The bell continued to echo across Hildgard.
BOOOOOONG...
The sound rolled through the arena, bouncing from the enormous stone walls and disappearing into the divine forest beyond.
For several seconds, nobody moved.
Then the crowd erupted.
Thousands of voices collided into one deafening roar.
"LET THE TOURNAMENT BEGIN!"
Flags waved.
Magic lights exploded above the arena.
The fifteen academy banners illuminated one after another.
Noah stood among the Valhalla contestants, staring across the enormous battlefield.
This was it.
The first real competition since arriving in Hildgard.
The Hildgard representative raised her hand.
The arena immediately quieted.
"Contestants."
A massive projection appeared above the battlefield.
Eight symbols formed across it.
One was a running figure.
Another showed two crossed swords.
Another showed a group of people surrounding a flag.
A fourth displayed a strange maze.
The remaining symbols were still hidden.
"The Inter-Academy Tournament will consist of multiple events."
"The first event..."
The running figure illuminated.
"...will test speed, adaptability, and cooperation."
Eric’s eyes widened.
"A race?"
The woman smiled.
"Not quite."
The ground beneath the arena began to move.
RUMBLE...
Sections of stone separated.
Walls rose from the ground.
Platforms emerged.
Bridges extended.
Large sections of the battlefield shifted into different elevations.
Then...
Water began flowing through newly formed channels.
The audience gasped.
Within moments, the arena had transformed into a massive obstacle course.
But it wasn’t a simple track.
There were climbing walls.
Floating platforms.
Water channels.
Moving barriers.
Narrow bridges.
And several enormous gates.
At the very end stood fifteen pillars.
Each carried the symbol of one academy.
The representative continued.
"Each academy will select five contestants for the first event."
Murmurs spread through the contestants.
"The five contestants must cross the course together."
"At least three members must reach the academy pillar."
"However..."
She smiled.
"There is one additional rule."
The arena became quiet.
"During the event, contestants may interfere with other teams."
Eric’s grin slowly appeared.
"...Now we’re talking."
Professor Ingrid immediately turned toward the Valhalla contestants.
"Blackwood."
Noah looked at her.
"You’re participating."
"Understood."
"Laura."
Laura nodded.
"Eric."
"Absolutely."
"Sophia."
"Yes."
"Luna."
Luna stepped forward.
Damien looked surprised.
"You’re not sending me?"
Professor Ingrid shook her head.
"Not for this event."
Damien nodded.
"Understood."
Eric looked toward Noah.
"So we’re five."
Noah nodded.
"Looks like it."
Across the arena...
Asgard selected their five.
Jordan Nethem.
Christina Voldem.
Adrian Aterias.
Hastral Rold.
Joseph Yonder.
The crowd erupted again.
The five walked toward their starting position.
Jordan looked across the battlefield.
Then toward Valhalla.
He smiled.
"Let’s see how fifth place runs."
Eric heard him.
He immediately shouted:
"YOU’LL SEE!"
Luna grabbed his shoulder.
"Stop shouting."
"I was responding!"
"You were screaming."
"Same thing."
Elementro selected their four known prospects and one additional contestant.
Reinham Edga.
Flora Menestra.
Daniela Vannheim.
John Gallagher.
And another student named Mira Solenne.
The crowd immediately focused on Reinham.
He remained calm.
No arrogance.
No unnecessary movement.
He simply looked over the course.
Analyzing.
Flora stood beside him.
"How long?"
Reinham studied the terrain.
"Three minutes."
John laughed.
"That’s ambitious."
Reinham looked at him.
"Four, then."
Daniela smiled.
"You’re underestimating the interference."
Reinham’s eyes moved toward the other academies.
"Maybe."
At the Volstra starting position...
Alcris stood among his teammates.
He wasn’t selected for the first event.
That surprised several spectators.
One of his teammates asked:
"You’re sitting this one out?"
Alcris smiled.
"Apparently."
"You’re not upset?"
"No."
His eyes moved toward Noah.
"There’s plenty of time."
Noah felt someone watching him.
He turned.
Alcris was looking at him.
Their eyes met.
Alcris smiled.
Noah nodded.
Then Alcris looked away.
The fifteen teams moved toward their starting positions.
The arena became strangely quiet.
The crowd waited.
Noah stood at the front of the Valhalla team.
Laura beside him.
Eric behind them.
Sophia and Luna took the rear.
