Chapter 446: Dark Demon and the Academy Cup
After the duelists packed up their mana cards, they each left the stage.
Wit was greeted by Robert’s consoling gaze that seemed to say, “You didn’t last even one round.”
Dark simply returned to his original position.
The duel assessment continued.
Although participants could technically leave after this round, no one did so.
It wasn’t until the sky outside the arena darkened that the two rounds of assessments finally ended.
Professor Jones gave a positive evaluation of the first-year students’ performance and then announced the end of the session.
“Finally over!”
“I wonder how many points we’ll get from this assessment?”
“It shouldn’t be too low, considering how hard we’ve worked.”
“That’s true, at least we didn’t get eliminated in the first round.”
“Ah, it seems like the Academy Cup duel competition is tomorrow morning. I’m kind of looking forward to it.”
“But once the weekend is over, it’s time for the final written exams!”
“Huh, which is more important, the exams or the duels?”
“There’s no need to ask, it’s obviously… the exams!”
Students often seemed very rational when discussing serious matters, but as soon as it was time, they were swept away by emotions.
The Academy Cup of Saint Maryann was a famous event, almost impossible to get tickets for.
Every year, the duel competition of the Academy Cup attracted countless spectators.
At such times, the tickets for the venue were sold at sky-high prices.
Fortunately, the students’ parents had privileges and could obtain free tickets from regional branches with just their identities. Although these tickets couldn’t be transferred, they provided convenience for the parents, and few would want to sell them.
In an era where the status of magi was increasing, families whose children were admitted to Saint Maryann became wealthy, even if they weren’t initially rich.
…
After leaving the Battle Hall No. 1, the trio went to Traveler’s Street and reserved a table at the Waltz Music Restaurant to celebrate the end of the practical assessment.
There were four practical assessments in total, and all three performed above the passing line.
Even though Professors Thompson’s Potions and Kazel’s Mana Theory set high-difficulty practical tests, causing Rose and Diana to struggle, they still managed to pass comfortably.
The upcoming theoretical exams from Monday to Wednesday consisted of six subjects, but their strongest subject was arithmetic, which was the most challenging. The other five subjects were manageable with diligent review.
Thus, the weekend’s house duel competition was worth watching.
The trio enjoyed their conversation at the Waltz Music Restaurant, full of anticipation for the upcoming duel match.
Especially Dark, who felt excited about today’s assessment but remained unsatisfied. Neither Justin nor Wit came close to his level.
“Second year, just second year!”
In the second year, there would be fewer restrictions on activities within the academy, and many opportunities to compete with upperclassmen.
By then, the richer aspects of academy life would gradually unfold.
As Dark looked forward to the future, he observed the two young girls eating.
Diana ate heartily as usual, unabashedly taking large bites and occasionally licking her lips with her pink tongue.
Rose, on the other hand, was more reserved, but she couldn’t help showing her hunger when she saw something she liked.
Yet, at her young age, she already had the awareness to maintain her figure and restrained herself from eating too much.
Dark saw a bit of himself in her, and couldn’t help smiling.
Rose noticed his gaze, blushed, and touched her face, checking for any dirt. She looked puzzled.
Dark quickly focused on his food to avoid being mistaken for a pervert.
…
The next morning, Saturday.
Dark agreed to meet the others in the Common Room and then headed to the Outdoor Duel Arena together.
As expected, the circular seating area was filled with people, seemingly every student from the academy had come.
Of course, first-year students were no exception!
Those who had claimed they needed to study were all present in the audience seats.
The venue was divided into four regions: Noble Academy, Knight Academy, Mana Academy, and Fool’s Academy, each with banners and flags.
All students prepared to cheer for their respective academies.
Dark arrived late, and along with Diana and Rose, he walked toward the region of the Noble Academy, only to find that first-year students were seated at the back.
Tudor was the first to notice his arrival and stood up, waving.
“Hey, Dark, I thought you wouldn’t come!”
“Why wouldn’t I?”
Dark smiled and sat behind Tudor.
The entire row of seats was empty, just enough for the three of them.
“How’s it going, Tudor? When does it start?” Diana asked, leaning on the backrest of the front seat with a playful look.
Tudor glanced at her and said, “It starts at eight. This duel competition is crucial for us; it determines the Academy Cup, and our chances of getting a wish depend on the seniors!”
Diana nodded eagerly.
Tudor suddenly rolled his eyes and pulled out a stick-like object, waving it in front of Dark and the others. “Look, what is this?”
“What is it?” Dark responded.
“It’s a sparkler! When the seniors from the Noble Academy win, I’ll spin this, and then… boom!”
He opened his hand dramatically, clearly excited.
Dark couldn’t help but laugh.
…
At exactly eight o’clock…
The bell from the Spiral Bell Tower echoed.
Behind the circular seating area, the external spectator stands suddenly rippled like water waves, and the viewers from various branch venues appeared one after another.
The Academy Cup duel competition of Saint Maryann was also a stage to showcase the students’ talents externally.
The reputation of Saint Maryann was maintained through these duels.
Besides students’ parents and regular spectators, various notable figures attended the event.
Saint Maryann Academy was the world’s largest producer of magi, and magi graduating from here led industry trends annually.
The students representing each academy in the duel competition were undoubtedly top performers—whether they were first or second in their grades.
Particularly, the four sixth-year students representing the academy were noteworthy.
In short, tracking their movements equated to grasping the direction of the times.
