Chapter 235 - The Finals [P1]

["LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! WELCOME TO THE CLIMAX OF THE CONTINENTAL TOURNAMENT!"]

"""YEEEAAAAAAHHHHH!!!"""

As is the case over the last two days, Future Academy’s colossal stadium was packed to its maximum capacity. Over seventy thousand spectators’ combined excitement shook the very foundations of the arena.

Thousands of colorful banners fluttered in the late morning breeze, representing the nations, academies, and their favourite representatives who had participated.

["Oh I am loving the energy you guys are giving off! Before we introduce our two finalists, let’s take a quick refresher on what we have witnessed over the last two days!

["On Day One, Eldoria proved their dominance during the fatal four-way elimination, coming in first place! However, none of the other continents were giving up second place, and by the end, it ended up in an unexpected triple threat to see who breaks the tie between Izumi Ayako, Ryna Sindelle, and Nichole Firestar!

["And you’ve guessed it, you’ve heard it, you’ve seen it, Myria stole the highlight reels with that breathtaking, blood-pumping final clash where Izumi Ayako stood tall above Tricea and Riverton!"]

"LET’S GOOOOO!!"

"I LOVE YOU IZUMI- SAMA!"

["And who could forget Day Two’s grueling Gauntlet?!"] Ken continued.

["To Everyone’s surprise, Eldoria’s silver-haired prodigy, Emelie Herst, kicked off the matches by sweeping through Yamada Ryuuji and Myria’s golden star, Jin Fu! We then witnessed the spine-chilling standoff between Herst and Izumi before Emelie stepped down on her own terms! What a teaser!

["Although she had the most eliminations, when the dust settled, Eldoria had secured the overall victory... BUT! Like I said, Myria’s Izumi Ayako claimed the highest number of individual eliminations, meaning she will have the chance to bring Myria the gold in the finals!

["Which brings us... to RIGHT NOW! The scores are set! The stage is clean! It is time for the ultimate one-versus-one duel between Myria’s top warrior and Eldoria’s chosen representative! ONE MATCH! ONE VICTOR TO CLAIM ALL THE GLORY FOR THEIR CONTINENT! EVERYBODY! MAKE! SOME! NOISE!!!"]

"""YEEEEAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!"""

At the front VIP seats, the atmosphere was electrifying. Mia was jumping up and down, clutching the stone railing alongside Sadie and Hope.

"I’m so nervous!" Hope squealed. "Sadie, my heart is beating so fast!"

"Hahaha! It’s going to be insane!" Sadie grinned, leaning over the ledge.

Sitting together in the padded seats behind them, Kurt leaned back, his hand warmly clasped around Diana’s. He offered a relaxed smile, thoroughly enjoying the infectious energy of the crowd.

Commentator Ken’s voice cut through the noise once more as he pointed toward the eastern entrance tunnel.

["NOW INTRODUCING OUR FIRST FINALIST! Holding the record for the most eliminations in the gauntlet! Personal bodyguard to the Shogunate clan of Myria, Heiress of the noble Izumi clan, and whispered by many to be the living embodiment of the legendary Hero of old, Layla Wright... LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, GIVE IT UP FOR IZUMI AYAKO!"]

"""YEEEEAAAHHHHH"""

The coliseum completely lost its mind.

A gentle, scented breeze swept through the arena, and within a few seconds, thousands of shimmering pink sakura petals materialized from thin air in the center of the ring.

The petals swirled into a blinding, graceful vortex, dissolving to reveal Izumi Ayako standing tall, her katana ready.

["AND NOW FOR ELDORIA’S FINALIST!"] Ken gestured toward the western gate.

["A paragon of physical combat! Her family is always the first to stand ready at the frontlines of any rift that may threaten to take over the land. An angel one moment then your worst nightmare the next! Standing proudly as the Student Council President of Future Academy... LADIES AND GENTLEMEN... MAKE SOME NOISE FOR AMBER STRONGWILL!"]

"""YEEEEAAAAHHHHH!!!"""

From the dark archway of the western tunnel, a young woman skipped out onto the stone floor with a bright, sunny smile.

Amber Strongwill had her hands folded casually behind her back, her warm amber ponytail bobbing happily from side to side with every bouncy step she took.

Back at the VIP seats, Kurt suddenly felt a piercing gaze locked onto the side of his head. He turned his head to see Dominik sitting two seats down, staring at him with a disappointed, miserable frown.

"The heck? Haha. What? Why’re you looking at me like that?"

Dominik let out a long, dramatic sigh, crossing his arms over his chest and shaking his head with disappointment.

"You jinxed it, Kurt. Yesterday you said you hoped Amber would be chosen and now look – they actually put her in the finals instead of Emelie."

"Hey, don’t blame me for the academy board’s decisions."

"I know, I know," Dominik grumbled, though a grin quickly cracked through his sad face as he turned back to the ring. "Honestly, it’s fine. Watching President Amber go all out is sure to be just as terrifying and exciting as watching Emelie. She’s a freaking monster when the tough gets going."

