novelraw Chapter 135: Advancing to the Top Eight
Chapter 135: Advancing to the Top Eight
Since the inception of The Jade State League, Star City High had never won a single championship. Aside from the runner-up finish back when Lysander Thorne led the team, they hadn't even managed to break into the top four in any other year.
So, Fly's bold declaration left the referee's heart churning like a storm-swept sea, unable to calm down for a long time.
But, he didn't look down on Fly because of it, nor did he think the boy was biting off more than he could chew.
On the contrary, the referee felt a deep sense of admiration for this young Beast Warrior hailing from Star City.
This is exactly how a warrior should be!
The referee couldn't even help but begin anticipating Fly's performance in the knockout stages.
Jasper Locke sat paralyzed on the ground, staring up at Fly, a figure of unstoppable momentum.
It was only at this moment that he truly recognized the sheer gap between himself and Fly.
They were both freshman Beast Warriors, yet Fly seemed so impossibly towering.
Especially that one sentence—Our goal is the Championship!
It left Jasper Locke feeling utterly bewildered, finding it almost impossible to believe.
They were both Beast Warriors who came from ordinary families.
Star City's overall strength couldn't even be considered top-tier within the Jade State.
How could he even dare to think like that?
"Damn it..."
Previously, Fiona Swann had hoped that if she lost, he would just forfeit and surrender directly.
But reaching this moment, a nameless fire ignited within Jasper Locke's chest. His heart began to burn intensely.
To clash with Fly... and see who stood taller!
"Bring it on!"
Jasper Locke let out a loud shout, summoning his Beast Totem.
Yet in the very next second, Fly practically teleported right in front of him with blinding speed. The black scythe popped out with a crisp shing, slashing directly toward his chest.
Slash!
Accompanied by a dull thud, Jasper Locke didn't even have the time to let out a groan before he collapsed stiffly to the ground.
The entire process took less than the blink of an eye.
Even though you could say Jasper Locke's courage is commendable, the gap in strength between him and Fly is simply too massive.
Chances are, the rest of the group stage matches will end the exact same way.
The referee thought to himself, then immediately started the countdown.
"Ten."
"Nine."
"Eight."
...
"One."
"Zero."
With the countdown finished, Fly smoothly secured the victory for the second match.
"The winner, Star City High!"
Over at the commentators' desk.
Winston Hayes spoke excitedly, "Let us congratulate Fly, and congratulate Star City High, for successfully securing match point in the group stages!"
"As long as they can defeat Obsidian High next, they will secure three points and advance directly to the top eight knockout stages!"
"Indeed," Vera nodded in agreement. "Furthermore, since this group stage utilizes a counter-clockwise round-robin format, the next match is exactly Star City High versus Obsidian High."
"But..."
"Star City High's competitor, Fly, has already fought seven consecutive matches."
"I wonder if Star City High will switch up their vanguard order for the next match?"
Because Star City High had drawn the number one lot, they needed to fight consecutively in the third and fourth matches. A staff member quickly walked over to Fly, asking if he wanted to substitute out for another competitor.
"No need." Fly waved his hand dismissively. He hadn't suffered any injuries, and his stamina consumption wasn't significant either.
Besides, he had already watched the previous matches.
The Beast Warriors from Obsidian High really weren't anything special.
He might as well ride the momentum and finish this as soon as possible.
"Understood," the staff member replied, then picked up a walkie-talkie to report the situation to the tournament committee.
"It looks like Star City High has no intention of swapping competitors." Seeing the indicator light up on the sidelines, Winston Hayes knew exactly what was going on.
"Fly probably wants to push through in one go and directly secure Star City High's qualification," Vera nodded, analyzing the situation.
"After all, Obsidian High has already fought, and they couldn't even get past Sun-Peak High's Serena Lowe. It's safe to assume they don't have any hidden cards left."
"Fly likely realized this, which is why he wants to wrap up the match as quickly as possible."
"Moreover, doing this will deprive the Martial Studies High Schools entering the knockout stages of any combat intel on his teammates."
"After all, the intel from the Freshman Invitational is completely outdated by now."
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"Exactly," Winston Hayes nodded as well. "It seems Star City High is the ultimate dark horse. I wonder what kind of performance they'll bring to the knockout stages? It truly makes you look forward to it!"
