(Next Day – Sky-God Arena, Round of 16)
Rodova's second match in the Interstellar Circuits had a different air about it.
They weren't cocky. They weren't smiling. They weren't underestimating anyone.
After the embarrassment they endured against Button Academy, no one—least of all Yu Shen—took anything for granted anymore.
Which was why today's roster looked like a declaration of war.
Yu Shen. Minerva. Su Yang. Leo.
And Enzo, a last-minute addition slotted in as the backup fifth, but with no expectation of stepping into the arena unless something went catastrophically wrong.
This was Rodova's true hand.
Their real starting lineup.
And the crowd could feel it.
—------------
"Well, well, well… if it isn't the fallen titans returning to the field," Derek chuckled, adjusting his headset as the camera zoomed in on the Rodova team walking toward the arena staging zone.
"Yesterday was rough for Rodova," Lee chimed in, his voice more grounded. "They went down 0-4 to Button Academy before Leo Skyshard pulled off the most epic comeback in recent Circuits history."
"Yeah, Leo was a monster yesterday," Derek agreed. "But let's not sugarcoat it—the rest of the team humiliated themselves which is why you see none of those members in today's lineup.
Button Academy was supposed to be a warm-up round for a team like Rodova, and yet they nearly lost it all."
"Well, based on today's lineup," Lee said, "they're clearly not here to mess around anymore. Yu Shen, Su Yang, Minerva… all back on the board."
"And their opponents?" Derek said, glancing at his notes. "The Red Demon Academy. An all-demon roster. Big boys. Thick skin. Twice the muscle mass of your average human."
"Expect this match to be physical Derek," Lee nodded. "The Red Demons are known for their brute strength and aggressive fighting styles. But based on what the Red Demon Academy showed us in the previous rounds, they're much more than just plain brutes…"
The camera panned to the center of the field where Su Yang stepped up for the opening bout, facing off against a massive 8.5-foot-tall demon with horns curled like twin rams and a cleaver-like greatsword slung over his shoulder.
"…It looks like Rodova brought their own monster to open against the Red Demons," Derek whistled. "I mean, just look at Su Yang. Those massive arms. That towering posture. Those unyielding golden eyes.
I'd say he looks half a demon himself. Because if it was anyone else apart from him staring against a demon, they would look tiny in comparison–"
—------------
(Pillar-Wall Arena – Su Yang's First Match)
The arena for today's fight was the simpler Pillar-Wall Arena.
Which had simple stone columns protruding out of the arena surface at various intervals.
It wasn't one of the tricky arenas where surroundings changed a lot, but you still couldn't charge in a straight line for too long.
Once both fighters took their starting spots, the referee raised his hand to signal the start.
"BEGIN!" The referee said, dropping his hand, as the demon swordsman roared and charged, lifting his cleaver high.
The ground cracked under each of his strides as he bore down on Su Yang with all the fury of a wrecking ball.
But Su Yang didn't even flinch.
He stood his ground, expression blank, sword resting against his shoulder like it weighed nothing.
*CLANG—!*
The first clash of weapons sent a shockwave rippling through the arena.
However instead of being pushed down or back, like many expected him to, when engaging in a contest of strength against a Demon, Su Yang effortlessly deflected his opponents cleaver, as he sent the demon backflipping not once, but twice—before he rolled across the arena floor and crashed into a nearby stone pillar.
*OOOO—*
The crowd erupted as "WHAT?!" Derek shouted over the roar.
"Did he just send a demon twice his size cartwheeling?!"
"He didn't just block that strike, Derek, he completely overpowered his opponent, countering his attack with more force than the demon came in with. That's not just strength, that's technique—pure, honed, explosive technique!" Lee added, as Derek hummed in agreement.
After regaining his footing, the demon snarled and charged again, but Su Yang moved like a ghost.
He sidestepped a downward cleave and swept low, slashing the demon's knee with surgical precision. Before the demon could fall, Su Yang grabbed him by the shoulder, spun, and launched him into the air like a ragdoll.
As the demon tried to stabilize mid-air, Su Yang was already there—leaping high, higher than seemed physically possible—and came crashing down with a sword strike that hit like a thunderbolt.
BOOM—
The arena floor cracked beneath the demon's body as Su Yang landed.
The demon being knocked out cold, as he was rushed to the medical bay immediately.
"KO! Rodova takes the first point!" Derek declared as the crowd roared in approval, as this was the exact type of fighting they were here to see.
"ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?" Su Yang said, spreading his arms wide, as being the crowd pleaser that he was, he made sure to hype up his supporters before his next fight.
—------------
(Second Match – Su Yang vs. Red Demon Academy's 2nd Fighter, an axe wielder)
Another demon stepped forward, this one with a serrated axe and a brawler's stance.
But it didn't matter.
Su Yang dissected him within a minute.
Parries, feints, brutal precision—every time the demon tried to initiate a combo, Su Yang disrupted it mid-flow and punished the attempt with crushing sword strikes.
Within thirty seconds, the demon's weapon was broken, and Su Yang planted his foot against his chest, sending him flying across the arena and out of bounds.
"Point number two to Rodova! Su Yang is absolutely dominating this match!" Lee shouted, nearly out of breath.
"Who needs magic when you can fold demons like laundry?" Derek added, laughing.
—------------
(Third Match, Fourth Match, Minerva )
After his second win, Su Yang raised his hand for substitution, tagging in Minerva without saying a word, as was the pre-made plan before the match began.
Minerva stepped onto the field in silence, longbow strapped to her back, silver arrows glinting in her quiver, as the demon across from her snarled, brandishing twin whips charged with dark mana.
"Begin—" The referee declared, as the Demon dashed forward in zigzag motion, closing the distance fast—but Minerva didn't blink.
*Thwip—!*
The first arrow nailed his shoulder mid-sprint.
[Rapid Shot]
*Thwip—!*
*Thwip—!*
The next two slammed into his thigh and hip, breaking his movement rhythm entirely.
*Thwip*
*Thwip*
.
.
.
*Thwip*
By the time he got within ten feet, Minerva had planted so many arrows into his body that the poor demon collapsed under his own weight, unable to stand.
As the referee blew the whistle to signal for the end of the fight.
"Rodova takes point three." The referee declared, as the crowd cheered, this time with more awe than excitement.
"Minerva's accuracy is just cruel," Lee whispered. "She doesn't just shoot to wound—she disables key muscle groups. It's like watching a doctor dissect someone mid-combat."
"Can her next opponent give her more of a challenge?" Derek wondered, as the fourth red demon stepped up.
The fourth demon fighter was a shield warrior, the perfect counter for an archer, however, since he was just a master level warrior, the difference between the two remained too large for him to overcome.
He tried to charge at Minerva as soon as the match began, however, Minerva just responded by firing high into the sky.
Then suddenly shooting low, as the charging demon became confused on what was going on.
After that, Minerva suddenly shot an arrow behind him, as the shot ricocheted off a pillar and struck him in the back, before the one that she shot in the sky hit him on top of the head, ending the fight instantly.
"Winner, Rodova—"
The referee declared as the crowd lost it.
This was the most badass way to finish an opponent, and they loved it, as Minerva simply turned and flicked her hair before walking back towards the contestant area, as she tagged Yu Shen in.
—------------
(Fifth Match – Yu Shen Enters)
The crowd buzzed as the Rodova Captain walked into the arena.
"IT'S HIM!" Derek screamed. "THE RODOVA CAPTAIN IS FINALLY HERE!"
"Yu Shen enters the field!" Lee echoed, voice booming. "And judging by the roar from the stands, the crowd's been eagerly waiting for this moment!"
Lee said, as the excitement in the air seemed to automatically triple when Yu Shen walked into the field, as the cheers he received were unlike anything any other Rodova fighter got before him.
Wielding twin swords coated in shimmering frost, Yu Shen didn't waste any time once the match began, as he charged at his opponent with ruthless speed.
The final demon opponent was a spellcaster, building up fire spells at rapid speed.
But Yu Shen didn't let him breathe.
Using elegant footwork and blinding speed, he appeared in front of the caster before the second fireball had even charged—and slashed through his protective spells like they were paper.
With just two sweeping arcs of his blades, he froze the demon's arms at the joints—and shattered them with a final cross-slash that ended the fight instantly.
"Match over! Rodova wins all five rounds—5-0!" the announcer declared, as the crowd exploded in applause and chants praising Yu Shen.
"Now that—" Derek said, his voice breathless, "—is how you bounce back from a bad day."
"Rodova did not just win today," Lee added. "They sent a message to all the other academies watching, that don't mistake us as weak, that we are still the number one seed.
And they surely looked like it today!"