CHAPTER 149: DON’T OVERDO IT
The hero academy students gathered in the hotel room where they would be staying.
“We all agree to go for the first place, right?” Edward asked those present.
Aurora looked at the students present and watched as they all nodded in unison.
Yesterday was the opening party and where the prizes were revealed along with the mode of the tournament.
The prizes were impressive and everyone wanted to get the first prize, but it was not as easy a matter as it seemed.
“The international tournament started with the academic tournament and our organization. We have a decent organization and we are saved. I think we have a chance,” Niels remarked, lightening the mood.
The mode of the tournament differed greatly from a typical tournament.
It was a points mode.
To be more precise, the first part of the tournament will divide the twenty academies into five groups.
In it, the different competitions between the academies will take place.
Of the ten B-Rank students in total, five students will compete individually while the other five will compete in a group of five.
As for the A-Ranks, the competition will be both individual and group battles, leaving the S-Rank to fight alone.
What was most striking was the points mode, which changed everything.
For every opponent defeated, they would earn one point, which meant that in a group battle, by defeating all five students in the opposing group, five points would be earned.
The problematic thing was that, if the opponent was strong and they defeated some members of their group, they also counted a point for them, even if they ended up losing the final battle.
That meant that in group fights, the winning team would get their full five points, but the losing team if they defeated any members would get an extra point for each member of the opposing team defeated.
If they wanted to win, they would have to lead their teams to victory in full and not have to lose members during their bouts, as they would be points for the opposing team.
Of course, that only worked in group fights, as in individual fights only one participant could win.
Niels’ words were correct when one thought that they had a slightly balanced group to take part in the different sections.
In that sense, they could show their ability more strongly, unlike other academies, whose members had no balance at all.
“This tournament has started since we were left to organize ourselves,” Rachael stressed with a serious expression.
The Hero Academy had individuals with fairly mixed talents and many of them were strong, leading to balanced winners.
Very different from other academies, where it had no such opportunities.
One example was the Russian Academy, which brought among its members a majority of fighters.
“I think we should organize the B-Rank teams well, balance between the strong ones who will participate so as not to send everyone to the same team,” Cithrel said, who was as a member of the support team.
“Just as Your Highness says, there are many things to organize,” Edward said, and stepping forward, he announced. “I will take the lead. A dictatorial one.”
Sincere, but not excessive.
The ten rank B students would have to be divided between individual fights and group fights, and no student was to be repeated.
This meant that some had the advantage to fight in groups and others individually.
Someone had to stand in front to lead all the students and give orders that others would not like.
“I do not promise you victory, as it is up to each of you. What I promise you is that I will win my fights,” Edward said as his eyes flashed.
His voice carried strength and confidence, which surpassed a normal level.
Aurora couldn’t help but give a smile.
The Edward she knew was not someone humble and charismatic like now, he was a proud and arrogant young man... Now he could hold that pride with his strength.
No one interrupted him.
In this battle of points, it was not a one-on-one battle to win.
Each of the students had to give his best.
Defeating an enemy would earn them a point and be defeated would help their opponents, regardless of whether they won in the end.
Now the students nodded, agreeing to be guided by a leader who had confidence in his own strength.
“Aside from the first round of combat, we also have to prioritize supporting our members who came for their own tournament sections,” Gregorio said, bringing attention to the non-combat students.
Vanessa, Andrés, Taqiyya, along with a student who was also participating in their own tournament were observed by the others.
The international tournament counted for the whole academy... That meant that each student could get an extra point to carry them to victory.
There were five extra tournaments besides combat.
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Crafts, alchemy, healing, computer science, and criminalistics which was taken up by the student who came with the group.
If the B and A-Rank students were worth one point for being defeated, the S-Rank student was worth five points.
However, victories in those extra tournament modes gave five points per academy victory.
Since the extra tournaments had different modalities, it was vital if they wanted to win the international tournament to get those points.
“Your wins will help the academy, but you don’t need to feel pressured. We can always make up points with the challenge mode,” Edward added to reduce the pressure.
He noticed that Taqiyya was feeling pressured and tried to calm things down.
There were different challenges to which the academy could accept and in which they would earn extra points.
It was not only about challenging other academies to a duel that could be an individual, group, or academy-wide, but there were other, more varied challenges.
One example was the ‘Fear Challenge’, which was to face Emperor Victor and not fall to one’s knees.
Although it sounded easy, it wasn’t.
One didn’t have to be very smart to know that Emperor Victor would pressure them with his aura until he crushed them, worse yet, he could even generate terrifying pressure because of his history.
A former player and an extremely powerful individual... When someone had the attention of such a terrifying human, they were unlikely to resist him.
It was a challenge that tested mental toughness and the ability to withstand pressure from individuals more powerful than themselves.
Overcoming it meant bonus points.
It was always possible to challenge an academy to a duel and when challenged, they not only had the possibility of choosing the member who would accept the challenge, but they could even choose the modality of the challenge.
Taking it to be a fight to their liking or simply see their results through a challenge like the ‘fear challenge’.
In the end, there were many ways to earn extra points, but it all depended on their own ability.
“Some academies will focus on duel only challenges, but I want us to use everything at our disposal,” Edward stated with a serious expression.
If the students were stronger and confident in their abilities, they could always challenge another academy to a duel.
While a duel could be turned down, it was only three times in the entire tournament, so if they planned well, they could get extra points by challenging or being challenged.
