Chapter 53: Dawn of an Era?
“Before we dive into the details, let me commend each of you for joining us here today,” Dr Connor began, surveying the room as if he were observing each of us individually. “Representing your class in the Intra-District Games is no small feat, and you should be proud of yourselves. However, this is only the beginning.”
The room quietened up as I leaned back in my chair, waiting for him to cut to the chase.
Dr Connor continued, “Firstly, you may have noticed that the second and third-years aren’t with us. This is because they will be adhering to a slightly different schedule with different formats from you, so they have their own briefing sessions.”
The lights dimmed slightly as a screen behind him came to life. “The Games will last for almost 2 weeks. Here is the schedule for first-year participants.”
An image flashed on the screen behind him.
Day
Activity
Students Remaining
1
Opening Ceremony + Speech
128
2
Round of 128 (First Half)
96
3
Round of 128 (Second Half)
64
4
Round of 64 (First Half)
48
5
Round of 64 (Second Half)
32
6
Rest Day
32
7
Round of 32
16
8
Round of 16
8
9
Rest Day
8
10
Quarter Finals
4
11
Semi Finals + Finals
1
12
Closing Ceremony + Prize Giving
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“For you first-years, the tournament format will be standard elimination. In each round, you’ll face an opponent in a one-on-one match. Victory advances you to the next stage while defeat eliminates you. The last participant standing will be crowned the overall champion.”
It was a simple structure, but that didn’t make it any less intense.
“As always, the Games will be held in the Everdusk Gardens. It’s a sports facility located right in the middle of District 4, equidistant from the two schools. Participants will be seeded based on your Pre-Enlistment Practical Assessment scores. However, regardless of your seeding, your first opponent will be a representative from Horizon High."
His last sentence drew a ripple of whispers throughout the room. Our rival’s reputation preceded them, especially after the infamous "Ignar Incident," as it was now called. I had no doubt their lava-wielding troublemaker would be part of the Games. While competition within our school was fierce, the mere mention of Horizon High seemed to unite us against a common adversary.
“After every subsequent round, your seeds will be updated based on your performance. Therefore, you won’t know your next opponent until the day before each match. Should you sustain any injury, symptoms of muscle fatigue or anything of that sort, please do not hesitate to approach our medical team. We will ensure you’ll be healed and well-rested before your next match.”
“As you know, there are 64 slots for participants from our school. However, there are currently 80 of you here, in this room. Unfortunately, we’ll need to narrow down the lowest-seeded 16 students through an additional selection process. If your name appears on this list, please report here tomorrow at 6 PM."
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The projector displayed a list of names. I strained my eyes, quickly running through the list. Fortunately, it didn’t seem like my name was there. I hadn’t tried my hardest during the Practical, but it had been enough to earn me a high 4-Star rank. I assumed most, or maybe even all of the names here were 3-Stars.
“Now, onto the rules. All participants are to wear Abizium suits during combat, with no exceptions. No lethal force is permitted. This is a controlled environment, and while injuries may occur, we expect all participants to prioritise safety. Our staff will monitor each match, and medical teams will be on standby. Should a referee deem your actions excessively dangerous, you will be disqualified.”
Those were just the standard rules. Abizium suits were commonplace in combat scenarios like this. They were lightweight, Ability-resistant fibre designed to protect us without hindering our movements.
"If, for any reason, you decide to drop out, you’re responsible for finding a replacement and notifying your homeroom teacher," Dr Connor added.
He went on to outline additional formalities and logistical details before concluding his speech. "That concludes the briefing. Any questions?"
A girl seated near the front raised her hand. “I heard rumours that we would be using the DreamPods for this tournament, but it seems they aren’t true… If that’s the case, are there any plans to use them in future tournaments?”
Once again, the crowd grew excited, forcing Dr Connor to quiet them down.
“That’s a bit unrelated to the current tournament, but it’s a good question nonetheless. The Administration is looking into the possibility, but unfortunately, it’s still too soon to integrate the use of such technology into an official tournament. While they’ve been certified safe for use, we need more time to assess how they perform in an actual tournament setting.”
I detected a glint of mischief in his eyes as he mentioned that. A thought popped into the back of my mind. Could it be? My thoughts were interrupted by another student raising his hand.
“Um, could we get more information on the ‘selection process’?”
It looked like someone else had a similar train of thought. I was curious to hear Dr Connor’s reply.
“It won’t make much of a difference whether I tell you now or tomorrow,” he said with a slight shrug, earning a collective groan of disappointment from the crowd.
“Excuse me! Is it really safe to host a sports festival now?”
“Another perfectly valid question. Do not worry, we have implemented heightened security measures unlike anything this event has seen before. The Administration themselves will be assisting us, with a team of undercover 5-Star volunteers personally ensuring everyone’s safety.” Dr Connor announced with a bit more force than usual. “If there are no further questions, you are dismissed.”
As everyone got up from their seats, he cleared his throat. “One more thing, can Scarlette Falcon from Class 1C meet me backstage right now? Thank you.”
