Conquering The Novel

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to day three of the Inter-Academy Competition!" The announcer's voice echoed across the stadium, igniting a wave of cheers and excitement among the spectators.

"After an action-packed Seige Castle match yesterday, we witnessed the combined efforts of the other academies to dethrone the reigning champions, Soreh Academy. However, their attempts were futile as Soreh Academy maintains their lead, with a commanding position at the top of the scoreboard. Let's hope today's matches will be just as thrilling, if not better!"

The announcer paused, allowing the crowd's cheers to subside before proceeding, "Before we spin the roulette to determine the contents of the fourth match, let's take a look at the current point table." He gestured towards the colossal screen in the center of the stadium.

[POINTS TABLE!]

#1 SOREH ACADEMY -- 56 Points: Wins×1

#2 SHADOW ACADEMY -- 51 Points

#3 MARTIAL STAR ACADEMY -- 50 Points: Wins×1

#4 GLACIER PEAK ACADEMY -- 44 Points

#5 THE BLITZEIRG ACADEMY -- 37 Points

#6 CHERRY BLOSSOM ACADEMY -- 29 Points: Wins×1

#7 THE ROYAL KNIGHT ACADEMY -- 16 Points

#8 THE IRON FORTRESS ACADEMY -- 8 Points

***

As you can see on the screen, the points table displays Soreh Academy leading the pack with 56 points, followed closely by Shadow Academy with 51 points and Martial Star Academy with 50 points and a win under their belt."

"However, it's evident that Team Iron Fortress, Team Royal Knight, and Cherry Blossom Academy must deliver a strong performance in today's match to remain in the competition and avoid elimination. As we gear up for today's matches, the stakes are high, and the pressure is on, as only four teams will advance to the semifinals tomorrow."

The crowd waited with bated breath as the announcer continued, "Who will secure a spot in the top four and move on to the semifinals? The answer lies in the upcoming matches, so sit back, relax, and get ready for some exhilarating battles."

The announcer turned towards the colossal roulette on the screen and declared, "It's time to determine the contents of Match 4. Are you ready?" The crowd roared in response, eagerly waiting for the outcome.

Yayyyy!

Tick--Tick--Tick--Tick

The roulette spun with a resounding sound, and the audience leaned forward in anticipation. The suspenseful ticking of the roulette filled the air until it finally came to a stop with a loud clink, revealing the contents of Match 4.

"And the fourth match is..." The announcer paused for effect, building the suspense, "The Battle Royal!" The stadium erupted with cheers and applause as the competitors prepared themselves for the ultimate showdown.

Match 4: The Battle Royal!

***

The atmosphere inside the meeting room of the Soreh Academy team was tense as the team's star players, Lucas and Kevin, sat with swollen faces. It was evident that they had suffered a brutal beating, and the team knew exactly why.

Their poor performance in the previous match had disappointed Ares, and despite his absence during the post-match meeting, he had not let their blunder slide. The team members could sense the intensity of Ares' anger, and they feared the worst.

As they sat in silence, their minds wandered back to the scene that had unfolded the day before.

Flashback~

As soon as Ares returned, they were all summoned to an emergency meeting late at night. Before anyone could question the reason for this sudden meeting, Kevin and Lucas were sent flying across the room as Ares' punch connected with their faces, causing a loud thud.

Thud-- Thud

"You two didn't think that I would let your stupidity slide, did you?" Ares spoke with an annoyed tone that sent shivers down the team's spine.

"W-Wait Ares, it was not my fault. That woman was just too beautiful for me to ignore," Kevin, who was on the ground due to Ares' previous punch, said hurriedly, holding his hand forward to gesture him to stop.

"Yeah, and I am not like you. I couldn't bring myself to see an unarmed woman get attacked," Lucas said as he stood back up.

'Look at this fucking bastards!'

Hearing their explanation, Ares' expression darkened, and a vein bulged on his forehead.

"...."

"Idiots, they dug their own grave," Ayla muttered, shaking her head as she saw Ares' expression.

And she was no fool to stand in his way to protect these two idiots who were being outrageous even in the VR world.

Knowing Ares' personality well, she knew that he wouldn't stop at anything now. Even if she tried to protect her brother, it was more likely that she would also get beaten alongside him.

