Chapter 390 Watching the Upper Years BOOM!

BOOM!

A tremendous explosion of wind swept across the arena, sending dust spiraling toward the protective barriers.

Arthur leaned forward, his eyes shining.

"WHOA! Did you see that?!"

Below them, an enormous white crane spread its wings, sending another powerful gust toward a heavily armored tortoise.

The tortoise lowered its body.

The wind struck its shell and scattered across the battlefield, shaking the nearby stone platforms.

Sun jumped to his feet. "That’s amazing! That crane nearly blew the entire platform away!"

Kong watched with obvious admiration. "I want to fight it."

Athena adjusted her glasses. "You’d have difficulty approaching through that wind."

Kong grinned. "Then I’d punch the wind."

Athy sighed. "An extraordinary strategy."

Melo giggled. "I’d pay to watch him try."

Arthur laughed before turning his attention back toward the arena.

The second-year competition had officially begun.

And it was already far more impressive than he expected.

...

The announcer’s voice echoed across the stands.

"Corin and his Wind Crane, Gale, against Ilya and her Ironback Tortoise, Slate!"

Corin stood confidently behind his crane.

"Keep the pressure on, Gale! Don’t let them approach!"

Gale swept its wings again.

A powerful current rushed across the arena, carrying loose stones into the air.

Ilya raised her arm to shield her face.

"Slate, hold your position!"

The enormous tortoise planted its feet.

Its shell endured the attack without moving.

Arthur watched carefully.

"That tortoise is incredibly sturdy."

Vedas nodded. "But remaining defensive won’t win the match."

Mithra tilted her head. "Then why isn’t Ilya trying to advance?"

Athena studied the battlefield.

"Look at the platforms."

Arthur followed her gaze.

The wind had gradually pushed several loose stone plates toward the far side of the arena.

Meanwhile, Slate had been moving slightly between attacks, positioning itself closer to the center.

Corin didn’t seem concerned.

"Gale, stronger!"

The crane spread its wings.

An even larger gust swept across the battlefield.

Slate lowered its head.

The wind struck its shell, creating a deafening impact.

Several spectators gasped.

"Can it withstand that?!"

When the dust cleared, Slate remained standing.

Arthur grinned. "It did!"

Ilya smiled.

"Now, Slate!"

The tortoise suddenly charged.

Corin’s eyes widened.

"What?!"

Despite its enormous shell, Slate moved surprisingly quickly across the short distance.

Gale attempted to take flight.

But the crane’s own wind had pushed the loose stone plates into a pile behind it, restricting its retreat.

Slate struck the ground beside Gale.

The impact threw the crane off balance.

Gale stumbled beyond the boundary.

A bell rang.

"Victory! Ilya advances!"

The spectators erupted into applause.

Arthur jumped to his feet. "That was incredible!"

Sun stared at the arena. "She let him attack the entire time!"

Vedas smiled faintly. "She was waiting for him to create his own disadvantage."

Athena nodded. "Corin focused on increasing his attack power without noticing how he was changing the battlefield."

Mithra looked toward Arthur. "What would you have done?"

Arthur considered the question.

"I probably would’ve tried attacking from above. Slate’s shell was protecting it from the wind, but Gale could’ve changed direction instead of standing in the same place."

Athy nodded approvingly. "A reasonable adjustment."

Vedas glanced toward Arthur. "And what should Ilya have done if he attempted that?"

Arthur smiled. "Then she’d need another plan."

Melo laughed. "Wonderful. You’ve discovered the secret to winning. Have more plans!"

...

Several more matches followed.

Some competitors demonstrated impressive strength, while others relied on careful positioning and precise commands.

One second-year student used a small burrowing Beast to approach an opponent from beneath the battlefield.

Another directed a flying Beast to intercept attacks without wasting energy on unnecessary movement.

Arthur watched everything with growing interest.

"They’re really good at changing their strategies."

Vedas nodded. "And their Beasts respond with very little hesitation."

Athena examined her notes. "Their commands are shorter too. They don’t need to explain every action."

Sun leaned forward. "I noticed something else."

Mithra glanced toward him. "What?"

"They don’t use their strongest attacks immediately."

Arthur looked surprised. "You’re right!"

