BOOOOM.
The entire arena trembled the moment our bodies collided.
A loud shockwave burst outward from pure physical force alone.
"OOOOHHHH!"
The crowd exploded instantly.
Samuel grinned wildly while pushing against me with monstrous strength.
"YOU'RE HEAVIER THAN YOU LOOK!"
"You're loud as hell."
Our feet dug into the ground beneath the pressure.
No mana.
No swordsmanship.
No affinities.
Just raw strength.
Honestly—
Samuel was absurdly strong physically.
Not surprising considering Mitch trained him personally.
The red-haired boy suddenly twisted his body before trying to force me sideways.
I immediately shifted my footing.
CRACK.
The floor beneath us cracked further.
"HAAAA!"
Samuel pushed harder.
Muscles bulged beneath his arms while veins surfaced across his neck.
The crowd roared even louder.
"PUSH HIM OUT!"
"COME ON SAMUEL!"
"APEX DON'T LOSE!"
Meanwhile—
Astravax screamed louder than everyone.
[THE DIVINE FOOD IS WITHIN REACH!]
[KILL HIM IF NECESSARY!]
Samuel suddenly laughed breathlessly.
"You know…"
"…this is actually fun."
I smiled slightly.
"…Yeah."
For the first time in a while—
I wasn't fighting to survive.
Not against demons.
Not against death.
Not against despair.
Just…
a stupid competition between students.
And somehow—
that made this enjoyable.
Samuel suddenly lowered his stance afterward.
The moment I saw it—
my instincts screamed.
Oh no.
BOOOOM.
The idiot charged forward like a raging bull.
"OUT OF MY WAYYYYY!"
"WHAT THE HELL—"
I barely twisted aside before Samuel nearly tackled me completely out of the ring.
The entire crowd burst into laughter instantly.
"HAHAHAHA!"
"HE ALMOST DIED!"
Even Silver looked mildly impressed.
"…That was actually close."
Reinheart grinned.
"Now this is entertainment."
Samuel quickly regained balance before turning toward me again with shining eyes.
"Again!"
"…You're way too fired up."
Then—
we charged once more.
BOOOOOM.
Another collision shook the arena violently.
This time—
I pushed back harder.
Samuel's eyes widened slightly.
"Oh?"
I stepped forward.
Then another.
Then another.
The ground beneath Samuel's feet slowly began sliding backward.
"H-HUH?!"
"APEX IS PUSHING HIM BACK!"
Samuel immediately planted his legs harder while grinning wildly.
"NOW WE'RE TALKING!"
Both of us pushed against each other with enough force to crack the arena floor repeatedly.
Meanwhile—
Mitch laughed so loudly the entire arena echoed.
"HAHAHAHA!"
"THAT'S WHAT I WANNA SEE!"
Then—
suddenly—
CRACK.
Samuel's footing slipped slightly.
My eyes narrowed instantly.
Got him.
I twisted my body sharply before driving my shoulder forward.
BOOOOOOM.
Samuel's eyes widened.
"WAIT—"
A second later—
his body flew straight out of the ring.
THUD.
Silence.
Then—
the crowd exploded.
"APEX WON!"
"THAT WAS INSANE!"
"HE BEAT SAMUEL IN PURE STRENGTH?!"
Samuel laid on the ground for a few seconds—
before suddenly bursting into laughter.
"HAHAHAHA!"
"THAT WAS AWESOME!"
I exhaled lightly before offering him a hand.
"…You almost killed me with that tackle."
Samuel grabbed my hand before standing up while grinning brightly.
"You survived though."
"…Barely."
Then—
a black blur suddenly launched directly toward me.
Astravax.
The cat landed atop my shoulder dramatically.
[THE DIVINE FOOD TICKET.]
[HAND IT OVER IMMEDIATELY.]
"…Haaah."
...
After receiving the golden ticket—
the black cat sitting atop my head looked completely satisfied with life.
Astravax proudly held the ticket inside her mouth like some legendary treasure.
Honestly—
you'd think we had just conquered a kingdom instead of winning a stupid sumo match.
Eventually—
I managed to slip away from the chaotic crowd before the students could drag me into another competition.
For once—
I just wanted some peace.
I quietly walked through the festival pathways while heading back toward the dormitories.
Then—
a familiar figure suddenly caught my attention.
"…Hm?"
My eyes widened slightly in recognition.
"…Clara Taylor?"
The brown-haired girl instantly froze.
No—
more importantly—
she was currently wearing a small lion costume.
A fluffy one.
Complete with ears and paws.
Beside her stood Professor Elise herself.
The usually calm and elegant instructor was somehow wearing an identical animal costume.
"…What."
The moment Clara noticed me—
her entire body shook violently.
"KYYYAA?!"
Meanwhile—
Professor Elise simply lifted one paw calmly toward me.
"…Good evening."
I stared silently.
"…Professor."
Several awkward minutes later—
the three of us now stood beside one of the quieter festival stalls.
Clara looked like she wanted to disappear from existence entirely.
Meanwhile—
Professor Elise casually drank tea while completely ignoring the situation.
