS rank weapon arts. All previously locked away from commoners. All now accessible because of Damian’s reforms.

[Second Second]

Lysa released.

Five ice-blue arrows shot forward faster than the enemy team expected, their formation breaking as they scrambled to defend.

Auras flared up in panic with barriers forming hastily.

[Third Second]

The arrows hit barriers with explosive force.

Ice exploded outward with frost spreading across their defenses.

And while they were distracted blocking–

Zavier’s burning spear pierced through two of them in a single throw.

SHHHUNK!

The spear entered the first enemy’s shoulder, exploded out his back, continued through the second enemy’s chest, the fire burning them as it went, with screams cut short by shock.

[Fourth Second]

Ariana activated her innate spatial skill.

Space folded as distance became meaningless.

She, Zavier, Edrin, and Ronan teleported behind the remaining three enemies in an instant.

Ronan’s earth-coated fists smashed the ground.

BOOM!

The impact crater sent shockwaves through the arena, the enemy team launched into the air, their formation completely destroyed, their Auras scattered.

Edrin’s wind-wrapped twin swords became invisible blurs.

Two enemies flew through the air, arms suddenly separated from bodies, the cuts so clean they didn’t bleed immediately.

SLICE! SLICE! SLICE! SLICE!

Four limbs hit the arena floor before their owners did.

One enemy – the team leader – tried to resist, his B rank Aura flaring desperately, a shield forming around him.

Click!

Ariana’s katana cut through space itself.

The enemy leader’s arms and legs separated from his torso in perfect simultaneity, his shield meaningless against spatial severance.

He collapsed immediately with blood pouring from four stumps.

’What?’

His mind questioning reality.

[Fifth Second]

Zavier’s spear was still piercing the first two enemies, his momentum carrying him forward as space folded, teleporting him across the arena.

But he saw the leader.

Saw the Noble arrogance on his face.

Saw everything he hated about the system that had killed his parents.

And... something broke inside him.

He dropped his spear like it was meaningless and jumped on the leader, fists rising and falling.

BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!

Bones crunched... Teeth scattered... Blood sprayed...

The leader’s face caved inward, features disappearing under relentless impacts.

BAM! BAM! BAM!

"..."

The cheers that had been building suddenly cut off.

Deathly silence spread across the entire stadium.

Even the teams in other arenas stopped fighting, turning to look at Arena One.

The only sound was fists hitting flesh.

BAM! BAM! BAM!

The referee finally gained his senses, shouting.

"STOP! MATCH OVER! STORMHOLD WINS! STOP!"