Professor Ingrid’s voice came through the communication crystal.
"Don’t chase first place."
Noah listened.
"Reach the end together."
Laura nodded.
Eric cracked his knuckles.
Luna lowered her stance.
Sophia prepared her magic.
Noah looked forward.
The starting gate stood twenty meters away.
Beyond it...
The battlefield waited.
A massive countdown appeared above the arena.
5
The crowd began chanting.
"VALHALLA!"
"ASGARD!"
"ELEMENTRO!"
4
Noah lowered his center of gravity.
His heartbeat accelerated.
Something inside Ragnarok stirred.
3
Orange flames appeared around his feet.
Laura glanced at him.
"You okay?"
Noah nodded.
"Yeah."
2
The flames disappeared.
Noah stared forward.
1
Silence.
Then...
GO!
The battlefield exploded into motion.
Fifteen teams launched forward simultaneously.
Asgard immediately took the lead.
Jordan moved like lightning.
Christina followed.
Adrian and Hastral cleared the first obstacle effortlessly.
Joseph...
Didn’t run.
He walked.
One step.
Two.
Then suddenly...
He disappeared.
A black-orange shimmer flashed beneath his feet.
He reappeared several meters ahead.
The crowd gasped.
"What was that?!"
Noah’s eyes narrowed.
Joseph continued forward as though nothing had happened.
Elementro was close behind.
Reinham jumped over a barrier.
Flora created a platform beneath Daniela.
Daniela stepped across it effortlessly.
John smashed through a moving obstacle.
Their coordination was nearly perfect.
Valhalla hit the first obstacle.
A massive wall rose before them.
Eric grinned.
"Leave it to me."
He punched the wall.
BOOM!
Nothing happened.
Eric stared.
"...Oh."
Luna sighed.
"It’s reinforced."
Eric stepped back.
"Good to know."
Sophia raised her hand.
"Move."
A barrier formed beneath them.
The five stepped onto it.
Sophia manipulated the barrier like a moving platform.
They rose over the wall.
Noah smiled.
"Nice."
Sophia grinned.
"Teamwork."
They landed on the other side.
Immediately...
A group from Jotun Academy attacked.
One of the massive students charged.
"GET OUT OF OUR WAY!"
Eric laughed.
"Come on!"
He met the attack head-on.
BOOM!
The impact shook the platform.
Both students slid backward.
Eric grinned.
"You’re strong."
The Jotun student smiled.
"So are you."
They charged again.
Meanwhile...
Noah looked ahead.
The next section was a narrow bridge.
Three teams were already fighting over it.
He looked at Laura.
"Ready?"
She nodded.
Noah ignited his feet.
Laura prepared her weapon.
They moved.
The race had become a battlefield.
The tournament had officially begun.
And nobody had even reached the halfway point.
High above the arena...
The academy heads watched.
Headmaster Alaric’s eyes followed Valhalla.
Beside him, the headmistress of Asgard sat calmly.
Janie Eclora.
Her expression remained pleasant.
She applauded with the crowd.
"Excellent."
Alaric glanced toward her.
"Asgard has trained well."
Janie smiled.
"We always do."
Her eyes moved toward the battlefield.
Toward Joseph.
For just a moment...
Her smile became thinner.
Then it returned to normal.
Elsewhere in the spectator stands...
Alcris watched Noah’s movements.
He wasn’t cheering.
He wasn’t interested in the ranking.
He was studying.
The way Noah moved.
The way his fire appeared.
The way it disappeared.
The way Noah instinctively protected Laura when another contestant attacked from the side.
Alcris’s eyes narrowed.
His fire...
Then he remembered that sensation from their first meeting.
That burning pressure.
That feeling of standing before something far larger than Noah’s visible strength.
Alcris leaned forward.
"...Show me."
His smile returned.
Show me what you’re hiding.
On the battlefield...
Noah suddenly felt heat spread through his chest.
His vision blurred for half a second.
A faint voice whispered:
"Faster."
Noah froze.
Then another whisper.
"They’re all in your way."
His eyes widened.
A faint maroon-pink glow appeared in his pupils.
Laura looked at him.
"Noah?"
He blinked.
The glow vanished.
"I’m fine."
Laura stared at him.
This time...
She didn’t believe him.
Not even slightly.
Ahead...
The final section of the course waited.
And Valhalla was no longer running for first place.
They were running to survive.