"You know what? The entire thing I said about my family being perfect and just... well that was a complete lie. My family is also kind of messed up. My family may not be a clan that are part of Great Clans of the Aldai nation officially recognized by his majesty the king. But we're not a normal family, we're a massive clan with an enormous number of members. And just like shido's clan, mine has its own weird traditions and customs.
Actually, now that I think about it, I believe every powerful clan in this world is strange in one way or another. After all, this is a world where the strong get everything they want.
If you're weak, all you can do is watch and applaud from the sidelines. If you're strong, you can take whatever you want, whenever you want. In the end, only strength truly matters. As for my clan, we're descendants of a certain race—or at least that's what our people have always claimed.
People like me and the rest of my clan are merely diluted descendants of that race, carrying only fragments of their bloodline. But before I explain exactly what I mean by that, there are still some things you need to learn. Only after uncovering those truths will you be able to fully understand what I'm talking about."
-----
Back to shido's p.o.v:
The next day passed by quickly, and before I knew it, it was finally the day of the tournament that would determine who would represent Douma High in the upcoming Royal Rumble.
As usual, I was sitting at my desk in the classroom.
The atmosphere was noticeably different from normal.
Some students were talking excitedly amongst themselves, while others looked nervous, repeatedly checking their phones or fidgeting in their seats.
Everyone understood how important today's event was.
After all, the students selected here have a chance to not only represent our school, but would also be fighting in a battle that would be broadcast across the entire nation of Aldai.
As for the twenty participants selected from our class, the list was fairly simple.
There was me, Chichi. And a bunch of other students whose names I barely knew.
One person was noticeably absent from the list, however.
Ryuen.
That immediately caught my attention.
I had expected him to join.
Actually, I was almost certain he would.
So why wasn't he participating?
That question lingered in my mind. Then i remembered his boss.
Could he be planning to transfer to Iruka-High?
No... that sounded ridiculous.
Or was there some strange loophole in the rules that allowed students from one school to participate on behalf of another?
I honestly had no idea.
Still, it was interesting.
Not that I particularly cared whether I fought him again.
I already understood how his ability worked.
If we ended up facing each other in the future, I almost felt sorry for him.
The beating I gave him the first time happened in front of only three people.
Sakura.
One of his lackeys.
And myself.
But now?
Imagine getting beaten up on live television in front of an entire nation.
The thought nearly made a smile spread across my face and my usual droopy-eyelashes rose high, revealing my shining eyes.
Fortunately, I managed to suppress it before anyone noticed.
Just then, the classroom door opened.
Our teacher entered.
The conversations immediately died down.
He glanced around the room before speaking.
"Everyone, stand up."
The twenty selected participants immediately rose from their seats.
The teacher gave a satisfied nod.
"Good."
Then he turned around and headed for the door.
"Follow me. The ones who aren't participating follow five minutes after."
Without wasting time, everyone began filing out of the classroom.
As we walked through the hallways in a neat line, the teacher continued speaking.
"I'm taking all of you to the tournament grounds."
A few students visibly tensed.
Others became even more excited.
The teacher didn't stop walking.
"When we arrive, the principal will explain the rules of the tournament."
His voice echoed through the hallway.
"You currently don't know what format the battles will take."
"It could be one-on-one fights."
"It could be team battles."
"It could be elimination matches."
"Or it could be something entirely different."
Several students exchanged nervous glances.
The teacher smirked slightly.
"So prepare yourselves."
"Whatever format is chosen, only the strongest students will advance."
Silence immediately fell over the group.
Everyone understood what those words meant.
Today would be the first step toward the Royal Rumble.
And for many of us—
It would also be the first time we truly measured ourselves against the strongest students in Douma High.
The moment our group stepped out of the tunnel leading to the tournament grounds, countless voices reached our ears.
Cheers.
Arguments.
Laughter.
And excited conversations.
The entire stadium-like arena was already packed with students from every class of Douma High.
From above, the massive battlefield looked like a giant circular platform surrounded by elevated spectator seats. Teachers stood around the edges while members of the disciplinary committee maintained order.
Everyone had come to watch.
After all, today's event would decide who would represent Douma High in the upcoming Three-Way Royal Rumble.
Our class quietly walked toward the area assigned to us.
As soon as we arrived, dozens of eyes immediately turned toward us.
More specifically—
Toward Shido.
Some students whispered amongst themselves.
"So that's the transfer student?"
"I heard a rumor that Ryuen confronted him and he was defeated."
"Seriously?"
"I don't know if it's true."
"I heard Ryuen never showed up to school again after fighting him."
Rumors spread faster than wildfire.
Shido, however, didn't react.
His hands remained inside his pockets as he casually observed the enormous arena.
His expression didn't change in the slightest.
It was almost as if nothing around him interested him.
Meanwhile, standing on the highest platform overlooking the arena was Douma High's principal.
Beside him stood several teachers and members of the Student Council.
Among them were the students ranked from Sixth to Tenth in the entire school.
Even without releasing their pressure, they naturally attracted everyone's attention.
Some students looked at them with admiration.
Others looked at them with fear.
