Chapter 544: The Grand First-Year Combat Festival: The Ninth Round Matchups

After the six holographic screens had completely materialized above the fight platform, the noise of the Arena slowly settled.

It didn’t become completely silent, though.

With six Young Alchemists remaining in the Combat Festival, everyone in the Arena was waiting for one thing.

The matchups.

Thousands of eyes remained fixed on the floating screens, while people leaned forward in their seats and whispered among themselves. Some spectators had already begun guessing which names would appear together, while others were simply hoping that their favorite Young Alchemist would receive an opponent they believed could be defeated.

The six holographic screens suddenly began rotating together.

Their movement was fast enough that the names and images displayed on them became difficult to follow, turning into streaks of light as the screens spun around one another.

Patrick and Kent both looked toward the moving displays.

Patrick kept his microphone close to his mouth, but even he didn’t speak.

For the first time since the ceremony began, he seemed content to let the Arena’s anticipation speak for itself.

The six screens rotated faster.

Then, all at once, they moved toward the center.

The six holographic screens joined together.

A bright flash passed through them.

Then they separated again.

Only three screens remained.

Each one now displayed a Ninth Round matchup.

The names appeared clearly.

Screen 1: Vera Ashenlocke vs. Ravenor Burnwick.

Screen 2: Diane Bergwyn vs. Maxwell.

Screen 3: Ezra Ashenlocke vs. Lyra Ashburn.

For one brief moment, the Arena seemed to freeze.

Then...

The crowd exploded.

"Lady Vera Ashenlocke is facing Sir Ravenor Burnwick!!"

"My heart... My heart can’t take the fear."

"What about Lady Diane Bergwyn facing that Monster who hasn’t even shown his Alchemy Path?"

"Damn, Mr. Ezra Ashenlocke vs. the Wild Gun."

"That Crazy girl might give our boy Ezra Ashenlocke a hard fight."

"That’s so exciting!!"

"I can’t stop shaking thinking Lady Vera Ashenlocke is actually facing Sir Ravenor Burnwick."

"I guess this is the end of our Jewel of Ash’s run in the Combat Festival."

"I’m very sure Lady Diane Bergwyn would make that unknown Young Alchemist Maxwell finally use his Alchemy Path, but the question is if she would win."

"Of course, My Ice Sleeping Beauty stomps all!!"

The conversations spread through the stands almost immediately.

Some people were shouting toward their friends.

Others were pointing at the three holographic screens while discussing the matchups they had just seen.

The biggest reactions were focused on Vera versus Ravenor and Diane versus Maxwell.

Both matches carried an obvious sense of uncertainty.

Vera had dominated almost every opponent she had faced without revealing the full extent of her Gun Alchemy.

Ravenor was in the same position.

The Young Flame Alchemist kept showing just how dangerous he was since the start of the Combat festival, but there was still much about him that remained hidden.

Diane was another matter entirely.

She had continued winning while using minimal of her Frost Alchemy and that slim sword, and Maxwell had already shown the Law of Magnetism and Law of Inversion without revealing the Alchemy Path he had inherited or learned.

As for Ezra and Lyra...

That matchup caused its own kind of excitement.

Lyra had already earned the nickname Wild Gun of Ash because of the way she fought.

She was energetic, unpredictable, and willing to rush into situations that would make other Alchemists hesitate.

Ezra, on the other hand, had built his reputation through his inventions, his utilization of firearms, and the fights that had made the entire Kingdom pay attention to him.

Now the two Gun Alchemists would stand on opposite sides of the platform.

The Live Broadcast’s chat was just as chaotic.

Messages appeared one after another as viewers reacted to the three matchups.

***

’Noooo!!! Not my Lady of Ash!!’

Jewe_of_Ash_Fan100

’From what I see, Ezra Ashenlocke might have it easy facing Lyra Ashburn.’

Green_Alchemist

’But who cares... Ezra all the way!!!!’

Gena_0977

’Am I the only one scared of who My Ice Queen is facing?’

Ice_Queen130

’You aren’t the only one.’

LadyDianeBergwyn_Fan2390

’I’m rooting for you, Lyra Ashburn. Beat that cocky Lowline.’

Freed_of_Ash

’Shut up, Glasses boy, you’re just salty because he beat the ass of Sir Felix badly, can’t even forget a loss when it has been so long ago.’

