Chapter 543: The Grand First-Year Combat Festival: Ninth Round Begins

Once Ezra got back home, he began arranging all the Metal bars he had bought earlier in the day.

The materials were placed around the living room in small groups before Ezra transferred them into his Space Bag one by one, checking each bar before storing it away. The faint clinking of metal filled the otherwise quiet room, mixing with the voices coming from the Glass Television.

The television was playing replays of the previous fights.

Ezra watched the fights of Ravenor Burnwick, Diane Bergwyn, Maxwell, and even Lyra Ashburn one after another.

He didn’t simply watch them for entertainment.

His black plain eyes followed their movements carefully, sometimes staying on one particular moment for several seconds before the replay continued.

At the same time, Ezra analyzed his own fight against Willow Derlis.

There were things he could have done differently.

There were also things he had learned only after actually fighting her.

One factor stood out to him when he thought about facing a known Genius like Willow Derlis.

She possessed an Alchemy Weapon capable of storing a large amount of Cognis.

The amount of Cognis stored inside that weapon was close to the same percentage as the Cognis Pool of a Meister-rank Alchemist.

Ezra couldn’t tell the exact amount.

He had no way of directly measuring what was stored inside Willow’s walking stick.

However, there was one thing he could use as evidence.

Her fight against Nina.

Willow had performed two Mass Alchemies during that battle, using the stored Cognis as a medium to be able to perform her first Mass Alchemy.

That alone showed how much Cognis must have been stored inside the walking stick she carried.

Ezra’s hand paused above one of the Metal bars.

He looked toward the Glass Television which materialized the Holographic screens displaying the fights.

The replay showed Willow standing on the Combat Festival platform, her crimson Blood Alchemy spreading across the battlefield.

But that wasn’t the only thing.

Willow had also displayed a good level of Cognis control.

That was why she could perform a second Mass Alchemy after already igniting the first.

A large Cognis Pool alone wouldn’t explain it completely.

The amount of Cognis needed to control that much Blood Alchemy while maintaining another Alchemy Circle was enormous, but without sufficient control, most of that Cognis would be wasted.

Ezra understood that part now.

"So, it’s safe to assume Ravenor and Vera have top-tier Alchemy Weapons like that, but they haven’t shown it yet."

Ezra said to himself matter-of-factly as he finished organizing the last of his Alchemy Materials into his Space Bag.

His eyes returned to the television.

The replay changed.

Diane Bergwyn appeared on the screen.

"While Diane’s slim sword..."

Ezra’s voice trailed off as his attention settled on the weapon in Diane’s hand.

He remembered that sword.

He had seen it during the Combat Festival.

He had also seen her use it during the time they entered the Black Zone to hunt the Ghost Crawler.

Since the beginning of the Combat Festival, the same slim sword had remained in her hands while she used it to face her opponents.

Ezra watched another replay of Diane cutting through an attack.

The sword moved with a simple motion, yet the result was anything but simple.

The weapon was made from Mithril-Frostblack Alloy.

A combination of forty-five percent Mithril, thirty percent Frostsilver, and twenty-five percent Black Steel.

The weapon also contained Frost Alchemy Systems that made up its Alchemy Weapon structure.

Ezra’s eyes narrowed slightly as he considered the construction.

The slim sword was actually one of Diane’s strongest arsenals, even before adding her own level of Frost Alchemy strength.

That explained something.

Ezra could now understand why Diane Bergwyn had become the most anticipated candidate to win the entire Combat Festival.

Her weapon alone was already troublesome.

Her own Frost Alchemy was another matter entirely.

And then there was her physical ability.

Ezra leaned back slightly as the replay continued.

But then...

There was still one problem with making that conclusion.

Ravenor and Vera hadn’t shown all of their abilities either.

Ezra’s eyes moved between the different replays.

Diane had shown a strong weapon.

Willow had shown an Alchemy Weapon capable of storing a huge amount of Cognis.

Ravenor hadn’t revealed everything.

The same was for Vera.

And the big one of all...

"Maxwell."

Ezra said the name quietly.