Sun folded his arms thoughtfully.

"If Kong and I spent less energy at the beginning, we’d have more strength left when the opponent started getting tired."

Kong scratched his head. "But I like using my strongest punch first."

Sun grinned. "Then we’ll practice making your second punch even better."

Kong considered that.

"Can the third punch be the strongest?"

Sun laughed. "Now you’re getting it!"

Athena smiled faintly. "That’s actually a useful improvement."

...

By the afternoon, the second-year championship had reached its conclusion.

Ilya and Slate returned to the arena against a competitor whose Beast possessed exceptional speed.

The match lasted considerably longer than their earlier victory.

Ilya couldn’t simply wait for her opponent to make a mistake. She had to reposition Slate repeatedly, defend against attacks from several directions, and conserve enough strength for a final exchange.

Eventually, Slate intercepted its opponent near the boundary and forced it outside the marked area.

The crowd erupted.

"Second-year champion—Ilya!"

Arthur applauded enthusiastically.

"She won again!"

Vedas watched the victorious tortoise with appreciation.

"An impressive partnership."

As the competitors left the arena, Ilya noticed Arthur standing near the reserved viewing section.

She paused.

"You’re Arthur Cronwall, aren’t you? Yesterday’s champion?"

Arthur smiled. "That’s me! Your matches were amazing!"

Ilya laughed. "Thanks. I watched your final too."

"Really?"

"Of course. Your Goblin King is impressive."

Vedas inclined his head politely.

Ilya glanced toward Slate, who stood patiently beside her.

"One thing I’ve learned is that a Beast doesn’t always need another command. Sometimes you have to trust what they’ve already understood."

Arthur nodded thoughtfully.

"Yeah. I’m still working on that."

Ilya smiled. "Then good luck. Maybe we’ll face each other someday."

Arthur’s eyes brightened.

"I’d love that!"

After she departed, Sun crossed his arms.

"Arthur, you really do make friends with everyone."

Mithra laughed. "At least he doesn’t challenge every person he meets."

Sun looked offended. "I don’t do that!"

Kong slowly raised his hand.

Sun immediately grabbed it. "Don’t."

...

The following morning, Arthur and his companions returned for the third-year competition.

The difference was obvious before the first match even began.

The battlefield had been expanded, with taller platforms, wider spaces, and additional protective barriers surrounding the arena.

Arthur stared at the enormous structures.

"They made it even bigger!"

Athena nodded. "The third-years probably need more room for their abilities."

Melo floated excitedly above Mithra’s shoulder.

"Oh, I hope somebody does something spectacular!"

Athy examined the arena. "I would prefer something technically impressive."

Melo grinned. "Why not both?"

The opening matches quickly answered her question.

A massive horned Beast shattered a stone barrier with a single charge.

Another competitor’s serpent moved through the battlefield so quickly that several spectators struggled to follow it.

Yet the most impressive performances weren’t always the loudest.

Arthur watched one third-year competitor defeat a stronger opponent by repeatedly redirecting its attacks until it exhausted itself.

He leaned toward Vedas.

"Did you notice? He barely attacked."

Vedas nodded. "He understood exactly how much force was necessary."

Arthur smiled.

"That’s something we should practice."

...

By the third-year championship, the stands were packed.

The final competitors entered from opposite sides.

One was a young woman named Selene, accompanied by an elegant stag with silver antlers.

Across from her stood Toren, whose enormous Storm Hawk circled overhead.

The announcer raised his voice.

"Third-year championship! Selene and her Tide Stag against Toren and his Storm Hawk!"

The referee signaled the beginning.

Immediately, the stag lowered its antlers.

Water rose from the arena floor, twisting into several enormous streams.

Arthur’s mouth fell open.

"That’s beautiful!"

The streams curved through the air like transparent ribbons, reflecting sunlight across the battlefield.

Toren smiled.

"Let’s see how you handle this!"

His Storm Hawk spread its wings.

A powerful current swept across the arena.

Lightning flickered between its feathers.

The spectators erupted.

"Lightning!"

"Look at the water!"

The hawk launched a brilliant electrical attack toward the approaching streams.

Selene immediately raised her hand.

"Separate!"

