My 5th Reincarnation: I Was Born in Another World as a Demon - TWOB 4

The tournament's analysis room was in chaos again. Tactical experts from various academies crowded around floating displays, reviewing Raegan's match frame by frame.

 "Look here - his 'stumble' actually involved seventeen precise micro-adjustments!" "That 'clumsy dodge' perfectly redirected White Lightning's momentum!" "Is he a genius or just impossibly lucky?"

 In the competitors' lounge, White Lightning was still trying to explain his loss to his teammates.

 "It was like… like fighting water! Every time I thought I had him, he just wasn't there, but in the most awkward way possible!"

 Viktor watched from his dark corner, purple energy crackling around his eyes as he studied the replay. "No one is that consistently lucky. He's hiding something."

 "Obviously," Zia commented from her carefully maintained distance, trying to sound disinterested while unconsciously creating intricate ice sculptures of Raegan's various "clumsy" moves. She quickly destroyed them when she noticed.

 Meanwhile, in Barthopia's preparation room, Raegan's team was reviewing their own analysis.

 "You enjoyed that way too much," Luna accused, though her tail betrayed her amusement.

 "I was very lucky," Raegan protested innocently.

 "You made the speed champion look like he was fighting a drunk master," Fin declared dramatically. "It was beautiful! We should call it the 'Stumbling Style' or maybe the 'Very Lucky Combat Art' or—"

 "No naming techniques," everyone interrupted.

 Aria entered with fresh intelligence. "The betting odds on your next matches have gone crazy. Half the gamblers think you're a combat genius, the other half think you're blessed by the luck gods."

 "And what do you think?" Raegan asked.

 "I think," she smiled knowingly, "that you're enjoying this 'very lucky' act far too much."

 A tournament official appeared at their door, looking slightly nervous. "Um, Sir Raegan? You have… visitors."

 Outside, a line had formed. Representatives from various academies all wanted to "casually discuss" his unique fighting style. Several were not-so-subtly trying to decode his technique.

 "Your footwork pattern seems familiar," one scholar began. "Almost like the legendary Drunken Master style, but—"

 "Oh, I just try my best," Raegan interrupted cheerfully. "I was just Lucky!"

 From his observation point, Arch-Mage Magnus watched the growing commotion with twinkling eyes. "Fascinating how the young lord manages to be both completely visible and utterly mysterious at the same time."

 The next round's matchups were announced, causing another stir. Raegan would face Thunder Academy's "Rising Storm" - a fighter known for overwhelming power rather than speed.

 "Perfect," Ace mused. "Everyone will be watching to see if your 'luck' works against pure force."

 "Just try not to create another tactical mystery," Luna advised. "The analysis teams are already going crazy."

 "And maybe tone down the 'luck' a bit?" Fin added. 

 Just another very normal day in the world's most prestigious academy tournament.

The tournament's second day... It brought a packed schedule: team battles in the morning, solo matches in the afternoon. Raegan's team gathered early for Aria's tactical briefing.

 "We face Shadow Academy's stealth squad first," she announced, projecting their data. "Then Raegan has Rising Storm in the solo division."

 "Two completely different combat styles in one day," Ace mused. "How interesting."

 The team battle arena was darkened for Shadow Academy's specialty. Their opponents materialized as barely visible silhouettes, known for overwhelming teams with attacks from unseen angles.

 "They're moving," Luna's ears twitched, tracking mana signatures through the darkness. "Standard encirclement pattern."

 "Time for some chaos?" Fin grinned.

 What followed was another display of their peculiar style. Luna's mana reading guided Fin's seemingly random attacks, while Ace's calculations created barriers that appeared to be defensive but actually illuminated key areas. Raegan moved through it all, somehow always being exactly where he needed to be while looking like he was just guessing.

 "They're countering our stealth techniques by… not having a pattern to predict?" one Shadow Academy member asked incredulously before being ring-out by one of Fin's "lucky" swings.

 Victory came when their opponents, thoroughly confused by Barthopia's chaotic style, basically defeated themselves trying to find a pattern that didn't exist.

 "Most… unusual," the judge commented. "Barthopia advances through… interesting methods."

 But the real attention was on Raegan's upcoming solo match. Rising Storm entered the arena in a display of raw power, his massive frame crackling with energy.

 "No lucky dodges against pure force!" he declared, the ground cracking beneath his feet.

 Raegan just smiled pleasantly. "I'll do my best."

