Chapter 144
Destroyer of Ice and Fire
Chapter 144: Silver Trout Academy’s genius freshman
"It seems we were wrong as well about this team. We’re the seeded team in this group, but the spectators in the stands seem to have forgotten about us now." Among the silver-clothed members of team Silver Trout, there was a tall boy with dark-red hair and very fine facial feathers, except a red patch between his eyebrows. He looked at the stands boiling because of team Holy Dawn’s unexpected performance, then turned around and looked at another boy beside him, one with a young and immature face and short black hair. He laughed coldly. "Shinro, you better go and remind them."
"Captain, I…" There was a slight unexpected blush on the black-haired boy’s fair face. He lowered his head, looking extremely bashful.
The members of team Silver Trout all seemed to be accustomed to his character. None of them seemed particularly surprised.
Team Silver Trout’s captain, that boy with a red patch between his eyebrows, was called Nolan. He smiled coldly once again and said in a quiet voice, "We finished merely seventh last year, but this year… After this match, everyone should come to realize we’re a strong contender for the title this time around."
"The match between Silver Trout Academy and Longtable Academy is next."
"Look, look, Silver Trout Academy is about to come into the field. Silver Trout Academy has powerful people like Nolan, Shukla, Sarina. But this year, Holy Dawn Academy is a bit too strange, so there’s some danger for Silver Trout Academy as well. They’re also going head to head with a strong team like Longtable for their very first match."
Still basking in their joy at their great victory in the first match, Ayrin and the others also suddenly stopped shouting and yelling. They started focusing seriously on the match instead as well, while the spectators discussed among themselves in the stands.
No amount of data could compare to observing a match with their own eyes.
Team Silver Trout was the greatest obstacle in whether they could fight their way out of the group.
…
"Silver Trout Academy, the gathering place for the young geniuses of House Tully."
"Captain Nolan, a direct descendant of House Tully, dragon bloodline, three open arcane gates during last year’s tournament. But his physical strength is astonishingly powerful. It’s at least three times higher than an arcane master of the same level! Also, his body can dissolve part of the harmfulness from his opponents’ arcane skills."
"Shukla, direct descendant of House Tully, a rare double-headed poison dragon bloodline. Also a high-level arcane master with three open gates during last year’s tournament, expert in some highly poisonous arcane skills. Plus, his spiritual power is very peculiar, most mental-type attacks are useless against him. Rumors have it he’s been practicing a taboo skill from House Tully ever since the end of the tournament last year. It’s unknown whether he’s already succeeded or not."
"Sarina, a girl nicknamed the Ruler of Blades. A direct descendant of House Tully. Her bloodline is House Tully’s main bloodline, the shadow dragon. Rumors have it she’s been recognized as a born assassin in House Tully not long after her Awakening, and also recognized for her cool-headedness and ability to commend. She’s a genius girl who’ll certainly have the ability to become the ruler of a territory in the future. During a battle, her special skills even cause her opponents to have no idea where on earth she is…"
Ayrin and the others already knew the data about the main three celebrity contestant in Silver Trout like the back of their hands.
"I wonder who Silver Trout is sending first."
Looking at team Silver Trout already preparing themselves at the edge of the field, Ayrin couldn’t help talking to himself.
"A freshman?"
"Who’s that. I don’t think there was someone like that in Silver Trout’s main lineup."
Surprised exclamations descended from the stands all of a sudden.
Because just then, that fair-skinned boy with short black hair who looked a little shy had already left the other members of team Silver Trout and started walking alone toward the center of the field.
"There’s nothing about him in Breith Magazine either… This is a freshman who never appeared in the competition before." Chris immediately flipped through the magazine and noticed there was nothing about this black-haired, fair-skinned boy even in the introduction about the substitute members.
"Silver Trout Academy against Longtable Academy, first fight, Shinro against Vitali."
"Shinro? This freshman from Silver Trout is called Shinro, could he be another genius from House Tully?" All the spectators in the stands were brimming with curiosity about this shy-looking boy coming out first for Silver Trout Academy.
"These guys from Silver Trout, they’re all people born with eyes on top of their heads. This new member wouldn’t even have a sniff at an opportunity to make an appearance if he didn’t have absolute strength. Why are so many new freshmen suddenly popping out in the tournament this year?"
Kleis had a strange feeling.
Seeing Vitali, the first one to come out for Longtable Academy, already gesture he was ready, while Shinro was still hanging his head down and not showing any reaction, he raised his voice and asked, "Are you ready?"
"I am…" Shinro weakly answered, lifting his hand.
"Since you’re ready, then I am going to declare the start of this fight!"
"Begin!"
With the way he looked, even Kleis couldn’t resist adding a sentence as a reminder.
"What!"
However, the instant he declared the start of the fight, an icy wind seemed to blow across his heart. A chilly sensation arose inside him.
There was no weakling in Silver Trout Academy. Vitali could be ranked third in strength in Longtable Academy. He was already well ready the moment the fight began, ready to invoke the "Longtable Grail."
This was an arcane skill combining attack with defense. The golden cup shaped by the skill could be used as protection, while the fiery-red lights bubbling inside also had an impressive power.
