Amidst the ongoing battles, Charles sent his opponent flying with a well-placed kick, his breaths coming in ragged gasps as he stood on the stage he had been called to.
The crowd erupted in thunderous cheers—but none were for him. Every eye was fixed on Max, the man who had just secured yet another effortless victory and now stood basking in the spotlight. Charles let out a sigh, wiping the sweat from his brow.
"First victory... not bad."
He muttered silently under his breath. His first opponent was from another academy—an 8-star student whom he defeated easily.
Suddenly, Charles's eyes met Elena's.
The short, curly-haired woman stood on the stage opposite him, having also bested her opponent and advanced to the next round.
She sneered at him and leapt off her stage, leaving Charles momentarily speechless.
"What's her deal?"
His attention shifted as Professor Moore's voice boomed across the arena, capturing everyone's focus as he proudly celebrated Jenny and Austin's latest victory.
"Another impressive victory for Jenny Ironhart and Austin Reed!"
Charles's eyebrow twitched badly. He had just secured a win too, but apparently, that didn't matter. Not a glance came his way.
Professor Moore, in all his unbiased glory, was practically throwing a parade for Max and his team. He was doing his absolute best to shine the spotlight solely on them.
Wow. Just freaking wow. It was almost as if this whole event was their movie, and the rest of them were just lucky to be extras.
"If this isn't favoritism, then I need to wear glasses. And why the hell is no one calling out the professor, as if this is normal?"
He jumped down from the stage, annoyed. He had thought he was the calm type, but now he understood just why Skyler always picked fights with Max and his teammates—he was trying to steal their spotlight.
"If he were here, he would've shamelessly yelled at Moore to announce his victory."
He chuckled, feeling better. Skyler was still not around. It seemed he and Isaac should say goodbye to their precious star coins.
Charles's thoughts paused when he heard Skyler's name announced from afar. An old woman clad in a dress suit, serving as the referee, was calling him for his first battle.
"Skyler Thorne!"
The referee's loud voice was drowned out by the roaring crowd. The woman already knew Skyler Thorne was missing, but the announcement was made as a formality.
She had also sent a notification to Skyler's student ID 20 minutes prior, telling him to appear at his designated stage for battle.
This 20-minute window was the deadline for every contestant before being marked absent and disqualified from the Gala.
She shouted again.
"Skyler Thorne!"
Her hand was already raised to her tablet, even before calling his name for the third and final time, ready to mark him absent.
Anyway, it was already confirmed.
But just before her finger touched the tablet's screen, a loud shout stopped her.
"Here! Here! Present!"
She snapped her gaze toward the voice, a hiss escaping her as a tall figure suddenly landed inside the arena she floated above, sending gusts of wind in every direction.
Her eyes widened at the familiar face.
With ease, he rolled up the sleeves of his uniform and prepared himself for battle.
"Huh?!"
Skyler flashed her a charming smile.
"Sorry for being late. I was... in Hell."
He turned to his opponent—a young male student from another prestigious academy who had already left the stage, assuming sure victory since Skyler hadn't appeared.
"And where are you going? Come. Let's finish this if you're so eager to go home."
He grinned, making the student sweat and drawing the attention of those nearby. Still, the sudden silence in that small part of the arena went mostly unnoticed. However, far away, Charles stumbled as he caught sight of his face. He cursed with a chuckle.
"Blast! Sky's really back! My money's safe—Isaac, your instincts nailed it! From now on, I'm following your advice always! Haha!"
The stunned referee, hovering above the arena where Skyler had just landed, came out of her shock. She was about to notify the academy that he was alive, but he had other plans. He called out to her, dragging his dazed opponent back onto the stage.
"Start the battle!"
The old woman flinched, frowning.
"That…"
He tilted his head, acting puzzled.
"I am already so late. Why the delay? Let's start—I am dying to win and give Professor Moore a reason to be even more prouder."
His opponent, who was dragged onto the arena, glared at him darkly. Was he fucking invisible?! How dare this prince declare he would win before the battle even started?!
Such arrogance!
He needed to teach him a lesson!
The referee's expression hardened. In the end, she relented, raising her hand to signal the duo on the stage to take their positions.
Besides, she had already sent a text to the professors in charge and told them about Skyler's arrival. They would inform the VP.
She raised her hand and declared.
"Start!"
The word had just left her lips when Skyler disappeared. His opponent—the dark-haired young man—had been preparing to unleash his most powerful skill, hoping to finish the match swiftly, but he never got the chance.
A whisper, accompanied by an evil laugh, echoed next to his ear, making him freeze.
"Sorry, but unfortunately, you'll have to become the collateral damage. Haha."
A split second later, his body was hurled into the air, slamming against the invisible Evol shield surrounding the audience seats. He didn't even get the chance to cry out—it all happened too fast for him to react.
That—finally—was enough to draw a lot of attention to Skyler's stage. Countless eyes turned his way. His face was already widely recognized across the continent, so it didn't take long for a huge commotion to erupt.
Skyler waved at the crowd and shouted, taking over the stunned referee's job.
"And the victory goes to me!"
His eyes snapped up, locking onto Moore's floating figure. He still had not noticed him. Clearing his throat, Skyler raised his voice.
"Professor! Don't forget to announce my victory too—I need some praise as well!"
Charles, who had returned to his seat, laughed as Professor Moore flinched.
"I knew Skyler was going to do that!"
Isaac couldn't hold back his laugh either.
The two usually composed young men were laughing their heads off, unlike Jenny, Elena, and Monica, who frowned at the sight of the all-too-familiar, cheerful, handsome face.
The three women were clearly not pleased to see Skyler, each for their own reasons.