 The match began with Rising Storm living up to his name. His first punch created a shockwave that had previous opponents flying from the ring. Raegan appeared to trip… directly under the attack.

 "Stop doing that!" Rising Storm roared, launching his signature move: Storm God's Hammer.

 Raegan seemed to stumble through the most bizarre series of movements - each clumsy step somehow placing him exactly where the devastating attacks weren't.

 "Is he… is he solving advanced combat equations while pretending to be uncoordinated?" one judge whispered.

 In her private box, Zia had created an entire ice sculpture garden. She melted in embarrassment when Viktor walked past, his enhanced eyes studying Raegan's performance intently.

 The match ended when Rising Storm, utterly frustrated, put too much power into an attack and launched himself out of the ring. Raegan had apparently been tying his shoelace at the time.

 "Victory through… No fighting style," the announcer managed.

 "That was the least fight I've ever seen," Fin declared as they regrouped. "You made it look like you won by accident!"

 "Very lucky indeed," everyone chorused.

 Back in their preparation room, Aria reviewed their day's performance. "Both victories were impressive, but we're drawing too much attention. Everyone's trying to decode our style."

 "What style?" Luna smirked. "We just do things."

 A message arrived from the tournament officials: due to "popular demand," they were installing enhanced climate control to deal with the "unexpected ice formations" occurring during certain matches.

 "You really should talk to her," Luna nudged Raegan, nodding toward where Zia was visible through the window, pretending not to watch while accidentally freezing everything she touched.

 The resulting frost pattern on their window looked suspiciously like a blushing face.

 The tournament's central hall had become a gallery of magical recordings, showing endless replays of Barthopia's matches. Combat scholars argued theories while students tried (and failed) to replicate Reagan's "Stumbling Style" - as it had been unofficially named, much to Fin's delight.

 "Look at the probability calculations," one analyst insisted. "No one can be that consistently lucky!"

 "Then how do you explain him winning while apparently distracted by a butterfly?" another countered. "But there was no butterfly", another argued.

 Arch-Mage Magnus called an unexpected meeting with the tournament's top contenders. Raegan found himself in a luxurious chamber alongside Zia, Viktor, and other leading competitors. The ancient mage's eyes twinkled as he addressed them.

 "This tournament is proving most… entertaining," he began diplomatically. "Though some performances are more unconventional than others."

 His gaze lingered on Raegan, who maintained his most innocent expression while Zia suddenly became very interested in her shoes, frost forming around her feet.

 Viktor's enhanced eyes glowed with barely contained anger. "Some of us take this competition seriously, rather than turning it into a joke." 

 "A joke that keeps winning," someone muttered, earning a purple-tinged glare.

 "The quarter-finals approach," Magnus continued. "Team battles will intensify, and solo matches will reveal true capabilities." Again, his knowing look fell on Raegan. "I look forward to seeing what everyone has been… holding back."

 As they left the meeting, Viktor blocked Raegan's path. "Your act won't work against enhanced power. When we meet in the finals…"

 "Bold of you to assume you'll get past me first," Zia interrupted, the temperature dropping sharply. Her sudden defense of Raegan made her blush, creating small snowflakes.

 "Very bold," Raegan agreed cheerfully, causing both more frost and more purple energy to crackle in the hallway.

 Back in their preparation room, Aria updated their situation. "We face Crystal Academy's mirror team next. Their synchronization is second only to Drakmire's."

 "And your solo opponent," Luna added, "is Mountain Peak's Stone Warrior. Pure defense specialist."

 "Should be interesting," Raegan mused. The tournament atmosphere was changing. Early rounds' excitement had given way to serious competition. Teams were showing their true techniques, and solo competitors were unleashing their full power.

 Except for Raegan, who continued to win through increasingly improbable "normal" methods.

 'You know,' Vivaan commented privately, 'maintaining this act might actually be harder than just fighting normally.'

 "That's what makes it fun," Raegan thought back, watching another student fail spectacularly at copying his "clumsy" dodge technique.

 A messenger arrived with updates: The climate control systems were being further upgraded, betting odds on Raegan's matches had been suspended due to "mathematical impossibilities," and three combat schools had requested to study his "revolutionary normal style."

 Also, Zia wanted to know if he was free for… training purposes. The message was partially frozen and extremely crumpled, suggesting several attempts at writing it.

 "training?" Luna teased after reading the note.

 The tournament's final stages were approaching, where maintaining his cover would become increasingly challenging. But for now, Raegan was rather enjoying being the most normally abnormal competitor in tournament history.