Not long after, Obsidian High's first competitor stepped onto the arena.
Fly didn't waste any time, taking the initiative to attack directly and end the battle swiftly.
The result was exactly as Fly had expected; Obsidian High's overall level this year wasn't high at all.
Perhaps it was due to their consecutive string of defeats in recent years, causing the school board and investors to lose faith in them, resulting in a severe lack of resource investment this year.
Their Beast Totems were universally Common Species, and some didn't even have any decent Skills.
The gap between the two sides was so massive that not a single person could last a single exchange against Fly.
In just two short minutes, Fly had consecutively eliminated three of Obsidian High's Beast Warriors.
In a corner of the spectator stands.
"A one-versus-twelve sweep?" Fairy Beixuan murmured with keen interest.
During the matches, she had already noticed Fly's extraordinary Martial Arts prowess, figuring that Star City High would be the one to advance from the group stages this year.
But she hadn't expected Fly to actually achieve the monumental feat of a one-versus-twelve sweep, single-handedly toppling three Martial Studies High Schools.
"Figured he'd run out of stamina halfway through and be forced to let someone else take over," Fairy Beixuan said softly.
"Fly, very strong." Jade Flute Fairy's voice was still filled with a sense of distant detachment, yet she gave Fly an incredibly high evaluation.
A hint of surprise flashed through Fairy Beixuan's beautiful eyes.
Jade Flute Fairy rarely paid much mind to other Beast Warriors, and she gave such high praise even less often.
And, this wasn't like the purely spiritual evaluation she had given Luna Monroe.
This "very strong" most likely referred to Fly's overall Martial Arts level.
"Even if he is strong, it's only relative." However, Fairy Beixuan remained verbally unconvinced. "At the end of the day, it's just because the other competitors in this group stage are too weak, making Fly's strength seem impressive by comparison."
"No..."
Fairy Beixuan shook her head.
"If compared to the competitors from Sycamore High, this Fly might be considered a somebody."
"But if he were to be compared with the competitors from Willow High or Laurel High, he'd probably pale in comparison."
"Let alone our Sovereign High."
"Jade Flute, I know you're cautious by nature, never taking risks, and you always treat every match and every opponent seriously. But I really don't think Fly is all that amazing."
"Believe it or not, I could sweep them entirely on my own."
Fairy Beixuan raised the pink little paw of her cat plushie and waved it in front of her, completely dismissing Fly and Star City High as worthy opponents.
No...
It wasn't just Fly and Star City High.
In Fairy Beixuan's eyes, even Willow High and Laurel High—schools considered their equals—were absolutely no match for their Sovereign High.
At the very least, the championship for the ninth-grade division was undoubtedly in their bag.
Without an ounce of exaggeration, in her eyes, Sovereign High was the only place in the entire Jade State where one could truly learn Martial Arts.
...
"Let us congratulate Star City High for successfully advancing to the top eight knockout stages!"
As Winston Hayes's voice fell, Obsidian High's final competitor was eliminated, officially marking Fly's leadership of Star City High into the top eight.
"Once all the group stage matches have concluded, the draw for the knockout stages will begin," Winston Hayes continued to inform the audience.
However, even though there was an important drawing segment coming up, many spectators had already lost their interest in watching any further and began leaving the venue early.
Even Jade Flute Fairy and Fairy Beixuan rose from their seats and exited the stadium.
Seeing Fly return to the waiting room, Mr. Carter was so excited he practically danced with joy.
"Fly!"
Mr. Carter extended his right hand, wanting to high-five him to celebrate the victory.
Fly knew very well that this was Star City High's most promising year. Not only had they advanced from the group stages, but they had done so without exposing too much of their strength. It was only natural for Mr. Carter to be this thrilled.
He was more than happy to return the enthusiasm.
Smack!
The two shared a smile as their hands met in a crisp high-five.
Genevieve, 'Emperor' Valerius, and the others gathered around as well, ready to celebrate this triumph together.
But, after a fierce string of battles, Fly started to feel a little hungry.
"Dean Sterling, we absolutely have to celebrate properly tonight! We made it to the top eight!" Jett said excitedly.