Gena_0977

’Hey, hey, don’t bring the Ashenlocke matter to the public, Gena!’

Freed_of_Ash

’What is going on with the Ashenlockes?’

Nicky_Burnwick

’Funny, the Ashenlockes are fighting over their own, while we are worried about the real possible winners of this Combat Festival.’

Future_Flame_Alchemist

***

The Live Broadcast chat continued moving so quickly that some messages disappeared almost as soon as they appeared.

The same thing was happening inside the Arena.

The atmosphere had become so excited that even the security men and Royal Academy staff working outside could hear the noise coming from within.

Some Security men looked toward the Arena entrance whenever another wave of cheering passed through the walls.

Royal Academy staff members continued their duties, checking equipment and making sure everything was prepared for the first match, but even they occasionally exchanged looks whenever another loud cheer erupted.

Everyone knew that the Ninth Round had changed the atmosphere of the Combat Festival.

There were only six contestants left.

There was no longer much room for mistakes.

Every match now carried the possibility of ending someone’s journey toward the final.

At the seating section where the Third-Year and Second-Year students of the Royal Academy were gathered, the excitement was also being discussed.

"It’s starting, Lucien."

Eleanor Tempest looked toward Lucien Derlis.

She placed her index finger lightly against his shoulder, wearing a pleased smile as she tried to pull his attention away from whatever he was doing.

Lucien, however, was still looking down at his Zphone Tablet 14.

His finger moved gently across the screen as he scrolled through pictures taken by the photographers who had been recording the First-Year students during their matches.

He was specifically looking at pictures of Vera.

Some showed her standing on the platform.

Others captured moments from her previous fights.

A few showed her dull expression just before an attack.

Lucien continued scrolling.

"Lucien, are you even hearing me, Hummm?"

Eleanor’s lips formed a small pout as she looked at the way his attention remained fixed on Vera’s pictures.

Lucien finally lifted his Crimson eyes.

"Facing Ravenor is quite a good thing."

His tone remained gentle.

"The probability of her losing is quite high, or what do you think, Bella?"

He placed the Zphone Tablet down.

Then he looked toward the next seating column below them.

His left cheek rested against his left hand as he looked at Bella Ashenlocke with a simple smile.

"Humph, of course my step-sister is going to win."

Bella folded her arms and turned her face slightly away from Lucien.

It wasn’t unusual for girls to avoid looking directly at Lucien when he wore that simple smile.

There was something about his appearance and the way he spoke that made it difficult for them to remain completely composed around him.

Bella had already learned not to look at him for too long.

"It’s better you clean off that delusion, Bella."

Harlan Ashenlocke pointed lazily toward her.

He was seated a little farther away from the column where Bella sat, surrounded by other Ashenlocke students from the Third and Second Years.

"The Young Lord of Burnwick is way stronger than Vera, and you know that."

He spoke with confidence despite the fact that Vera was his step-sibling.

"You saw what he did to our all-powerful Young Lord of Ash..."

A grin appeared on Harlan’s face.

"Hehehe."

He laughed mockingly as he remembered how Veda had lost against Ravenor.

Bella’s eyes narrowed.

Before she could respond, another Ashenlocke spoke.

"Now, now, Harlan... you shouldn’t make fun of the current Young Lord of our family."

Lewis Ashenlocke, Felix’s older brother, placed a hand on Harlan’s shoulder.

Harlan turned toward him.

"Says the person who was brightly happy when Felix lost like an idiot to Priscilla."

Lewis’s expression changed slightly.

Harlan grinned.

The two boys of Ash looked at each other for a moment before laughing.

But their laughter didn’t last long.

"Why are the useless children of Ash laughing when they couldn’t even replicate what any of their younger siblings are doing?"

The mocking voice came from Frances Drakes.

The Third-Year and Second-Year students from the Drakes family laughed.

Frances leaned back slightly in her seat, clearly enjoying the reaction.

"Jealousy is such an ugly display for a Nobleman."

Louis Evergrey added.

The laughter around them became louder.

"Tsk."

Harlan gritted his teeth.

His fingers tightened against the fabric near his knee.

He wanted to answer.

He wanted to throw something back at them.

But he couldn’t.

