Chapter 89: Turf Wars [4]

"IN AN OVERWHELMING UPSET, THE GRANGE IS MOMENTS FROM NOT ONLY WINNING BUT WINNING...UNANIMOUSLY THROUGH CLAIMING ALL OF THE LAND!"

Almost every person in the coliseum was standing up straight, cheering and shouting desperately as if the game below was the World Cup final.

The large screen, resembling a jumbotron from Earth and floating in the air above the coliseum, was cut in half, displaying two different scenes.

On one side, Charlotte was desperately attacking Ner, preventing him from moving even a single inch forward.

Her antlers were spread to the right and left, preventing Ner from simply side-stepping around her.

*CLANG*

*CLANG*

The sounds of their metal blades hitting each other blasted throughout the coliseum.

Beside Charlotte, Angel was panting heavily while facing off against seven humans simultaneously, having already eliminated over five herself.

Despite the fact that the seven humans were packed together and slashing at her from every direction, she weaved around their blades and isolated single fights, managing to survive the onslaught.

And then...on the other screen, only two figures could be seen.

A boy with blood-red eyes slammed the edge of his sword against the other boy’s knees, instantly sending him to the ground.

Not even a moment later, only the boy with red eyes remained.

In the background, countless humans raced toward him, but it was far too late.

The screen suddenly panned to the three girls kneeling behind him, as the last bit of crimson-red ground transformed into vivid green.

"ANNNNND IT’S OVER! WITH ONLY SIX SURVIVING TEAM MEMBERS LEFT, THE GRANGE HAS DEFEATED CORRIDIUS!"

The audience instantly burst into cheers as Angel collapsed to the ground, the humans surrounding her halting in their tracks and walking back to their tunnel.

Beside her, Charlotte staggered backward, her antlers vanishing, as Ner clicked his tongue and rubbed his head while leaving.

"..."

And on the massive screen, being broadcast to millions of people across the world, the image of a boy with crimson-red eyes holding a silver Dao and breathing heavily, blood leaking from his mouth, appeared.

His body swayed back and forth as the Dao fell out of his hands.

*CLANG*

In the next moment, the three elven girls around him smiled as widely as possible and stood up, grabbing the boy’s two limp arms and raising them to the sky.

Another burst of cheers exploded forward from the audience.

"GO ASH! YOU DID IT! I NEVER DOUBTED YOU!"

"THE UNDERDOGS WON!"

"NOOO...I JUST LOST MY LIFE-SAVINGS..."

"..."

Gazing at the image of three elven girls propping up Ash’s arms on the massive screen, Ren finally ceased his yelling and comfortably fell back on his chair in relief.

Awkwardly coughing upon noticing everyone gazing at him, Ren smiled and said.

"Can’t I be happy for a friend?"

Behind Ren, many students gazed at the floating screen with complicated expressions, despite having been cheering excitedly a moment ago.

Clicking his tongue, Leon was the first to stand up as he muttered.

"Waste of time...I should have just gone back and showered. I’ll meet you guys at dinner."

In front of him, Lily shook her head and silently closed her notebook; however, Carissa...was a different story.

"Did you guys see that!? How the hell did he cut through a mana slash!? Is that even possible!?"

Evangel calmly explained while standing up.

"I believe it’s the second stage of Martial Arts...a blade with intent can disrupt a mana slash, fundamentally dismantling the slash’s mana particle structure."

In another row, a couple of seats back, Haerin gritted her teeth and gazed at her own sword before standing up as well.

...

...

...

"IT WORKED! IT REALLY WORKED!"

"PRINCESS, WE DID IT!"

Leaving me behind, the three elven girls ran toward Charlotte, who was limping forward with Angel’s bruised body on her shoulder.

Pushing back my greasy hair, I sighed and followed them back into the tunnel.

However...just as I stepped into the tunnel and out of the sight of the audience...

"WE WON!"

"I KNEW WE COULD DO IT!"

"WE REALLY BEAT THOSE BASTARDS."

Tens of voices echoed through the tunnel as the elves who had been eliminated joined us and hugged each other with grins.

Before I could even process what was happening, two hands gripped my right and left shoulders as I was yanked forward a moment later.

Wrapping their arms around me, Grayson and Reed hugged me until I finally managed to push them off.

With a smile, Grayson looked at me in the crowded tunnel and tilted his head, handing me a handkerchief for the blood on my chin.

"Thanks, Ash...really. You didn’t even have to do this in the first place, but you went above and beyond."

Feeling my lips involuntarily curve upward, I covered my mouth and answered.

"Just get me that flying deer, alright?"

Before Reed could continue pestering me, Charlotte’s voice suddenly echoed throughout the tunnel.

"Everyone, let’s head to the capital for a celebratory dinner! But....NO SEAFOOD, PLEASE!"

Before I could even decide if I wanted to go, Reed grabbed my collar and dragged me forward into the crowd.

Looking down at me, he smiled and said.

"You were planning to leave, right?"

"..."

"You know, seriously, sometimes I think if I close my eyes, you’ll just disappear forever."

...

...

...

A joyous mood filled the private restaurant room as the twenty of us sat at a long table, eagerly eating and celebrating.

"Did you see that guy’s face when we won!?"

"Those idiots really tried to blitz us!"

"Do they even have eyes!? Could not one of them look behind!?"

I also...learned something new about elves that the novel had actually never mentioned.

They had an extremely high alcohol tolerance: dozens of champagne bottles were brought out by servers.

Watching the people I had fought with just an hour ago take shot after shot like it was nothing, I cleared my throat and focused on the food before me.

But...of course.

Just as I picked up my fork, the entire table turned to me with grins and began chanting.

"SHOT!"

"SHOT!"

"SHOT!"