Chapter 210: The Tournament begins!!

Words : 1833 Updated : Sep 23rd, 2025

Morning arrived with a surge of excitement that seemed to electrify the very air of the Nexus Arena. The cafeteria buzzed with anticipation, students from all twelve academies discussing strategies, sizing up opponents, and making bold predictions about the day's outcomes. Noah picked at his breakfast, his appetite diminished by the lingering unease from the previous night. Across the table, Kelvin was already fully engaged in the competitive atmosphere, animatedly describing to anyone who would listen how Noah was going to "absolutely dominate" the arena. "You've seen what he can do with chi manipulation alone," Kelvin was saying to a group of fascinated first-years from Academy Five. "Just wait until he gets to use his full arsenal. They won't know what hit them." Noah shot his friend a warning look. "Kelvin." "What? It's not like I'm giving away your strategy or your secret," Kelvin protested. "Everyone here knows you're the guy to beat after yesterday. And you are gonna win, right?" Before Noah could respond, a familiar voice cut through the chatter. "There you are." Sophie slid onto the bench beside him, her smile bright despite the dark circles under her eyes suggesting a restless night. "Ready for the big day?" "As ready as I'll ever be," Noah replied, trying to match her enthusiasm. Sophie studied his face, her smile faltering slightly. "What's wrong? You seem... distracted." Noah hesitated, unsure how much to share. Before he could decide, Lucas appeared at their table, nodding a greeting to the group. "Eclipse. Reign. Pithon." His gaze lingered momentarily on Kelvin's comm-pad, which the younger student hastily tucked away. If Lucas noticed anything suspicious about Kelvin's behavior, he didn't comment on it. "Just wanted to wish you luck today, Eclipse. Academy Twelve has high hopes for you." "No pressure or anything," Kelvin muttered. Lucas smirked. "Pressure is part of the game. The arena battles are where careers are made—and sometimes broken." He glanced around the cafeteria, his expression becoming more serious. "Keep your wits about you out there. Some competitors play dirty when the stakes are high." "Thanks for the advice. I'd say good luck too but given your reputation , I should find your future opponent and hand them a coupon to the med bay or something," Noah replied, wondering if there was more to Lucas's warning than general tournament wisdom. "Hahaha... we'll see," Lucas said, shaking his head. With a final nod, Lucas moved away, stopping briefly at other tables to exchange words with various Academy Twelve students. "He seems to have taken a particular interest in you," Sophie observed, watching Lucas's retreating form. "That's unusual. Lucas doesn't typically bother with first-years." "Noah's not your typical first-year," Kelvin pointed out. "After yesterday's performance, everyone's taking notice. Not to mention, we all know Cannadah made them both Bff's of something," Sophie turned back to Noah, her expression thoughtful. "Dad mentioned something similar last night. Said you'd made quite an impression." Noah felt a flicker of pride at the Minister's approval, quickly followed by unease as he recalled the conversation he'd overheard. If the war against the Harbingers was going as poorly as Minister Reign had suggested to Ms. Brooks, what did that mean for students like them, being trained to join that very fight? "Earth to Noah," Sophie said, waving a hand in front of his face. "You really are distracted today, aren't you?" "Sorry," Noah said, forcing himself to focus. "Just mentally preparing, I guess." Sophie's expression softened with understanding. "Well, I may not be competing, but I'll be cheering the loudest when you take the arena. Show them what Academy Twelve's best can do." Her confidence in him was both heartening and daunting. Noah managed a smile, hoping it looked more genuine than it felt. "I will." The rest of the morning passed in a blur of final preparations. Kelvin continued his discreet digital investigation whenever possible, but reported no new findings about the Rowes. Noah tried to focus on the upcoming battles, reviewing potential opponents and strategies, but his thoughts kept drifting to Lila's warning and Ms. Brooks's cryptic comments. By midday, the atmosphere in the Nexus Arena had transformed from excited to electric. The vast central space had been reconfigured overnight, three massive platforms now dominating the arena floor, each surrounded by shimmering energy barriers designed to contain the battles and protect spectators. The stands were filling rapidly, not just with students but with military officials, academy staff, and even some members of the public lucky enough to secure tickets to the prestigious event. High above, in a glass-enclosed observation deck, Noah could see figures moving about—the "big shots" as Kelvin had called them. Among them, he spotted Minister Reign, deep in conversation with other uniformed officials. In the competitors' staging area, Noah found himself surrounded by his fellow Academy Twelve representatives: Adrian Albright, looking unusually serious; Marco Gonzalez, rolling his shoulders to loosen up; Akira Tetsuo, eyes closed in apparent meditation; and Lila, who gave Noah a small, tight smile when their eyes met but made no move to approach him. He almost forgot how badass she could be in combat and apparently, she was preparing to enter that zone. Today was their day. Commander Elara strode into the center of the staging area, her presence immediately commanding attention. "Final briefing, competitors. The arena battles will begin in fifteen minutes. You've all been fitted with your protective gear—" she gestured to the sleek, form-fitting armor each student now wore, "—but remember that these are designed