CHAPTER 158: DO YOUR BEST
Emperor Victor looked at today’s battlefield as he waited in the private box.
“I’m quite excited,” Victor said, and letting out an amused laugh, he remarked. “Hero Academy versus Aetherium Academy. Two heavyweights facing off against each other.”
“You really look too excited,” murmured Cécile, who was present, accompanying some of the most powerful and important people in the world.
“Of course, that’s why the fourth and fifth group fights are ahead,” Victor replied, amused.
Cecile’s expression trembled, but when she saw Elder Harris and Director Vincent looking on calmly, she controlled her emotions.
Actually, it wasn’t a lie.
Victor had advanced the groups all because they included the Hero Academy and the Aetherium Academy.
Zerzura Academy and Paladin Academy were also interesting to watch in the fifth group, but not as interesting as those two giants in the fourth group.
“You must have it really hard...” Cécile muttered, looking at the elf who was acting as secretary.
Ersin was always following the Emperor, and she gave a small smile.
“Heavier days than others.” She replied calmly.
A simple and casual tone that didn’t reveal any kind of tiredness, keeping her professionalism.
Emperor Victor stared at her for a second and then looked ahead, hiding his smile.
“First, we’ll have to see Zerzura Academy versus Paladin Academy, all to wait for the heavyweights,” Victor commented, changing the subject.
“At least this will give Russian Academy and Mechanics Academy a chance to raise their points. Their opponents are not that strong, to say the least.” Elder Harris replied in a simple tone.
“How about we fight in the end? You know, two great archmages against me... Or two great archmages facing each other, that would be interesting,” Victor asked, suddenly looking at Director Vincent and Elder Harris.
He was inviting two great archmages of SS Rank to face him or face each other for pure entertainment.
“No. I prefer to stay out of this.” Elder Harris replied in a simple tone.
“I will only fight if I think it is necessary.” Replied Director Vincent, giving a half-smile.
“Oh, that’s too bad. If we fight, it will help the earthlings have more confidence in the heroes. Knowing that they may be able to take on the abyssal portals.” Said Emperor Victor shaking his head, revealing disappointment.
Cecile, who was watching, controlled her expression at the situation and the strange look both great archmages were giving her.
“Your Majesty, please do not press your guests,” Ersin interjected with a serious look.
Emperor Victor gave a smile and muttered. “Then I will hold back until the cleansing arrives.”
Someone of his strength didn’t have too many rivals and thus didn’t have too many battles, leading to everything being boring.
In the end, he could only settle for watching some good fights.
******
“Good luck!”
“Give it your best!”
“You can do it!”
Hearing her teammates behind her back, Nicole, who was entering the arena, felt reinvigorated.
Now it was her turn to fight an individual match.
The first showdown against the Aetherium Academy.
Was she nervous?
No, she was excited.
It wasn’t overconfidence, just pure excitement.
Walking slowly to the arena, his eyes did not stray to the stands where the spectators were or the drones recording from the sides.
His attention was on the arena and on his opponent arriving on the other side.
A Rank-B psionic whose specialty was using psionic energy for his attacks, so it was going to be common to see attacks created from psionic energy.
Andrés had gone out of his way to find information and was now using it.
Looking at her opponent, Nicole concentrated.
The voices of the crowd and the host’s voice disappeared from her ears.
Now it was her and her opponent... That was it.
Her breathing slowed, immersed in a state where the only thing that mattered was the battle.
She unclenched her fists as the gloves flashed around the cuffs and she tensed, her body ready for battle.
Slowly, the host gave the introduction of the students and then turned his attention to the combatants.
“Let the battle begin!”
Those were the words she wished to hear and the moment she heard it she kicked the ground to lunge forward, raising a cloud of dust from the impact.
Nicole wanted to close the distance and her opponent realized what she wished to do and in response opened her arms, throwing dozens of psionic daggers.
Those daggers that looked like elegantly glowing lights were shot straight at Nicole.
Without needing to dodge, she reinforced her body with magical energy while preparing small discharges in her gloves.
