Destroyer of Ice and Fire
Every corner of messy Breith Trading Company had been cleaned. A dozen printing greatmasters hurried with the manufacture of picture prints. But just then, one of Breith employees suddenly rushed inside like a madman, and out loud, “Stop, Stop!”
“What’s the matter?”
“Something huge happened! A guy from team Hellfire called Lotton killed Dylan Norton! Team Hellfire eliminated team Hornwood! Hurry up! We have to redo the magazine’s cover!”
“What, Hornwood’s Double Stars were… directly killed in the tournament?”
In this printing workshop inside Breith Trading Company, every craftsman looked aghast.
“Where on earth did this Lotton come from?”
“What the hell is his bloodline? Why is he so strong?”
There were originally four matches planned the first day of the tournament. But Lotton killed Dylan, and almost killed the Hornwood Academy’s second fighter as well. The match ended with the other three contestants from team Hornwood all forfeiting. As a result, the other two matches in group one, upper half, were entirely neglected.
Because, no matter who won the other two matches and how they won it, there would be very little difference in the victorious team’s strength compared to Hornwood Academy.
If they were to meet team Hellfire, would Lotton kill one of them again? This was the question everyone started to ponder.
A totally overwhelming victory. Even a star contestant like Dylan couldn’t resist in the slightest. Lotton’s strength already belonged to the level of a genuine monster.
That was why, if nothing out of expectations happened in this group, the final showdown in this group should be Dragon Breath Academy against team Hellfire. A team with four members with dragon bloodline and one high-level elven bloodline, against a monster like Lotton. Who would obtain the final victory, what kind of battles would break out? Would there be other casualties?
Every member in team Dragon Breath was a star contestant with many supporters. They were worried unexpected mishaps would happen to their respective favorite fighter. So after the first day of the tournament ended, many protests popped up inside Eichemalar, crying out about canceling Lotton’s qualification to fight in the tournament.
…
“Where on earth does Lotton come from? He clearly has formidable taboo skills even the referees weren’t in time to stop, why didn’t he warn of it in advance! Even though it’s the first time your Hellfire Academy participates in the national tournament, you should have heard about this rule when you joined the qualification stage. You should have known you have to report in advance when you have arcane skills powerful enough that even referee won’t be able to stop in time, so that they can use special precautions to handle it!”
“Also, he’s clearly different from ordinary arcane masters. He himself is an extremely dangerous character!”
In the Arena of Fire and Blood, not long after the other two matches in group one upper half ended, all the referees and members of the organization committee were already gathered in the main referee’s lobby. Kleis’ angry voice was close to roaring thunder.
In a match he was in charge of, he had been too slow to stop a death in the tournament that brought forth the future elite masters of the kingdom. As a referee, this was a huge disgrace.
Two arcane masters, obviously teachers in charge of Hellfire Academy, both looked extremely pale, hair dripping with sweat, as though two hats were glued on top of their heads.
“We…” One of the two, a middle-aged arcane master, said with great difficulty, “Before this match, we didn’t really know he was already this strong either… In the qualification stage, he didn’t use such powerful killing skills. His teammates merely felt that his character was strange and somewhat scary.”
“Even your academy wasn’t aware of his hidden power?” Kleis roared again in anger.
“He comes from a small House called Qhored. He’d already mastered quite a few arcane skills by the time he joined our academy.” This middle-aged arcane master from Hellfire Academy wiped his sweat and continued his explanation: “He learned most of his arcane skills from his clan, he didn’t learn them in our academy.”
“Look at these records.”
All of a sudden, an arcane master consulting the tournament’s records put up a document for everyone meeting participant to see.
“There’s no record about him causing deadly injuries to someone else in the qualification stage. However, every single time he fought, the situation became more and more severe. Especially the last two fights, his opponents were injured even more heavily.”
“In Doraster’s history, there’s no lack of insane arcane masters who enjoy fighting more and more, who enjoy more and more the grieved howls on their opponents, who even enjoy causing heavy wounds or killing their opponents. Almost all those arcane masters have some psychological issues,” an arcane master said with a deep tone. “I propose we handle it by reporting him as a special case who requires a careful investigation. And we also absolutely have to let some arcane masters get involved and give him some psychological guidance.”
“I agree!”
“As to the tournament… let’s establish a special operation team. From the very start, this tournament was established on the premise of genuine fights. We simply can’t retract his qualifications just because he acts with a heavy hand. To begin with, danger is the greatest trial for a brave warrior.”
…
Team Holy Dawn and team Agate Lake walked on the way back to their lodgings.
“Strange.” Moss mumbled, secretly turning his head around.
“What’s strange?” Ayrin looked at him with a confused glance.
Moss whispered, “Why does it feel like everyone around is looking at us strange?”
Chris: “Because we’re also a weeds-level team. They must be wondering whether there’ll be another monster like Lotton appearing suddenly in our midst.”
“Isn’t that me!” Stingham said. He immediately tossed his hair with extreme narcissism.
Belo pushed his glasses and harrumphed coldly. “There’s no cure for stupidity.”
