"[The rules of the game are simple: players must reach the Gate of the fifth district forest, engage in a battle with a horde of mana beasts already positioned there, and locate a hidden flag within the outer forest.]"
The announcer, who was a second-year cadet, stood on the elevated announcer stand, hovering in the air above the arena.
His resounding voice reverberated through the stadium's speakers, thundering throughout the vicinity.
The role of the announcer is to make announcements regarding game participants, winners, and other relevant information.
In addition to doing the announcements, the announcers are also responsible for setting up and managing the games.
Hence, they are also sometimes called the 'Game Masters.'
Typically, seven second-year cadets are chosen for this position, with each cadet managing one day of the King's Tournament.
They are chosen because they are more responsible and educated on the matters of organizing the games compared to the first-year cadets who would be participating in the tournament for the first time.
As the crowd eagerly awaited the start of the game, the announcer, adorned in a crisp uniform, exuded an air of confidence.
He gazed down at the sprawling arena below, a vast expanse filled with anticipation.
With an authoritative yet enthusiastic tone, he addressed the audience, saying,
"[All you need to do to secure victory is retrieve that flag and place it in the flagpole before you.]"
Almost as if waiting for that cue, two second-year cadets clad in black uniforms approached us and positioned a flagpole in the center of the field, placing it between our team and Kai's group.
In the following moment, the announcer resumed,
"The first individual to accomplish this task will secure victory for their team. The prize for this game will be one thousand Merit Points individually credited to every participant's account. However, remember that while you can fight each other, killing is not allowed for obvious reasons."
As anticipation reached its peak among the crowd, the announcer's grin grew wider.
He brought the microphone closer to his mouth and raised his hand high in the air.
"May fortune favor the bold and fate challenge you to surpass your limits. Let the game commence!"
Boom—
As soon as the announcer's words left his lips, fireworks erupted in the sky, marking the start of the day's main game.
Fwoosh, Fwoosh—
Immediately, both teams swiftly sprang into action.
Kai's team rushed towards the western exit of the stadium, while we dashed towards the eastern one.
A voice from the left reached my ears. "Do you have a plan?" it inquired.
I turned my head to see the source of the voice, finding it to be Nero, who was running alongside me.
'Why are you asking me now?' is what I wanted to retort, but I refrained from doing so.
To be honest, I initially thought about sabotaging Nero's chances in this game.
However, two things changed my mind:
Firstly, I had given my word to Amelia that I would repay her favor of keeping the information about Sera a secret.
Secondly, I… Well, I wanted those one thousand Merit Points.
That's why, when a fleeting expression of annoyance flickered across my face upon hearing Nero's question, I quickly took control of my emotions and wore a friendly smile.
"Of course I have a plan," I replied, maintaining our pace.
"This quickly?" exclaimed William, who was running to my right. "The game was just announced moments ago, and you already have a plan?"
Yeah, that's right.
Even the participants don't get to know anything about the games they participate in until the Game Master makes the announcement.
Naturally, we also had no prior knowledge about the game we would be playing until only a few moments ago.
So, I understood why William found it surprising that I had already come up with a plan this quickly.
"No need to be shocked," I reassured him. "The Main Games Of The Day are typically significant events that take place outside the stadium.
"That's why, when Amelia invited me to join, I began investigating any unusual activities within the academy grounds.
"Someone in our class chat mentioned that the second-year cadets were capturing low-level mana beasts alive in the Fifth District Forest.
"I quickly deduced that this information must be relevant to our game. And if it was, then it meant we would be dealing with mana beasts and the Fifth District Forest. Using that as a foundation, I devised a general plan.
"When the announcer disclosed the details of the game, I improvised and refined my plan of action on the spot."
By the time I finished explaining, we had already exited the stadium.
William stared at me in astonishment, his jaw dropped so low that it was practically touching the ground now.
"What's there not to be surprised about all of this again?" he exclaimed.
"Alright, William, you can be shocked later," Anastasia pushed William aside and took his place on my right.
Without slowing down, she asked, "What's the plan?"
"We'll split up," I replied quickly. "I know for a fact that they'll concentrate all their efforts on stopping Nero. So, we'll split up and reach the Fifth District Forest using different routes."
I turned to Nero and said, "If you come across them, you'll alert the rest of us about their locations, but no backup will come for you. You'll have to fight alone and hold them off for as long as possible."
"So you're using me as bait?" Nero raised an eyebrow as we dashed through the streets.