Striking the daggers with her hands, she continued the race while the lightning weakened the psionic daggers and her body endured the light wounds.
She knew her limits and her body, so she knew how much she could withstand, and for such a reason, she advanced without wasting time.
“Shit...”
She could hear her opponent’s voice as he retreated and when she was ten meters away, she noticed that he launched a powerful cannon of psionic energy.
It was at that moment that Nicole jumped by propelling herself into the air and performing an excellent pirouette she dodged the psionic cannon that exploded behind her back.
Instead of falling to the ground, she produced platforms in the air and jumped back to the other side, zigzagging in the air while contorting her body to avoid being targeted by the psionic.
Her combat suit was upgraded thanks to Director Vincent, who supported all the students, and Nicole chose a combat suit almost similar to the one she got in Africa.
“Tch...”
Getting close enough to hit her opponent, she heard the psionic click its tongue and then disappear.
Using a fast-moving ability, he retreated about thirty meters away from Nicole and she instead of getting angry gave a smile.
Preparing his electric shock, he also used his blink ability.
Her combat suit was ‘almost’ the same as before, only with the addition of the moving ability to close the distance.
“Damn s...”
*BOOM*
Before that young man could curse, Nicole, who moved to his back, hit the barrier formed by the young man and then...
*BOOM*
She kept hitting it again and again as lightning flashes spread from her fists.
The force drove the young man back into the psionic barrier and Nicole continued to press fiercely, not allowing him to attack.
Defending herself with her barrier, her opponent had no room to breathe and make attacks.
She continued to press.
Nicole was taking the upper hand, revealing the ferocity of a fighter at its peak as her power soared with savagery and ferocity.
“AH!”
Letting out a scream of rage, the young psionic man caused his barrier to shatter, releasing powerful psionic energy as daggers.
Nicole activated the barrier of her own armor, but that attack was powerful managing to break her barrier and the daggers cut her arms, legs, and part of her waist.
“...”
However, the difference between a fighter and a psionic was revealed when Nicole charged her now unprotected opponent again.
A fighter’s body was their weapon and shield... They were machines for withstanding attacks and dealing damage.
Unlike a psionic whose body was usually just as weak as mages and relied on their barriers, a fighter could charge towards the enemy with only their body.
They needed to be bold and also required confidence in their own bodies.
*BOOM*
Swiping at the psionic, her punch broke through the barrier of the young man’s combat suit and then landed on his face.
Nicole had both.
Stolen novel; please report.
******
“Come on!”
“You can do it!”
“Hit him!”
In the rest area, Clémentine watched as her teammates cheered on Cristian, who was in a fierce battle.
For the B-Rank group bout, it was left to Alexey, Dalia, Jordan, Frank, and Leslie, while Nicole, Cristian, Marc, Érica, and Lucas were in the B-Rank individual bouts.
Now they were watching the last bout, and it was Cristian who in the first round had lost.
Everyone was cheering because the individual bouts were very close.
Nicole and Érica won, but Marc and Lucas lost.
Now Cristian would determine the third place, and he was having a tough fight against his opponent.
On the screen, both were fighting fiercely, giving their all to bring victory to their respective teams.
It was only one point, but in other terms, it was a way to reveal which academy was the winner.
In a 2 and 2 tie, the third would define everything.
For such a reason, Nicole, Marc, Lucas, and Alexey were cheering for their teammate.
“It’s close,” Gregorio murmured, watching Cristian’s match unfold.
Clémentine turned her attention back to the battle projected in the break room.
Even though Cristian was exhausted, he was still keeping his hands on his sword trying to finish off his opponent.
His opponent was in a similar state and his nose was bleeding because of the excessive expenditure of psionic energy, but both were giving their last hurrah.
“Bravo!”
Applause resounded as Cristian could cut his opponent, who had no strength to even create a psionic barrier or to activate the barrier of his combat suit.
At the end, before that blow that would be lethal, the tournament barrier was activated avoiding that attack, achieving that the psionic fell to the ground unconscious.
