After everyone finished changing, we waited in the pavilion, watching the ongoing games in the stadium on the holographic TV screen there.
By evening, it was time for the main event of the day, and we were called to the stadium ground.
As we walked onto the field, a thunderous round of applause and cheers greeted us.
There were two reasons for this:
Firstly, rumors about Nero were already spreading like wildfire, and people were eager to witness his skills in action.
Secondly, it was uncommon for first-year cadets to participate in a main event game during the King's Tournament.
Why? Well, because first-years were generally not as strong as the second-year cadets.
Naturally, it's more fun to watch two behemoths clash rather than two ants, right?
In fact, it was rare to have more than a dozen first-year cadets in the top 200 rankings by the time of the King's Tournament.
However, this time was different.
Over fifty-three cadets managed to secure a spot in the top 200 academic rankings.
Oh yeah, by the way, the reason why I was ranked 192 despite being 1st in the written exam and 56th in the physical exam is because those exams were specific to my batch– first year.
There are definitely several second-year cadets ahead of me in the overall rankings.
What's more is that the third-year cadets don't have rankings anymore, so the first and second-year cadets' rankings have jumped several thousand ranks.
Yeah, I know that it may not seem fair to combine the rankings of all the batches, but that's just how it is.
Anyway, exams alone can't accurately determine someone's ranking.
That's why it's important for the top-ranked individuals to compete against each other during the Main Game of the King's Tournament.
After the Tournament ends, the rankings will change again. Since there are many second-years ranked above me, if I defeat them all, I'll naturally move up.
"[Please welcome the first team. They are first-years and all of them are in the top 200!
They are, from left to right: Amelia Black, Nero Dekrauf, Anastasia Bigod, William Sinoath, Elijah Steelforged, Chase Woods, Lucas Morningstar, and Aster Aquahart!]"
Suddenly, the booming voice of the match announcer echoed from the numerous speakers placed throughout the arena.
-"Woooooo!"
-"Bunch of nerds! They all are a bunch of nerds! I wanted the second-years to fight in the main event today!"
-"Fight! Fight! Fight!"
The crowd's reaction was mixed, to say the least.
I glanced over at the VIP corner where the Cadet Council was seated.
Among them, my attention was drawn to a young man with long, dark-blue hair tied back in a bun.
His striking ruby-blue eyes were fixed in our direction, a wide smile of excitement on his face.
That was Ivan Smith, the current Cadet Council president.
During the academy arc of the novel, he wasn't a prominent character. That's understandable since he was already nearing graduation when the main characters settled in the academy.
However, he played a significant role in the final war arc.
Well, there's nothing I can do about him right now. Maybe forming a connection with him wouldn't hurt, but I shouldn't focus on that–
"....Argh?" Suddenly, an overwhelming sense of suffocation filled my chest, interrupting my thoughts.
I glanced around and caught sight of a silver-haired elven beauty sitting right next to the person I had been looking at.
She glared at me with her captivating merlot red eyes, as if shooting daggers at me.
"Mhhh," I groaned uncomfortably. "What's her problem?"
Well, actually, I knew exactly what her problem was. You see, our previous conversation didn't exactly end on what one might consider a positive note.
Letting out a sigh, I shifted my gaze away from her.
Strangely enough, diverting my eyes seemed to amplify the intensity of her hostile stare. I could feel sweat forming on my back, and a shiver ran down my spine.
Nevertheless, I resisted the urge to look back. I refused to look back at her.
If I simply pretend she isn't there, maybe she will disappear. That's what I do with all my problems—I ignore them until they go away.
[And now, please welcome the second team, everyone! They are also first-year cadets and a majority of them are ranked within the top 200!]
As the announcer made the announcement, a group of eight cadets walked onto the field stood in front of us.
[From left to right, we have: Nina Hoffins, Alberto Okoro, Rhea Spears, Chris Wright, Damian Johnson, Jake Stark, Kai Wiseman, and Sheena Iyenagar!]
As we stood face to face, a heavy tension filled the air and the crowd fell silent.
In that silence, only the faint buzz of camera drones capturing our every move for the live broadcast broke the stillness.
Amidst the brooding atmosphere, Nero broke the silence. His gaze fixed on Chris as he uttered with a chilling seriousness, "I will make it painful for you."
Chris couldn't help but gulp, overwhelmed by fear at the gravity of Nero's words.
[Alright, everyone, take at least twenty steps back from each other so I can start explaining the game rules.]
The announcer's voice boomed from the elevated announcer stand, as he peered down at us.
Following his instructions, we all turned and began walking away.
Before I could even take a single step, someone seized my arm and forcefully spun me around.
"Ghh?" Startled, I found myself face to face with a tall young man. He had shoulder-length blueish-black hair and light teal eyes meeting my gaze.
It was Kai Wiseman.
"You really made a fool out of me, you know," he said.
A playful smile graced my lips as I shrugged in response. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Cut the act," he scoffed. "The moment they heard an extra member was being added to Chris' team, they recruited you for theirs. No one but you."
"What does that prove, though?" I inquired.
"It doesn't prove anything yet," he replied. "But when I beat the living hell out of you and you spill the beans on how you orchestrated everything, it will prove a whole lot more."
With that, Kai turned on his heels and walked away.
"Hahahaha! You're in trouble!" I heard another voice laughing from beside me.
I whipped my head around and spotted a chubby, plain-looking guy pointing at me.
"Who are you again?" I frowned, questioning.
"...Huh? Dude, it's me! Jake Stark! Your childhood friend!" he responded.
"Ughhh…" I rubbed my head, appearing clueless.
"You know, you made fun of me on the day of the Weapon Selection because my parents were going through a divorce," he attempted to jog my memory.
Still wearing a blank expression, I shrugged and walked away, ignoring his continued screams in the background.
"Huh?! Hey! Don't do that! Lucas! Man, I was looking forward to getting my revenge! Come on, at least remember me! Hey! Hey!"
Paying no attention to his persistent babbling, I let out a deep breath and prepared myself for the upcoming game.
"Let's do this."
