"Boom!"

Just as many people started falling under the spell of Holy Dawn Academy’s song, a tremendous sound that could be described as "grim" blared without the slightest warning, causing a tremble in everyone’s chest.

Holy Dawn Academy’s momentum faltered all of a sudden.

This sound originated from the stands occupied by Divine Shield students.

When Holy Dawn Academy’s song resonated throughout the entire arena, no yellow-uniformed Divine Shield student hissed in displeasure, no one threw curses or insults. They merely stood up in unison, lifted their arms, and, as if swearing an oath, hammered their fists on their on chests.

The previous sound was precisely the tremendous, oppressive sound of every Divine Shield Academy student pounding their chests.

"Boom!"

The same sound blasted once again, shaking hearts and minds stronger than the pounding of a giant drum.

Divine Shield Academy also started to sing.

…

The meaning of existence lies in protecting, we grasp our shields and safeguard the people

Divine glory descended among mortals, withstanding the world and defending the homeland

Basking in the divine radiance, we stun the evil outside the borders

Hear the call of the heavens, uphold the divine duties

We protect the existence of the people, we are born to uphold the glory

When the common people need us, we will withstand on the front lines

When the empire needs of us, we will certainly withstand everything

The divine shield protects the hope of victory

The radiance of life shall endure without fail

…

Together with the heart-shaking, ferocious sounds banging again and again, Divine Shield Academy’s singing completely repressed Holy Dawn Academy’s song. Very quickly, Divine Shield Academy’s singing resounded louder and louder, while the singing on Holy Dawn Academy’s side rapidly dwindled into a feeble mess, no longer audible.

Every Holy Dawn Academy student had an unsightly expression on their face. Their hands trembled slightly, but they really couldn’t contend against the earth-shattering voices on the other side. A feeling of powerlessness even arose inside them.

"The match hasn’t begun yet, but the spectators from the two academies have already started warring in the stands."

"Holy Dawn Academy’s momentum was crushed straight away, it’s really tragic."

"That’s also a skill… After all, Divine Shield students went through the trials of the national tournament’s atmosphere these past few years, they followed their school team and battled on the fields of the national tournament, so there’s nothing strange about them promptly repressing the momentum of the Holy Dawn students."

"Things are looking even worse for Holy Dawn Academy now, it simply looks as if they’re fighting on Divine Shield Academy’s home ground."

"Nothing you can do about it. Looking at the whole of St. Lauren, only Iron Forest Academy’s momentum could deadlock Divine Shield Academy’s momentum if they were to meet. That group of violent men in Iron Forest Academy is also a bunch of madmen, maybe they wouldn’t stop at simply beating their own chests, even splashing out fresh blood isn’t out of the question for them."

Taunts and mockeries arose in tandem with the discussions, stabbing into the Holy Dawn students’ ears like sharp needles.

"An academy like Holy Dawn with a one-man team should have the self-awareness to stay low-key to begin with, why do they still have to act all heroic, didn’t they end up getting whooped and looking bad all the same?"

"Exactly, they can’t blame anyone else for their disgrace right now, even their school song was instantly repressed."

"Would we be coming to this match if not for Divine Shield Academy?"

"I really have no idea who arranged the brackets. Even if you have to have a match between a strong team and a weak team that came up from the prelims in the first match, you still have to make it something worth seeing no matter what. Otherwise, aren’t people from other regions going to think that we only have academies of this level in St. Lauren?"

…

"It’s useless, these people from Divine Shield Academy all went through the great tournament’s ordeals. They’ve seen crueler match atmospheres, so there’s no way we can contend with them when it comes to momentum. It’s been a long time since people from our Holy Dawn Academy last had such a battle. Their showing’s pretty good already this time," Chris said to the people around her without batting an eye, while doing some slow warm-ups.

"As long as you can win this match, I guarantee they will become wolves even more vicious than these students from Divine Shield Academy," Carter said with a faint smile.

Then he suddenly noted Ayrin’s absence around them, and couldn’t help but be taken aback. "Where’s Ayrin?"

"He was very depressed a moment ago, he said he was going to the washroom," Moss weakly answered from the sideline.

Ayrin was actually a little lost at this moment.

There was actually a washroom just beside the lounge, but he didn’t see it. He followed another tunnel instead, then discovered it led to the stands.

Ayrin found out there was a washroom close by after asking the few staff members at the tunnel’s exit, so he simply went there after the staff let him out of the tunnel.

"Hm?"

A flash of gold suddenly streaked across his eyes the moment he walked inside the washroom. A handsome golden-haired boy a little taller than himself brushed by him. He merely brush his way past, but it gave Ayrin the feeling there was an inexhaustible strength in his body, gave him the feeling of a gigantic, moving mountain of flesh and bones.

He subconsciously scratched his head.

Golden hair… Very handsome… Who could it be?

He suddenly recalled a possibility and shouted loudly, "Hey!"

"Ah?!"

"What?"

A few guys using the bathroom there suddenly trembled in fright from the loud shout and almost leaped up without even pulling their pants up.

Ayrin sweated a little and shouted, a little embarrassed. "I wasn’t talking to you guys." Then he turned around and dashed out.

"Stingham!"