“Sorry, you must be team Holy Dawn?”
All of a sudden, two persons crowded in front of them.
“You are?” Stingham rushed to be the first to answer.
“We’re from Breith Trading Company of course. Another interview team of ours interviewed you before.”
“Breith Trading Company? You guys, you evaluated us as weeds, now you still want to interview us? You must be looking to die!” Stingham shouted immediately after a blank stare.
“Our team wasn’t the one that wrote that. That said, the worse things are written about you, then it’ll instead make the contrast all the more obvious when you show a good performance, it’s easier to astonish people.” These two persons from Breith Trading Company had clearly seen situations like this many times before. They stayed unperturbed, and said, all smiles, “Just like team Hellfire just now. They really shocked everyone. We can say we played a part in team Hellfire’s rise to fame.”
“Your words seem correct.” Stingham snorted. “Then, why did you come to find us again this time? Do you want an interview with us?”
“…” The two persons from Breith Magazine felt dizzy. Then they shook their heads. “About that… we precisely came for an interview. It should be the first time participating in the national tournament for everyone in your team. Now today you’ve seen the genuine national tournament, do you guys still dare to say you’ll be champions? If you could only say one sentence to explain your mood after the matches today, what would you say?”
“I’m the most handsome, there’s no one more good-looking than me,” Stingham said.
Not only people from Breith Trading Company, even those in team Holy Dawn and team Agate Lake almost fell down face first.
“A team with my brilliant wargod self is without peer,” Stingham said.
The eyes of the Breith guys flashed. They glanced away at Ayrin at his side. “What about you?”
“Free fruits taste very good.”
“…” The two Breith persons asked another question at Chris, “What about you?”
“We’ll obtain the title of champions in the national tournament,” Chris said, full of resolve.
“What about you?” the two of them asked Moss.
Moss: “I hope our match against team Mountain Kings can remain friendly. I hope no death or whatever will happen, I hope everyone will be fine.”
“What about you?” The two guys from Breith Trading Company again turned to look at Rinloran.
Rinloran: “I’m just a training partner, I’m just tagging along and watching.”
“…Then what about you?”
Belo: “Anyone who has the gall to mock my great lordly self has to kneel down in front of this great lord and lick my feet.”
Everyone looked at Belo, very speechless.
…
After the first day, team Hellfire became the most shocking dark horse, Lotton became a real God of Death that shrouded every participant team in the shadows of death. The next day, there was the team called the strongest team in the north, team Winterfell.
Just like Dragon Breath Academy, Winterfell Academy was a traditionally powerful team that always had good results. Year in and year out, they always ended up in the top eight at the very least. They lost to River Bend Academy last year, and ultimately finished fifth.
Of course, a match with a powerful team like that would be very interesting, but team Holy Dawn’s first match was the next day already, hence no one in team Holy Dawn was allowed to go and watch, according to Carter’s instructions. Instead, they were preparing their special training and plans to counter team Mountain Kings.
“I want to be the first one to fight!”
Originally, Carter had planned to let Moss be the first one to take to the field, but Stingham made a ruckus as soon as heard. “I want to be the first one to fight, just like Lotton! I’ll defeat their entire team!”
“In team Mountain Kings, apart from their captain, “Wild Battlemaster” Werther, there’s also Violent Bear Rykiel, Death Hammer Austin, binding expert Robert. They’re all very famous, very strong, there’s no guarantee whatsoever if you try to fight the five of them by yourself,” Carter explained patiently.
Stingham shouted, “I want to be first!”
Chris: “You’re our secret weapon. Our real opponent in this group is Silver Trout Academy. If you expose yourself too soon, we’ll lose the effect of surprise.”
Stingham: “I want to be first!”
Moss: “Stingham, listen to teacher Carter. When we face team Silver Trout, you’ll attract even more attention with one feat stunning the world. There will be even more girls who will take a liking to you.”
Stingham: “I want to be first!”
“This guy…” When they saw Stingham close his eyes and shout he wanted to be first no matter how they tried to persuade him, and even shout he’d lose deliberately if they didn’t let him be first, everyone in the group had the urge to throttle him alive.
At this time, Ayrin actually put his mouth near his ear and whispered two sentences.
“Ok!” Stingham immediately beamed wide. “I’ll listen to teacher Carter. I’ll be fifth then, the last one to fight.”
Everyone suddenly looked at Ayrin, dumbstruck. Some guys couldn’t resist pulling him aside and ask him in a whisper, “What on earth did you tell him, why did he suddenly agree to be fifth, why did he give up being first?”
“I just told him that Sophia and Nikita said they hoped he’d be fifth, because usually, only star captain cleanup-levels fought fifth as the last rampart,” Ayrin said.
“Sophia and Nikita aren’t even here. You just randomly said that, but he really believed you just like that… Just because you said Sophia and Nikita hoped he’d be fifth, he requested to be fifth all happy and merry… What on earth is his brain made of?” They suddenly all fell down face first.
“Teacher Carter, you absolutely have to put me fifth! Or else I’m quitting!” Stingham was still shouting out loud at Carter.
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