The cheers came from the spectators and Cristian came out of the arena and after a few seconds; he entered the break room, where they were waiting for him.
Cristian was exhausted and his body wobbly, in a state of adrenaline and excitement, which was caught by the other students present.
“Congratulations!”
Marc and Lucas lost their bouts, but Cristian’s victory made them feel as if their academy had won this round.
Still to come were the group bouts of both ranks and now the individual A-Rank bouts were about to begin, however, starting with a high morale was always nice.
Cristian gave an exhausted smile and just plopped down on the couch without speaking.
Aetherium Academy was a tough opponent with some very capable students among them and it was normal for the hero academy to get three wins and end up losing two.
It was okay to be happy about those three wins.
“Looks like it will be my turn,” Clémentine muttered, looking at her opponent.
Xu Long an S-Rank.
That would be her opponent and that was the first match between A-Ranks or at least individuals of that supposed rank.
“Do your best, but don’t feel pressured,” Edward said, giving a serious look.
She could fight as she wished, but she didn’t have to put extreme pressure on herself for a victory.
She was about to face an S-Rank and it was normal for an A-Rank like her to end up losing.
Clémentine knew this and nodded.
“Give it your best!”
At the gaze of her group and the encouragement of Nicole, who was unaware that she was facing an S-Rank, Clémentine left the rest area.
While it was true that she was facing an S-Rank, that didn’t mean she wouldn’t give her best.
Losing or winning didn’t matter too much in this fight.
What mattered was that she could overcome her limits.
Clémentine knew what her priorities were and for that reason, she wasn’t upset that some people didn’t have confidence in her and she wasn’t scared of facing a more powerful opponent, either.
Leaving the hallway, she walked to the arena while ignoring the visitors and focused on her opponent, who was waiting for her while giving an arrogant smile.
“You were in that woman’s group. The one who puts out black arms. Maybe I should call her a monster or a creature?” Xu Long asked and with a look full of contempt, she commented. “Never mind, they’re all trash in my eyes.”
He was treating Alice as if she was some kind of oddity perhaps because of her ability, however, Clémentine was not bothered.
She was attached to Alice and admired her, but when she watched someone like that young man insult her... It was ridiculous.
Just as Alice had said, he was just an idiot.
“Silence? You must be so mediocre that the only good thing you know how to do is control your emotions.” Xu Long said and, as if he was bored, he declared. “Don’t worry, to give your puny life some fun, I’ll play with you.”
A tone of someone superior and arrogant, looking down on her.
Was he trying to provoke her, or was that his personality?
Clémentine guessed it was a bit of both, but she didn’t care too much and made her preparations for battle.
“Let the battle begin!”
The host’s voice rang out and Xu Long, who arrogantly looked at her, urged. “Come. Show me what you are capable of.”
Clémentine produced daggers with her psionic energy and sent it at her opponent. and Xu Long, in response, waved his hand and an electric wave suppressed them all.
Electrokinesis is the ability to manipulate electrical energy through his mind.
That was Xu Long’s ability as a psionic and it was quite strong, as he had managed to become an S-Rank.
“This is all you have? Wow, I didn’t think you were so mediocre!” He exclaimed with a fake and uninterested tone.
Clémentine secretly braced herself as she launched another round of psionic daggers.
Her opponent liked to provoke her opponent and did not perform any attacks, enjoying watching her opponents fight with everything they had without being able to defeat him... The same way she did with previous opponents.
On such actions, she based her plan and started immediately.
Pulling huge parts out of the ground, she sent it flying at her opponent with telekinesis.
“Rubbish...” Xu Long muttered as she reached out her hand and the electrical energy tore the huge rock apart.
Clémentine didn’t care and did the same thing again, this time with greater force, ripping the stage apart part by part and lifting it into the sky with her telekinesis.
Xu Long raised his eyebrows at the sight of her ability and, hiding his surprise, gave a mocking smile.
“Is this all you have?” he asked, opening his arms and extending from his hands huge bolts of electric energy that destroyed the rocks.
