NOVPUB[A few minutes earlier]
Austin, along with the other team members, were gathered in the stands to watch Rudolph's match.
The audience was vast today as well. The students who were not participating from each academy were allowed to spectate.
Naturally, theuncil arranged their stay near the venue—which was a big thing,nsidering over a thousand students were visiting the tournament.
If not for every kingdom providing funds and the management getting help from the Union Council, then arranging the tournament at this scale would have been quite difficult—no, impossible.
Austin turned his attention toward the match referees around the arena. To stop any student from damaging their opponent beyond rvery, they would jump immediately.
'One of them must be a barrier specialist and one must be a medic.' Austin guessed.
"Want some candies?" Rhea suddenly offered him.
Austin turned his eyes, before nodding. However, when he raised his hand to pick some candies, he noticed something,
"You are shaking, Rhea," Austin called out, as he took some candies.
Rhea looked down at her hand and blinked innfusion.
The President of the Student Council, who was sitting on the other side of the pink head, asked, "Why are you nervous? Weren't you the mostnfident one about this match?"
Valerie also noticed the small hubbub as she picked some candies from Austin's hand and asked him, "What's the matter?"
Austin shrugged, as they both heard from the pink head,
"I don't know why, but I feel like something bad is about to happen. I really wish not to, but I don't know."
Austin narrowed his eyes in suspicion. Anyone saying such wordsuld be ignored, but the Protagonist with the blessing of majorly every God?
'No, no…there must be something wrong then…' Even though Austin wasntemplating what might have gone wrong, it was too late.
The two participants were already in the middle of the arena.
On the left side was the black-haired girl whom Austin met during the weming ceremony and stilluldn't forget about. And on the right was his friend and the fourth member participating from the Valorian.
All Austinuld do now was to hope that Rudolph would get through this hurdle.
…..
In the arena, Rudolph and Monica stood facing each other.
The noise of the crowd was majorly focused on the girl and her beauty.
"We meet again," The girl said with a friendly smile, "I hope you had a good sleep."
Rudolph nodded, "You bet." His body has rvered enough for him to not make any mistakes during the battle.
…however, there was a strange feeling inside his head that was making him hesitant for some reason. He didn't know why but his mind was refraining him from beginning this battle.
'What am I even thinking…' reprimanding himself, Rudolph got prepared.
The match referee appeared on the stage and first informed them of the rules.
Once done, Rudolph summoned his Shard, which was in the form of a huge battle hammer that pulsated with raw energy.
The haft is a massive, darkened metal shaft reinforced with bands of enchanted silver, long enough to require both hands to wield properly. The pommel is capped with a jagged crystal, cracked but ever-glowing, signifying the raw power itntains.
Rudolph has named it: Titan Judgement.
On the other hand, the Shard that Monica manifested was a single-hand war fan. It was violet inlor and had enough details to signify the evolutions it had gone through.
Rudolph doesn't know anything about Monica. The lessons Rhea taught him about his potential opponents were all forgotten. Rudolph always had the philosophy that in a real battlefield, no one knows whom they might need to face, so in the tournament as well, the element of surprise can help them prepare.
"Participants, ready?"
Rudolph picked up his weapon and gave a firm nod.
Monica did the same,vering her mouth with the war fan, she gave a nod.
The referee slashed his hand,
"BEGIN!"
Just as the refereemmenced, Rudolph's figure turned a blur—which was a surprisensidering his size—as he appeared behind her back.
Monica was in no position tounter his attack as Rudolph raised his battle hammer, ready to deliver a blow to knock her out.
The students held their breath seeing the big lion standing behind the small rabbit with his fangs bared.
However, right before heuld attack the girl, his…hand slipped and he failed to land the blow.
"Huh?" Rudolph exclaimed as his hammer landed on the ground rather than on the girl's shoulder.
Monica took the opportunity to find the boy at her face level before she waved her war fan, and a streak of blood sprayed from Rudolph'sllar.
"Agh!" Rudolph groaned in pain as he left his hammer on the ground and reeled his punch to strike—only to stop inches away from her face.
"Huh…" Rudolph didn't know why but he didn't bring himself to hit the girl at all. It wasn't his principles; rather, his mind was playing games at the worst time.
*SQUELCH*
A stream of blood flowed down his face as a deep gash was inflicted by the girl.
"No…" In the stands, Rhea had tears in her eyes as she approached the handrail.
Everyone from the Elite division was shocked, including Esner(Parkinson). He has fought with Rudolph in the past so he knows what the boy is capable of.
'What in the world happened to you?' Esner muttered under his breath with a frown on his face.
Austin had a bad feeling after witnessing this unexpected turn of events.
Although people in the audience were saying that Rudolph was not immune to Monica's charm anduldn't bring himself to hit the beauty, Austin knew that it wasn't the case.
Rudolph is the guy who has hit even the love of his life without hesitation in the past. So, it was quite unnatural for him to show hesitation during the battle.
'What happened to you…'
Back in the arena, the paralyzing effect of Monica's weapon took effect and Rudolph fell to the ground.
The referee came to check on the boy, asking him if heuldntinue, but Rudolph's body was failing to respond to his plea and his mind was in chaos of what he had done.
In the end, the referee declared Rudolph unfit tontinue the battle. Resulting in,
"Participant Monica wins!"
The said girl smiled in elation, before she directed her eyes toward a certain blond in the stands, and muttered under her breath,
"No one canme between us~"
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A/N:- I think you guys can guess what Monica's shard's ability is. Well, we will get there eventually. Leave amment.
