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Where the competition is held, it is located in one of the best venues at Shining Light University. Unlike Hope's Peak Academy, there is an enhanced version of the Star Space here. People cannot help but secretly envy.
"They truly deserve to be part of the Sixth Academy of Starlight," Clifford sighed with emotion.
When the Hope's Peak Academy representative team arrived, teams from other schools arrived almost simultaneously. There are a total of 36 Super-Tier Academies, so there are 36 teams, each consisting of dozens of people, making the venue very lively inside and out.
Especially, many administrators and instructors know each other to some extent. When they see each other, they go to greet one another. Many players are old acquaintances, and the atmosphere seems more cheerful.
Clifford, Terrell, and the others are all from other schools. When they see old friends, they go to say hello. As for Sebastian, there's no such opportunity. His team is a small group, as not many people from the top academies are accessible. To be selected for the team, only Sebastian was chosen.
Of course, their purpose isn't just casual chatting; part of their goal is to gather intelligence on other schools. Before the game, they strictly refer to inside information and do not leak any details.
"How is it? Did you find anything?" Sebastian asked with a smile.
"No," Clifford shook his head. "Although I had a good relationship with one of them in the past, their lips are very tight, so I can't find out anything... Huh?"
At this moment, the room suddenly fell silent. People seemed to sense something and turned to look over. Sebastian also looked up. A team dressed in neat white uniforms entered, their five members, especially a boy and a girl in the center, walking with grace.
"It's the team from Shining Light University, the organizer of this competition..."
"This year, I heard they are the strongest..."
"You don't need to say it, they are the most powerful. This year, they have three Great Mythical Level monsters, and many Minor Mythical Level monsters..."
"Three Great Mythical Levels? It seems the champion of this year's competition is likely to fall into their hands..."
"That's not necessarily the case. The champion will also depend on Sirius University's approval first."
A series of discussions ensued.
When the Shining Light University team entered, Clifford sighed: "This year's Shining Light University is truly strong. If we're unlucky, we might be eliminated in the first round."
"Our luck shouldn't be that bad," Otwin laughed.
"Let's see who will go up first in the draw. Who's lucky?" Sebastian asked.
The four looked at each other, then shook their heads. Even if they were lucky, they didn't dare to volunteer. Drawing a powerful opponent like Shining Light University would likely mean trouble, possibly even curses when they return.
Sebastian shrugged helplessly. He would have to go himself.
The exchange competition also has an opening ceremony, but it's very brief. Everyone eschews formalities. After the opening, the draw takes place. According to the rules, there is no group stage; it's based on results from the previous session. The top 30 teams are listed first, and the final six teams will play in a play-in match to determine the last two spots in the top 32.
This play-in was held yesterday. Today, the 32 schools entering the knockout round are divided into upper and lower brackets for the lottery. The previous top sixteen schools form one group, and the remaining sixteen form another.
Starting with the lower bracket, representatives from these schools come forward to draw their opponents; soon, it's Sebastian's turn. He draws a small ball from a box, which bears the number 13.
"No. 13?" Sebastian raised his eyebrows.
Everyone from Hope's Peak Academy who saw this number felt relieved. The higher the number, the better the previous year's performance. Number 13 is a decent result.
"Number 13? That's Behemoth Academy," Prokopy, who had done his homework, was the first to react.
"Behemoth Academy?" Everyone couldn't help but look toward the opposing team on the other side of the stadium.
Prokopy explained: "This year's Behemoth Academy has one Great Mythical Level and two Minor Mythical Levels. They also have several Legendary Levels. They're relatively weak compared to other teams in this group, but still much stronger than us."
Otwin smiled bitterly.
"Come on, we still have a chance," Clifford gasped.
Prokopy and the other coaching staff quickly took out their communicators and retrieved information about Behemoth Academy's team members. They had prepared dossiers in advance for emergencies.
Sebastian returned to his seat. He and Clifford and the others waited quietly. After the draw, the matches would begin shortly. All 16 round-of-32 matches would start simultaneously.
"Are you the captain of Hope's Peak Academy?" a rough voice suddenly sounded in Sebastian's ears.
Sebastian turned to look. Standing before him was a very tall boy, about two meters, with a bulky build.
"I am. What's the matter?" Sebastian asked.
"Why didn't Yeattine come? And Neville?" a middle-aged girl nearby asked.
She had a sturdy figure. Sebastian couldn't help but think of her as an Amazonian warrior.
"It's inconvenient for them to come," Sebastian replied lightly.
"That's a pity. I've studied you. Your name is Sebastian, right? The creatures you built are very powerful, and Yeattine's Golden Behemoth is formidable in melee combat. If Yeattine were here, you could coordinate better. Perhaps then you'd have a chance," the tall, broad-shouldered boy grinned.
"This person is this year's Great Mythical Level freshman from Behemoth Academy," Clifford said after the boy left. "Don't be fooled by his appearance, he's also a tactical thinker for the academy."
"Right," Sebastian nodded slightly.
The coaching staff quickly studied the characteristics of the Behemoth Academy team, readying themselves for the upcoming battle. It was a race against time.
Time passed slowly, and ten minutes later, the 32 knockout matches were about to begin. Sebastian led the four into a special battle room. This time, the room was larger, accommodating five players. Sebastian, as captain, sat in the middle. He would lead during the match.
"The game will start in five minutes. Please prepare yourselves," a voice announced.
Although the exchange competition isn't open to the public, the 36 participating universities could watch the live broadcast.