Scarlette froze mid-motion, swearing under her breath. “Oh, right. I forgot all about this.”
She didn’t need to explain. After her fight with Kazen at the Colosso Dome, where she had briefly entered her unstable fiery falcon form and severely injured him, Dr Connor had dragged her into an interrogation room. To avoid being expelled for the incident, she had been forced into a deal: gather information about me. But with everything that had happened since the camp, the matter had completely slipped our minds.
Dr Connor’s eyes had zeroed in on us.
“Wh-what do I do?” Scarlette stammered.
“I’d come with you, but technically, I’m not supposed to know about your deal,” I replied evenly. “Just go ahead and cook something up. It doesn’t have to be perfect.”
“That’s easier said than done!” she whispered. However, she reluctantly made her way to the stage as the rest of the students filed out of the auditorium, presumably making their way to the cafeteria for dinner. I casually joined the crowd so as not to arouse any further suspicion.
Zara and Kerri were walking beside me as we exited.
“Something happened?” Zara asked.
“I don’t know,” I said. “But I’ll wait for Scarlette. You two go ahead and have your dinner.”
Zara gave me a sceptical look but seemed to sense something serious going on behind the scenes. Without further argument, she shrugged. “Alrighty then. Hope you guys aren’t in any trouble.”
Meanwhile, I walked over to a bench just a stone’s throw from the auditorium exit and pulled out my phone. Even if the professor spotted me here, there was nothing suspicious about waiting for a friend.
About 15 minutes later, Scarlette stepped through the doors, looking a little shaken. Dr Connor was nowhere to be seen. We quickly closed the distance between us.
“Let’s talk somewhere else,” I suggested to Scarlette’s agreement.
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We set our trays down at an empty table in the cafeteria.
“So, how did it go?” I asked, breaking the silence as I poked at my noodles.
“Well,” Scarlette began, “there’s good news and bad news. Good news is that Dr Connor said he wasn’t expecting much. He knows you’re careful and private. Bad news is he’s still demanding results… so he gave me a couple of weeks to deliver.”
I paused mid-chew, letting the news sink in. Swallowing, I replied, “Firstly, I should apologise for not anticipating him reaching out to you. Somehow, I must have glossed over it.”
Scarlette stared at me incredulously. “Don’t be sorry!” she interrupted, her voice rising slightly. “It’s my fault in the first place.”
The truth was, this whole situation had likely slipped my mind because I didn’t consider Dr Connor’s expulsion threat to be a pressing concern. His response was exactly as I’d expected—Scarlette was still far too useful an asset for him to be so quickly disposed of. Additionally, it was true that if she had tried to pry information from me, I would have likely caught on, and Dr Connor must have realised that. It wasn’t unreasonable for her to fail at her task.
However, I couldn’t exactly tell Scarlett the cruel reasoning behind my thought process. I decided to be vague. “Anyway, let’s not overthink it. He may be cunning, but he’s also logical. I doubt he would make any rash decisions so soon.”
“Mmm… I guess you’re right,” Scarlette murmured. “Oh yeah! You looked like you wanted to say something about the ‘additional selection process’ back in the auditorium. You had your scheming face on.”
Did I have such a face? I never noticed. Regardless, I nodded. “I’ll just go ahead and say it. I suspect they’ll be using DreamPods to filter the lowest 16 students.”
Scarlette paused to consider the thought. “You really think so? I mean, I guess it makes sense. But don’t you think it’s a little… extreme?”
“Think about it. It’s the perfect opportunity for them to test the technology in a pseudo-tournament setting. Besides, the Administration wouldn’t provide our school with something as high-tech as DreamPods just for recreation. If they’re planning to integrate them into regular combat events, this could be their trial run. It might be the start of something big.”
Scarlette frowned in thought. “But wouldn’t that put the students in the selection process at a disadvantage? They’d essentially be guinea pigs.”
“Not necessarily. If anything, they’d gain an edge in future competitions by getting early experience with the system,” I countered. “Besides, DreamPods have already been certified safe for use.”
She let out a sigh. “I guess when you put it that way, it’s plausible. But why keep it a secret? Why didn’t Dr Connor announce it upfront?”
“Because ambiguity works in their favour,” I said. “By not announcing the use of DreamPods, they keep the students guessing. It adds an element of unpredictability, which in itself is part of the test. Furthermore, the arcade is due to open anytime now. It all lines up.”
Scarlette sighed. “You’ve really thought this through, haven’t you?”
“It’s better to be prepared for all possibilities,” I said simply, finishing the last of my noodles. “Besides, it’s just a hunch. We’ll find out soon enough.”
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Administration Notes:
School: Waning Crescent
Name: Kerri Fox
Gender: Female
Year: First-year
Rank: 4-Star
Division: Combat
Ability: Kerri’s abilities make her highly agile and capable of reacting to threats or opportunities with precision and speed. Her enhanced reflexes allow her to anticipate and respond to attacks almost instantaneously, giving her a significant edge in fast-paced scenarios. Combined with her increased speed, she excels in situations where mobility and quick decision-making are crucial.
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