His academy rank was far below the people laughing at him, and the students seated above him were all among the top fifteen students of the Third and Second Years of the Royal Academy.

One careless sentence could be enough.

If even one of them decided to release their Cognis Presence against him, Harlan would be suppressed instantly.

For a Noble, being forced down by the Cognis Presence of a stronger student in front of everyone would be an embarrassing humiliation.

So, Harlan swallowed his anger.

He turned his face toward the fight platform instead.

The first match was about to begin.

"Welcoming the first fighters of the Ninth Round!!"

Patrick West’s voice echoed brightly through the Arena speakers.

He and Professor Kent were now seated inside the Commentator’s section, positioned where they could clearly see the entire platform and the holographic screens above it.

Patrick raised one hand.

"Miss Lyra Ashburn."

Professor Kent’s voice followed.

He calmly called the first name.

The crowd responded almost immediately.

"THE WILD GUN OF ASH!!"

"Do your best, Miss Lyra Ashburn!!"

"You can win this, Miss Lyra Ashburn!!"

"I believe in you!!"

The cheering spread across the Arena.

Lyra appeared from the entrance.

The moment she saw the crowd, she raised both hands and began waving excitedly.

Her smile was bright enough to match the energy coming from the stands.

She walked toward the platform with light steps, occasionally turning her head toward different sections whenever someone shouted her name.

"Wow, this is going to be my best match yet..."

Lyra’s grin widened.

"Hahahahaha..."

She laughed brightly as she stepped onto the platform.

The excitement in her voice was obvious.

She wasn’t afraid.

If anything, she looked like someone who had just been given exactly what she wanted.

A difficult fight.

A strong opponent.

And another chance to show what she could do.

Professor Kent’s voice came through the speakers again.

"Vs... The plain, almost soulless student of mine..."

Patrick turned his head toward Kent.

For a moment, he looked faintly shocked.

His expression seemed to ask whether Kent had really just described his own student that way.

Kent didn’t appear bothered.

He simply continued.

"Mr. Ezra Ashenlocke."

He called Ezra’s name calmly.

For a brief moment, the crowd became awkward.

The earlier teasing words from Kent had clearly caught people off guard.

An Adult Non-Noble sitting among the spectators looked toward the Commentator’s section.

"Is he allowed to speak badly about his own student?"

The man sounded genuinely confused.

A few people around him laughed.

Then the second entrance of the Arena opened.

Ezra walked out.

The awkwardness lasted for only a moment.

The cheers erupted almost immediately.

"Mr. Ezra Ashenlocke!!!"

"Ashenlockes all the way!!"

"Win this, Mr. Ezra Ashenlocke!!"

"Kyaaa... You’re so cool, Sir Ezra Ashenlocke!!"

"I believe in your victory!!"

The cheering for Ezra quickly grew louder.

It spread from one section to another until the sound almost swallowed the cheers that had greeted Lyra.

Ezra continued walking without changing his expression.

The noise around him didn’t seem to affect his pace.

His hands remained relaxed at his sides as he walked toward the center of the platform, his black plain eyes already resting on the girl waiting on the opposite side.

Lyra was still smiling.

To be clearer...

She looked really excited.

Ezra looked like he was simply walking toward another task that needed to be completed.

The difference between their expressions made several spectators laugh.

But the excitement remained.

Ezra had gained more fans through everything he had accomplished before and during the Combat Festival.

His inventions had already made his name known throughout Britannia.

His fights had only added to that reputation.

Now, those people had come to watch him continue.

Lyra watched Ezra approach.

Her smile didn’t disappear.

If anything, it became wider.

The two Gun Alchemists eventually stopped several meters apart.

The platform beneath their feet was clean and repaired, with no faint marks remaining from previous battles.

It looked completely brand new.

The morning sun reflected from the snow that had gathered around the outer edges of the platform, while the enormous Force Field surrounding the fighting area shimmered faintly above them.

The crowd continued cheering.

Patrick lifted his microphone.

Kent leaned slightly toward his own.

The Ninth Round had already created three matches that people across Britannia would be talking about.

But the first one was about to begin.

Ezra Ashenlocke.

Lyra Ashburn.

Two Gun Alchemists.

Two completely different personalities.

And now, they stood opposite each other.

The first match of the Ninth Round was about to truly begin.