Harem System In A fantasy World - Chapter 202: Mira vs Jared (1)

Chapter 202: Mira vs Jared (1)

Mira stood up from the bench with her usual calm smile, as if she was simply getting up for a walk and not about to step into a fight in front of thousands of people.

Elion looked up at her, a little surprised when he saw the faint blinking number on her chest.

“Oh, you are going up first?” he asked.

“Yup,” Mira answered simply.

Before he could say anything else, she leaned down toward him and kissed him deeply on the lips.

It was not a shy kiss either; she savoured it, and it lasted long enough that several students nearby awkwardly turned their heads away while others stared at Elion with burning jealousy in their eyes.

Mira pulled away slowly after a moment, her lips curling into a satisfied little smile.

“Good luck,” Elion said, still smiling.

“Thank you,” she replied softly.

She turned around and walked toward the tunnel with the other students whose numbers were blinking.

They passed through the open door and disappeared into the dim corridor that led toward the arena floor.

The waiting room became quieter after they left, though the distant roar of the crowd from outside could still be heard clearly through the walls.

Elion leaned back against the bench and watched the screens for a moment, but his mind began wandering to something else.

He wondered if there was anything useful he could buy from the system store that would help his women win their matches more easily.

Something small but effective. Maybe a spell, a potion, or some equipment that could give them an extra edge.

’Oh right, potions are not even allowed in this tournament.’ They had already been briefed on what was allowed and what was considered illegal in this tournament.

Regardless, he didn’t really know if it was possible to buy spell scrolls from the store like the ones merchants sold.

’System, is that possible?’

[Is what possible?]

’Don’t patronize me, I know you can read my thoughts.’ Elion snorted inwardly.

[Yes, it is.]

’Great.’

In truth, he doubted Mira or Aria would lose against most of the first-year students here.

The only ones who might be a problem were the top students, people like Isolde, Tessa, Lyra, William, Jared, and a few others who had shown real strength already.

But even then, being at a higher level did not guarantee victory in a real fight against the other first years.

There were too many other variables to take into account. Skill with spells, reaction speed, battle awareness, and sometimes even simple luck.

Besides, Mira and Aria were already wearing the rings he had given them all that time ago.

Those rings boosted their mana output, recovery, and casting speed, which meant their spells would hit harder and last longer in a fight.

That alone would already make a big difference against most opponents.

’It should be enough,’ Elion thought quietly. ’Let’s see how the first fights go first. I can decide later if I need to buy something.’

He was saving his points for a bloodline, so he really didn’t want to spend any unless it was strictly necessary.

Just then, the screens in the waiting room changed. The students who had walked through the tunnel were now appearing on the giant magical displays inside the coliseum.

The noise of the spectators grew louder and louder as the first fighters stepped into view.

Elion’s eyes moved across the screens, carefully observing the contestants who were already stepping onto the platforms.

Something caught his attention.

He noticed that every single participant standing on the battlefield was wearing the first year’s uniform. No older students were present on the platforms yet.

’Only first years,’ Elion thought.

Just as he reached that conclusion, the host raised her crystal amplifier again and spoke loudly to the roaring crowd.

“Ladies and gentlemen!” she called out with excitement in her voice. “Please give a warm welcome to the first group of fighters stepping into the arena today!”

She raised one arm dramatically toward the platforms below.

“Please welcome… the academy’s first years!”

The reaction was instant. The entire coliseum erupted into louder cheers.

Thousands of spectators clapped and shouted as the young contestants stood proudly on their platforms.

Many of them raised their weapons or waved nervously toward the stands, while others tried to maintain a calm expression under the overwhelming attention.

The host laughed lightly as the cheering continued.

“These are the youngest talents of Grimholt Academy!” she announced proudly. “Some of them may be new to battle, but many have already shown remarkable potential!”

Her eyes swept across the twelve platforms.

“Today they begin their journey in this tournament, and who knows? Perhaps among them stands a future legend!”

