Chapter 243: The Academies versus Valecrest

The silence lasted only a few seconds. Then a voice came from the crowd.

"Move."

The students parted, and a group of young fighters walked through the gathered academies. Their uniforms were different from the others- clean and organized, unlike the exhausted teams that had stumbled out of the forest; these students moved with confidence.

At the front walked a tall young man with dark hair and sharp blue eyes. He looked toward the tower, then toward Silas. His expression didn’t change.

"Wilson Vance."

One of the students behind him whispered the name.

"That’s Erovile Academy’s captain."

Another student swallowed.

"He’s an S-Rank."

"Not just an S-Rank." The first student lowered his voice. "He’s the strongest fighter Erovile brought."

Wilson stopped, and his eyes met Silas’s. For several seconds, neither said anything.

Then Silas smiled.

"Oh." Wilson raised an eyebrow. "You?"

Silas tilted his head. "You know me?"

"Everyone knows you."

Silas chuckled.

"Famous already."

Wilson ignored the joke. "Move."

"Excuse me?" Silas blinked.

"We’re going through the checkpoint."

Silas glanced behind. The checkpoint tower stood less than twenty meters away. Then he looked back at Wilson.

"No."

The surrounding students immediately became tense.

Wilson’s eyes narrowed.

"You’re blocking the route."

"Yep."

"Then we’ll remove you."

Silas smiled.

"There it is." He stretched his arms. "I was wondering when someone would finally say it."

A second group stepped forward.

Their uniforms carried the emblem of Ironvale Academy. The students immediately recognized them.

"Ironvale..."

"They came too."

The Ironvale team moved into position beside Erovile. At their center stood a broad-shouldered young woman with short black hair. She looked at Silas without the slightest trace of fear. She was the new leader of the Ironvale team as Marcus Hale would be coming as a substitute.

"Erovile isn’t doing this alone."

Wilson glanced at her.

"I never said they were."

She stepped forward.

"Ironvale will lead the second assault."

Silas looked between them.

"Erovile and Ironvale." His smile widened. "City B’s two big academies."

Wilson nodded.

"Correct."

Silas scratched his cheek.

"That’s actually pretty cool."

The Ironvale captain frowned.

"You aren’t taking this seriously."

"Oh, I am." Silas’s eyes began glowing pink. "That’s why I’m smiling."

The atmosphere changed. The hundreds of students surrounding the battlefield suddenly felt something- a pressure. It was not physical; something deeper.

Threads.

They spread through the battlefield like veins. Some disappeared into the darkness. Others wrapped around broken buildings, and some stretched toward the students. And this time, they were very visible.

Wilson’s expression finally changed.

"Everyone!" He raised his hand. "Prepare!"

The entire Erovile team moved; Ironvale followed. The other academies quickly realized what was happening.

"They’re attacking!"

"Everyone get ready!"

"Don’t let Valecrest get ahead!"

Silas looked around, and his grin became almost childish.

"Finally."

Wilson lowered his hand.

"Attack!"

The battlefield exploded.

BOOOOOOM!

Erovile’s front line charged, and Ironvale moved with them. Behind them, several other academies followed, hundreds of abilities activating simultaneously.

The entire street became a storm of supernatural power, but Silas didn’t move. He just stood there waiting.

The first attack reached him- a giant spear of compressed wind. He lifted a finger, and a single thread appeared.

Ting.

The wind spear split apart. The students behind it froze.

"What?"

Another attack.

Silas moved his hand, and threads shot outward. They wrapped around the incoming abilities.

Fire was redirected. Ice shattered against the ground. Lightning bent around him. A massive stone fist was pulled upward and smashed into another building.

"This is fun!" Silas laughed.

Wilson appeared directly in front of him, his fist already swinging. Silas barely turned.

BOOM!

The punch grazed his cheek, and the shockwave destroyed the street behind him. Silas slid backward, his shoes carving lines through the concrete. He touched his cheek. Then looked at Wilson.

"Okay." His smile disappeared. "You’re strong."

Wilson didn’t answer. He attacked again, but Silas vanished, and his fist struck empty air. A thread wrapped around his ankle, but he immediately severed it with his ability.

Another thread came from behind, and he ducked. A third passed over his head. Then five more.

Wilson’s eyes widened. ’He’s controlling them independently.’

Silas appeared above him.

"Found you."

His heel came down.

BOOM!

Wilson crossed his arms, but the impact drove him into the ground, while the surrounding students were thrown backward.

Silas landed as Wilson pushed himself out of the crater, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

"You like fighting."

