"We have the winners of the Magic Division!" Klaus climbed atop the stage to announce.
The audience was silent, most likely because most of the students were too stunned to speak.
Out of all the matches so far... this one was the shortest—and only one individual grabbed all the attention.
"We have our qualifiers. Stefan Netherlore, Maria Helmsworth, Ivan Smith, Rias Lendertale, and Kuzon Midas. You may return to your seats."
The moment I heard his name, a memory flashed in my mind, but it quickly vanished. After all, there was no way that was possible...
'Kuzon, uh? So that's his name...' I smiled.
I watched as all the students returned to their seats, having my eyes focused on the golden-haired boy in particular. As usual, his gait was casual and the air around him oozed with ease.
It was as if he was well aware of the limits of his strength, and that it surpassed everyone else who competed in the Exchange.
"Now, then, onto the next match," Klaus said, drawing my attention back to the stage.
"Due to the numbers of Martial Artists and Scholars in the Upper Class of the First Years, there will be no elimination round for them. That means we'll be skipping over to the Second Years now."
Even as Klaus welcomed our seniors for their bout, my mind couldn't escape the boy—Kuzon— and the peculiarity of his existence. A nasty habit I had was obsession!
Once I didn't understand something or had an interest in someone, the feeling didn't disappear until I satiated my desires. It was something that plagued me even in my past life and caused me to make so many reckless choices.
Fortunately, with age came experience and maturity, so I was able to control it to a degree. Still...
"I'll have to speak with him later... that boy..."
With my resolute thought giving me strength, I returned my attention to the stage and decided to watch our seniors fight. If I was lucky, I could learn a thing or two from their round.
*************************
"Aaaand, that concludes the matches for today. All preliminary matches have been exhausted, and we now have our champions who will be representing their respective Classes in the upcoming events." Klaus announced.
According to him, we would be proceeding to the quarter-finals tomorrow, eliminating even more students from the tournament. I didn't a fast calculation in my head to fully grasp his words.
Seven students from each class—five from the Magic Division, one from the Martial Arts Division, and one from the Scholar Division—three classes in a Year, and three Years in total. That made a total of twenty-seven kinds of matches for the quarter-finals.
'That'll be quite interesting...'
"That concludes the Inter-Class Exchange for today! The Exits will now be opened. All students may now leave the Hall."
The moment Klaus Tallman rendered his final words, the students who served as both competitors and spectators rose to their feet, me included.
The exits, ten in total, were spread about in the hall. This prevented anyone from rushing into such a large place.
Well, there was also the problem of deducting a student's Class Points, so everyone behaved themselves.
I ensured to quickly descend the stairs, though. My goal wasn't to reach the exit in time, but to actually catch up to the student who caught my attention. It would be beneficial If I knew him personally—not just watching him from a distance.
"Sorry. Excuse me. Coming through." I whispered, overtaking some students who were walking between me and my goal.
'Tch...'
After struggling against the currents of people, I finally reached the point where the Upper-Class students were, and standing among them was the guy no one bothered to stand beside—Kuzon Midas.
"Hey," I called out to him, being only able to see his back from where I was.
He turned slightly, revealing his face to me. Being so close to the boy felt different, like an overpowering sensation of awe had just descended upon me.
"You're... Jared Leonard, right? I've heard quite a bit about you." He smiled, narrowing the one eye I could see in intrigue.
His response caused me to gain more confidence in my approach, so I returned the gesture and responded.
"Well, that's flattering. I haven't heard of you, though... even when you're this impressive."
If he was an exception and got transferred to Ainzlark Academy, I could understand why I didn't see him at the Entrance Exams, but I also didn't notice anyone of his caliber during the Familiar Selection Ceremony.
That was absurd!
"It's only natural. But, not to worry..." He muttered, turning back to face his front.
"... We'll see each other during our matches. If you manage to impress me, I wouldn't mind being your friend."
'What a sharp-tongued guy!' My brain rang.
That wasn't how to speak! Not only was he cheeky, but the aura of confidence that swelled around him could easily make anyone feel inferior. I wasn't sure if it was just elderly sentiment that made me dislike his attitude.
"Well, I plan on winning, anyway. So, I look forward to your friendship." I impudently fired back.
Kuzon, who had already begun moving away from me, stopped dead in his tracks. The air around him suddenly changed, and I heard a snicker come from his location.
"You had better give up on that..." A jovial tone oozed out of Kuzon as he turned to look at me, this time completely facing my direction.
As usual, a casual smile played on his face and his hands remained in his pockets. His black jacket, danced around, slightly beating the white shirt underneath.
For the tournament, we were allowed to wear our casual clothes.
His pale-light skin complimented the dangling hair that covered one of his eyes, while the other seemed to sneer at me.
"... The winner of this Exchange will be me!" Kuzon declared, not showing even the slightest hint of doubt.
This drew the attention of the nearby students—I even saw Stefan look my way, though I ignored him.
This brat had just said something I couldn't overlook!
