Christopher, a confident smirk playing on his lips, rose from his seat, his gaze sweeping over the two figures before him. "Have no fear about the competition; I shall emerge victorious."
The Dean, a wise smile creasing the corners of his eyes, nodded approvingly. "That’s the spirit, Christopher. You may go now."
"Then I shall take my leave," Christopher responded, a slight bow accompanying his words before he turned and strode towards the exit.
Monica’s eyes followed Christopher’s departing form until he disappeared through the office door. She then turned to the Dean, a flicker of apprehension in her gaze.
"Dad... are you truly certain about this?"
The Dean stroked his distinguished beard, a knowing smile gracing his features.
"Christopher, while occasionally prone to recklessness, possesses more than enough power to secure our triumph. My initial plan was to deploy Chloe in this competition, but that archaic old fool introduced a new, utterly absurd rule. Consequently, our reliance now falls solely on Christopher and the other three."
Monica slowly absorbed his words, a thoughtful nod acknowledging her understanding.
"Now... go, my dear. Don’t you have classes to oversee?"
"Yes, of course. I’ll be heading to the training ground," Monica replied, pushing herself up from her chair and walking out of the office.
[On the way to the training ground.]
Monica proceeded silently, her mind a whirlwind of thoughts as she made her way towards the vast expanse of the training ground.
’From the latest news, the Guardian Academy is dispatching their absolute strongest,’ she mused, a faint frown creasing her brow. ’Who could have anticipated the son of the Falons family, the second-most formidable lineage in Cordelia, would enroll in the Guardian Academy? And with his legendary-level strength, no less...’
A heavy sigh escaped her lips.
’This competition promises to be an arduous ordeal for us. We possess Christopher, undeniably powerful, but the others are alarmingly weak. I haven’t even ascertained if Mitchell’s beasts have fully recuperated from their last skirmish. Mariana’s beasts lack true potency; her supposed trump card is merely a legendary-stage creature. As for Advika, it’s almost unthinkable that a Perfect-stage beast could endure the brutality of that arena. While they are explicitly forbidden from killing opponents’ beasts, inflicting severe injury is certainly within the rules, and they won’t hesitate.’
Her internal monologue ceased abruptly as she reached the wide, open doors of the training ground. She blinked, her gaze fixing on Christopher and Chloe standing opposite each other in the center of the arena, clearly poised for a confrontation.
Monica’s eyes then drifted to the assembled students, and she raised an eyebrow in surprise.
’Shouldn’t these individuals be awaiting my arrival for their class? What in the world is transpiring here?’
Before she could take a step forward, she hesitated.
’No... this presents an excellent opportunity. A chance to witness if Christopher has indeed ascended to an even greater level of power.’
Christopher stood before Chloe, an identical smile gracing both their faces, a silent acknowledgment of the impending clash.
"Are you certain about this, Chloe?" Christopher inquired, a hint of playful challenge in his tone.
"Of course, Christopher. Or have you already forgotten my words?" Chloe retorted, a knowing smirk tugging at the corner of her lips.
Christopher emerged from the Dean’s office building, his gaze sweeping across the sprawling, verdant compound of the academy. The manicured lawns, the blooming flora, and the vibrant energy seemed to hum around him.
"Wow... Vitality Academy truly lives up to its name," he murmured, genuinely impressed.
"Brother Christopher!"
He turned his head to the side, seeing Katherine rushing towards him, her footsteps light and quick, while Advika followed silently in her wake, a more reserved figure.
"What are you two doing outside? Shouldn’t you be in class?" he asked, a touch of bewilderment in his voice.
Katherine skidded to a halt directly in front of him, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Uh? We are heading to class."
Christopher was momentarily stunned, a blank expression on his face.
"I think he forgot," Katherine whispered conspiratorially to Advika, then turned back to Christopher with a bright smile.
"We’re heading to the training ground, silly! We have battle class, where we learn to control our beasts to perfection."
