The instructor's voice still hung in the air when the giant display screen above the battlefield flickered to life.
Names started popping up one by one as the system locked in the first matchups.
The whole arena leaned forward at once. This was it. No more qualifiers. Every fight from here decided who kept breathing in the tournament and who got sent home for good.
Instructor Glenn stepped aside and pointed at the screen.
"The first match of the elimination round begins now."
The screen flashed.
Zheng Luic vs Ethan Hale.
The stadium exploded.
"Zheng Luic!"
"S-rank first match? They're not messing around!"
"Of course it's him!"
Zheng Luic's name carried weight. S-rank Stormblade Swordsman. The kind of prodigy instructors talked about in hushed tones. The rest of the academy felt small just watching him walk.
Rei leaned forward in his seat, elbows digging into his knees. "Brother Aaron… we get to see the monster right out the gate."
Aaron kept his eyes locked on the arena entrance. "I'm curious too."
A second later the gates opened.
Zheng Luic stepped onto the battlefield in a fitted combat uniform, sword hanging loose at his side like it weighed nothing. His posture was relaxed, almost bored, but the air around him felt sharp. Controlled. Dangerous.
Across the field, Ethan Hale walked out. Broad-shouldered warrior type, face serious, shoulders already tight with tension. Facing Zheng Luic in round one was the worst possible draw.
"Participants ready."
Both nodded.
The instructor raised his hand.
"Begin!"
Zheng Luic moved.
It wasn't even a full step. Just the smallest shift forward. Steel flashed once.
SHING.
One clean arc.
Everything froze.
Ethan Hale stood perfectly still, eyes wide. His weapon slipped from his fingers and hit the ground with a dull clang. The tip of Zheng Luic's blade rested lightly against his throat.
"Match over! Winner — Zheng Luic!"
The arena went dead silent for half a second.
Then it detonated.
"Holy shit!"
"That was faster than a blink!"
"Did anyone even see the swing?"
The giant screen flashed the result in bold red.
Match Duration: 0.87 seconds.
New Tournament Record.
The crowd lost it completely. People stood up, shouting, pointing at the screen like they couldn't believe their own eyes.
Rei slapped his own forehead. "That's ridiculous. He didn't even let the guy lift his sword."
Aaron watched Zheng Luic calmly sheath his blade and walk off the arena without a single glance back. Like the entire fight had been nothing more than a minor inconvenience on his way to breakfast.
Rei shook his head slowly. "That guy is insane. Brother Aaron… you saw that movement, right?"
"Yeah," Aaron said quietly. His voice stayed even, but something inside him stirred. That sword strike had been clean, precise, and completely efficient. No wasted motion. Pure skill. For the first time in a long while, a real spark of excitement flickered in his chest. Fighting someone like that would actually be fun.
Rei kept talking, voice low. "If I ever get matched against that monster, I'm tapping out on the spot. No shame."
"Coward."
"Brother Aaron!" Rei pointed at him. "That's called survival instinct!"
The matches kept rolling fast. The schedule was tight and the instructors weren't wasting a single second.
The screen flashed again.
Two more students entered. Steel clashed. Mana burst across the field. This fight lasted almost four minutes before a heavy shield strike ended it. The crowd cheered loud.
Then another match. And another.
Some ended quick. Others dragged out as evenly matched students fought like their lives depended on it.
Luna's turn came next.
She stepped onto the battlefield with that same unshakable calm she always carried. Frost spread under her boots the instant she moved. The temperature dropped fast. Her opponent tried to close the gap, but the cold slowed him down. Within two minutes it was over. A thick shell of ice locked him in place, completely motionless.
"Winner — Luna!"
She walked back to the seating area. Rei gave her a quick thumbs-up as she sat down beside Aaron.
"That was clean," Rei said.
Luna nodded slightly, eyes still on the field. "The level here is higher than the qualifiers."
"Yeah," Aaron agreed.
The bracket kept moving. After nearly an hour the instructor stepped forward again. The screen flickered with two new names.
Aaron Emegrey vs Mia Voss.
The arena went quiet for a beat, then erupted into whispers.
"Wait… Mia Voss?"
"The priest girl?"
"The one who beat the wind archer in qualifiers?"
Rei blinked rapidly. "Brother Aaron."
Aaron looked at the screen, expression unchanged.
Rei pointed toward the battlefield with visible panic. "You're fighting the shy girl from earlier!"
Luna glanced over, surprised. "Mia Voss?"
Aaron stood up slowly. "Yes."
Rei grabbed his sleeve. "Brother Aaron… take it easy on her, okay?"
Aaron raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
Rei whispered urgently, "She's cute!"
Aaron almost laughed. He patted Rei's shoulder once. "Focus on your own matches."
Rei still looked distressed as Aaron started walking toward the arena entrance.
Across the field, Mia Voss was already stepping out. She gripped her small priest staff with both hands, looking just as nervous as before. When her eyes met Aaron's across the open ground, she looked even more flustered.
The crowd watched with open curiosity. A Laborer class versus a recovery priest. A strange matchup.
"Participants take your positions."
Aaron stepped onto the battlefield.
Mia Voss stood several meters away, expression caught between nerves and quiet determination.
The instructor lifted his hand.
"Begin!"