After all, everyone knew that the Student Council was filled with monsters.
Yet—
Everyone also knew there existed five people even stronger than them.
The five individuals who stood above every other student in Douma High.
The legends of the academy.
The Five Thrones.
Strangely enough, none of them had appeared today.
Some students looked around searching for them anyway.
Others merely smiled bitterly.
"It would've been weird if they participated."
"They're in a completely different league."
"If they entered, there wouldn't even be a tournament."
"The rest of us would just be fighting for second place."
The conversations continued until—
A loud bell echoed throughout the arena.
DONG!
Silence instantly descended.
The principal stepped forward.
His gaze slowly swept across the thousands of gathered students before he spoke.
"Welcome."
His calm voice echoed through the entire arena.
"Today marks the beginning of the selection tournament. The purpose of this tournament is simple."
"To choose the fifty strongest students who will represent Douma High in the upcoming Three-Way Royal Rumble against Iruka High and Asura High. Since we have 525 students in total here the tournament will go on for 3-whole day's."
The atmosphere immediately became tense.
Some students clenched their fists.
Others swallowed nervously.
The principal continued.
"From Classes 1 through 5, each class has been divided into three separate groups. Only one group from each class will advance to tomorrow's Second Round. The same process will repeat the following day. Those who survive and reach the Third Round will battle once more until only the Top 50 students remain—will be the official representatives of Douma High for the upcoming *Three-Way Royal Rumble!* And as usual the fighting format is a one-on-one elimination. The rules are equally simple."
"Victory is achieved through surrender, knockout, or the referee's judgment."
"Killing is strictly forbidden."
"Any student who intentionally violates this rule will be immediately expelled and prosecuted under kingdom law."
Nobody questioned those words.
Everyone understood.
This was still a school tournament.
The principal raised one hand.
"Now then..."
"Let the first match begin."
The giant screen above the arena suddenly lit up.
Countless names began scrolling rapidly before slowing down.
The entire crowd held its breath.
Then—
The first two names appeared.
The arena erupted into cheers as the opening battle of the tournament was finally about to begin.
The moment the names appeared on the giant screen, the entire arena became lively.
Round-1: First Match!
Participant-120; Kai Ardent (Class 2-B)
VS
Participant-023; Luna Mirel (Class 3-C)
A loud cheer erupted from every direction.
The two students quickly walked toward the center of the battlefield from opposite entrances.
Kai was a tall boy with short brown hair and a confident smile.
Luna, on the other hand, looked calm, almost expressionless, as she adjusted the gloves covering her hands.
The referee stepped between them.
"You already know the rules."
"No killing."
"No outside interference."
"Victory is determined by knockout, surrender, or my judgment."
He raised one hand.
"When I lower it..."
"The battle begins."
The entire arena became silent.
Then—His hand dropped.
"Begin!"
BOOM!
Kai immediately kicked off the ground.
The stone beneath his feet cracked as he charged forward with astonishing speed.
His right fist glowed with a silver like aura before he threw a straight punch toward Luna's face.
His body could temporarily increase its physical strength several times over.
The crowd erupted.
"So fast!"
"He's already attacking!"
Luna didn't panic.
Instead, she calmly stepped backward.
The punch barely missed her face.
The wind pressure alone blew several strands of her hair backward.
Kai continued attacking without stopping.
One punch.
Two punches.
Three punches.
Each strike shattered pieces of the arena floor.
But strangely...
None of them landed.
Luna moved with incredible precision, dodging every attack by the smallest possible margin.
The audience slowly noticed something unusual.
"Wait..."
"Is she predicting his movements?"
"No!"
"She's reading his body perhaps?"
Hearing guesses all around him, even Shido began to watch with mild interest.
His eyes followed every movement without blinking.
"Interesting..."
He quietly muttered to himself.
"He isn't faster than her. But the opposite."
On the battlefield, Kai became frustrated.
"Stop running away!"
He stomped the ground.
CRACK!!
Fragments of stone shot into the air.
This time he swung with everything he had.
His fist tore through the air toward Luna's chest.
Everyone thought the match was over.
But at the last second—
Luna spun her body around the fist, her right hand lightly touched Kai's wrist.
Then she pulled hard.
Kai's own momentum betrayed him.
His balance disappeared instantly.
Before anyone realized what happened—
BANG!!
Kai slammed face-first into the ground.
The entire stadium fell silent.
Luna simply stood there without chasing him.
She waited.
Kai tried to move from the ground but no matter hard he tried, he couldn't.
"Ohh so he's ability has something to do with his muscles or weight," interesting said shido.
One second.
Two seconds.
Three.
Four.
Five.
Six.
Seven.
Eight.
Kai struggled once again to stand but his body refused to move.
The referee immediately stepped forward.
"And the winner..."
"Luna Mirel!"
The crowd exploded into applause.
Even some teachers nodded with approval.
"A perfect counter."
"She didn't overpower him."
"She used his own strength against him."
Back in the waiting area, many participants suddenly looked much more serious.
The tournament had only just begun.
Yet everyone had already realized one thing.
No one standing in this arena had reached this stage through luck alone.