stonecrandall Chapter 338: The Shuffle of Fate
Chapter 338: The Shuffle of Fate
[Next Day.]
[Arena.]
The morning sun cast long shadows over the sprawling Galaxy Fall Arena. The massive coliseum, usually vibrating with the roars of millions, felt eerily hollow. The wind was calm, completely lacking the suffocating pressure of the previous day’s crowds.
Davy appeared in the center of the Arena via a flash of teleportation light, and moved his sharp gaze on the remaining elite students present, then at the little audience, easily calculating there were not more than a hundred thousand spectators scattered across the vast tiers.
"Why are there so little people today?" David asked in confusion, moving his gaze around the empty seats.
"The fourth and fifth rounds are the most important, so they charge 5,000 gold coins to enter the Arena." Rose answered calmly.
"Oh." David slowly nodded his head in understanding, realizing that the people watching them today were the true power players of the three empires.
"Okay everyone!!" Davy said, his magically amplified words drawing everyone’s attention instantly back to the center stage:
"The fourth round is very easy... Because it’s a team match!" He yelled, throwing his arms wide as the massive holographic screen above him flickered to life. He let the initial relief wash over the students before dropping the hammer, and added:
"Yes, the fourth round’s rule has been changed, and now, it will be a team match! But there is a twist!" He smiled at the students, a predatory gleam in his eye:
"The screen will be the one to pick the teams... And they will be a total of 14 teams, ten members in each!" He smiled at them, relishing the sudden spike in tension across the arena floor:
"In this round, you can be matched as teammates with other Academies’ students, and you might get to fight your own Academy’s team for spots." He revealed, his words stunning the students and Audience alike.
"What sort of rule is this?!!" Someone yelled furiously from the elite audience tiers, slamming their fist on a railing.
"Yes!! This is crazy! So students from the Dragon academy will get matched with Students from the sword academy, and they’ll have to fight their own students!! What the hell!!" Another added in rage, realizing the nightmare this would cause for the factions.
"This is going overboard!" The third stated, adjusting their robes nervously.
"Calm down everyone! Although they will be a team, the two with the highest amount of points in a team will take 50% of the team total points in that team!! Those who do nothing, will be disqualified!! In this battle, only 28 students will pass the fourth round and advanced to the fifth!!" Davy explained, his authoritative voice reverberating all over the place, effortlessly silencing the crowd with the brutal mathematics of the competition.
"Of course, after the fourth round, the Academy that has most members will gain more points, and will also gain one right to make a request." He said, dangling the ultimate bait, and continued:
"You can even request a participant to be eliminated instantly, and they will be removed! Note, this rule won’t be effective against the number one on the ranking board." He smiled at them, throwing a brief, respectful nod toward Mirabella’s direction, acknowledging her untouchable status. He then continued:
"Of course, you can also get killed here! But there is also a saving Grace, once you yell I surrender, you will automatically be taken out. Note, you will lose the points you earn in the fourth round, and you’ll be eliminated." He said, staring seriously at the students, making sure they understood that this was no longer a simple simulation:
"Do you all understand?"
They all nodded their heads, their expressions hardening. The stakes were absolute.
"Okay, now, let’s see the first team."
Everyone turned their heads to the screen, as all the names instantly scattered into glowing digital fragments, rapidly shuffling themselves through a complex algorithmic array, and then Carl’s name appeared first in bright crimson letters.
Then followed by Ethan, then other students from the Sword Academy. The board finalized the roster. Meaning, Carl was the only one in the first team who was an outcast—a lone Dragon surrounded by enemy blades.
"This?" Carl was stunned, staring at the death trap he had just been handed.
"Carl, no matter what happened, you must kill as many as you can... Even if you have to kill the other teammates, do it." Mirabella said coldly, her piercing blue gaze fixed unblinkingly on the screen. There was no hesitation in her voice.
"Kill the teammates? Isn’t that against the rule?" Carl asked in surprised, his moral compass still struggling to adapt to the ruthless reality.
Austin confidently stepped forward and placed his arm firmly around Carl’s shoulder: "Don’t mind that, even if there is such rule, only points will be deducted. We have points to spare... Besides, Sir Davy didn’t mention such a rule." He said, offering a loophole born from arrogance.
Carl stared at the young master of the Draconian family. When he first arrived in Galaxy Fall’s second server, all these high-born nobles looked down on him as a commoner. But after their grueling, blood-soaked life and death Battles on Earth, the crucible of war had burned away those prejudices. The whole Academy had become closer, forging a genuine bond.
"Okay, Young master, Austin." He nodded his head, accepting the support.
"Don’t call me that, Austin is okay, I am not Hitachi." Austin whispered, turning his head cautiously to Hitachi, who was currently polishing his blade, completely unbothered with their conversation or the draft.
"Okay." Carl nodded his head.
"The first team, place stepped forward." Davy said, and Carl, Ethan, and the other highly disciplined Sword Academy’s students stepped forward, creating a tense circle of ten.
"Let’s wait for the second team."
Everyone stared back at the massive screen, as Jessica’s name appeared, her lethal reputation preceding her. Then Ophelia’s name appeared, Justin from the Eagle Academy appeared, and other Sword Academy’s students filled the slots. Making ten.
The systemic drafting process was intentionally breaking down their coordinated formations, forcing them into a chaotic battle royale.
"The Captain made the right choice letting only 20 of us advance... If all 240 students advance to the fourth round, we will surely lose more students. This time, the sword empire will suffer." Aurelia said quietly. Her analytical mind instantly grasped Mirabella’s terrifying foresight. By keeping their numbers low, Mirabella had minimized the risk of Dragon team members having to slaughter each other for the 50% point threshold, forcing the bloated Sword Academy to cannibalize its own ranks.
Aurelia smiled a predatory smile, staring as her name appeared on the screen, and then Honky’s name appeared right beside it.
"The five first teams stepped forward." Davy said with a brilliant, highly anticipated smile, ready for the bloodshed to begin.