to mitigate injury, not prevent it entirely. Knockouts are allowed, but deliberate attempts to cause lasting harm will result in immediate disqualification and potential disciplinary action." She paused, her gaze sweeping over the assembled students. "The bracket structure remains as previously announced: single-elimination format, with sixty participants per year group narrowed down through progressive rounds until one champion emerges from each year. The preliminary round will reduce the field from sixty to thirty, with the two best-performing losers advancing to make thirty-two for the second round. From there, we proceed to the round of sixteen, quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals." Noah listened with half an ear, his attention split between the commander's words and his own tumultuous thoughts. Across the staging area, he caught sight of a student from Academy Seven watching him with unnerving intensity—a heavily muscled boy with a shock of red hair and a predatory smile. Noah held his gaze for a moment before the other student looked away, still smiling. "Each year group will compete simultaneously on separate platforms," Commander Elara continued. "Energy barriers will contain all combat effects within the designated areas. The scramblers will randomly determine match-ups for each round." She gestured to three large holographic displays now hovering above them. "When your name appears, proceed immediately to your assigned platform. Questions?" The silence that followed suggested either complete understanding or too much nervous anticipation for questions. Commander Elara nodded, satisfied. "Very well. Prepare yourselves. And remember—how you conduct yourselves in the arena reflects not just on you, but on your academies and, ultimately, on the Global Defense Force you aspire to join. Fight with honor, skill, and intelligence. Dismissed." As the commander departed, the competitors broke into smaller groups, some seeking last-minute advice from their peers, others preferring solitude to center themselves before battle. Noah found himself approached by Kelvin, who had somehow managed to gain access to the staging area despite not being a competitor. "Security around here is a joke," Kelvin muttered by way of explanation. "Listen, I've been monitoring comms chatter all morning. Something weird is definitely going on." Noah's attention sharpened. "What kind of weird?" "Encrypted communications between some of the officials. More than usual for a student tournament. And there's a section of the arena network that's completely locked down—I can't get anywhere near it without setting off alarms." "Could be standard security for an event this size," Noah suggested, though he didn't quite believe it himself. Kelvin shook his head. "This is different. More like they're preparing for something." He glanced around nervously. "Just... be careful out there, okay?" Before Noah could respond, a thunderous voice boomed throughout the arena, amplified to reach every corner of the massive space. "WELCOME, ONE AND ALL, TO THE NEXUS ACADEMY TOURNAMENT'S ARENA BATTLES!" The crowd roared in response, the sound washing over the competitors like a physical wave. "TODAY, THE FINEST STUDENTS FROM ALL TWELVE ACADEMIES FROM THE EAST WILL DEMONSTRATE THE SKILLS AND ABILITIES THAT MAKE THEM THE FUTURE PROTECTORS OF OUR GLOBAL SOCIETY!" Another deafening cheer. "WITHOUT FURTHER DELAY, LET US BEGIN THE SELECTION FOR THE PRELIMINARY ROUNDS!" The massive holographic displays above each platform flickered to life, student names and academy affiliations spinning in a blur of light and color. Noah felt his heart rate accelerate, adrenaline beginning to course through his system as he waited to see which names would appear first. The scrambling stopped for the Year Three display, two names highlighted in glowing blue. A cheer went up from the Academy Five section as their champion was called. The Year Two display settled next, pairing a slim, dark-haired girl from Academy Nine against a hulking boy from Academy Two. And then, the Year One display slowed, names flashing by with decreasing speed until finally, two remained illuminated: ADRIAN ALBRIGHT - ACADEMY TWELVE versus VIKTOR SOKOLOV - ACADEMY ELEVEN A murmur swept through the crowd. Adrian stepped forward, his expression unreadable as he adjusted his protective gear and prepared to take the platform. Noah and the others from Academy Twelve called out encouragement, but Adrian acknowledged them only with a curt nod before striding toward his assigned arena. His opponent, Viktor Sokolov, moved to meet him—a tall, wiry boy with close-cropped blonde hair and cold eyes. As the two approached the platform, the energy barrier shimmered more intensely, ready to contain whatever abilities the combatants might unleash. Commander Elara's voice cut through the anticipatory hush that had fallen over the crowd. "Competitors, take your positions. On my signal, begin." Adrian and Viktor stepped onto the platform, facing each other with matching expressions of determination. The energy barrier sealed behind them, enclosing them in a dome of shimmering light. Noah watched intently, noting how Adrian held himself—balanced, ready, but not tense. Viktor, in contrast, seemed almost too relaxed, his posture casual in a way that struck Noah as deliberately deceptive. Around him, the other Academy Twelve representatives had drawn closer together, united in their support for their comrade about to do battle. Even Lila had joined them, though she stood slightly apart, her attention seemingly divided between Adrian on the platform and something—or someone—in the stands above. Commander Elara raised her hand, the entire arena holding its collective breath. "BEGIN!"

Chapter 210: The Tournament begins!!

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