"Alright, now that you have all seen your results, it's time to announce the ones who will be proceeding to the Semi-Finals."
We all knew what Klaus said was only for formality since everyone could already guess who would be advancing.
"For the Lower Class, we have Jared Leonard and Anabelle Frederick. Please step forward."
Ana and I moved from the usual row and took a few steps forward.
"For the Upper Class, we have Kuzon Midas and Stefan Netherlore. Also, step forward."
The two matched our pace and stopped exactly on the line where we were.
"The rest of you are automatically removed from the match. I want to congratulate you on making it this far, and encourage you to try harder next year. You have all done well."
With a smile on his face, Klaus dismissed everyone else, leaving only four of us who passed on the stage.
"I'll now be explaining the rules of the Semi-Finals. It's quite simple." He began.
"You'll be having one-on-one matches with your selected opponent. This selection will be chosen at random, and you will fight until the other party either gives up, loses consciousness, or is unable to fight any longer."
We all understood this much.
"In the situation where only the members of one Class manage to secure victory, the judges will consider the two matches and determine which of the Class member will need to step down for a member of the losing class who is most deserving." He further explained.
'I see... I understand...' A smile formed on my face.
Even if the Upper Class won both rounds, they would still only choose one member of the Upper Class and one from the Lower Class to face off in the finals. Since it was an Inter-Class Exchange, the matches had to be between two classes at least.
"Keeping all this in mind, it is advisable to display the full force of your capabilities, not just holding back," Klaus concluded.
He asked if we understood his explanation, as per protocol, and all of us responded positively.
"Good. Now, look above you for your opponents!"
We trailed Klaus' pointed finger and located the display hanging above our heads, like the list we saw earlier.
On it were our four names, and the names kept swapping with each other in a random process.
Unease rested in the atmosphere as I felt the crushing weight of everyone's expectations and tension concerning whose name would be paired with whom.
>PIIIINNNNGGG<
An alarming sound appeared, and the names suddenly ceased moving, showing us the final match-ups for our exams.
Once I saw it, I was a bit happy and a little sad. My eyes trailed to Ana and I gave her a comforting smile.
'Ana's paired with Kuzon, uh? The very guy she said she didn't want to fight... sucks to be her.'
It was somewhat the best choice, though. After all, this meant I got to fight Stefan now, and then I would most likely meet Kuzon in the finals.
I wasn't sure if Ana would back down at this point and just let Kuzon get the medal, but... I certainly hoped she didn't.
'There's nothing more to lose at this point. Fight will all you have!' My burning eyes moved in Ana's direction.
Fortunately, she was looking at me and our eyes connected. The petite girl nodded vehemently, obvious determination displayed on her face.
Leaving her direction, my eyes trailed to my opponent, Stefan.
"Looks like you got what you wanted. We'll be fighting each other." I grinned.
His scowl remained unfazed.
"Yeah. You better fight with all you have!"
I couldn't promise that, but Stefan didn't have to worry... I planned on showing him some very interesting things.
"Alright! For the first match, we have Stefan Netherlore and Jared Leonard! The rest of you, please move off the stage."
An air of excitement rang among the audience as I and Stefan moved to our respective positions on the battleground.
It didn't take long for the whole area to be rendered empty, having only our moderator waiting at the edge to announce the battle's commencement.
"Begin!" His loud voice echoed in my ears.
"Prepare yourself!" Stefan shouted, raising his hands as they both stretched at me.
'Come to think of it... this will be the first time I'll be really seeing Stefan use Magic...' I waited in observation.
Purple sparks of lightning appeared, sending the whole area into vibration. In a flash, he sent multiple lashes at me.
>SWOOOOSHH!!!<
I immediately realized I needed to enhance my body in order to stand a chance against the speed of his attacks, and quickly did so.
Moving my body fluidly, I escaped the lashes of lightning he sent in multiple directions, watching as they scarred the stage we stood on.
'That must be the Low-Tier Intermediate Spell: Lightning Whip.' My thoughts trailed, wondering why Stefan refused to use anything higher.
"Come on, Jared! Are you going to keep running?" He smiled.
'Is he baiting me? Oh well, let's see what he has in store...'
Proceeding cautiously, but with piqued curiosity, I charged at Stefan with full speed. I felt the wind brush in my face, causing my vision to blur in all areas except my target.
Of course, I was still maneuvering around the lightning lashes, approaching the target at a fairly high speed.
Suddenly, I caught Stefan giving me a sly grin.
"Heh!"
My eyes widened, realizing I had indeed fallen into whatever trap he set for me. My speed was currently high, and it would take a while to dull my momentum. Whatever the trap was, wherever it would be... I was sure to fall into it!
>SWUUUPP!!!<
The ground I treaded suddenly became soft and unstable, and I found myself sinking, unable to come out of the seemingly muddy pool.
"I've got you!" Stefan beamed, having a happy and satisfied expression on his face for tricking me.
He clapped his hands together and the earth began solidifying once again, like cement. The boy meant to trap me halfway into the ground!