'You know Ares can get real scary at times, right, brother? Please don't blame me for not standing up for you this time, okay? I have a low-rank healing potion prepared for you,' Ayla thought as she gave Lucas a pitying look, knowing what was about to come his way.

Gulp--

The team gulped in unison as they saw the expression on Ares' face.

"I-I surrender!" Kevin held up his hands in surrender seeing Ares' scary smile, and realizing that he couldn't talk his way out of this one.

Lucas stood his ground, though he knew that he was about to face Ares' wrath.

As Ares stepped forward, Ayla stepped back, not wanting to get caught in the crossfire. She knew that there was nothing she could do to stop him, so she could only watch as he delivered a powerful punch to Lucas' face.

"Um, Ares, maybe we should let it slide for this time--" Erina started to speak, but Ares cut her off with a sharp glance.

"Shut it! Did I ask for your opinion?" Ares' words were like a sharp knife, and Erina immediately closed her mouth, remembering how the academies that had teamed up against them had fallen just from his gaze.

"Impudent fools," Ares muttered under his breath as he took a step forward.

Punch-- Thwack-- Thudle--

"Argh, s-show mercy, you monster! We still have matches yet to come!" Kevin's screams echoed through the room as he was sent flying once again, his face already swollen from the previous punches.

"How Dare--"

Lucas tried to protest, but before he could finish his sentence, he received a punch from Ares.

Thwack--

"N-No, someone help!" Kevin's screams became louder.

The rest of the team averted their gazes, knowing that Ares was teaching them a lesson in a way that they would recover before their next match. If they were allowed to participate, that is.

Erina watched as Ares continued to deliver punches to Lucas and Kevin, feeling powerless to do anything to stop him. She knew that Ares was strict, but this was on another level. She silently prayed that her teammates would be able to recover quickly from the beating.

...

...

...

***

The team was brought back from their flashbacks when they heard the announcer's voice through the television.

Ting--

"Attention, ladies, and gentlemen! The fourth match of the tournament has been determined, and it's none other than...the Battle Royal!" The announcer's voice reverberated through the microphone.

"A Battle Royal, huh? It's a big match indeed!" Ayla said thoughtfully.

Diana nodded in agreement, "If we perform well, we will qualify for the semifinals regardless of our results in Match 5."

Erina chimed in, "We should choose our team carefully this time, because the bottom teams will definitely team up against us in this match."

Ayla added, "I wonder how many members will be able to participate in this match."

Ziona chuckled, "I wish I could participate in this match alongside Ares. We would make a good slaughtering duo. Don't you think so too, Ares?" She asked turning to him.

!?

'...Good Duo?' Diana and Livia gave Ziona a skeptical look, but Ares smiled and replied, "Yeah, it would have been nice to have someone like you with me in this match."

Staareee~

Diana and Livia stared at him with blank expressions, but before they could say anything, they heard a knock on the door.

Knock--Knock

They knew that the instructions for Match 4 might have arrived.

Ayla went to open the door and was met with the same bald man holding an envelope. She snatched it from him and closed the door in his face. Returning to the group, she handed the envelope to Ares who quickly scanned through the contents before passing it on to Erina.

Erina nodded and took the envelope from him. Before she began, she took a deep breath to compose herself, her voice ringing out confidently in the room.

[Welcome, students! Get ready to enter the ultimate battle arena where only the strongest, bravest, and smartest team will emerge victorious!

This is no ordinary battle, it's a Battle Royal! You'll be battling against other teams in a massive arena filled with obstacles, weapons, and potions. Are you excited? You should be!

Here's how it works: Each team of 5 members will be randomly placed in the arena at the beginning of the match. You'll have 80 minutes to showcase your skills, defeat your opponents and gain points. Yes, you heard that right! Points will be awarded for both surviving and taking down your opponents. So, plan your strategy accordingly and aim to become the most dominant team in the arena.

But that's not all! There will be special items scattered throughout the arena, such as the Blade of the Champion, Shield of the Defender, Potion of Invisibility, and Potion of Healing among a few others.

These items will give you a significant advantage over your opponents. The first team to get their hands on them will have a better chance of dominating the game. But be careful, these items are highly coveted, and other teams will be fighting to get them too.

Now, get ready to rumble! Good luck to all the teams, and may the best team win the Battle Royal!]

Erina finished reading the instructions, and the room was filled with a sense of excitement and anticipation.