Dark Magus Returns

Chapter 1447: Faces in the Arena

Even with their masks back on, now that their disguises had been revealed, the group had chosen not to go out for the rest of the day.

If everyone saw them strolling around in the open, including Redrick, it might give the wrong impression, as if what had happened earlier wasn’t a big deal at all.

Raze knew better. He was certain people were already talking about it. The teachers from the other academies had witnessed the incident firsthand, and gossip always moved faster than truth. Word of the "accident" would have spread by now.

And the more they were out in public, the more opportunities they gave their enemies to disrupt whatever plans he had set in motion.

Finally, as the afternoon bled into evening, it was almost time for them to head out.

"Raze," Safa said, stopping him before they left. "Before we go, I want to ask, will you act today? I feel like with each day that passes in this event, the chance of you... doing something... gets bigger."

Raze reached out and patted her gently on the top of her head, a small smile tugging at his lips.

"Don’t worry too much," he said. "I’m finding myself enjoying the thought of tormenting Ibarin with every little thing that’s been happening. Everything’s in place now for me to get what I want, I just need to find the perfect opportunity.

"It might come at this event, it might not. But if it doesn’t... I’ll be sure to act during the last event of the day, regardless. So be ready."

The message was passed quietly to the others in the room, a silent agreement passing between them all. Then they moved out as a group, heading towards the coliseum from the back entrance.

Almost immediately, they noticed something different. There were far more people heading in the same direction.

It wasn’t just the usual crowd. This was easily larger than the audiences of the previous two days, and among the faces, they spotted plenty of strangers they hadn’t seen before.

"Not everyone can take a six-day break, even if this is classified as work," Panla explained, overhearing the murmur of students around them. "The final three events are the most popular of the whole competition. The ones who couldn’t make it earlier... they make sure to be here for these."

"Remember," she continued, "these events happen every year. The festivities surrounding them are almost always the same, with a few changes here and there. The ones really interested in the exhibitions of magical items or new spell research come early in the week. But not everyone is here for that."

"Some people," Luka added, his voice carrying over the hum of the crowd, "just want to see the best mages fight."

Out of the many spectators arriving for the day’s matches, quite a few were members of the special military forces, their uniforms and disciplined posture making them stand out even in the bustling crowd. There were also representatives from several smaller guilds, each there to scout, judge, or simply enjoy the competition.

One of those in attendance was Alen, the same Alen who had sponsored Raze and the rest of his academy.

However, because of the separate entrances for the competitors and the general audience, the two wouldn’t cross paths today.

The coliseum’s seating capacity had also been expanded for the occasion. Now, nearly fifty thousand people filled the stands, the sheer scale of the audience adding weight to the battles that were about to take place.

Finally, the event began. The presenter strode out onto the main stage, his voice booming through the magically enhanced speakers.

"Today’s event is the Single Battles

!" the staff member announced, his words sending a ripple of excitement through the crowd. "In this event, two mages will face off, using every skill, spell, and technique at their disposal to outmatch their opponent. This is their chance to display the full extent of what they’ve learned from their academies!

"A contestant can forfeit, be knocked out, or have the match stopped by a referee if the battle becomes too dangerous to continue. In addition, two Six-Star Mages will be stationed at the sides of the stage, observing each fight. If one of them steps in to protect a contestant, I think we can all agree it’ll be pretty clear who the winner is."

The explanation was met with a roar of cheers from the stands, the energy in the coliseum spiking.

"Earlier today," the presenter continued, "each academy’s teachers were invited to select their first match-ups for the event. And now, without further ado, let’s introduce the ten students who will be taking part in today’s battles!"

With a deep rumble, all the platforms around the arena opened at once. Large, shimmering holographic displays flickered to life above the coliseum, showing the faces of the selected students for everyone to see.

Slowly, the competitors began walking up in pairs, each one greeted with waves of applause, whistles, and shouts from the crowd. As they appeared, murmurs and commentary rippled through the audience.

"Oh? Wilton Academy has chosen two students who haven’t competed before. Does that mean they’re stronger than the others?"

"But according to my research, they’re not even top-ranked. I wonder why they’re being sent out now?"

"Well, we’d be idiots to completely write off Wilton after everything they’ve pulled so far. But Lee Roy and the Central Academy’s students... they’re going to be a hard wall to climb."

When the Central Academy competitors emerged, they immediately turned their gazes toward Wilton’s side. One of them, Kayzel, narrowed his eyes as if sizing up prey.

"So, it’s him," Kayzel muttered. "He’s the one we need to watch out for."

*****

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