Therefore, this year’s Academy Cup duel competition was unprecedentedly grand.
Of course, individual students also had countless fans.
Even when the spatial nodes connected, the audience erupted in thunderous cheers.
Supporters of each student were distinct.
One particularly noticeable group held silver dragon flags.
Because “Silver Dragon Lady” would undoubtedly represent the Mana Academy in the fourth year!
…
“Gentlemen and ladies, welcome to the Saint Maryann Duel Arena!”
Judy, who was in charge of hosting, appeared in the center of the stage amidst the swirling petals after a burst of light.
Today, Judy wore a fitted magic robe, her brown curls tied up high, revealing her long neck, making her look even more mature and attractive.
Before the contestants took the stage, she was undoubtedly the most dazzling presence.
There seemed to be ardent fans of Judy among the audience, whose cheers nearly drowned out the entire crowd.
…
Circular seating area…
Looking at the dazzling Judy on stage, Dark couldn’t help asking, “By the way, what is Judy’s real name?”
He was actually addressing Tudor in front, but Diana next to him blinked sharply and said, “Dark, Judy looks so beautiful!”
Dark nodded. “She is indeed beautiful. But in a few years, Diana will surely surpass her.”
Diana giggled.
Dark then asked, “But, which academy and grade is Judy from? Thinking carefully, she has never revealed it.”
“Well…” Diana said, “She’s definitely not from the Noble Academy!”
“That’s right.” Dark nodded. “If she were from the Noble Academy, I’d remember.”
Rose was curious as well. “It seems no one has ever mentioned her full name. Which academy is she from?”
The three looked at each other, suddenly realizing they had stumbled upon a mystery.
Solving this mystery wasn’t difficult.
Sometimes, leaving the mystery intact was also a beauty.
“Bang!”
Suddenly, the music lifted, pulling Dark’s attention back.
An orchestra appeared out of nowhere and played the famous “Dying Breath of Haskar.”
The atmosphere of the entire venue thus shifted to a formal tone.
Then, under Judy’s guidance, twenty contestants from five grades and four academies stepped onto the stage.
Since they represented their respective academies, each contestant wore formal school uniforms, adorned with their academy emblems and duel badges.
Beyond that, everyone had clearly undergone makeup.
The girls looked exquisite, while the boys were handsome and dashing.
The twenty contestants stood in groups of five, lining up from left to right.
Judy then introduced each contestant briefly.
Dark listened closely, recognizing a few familiar faces.
First was Pandora Dragon from the Mana Academy.
As a rising star at Saint Maryann, Pandora represented the Mana Academy as a fourth-year candidate for chief.
Next was Winnie Scarlet from the Mana Academy.
This senior, who was unexpectedly eliminated by Tom Nixon, a third-year student, during the Easter Duel Festival, appeared again on the duel stage.
However, her demeanor this time was different, clearly showing seriousness.
The representative of the Fool’s Academy, however, was not Tom Nixon.
The representatives of the Knight Academy were not the familiar Else Kevin and Maly Bond.
Instead, the representative of the Knight Academy, fifth-year student, was still that “Black Baron,” Joshua Sharp.
For the representative of the Fool’s Academy, fifth-year student, it was not “Dragon Slayer” Luke Beck.
Dark curiously observed the unfamiliar seniors and suddenly noticed that Pandora’s gaze had locked onto him.
He couldn’t help but smile and waved his hand vigorously.
Diana and Rose exchanged glances and immediately waved enthusiastically, shouting encouragement for Pandora.
Then Tudor turned around in confusion and said, “How can you cheer for the Mana Academy? They’re our mortal enemies this year!”
This year, the Noble Academy wanted to win the Academy Cup, and the Mana Academy was the biggest obstacle in their path.
Tudor naturally had little interest in it.
“You don’t understand,” Diana said, lowering her hand. “We have a good relationship with the seniors. We’re happy whether they win or lose. It’s a win-win situation.”
Rose couldn’t help but cover her mouth and laugh. “I think that’s the secret to always smiling.”
Tudor felt women were incomprehensible and turned back with a black face.
Dark couldn’t help but chuckle.
…
The Academy Cup duel competition, abbreviated as the Academy Cup, officially kicked off around nine o’clock.
Following the standard format, each division’s five contestants formed a group. Each group would duel against the other three groups, with the winner of each duel earning ten thousand temporary credits for their division.
Between groups, there were six rounds, each consisting of five duels.
After these six rounds, there was an advanced challenge round.
Contestants could choose to challenge higher-grade seniors or juniors from other divisions, with the victor gaining additional credits based on the level difference.
At the end of the competition, the division with the highest cumulative score would receive a bonus of one hundred thousand credits.
These credits would be included in the calculation of the Academy Cup’s final results.
…
After the contestants finished their introductions and left the stage, Judy activated a mana card and summoned symbols representing the four divisions: crowns, lances, mana books, and the “Fool” tarot card.
She then arranged these symbols in a circle and moved the pointer in the middle.
Twice, the pointer pointed to the crown and the mana book respectively.
This meant that the first round of the Academy Cup would be a clash between the Noble Academy and the Mana Academy!
The two academies with the highest current scores collided instantly, causing the atmosphere to rise.
The students from the Noble Academy and Mana Academy felt like lightning was flashing, creating a tense atmosphere.
The cheerleaders of both sides raised their flags high and cheered loudly, igniting the ground battle.
The contestants from the two divisions then took the stage.
