Chapter 330: Chapter 330 Semi-Final.
The first person to emerge from the plane was a handsome man with a medium build and muscles. He stood 185cm tall. His sharp eyes were black, as was his short black hair, giving off an intimidating aura.
"Gary, it\'s been a while".
Lucy greeted the male, to which he replied with a single nod, and the aura surrounding him softened.
"Indeed it\'s been a while, how have you been?".
"Fufu, never been better".
"I see, Good then!".
Both were soon engrossed in small chat, talking about what kind of news they had missed in the Academy and the Dungeon.
The two talked harmoniously. They didn\'t notice the other passenger had already entered the limousine parked behind Lucy. Everyone but two, a pair of handsome silver-haired boys and a cute yet cheerful short green-haired girl, walked up toward their place.
"Yahho!! Lucy, it\'s been a while".
The green-haired girl jumped off into Lucy\'s embrace, and both smiled pleasantly after being reunited after months.
"Katarina, I am glad you are still as lively as ever, fufu".
"Yeah, Geez, it\'s been a while yet you act so distant, call me Rina like you used to!".
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"Fine!".
"Um, Lucy, can I have a moment?".
The silver-haired boy, with his devilish handsome gaze, fidgets, looking back and forth in search of someone. Lucy, who knows the boy and his circumstances, sighes in her heart, for she knows what the boys want.
"Yes, what is it, Lars?".
Lars, who managed to gain her attention, cleared his throat and glanced at his surroundings before opening his mouth.
"Is Serafina, not here?".
Lucy\'s thought was precisely on point regarding what kind of question Lars would ask. She was clearly aware of his fond attitude toward Serafina, but the girl in mention had never glanced at him ever once and always ignored him, or rather, she didn\'t consider him to exist.
Internally, Lucy sighed in pity for the girl he pursued, who had already belonged to another boy. But, she didn\'t have the gall to spill it in this kind of reunion. So, Lucy tried to avoid the topic and answered.
"She is fine and busy tending to her mother who finally healed from her illness and came to watch the competition".
"Is that so, Is she…".
"Right?! There is a competition in the academy, we should make haste and not waste our time here any longer. I am curious just how strong this first-year generation is…".
Lars glared at Katarina, who cut his conversation with Lucy, which seemed the girl also understood that and deliberately ended the topic by changing it to another subject.
Because of that, Lucy felt thankful internally, but Lars, a proud man aware of his social status and strength, couldn\'t leave it at that.
"Oi brat! You are interrupting my conversation!".
Mana leaked out from Lars\'s body as it put a bit of pressure around them, while Katarina accepted the pressure head-on and glared at the man with a face full of disgust.
"Stalker bastard who doesn\'t know when to give up. Enough with that stalker talk you have, it causes my ears to rot".
"What did you say!".
"I said to shut your mouth!".
"You!".
The tension around them becomes much more intense. Gary, who saw the scene, keeps his calm as Lucy starts to become flustered by it.
"Both of you, Stop!".
A strong, clear sound from a woman\'s lips travelled to the surroundings carrying a gentle embrace from the spring, dissipating the accumulated tension.
She is a beautiful girl with straight, long black hair that cascades toward her back in a half-up style. She is wearing a dark green Yukata and black Hakama and approaches their side with a deep smile.
"Come on you two, it is not good to start a fight between a member of the same party!".
"I want to remind you that this party is a temporary one".
With an annoyed sigh, Lars clicked his tongue from the side, and Katarina knit her brows. Looking at his rude behaviour, she scoffed.
"Watch your words, stalkers! She is your senior".
"You!".
"Enough!".
The people and the world turned still as they felt a heavy pressure suffocating their breath, and a chilling atmosphere creeped out after the black-haired girls spoke.
When Lars glanced to his side, he witnessed a terrifying figure of a Hannya with an outrageous appearance behind the black-haired girl smiling at him, but that smile was as much deadlier than a blade.