He then immediately leaned over the rail, joining Mia and the crowd in shouting, "SHOW ’EM WHAT WE GOT, PRESIDENT AMBER!"

Kurt laughed under his breath, but before he could look back at the ring, he felt a second pair of eyes boring into him. He turned to his left.

"....."

Diana was glaring at him with dead eyes.

"... Don’t tell me you’re still angry about me going out with your dad yesterday?"

"Angry? I’m not angry. Why would you think I’m angry?"

"I mean. You’re staring at me pretty hard..."

"That’s because I like your face."

"... Right. I uhm... I like your face too–?"

"Hmph!"

She forcefully whipped her head back toward the arena and squeezed his fingers considerably tighter, as if to send a message. The kind that says, "I’m still angry at you."

Down on the floor of the now barrier protected arena, the two finalists stood twenty paces apart.

With her calm, unreadable expression, Ayako bowed politely and looked at the bubbly girl before her.

"President Strongwill. While I was secretly hoping to face off against Emelie Herst and finish what she had so cruelly done to me yesterday... I am definitely not complaining about having the honor of fighting you."

"Aww, hehe. I’m so glad you’re not disappointed, Ayako. But don’t worry..."

Amber’s sunny expression softened into a dangerously sweet, ruthless smile, with a glint of unhinged excitement dancing in her eyes.

"...you’ll definitely be leaving this arena feeling disappointed once I beat you into the dirt~"

Above them, Commentator Ken raised his hand. ["THREE SECONDS TO IMPACT! EVERYBODY, COUNT IT DOWN WITH ME!"]

’""THREE!"""

Ayako’s hand tightened on her katana. A subtle aura of compressed wind and crackling elemental lightning began to coat the steel sheath.

"""TWO!"""

Amber dropped into a low, light-footed martial stance as a faint aura of light swirling around her body, accompanied by a vibrating pressure beneath her soles.

"""ONE!"""

["LET THE FINALS BEGIN!"]

BOOOOOOM!

An explosive, shockwave-inducing clash erupted in the dead center of the ring.

The force of their opening collision was so immensely powerful that a radial wave of air blasted outward, smashing against the inner barrier wall and causing the enhanced protective runes to flare bright.

The floor beneath both their feet which they had just burst from shattered into deep cracks.

Ayako’s katana – coated in a stream of white lightning – was held in a high, two-handed guard, striking downward with lethality.

Amber – who went in raw – had caught the edge of Ayako’s lightning-clad blade between her bare palms. Her skin glowed with a barrier of silver Light Magic fused as she leaned in closer to her opponent.

"Ooh! Now that I’m feeling it for myself, you’re pretty strong. And fast." Amber giggled cheerfully, her face inches from Ayako’s.

"You haven’t seen anything yet."

Ayako instantly shifted her elemental affinity.

The lightning surrounding her katana turned to sub-zero Ice, freezing the air in a thirty-foot radius while attempting to lock Amber’s arms in glacial frost.

Simultaneously, her body dissolved into a burst of pink sakura petals, escaping Amber’s grip.

She reappeared in the blink of an eye directly behind Amber, her katana re-sheathed and snapping out in a fire-infused quick-draw slash targeting her exposed back.

"Too slow!"

Without turning around, Amber slammed her right boot onto the floor and the space behind her vibrated. An unknown force pulled the air inward, warping space itself and Ayako’s incoming fire-slash – as well as the creeping up ice – was forcefully dragged off course.

The fiery arc curving wildly and slicing harmlessly into the floor, carving a deep, molten trench into the white stone.

"You... This magic... It’s gravity."

"Bingo~"

Taking advantage of the warped spatial field, Amber spun 180 degrees at light-speed.

Her right fist burned with a sun-like radiance, backed by the crushing weight of a spatial tremor strike.

"Take this!"

Recognising the lethality behind the blow, Ayako didn’t attempt to block. She summoned a wall of dense Earth directly from the shattered arena floor, raising a tall, thick slab of granite between them, while simultaneously enveloping her own body in a shroud of Wind to accelerate her backward retreat.

KABOOOOOM!

Amber’s strike obliterated the wall like it was paper mache, launching a beam of light from her fist straight through the dust cloud.

The beam blasted across the arena floor, scorching the stone and slamming against the outer barrier wall with a deafening clap that vibrated the spectator seats.

As the dust cleared, Amber stood amidst the floating embers, her amber ponytail swinging as she stretched her fingers with a cheerful grin.

Across the arena, Ayako landed lightly on her feet. She exhaled a long breath of mist from her lips as all four natural elements – Fire, Water, Earth, and Wind – began to swirl around her blade in a multi-colored display of raw power.

Her heart began to throb. The sleeping battle junkie within the Myrian heiress was officially awakening.

"Light and Gravity elements... How wonderful..." Ayako whispered as a thrilling smirk gracing her serene face.

She raised her blade once more. "This is going to be a glorious fight."