A cloud of dust covered the surroundings and Clémentine could see how Xu Long was now aiming at her.
“If this is all, then yes, you were trash.” Xu Long announced, extending a powerful electric attack towards her.
Instead of dodging it, Clémentine created a psionic barrier to protect herself.
“Ugh...”
Unable to avoid it, she let out a groan of pain as that powerful attack hit her barrier.
A massive amount of electricity spread out trying to surround her, which made her have to generate a small dome with her barrier.
She secretly contained that electricity in her barrier, putting her mind on edge and her body under extreme pressure.
Xu Long increased the amount of electrical energy as if he wished to press her.
“Is this as far as you’re going to go?” he asked with a bored tone, stopping sending electricity.
Still, the electric current kept going around the barrier, trying to knock it down.
That was the moment Clémentine was waiting for and opening her arms, she made her barrier press down on the electrical energy creating a sphere to contain it.
“Oh.”
Xu Long didn’t do too much, just watched her as if watching an ant give its last hurrah.
That’s what Clémentine took advantage of as she sent that sphere containing the electrical energy from an S-Rank attack.
Her nose bled back and she, without pause, extended her telekinesis control and prepared her next attack.
“Are you trying to use my energy against me? What a joke!” muttered Xu Long, extending her hand.
When Xu Long tried to control the energy sphere heading straight for him again, Clémentine released the barrier.
“¡!”
A huge whirlwind was released as that sphere began to attract the surrounding electrical energy and with it the barrier covering Xu Long’s body.
Without pausing, Clémentine swiftly waved her hand.
From the back, huge rocks flew out of the ground to hit Xu Long, whose electric energy was attracted.
*BOOM*
Xu Long didn’t move as he let the barrier of his combat suit withstand the blows.
“You used electrokinesis to create a magnetic field to attract my barrier. That’s a remarkable thing.” Xu Long commented, walking straight towards that magnetic field and taking control of the electricity, looking at Clémentine who had fallen to her knees, he pointed. “But no matter how remarkable it is, garbage is garb...”
Before he could finish his words, Clémentine waved her hand and, with her telekinesis, raised a spike from the ground.
Impregnated with awesome force, it was so swift and strong that it penetrated the barrier of the combat suit and slashed the cheek of Xu Long, who did not have time to fully dodge it.
She had prepared this attack for the moment he let his guard down and saw her tired.
Just as Clémentine had expected, Xu Long let himself go easily, believing he had the fight won and his prey was helpless.
He had dodged it out of pure reflex, but Clémentine could see the fear in his opponent’s eyes.
“...”
At her Xu Long’s surprised look, it caused Clémentine to give a smile.
She didn’t need to put it into words, she was not a helpless prey and could bite fiercely.
“You... Bitch...”
At the taunt of being hurt and manipulated by an A-Rank, Xu Long was unleashed.
The first thing he did was to wave his hands and shoot out a terrible electric shock.
Clémentine tried to protect herself, but that powerful attack broke her psionic barrier and then the barrier of her combat suit.
And when she felt the powerful direct hit while the tournament barrier was activated, letting her see that she was already out of combat, she saw how Xu Long moved again, launching another energy sphere.
Her body felt sore and above all numb, leading to the fact that all she could do was rely on the tournament barrier to defend against that powerful energy sphere.
“Ugh...”
She flew like a top when the energy sphere hit her and the impact was so great that the next moment she had hit the arena wall.
Falling unconscious from the pain that shot through the tournament barrier.
******
Rachael and the others watched as Clémentine opened her eyes in the break room.
“Are you okay?” Edward asked with a solemn expression.
“Yeah... It was just stronger than I expected...” Clémentine muttered and looking at all the students watching her, she asked. “Was I unconscious for a long time?”
“No, just a few minutes,” replied Cithrel, who was standing nearby and casting several spells, pointed. “The barrier withstood all the fatal damage, but the pain spread throughout your body. You should take a break.”
