Conquering The Novel



The arena was abuzz with excitement as the announcer's voice boomed across the stadium. "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the most anticipated event of the year, the finals of the Interacademy tournament!!"

The crowd erupted in a sea of cheers, each section divided by the two competing academies - Soreh Academy in Red and Martial Star Academy in Green. The energy was electric, and all eyes were glued to the center of the arena.

"After a week of intense battles, we have finally reached the pinnacle of the tournament. Will Martial Star Academy finally dethrone the reigning champions, Soreh Academy, and claim the top spot for themselves? Or will Soreh Academy continue its streak of dominance and solidify its position as the best academy of the year?"

The announcer's words were met with thunderous applause and cheers from the crowd, each side showing unwavering support for their chosen team.

As the anticipation built to a crescendo, the stage was set for an epic showdown between two of the most prestigious academies in the region.

***

The Soreh Academy team stood nervously in their meeting room as the Vice Dean addressed them, trying to boost their morale for the upcoming finals.

"My dear students, this is the moment we have all been waiting for. The final match of the tournament is upon us, and we are just one step away from bringing that championship trophy home where it rightfully belongs," he said with determination.

Addressing Ares and Erina directly, he continued, "I am counting on both of you to guide our team to victory. Whatever challenges we may face in the final match, I trust in your abilities to lead us to success."

Erina responded with enthusiasm, turning to Ares for support. "We will do everything in our power to lead our team to victory, won't we, Ares?"

Ares smiled back confidently, "Absolutely, we'll win this together."

The Vice Dean nodded in satisfaction, but their conversation was interrupted by a sharp knock on the door.

Knock— Knock

"Team Soreh Academy, the instructions for the final match have arrived," a man's voice called out.

Ayla hurried to the door and returned with a white scroll, which was noticeably different from the regular envelopes that usually contained the instructions.

The Vice Dean accepted the scroll with a nod, breaking the seal to reveal the contents of the final match and reading it out loud for them.

[Dear Final Match Participants,

The moment you've all been waiting for has finally arrived! The ultimate battle for glory is upon us, and it's going to be a challenge like no other.

The final match will take place in a specially designed maze where each team will send their top 20 students to compete against each other. (Note: The students who have already participated in the semi-finals or were on the list of participants will not be eligible to participate in this match.)

The rules for this match are simple, but the challenge will be intense. There is no time limit, and the last team or individual standing will help their academy to be declared as the ultimate champion.

However, you won't be allowed to bring any weapons with you. But fear not, there will be plenty of weapons scattered around the arena for you to find and use to your advantage.

Furthermore, the maze is teeming with dangerous monsters and creatures that you can vanquish to acquire some special weapons. And be on guard for the traps that are concealed throughout the maze; they'll push your skills and techniques to the extreme.

Remember, the only way to score points is by eliminating the opponent students. So focus on taking them down and showcase your skills and strength in this ultimate battle.

You'll be teleported separately inside the maze, which means that you'll have to rely on your instincts and skills to survive and come out on top.

But there's a twist that will make this match even more challenging and exciting! Each participant will only be provided with limited mana, which will allow them to use only one skill of their choice only once during the whole match.

So, you'll have to choose wisely when to use your skill and make the most out of it to gain the upper hand in this intense battle.

Are you ready to take on this challenge? Are you ready to become the ultimate champion and bring glory to your academy? The fate of your Academy rests in your hands, so gear up, focus, and get ready to show the world what you're made of!

Good luck, and may the best team emerge victorious!]

The vice dean's face twisted in anger as he read the instructions for the final match. It was clear that the match favored Martial Star Academy, with its well-known reputation for martial arts and brute strength.

Attacks without mana would be useless against their steel-like bodies, which they had developed through their unique body training method.

"They want us to fail so badly that they openly favor Martial Star Academy with a match like this!" the vice dean growled, crumpling the scroll in his hand.

Ayla chimed in, her voice laced with worry. "And I doubt that the weapons scattered throughout the maze will be strong enough to even scratch them." 

Silence hung heavily in the room as everyone processed the information. The situation was dire; they couldn't find a single advantage in the upcoming match.

"They use their bodies as their primary weapon," Ayla continued thoughtfully. "Other weapons are merely secondary. They won't waste any time searching for weapons; they'll come after us as soon as the match begins."

The weight of her words sank in, and everyone felt a sense of unease settle over them.

"Shit!" one of them cursed.

The team felt a sense of despair wash over them as they listened to Ayla's analysis. Despite having strong team members like Ares, Ziona, Erina, and Claude, they knew that they couldn't rely on each other in the maze. Each of them would be teleported separately and face the Martial Star Academy students alone. With their limited mana, they knew they would struggle to fight against the Martial Star Academy students. The odds were definitely against them.

"Bastards, all of them! They've banded together and are taking advantage of Miss Ivica's absence to manipulate the match and ensure our defeat," the vice dean exclaimed, his face twisted in anger.

It was evident that the organizers were favoring Martial Star Academy by designing a match that played to their strengths and collaborated with other academies to create an unfair advantage.

The team exchanged nervous glances, uncertain of how they could possibly win when the odds were stacked so heavily against them. Even Ares, with all his strength, would struggle in this match.

Ziona suddenly let out a chuckle with a huge grin, catching everyone's attention. "Hehe, This match will be even more exciting than I anticipated!" she said, turning to Ares. "Hey, Ares, let's see who can take down more of these bastards, okay?" she said, her eyes gleaming with excitement.

Ares replied with an equally broad grin, "You're on! But don't come crying to me when you get eliminated by that Hercules again."

Ziona's face contorted in anger. "Y-You! I'll show you what I'm capable of today. And as for that barbarian, I'll be the one taking his head off, so stay away from him," she declared fiercely.

"No way. I have a personal score to settle with that bastard too. I'll take revenge for you, so don't worry," Ares replied with a smile.

"...."

As they discussed and showed their confidence, the tension in the room began to ease.

'...Maybe we can still win with these two monsters on our side,' Erina thought to herself, a small smile forming on her face.

"Count me in as well. I don't want you two to have all the fun yourselves now," she added, joining in the conversation.

Claude, who had been leaning against the wall with his arms folded, spoke up. "....I'll be the one to take down that Hercules," he said with determination.

Suddenly, an announcement echoed through the speakers, interrupting their discussion.

[Attention all participating members from the finalist teams, please proceed to the stage. The final match is about to begin!]

The vice dean's expression softened as he noticed the newfound confidence and determination in the students. "Alright, students, listen up. This is our moment. The culmination of all our training and hard work. Let's show everyone what Soreh Academy is made of!" he exclaimed, rallying the team.

"For Soreh Academy!" they all shouted in unison, their voices ringing with determination as they made their way toward the stage.