Chapter 135: Turning the Empire Upside Down

Words : 1095 Updated : Sep 21st, 2025

Chapter 135: Turning the Empire Upside DownA sizable minority in the crowd, who had voted for a Felix versus Hal final, had been cheering wildly just moments ago after witnessing Hal’s cunning counterattack. But now, they, too, fell silent, watching the smoke with bated breath and trembling hands. The majority’s bets rested on the young master’s shoulders. Soon, the smoke cleared, revealing a struggling Donner. The battle wasn’t over! Someone with less experience might have missed the brief window of vulnerability, possibly giving their opponent a chance to recover. But Hal had long been fighting to survive. He knew that giving his opponent even a moment to recover was an unforgivable mistake in combat. And so, lame as it may have been from an entertainment perspective, Hal didn’t give Donner the slightest chance. He quickly cast a [Glacial Rain] and [Flame Tornado] combo at the struggling young master, generating yet another thick cloud of white smoke. However, Hal didn’t stop there. He unleashed every permanent-durability spell card in his arsenal at Donner’s location. [Glacial Shard], [Fireball], [Wind Cutter], everything...until the referee jumped onto the stage, throwing himself in front of Hal and casting a thick Mana Barrier. "Stop, Competitor Hal! Match over!" Meanwhile, the Rakurai Clan’s representative and Rajra Thunderclap, his master, fumed inside the VIP Hall. "Vicious!" roared the former Magna. "What questionable character! This guy should be disqualified! How could someone so merciless, and at such a young age, be allowed a shot at the first-place rewards? Wouldn’t he simply cause more problems for the empire than help once he’s stronger?" added the clan representative. Naturally, Headmistress Isolde stepped up to defend her student, even though they had not yet met. "Vicious? You know nothing would happen due to the special barrier. Even after it breaks, another simple protective one would appear to prevent any of my student’s attacks from causing further harm. This is a tournament, and your student is a dangerous opponent. Was Hal Fennec supposed to just stand there and let him get back up? Is it my student’s fault that he’s not naive?" The former Thunder Magna, Rajra Thunderclap, simply snorted in displeasure and dropped the matter after hearing Isolde’s words. Indeed, his student was a dangerous individual who should not be given even the slightest chance for a comeback, or he might truly turn the tide. Rajra found solace in that thought. Furthermore, unlike the Rakurai Clan’s representative, who had never encountered a Fellkin and had limited experience in real combat, the former Magna had fought and killed thousands of the wicked and cruel bastards. There was truly no place for mercy. Otherwise, one would find oneself on the receiving end of defeat, which, in real combat, naturally equated to death. He was just surprised that a young man at such a tender age already understood that truth, which was why he called Hal vicious. Rajra had always taught his student that lesson and was confident he would have done the same to Hal if he had gotten the chance. The Rakurai Clan’s representative, on the other hand, wouldn’t back down, believing that Hal simply chose to force the referee to step in to humiliate their second young master. This unwillingness naturally resulted in a somewhat heated argument between the two parties inside the Gaora VIP Hall. Meanwhile, the crowd was going crazy, and for different reasons. Those who bet on a rather crazy Donner versus Felix final, despite the latter’s show of weakness in his quarterfinal match, were angered by what they believed was Hal’s unsportsmanlike behavior of hitting Donner when he was down. On the other hand, those who had already lost their bets due to Pierro’s defeat and those who bet on the more insane Hal versus Felix finals cheered wildly at Hal’s actions. There was no rule that one wasn’t allowed to hit a downed opponent, was there? What were these sore losers complaining about? Soon, the smoke cleared, revealing the unconscious Donner, who had been forced to use his trump card in a bad situation. The young master was simply unlucky that Hal had already faced the Fellkin Amirra, whose combat style was similar but faster and stronger. Donner easily fell into the same trap that had allowed Hal to take the life of the Fell subordinate. "W-What an upset!!" roared Akari, finally regaining control of her wits. "Competitor Hal showcased an overwhelming barrage of spells in his quarterfinal match that secured him a spot in the semis. But how many people actually believed he would win against the ferocious Donner Rakurai?! Hal Fennec announces his name to the Imperium and advances to the finals to face Felix Dargon!!" Hal waved to the crowd with a wide smile and flexed his modest biceps before descending from the stage. By the time Donner woke up, Hal was already halfway to his resting tent. "HAL FENNEC!!" the young master roared in embarrassment and anger upon realizing his defeat, the loss of his fifteen gold coins still not sinking in. Before Donner could further embarrass himself, however, a middle-aged man approaching the next phase of his life appeared in front of him, wearing an open vest and fitted trousers, and glaring at the young master. Donner naturally understood that his master was telling him to stand down. He opened his mouth, but no words came out. In the end, he simply gritted his teeth and dropped the matter. But whether his clan would do the same was an entirely different question. With the matter settled, the situation stabilized, though the world of the higher-ups was once again turned upside down. Why were they only hearing about Hal Fennec now? Naturally, each high-ranking observer began compiling reports in their minds, planning to make an official one once the event was over and send it to their faction leaders. Perhaps they could win Hal over with monetary promises before the army or the Imperial Wizard Guild got their hands on him. Threatening the young man was out of the question this time, as the Grand Magic Academy had already made its stance clear. They wouldn’t allow anyone to touch Hal. If it were proven that someone tried to force him to join their faction, then forget about the empire. Headmistress Isolde alone was more than enough to wipe the floor with any wizardry clan. She was, after all, a recently retired Magna, and one of the strongest in history at that. There was also Deputy Headmaster Korvus, once a mighty Legion Marshal of the Imperial Army.

Chapter 135: Turning the Empire Upside Down

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