The Glass Television showed the moment Maxwell had utilized the Law of Magnetism and the Law of Inversion to manipulate both the flames and smoke caused by Cyrus’s explosions.

Ezra watched the scene again.

Then again.

His expression remained plain, but his eyes stayed focused on Maxwell’s movements.

The Law of Magnetism.

The Law of Inversion.

The way Maxwell had used both Laws to control the battlefield had already placed him in a completely different category from most First-Year Alchemists.

Of course, Lyra is a strong Alchemist.

Ezra didn’t deny that.

She had reached the Ninth Round, after all.

But when he compared her with the four monsters he had been watching, the difference was obvious.

She was nothing compared to all four monsters.

Ezra looked at the television for another moment.

Then he slowly stood from the sofa.

"Well, I did make it far."

There was no pride in his voice.

He simply stated the fact.

Ezra reached for the Glass Television and switched it off.

The living room became quiet.

The light from the holographic screens disappeared, leaving only the softer lights inside the room.

He checked his Space Bag once more, making sure the newly purchased materials were properly stored.

Everything he needed for the next day was ready.

At least, as ready as he could make it.

Ezra then turned toward his room.

The Ninth Round was the quarterfinals.

The opponents would become stronger.

There would be fewer chances to make mistakes.

And tomorrow, he would have to fight again.

So, for now, sleep was more useful than continuing to think.

Ezra walked into his room and closed the door behind him.

***

The sun rose calmly the next morning while snow continued to fall gently across almost the whole of Britannia.

The white flakes drifted through the morning air, settling on rooftops, roads, vehicles, and the shoulders of people who had already begun making their way toward the Main Administrative Center.

Vehicles and Mini-Trains moved through the streets and railways, transporting students and visitors toward the one place that had become the center of Britannia’s attention.

The Main Administrative Center.

The closer people came to the Arena, the more crowded the streets became.

The road leading toward the Arena was packed with people who had arrived early, with families walking together, students discussing the upcoming matches, and visitors carrying bags of food and merchandise.

The Ninth Round had finally arrived.

People still moved from stall to stall, buying Ninth Round merchandise of their favorite Young Alchemists.

Some stalls had already changed their displays from the previous round.

New banners were hanging above them.

New images of the remaining Young Alchemists were placed where the eliminated contestants had once been displayed.

The number of names had become smaller.

That only made the remaining ones feel more important.

Excited conversations overlapped throughout the streets.

Some people were already predicting the matchups.

Others discussed which Young Alchemist they hoped would win.

There were also people talking about the bets they had placed, proudly claiming that their chosen Young Alchemist would make them rich if they continued winning.

For others, money had nothing to do with it.

They simply wanted to see their favorite Young Alchemist win.

The Royal Academy Security men stood at the entrances to the Arena.

They checked the passes of every guest and student before allowing them through.

Some people complained about the waiting time.

Others stood patiently.

Children tried to look past the adults in front of them.

Several young nobles spoke excitedly while their parents reminded them not to wander away.

Little by little, the Arena filled.

A few minutes passed.

Soon, almost every seat was occupied by guests who had traveled from different regions of the Kingdom to watch the Combat Festival from the beginning.

The atmosphere inside the Arena was already loud before the opening ceremony had even begun.

Then everyone focused on the fight platform.

Patrick West stepped forward.

He held his microphone in one hand, and a bright smile appeared on his face.

"GOOD MORNING, MY BRITANNIANS!!!"

Patrick’s voice echoed throughout the enormous Arena.

For a brief moment, there was silence.

Then the entire crowd answered.

"GOOD MORNING!!!!"

The response shook the Arena.

"Wooooaahhhh!!!!"

"It’s finally time!!"

"Let’s go!!!"

Many voices of excitement rose together.

Spectators, especially the younger ones, stood from their seats while throwing their hands into the air and shouting at the top of their voices.

The excitement spread quickly.

"Lady Vera Ashenlocke!!!"

"Sir Ravenor Burnwick!!"

"Lady Diane Bergwyn!!"

"Miss Lyra Ashburn!!!"

