The coliseum is packed as usual. Whenever a new stage of the tournament begins, it’s completely full. During the second stage, I was told that many people left their seats to grab food, explore the academy and its surroundings, and enjoy the massive fair.
The performances were worth admiring, and the stadium only filled to full capacity again when the countdown to return began. At that moment, everyone hurried back to their seats to welcome us with heated cheers.
I can’t blame them. Even though you could witness exciting situations at any moment, some participants simply spent their time walking around, moving from one place to another. It’s better to take advantage of the time and do some sightseeing.
Today, I doubt anyone will leave. This event is meant to last at most five hours. That includes small performances and the transition time between participants.
This feeling of happiness is completely different. Being acclaimed by the crowd feels incredible. I feel almost forced to give more than 100% of myself. That small push might be enough to help me break my limits.
This year’s monster is a Mountain Ogre. Its skin is a mix of brown and green. It’s still enormous, but not as massive as its normal counterpart. Its regeneration remains just as unfair as all ogres’, maybe even better because of its slightly smaller size.
Its defenses are focused more on close combat. That doesn’t mean it’s weak against magic; it’s simply more vulnerable to mana compared to other ogres, but far more resistant physically.
From my perspective, it’s a strange choice. Usually, the selected monsters are at the lower end of Rank 4 to give all participants a fair chance. This year’s monster is closer to mid-tier Rank 4.
Is it because there are far more Limit Breakers than usual? There are even many strong individuals who aren’t officially called Limit Breakers. That must have influenced the organization’s decision.
The order of schools was chosen randomly. Each captain went on stage and drew a small cube. After shaking it, they revealed a number. Our school was eighth. The savage’s school was fifth. The prince’s was first.
The other Limit Breakers are closer to the twentieth position. I won’t be able to watch them before our turn.
“Is Prince Charles strong?” I already know the obvious answer. Of course he is. He even managed to defeat Areci. But my question goes beyond that, and Brendu understands.
“Very strong. He must have improved a lot this past year. There are rumors that losing to Areci didn’t sit well with him, and he took his training far more seriously.” Brendu answers seriously. “He has a natural talent for mana, Imra, and using his axes. Now he’s found real motivation. I’m eager to see how strong he’s become.” She remains focused on the screen.
It’s not just her. I look around and see people holding their breath. Everyone is watching one of the greatest promises of our generation. His status as the emperor’s son only amplifies the attention.
“Do you think he’s stronger than me?” I ask Brendu with a teasing tone, though there’s genuine curiosity behind it.
She looks at me just as the countdown begins. “No. You wouldn’t lose to him. I’m not saying that because I love you. It’s an honest opinion. But you know… when two people are that strong, you never truly know.”
Stolen novel; please report.
She’s right. When two fighters are close in level, predicting a winner becomes difficult. A small mistake, a bad mood caused by external problems—so many factors can influence the outcome.
The timer hits zero. The prince doesn’t hesitate for a second. He charges at full speed toward the monster. He’s just as fast as I thought—he must have an extremely strong movement skill. He pumps his blood to increase speed and strength. I don’t understand the science behind it; that’s just public information.
Parts of his body turn red. His veins bulge to enhance his physical capabilities. By the time he reaches the ogre, he has already created two massive blood spikes. Each one pierces into the ogre’s shoulders without giving it time to react.
The monster tries to counterattack with its enormous arms, but the prince easily evades. His twin axes are beautiful and smaller than normal. One sinks into the ogre’s abdomen while the other slashes its leg.
The ogre’s own blood becomes its downfall. I can see small spikes forming from its spilled blood, impaling it from within. The ogre roars in pain and tries to grab Charles, but he dodges with the agility of a ballet dancer and drives an axe into the ogre’s chest, pushing it backward.
The monster doesn’t have time to recover. The other axe suddenly enlarges using the scattered blood, and with a precise cut to its neck, Charles beheads it, ending its life.
Time: 3 seconds and 18 hundredths. My body whistles in admiration without me meaning to. I’m genuinely impressed.
The crowd takes a moment before erupting into applause and cheers. It was a display of pure talent.
The rest of the participants did well. Some won after several minutes in battles of attrition. The arena is large—you can move freely. The ogre isn’t intelligent. It attacks relentlessly, trusting its regeneration and strength.
Many participants exploited that weakness, turning it into a stamina battle. The unpleasant part is wearing down a monster that constantly regenerates. You either deal more damage than it can heal or drain its mana pool through continuous injuries.
Others survived the full time in various ways, and the unfortunate ones failed to endure long enough. They were all disqualified from the final stage.
Now it’s the savage’s turn. I’ve avoided all information about him. I didn’t even want to know his affinity until today. I sent him a letter thanking him and promising a duel if we didn’t meet in the finals. He accepted happily.
I clear my mind when the counter reaches two. I need to stay completely focused.
The fight begins. Salvaj doesn’t hesitate either. He advances immediately. I see his body accelerated by fire mana—but it’s different. It has brown tones. His body is covered in a layer of earth, similar to my armor, though his looks far more resilient.
Earth and fire magic? That’s an excellent combination. Strong defensively and offensively. A troublesome opponent.
His use of Imra is what’s most annoying. I can see his willpower dominating the battlefield, easily suppressing a Rank 4 monster. It must be as strong as mine. That’s a problem.
My mind goes blank when crystal-like pillars erupt from the ground, piercing through the ogre’s body in multiple directions. Its limbs are shredded. The ogre is trapped by beautiful, sharp crystals that shattered its defenses like paper.
Salvaj appears before it, moving with inhuman precision and speed. He pummels the monster until its head explodes from a powerful strike delivered by crystal-forged gauntlets.
So it’s a rare affinity? That’s my first thought.
Time: 3 seconds and 65 hundredths. He nearly broke the prince’s record—probably just one strike short.
I glance at the only other rare-affinity user beside me. Areci notices immediately.
“Yes. It’s a rare affinity like mine. His affinity is Crystal. He can use fire and sand as well. He’ll be a headache.” She complains.
I nod slowly and look back at the screen. Salvaj stands there without celebrating, as if the monster’s fate had been sealed from the moment the bell rang.
“He really will be a headache…” Sand affinity alone is troublesome. Add fire for speed and power, and it’s worse. Now add crystal on top of that.
Now I understand why he’s a Limit Breaker like us. A versatile rare affinity, well-controlled and oppressive Imra, monstrous close-combat instincts. He’ll be hard to crack.
“Calm down… your Imra is getting restless.” Brendu squeezes my hand gently.
“Sorry…” I lost a bit of control imagining our clash.
The tournament continues without major surprises. Some participants impress, but since I don’t know them, it doesn’t hit the same.
Now it’s finally my school’s turn, and Areci goes first. The captain must show who’s in charge.