Now the countdown was over, and the moment for the great battle had begun.
All the students gathered at the arena, their eyes fixed on the battlefield. The tension in the air was heavy. This was no longer just a normal match — this was the stage where only the strongest would remain.
There were thirty two teams at the start, and now only sixteen had advanced. The round of sixteen battles went on quickly. Most of the matches were not all that intense, as the gap between teams could clearly be seen.
Rain, Lior, and Jason moved smoothly through their matches. Their coordination improved with every fight, and before long, they had secured their place in the next stage.
Now—
The Round of Eight.
This was where things got serious.
Their opponent was announced.
Ryan Spark's Dorm.
The same Ryan Spark who ranked second in the entire entrance contest.
The same Ryan Spark who had defeated Rain before.
This was not just another match.
This was a rematch.
As they stepped into the arena, Rain remained quiet. His expression changed slightly, more focused than before.
Jason walked up to him and stretched his arms.
"Don't think too much," Jason said. "Let's just enjoy it."
Lior stood beside him and nodded.
"Yeah… let's have fun and win."
Rain looked at both of them for a moment… then smiled.
"Alright."
The signal was given.
The battle began.
Ryan moved first.
Just as expected.
His fighting style had not changed. He aimed to separate them and take them down one by one.
He dashed forward at incredible speed, aiming straight for Lior—
But they had already figured it out.
Lior stepped back, Jason moved in, and Rain shifted position. They kept their formation tight, refusing to let anyone get isolated.
Ryan stopped mid-movement.
"…So you figured it out."
Seeing that his plan didn't work, Ryan changed tactics.
His team quickly regrouped, gathering their power.
"Back!" Lior shouted.
But it was too late.
A massive blast was released from the center—
BOOM!!
A destructive explosion spread outward.
But Rain saw it coming.
Just before the impact—
He slammed his hand to the ground.
"Earth Barrier!"
A thick wall of rock rose instantly, blocking most of the damage.
The explosion hit.
The barrier cracked.
Dust filled the arena.
The moment the explosion ended—
Rain attacked.
He dashed forward through the dust, aiming for Ryan.
But—
He couldn't land a hit.
Ryan blocked smoothly, stepping back with ease.
At that same moment—
One of Ryan's teammates launched a fireball straight into the middle of the battlefield.
"Watch out!" Jason shouted.
The fight became intense.
Blades clashed.
Magic collided.
They moved at incredible speed, almost like flashes of light across the arena.
Each attack was met with another.
Each movement countered.
The battle continued—
And slowly—
It began to shift.
Towards Ryan's team.
Lior, Jason, and Rain were getting tired.
Their breathing became heavier.
Their movements slowed.
Rain felt it.
That same feeling.
That same pressure.
It was as if history was repeating itself.
Then—
Another explosion.
BOOM!!
They were blasted back again.
All three fell to the ground.
Rain lay there, staring up.
For a moment…
He didn't move.
Then—
A hand appeared in front of him.
Rain looked up.
It was Lior.
"Let's win this," Lior said.
Jason pushed himself up as well.
"Yeah… we're not losing here."
Rain stared at them both.
Then—
He grabbed Lior's hand.
And stood up.
They were injured.
Tired.
But they stood together.
This time—
They attacked together.
Perfectly.
Lior moved fast, distracting the opponents.
Jason followed, adding pressure from another side.
They kept moving, attacking, retreating, confusing their opponents.
Then—
They made their move.
Lior and Jason rushed forward at the same time.
Both used their special sword technique.
A powerful dual strike.
Ryan's team reacted instantly.
They dodged.
But that—
Was the plan.
At that moment—
Rain stepped forward.
He focused.
His hand moved slightly.
He controlled the earth—
But not as a solid.
As energy.
As flow.
The ground beneath Ryan shifted.
His balance broke for just a second.
That was enough.
Rain released everything.
A powerful burst of earth energy surged forward.
The arena couldn't handle it.
The ground cracked.
The ground opened and caught them in
Silence.
Then—
The announcement came.
"Due to Dorm 222 current position and have still not made it out after 3 minutes … victory goes to Dorm 207."
They had won.
Rain opened it up
Ryan stood up.
He wasn't badly injured.
But he knew the result.
Rain looked at him.
"…Next time."
Ryan replied calmly.
"…I'll be ready."
As they left the arena—
They knew one thing.
This was only the beginning.
Only three battles remained.