The air was thick with tension as the weight of the students' rivalry and excitement hung heavily in the air, the low yet thunderous chatter of the spectators still buzzing from Chris and Deker's match.
With all the participants now wearing their usual practical combat outfits and standing on the now-restored arena, Isidor started explaining this year's competition in much more detail.
"As each of you must have already realized, you were each given a badge. Those badges have been enchanted so that if the damage incurred surpasses a certain threshold, it will break, signifying the disqualification of participants which is worth 20 points. They will be immediately removed from the competition through teleportation, and any injuries sustained will automatically be healed. Next, if the treasure that's located somewhere on the map is found, then the one who found it will become the winner of the competition irrespective of his or her total points. This will basically mean the end of the competition. Now, if everyone's ready…"
All the students held their breaths as Hugo appeared in the sky, his arms and hands extending forward as if holding the entire arena with the students that were on it like an omnipotent being.
"LET THE BATTLE ROYALE BEGIN!"
The response was thunderous as it echoed throughout the event site where spectators roared to the top of their lungs, their spirits in a frenzy of excitement.
In a single instant, a giant magic circle appeared under the feet of the students, shining brightly as it engulfed them in blinding light.
As the light faded and they opened their eyes, the students were now transported into the different corners and areas of an otherworldly forest that was created by Hugo's high-level magic.
The forest was alive with magic, the air thick with the scent of fresh leaves and dump soil. The wind was a resonant voice that echoed through the trees, announcing to the students that they really were in a totally different space.
"Difficult to imagine that this is an artificial spell?" muttered Ace, evaluating his surroundings… a swamp.
'Touch, smell, sound, every sensation was reproduced down to the last detail,' thought Ace, feeling the texture of the ground, sniffing the air around him, and his ears twitching to the sound around him. 'Can this really be called the work of a single person? He might as well be a god at this point.'
"Exactly who are you really, old man?" muttered Ace, his wonder about Hugo giving rise to suspicion and fear. 'Well then…'
'It-it worked!' internally thought a student, side-fringed brown hair atop his head, happy about his easy, victorious ambush. 'I managed to beat the Special Admission student, Ace Blakelord! Hell yea-!'
"Pick-A-Boo!"
The boy's celebration was short-lived as a knife was pointed straight to his throat.
"Eh?" he was surprised as he robotically glanced sideways only to see Ace who was holding the knife.
"H-how?" the student asked completely stunned by how Ace had escaped.
"Only a fool would reveal what he has up his sleeve, right?" Ace replied, his knife slowly biting onto the student's throat. "And with that being the case, you don't need to know any more than that."
"See ya!" Ace said, the student beggingly saying "no" as he then cut off the head from the body.
With his head falling on the ground, the student's form was dispersed in glitch-like blue cubes that disappeared the next moment.
"One participant has been eliminated!" an announcement echoed throughout the map which made most of the students raise their heads toward the sky.
While some of the students had already been engaged in battle, others had still not encountered any real opponent. Instead, few of them were focused on finding the treasure that was hidden somewhere on the map.
In the meantime, Ace was lost in his own thoughts as he felt out the sensation that was in his hands.
'Somehow, it felt hollow,' thought Ace as he gripped the knife tightly. 'Seems like it's more of an artificial avatar with the same characteristics as our original bodies.'
'Guess that means death is also artificial in here,' Ace thought, letting out a sigh before thinking back to the past.
The not-so-distant past where he had understood something from Emilia's pursuers after torturing and killing them for his experiment.
'I can't use mana but strangely enough, I can still sense and manipulate it to a certain degree. It's still not perfect, but unless I encounter that guy…" Arnold's form appeared in his mind. "Or someone as strong as him, I won't need to go all out."
'Might as well stave off the boredom by taking my time to experiment and understand how to use this new ability. But I wonder… is this skill a perk from…"
"Hmm?"
Ace's thoughts were interrupted by a rustle in the bushes. "Guess I'll figure it out another time."
He darted towards the bushes, leaping above them with his knife ready and pointed at the student who had noticed him and was now unable to run away. In that moment, with a headshot caused by Ace's powerful and fast knife-throw, another elimination announcement came up followed by several others.
"Now then…" with cold and focused eyes, Ace set himself in motion with impressive speed. "Let's go hunting."
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At the same time, within the VIP Lounge…
"Tell me Hugo," Leonardo started. "Who do you think will win this year?"
"Well, I couldn't say," avoidantly replied Hugo while the other elders curiously glanced at him.
"Hooooo…" Leonardo observed Hugo with curiosity. "Are you saying that even my son could lose?"
"I admit that His Highness Arnold is strong. He's been undefeated like an impregnable wall since his first year. No student has ever managed to push him off the throne of the Academy's Strongest, and I don't know if that day will ever come," said Hugo, contemplating the students who were one-by-one starting to engage in battles through the holographic screens in front of them.
"Then…" Leonardo started before being cut off by Hugo.
"Pardon my rudeness for interrupting you, but… I'm afraid I won't be able to give you a clear reply, Your Majesty," calmly said Hugo, a hand on his chest as he bowed towards Leonardo.
"No apologies needed," Leonardo said, gesturing for Hugo to stop bowing. "But I'm curious. Since you're unable to give me a straight answer, isn't that basically the same as saying that Arnold will win?"
"It's true. At present, no one among the students can hope to defeat His Highness," Hugo slowly raised his head, facing Leonardo with a confident and knowing smile. "But still, even after all's said and done, the possibility that His Highness may experience a loss isn't completely non-existent."
"I see," Leonardo didn't inquire further as a satisfied smirk played on his lips. "If that were to happen, it'd also be an opportunity for him to grow further. We'll just have to see what happens next, I suppose."
"Yes, indeed," Hugo followed up, the other elders' focus now more intense than before.
Hugo refocused his attention on the unveiling competition, leaving Leonardo with his own thoughts.
'I really am curious to see what you've prepared for us, Hugo. I'm looking forward to it.'