But just at this moment, when his arcane particles barely had time to gush out of his hands, when he couldn’t see it clearly yet and could only hear a voice chanting "Void Assault," he already felt a terrifying strength striking him. His entire body flew backward, entirely out of his control.
"What!"
In the stands, there was simply almost no one who clearly saw what happened.
They just saw that as soon as Kleis declared the start of the fight, Vitali had already been struck away flying, while Shinro’s figure instead appeared where Vitali had previously been standing.
"Sent flying with a single move?"
"How can he be so fast, I couldn’t even see."
Almost everyone had somewhat stopped breathing. Vitali flew all the way to the edge of the field before he heavily fell on the ground. He only made a pained groan when he landed, and the clothes around his chest had directly been exploded open.
The medical team directly ran in Vitali’s direction.
"It ended in the blink of an eye… He can’t even get up."
"He’s so fast you can’t even see him."
Ayrin’s eyes were also staring wide open. He shouted, "Chris, Rinloran, did you clearly see it?"
"No, it was simply impossible to see what movements he made or what arcane skill he used." Chris and Rinloran both took a deep breath and shook their heads.
"Teacher Carter, what arcane skill was it?" Ayrin couldn’t resist turning his head and asking Carter.
Carter shook his head with an extremely solemn look. "No one from Silver Trout Academy ever used an arcane skill like that before. I wonder if it’s a taboo skill unique to House Tully. I didn’t clearly see either how he struck his opponent, I just barely saw the faint blur of his figure when he was accelerating."
Ayrin was struck dumb. "What, teacher Carter, even someone at your level couldn’t totally see it?"
"His invocation is fast, and his speed also surpassed the limits of human reaction. He directly reached him… We absolutely have to clearly distinguish the way he moves and think of a way to counter it, otherwise none of us is his match." Chris’ expression was also extremely grave.
"He was actually defeated before he had time to do anything!"
"I didn’t even see it… There’s actually another new member like that in Silver Trout Academy!"
"…"
At this time, the stands were fully like a pot blowing off its lid.
"Shinro, add some more to their shock. Carefully remind everyone of our existence." Amidst the surrounding uproar, captain Nolan of team Silver Trout smiled proudly.
"Silver Trout Academy against Longtable Academy, second fight, Shinro against Andrea."
Everyone in Longtable Academy was already panicking. They one and all shouted out loud at Andrea, "You absolutely have to stop him!"
They were also a traditionally strong team. Even against Silver Trout Academy, they still had been holding onto the thought of vying for victory at the start of the match, but they never another new fighter like this one would appear in Silver Trout Academy!
"Angel Guardian!"
The instant Kleis declared the start of the fight, Andrea had already launched a spell at extreme speed. A white veil of light flashed, covering his entire person inside.
"What!"
But what made the entire stands erupt in chaos once again was, Andrea was still sent flying away even with his body fully covered by the white veil of light. And Shinro once again reappeared where he originally stood.
"I still couldn’t clear see!"
"How’s that possible!"
"Angel Guardian is a pure omnidirectional defensive skill. He was already wrapped inside, and the defensive power hasn’t been shattered, how’s it possible for him to be still sent flying away!"
Amidst the uproar, Ivan turned his head around at Ferguillo in the stands. "Did you see it clearly this time around?"
Ferguillo nodded. "An identical attack, it’s just too fast. His strike landed on Andrea before Angel Guardian could activate. Angel Guardian’s halo wasn’t sealing Andrea entirely inside when he sent him flying, it closed off while he was already flying in the air."
After a slight pause, Ferguillo quietly said, "That’s why it looks like Angel Guardian remains intact while Andrea was sent flying… But to be so fast it fools the eyes, this arcane skill of his has already surpassed the reaction speed limits of the nerves around an ordinary person’s eyes."
"I might barely snatch the initiative in a real fight, but in a tournament like this, I’m not his match either." Ivan looked at Ferguillo. "What about you, are you confident you can restrain him?"
Ferguillo threw him a glance, didn’t saying anything. He nodded.
…
"What!"
"Hiss…"
Tsunami-like waves of exclamations and hisses continuously washed through the stands.
One by one, Longtable’s contestants all saw a blur in front of their eyes, then were smashed away in the air before they could see Shinro’s actions, losing the ability to fight one after another.
The only contestant left for Longtable Academy, captain Ender, was also a celebrity fighter at the same level as Joyce and Audrey. But the stronger he was, the more he could feel how fearsome this opponent was. He couldn’t think of a way to counter him.
"He forfeited!"
"Ender forfeited too!"
"What can he do? Even if Shinro stepped down now, Silver Trout academy still has three celebrity fighters at about the same level as him. It’s the limit for him to defeat even one of them, so there’s isn’t any meaning whether he keeps fighting or not."
Sighs descended from the stands, because in the end, Ender lifted his hand and gestured he was forfeiting.
"A freshman like that, why didn’t they hide him to use when they meet a powerful team like Dragon Breath, Golden Stag, or Abel Academy?"
Captain Nolan of team Silver Trout heard comments like these.
He couldn’t hold back another proud smile, thinking to himself, "What’s the use even if they entirely see through him? Because to begin with, Shinro only knows this one arcane skill… The crucial point is, even if you know it’s his only skill, what can you do to defend against it?"