Shameless One

The audience murmured in disbelief, analyzing the crushing defeat they had just witnessed in the first round. The anticipated champions of this tournament, Haven Royal Academy, seemed to have effortlessly secured their victory. Some of the more reckless spectators were already hurling insults at the SIGMA Academy team, whose reputation had taken a hit after previous incidents.

King Eldran, seated in the royal box, observed the SIGMA Academy team with a mix of doubt and confusion. Although he knew Haven Royal Academy was formidable, he hadn't expected such an easy match. He turned his gaze to Glynn Belkarn, who was already smiling, and asked in a low voice, "What's wrong with them today?"

Glynn's smile only widened, but offering no reply.

Vesanze Fortune, lounging to one side of her seat, kept her eyes fixed on Leon Ermy. After a moment of contemplation, she waved her hand, summoning a pristine pigeon, which landed gently atop her arm. The bird cocked its head, listening attentively to Vesanze's whispered instructions.

Meanwhile, Noah Heeden had already vanished from his seat; one-sided battles never held his interest for long.

On the battlefield, Leon forced a smile toward his teammates. Thanks to Norton's Es's abilities, Rayden's trauma had been fully cleansed. In fact, Rayden didn't even remember what had happened to him; all memories of the twisted black hole had been erased. According to Leon, it was the only way to restore his sanity.

"'Eye of Fear,' such a terrifying ability," Leon sighed, leaning back in his seat, slightly out of breath. "We're lucky to have traded off Oliver Grave."

"Rayden, why did you look at his face? You knew about his ability beforehand." Leon covered his face in frustration. If there was one thing Leon despised, it was foolishness.

Rayden scratched his head, looking sheepish. "Instinct…"

"Whatever," Leon replied, waving it off. "We were meant to lose that round anyway. But in the future, there won't be a Norton Es to save your skin."

He then turned serious, locking eyes with Rayden. "If we're ever on another mission where losing is the goal, remember this: your life is more important than anything. If we're sacrificing our dignity and honor, at least survive to reclaim them later."

Rayden nodded, his usual arrogance and irritation replaced by a rare moment of humility. Even Osward White patted him on the back. "I'm glad you made it through."

"Surprised to hear that from you," Ruby remarked with a wry smile.

"A reusable cannon fodder is always worth keeping around, no matter who it is," Osward replied with a shrugg

"So, who's going in for the second round?" Silver asked Leon, her voice trembling slightly. "We need to win this one. No more mistakes. From now on, we give it our all."

Leon nodded in agreement. "Exactly. If we lose this round and they've got a hidden trump card for the third and fourth rounds, we're done, no matter how strong Shun and Silver are."

Silver stood up, her eyes blazing with determination. "I'll guarantee the win in the final round, but we need to make sure we survive until then."

The other students exchanged doubtful glances. Despite Silver's confidence, she was only the 99th-ranked complete ethereal warrior, far below the likes of Ray and Shaden.

Unfazed by their doubt, Leon continued. "For the next round, we're sending in two of our strongest pieces."

"Vito Fool, Gideon Wu, and Yurien Vincy."

Gideon was known to have the most potent blessed ethereal arm among the seven, though his ability was vulnerable in close-range combat. Vito's strength was undeniable; his immortal body made him nearly unbeatable on the battlefield.

"Albert, I'm counting on you for the third round," Leon continued. "And for the fourth…"

He turned to Jaylen Shielram, who had been unusually quiet in recent days.

"Jaylen, are you ready to reveal your true power?"

"Of course," Jaylen replied with a confident smile. The others knew from previous planning that Jaylen possessed a hidden ability he had never used, but none of them knew exactly what it was.

As the team's thoughts lingered on Jaylen's secret, Vito, Gideon, and Yurien were already making their way to the arena. Vito clenched his fists tighter with each step, his resolve steeling.

"This time, I won't lose," he vowed.

...

"Jennifer Lercury." A short girl with messy hair introduced herself, her face twisted like a demon from a storybook.

"Milla Kaiser." The pale girl beside her resembled a female version of Osward White, her entire body devoid of color.

"Lance Shiven." The last boy announced, his figure both muscular and sleek.

"Vito Fool." Vito's eyes locked onto Jennifer, the hunter eyeing his prey.

"Gideon Wu." Golden webs began to form silently on Gideon's hand.

"Yurien Vincy." She announced her name loudly, then added in a hushed tone to her teammates, "Stick to the plan."

Both Vito and Gideon nodded in agreement.

"Second round of the Interacademy Ethereal Combat Tournament Finals, commence!"

Milla floated above the ground, a divine aura emanating from the talismans she held. Jennifer and Lance's bodies glowed with newfound energy.

Without hesitation, Lance charged at Gideon, while Jennifer drew her weapon—a jagged, saw-like sword—to confront Vito.

Yurien moved swiftly, interposing herself between Lance and Gideon. An elegant shield materialized in her hand, and she met Lance's confident gaze with a smirk of her own.

Lance's lance struck Yurien's shield with full force, creating a powerful shockwave that filled the arena with smoke. When it cleared, Lance's lance was still pressed against Yurien's shield, but his eyes were wide with confusion.

Lance's ethereal arm was supposed to pierce through anything, rendering all physical defenses useless.

But Yurien's "Unyielding Shield" wasn't a physical barrier; it was the manifestation of her mental fortitude. As long as her resolve remained strong, her shield would not break.

Before Lance could react, he found himself ensnared in Gideon's golden web.

The lance that could pierce anything, now pierced its owner's heart.

Yet Lance remained standing, unaffected by the fatal wound.

Gideon chuckled, embarrassed. "Sorry, guys, natural reflexes. I forgot about Milla Kaiser's ability, but I guess it's still fine."

Lance turned to Milla, horror and defiance in his eyes, but his body moved under Gideon's control.

Jennifer Lercury tried to stop Lance, but Vito's relentless attacks left her no room to breathe. She could sense the deadly aura radiating from Vito's blade—one wrong move, and her outcome wouldn't be much prettier than Rayden in the previous round.

But soon, the empowering aura Milla had bestowed upon them faded.

Jennifer had never imagined such a vast power gap between the two teams. But as a key player on the Haven Royal Academy team, she had a powerful ethereal arm of her own.

With a fierce strike, her saw-like weapon tore into Vito's left shoulder.

Vito barely flinched, stepping back slightly. Blood began to pour from the wound, showing no sign of stopping.

A smirk spread across Jennifer's face. She knew that if she could take down Vito, the others would be easy prey.

But Vito didn't seem to care about the puddle of blood that was forming below his feet. He slashed at Jennifer again.

Jennifer's smile faltered. "You'll bleed out. There's no point in fighting!" she shouted, her already demonic appearance twisting further.

"Bleed out?"

A smile is like energy—it doesn't disappear; it just transfers from one face to another.

"I don't think so." Vito grinned as his sword struck Jennifer with full force, draining the life from her body.

She collapsed to the ground, nothing left but a dried husk. Vito's sword pulsed with a powerful aura.

"For once more, death refused to take me..."

Vito turned and walked away slowly, blood still pooling at his feet and dripping off the edge of the arena.