In his mind, as long as their luck during the draw wasn't terrible, and they didn't run into powerhouses like Sovereign High, Willow High, or Laurel High right out of the gate, their chances of making the top four were incredibly high.
If their luck was even better, those three powerhouse schools might all get seeded into the opposite bracket. That way, they'd have a massive probability of making it all the way to the finals!
Even though the Apprenticeship Contract with Grandmaster Muse hinged on Fly winning the championship as a wager, Jett felt that with Fly's outstanding performance, Grandmaster Muse wouldn't make things difficult for him even if he didn't secure the league title.
"But we still have to wait for them to finish before the draw can start." Fly walked over to the sofa and slumped down.
No matter how you looked at it, even though most of the matches were utter sweeps, relaxing his tense nerves still brought on a wave of fatigue. It was just like exercising: it feels like smooth sailing while you're moving, but the moment you stop to rest, the muscle aches and soreness set in.
"Mhm," Mr. Carter nodded, then glanced at the time.
Because Fly swept his opponents one-versus-four in every single round, the matches hadn't taken long at all. Right now, it was barely half-past seven.
Following the precedent of previous years, the drawing segment didn't require representatives from each school to be present. Instead, it was handled entirely by the two commentators and the referee.
It usually took only a few minutes to wrap up.
"If things go smoothly, we should be able to head out for dinner around eight-thirty."
"To celebrate today's victory, I'm treating everyone to a great meal."
Mr. Carter announced.
Genevieve and the rest were naturally overjoyed.
The subsequent matches played out exactly as everyone expected.
The competitors from various schools who had suffered lighter injuries returned to the stage after some basic medical treatment.
Because Spencer Sinclair's Beast Totem had been destroyed by Fly, Grand River High, having lost their trump card, was easily taken down by Sun-Peak High.
Meanwhile, Obsidian High concluded their run with a dismal zero-to-three record.
As the competitors from the various schools filed out, Vera, acting in her capacity as commentator, stepped onto the arena to prepare for the drawing ceremony.
The staff members also buzzed about, working feverishly.
They brought up a table and an oval-shaped glass box.
Inside the box lay eight small silver balls; the names of the schools advancing to the top eight were hidden within them.
"The draw is starting..." Standing in the waiting room, Mr. Carter nervously watched the screen, laser-focused on the results.
Even though Fly's goal was the championship and he didn't care which school they faced first, Mr. Carter absolutely did not want to run into a powerhouse like Sovereign High right off the bat.
Even...
Jett was constantly making the sign of the cross over his chest, muttering his prayers frantically out loud.
"Please don't put us in the same bracket. Please don't let us be in the same bracket as Sovereign High..."
"Put all the powerhouses in the other bracket. Shove all the powerhouses into the other bracket."
Fly raised an eyebrow, giving him a completely speechless look.
This guy... don't have to pray out loud, you know...
"It seems like you're always so calm, no matter what happens, Fly," Genevieve said softly, taking a seat beside him.
"My only goal this time is the championship," Fly blurted out.
"If Sovereign High truly is that strong, then regardless of the draw, we'll eventually cross paths."
"So to me, it's an inevitable battle."
"Inevitable, huh?" Off to the side, 'Emperor' Valerius frowned slightly upon hearing Fly's words.
Although he had always been arrogant and refused to bow down to anyone easily, he was well aware of Sovereign High's formidable power.
So, even if he didn't voice it, he couldn't help but feel a little anxious about the draw results inside.
Then there was Fly, looking completely unbothered.
This disparity in their mentalities left Valerius feeling rather conflicted.
He could only feel the gap in Martial Arts mastery between himself and Fly continuing to widen.
He understood perfectly well that for a warrior, mindset was the most crucial thing. But how could someone just control their mindset simply because they wanted to?
Is this the reason I lost to Fly when we faced The Scroll of Martial Heart-Tempering?
Suddenly, Valerius recalled the trial they had undergone back at the art exhibition.
Yet, right at this very moment, just as the draw was about to commence, an emergency news broadcast suddenly flashed onto the screen.
[According to the Federal Geological Survey, an earthquake measuring 9.1 on the Richter scale struck the eastern part of Montena State just moments ago. As of now, the earthquake has resulted in 170 fatalities and 330 injuries. Aftershocks continue to roll in. We urge residents near eastern Montena State to take emergency precautions.]