After Zack's victory, the entire audience roared his name. The stadium echoed with a single chant—
"ZACK! ZACK! ZACK!"
They had just witnessed the impossible: a fighter who had been underestimated by everyone, a warrior with no expectations on his shoulders, had risen and claimed victory against one of the strongest awakeners.
Every supporter of Zack wore a smile, their hearts swelling with pride.
Amber, a member of Joshua's team who had always looked down on Zack, stood frozen. Her eyes widened in disbelief, struggling to accept what she had just seen. She had never imagined Zack could stand on the same stage as John Black—let alone defeat him.
On the headmaster's face, a smile appeared—subtle, yet filled with pride. In that moment, he felt a sense of honor watching the boy who had come so far.
All the instructors present were left astonished, unable to believe what they had just witnessed.
And among them stood Argon, Zack's master. A proud smile spread across his face as he whispered to himself,
"Yes… this is my student."
Instructors Alex, Abrox, and Kai stood in shock, their eyes fixed on the battlefield.
Zack remained in the battleground, standing tall as he took in the sight of his victory. The cheers still echoed around him—until suddenly, the atmosphere shifted.
From the entrance, Mr. Rafel appeared—an S-rank awakener, the strongest in the entire country of C11.
The moment people laid eyes on him, silence fell over the arena.
Mr. Rafel spoke:
"My fellow awakeners, today we have witnessed something important. Rank alone does not decide our strength—our passion and training do.
No matter how talented you may be, if you face someone who has risked everything and trained with their very life on the line, you may very well fall before them."
"So learn. Devote yourselves to training. Practice relentlessly. Seek guidance from your instructors. And shape yourselves into awakeners who will not only serve our nation, but who will stand for the protection of the entire world."
And then, Mr. Rafel walked up to Zack.
As it had been decided, the one who secured first place would be awarded the Rank Level-Up Elixir.
Rafel took out the elixir and handed it to him.
"Drink this. Then close your eyes for a while, calm your mind, and sit still."
Zack sat down.
Five minutes later, he slowly opened his eyes.
"How do you feel now?" Rafel asked.
"Powerful," Zack replied.
"Good," Rafel nodded. "Now you'll have toget your rank tested."
"Yes, of course," Zack said firmly.
To be continue...