"I slept so well, Daddy. Haven't the guests come for meals yet?" Amy asked curiously as she carried the Ugly Duckling downstairs, looking at Mai Ge who was busy in the kitchen. She was wearing cute bear pajamas and slippers with little butterflies on her feet. Sally and Yabemia were chatting in the restaurant, and there were no other guests.
"No, Little Amy slept a little longer today, so all the guests have already finished eating and left." Mai Ge turned back to Amy and smiled. The little girl's complexion had returned to a healthy state, which reassured him a lot.
"Huh?" Amy's mouth dropped open in surprise. She paused for a moment, then said anxiously, "But, Teacher Crassus told me to fight bad guys today. What if I'm late and the bad guys run away?"
"It's okay, the bad guys are right there, they can't escape. I made Amy some delicious tofu pudding and Yang Zhou Fried Rice this morning. Let's go to the academy after we eat." Mai Ge smiled as he carried a serving of Yang Zhou Fried Rice and a serving of tofu pudding out.
"It smells so good! Even Little Amy thinks she needs to eat her fill to have the energy to fight the bad guys!" Amy's eyes lit up, and she skipped after Mai Ge, her little pointy ears twitching slightly, showing great joy. Even the Ugly Duckling in her arms stretched its neck and meowed excitedly, no longer in a hurry.
…
Hank's words silenced the entire hall for a moment, then, like a stone thrown into a calm lake, instantly stirred up a storm of voices.
"What an arrogant fellow! How dare he show such disrespect to Chaos Academy!"
"Seniors, you must teach him a lesson! Teach him how to behave!"
The students below the stage were filled with fervor, wishing they could jump onto the stage and fight him.
The students from the Magic Academy on stage also looked grim. They hadn't expected to be insulted and provoked like this before the competition even started.
Even the teachers and leaders sitting in the front row looked displeased. Chaos Academy had lost four consecutive years, and now they had been directly humiliated on stage by a mere teenager. If the principal hadn't remained silent, they would have already confronted Albert.
"Principal Norvan, the children may have been a bit arrogant. I hope you won't take offense." Albert said apologetically, though his smile held a hint of smugness and pride.
"Interesting." Norvan simply smiled, showing no displeasure.
"Quiet!" Greenton glanced at Norvan, suppressing his anger. Once the noise subsided, he announced sternly, "The magic challenge will now begin. The arena is the main stage. Vice Dean Capas of the Magic Academy will serve as the chief referee. According to the rules, both teams must prioritize safety over competition. Maliciously harming opponents is strictly prohibited, otherwise, in addition to disqualification, corresponding consequences will apply."
Greenton's stern gaze swept over the young mage in the Mage Tower, lingering on Hank for a moment, full of warning.
Hank pursed his lips, looking nonchalant, but a few beads of cold sweat had appeared on his forehead. This fat guy didn't seem like a formidable character, but being stared at by him made him feel inexplicably uneasy, like being stared at by a venomous snake.
A white-haired mage slowly walked onto the stage from below. He was tall and thin, with a long face and many fine lines at the corners of his eyes, giving him a rather serious appearance. With a wave of his hand, beams of light shone from the stage, and a golden circular arena, about ten meters in diameter, rose from the center of the previously empty main stage. A light shield rose from the surrounding area, enveloping the arena in a spherical shape. Golden light flowed on the transparent light shield, making it look very dazzling.
"Wow!"
The students from Green Sprout Garden below the stage exclaimed in amazement. Most of them had never been exposed to magic before, and didn't even know what magic was. Seeing a golden ball of light appear with a wave of the hand was incredibly cool and awesome, and they were even more excited for the upcoming battle.
"A level nine mage!" Hank looked at the white-haired mage with some awe. From the magical fluctuations just now, he could sense the mage's power. His strength should be very close to that of his master. He did not expect that there was such a powerful mage in Chaos Academy. Moreover, he was only the vice dean. Could the dean be a level ten grand mage?
"Children, the rules of today's challenge are simple: fight to the end. The side with the last person standing on the stage wins. The order of appearance and the number of matches are entirely up to the two captains. This is a battle of strength, but also a battle of strategy." Vice Dean Capas looked at everyone and said quite seriously, "However, there are a few details to reiterate here: 1. Duels must be stopped when the point is reached. Malicious injury is strictly prohibited. If an extremely dangerous situation occurs, our referee team will step in to protect the contestants and then determine the winner; 2. The use of disposable magical items is strictly prohibited in duels, whether offensive or defensive. Once used, it will be considered a loss."
Two teachers from the Magic Academy stood on either side of the arena, seemingly to prevent any unforeseen circumstances from arising during the duel.
"Yes."
The team members from both sides responded in unison, standing on opposite sides of the sphere of light, glaring at each other with obvious hostility.
Capas nodded slightly, then gestured, "Now, let's begin the first duel. Captains, please arrange for your teams to enter the arena."
"George, you've got the first seven matches covered. I'll handle the remaining eight." Hank patted George on the shoulder, sneering, "Let them experience the fear of being dominated by Mage Tower."
"Alright." George nodded, stepping first into the sphere of light.
The other teenagers in the Mage Tower exchanged glances, opened their mouths, and although they were somewhat unwilling, but they swallowed their words in the end.
"Neil, you go first. George is a level three wind mage, specializing in wind magic. You are an earth mage, specializing in defense, which is perfect for countering him. Even if you can't beat him, try to wear him down and give your teammates an advantage later." Klaus said, looking at his tall and strong teammate beside him.
"Don't worry, Captain, that little guy's wind magic can't break through my Guardian Armor. I'll just toss him out of the arena like a chick." Neil said with a sheepish grin, striding into the sphere of light.
The towering Neil, at 1.8 meters, facing the 1.5 meters tall George, standing inside the sphere of light, looked like a gorilla facing a kitten—a stark contrast.