Wilson cracked his neck.

"Very much."

"Good." Silas’s eyes glowed brighter. "Because I haven’t started yet."

Behind them, Erovile and Ironvale had already reached the battlefield.

The two City B academies moved like a single army. Their strategy was obvious. Erovile would pressure Silas from the front. Ironvale would attack from the sides.

The remaining academies would overwhelm him with numbers. It was a sound strategy against almost anyone.

But against Silas...

Silas raised both hands, and the threads covering the battlefield suddenly pulled tight. Everyone froze. Wilson’s expression changed.

"Wait..."

Too late.

SNAP!

Every thread activated, and the battlefield twisted. Students were yanked from their positions. Some were pulled sideways. Others were lifted into the air. Several attacks were redirected back toward their owners.

The carefully constructed formation collapsed instantly.

"What the hell?!"

"He’s controlling the battlefield!"

"Cut the threads!"

"Which ones?! There are too many!"

Silas laughed.

"You guys finally noticed. Soooo stupid..."

He pulled both hands toward himself, and hundreds of students were dragged several meters across the ground.

Ironvale’s formation broke. Erovile’s rear guard collided with their own front line. The other academies panicked.

Silas looked almost delighted.

"This is way better than fighting one person at a time."

Wilson broke free from the threads around him and looked around. His academy was already being overwhelmed. Ironvale wasn’t doing much better. The other academies were beginning to retreat.

Wilson’s expression hardened.

"Everyone!" His voice cut through the battlefield. "Focus on Valecrest!"

The response was immediate. The students turned, and their attention shifted away from Silas toward the academy emblem on the uniforms of the few Valecrest students gathered near the checkpoint.

Silas noticed, and his smile vanished.

"Oh." He looked toward them. "So that’s what you’re doing."

Wilson pointed.

"Valecrest is the reason we’re all stuck here!"

Several students immediately charged toward the Valecrest team.

Silas’s eyes narrowed. A pink thread appeared between him and the attackers. Then another. Then hundreds.

"No." The threads spread outward. "You’re not touching them."

A student from Ironvale shouted.

"Why are you protecting Valecrest?!"

Silas looked at him. For the first time, his expression became genuinely annoyed.

"Because they’re my academy."

He pulled his hand, and every thread snapped tight. The attackers were thrown backward.

Silas stepped forward, his pink hair fluttering in the rain.

"And because..." His eyes glowed. "I really hate people who think they can gang up on someone."

Wilson stared at him.

"You’re one of them."

Silas looked at him.

"Maybe." He smiled. "But I’m the fun kind."

Then a massive explosion erupted behind them.

BOOOOOOOM!

Everyone turned.

A section of the forest had collapsed. More teams were coming. The battlefield was no longer a battle. It was becoming a war.

And above it all, the observation drones continued recording.

The tournament officials watching from the control room had stopped talking. One of them stared at the battlefield in disbelief.

"How many students are there now?" Another checked the system.

"Four hundred and seventeen."

"That’s impossible."

"More are arriving."

The official stared at the screen.

"And Valecrest?"

A camera zoomed toward the checkpoint.

Silas stood between the approaching armies and the Valecrest students. His threads covered the entire area.

"Valecrest has reached the checkpoint."

The official’s eyes widened.

"But they can’t pass."

"No." The other official shook his head. "They don’t need to."

Everyone in the control room went silent.

On the battlefield, the checkpoint suddenly activated. A massive blue barrier rose from the ground. The tournament system finally spoke.

[CHECKPOINT ACTIVATED.]

[STAGE ONE OBJECTIVE UPDATED.]

[VALECREST ACADEMY HAS SECURED THE CHECKPOINT.]

Silas stared at the notification and slowly smiled. Wilson looked toward the checkpoint, his eyes widening.

"We’re too late."

The Ironvale captain clenched her fists.

"No." She looked at Silas. "We’re not."

Wilson turned toward her. She pointed at the tower.

"We don’t need to beat Valecrest." Her eyes hardened. "We only need to stop them from leaving."

Silas heard her, and his grin returned.

"Oh?" He cracked his fingers. "So you want to camp the checkpoint?"

The Ironvale captain smiled.

"Exactly."

Silas laughed.

"That’s actually a pretty good idea."

Wilson looked at him.

"You seem happy."

"I am."

Silas’s threads began multiplying, and the entire battlefield trembled.

"Because now... none of you can run."

The smile on Silas’s face became terrifying.

"Neither can I."

The rain continued falling, the checkpoint barrier glowed brighter, and the second phase of the battle began.