"Yes," I replied bluntly in a firm tone. "Do you have a problem with that?"
"...Of course not," he replied. "I'll enjoy taking them on with my own hands. What could be better? But then, why do you want me to inform you about their locations?"
"So if they manage to escape from you, I can predict what routes they'll take and what moves they'll make next," I explained.
"...You think I'm foolish enough to let any of them escape?" Nero scoffed.
"I do," I shrugged.
"....." Nero narrowed his eyes at me as everyone fell silent again, but I paid no mind to it.
"Anyway, if they come after you, alert us. If they don't, we'll all rendezvous at the gate of the Forest," I continued.
"What if they don't focus solely on Nero and decide to split up too?" Amelia questioned.
"Then we'll face them individually," I replied. "If they want to defeat us, they'll have to stop us from getting the flag. Once we have the flag, they'll have to fight us head-on to reclaim it, and that won't be easy for them–"
"Because they're a bunch of weaklings!" Chase interjected.
"...Y-Yeah, whatever he said," I waved my hand to affirm his remark. "So, the first person to reach the Flag will inform the rest of us, and we'll use all our combined strength to protect the flag-bearer until the Flag is planted on the flagpole.
"To sum it up–if they focus on Nero, we'll ignore them and secure the flag. If they focus on us individually, we'll fight them and secure the flag. In both scenarios, our ultimate goal is to defend the flag-bearer until the Flag is planted.
"It's a simple plan, but it will be effective. If all of you follow my call-outs and do as I say, we'll emerge victorious without a hitch. Understood?"
""Roger!"" Aside from Nero and Chase, everyone shouted in response.
"Oh, and," I decided to give one final warning. I turned to Nero and said, "Be cautious of Kai. He's not as weak as he appears."
Nero raised an eyebrow and sneered, "Are you sure you're not just scared of him because of your last encounter with him?"
"...Believe what you want," I replied. "I've done my part by giving you the warning."
"Ugh, I have a question," Amelia voiced her confusion next.
"What is it?" I asked.
"I know it's unlikely, but what if they manage to acquire the flag before us?" she questioned.
Good.
At least she is thinking about every possible situation that can happen. She's making progress.
Unlike certain individuals on our team, she's not underestimating our enemies.
Yes, I'm referring to Nero and Chase.
They are overly confident about this game, I can see it.
Now, it would have been fine for them to act this way before, but with the unexpected addition of Kai as their opponent, they should be more cautious.
They should be on guard.
Yet, all I see is their arrogance.
Well, Nero has always been that way—the type to be overly confident in his abilities, even in the novel.
Sometimes I think it's because he's so prideful that a narcissist like me can't help but hate him.
I can understand why he's like this.
He lost his mother at such a young age and the killer was none other than his own father.
He had to build himself up from scratch, learning to do everything on his own—fighting, feeding himself, surviving alone.
If I had experienced something like that, even I would take pride in myself.
But at this moment, he's simply being foolish by underestimating his opponent.
"Don't worry about that," I replied in a nonchalant manner. "If, by some miracle, they manage to secure the flag before us, I'll be the one to handle the situation and ensure our victory."
"Okay," Amelia nodded.
"Now, let's split up!" I yelled out.
At my signal, everyone dispersed in different directions.
The streets were empty. Shops were closed and hardly any people were in sight. It was expected since today was the first day of the King's Tournament.
Yes, there were a few small drones hovering around me, following my every move.
Ignoring them completely, I slowed my pace from running to walking as I reached the train station.
I wasn't foolish enough to run my way to the Fifth District Forest.
Well, to be honest, I wasn't planning on going there at all. But if I was, I would've taken the train.
But as I said, I'm not going there.
No, while those idiots fight each other for the Flag, I would be setting up some traps on all the routes they could possibly take to exit the Fifth District.
Hey, don't judge me, okay?!
It's my fighting style. I'm not a savage.
I prefer not to fight, no matter how skilled I have become with my fists. Of course, I would never back down if someone takes the fight to me.
"Haaa~" I let out a sigh as I reached the train platform. I paused for a few moments and dug my hands into my pocket.
Retrieving a handful of small marbles, I threw them onto the train tracks.
Honk, Honk–!!
Almost immediately, the train pulled up to the platform and I quickly boarded it.
"Hello there."
"....." But to my surprise, a young man with dark blueish-black hair and captivating light teal eyes was seated in the vacant section of the train compartment.
It was Kai Wiseman.