I glanced toward Clara.
"…I'm guessing there's a reason for this."
She sighed in defeat afterward.
"…I owed Professor Elise a favor."
"So I had to help her."
Professor Elise nodded proudly.
"The spirit research club needed mascots."
"…I see."
Honestly—
that somehow explained everything and nothing at the same time.
I looked toward Clara again afterward.
"I haven't really seen you since the outside missions."
"Well…"
"I've been busy."
"Studying, I'm guessing."
That wasn't surprising.
Clara ranked first in the written examinations throughout the entire first year.
Her academic ability was honestly absurd.
"…Yeah."
Then—
after a small pause—
she suddenly glanced toward me.
"Are you participating in the tournament tomorrow?"
"…Hm?"
I nodded lightly.
"Yeah."
"At first I wasn't interested…"
"But now I think I will."
It was true.
Especially after hearing about the upper years.
And more importantly—
Seraphina Ravenshade.
The student council president.
I slowly looked toward the distant academy towers.
"I want to see how strong the student council president really is."
"She should be a good fight."
Clara blinked slightly at that.
"…You really are crazy."
"Maybe."
Then I glanced toward her.
"What about you?"
"No."
"I think I'll just watch."
"…I see."
For a brief moment—
silence settled between us.
Then—
BOOOOM.
Fireworks exploded brightly across the night sky.
Students throughout the festival cheered loudly while colorful lights illuminated the academy beautifully.
Nearby—
Astravax laid lazily atop a bench while clutching the golden restaurant ticket possessively.
The black cat genuinely looked happier than usual.
Then—
beside me—
Clara suddenly exhaled softly.
"…Hm?"
She immediately looked away afterward.
"…Nothing."
The next morning soon arrived—
and with it—
the beginning of the Nexus Tournament.
Unlike yesterday's cheerful festival atmosphere—
today felt completely different.
The laughter had disappeared.
In its place—
tension filled the academy.
Students walked through the massive academy grounds wearing serious expressions while subtle waves of mana pressure spread throughout the air.
Because today—
strength mattered.
I quietly adjusted my academy uniform before making my way toward the grandstands.
Soon—
the enormous arena came into view.
Thousands of students had already gathered around the towering stadium while instructors stood calmly throughout the battlefield.
Massive crystal screens floated high above the arena while magical broadcasting artifacts hovered nearby.
Right.
The tournament would be streamed live throughout the Empire.
Guilds.
Noble houses.
Military factions.
Even royal officials would be watching closely.
For many students—
this tournament could decide their future entirely.
Then—
a familiar figure stepped onto the central podium.
Aurelia Lioren.
The entire stadium instantly fell silent.
The Headmistress calmly gazed across the crowd before speaking.
"Welcome students…"
"To the Nexus Tournament."
Her voice echoed effortlessly throughout the massive arena.
"This tournament exists to allow the students of Nexus Academy to showcase their talents before the world."
My eyes narrowed slightly.
Because it was true.
Every year—
elite guilds personally observed the tournament searching for talented cadets.
A single impressive performance here could completely change someone's future.
Aurelia continued calmly.
"The students who achieve the greatest number of victories and accumulate the highest amount of points…"
"…shall be crowned champions of this year's tournament."
The arena erupted into cheers instantly.
Then—
Aurelia spoke once more.
"And naturally…"
"The winners shall receive a favor directly from Nexus Academy itself."
Hm.
That part interested me slightly.
I still possessed the King's reward—
the right to choose an item from the Royal Treasury.
And honestly—
I planned on saving that for later.
But a favor from Nexus Academy itself…
That could become extremely valuable.
Especially considering how mysterious this academy truly was.
Then—
Aurelia's cold eyes swept across the arena once more.
"For the first phase…"
"Students shall battle opponents within their respective years."
"First years against first years."
"Second against second."
"And so forth."
The crowd nodded naturally.
That was expected.
But then—
Aurelia continued.
"However…"
A faint smile appeared on her beautiful face.
"The students who emerge victorious within their brackets…"
"…shall earn the right to challenge senior students directly."
Silence.
Then—
the arena exploded.
"WHAT?!"
"Seriously?!"
"That means first years can challenge second years?!"
I nodded this was a fact i already knew.
Aurelia calmly crossed her arms afterward.
"Nexus Academy believes growth is achieved through conflict."
"If you wish to learn…"
"Then challenge those standing above you."
"Whether you seek guidance…"
"Or seek to surpass them…"
"That decision is yours."
The atmosphere instantly changed.
Because everyone understood the true meaning behind those words.
The strongest students of the academy—
the monsters standing above the others—
could now be challenged directly.
And naturally—
there was one name every student immediately thought of.
Sylas.
The strongest student within Nexus Academy.
...
Aurelia slowly raised her hand as countless mana barriers illuminated across the arena.
Her cold voice echoed throughout the entire stadium.
"Fight for glory."
"Fight for growth."
"And show the world why Nexus Academy stands above all others."
Her void-like eyes swept across every student present.
"With this…"
"…the Nexus Tournament officially begins."