Chapter 205: No One Has Ever Done This

A heavy, suffocating silence was gripping the grand void arena of the Supreme Blessed Tournament. It was not a normal silence. It was the kind of silence that comes when over a hundred thousand people hold their breath at the same time.

Above the central stage, the massive floating screen displayed with cold, white light. The numbers on it were clear and cruel.

[AETHER BLESSED ACADEMY - 1 FIGHTER REMAINING — VOID BLESSED ACADEMY - 22 FIGHTERS REMAINING]

The mathematical reality was clear to everyone. This was not a fair fight. This was a death sentence.

In the upper tier, middle class citizens, visiting merchants, travelers, and casual fans were shaking their heads. Their eyes were full of pity as they stared down at the lonely figure sitting on the cold stone bench in the Aether enclosure.

"It’s over," a middle aged man in a brown coat muttered. He leaned over the brass railing and sighed heavily. "Lynx Azarion is a monster, we all saw how he crushed his earlier rounds. But twenty two fighters at the same time? That’s not a match. That’s a public execution. They should stop this."

"And Void’s team isn’t normal this year," another fan added next to him. He crossed his arms and his face was tight with worry.

"Did you see them? They have been monstrously fast, brutally heavy, and unreasonably durable since the second phase started. Something is wrong with them."

An Heather Empire citizen said "One guy can’t bridge a twenty two to one gap. It’s just not realistic. The kid should just give up and keep his life."

Across the stadium, in the middle seating sections where families huddled around small viewing screens, people were whispering in sad, low tones. Mothers covered their children’s eyes.

Old men shook their heads. They had come from their homes In Aether Empire to cheer for Aether Blessed Academy, but now this felt like watching a lamb walk straight into a slaughterhouse.

Down in the Aether Blessed Academy enclosure, the air was split into two different feelings. Desperate hope and grim anxiety.

The first year students stood near the front railing. Their eyes were shining with absolute, fanatical trust. To them, Lynx wasn’t just a senior or an elite student. He was a force of nature. He was the man who had shattered every ceiling placed before him.

"He’s going to win," a first year girl whispered. Her hands were clutched over her chest and tears were hovering in her eyes. Her voice was shaking. "He has to. Lynx doesn’t lose. He never loses! We have seen him fight!"

"Damn right!" a male first year growled next to her. He slammed his fist onto the stone ledge so hard his knuckles turned red. "He’s going to wipe the floor with those Void bastards! Just watch! He will make them regret everything!"

Behind them, the Fourth Year elites and senior representatives had a much more somber outlook. They knew more about these type of matches. They knew more about numbers.

Eleanor stood beside Nadia. Her fingers were tightly wrapped around the hilt of her sheath. Her heart was pounding heavily against her ribs. Her knuckles were white.

She looked at Lynx, who was leaning back casually against the stone bench, his legs stretched out as if he were taking a lazy break in a public park. His uniform was clean. His breathing was calm.

Eleanor took a step forward. Her voice was soft but strained with worry. She tried to keep it steady.

"Lynx... listen to me," she said. "Nobody expects you to pull off a miracle here. Nobody. Twenty two against one is a suicidal trap. The whole stadium knows it. Just go out there, do your best, and if it gets too dangerous, yield immediately. Don’t throw your life away trying to carry the whole academy on your shoulders. We have already done enough."

Nadia scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. Her tight jaw betrayed her anxiety. She was trying to act tough.

"She’s right, Azarion," Nadia said. Her voice was sharp. "You’ve already proven you’re the strongest second year this academy has seen in decades. Maybe in a hundred years. Nobody will blame you for stepping down against a horde. It is smart to step down. It is not cowardly."

Lynx turned his head slowly. A smooth, effortless smirk graced his lips. He looked at Eleanor, then at Nadia then the others. His dark eyes were brimming with absolute, supreme confidence. There was no fear in them. Not a single drop.

"Yield?" Lynx chuckled softly. His tone was cool and completely unbothered. It was like they were talking about the weather. "That word isn’t in my vocabulary, girls. Relax. I have got this. Twenty two is just a number."

From the faculty seats behind them, the Professors shook their heads. Their expressions were filled with deep worry. Professor Jace who had kneel on the floor while he bled because of Lynx then stepped up.

"Lynx, be reasonable," the veteran instructor warned. He stepped down the stairs with a heavy scowl. His voice was loud. "Void’s lineup has shown abnormal physical boosts and elemental output since the second phase began, because of that artifact. Their momentum is terrifying. We have all seen it. Do not throw your life away trying to play the hero you aren’t. We can forfeit the final."

