"Woah... That was sick… In one move, she finished him off."
"You'd think we expected that, but seeing it hits differently. Hahaha… Some people are just on a different level from the rest."
As the spectators commented and choked on the shock of what they witnessed, Julia turned around and waited for the system to waltz her away.
She watched as Emil turned into light particles and disappeared into oblivion, eliminated and out of the event entirely.
In her eyes, what she did was barely a fight, if it could even be called as such. Right now, she just wished to return to Alex's side.
Once back in their shared booth, she relaxed in her seat with a light smile. Ross and Alex said nothing as they had expected as much.
"I guess Ross will be going next anytime soon." She spoke after a few seconds of bathing in her relaxation.
"Mm… Do you think I should also one-shot Brad or play around with him?" Ross asked as his eyes shifted to Alex whose attention was now on Julia as they held hands and enjoyed each other's company.
Shaking his head, he returned his gaze to the still ongoing fights waiting for Alex to reply.
"That's up to you to decide. I haven't thought much of Brad in a while." He replied with a shrug.
"But if it's a fight you want, go for it. Just be careful of the occasional remnants." Alex added a few moments later.
"Yeah, alright."
Acknowledging his words, he moved his eyes from the lovey-dovey couple and focused on the fights.
The fights that followed were exciting to watch as all sorts of abilities and skills were put on display, driving the spectator's blood boiling for more action.
A few minutes and fights later, it was finally time for Ross to do battle. With a nod at his friends, he stood up to appear in the arena.
...…
Staring at Ross after so many months, Brad didn't know how to feel about it. After they graduated middle school and came here, he kept a low profile as he continuously heard all kinds of news about Alex.
While it irritated him, he decided to let it go as it had nothing to do with him anymore. But now, facing the friend of Alex, he didn't know how to feel about it.
Before, when they began schooling here at the academy, he was hesitant to be seen all over as he didn't want to come across that gang. Luckily for him, the academy was so huge that, students of a year group could go on without seeing the other classes.
During the Convergence Maze event, he was eliminated on the third floor, so he did not meet Alex or Ross and was spared the awkwardness. He did, however, catch a glimpse of Alex's entry and subsequent fight with that void creature.
Even if he didn't want to, he was impressed with Alex's power and skills. The Alex he bullied and the Alex he saw during that fight were completely different.
It was like looking at being too far from your reach. It was extraordinary, to say the least.
"It's been a while, Brad… How have you been?"
Brad was taken out of his thoughts when he heard Ross's address. He furrowed his brows as he did not expect Ross to say anything to him.
But the smug grin on his face annoyed him a bit. 'Is he looking down on me?'
"What's it to you, long Ross."
Brad replied with a frigid tone. He was not in the mood to entertain Ross.
Hearing that nickname, he chuckled in derision as it's been a while since Alex called him that. With everything that was going on with them, nicknames were the least of their concerns.
The spectators who chose to watch their fight watched the show with delight and wondered what their backstories were.
"Come on man, it's just a 'Hello', or am I correct to assume you lack simple courtesy?" Ross retorted, not holding his punches.
"…"
Brad remained silent and chose to not respond. Conversing with Ross always felt like a chore. He did not react to any tease thrown at him. It was like talking to a wall.
What was worse was when Ross chose to speak instead. As someone who often voiced his opinion, especially to strangers, it was painful to listen to him.
Brad waited patiently for the countdown to start and get this fight over with.
He may not know how strong Ross had gotten, but he wasn't weak either. His sound abilities were the perfect weapon to be used against people.
Of course, there was a small part of him that knew it wouldn't be that easy and this feeling turned his nerves chaotic with anxiety. Swallowing that drowning feeling, he took his stance.
With that thought in mind, he readied himself for battle.
Ross just shook his head and prepared as well. The boy was not interested in a conversation, and he himself did not want to waste it talking. There were other ways to do that.
'Our fists will do the talking from now…'
The two fighters locked eyes with each other and studied their opponent's form for any opening. They subtly channelled their mana through their system as their eyes lit up in response to the circulating energy.
Neither carried a weapon as their abilities were more than enough to play that role.
Once the countdown reached its end, Ross and Brad bolted from their position, each with a powerful right fist glowing with the intensity of their mana.
BOOOOOM!
Sound and flames met in a devastating clash that exploded from a single point. The flames spread out from the point of impact as the heat and power behind the blow sent Brad skidding back at incredible speeds, covering several metres.
The sound instead, released a high-pitched ring that rang loudly, too loudly as Ross' ear drums and body vibrated from the vibrational energy that went through his body.
And unlike Brad, he stepped back a couple of steps before regaining his footing and shook his head clear before standing tall.
The first round was over and it was Ross' win.