Novel Full Chapter 724: “Crowd Control”
Chapter 724: Chapter 724: “Crowd Control”
The field still smelled like scorched stone.
Shattered terrain from Kairos’ burrowing construct, residual sparks from Soren’s dragons, and fine frost leftover from the mist Serena’s fused Elemental Guardian released still lingered in the cracks.
Staff with earth attribute contracts quickly came on the stage to restore it to pristine condition, and healers quickly worked on the most injured contracts of the opponents, if they wanted those same contracts to compete again—which for the most part they did.
The National Tournament’s staff was clearly among the best in their fields because the stage and contracts looked like time rewound and they were restored to their original condition in less than 30 seconds.
Now it was time for the 5-v-5
“Both Dark Moon College and Obsidian Moon Valley,” the announcer declared, voice rising over the hum of anticipation, “have elected to proceed with the 5v5. Nobody has forfeited. The match will begin shortly.”
But no matter how calm the announcer’s expression was, the faint tremble in his voice belied something else. It wasn’t just excitement in his voice. It was tension. The kind that made your throat tighten, even when you weren’t the one fighting.
On one side, Obsidian Moon Valley’s second-year team stood shoulder-to-shoulder. Their three bruised members from the last match had been healed, while two fresh faces joined the new formation. All five now stood in full gear—well-trained, reinforced, focused. They looked ready.
Until Kain stepped onto the field.
He didn’t do anything special. No wave. No flourish. He didn’t even look at the crowd.
And yet the entire stadium surged as if a damn that had been blocked and holding back a tide had finally released—and what it released was a tsunami of just raw noise.
So loud that Kain couldn’t even hear the voice of Serena who stood beside him. The opponents weren’t that intimidated by Kain himself, after all many even wanted to fight him with enthusiasm since they knew that his and Cassian Lysander’s matches were the most viewed. And if they even managed to beat Kain…instant fame!
But the opponents were still young men and women after all…hearing such intimidating cries from the crowd and knowing that it was due to the opponent…anyone would be intimidated.
Dark Moon College, including the depressed Dwayne lagging behind, all five stood in a line at the opposite edge of the arena.
No words. No major movements. But 99.9% of eyes in the stadium were focused on them rather than the opponents. Their presence was overwhelming. Whether that was due to the fame of certain members like Kain, Serena, and Soren; the objectively perfectly tailored and chic uniforms; or due to the aura emitting from those at a tope school…nobody knows.
But the phenomenon of being invisible whilst still on stage was even more emotionally damaging to the opponents than the cheers were.
PrematureFinisher: “He’s here. He’s really here!”
The livestream had resumed. Premie was now broadcasting from home, half-wrapped in a blanket, eyes wide like a disciple witnessing the divine descent of the god they worship.
Behind the team, the remaining healers exited the field. Everyone was cleared for combat. Injuries had been patched. Buffs reapplied.
The referee raised a hand.
“Begin your summoning.”
All five Obsidian Valley tamers summoned the full three contracts each. Fifteen spiritual creatures appeared in synchronized bursts—powerful ones too. An armoured spikebeetle with reactive plating, a jellyfish-like spiritual creature covered in mist, a serpent that split into copies when struck, and more. Their formation was well-drilled and clearly designed to overwhelm.
Then came Dark Moon.
Serena summoned the Elemental Guardian and Starweaver once again, no reason to reveal more cards on a match that, in the grand scheme of things, is not that important.
Similarly, Soren released the same Amethyst Dragon, and Wind Dragon from earlier. Together, they roared in tandem.
Kairos summoned his blade again, sleek and twitching with volatile edge energy, the same burrowing spiked cursed construct, but was the only of the 3 that just competed to add a contract—the familiar cursed magic book. It was the first time anyone from Dark Moon had summoned the maximum amount of contracts.
Similarly, Dwayne his past confidence pummeled to oblivion due to the earlier loss, also summoned three contracts. His strongest contracts that he had for the longest period: the Stormstrike Siren, the Tidebreaker Leviathan, and the Noxious Cloudling.
And Kain?
He appeared to have only summoned one.
Aegis appeared beside him without a sound, the massive humanoid stone golem casting a dark shadow over the field and the dark stone composing his body seeming to suck in the intense lighting on the arena and slightly dimming the field.
However, where others could not see, and maybe only the high-level beast-tamers could sense, there was an invisible (really microscopic) presence that was no less dangerous than Aegis—Bea.
Twelve contracts on Dark Moon’s side. Fifteen on Obsidian’s.
Obsidian had the numerical advantage. And still, it didn’t feel like they had a fighting chance.
“Begin!”
The match exploded forward.
Obsidian Moon Valley’s team moved first, trying to regain some of their lost momentum.
A volley of overlapping elemental attacks—earth spikes, water blades, and flame-tipped whips—surged forward from the front line, coordinated and sharp. Their formation split around the center, looking to isolate Dwayne’s contracts—who they perceived to be the weakest since he still seemed mentally shocked by his loss.
But they never got the chance.
Aegis took one step forward. Just one. His footfall cracked the ground. And in that instant, the ground surged upward and hardened into a stone barrier across Dark Moon’s side. The entire front-line assault struck it at once—and scattered like rain hitting tempered glass.
Then Soren’s dragons launched.
The Amethyst Dragon burst into motion, arcing wide and unleashing a sideways wave of lightning that sheared across the left flank. The Wind Dragon went up, spiralling once before generating a downburst so strong it physically threw one of the Obsidian contracts—a black jaguar— into its allies.
Serena with a flick of her hand sent a signal to the Elemental Guardian that sent it to the right edge of the formation. Thankfully, since not much time had passed, it was still in the water-wind fused state. In its wake, a cold mist condensed into razor hail the size of baseballs that pierced the gaps in Obsidian’s defences. Two of their lighter support creatures went down instantly.
The battle had just started and already the numerical advantage on the other side had been eliminated.