"Okay, stop! Let\'s not waste our time here. we should go toward the academy first".
With a casual gesture, Gary relieved the pressure and urged everyone to hurry and enter the limousine to finish their schedule. Both people who argued reluctantly backed off and entered the car, followed by Gary.
"Shall we go too, Lucy?".
"Yes, Senior after you".
Lucy saw everyone finally enter the limousine, and she began to sigh in relief that nothing had happened earlier. Before she took another step, her phone trembled, and it was a notification from Viana, which seemed troublesome to deal with.
"What sort of problem Soma had caused this time? ".
*****
{Welcome back, everyone. Within a moment, the competition will be held, and today was the semi-final where only two matches will occur today…}
As usual, the lively emcee\'s positive energy brought life to the venue, which was already packed to the brim with spectators from around the world. Everyone in the venue sighed, a little bit disappointed in the shortened match.
{However, don\'t be discouraged. Because there is another event that will be held, and that is \'Duel\'!}
The crowd tilted their heads for the new terms added to the competition.
{Well, simply is, it was basically a challenge that will be held by two individuals who agree to a prior deal. Whether it was irritated by your friend and wanting to punch his face or wanting to challenge your senior, to test your might and show your value to the world. Everything is permissible as long as they stick to the rules in the match.
This event is for the students in the Academy only; for further details, you can ask the officials! So, everyone, keep your hopes up!}
Inside the VIP room, Soma is sitting with his family in his usual seat. He observes the lively atmosphere after the announced Duel event. It seems the new event succeeded in baiting the spectators\' interest.
Not just the spectators but the students who heard the event for the first time jolted their bodies in vigour, for this was their chance to prove their worth after living and training in the Academy.
As far as Soma knew from the novel, the event itself was indeed the first time it had been applied in years when the Martial Arts competition had been held.
There are two reasons for this: one is that the time period of this competition was much longer than usual, and the second is that, unlike last year, every student in the Academy was a complete whole.
This year, some of the strongest figures in the Academy had to undergo a test to see which depth they would achieve in exploring the deepest Dungeon on the planet.
It helped them with a bonus score for the graduation exam later and also gave them a good amount of experience facing the danger within the deepest part of the Dungeon.
{Okay, without further ado, let\'s start our first semi-final matches that will be put together. Soma, The Tyrant vs. Leon, The Savior}
Soma, who heard that for the first time, knit his brows in wonder, which prompted the three girls to burst out laughing while Xiao Lian squirmed with tears covering her mouth.
"Tyrant what was that?".
"Pffth, Fufu... Well, I heard them calling you after the match between you and Xiao Lian".
Serafina, who slightly composed herself, answered his question, while the other girls nodded.
From that clue alone, Soma gets the bigger picture, as he is indeed a bit savage in his match with Xiao Lian.
"I see. Well, I will be leaving for a bit!".
Soma stood up and hurriedly left the seat to prepare his match.
"Soma, there is not much to say knowing your strength. It\'s just, "Go to the Final!".
Hina, who recovered from her laugh, stated her conviction.
"Mm, Soma, be careful and do your best!".
Xiao Lian glanced at him with her gentle expression.
"Well, like everyone said. You have to stick up to your nicknames and Dominate this entire competition, Soma!".
With her domineering nature, Serafina instils a challenge to Soma. A challenge that she knows, he will easily accomplish.
"Alright!".
Turning back, Soma looked at the elders, nodded understanding and left the room.
Despite the loud cheering and commotion behind him from the crowd that was still trying to force their way into the venue, Soma\'s hearing was silent. It helped clear his mind and calm his heart so that he could face Leon in the match.
From what he knew so far. Leon had proved his growth by slightly mastering the Savior\'s power that had been bestowed upon him.
There are three steps in Leon\'s mastery of the power, and Leon has grasped its first key.
"Good luck in your match".
After receiving the brooch, Soma walked away and passed the tunnel where a deafening roar that shook the venue rang, but to him, it was just them whispering.
"Soma!?".