The hours bled away quickly as I sat in a secluded, dimly lit corner of the courtyard library, mapping out exactly how much mana I could channel without alerting the high-level sensors in the arena. When the time finally came, the entire student body migrated toward the grand campus gymnasium, a massive, coliseum-like stone facility with soaring vaulted ceilings and rows upon rows of rising bleachers.
My classmates, including Aisha, Amelia, Cindy, and a brooding Garret, filed into the crowded stands. Garret had actually been the designated first-year participant for this monthly exhibition until I systematically crushed him in yesterday's duel. Now, I stood alone in the cool, echoing dark of the staging tunnel just beneath the main arena doors.
The heavy thud of heels echoed behind me as Miss Karrie approached, her expression a mix of strict professionalism and quiet anticipation. She reached into her pocket and held out a gleaming, silver-banded ring.
"Put this on, Zenni, It's a standard academy mana reservoir. It will help accelerate your mana regeneration during the bouts. The faculty expects a high-energy performance today."
I slid the heavy ring onto my finger, immediately feeling a faint, artificial pulse of external mana syncing with my core. It was cute, but compared to my actual reserves, it was like adding a drop of water to an ocean.
"Before the gates open, have you thought of your battle name? The arena announcer requires one for the introductions. Garret participated last month, and his title was .The Metal Man.." Miss Karrie continued, pulling out a glowing, blue mana communication stone.
I repressed a smirk. The Metal Man… Garret really needed a better marketing team. I tilted the black umbrella resting against my shoulder, letting the shadow mask my face as I thought of a name that paid homage to my true hunter lineage while fitting Zenni's newly discovered blood magic.
"I'll be ..The Crimson Phantom..," I said smoothly.
Miss Karrie raised an eyebrow, clearly impressed by the flair.
"A bit dramatic, but it fits your affinity."
She tapped the communication stone and whispered the title into the glowing crystal, sending it directly to the announcer's booth.
Suddenly, the massive, magical amplification runes embedded in the gymnasium ceilings flared to life. A booming, charismatic voice echoed throughout the entire interior, instantly drawing a roaring cheer from the thousands of students packed into the bleachers.
"Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to our monthly Academy Combat Exhibition! As expected, we have gathered the absolute strongest prodigies from each year to compete on this grand stage today! Prepare to witness the future protectors of the realm!"
The deafening cheers rattled the heavy iron doors in front of me. Miss Karrie placed a firm, surprisingly warm hand on my shoulder, looking at me with a genuinely heartwarming expression.
"You've had a rough week, Zenni, and I know how hard it is coming from the slums. Go out there and prove to the entire upper nobility that talent isn't born, it's forged. Good luck."
"Thanks, Professor," I said, offering a confident, roguish smile.
With a heavy, mechanical grind, the massive iron double doors slowly began to swing outward. Blinding, artificial light flooded into the dark tunnel, casting my long shadow across the dirt of the arena floor. I stepped forward out of the staging area, keeping my black umbrella propped over my shoulder to perfectly shield my sensitive skin from the overhead light magic.
As the dust settled in the center of the massive circular arena, I looked across the sandy floor. The opposing gate had swung open, and there, stepping into the light with a cocky smirk and an aura of crackling magical energy, stood my first opponent.
He was wearing a standard Sisiphon Magic Academy uniform, the ivory and gold uniform, nothing special, I was expecting to him wear high gear suit for my blood manipulation.
I stepped fully onto the sandy floor of the arena and planted my black umbrella firmly into the weapon rack by the entrance. I let out a subtle sigh of relief as I looked up; the gymnasium was completely covered by a massive stone roof, shielding me from the open sky. However, the architecture wasn't perfect. Long, angled beams of morning sunlight sliced through the high ventilation arches, casting bright, burning patches of light across the dirt floor like a deadly chessboard. Those sunspots were my weak spots. If I stepped into them, my hunter skin would blister instantly, blowing my cover. I would have to navigate the arena with flawless precision.
From the high bleachers, a deafening roar of cheers erupted. Aisha, Amelia, and Cindy were practically leaning over the railings, screaming graceful, adoring comments and waving their banners, while the rest of the freshman boys cheered my name, fully expecting a show.
My eyes swept past the students and locked onto the grand VIP balcony at the center of the stadium. There sat my older sister, Elicia, looking regal as the Principal alongside the senior faculty. But sitting right next to her, draped in heavy, ornate robes, was the Archivist..
A cold chill ran down my spine, but my face remained a mask of lazy confidence.
"So that's how it is" I thought, piecing the puzzle together instantly.
The Archivist's presence here wasn't a coincidence. The guards from the midnight jailbreak must have reported seeing a rogue in a Sisiphon Academy uniform. The Archivist knew that whoever slaughtered his elite clan members on the bridge was strong enough to infiltrate this very school. This entire monthly tournament was a trap. They had hastily set this exhibition up to draw out the strongest students, hoping to unmask and catch Oksana's terrifying new apprentice.
They just didn't realize that the apprentice they were looking for, and the bounty hunter who killed their men, was currently standing right in front of them, wearing the face of a lazy slum kid.
"Act cool, don't use any high-tier blood spells. Keep your physical strength down to human levels. Win, but make it look like a lucky, localized magical awakening" I told myself
The arena runes flared, and the announcer's voice boomed across the coliseum:
"Introducing our first combatants! In the left corner, representing the freshman class, the newly awakened blood prodigy, The Crimson Phantom! And in the right corner, representing the sophomore elites, wielding the terrifying power of weight manipulation, Zero-g!"..
I couldn't help it; a genuine chuckle slipped past my lips as I heard his battle name. Zero-G? Really? My opponent, a smug second-year with gravity-altering magic, took my laughter as a direct insult. His face twisted in rage, and he immediately threw himself into a low stance. A purple, swirling aura of distorted gravitational energy erupted around his boots, cracking the cobblestones beneath him as he locked his eyes onto me, ready to attack.