The water divided into several smaller currents, allowing the lightning to pass between them before striking the protected arena floor.

Arthur stared.

"She controlled all of those at once?!"

Athena leaned forward. "And she separated them before the electricity reached the water."

Athy nodded. "Excellent timing."

The Storm Hawk descended.

Its wings generated a violent gust that scattered several streams into glittering droplets.

But the Tide Stag immediately redirected the remaining water, forming a curved barrier around Selene.

The wind struck it.

Water exploded into the air.

For a moment, the entire arena glittered beneath thousands of falling droplets.

Melo clasped her hands together.

"Oh, that’s gorgeous!"

Even Sun forgot to speak.

...

Toren wasn’t finished.

He directed his Storm Hawk higher, allowing it to circle above the battlefield.

Then the hawk folded its wings and descended with astonishing speed.

Arthur’s eyes widened.

"That’s fast!"

Selene didn’t retreat.

Instead, she directed her stag to spread a thin layer of water across the stone.

The hawk approached.

At the last moment, the stag moved sideways, gliding across the wet surface with remarkable control.

The Storm Hawk missed its target.

Toren immediately adjusted.

"Turn! Don’t let them escape!"

The hawk swept around and attacked again.

But Selene had already changed her position.

The water rose behind the stag, forming a series of curved walls.

The Storm Hawk struck through the first.

Then the second.

But the third redirected its momentum upward.

Toren’s eyes widened.

"That’s what you wanted?!"

Selene smiled.

"Now!"

The Tide Stag raised its antlers.

The scattered water gathered into a massive spiral around the hawk.

For a moment, the enormous bird appeared trapped inside a glittering sphere.

The crowd gasped.

Arthur gripped the railing.

"Whoa!"

Toren immediately raised his arm.

"Break through!"

Lightning flashed.

The water sphere burst apart in an explosion of light and mist.

The spectators erupted into cheers.

But when the mist cleared, Selene had already moved.

The Tide Stag stood near the center, while the Storm Hawk hovered dangerously close to the boundary.

Toren realized the problem.

"Pull back!"

The hawk attempted to retreat.

Selene directed the remaining water into a broad current beneath it.

The sudden upward surge disrupted the hawk’s flight.

It crossed the boundary before recovering its balance.

A bell rang.

"Victory! Selene is the third-year champion!"

The arena exploded into applause.

Arthur stared for a moment.

Then he began clapping enthusiastically.

"THAT WAS AMAZING!"

...

As the competitors congratulated one another, Arthur turned toward Vedas.

"Did you see how she kept using the water differently?"

Vedas nodded. "Defense, movement, distraction, and finally control of the battlefield."

Athena looked impressed. "She didn’t need a different ability for every situation. She used the same ability in several ways."

Mithra smiled. "And Toren kept adapting. He almost escaped that final attack."

Sun clenched his fist excitedly.

"I want Kong to reach that level!"

Kong nodded. "Then we’ll need bigger punches."

Sun laughed. "And better timing!"

Arthur glanced toward Star, who was resting comfortably beside him.

"Maybe we should practice using what we already have in more ways."

Star bounced in agreement.

Vedas considered the idea.

"We could begin by practicing when our usual lines of communication are blocked. That was one of our weaknesses during the semifinal."

Arthur smiled. "Good idea! Let’s do that after the competition."

Mithra gave him a sideways look.

"After we enjoy the rest of the week."

Arthur laughed. "Right. I remember."

...

As the third-year award ceremony concluded, the Academy’s announcement screens illuminated once more.

"Congratulations to today’s competitors! Tomorrow, the final upper-year event will take place. Principal Steven is also expected to address the Academy during the closing ceremony."

Arthur looked toward the enormous battlefield.

"The final upper-year event..."

Athena closed her notebook. "If the third-years were already this capable, the remaining competitors should be fascinating to watch."

Melo smiled mischievously. "Maybe someone will finally make the entire arena explode."

Athy looked horrified. "That would be a safety violation."

Sun laughed. "Now I definitely want to watch!"

Arthur grinned as the instructors began preparing the arena for the next day.

He had already seen how much stronger and more skilled students could become in just a few years.

And tomorrow, he would get another glimpse of what awaited him.