Chapter 291: Let’s Have Some Fun

“Ladies and gentlemen, our next match is about to begin!”

The announcer’s voice rang through the arena once more, immediately drawing the crowd's attention back toward the gates.

“From the eastern gate, please welcome Lechter of Class Honors!”

A wave of cheers and excited yelling spread throughout the arena.

Oh, Lechter, huh?

So it was finally his turn.

I leaned forward slightly in my seat, my fan lowering just enough for me to get a better look.

Lechter stepped out from the eastern gate with his usual expression. A scowl. Though… perhaps it was a little more intense than usual.

His grip around his wooden sword was tighter than I'd ever seen it. His knuckles were white from how hard he was holding on, as if he were trying to squeeze the sword into pieces.

He was taking in short, deep breaths with every step he took in the sands. I couldn't help but wonder what was going through his head.

I was a little disappointed that he chose to stick with the sword. Clearly, even now, he didn’t seem to have a good grip on it, almost literally.

Though I wondered where his true proficiency lay, I also wondered if he had improved since we last met.

Back then, he was using basic, unpolished techniques. Ones easily counterable, even by a slightly decent swordsman who knew where to look.

I wanted to see it.

I wanted to see if he truly made some improvement. Would it be enough to make him challenging for me? Would it be enough to bring him to day two?

The announcer raised his voice again.

“From the western gate, we have Rickard of Class B!”

The western gate rose with a grunt.

A student I'd never met before stepped into the arena.

I studied him for a moment, trying to get a feel for what kind of fighter he was, but there wasn't much to go on from here. He carried a wooden sword like Lechter, though his stance seemed a little more relaxed.

Would he be a powerful fighter? Someone with unorthodox moves?

Maybe I'd find out soon enough.

Beside me, Lionne was already watching the arena with widened, sparkling eyes.

“Oh, it's Lechter!” she said. “Should we… cheer for him?” she asked reluctantly.

Since he was a classmate of both Lionne and me, logic dictates we should cheer for him. But, considering his past actions towards me, I get why Lionne would hesitate.

“Looks like he’s taking this seriously.” Villius nodded. “Perhaps a little… emotional?”

Even Villius could see the state Lechter was in.

Lechter hadn't even reached his starting position yet, and he already looked like he was about to pick a fight with the entire arena.

He's definitely going to be interesting.

I settled back into my seat, preparing myself to watch the match. Then I noticed something blocking my view. A tall, heavy shadow had fallen over us.

I quickly realized it wasn’t a passing cloud. And for some reason, I had a bad feeling about this.

I slowly looked up.

A faculty member was standing directly beside Villius, towering over the three of us. He looked down at me with a perfectly neutral expression.

“Excuse me, Lady Carine,” he said with a slight bow.

“Y-Yes?” I said, slightly leaning back, my grip on my fan tightening.

“Your match will begin soon. Please come to the eastern prep room for preparations.”

I froze. Dread soon began to seep across both of my bodies.

My eyes flicked back towards the arena sands. Lechter was still walking toward his starting position. Rickard was warming up on his.

The two fighters hadn’t even adopted their stances yet.

I looked back at the faculty member.

“ M-Must it be right now?”

He nodded. “Yes.”

Fuck.

—

Unfortunately, because I had been forcibly pulled to the eastern prep room, I couldn’t see the fight for myself. I could still hear the crowd cheering through the stone walls, though.

Dammit. If only I could see through walls.

As I approached the door to the eastern prep room, the crowd suddenly boomed, their voices echoing loudly enough to shake the hall.

“What a wonderful spectacle! The first round goes to Lechter of Class Honors!”

I blinked, my hand hovering over the door's knob.

The first round is over already?!

I didn’t even know what happened. And what did he mean by “wonderful spectacle”?!

Had it been close? Did Lechter dominate? Had Rickard nearly taken the point before Lechter made a comeback? I had absolutely no idea.

Please, for the love of God, dear announcer. Do a play-by-play, just this once!

I reluctantly entered the prep room, where the cheers became a little bit more muffled. A new volunteer student greeted me, a gentle-looking girl with long brown hair parted in the middle.

“Lady Carine,” she greeted with a warm smile. “I am here to help you with your gear. May I know your preference in armor and weapons?”

I stared at her for a moment, hoping my face hid my frustration well enough. “Light gear, please. And a wooden sword.”

“Of course, right away!”

She quickly went to fetch what I needed from the wooden racks lining the walls.

I took several steps forward, nearing the gate, straining my ears toward the arena.

Come on. Let me hear something!

A cheer erupted from outside.

Are they cheering for Lechter or Rickard?

Another roar followed. Something amazing must’ve happened.

What did they do?

I couldn't see anything from here, and I damn well couldn’t hear anything useful either.

I cursed myself. If only Feyt was here. I could’ve made him watch from the seat while I prepared Carine in the prep room. But no, I just had to make him rest in the dorm.

I swear, if either of them does something amazing and I miss it because I'm standing in this stupid room...

A few seconds passed.

Then the crowd suddenly exploded.

“And that's a match! The winner is Lechter of Class Honors!”

“...Huh?”

Already?!

I stared toward the gate in disbelief.

What happened?! How did he win?! How close was it?!

I nearly stomped my foot and bit my tongue.

At least put a window on the gate, for God’s sake!

The volunteer student returned a moment later with my equipment.

“Here you are, Lady Carine.”

“T-Thank you,” I answered calmly.

Inside, however, I was seething.

I missed the entire freakin’ match.

I let out a heavy sigh as I tested my gear.

I took the wooden sword and gave it a few light swings before weighing it in my hand. Nothing seemed off.

At least my equipment wasn't going to be a problem.

Still, at least Lechter had won, finishing the match with just two rounds. But without knowing how the match actually went, I didn’t know if he actually improved, got lucky, or if his opponent was just a bad match against him.

Fine.

I'll just ask the others later.

I let out a long sigh and looked toward the gate once more, trying to clear my mind and focus on my upcoming match. The last match of the day.

So far, nearly every match had been entertaining in one way or another. Clarissa's frighteningly efficient victory. Kyro and Attila practically trying to kill each other with smiles on their faces. And, of course, my own fight with Marina as Feyt.

I'd improved quite a bit from that one match alone, and just thinking about it made my blood pump.

That was exactly what I wanted from this tournament.

A fight that pushed me.

A fight that forced me to adapt.

A fight that made me walk away knowing I'd become a little stronger than when I entered.

Standing in the sands as Feyt was a rush, perhaps from adrenaline, perhaps from satisfaction, but it was a rush nonetheless.

And now it was Carine’s turn to experience that rush.

I already knew I was going to have fun. The academy was definitely saving my match for last for a reason.

The eastern gate began to rise, light pouring into the prep room as the roar of the crowd grew louder.

I tightened my grip around the wooden sword, shoved my frustration into a closet, and let a very small, barely noticeable grin spread slowly across my face.

Let's have some fun.