At Hope's Peak Academy, today was a rare day off, so everyone gathered to watch the matches. All students and teachers, being acquaintances, watched the school's team compete.
In a luxurious mansion, Leonard also greeted everyone to observe the team's performance.
"Behemoth Academy?" seeing the opponent Sebastian drew, one of the teachers raised his brows slightly. "This draw isn't bad; Behemoth Academy was weaker in the previous group."
"Still, they have three Mythical Levels," Neville said with a slight smile. "If Yeattine were here, he could probably fight a dozen times over, but now, it's going to be tough."
The others nodded, acknowledging the difficulty.
Among 32 teams, no one was weak. Most had at least one Great Mythical Level and one Minor Mythical Level. Except for Hope's Peak, only Sebastian was a Mythical Level, and only one Legendary Level participant was present, pathetically few.
Meanwhile, in the void of the school, more than a dozen elders gathered. On the projection, images of the team members in battle appeared. When the game started, it would switch to the live feed.
"This opponent is ideal," an old man in gray said.
"There are three Mythical Levels and two Legendary Levels, which is still a bit challenging," another elder frowned.
In the battle room, apart from Sebastian, everyone grew more nervous as the time approached. They were aware that they might be eliminated in the first round.
When the countdown hit zero, the game officially began. The planetary passages on each student's planet opened slowly. Above Terra, outside the Royal Tombs Mountains, 100,000 Astra Militarum stood ready.
The leaders were Xue Rengui and Isoroku Yamamoto, both quite young. As cabinet members, they were chosen to lead in case of emergency. Neither Yuuki nor Yamamoto was willing to relinquish command, so they went together.
The Astra Militarum had expanded to 200,000 troops in reserve, with rows of heavy equipment vehicles behind them. The latest tanks, combining attack and defense, and capable of high speed, were used, such as the Centurion Mk 5. Their tactics were more advanced than those from the Elizabeth era.
Although they participated in many campaigns annually, this was their first 'Glory War,' and the crowd was both nervous and excited.
"Set off," Yuuki shouted, and the Astra Militarum entered the planetary passage.
On the opposing side was a barren wasteland, desolate and empty, with no figures in sight. This wasteland was the battleground for the team competition. According to the rules, each team's entry point was separated by some distance; upon arrival, the first priority was to join forces with other teams rather than fighting immediately.
"Proceed as planned," Yuuki commanded.
Without further orders, the Astra Militarum began their operations as soon as they entered the wasteland.
"It's our first time cooperating with other supernatural teams, so I feel a little nervous," Yamamoto said with a smile.
"All teams, converge on me," Sebastian ordered.
Following the plan, after entering the passage, teams would avoid immediate conflict, instead seeking the best terrain and potential allies. If no favorable terrain was available, they'd meet with Sebastian's team.
"Have you seen the drone above you? Just follow it," Sebastian instructed.
"Sebastian, what is this?" Clifford and others were surprised to see the drones hovering over their units.
"It's our latest awakening weapon, call it an aircraft," Sebastian improvised.
UAVs are the latest technology developed by the Imperium; combat capability is still developing, but they are very useful for reconnaissance. Guided by the drone, Terrell, Clifford, Otwin, and Jane moved toward the Musketeers' side.
"Are these our teammates?" Yuuki and Yamamoto looked on curiously.
"Prepare your defenses and wait for Behemoth Academy to attack," Sebastian advised.
This was a preemptive strategy. Both Sebastian's Musketeer unit and Otwin's Demonized People are long-range attackers but have weak defenses. Mobility should be avoided, so their main tactic is positional warfare. Terrell's Blastoise can serve as a defensive shield, but the main defense comes from Jane's Maze Puppet. The Maze Puppet is a clay golem that, when in enough numbers, can form a maze to trap enemies, making escape difficult. Sebastian chose Jane precisely for this reason.
Suddenly, a loud whistling sound echoed, a giant beast approaching. The ground trembled beneath them, and soon, a dark figure emerged: a Magic Ape.
"Super-Civilization race, Magic Ape, created by the Great Mythical Level of Behemoth Academy," Sebastian's mind flashed with this information.
The Magic Apes numbered around 10,000, an increase after the planet was upgraded to Level 2. Besides the Magic Apes, other supernatural species appeared in larger numbers.
Seeing Sebastian's position, the Magic Ape team halted.
In another battle room, the tall, bulky boy observed the formation. Smiling slightly, he said, "Sebastian's Musketeer isn't anything special, but this maze is interesting. Who's going to fight?"
"Come on, I've created a new race after reaching Level 2 to challenge these clay puppets," replied the girl next to him, who looked like an Amazon female warrior.
"The opposite side should attack directly, right?" Sebastian waited, anticipating the attack.
After a moment, a scout from the Astra Militarum reported: "Enemy may be attacking from underground."
"Underground?!" Yuuki and Yamamoto frowned.
"Let your teams be alert; the enemy might attack from below," Sebastian immediately relayed.
"Underground races?!" the team members exclaimed.
As they gazed at the ground near the Maze Puppet position, faint wriggling could be seen. Prokopy and others watching from outside also grew serious, something unprecedented.
"A new race created after their upgrade to Level 2?" everyone speculated.
"Stay calm. Watch how miserable these creatures are going to be," Sebastian said with a slight smile.
Thanks to a secret weapon prepared in advance by the Astra Militarum, designed specifically to counter underground threats.