Still, there was no need to focus on just one mode.
“Win the fights without losing members, prepare for the extra tournaments, and of course learn about the other challenges available to us and prepare for them,” Edward said, pointing out the principal objectives and observing those present, he announced. “This tournament is up to everyone.”
The ‘fear challenge’ was not the only challenge available to them, there were also other challenges that had other objectives.
Preparing for all of them was their main goal, and that goal needed the efforts of all the students.
******
Aurora, who was in the private room of the hotel, looked at Edward and Alice, who were silent.
“We still have heard nothing about a punishment for those who hide their strengths in low ranks,” Edward reported with a serious expression.
Alice gave him a light glance and then continued eating her chips.
She was being not only cold but impolite and Edward, instead of being annoyed, gave his best smile.
“Alice, I’d like you to become our secret weapon. You know when you face an enemy of a higher rank, you win,” Edward said in remarkable calm.
Was it necessary to explain that she should win?
Yes.
It was necessary to be specific and more so when Alice was capable of not straining herself when facing a strong opponent.
Aurora held back her smile as she watched Alice.
This was what happened when a veteran with great strength entered a nursery of children and, as exaggerated as it seemed, it was the truth.
Alice had strength, experience and could be frightening enough to scare the students.
The multiplicity of her ability coupled with that experience made her too sharp a weapon, one that shouldn’t be in a student tournament.
For someone of her type, these tournaments were child’s play, and she took it that way.
“What do I win?” Alice asked, showing some curiosity and putting her chips aside. She looked at Edward and commented. “If I reveal that I am an S-rank, I will be pressured to take the test for that rank. I will then receive invitations to guilds, mercenary groups, or companies that will insist on inviting me.”
An S-Rank student who seemed unfamiliar with a small mercenary group that seemed to not have everything to offer someone of his ability.
Invitations would be commonplace.
Let alone how it was transmitted to the world where she could become more recognized.
That meant she would reach Africa, where most knew the characteristics of one of Zerzura’s Protectors.
While it was insignificant that she knew her, Alice always liked to keep a low or low enough profile when it came to a young woman, who could pull black arms out of her back and eat chips while beating up enemies.
“Jordan and Oliver weren’t paying you?” Edward hesitated, giving an odd expression.
“They were, but only as an A-ranked mercenary,” Alice replied, and kept her attention on Edward as she slid her lips upward.
Aurora’s lips quivered.
Alice was having fun at Edward’s expense.
It was one matter to hire someone A-Rank and another to hire an S-Rank individual.
Edward looked to Aurora for help, and she only gave a smile as she shrugged her shoulders.
She wasn’t the one participating in this tournament.
“I don’t need that elixir, so it’s not like I have to try hard...” Alice added quietly.
Companionship and stuff, she didn’t care too much about it and it was obvious that she was looking to take advantage of this situation.
“It can be useful to Aurora as a fighter,” Edward said, trying to find another way to get what he wanted.
It was no lie that Alice didn’t need that elixir, and as for Aurora as a swordsman, she was stuck in a unique situation.
A situation that such an elixir would not help her.
After all, it wasn’t as if an elixir could help her make all her problems go away.
Still, as a fighter, she was different, as she could improve her physique, unlike a swordsman whose problem was more related to re-accepting her sword.
Aurora didn’t mind such an elixir too much, and less so when she was confident in her abilities to keep moving forward, albeit slowly.
It was a good point from Edward, though, as it pointed out their friendship between the two.
“Also as payment, we can... Allow you to sightsee the Latin American restaurants in town,” Edward added with an odd expression.
Alice’s payment was not expensive and what that glutton was looking for was for someone as serious as Edward to offer her.
“If so, I accept,” Alice replied instantly, leaving Edward with a strange look on his face.
Aurora simply smiled as she watched Edward recover and explain his plans and what he was looking for, while Alice practically ignored him.
After finishing, Edward left the room.
“You were having too much fun at his expense,” Aurora said, shaking her head.
“Obvious. You don’t get too many chances to annoy someone like Edward,” Alice replied, smiling amused.
She didn’t even try to hide what she was doing, and Aurora just shook her head.
Without even denying that, Alice was right.
When they both met Edward, he was arrogant and always showed a sense of superiority, however, he was different nowadays.
Someone calm, who took the role of a leader, showing confidence and charisma, which was hard to ignore.
It was hard to get someone like that to bother.
“By the way, is it okay for me to participate?” Alice asked suddenly.
“Of course. Have as much fun as you want,” Aurora replied, and getting her sister’s attention, she added. “It’s normal to get bored in this kind of situation.”
This was a vacation and even though she had to ‘take care’ of Cithrel, it could only be taken as a vacation.
If it felt that way for her, it wasn’t hard to imagine how it felt for someone like Alice that even some missions seemed like a game to her.
So, if she wanted to have fun participating in the tournament by taking on students, Aurora would support her.
“Just don’t overdo it. I don’t want to see another student end up like Oliver,” Aurora warned, and thinking about the possibilities, she muttered. “Or worse...”
Was it possible that could happen?
Aurora knew Alice better than anyone and understood the danger she posed and how frightening she could be.
For such a reason, it was important to warn her now before it was too late.
Alice nodded like a good little girl, making Aurora giggle.
A warning was nice, but tournaments were always wild.
And this one was going to be no exception.