"I hope so." Albert gave Crassus a deep look, somewhat unable to fathom his thoughts, but still smiled and said, "The Mage Tower is always the strongest, Lord Crassus, don't you agree?"
"Really? I've never thought that way, Albert. You've gotten arrogant." Crassus shook his head, looking at Albert.
"But the Mage Tower was built by you, Lord. At the Mage Tournament, you and Lord Yulian both won. He chose to leave Luo Du, while you organized and established the Mage Tower. It took decades to develop into the Mage Tower we see today. Isn't it the strongest in your heart?" Albert looked at Crassus with some confusion, even appearing somewhat agitated.
"This is no longer the Mage Tower it once was. It's grown into something I don't like. It's like your wife gave birth to a son who looks more and more like your neighbor, Old Wang. Would you still consider him your son? So, don't say things like that to me anymore. The Mage Tower is no longer my concern. Although I'm old, but I still have my pride." Crassus looked at Albert and said seriously.
"I hope your apprentice performs well." Albert opened his mouth, but ultimately nodded silently and turned to leave.
"Back then, he was quite an innocent little guy, the last one to enter. Although his strength was lacking, but he wasn't actually a bad person..." Crassus shook his head, his gaze continuing to look towards the entrance.
"Where's Amy? Will Amy fight against the mages from the Mage Tower today?" Daphne sat in her chair, craning her neck to scan the crowd on the stage again, but to her disappointment, she still couldn't see Amy.
"I don't think she's qualified to participate in the competition. After all, those who can go on stage are all senior students from the Magic Academy, and they are all very powerful. She has only been learning magic for a month, how could she possibly represent Chaos Academy?" Ignaz, sitting next to her, spoke up, his eyes searching the crowd.
"How could that be! Amy is super strong. If she participates, she can definitely defeat all of them!" Daphne said confidently, full of assurance.
"But that guy Parker is really amazing. He actually represented the academy in the lower grades' math competition this time. But I think Amy would have been even better if she had gone." Ignaz said.
"Little Amy probably won't be participating in the competition today, right? But why haven't I seen her yet?" Luna, having finally managed to get the children all seated, was also wondering curiously. She wasn't on stage, and Crassus wasn't with anyone either, so where was she?
On stage, the young mages from the Mage Tower were also sizing up their opponents, their expressions relaxed yet tinged with arrogance.
"Has Lord Crassus's apprentice come up on stage? I heard it's a half-elf little girl, but there aren't any half-elves among those people, are there?" George's gaze swept over the students of the Magic Academy, somewhat puzzled.
"Looks like that brat's scared, huh? She's too afraid to face the Mage Tower's challenge. A half-elf little brat like her has no right to stand here and fight us. It's a joke if word gets out." Hank curled his lip, glancing at the Magic Academy students standing opposite him, making no attempt to hide his disdain and mockery. "Like these idiots, if they could all learn magic in school, what would be the point of our Mage Tower?"
Hank didn't deliberately lower his voice, so many students from the Magic Academy heard him. Their expressions immediately turned angry, and they looked at Hank with hostility. If it weren't for the principal, teachers, and junior students sitting below the stage, they would definitely have a duel with this arrogant guy.
The atmosphere on stage suddenly became tense. Both sides glared at each other, their eyes burning with fierce fighting spirit, as if they might ignite at any moment.
"Magic Academy! Go for it!"
"Chaos Academy! Victory is certain!"
The heated debate on stage also provoked a reaction from the students below. Someone shouted, and the entire hall immediately erupted in a chorus of shouts. The loud and childish voices echoed throughout the hall, as if they could lift the roof off the hall.
"This time, we must win! Fight for the honor of Chaos Academy!" Klaus clenched his fist and raised his arm. As Chaos Academy's strongest force in this battle, a mage with strength approaching level four, and also the team captain, he could feel the heavy responsibility on his shoulders.
"Fight for honor!"
The members of the Magic Academy echoed his shouts, waving their hands. Looking at their opponents, the Mage Tower, their previous worries had completely vanished. Hearing the cheers from the crowd, they felt their blood boil, and only one thought remained in their minds: to crush those despicable guys and make them slink out of Chaos Academy.
The home advantage was on full display at this moment.
The boys from the Mage Tower looked rather unwell. The deafening shouts brought immense pressure. The oldest among them, Hank, was only sixteen, and the youngest, George, was only twelve. Moreover, many of them were standing in front of so many people for the first time, and they were somewhat flustered.
"Don't worry, we are far stronger than them. If magic is powerful just by shouting, then what's the use of geniuses?" Hank sneered, his gaze falling on Klaus opposite him, raising his right hand to make a cutting gesture at his neck.
The young people from the Mage Tower looked at Hank, who was standing at the front, and their mood gradually calmed down. Hank was a level four mage, the only intermediate mage in the entire arena. With him there, they could only win today's competition.
"Youthful vigor and a united spirit are far more important than winning or losing." Norvan smiled as he listened to the resounding cheers, turning to the Dean of Students sitting beside him and saying, "Let's begin."
Greenton nodded and announced loudly, "Silence! The Chaos Academy Magic Academy vs. Mage Tower Challenge is now officially open! The challenges between the Imperial Advanced Academy and the various academies of Chaos Academy will proceed simultaneously in other venues!"
The sound transmitter amplified his voice and delivered it to everyone present, creating a surround sound effect.
The auditorium gradually quieted down. Students from the Imperial Advanced Academy and other academies stepped down from the stage and, guided by their teachers, began to head to different arenas. Only the students from the Magic Academy and the young mages from the Mage Tower remained on the stage.
Both sides were dressed in mage robes, one white and one blue, standing opposite each other, locked in a fierce confrontation.
"Now, let me announce the format of this challenge: This challenge abandons the previous draw-based pairing mechanism and instead allows both teams to voluntarily enter the arena for a duel. The loser leaves the arena, while the winner can choose to remain on stage to accept the challenge from the opposing mage or leave the stage for a temporary rest, until one side is completely defeated!" Greenton announced loudly.
"But don't we still have one more team member?" a student from the Magic Academy asked softly. There were only fourteen students on the Magic Academy's side, while there were fifteen on the Mage Tower's side.