The conclusion of the Grand Maze Trial marked the end of the newcomers division. With that, Phase I of the Nine Academy Tournament officially came to a close, bringing the third day of competition to its end.
The final rankings were determined by the combined results of all six events held for the newcomers, the first-year students. Every placement contributed points to an academy's total, and in the end, consistency mattered just as much as outright victories.
When the results were announced, the reaction across the arena was immediate.
Blitz War Institute secured first place overall.
Their performance had been the most stable throughout Phase I. They claimed first place in both groups of the Mana Surfing Relay, and in the remaining events, they consistently stayed near the top, finishing second or third each time. Even without overwhelming dominance in a single category, their consistency carried them to the highest total score.
Star Shine Academy followed closely behind in second place.
The gap between them and Blitz War was small—small enough that many in the audience considered it nearly a tie. Star Shine had claimed first place in multiple individual events, but their slightly less consistent performance in team-based matches ultimately cost them the top spot.
Crimson Bastion Academy took third place, maintaining their reputation as a strong contender but falling short of the top two this time.
Among both spectators and participants, however, one fact was universally acknowledged.
Star Shine Academy's position was driven largely by a single individual.
Alex.
He had secured first place in multiple events, and in every match he entered, the academy's score surged. Without those victories, Star Shine would not have remained anywhere near the top of the standings.
His performance had not gone unnoticed.
Even before the tournament began, Alex had been a subject of quiet discussion. News of his recovery from Mana Stenosis had spread quickly—that someone who had once been unable to use magic had suddenly awakened an affinity just weeks before the competition.
At the time, most had dismissed it.
A late awakening meant little in a field filled with trained mages and long-time prodigies. No matter how talented he might be, a single month was not enough to close the gap between him and the others. That had been the common belief.
It didn't last.
After three days of competition, that belief had collapsed completely.
Winning multiple events. Dominating both knight and mage trials. Defeating opponents from every academy without visible strain—none of it could be explained away as coincidence.
The conversations surrounding his name began to change tone.
What once sounded like skepticism turned into speculation.
Some believed his recovery had not been natural. Others suspected that Star Shine Academy had deliberately concealed his true ability until the tournament.
A few went further still, questioning whether something about him defied normal understanding—especially after seeing him compete across multiple events without any sign of fatigue.
By the end of the third day, his name had spread far beyond casual conversation.
Students, instructors, and even distinguished figures in the audience had begun paying attention. Those who had ignored him earlier were now gathering every piece of information they could find.
The question was no longer how strong he could become.
It had shifted into something else entirely.
'Just how strong was Alex?'
As the arena gradually emptied and the lights dimmed, a new line of thought began to take hold among the spectators.
Phase 3—the main division—would begin soon.
That stage was reserved for senior students and elite representatives. Under normal circumstances, newcomers had no place there.
But after everything that had happened over the past three days, more and more people found themselves wondering the same thing.
'If he could dominate the newcomers division this easily…would Alex appear again in Phase 3?'
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The fourth day of the Nine Academy Tournament carried a completely different atmosphere from the intensity of the previous three days.
With Phase I concluded, the tournament transitioned into Phase II—Exhibition Day. Unlike the earlier combat-focused events, this stage was not about rankings or victories. Instead, it served as a display of each academy's foundation, highlighting the depth of their technical disciplines.
For Alex, it was the closest thing to a rest day since the tournament began.
The central arena was gone. In its place, rows of large pavilions and display platforms stretched across the field, each marked with the crest of one of the nine academies. Students moved between them in a steady flow, carrying tools, scrolls, and half-finished constructs as they prepared their demonstrations.
Phase II focused entirely on subsidiary arts.
Alchemy, magic formations, forging, magic engineering, rune inscription, research—every discipline that supported the structure of magical society was on full display. Each academy had selected representatives to present their work, offering a glimpse into their knowledge, creativity, and technical precision.
Unlike the earlier phases, individual combat ability meant little here.
This was about infrastructure.
About how well an academy could produce not just fighters, but also the craftsmen, researchers, and specialists who formed the backbone of long-term power.
The audience reflected that shift.
Alongside regular spectators, a large number of influential figures had arrived specifically for the exhibition. Representatives from merchant guilds, noble families, magic associations, and major trade companies filled the stands and walked freely among the pavilions.
Some observed quietly.
Others engaged directly.
Here, any conversation could turn into an opportunity—funding, sponsorship, or even future employment.
Students stood beside their assigned booths, explaining their projects with varying levels of confidence. Some demonstrated newly developed artifacts. Others presented refined potion formulas or activated small-scale formations designed for efficiency and stability.
One stall displayed a floating lantern sustained by a single mana stone, its glow bright and steady.
Another showcased reinforced armor plating capable of dispersing the impact of Tier-2 spells, the material layered with subtle enchantments to reduce force rather than simply block it.
Not every presentation stood out.
But taken together, they revealed something more important.
The difference between academies that merely trained combatants—and those that possessed a true, enduring foundation.
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Alex was not participating in the exhibition, so he spent the morning moving through the rows of stalls like any other spectator. From time to time, he stopped to observe the projects on display, his pace unhurried as he took in details he would normally ignore.
Walking beside him was Alicia.
Over the past three days, her presence in the VIP lounge had already become a quiet topic among the more perceptive guests. It wasn't something openly discussed—but it was noticed.
Whenever Alex fought, the crowd had reacted as expected. Cheers, criticism, heated arguments between academy supporters—nothing unusual for a tournament of this scale.
But there was a pattern.
Each time someone went too far—mocking too loudly or speaking with open disdain—Alicia's gaze would shift.
She never spoke a word or moved from her place. She simply stared at them, a faint but chilling killing intent flickering in her eyes.
And that was enough.
The moment her eyes settled on someone, the air around them seemed to grow heavier. The killing intent she released was subtle, restrained to a degree that most ordinary spectators couldn't consciously perceive it. But those with sharper instincts felt it immediately.
Conversations would falter.
Voices would die mid-sentence.
And whoever had drawn her attention would suddenly find no desire to continue speaking.
Within the VIP section, this had not gone unnoticed.
Many of the influential figures present recognized Alicia. And those who did knew better than to approach her casually. She was not someone to greet lightly, nor someone to provoke. Even among high-ranking guests, only a handful could interact with her without caution.
So most chose the safer option.
They ignored her.
Or rather—they pretended to.
As for her connection to Alex, almost no one knew the truth.
To the majority, she appeared to be nothing more than a powerful, unpredictable, and somewhat bloodthirsty individual who had taken an unusual interest in the tournament. Since she never openly interacted with him, her attention toward his matches was dismissed as coincidence—or simply part of her temperament.
Alex himself walked as if none of it concerned him.
Aurora, on the other hand, was the complete opposite.
She drifted from stall to stall with unrestrained curiosity, her translucent form drifting effortlessly through the crowd. She leaned in close to examine a formation array in one booth, only to dart away moments later toward another where a student demonstrated a newly forged artifact.
"Oh, this one is interesting—wait, look at that—"
She cut herself off mid-sentence, rising slightly higher to get a better angle on a different display, completely absorbed in everything around her.
Alex glanced in her direction once, then shifted his gaze forward again as he continued toward the next row of stalls.