He immediately shouted at the figure of Stingham’s back that’d already walked far away.

"Hm?"

Stingham suddenly halted and turned around. He saw a student wearing Holy Dawn Academy’s uniform calling his name, so he very curiously rubbed his face and subconsciously fished out a comb from of his pockets, thinking that his handsomeness really reached a certain level. He went to Holy Dawn Academy only once, but even a male Holy Dawn student was already idolizing him?

Ayrin knew that his guess hit the mark when he saw Stingham turn around. He suddenly ran up to him, excited, and said, "You’re Stingham from Golden Lion Academy right?"

"That’s right. What are you doing, please behave yourself with dignity." Ayrin’s abnormal enthusiasm made Stingham take a vigilant step backwards, silently hoping that Ayrin didn’t lean that way.

"I’m Ayrin from team Holy Dawn. I have a friend who saw you fight against Ferguillo, that’s why I know you’re very strong." Ayrin went another step forward. "I heard that people can transfer to another academy, you might as well transfer to our Divine Shield Academy. Come join our school team, we’ll become really strong then!"

"Faint!"

Stingham felt Ayrin’s words contained a little too much information to take in, and were also too abrupt. He had a little trouble wrapping his head around it for a short while. "Invitation to transfer." His vigilance went up another level and he retreated another step back. "You must be a scammer. Everyone in team Holy Dawn is staying down there, the match’s going to kick off soon. Why would you still be in the stands if you really were part of team Holy Dawn?"

Ayrin stood there without budging, saying even more excitedly, "Let’s have a bet then. If I’m really from team Holy Dawn, then you’ll join our team?"

"…" Stingham was at a loss for words. He was like Moss back then, he just couldn’t understand Ayrin’s thoughts and logic. He also had a little trouble understanding Ayrin’s speech hopping from one subject to the next. "Even if you’re really in team Holy Dawn… I’m nice and comfortable in Golden Lion Academy, why would I move to your Holy Dawn Academy?

Stingham seemed to realize something one second later, and suddenly shouted at Ayrin, "I get it now, you must be an agent from Iron Forest Academy, am I right? Really sinister, you want me join Holy Dawn Academy, then they immediately get eliminated in this match. And I end up the butt of the joke."

"I’m really from team Holy Dawn!" Ayrin felt a little anxious now. "I want you to join our team because we already have Chris, and if we had you as well, we’ll certainly be very strong."

"Who’s going to believe you!" Stingham made a derisive face. "Chris is strong alright, but if you’re going to talk about strong, why wouldn’t I just join Iron Forest Academy instead? Me and Ferguillo would make a good team too, or I could join Divine Shield Academy, that’d be pretty good as well."

"We’re going to beat Divine Shield Academy, we’ll be stronger than them!" Ayrin shouted.

"Hahaha!"

"You’re agreeing?"

"…Does my laughter sound like agreement to you?"

"Then what condition do you have for joining our Holy Dawn Academy?"

Stingham tossed his hair, and said, looking very dashing, "Get back to me only if you can beat Divine Shield Academy." Then he suddenly felt he misspoke as soon as the words left his mouth, and he shouted at once, "Wait, what the hell are you doing! When did I agree to the transfer, why are you already negotiating conditions? You just kept talking and talking, how did it suddenly turn into me transferring to your Holy Dawn Academy as long as you can satisfy whatever condition?"

"Abiding by your word is an essential part of a brave warrior. I didn’t expect, you look this handsome, but you don’t even respect the words you yourself said a moment ago."

"Who said that!" Stingham felt suddenly pretty elated as soon as he heard Ayrin say handsome. He made a pose he believed to be even more handsome. "A handsome and divine fighter like me, how would I possibly not keep my words? Alright then, I said that as long as you can beat Divine Shield Academy… But that’s not my only condition either, unless…"

"Unless what?" Ayrin hopped up all of a sudden and shouted excitedly, "What other conditions do you have?"

"Uh, please behave yourself." Seeing Ayrin almost about to pounce on him, Stingham once again retreated two steps back. He thought for a moment: "Unless you guys can beat Divine Shield Academy, and you can defeat me as well."

From his point of view, Holy Dawn Academy beating Divine Shield Academy was already a long shot. As to this up-to-no-good Holy Dawn student plotting against him, he probably shouldn’t be able to defeat him even with another decade of training or two.

He imperceptibly dissolved the threat about not keeping his words just like that. It seemed like he truly was an existence combining both handsomeness and wisdom.

Stingham’s narcissism once again made him a little elated.

"Alright! It’s a deal!"

Ayrin tapped Stingham’s chest. "No regrets allowed!"

"Ah! Please conduct yourself with propriety! Otherwise I’m going to start hitting someone!" Stingham screeched and retreated seventeen or eighteen steps back, thinking with a depressed face, who would have thought that he ultimately ended up being taken advantage like that.

…

"Where did Ayrin run off to? He isn’t back yet even now."

"It’s starting in a few minutes already."

"We’re going to hand in our line-up very soon, where did he run off to? We searched the washroom, no trace of him there at all!"

Inside the tournament field shrouded in the shadows of a dozen giant dragon bones, Carter’s eyebrows bunched together in a tight frown.

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