The crowd roared even louder.

Back in the waiting room, several first-year students straightened their backs with pride after hearing the cheers.

Even those who had not signed up for the tournament were watching the screens with a bit of regret.

Elion simply smiled faintly.

’Future legends, huh.’

On the arena floor, the contestants stood on the raised stone platforms, and on each platform, a proctor was already standing, wearing the academy’s robes and holding a small crystal device that would broadcast the battle from their POV.

Their job was to make sure the rules were followed and to step in if someone was about to get seriously injured.

“Contestants, take your positions,” one of the proctors called out loudly.

They all moved to the center of their platforms.

On Platform 7, Mira stepped forward and stopped a few meters from her opponent. Coincidentally, her opponent was Jared.

The tall boy stood across from her with his arms loose at his sides, his eyes locked on her with open hostility.

There was no nervousness in him like the other students. Instead, he was glaring at her like he had been waiting for this moment.

For a few seconds, they simply stared at each other.

Then Jared spoke.

“So it’s you,” he said with a sneer. “Elion’s little pet.” Jared laughed coldly as he looked at the number on her chest.

’How the fuck is this whore ranked higher than me now!?’ The fact irked him more than he liked to admit. But he didn’t believe she was a better fighter than him.

’I’m going to enjoy beating her into the ground.’

“I guess it makes sense,” he continued loudly. “You climbed this far by spreading your legs for him just like you did for William. Opportunistic whore!”

It was obvious what he was trying to do.

He wanted to provoke her and make her angry, hopefully make her lose control. Mira didn’t say a single word.

She looked at him calmly. Then slowly…

A small smirk appeared on her lips. It was not an angry smile, but a calm, mocking one. And somehow—

That quiet smirk was far more infuriating than any insult she could have thrown back.

“Begin!”

The moment the proctors signaled the beginning of the matches, the arena came alive with motion.

Twelve platforms, twelve fights starting at once, spells and weapons flashing across the stone surfaces.

From above, the beautiful hostess watched the chaos unfold with a bright, excited smile as the magical screens shifted to show different battles happening at the same time.

“And we are underway!” she called out, her voice carried across the entire coliseum by the crystal in her hand. “The first matches of the tournament have begun, and already the academy’s first years are showing us what they are capable of!”

The crowd roared as spells exploded and weapons struck stone. Each platform had its own little storm of noise and movement, and for the first few moments, the spectators’ attention jumped from one fight to another.

“Look at that exchange on Platform Four!” the hostess continued enthusiastically. “That young swordsman is showing some very clean footwork! And over on Platform Nine, we have a lightning mage who clearly came prepared today!”

But slowly, almost without anyone realizing it, the focus of the arena began to shift.

On Platform Seven, the fight between Mira and Jared had just begun. Their proctor’s voice rang across the platform the moment his hand dropped.

Jared moved first.

He didn’t hesitate for even a second. His hand slammed down toward the stone floor, and mana surged through the platform.

“Stone Lance!”

The ground cracked open in front of him, and a long spear of rock shot forward like an arrow toward Mira’s chest.

Mira was already moving.

Her body shifted sideways in a smooth motion, and the stone lance tore past her shoulder, missing her by barely a few centimeters before shattering against the barrier surrounding the platform.

At first, it was just another battle among many. But the moment Jared launched his first Stone Lance and Mira dodged it by a hair’s breadth, several heads turned in that direction. When the next few spells followed in rapid succession, even more people started watching.

The crowd roared instantly.

Soon, the magical screens above the arena adjusted themselves, instinctively zooming in on the platform where the fight was becoming more intense.

The hostess noticed it immediately.

“Ah! It seems Platform Seven is heating up quickly!” she said with a bright laugh. “An earth mage facing off against a fire mage, and both of them look quite confident!”

Her commentary was followed by excited exclamations from the crowd.

“Whoa!”

“That was fast!”

Jared was already casting again.