Before Lynx could reply, Professor Rose, who stood near the back in her sharp crimson coat, stepped forward. The air around her shifted.

Her eyes met Lynx’s for a brief, electric second. A subtle, knowing smile touched her lips. It was a smile that only he could understand.

"Let him speak," Rose said. Her voice was smooth and steady, carrying an authority that silenced the other Professors instantly. The other professors went quiet. "Trust in him. He isn’t going to lose. He will surely win. I have never been more sure of anything."

Lynx caught her gaze, letting out a low laugh before flashing her a smooth, mischievous wink. Rose’s cheeks flushed with a faint touch of red, though her expression remained completely poised and confident. She looked away quickly, but the smile stayed.

Lynx turned back toward Eleanor and her squad of fourth year girls. He leaned in slightly, his smirk widening. His confidence was infectious.

"Tell you what, Eleanor," he said in a low, teasing voice. "When I win this entire thing and bring the trophy back to Aether, you and your friends owe me a night out. I’m taking all of you out on a date, my treat. Just you girls and me."

Nadia scoffed loudly, turning her head away with a sharp huff. Her cheeks were warming up despite herself. "In your dreams, young man! You are unbelievable!"

Iris, looked away shyly, Layla just smiled while Rhea, just stared at him, as if memorizing his face one more time.

Eleanor, however, let out a soft, genuine laugh. Her anxiety eased a little under his infectious confidence. She looked him dead in the eye and smiled. Her eyes were bright now.

"Deal," she said. "You win this 1v22 rigged tournament, Lynx, and we are all yours for a date. All 5 of us. That is a promise."

"Hold that thought," Lynx chuckled. His eyes glinted.

He stood up from the bench and turned toward the medical mats where his women rested under the care of the healing staff.

Ophelia was propped up against a cushion, her body bandaged from her brutal war of attrition against Kain.

Lira lay beside her, her shoulder freshly set, her face pale. Ava was slowly regaining consciousness after her explosive clash with Kimberly. Kira stood beside them, muttering and cursing at the Void students, while also hating she wasn’t strong enough yet.

Lynx walked over. He bent down. Without a single word of hesitation, he leaned in and kissed Ophelia softly on the lips.

Ophelia’s eyes widened slightly before she melted into the kiss. Her pale cheeks turned deep red. When he pulled back, he moved straight to Lira, pressing his lips to hers with firm, reassuring warmth.

He then leaned down to Ava, kissing her tenderly on the forehead and then on the lips as her eyes fluttered open. Before turning to Kira and giving her a deep, passionate kiss that left her breathless and blushing.

"Good luck kisses," Lynx murmured smoothly, wiping a drop of stray sweat from Ava’s cheek with his thumb. His voice was gentle now.

"Watch from the front row, girls. I’m about to break every single one of them for what they did to you. Every bone."

Ophelia let out a weak, bloody smirk. Her eyes were burning with trust and love. "Don’t... don’t leave any of them standing. Make them pay."

"Not a single one," Lynx promised. His voice turned cold and hard.

He turned on his heel. His posture completely relaxed as he strolled casually toward the dark archway leading out to the main arena platform. His steps were calm. He looked like a king going for a walk.

The moment Lynx’s tall, imposing figure emerged from the shadowy tunnel into the blinding sunlight of the central arena, the entire stadium erupted into a chaotic storm of noise.

It was deafening. Cheers, screams, boos, gasps, all mixed together.

Up in the commentary booth, the lead announcer slammed his hands against his desk. His voice boomed through the massive amplification speakers that rung around the stadium.

"HE’S STEPPING OUT! LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, LYNX AZARION HAS ENTERED THE STAGE! IS HE CRAZY?! IS THIS ABSOLUTE COURAGE OR UNRIVALED FOOLISHNESS?! AETHER BLESSED ACADEMY HAS SENT THEIR FINAL REPRESENTATIVE TO FACE THE ENTIRETY OF VOID BLESSED ACADEMY’S TWENTY FOUR QUALIFIED SLOTS ALONE!"

The man was almost shouting until his voice broke.

"The sheer pressure must be unbearable!" the co commentator shouted over the roar of the crowd. She was holding her headset tightly.

"Void has twenty two individual fighters standing on their balcony, led by Queen Kimberly Vane. Even if Lynx Azarion possesses top tier elemental masteries, fighting twenty two elite combatants simultaneously is a feat never before accomplished in the entire history of the Supreme Blessed Tournament! No one has ever tried this!"