"Mr. Ezra Ashenlocke!!!"

"Mr. Maxwell!!!"

Groups among the spectators wore the merchandise of their favorite Young Alchemists.

Some held banners above their heads.

Others waved flags.

A few had even brought handmade signs with the names of their favorite contestants written across them.

The remaining six Young Alchemists had become the center of Britannia’s attention.

Patrick waited for the cheering to settle slightly before raising the microphone again.

"I’m so excited for today’s round, because today is the quarterfinals of the Combat Festival!!"

The crowd immediately reacted.

Patrick raised his voice once more, feeding their excitement instead of allowing it to disappear.

"Now, without wasting our time, let’s get started with the welcoming of our very, very, very important guests of High Power, of our beautiful and glorious Kingdom!!"

He spread one hand toward the seating section where the High Powers of Britannia were seated.

The cheers changed as attention shifted toward the important guests.

Patrick welcomed the Heads of each Royal Alchemist Branch.

He then specially welcomed the Overall Current Leader of the Royal Alchemists.

After that came the Present Dukes and Duchesses.

Then the Vice Headmaster of the Royal Academy.

And finally...

Patrick welcomed the Queen of Britannia.

The Queen remained seated in the royal section as the attention of the Arena settled upon her.

After the introductions, the Britannia Anthem and the Royal Academy Anthem were recited.

The voices of the performers filled the Arena while the spectators remained respectfully quiet.

When the recitations ended, applause erupted from every section.

The important guests and spectators gradually returned to their seats.

"That was a beautiful recitation of our Anthem, my Britannians."

Patrick raised a hand toward his face and pretended to wipe away a tear.

A few people in the crowd laughed.

Patrick quickly returned his attention to the stage.

"Well, first, I would like to welcome a new wonderful Co-Host, who will be the one hosting all the remaining rounds of the Combat Festival with me..."

He paused.

The pause lasted just long enough.

The crowd began to grow curious.

Patrick looked toward the right entrance of the Arena.

"Professor Kent Preacher!!"

He extended his right hand toward the entrance.

Applause immediately rose from the spectators.

Professor Kent walked out from the right entrance while waving his hand.

The crowd welcomed him with many voices of admiration, and the cheers became noticeably louder from one particular part of the audience.

The young adult ladies of Britannia.

They called his name more loudly than almost anyone else.

Kent continued smiling as he walked toward Patrick.

Patrick looked at him and grinned.

"You are quite popular with the ladies, Professor."

Kent gave a calm smile.

"I guess so."

His response was so simple that several people laughed.

Patrick nodded as though he had expected nothing else.

"So, I guess we should satisfy everyone’s anticipation on which Young Alchemists amongst the six would be facing each other in this round."

He looked toward Kent.

The remaining six First-Year contestants were the reason the Arena was this packed.

Six names remained.

Only three matches would be fought.

And every person in the Arena wanted to know who would face whom.

Kent glanced toward the crowd before answering.

"I’m sure those kids would be drooling to know who they would be facing as well."

He said it with a faint mocking tone.

For some reason, that particular comment caused annoyance to spread through the First-Year sections.

The First-Year students seated with their parents in the visitors’ sections felt it.

And the First-Year students still sitting in their designated section in the arena stands felt it too.

Several of them looked toward the stage with expressions that made it clear they weren’t impressed by their Main Professor’s choice of words as always.

Some folded their arms.

Others sighed.

A few simply stared at Kent.

The anticipation inside the Arena continued building.

Everyone knew what was coming next.

Patrick raised his microphone.

"Well, without further ado..."

He paused for only a moment.

"Let’s finally display the matchups!"

Patrick raised his hand.

Six small holographic screens began to materialize above the fight platform.

One after another, the screens appeared and stabilized in the air.

The names and images of the six remaining Young Alchemists began appearing across them.

The crowd leaned forward.

Some spectators stood.

Others pointed toward the screens.

The voices throughout the Arena grew louder as everyone tried to see the matchups at the same time.

The Ninth Round had officially begun.

And now, the remaining Young Alchemists would finally learn who stood between them and the Semifinals.