’Oh... I completely forgot about that,’ Christopher thought, a faint flush rising to his cheeks.
’Of course, why wouldn’t you?’ Tiamat’s dry, sardonic voice echoed in his mind, causing Christopher to grimace internally.
"Come with us," Katherine chimed in, her eyes sparkling. "There’s a little surprise waiting for you."
"Surprise? What is it?" Christopher asked, curiosity piqued.
"If I tell you, it wouldn’t be a surprise, would it?" Katherine countered playfully.
"True." Christopher conceded, stretching his arms above his head. "Alright then, let’s go."
The trio proceeded towards the training ground, and as Christopher pushed open the massive doors, he was met with an unexpected sight: Chloe stood poised in the center of the ground, a long, gleaming sword held firmly in her hand. All the students in the department were already seated in the audience section, and the moment the doors swung open, every head in the vast arena swiveled to face the three newcomers.
Christopher and Advika froze, stunned by the sudden attention, while Katherine beamed brightly, clearly enjoying the spectacle.
"What in the world is going on here?" Christopher asked, his confusion palpable.
"Come on, Brother!" Katherine exclaimed, grabbing Christopher’s wrist and pulling him determinedly towards the very center of the training ground, leaving a bewildered Advika standing by the entrance.
The two came to a stop before Chloe, and Katherine, with a triumphant flourish, announced:
"You two will train!"
With that declaration, she quickly scurried away, melting back into the crowd.
Christopher stared dumbfounded at his sister’s retreating figure before turning his bewildered gaze to Chloe.
"You... you planned this?" he asked, disbelief lacing his voice.
Chloe tilted her head slightly, a confident glint in her eyes. "You are representing the academy in the upcoming competition, Christopher. I need to assess your true strength."
"My true strength? Don’t you already know my strength?" Christopher countered, a hint of mild confusion still lingering.
"Seeing and feeling are entirely different things," Chloe stated simply, then raised her sword, pointing its tip directly at him.
"Remember my words: if you lose to me... I will not allow you to partake in this competition, even if I must wield my family’s influence and power to prevent it."
"Whoa... Miss Chloe is incredibly bold," a student muttered in the crowded stands, their voice filled with awe.
"What else would you expect from the heiress of the Borodino family?" another student retorted, a note of admiration in their tone.
"But can she truly contend with Christopher? His beasts are exceptionally powerful," a third added, a hint of doubt in their voice.
"I don’t know, let’s find out... I’m here for the battle, not the speculation!" A student exclaimed, their excitement evident.
"Same here... I’m not even enrolled in this class, but when I heard the news, I practically sprinted over!" another student declared with a wide smile.
Mariana snorted, crossing her arms tightly over her chest. She was seated in the front row, her gaze fixed on the two combatants with a distinct frown:
"What do you think, brother?" she asked Adrian, who sat beside her.
Adrian shook his head slowly, a thoughtful expression on his face.
"If Chloe were to face Christopher with beasts, she would undoubtedly suffer a devastating defeat. The fact that she wields only a sword means she isn’t utilizing a beast, at least not yet." he explained.
"Hmm... Do you think Christopher will win?" she pressed again, her gaze unwavering.
"I cannot say for certain," Adrian replied. "Christopher possesses exceptionally powerful beasts, but I remain uncertain of his main strength without them. That, I believe, is precisely what Chloe seeks to uncover."
Mariana nodded slowly, a glimmer of understanding dawning in her eyes.
Christopher observed Chloe, who was clad in a sleek battle uniform, then lowered his gaze to the long sword gripped in her hand. He then raised his head, meeting her challenging gaze.
"Are you planning on using a beast?" he asked, a slight lift of his eyebrow.
"No," she answered firmly, her grip around her sword tightening perceptibly. "I wish to assess your physical strength, Christopher."
"Should I unleash my full strength, then?" he asked, a mischievous smirk playing on his lips, while a ripple of confusion spread through the observing students.