The attack she had received was very powerful, and while the tournament barrier prevented the damage from becoming lethal, the remnants hit her.
“Tch... Damn bastard.” Marc growled, letting everyone’s emotions show.
An attack when the barrier had been activated; no doubt it was done with malice.
Everyone would stop when the final barrier was activated, as it showed that the battle was over.
However, today Xu Long continued to attack.
“You can file a complaint. It’s a tournament, but we have to fight by the rules.” Edward said and looking at Clémentine, he added. “Sure, it’s all up to you. Although I suppose he’ll claim he got carried away or couldn’t take it back, there will still be consequences.”
It was fine to fight as hard as possible and take on their opponents with everything they had, but there were limits.
The final barrier of the tournament was to prevent fatal accidents and was very effective, but once someone continued, then it was another matter.
Filing a complaint would lead the authorities to analyze the situation and, after proving that it was done with malice, then they would apply respective punishments.
“Combat stopped, Emperor Victor awaits your decision,” Rachael added with a serious expression.
This was a tournament of utmost importance that the world was watching.
However, if a fatal accident occurred, who would be blamed would be Emperor Victor, who was the person who organized all this and who was in charge.
The students could hit each other, but the barrier was there to stop fatal attacks so that no one would die.
Who in their right mind would allow people to die in an academic tournament?
Basically, no one wanted it and that was why such a powerful barrier was created.
Now that it was maliciously attacked when the fight was over, the respective rules had to be followed.
Clémentine hesitated for a moment and, looking at those present, she stopped when she saw Alice look at her carefully.
“No, it doesn’t matter. You can go on with the combat.” Clémentine replied, noticing Alice’s lips raised.
Before the others could complain, Edward raised his hand and stopped them.
“She has already spoken,” Edward said, and seeing that there were dissenting members, he clarified. “But if you want to show your anger, do it in the arena.”
The complaints stopped, and it was Rachael who was next in the fight, who let out an angry snort.
“That I will,” Rachael replied as she prepared for combat.
Edward nodded and sent his notice that they could start the next bout, receiving confirmation instantly.
When she had to leave, Rachael pulled out her wand and walked in the direction of the arena.
While she didn’t know Clémentine well, it didn’t mean she would allow a partner to be mistreated in this way.
It was fine for Clémentine to let it go, but she wouldn’t.
Looking at the opponent arriving from the other side, Rachael felt her magical energy begin to bubble as she turned to the fire element.
If someone attacked her partner, then she would strike back at the other academy.
It was true, her current opponent was not Xu Long, but for her who was burning with fury, this was a good target.
She would show him what hell was.
******
In the break room of the Aetherium Academy, several students were watching the fight.
“Tch... My team members are trash.” Xu Long muttered, watching the latest bout.
The young lady who was sticking out black arms and calling him an idiot in front of everyone was defeating one of his teammates with ease.
In the individual A-Rank bouts, he was the only one who won.
“It’s your fault. You provoked them too much.” Ryu Sujin stated with a serious expression, and without caring about the look on his partner’s face, he added. “You made them take it more personal by surprising our teammates.”
Ryu Sujin was the S-Rank member of Aetherium Academy and although she was the senior member of that rank, she did not lead the academy team.
Just as the saying went, ‘two tigers can’t be on the same mountain’... Aetherium Academy was divided.
“It doesn’t matter. As long as I win the Rank A group match and the others win the Rank-B group match, it will be easy.” Xu Long replied and, looking at Ryu Sujin, he pointed out. “Just worry about your own combat.”
Ryu Sujin frowned at that tone and order.
“Now the authorities let your actions slide, but I expect you to control yourself or you’ll be the one to take the consequences if you screw up.” She said finally.
Even though Ryu Sujin didn’t like leading the team, the tournament prizes were too precious to lose.
“If you want to provoke them to challenge us later, it’s useless. The only thing you’ve accomplished is to get them to take it out on us,” precise Ryu Sujin, and shaking her head, she retreated.
Those tricks only worked on very few opponents, and this was not one of them.