Chapter 315: Alex Stratos vs. Prince Garen
Duels were usually held in the training grounds, but the academy made an exception this time and allowed Prince Garen to use the Colosseum, usually meant to hold tournaments and other special events in Frieden Academy.
Nearly everyone in the academy joined the crowd, including the Headmaster and the Professors, who were seated at the VIP Seats.
The delegation from Solara Academy and Faelarun Academy was also seated in VIP Rooms, boasting a great view of the arena.
For some reason, Chuck had been chosen as the MC of the match, which he was more than happy to accept.
Alex’s roommate liked activities that made him shine, and being the Master of Ceremonies gave him the spotlight.
"Ladies and gentlemen!" Chuck said with a smile on his face. "We have gathered today for a special exhibition match between Alex Stratos and Prince Garen Ashborne!"
Voice magnified by magic, his words were heard loud and clear throughout the entire audience stands.
Donned in expensive clothes that highlighted his good looks, Chuck waved his hand at everyone, hyping the match that was about to start.
"Without further delay, allow me to call our first combatant." Chuck pointed at the east side of the Colosseum. "Hailing from Solara Academy, let’s give a loud cheer for Prince Garen Ashborne!"
A loud applause spread in the surroundings as Prince Garen slowly made his way toward the arena with a confident smile on his face.
He was wearing his full battle regalia, highlighting the famed Armor of the Solar Knights of his kingdom.
The armor was deep red, with a golden sun embedded in the center of his chest, as well as a cape that fluttered on his back.
Wearing a winged circlet on his head, Prince Garen not only looked good, especially for the ladies, but he also exuded an air of nobility.
The moment he stood on top of the arena, he gave the crowd a wave, earning him loud cheers.
"And now, let us welcome his opponent!" Chuck pointed to the west side of the arena. "Everyone, make way for Alex Stratos!"
Alex soon stepped foot into the arena, with Dim Dim firmly perched on top of his head.
The little bun waved at everyone, the view magnified by the large magical projection high above the arena, allowing everyone to see the cute little bun.
Many of the girls couldn’t help but smile at the visual impact of Dim Dim’s adorable appearance and the handsome silver-haired young man who had been the talk of the academy for the past few weeks.
Alex wasn’t wearing his Oathkeeper Armor, which he had used during his battle with Widow in the Mistral Weave Forest. Instead, he wore the academy’s combat suit, the kind students could buy with points at the Exchange Center.
The combat suit was black, resembling studded leather armor. It offered decent defense along with magical enchantments, making it the gear of choice for academy students heading out on missions.
Lavinia and Latifa couldn’t help but give Alex a second look, finding him quite dashing in his armor.
Although the young fox lady was usually asleep at this time, she decided to watch the battle to offer her support to Alex.
When Alex was finally in the arena, Chuck came closer and held the microphone towards Dim Dim.
"Dim Dim, do you have anything to say to everyone?" Chuck asked.
Dim Dim raised its body in arrogance. "Dim Dim!"
"Oh? You’re not going to fight alongside Alex?" Chuck inquired.
Dim Dim nodded. "Dim."
The little bun then jumped on top of Chuck’s head, which made the ladies giggle at the little bun’s action.
"Then, how about you, Alex?" Chuck asked. "Do you have anything to say to everyone here?"
Alex nodded. "As you may already know, I am the President of the Endless Horizon Club. I apologize for not accepting applications sent to our club. Unfortunately, we are an exclusive club, so we don’t just let anyone join as they please.
"This doesn’t mean we will not have new members. I will simply offer invitations to students whom I believe have untapped potential waiting to be discovered. I guarantee that before this year is over, Endless Horizon will become the 13th Crest Club of Frieden Academy.
"We will not show our excellence through words but through our actions. Let all of you bear witness to the birth of a new Crest Club!"
The presidents of the other Crest Clubs, including Prince Edward of the Lionheart Society and Aeris of the Obsidian Fang, narrowed their eyes as they looked at Alex, who had a confident smile plastered on his face.
There had been many clubs in the past who had the same ambition, but none dared to announce it in public for fear of other Crest Clubs singling them out.
Perhaps only Alex, who had the title of the Blackmail King, could make this declaration with confidence.
After all, after making an example of the Crest Clubs themselves, who in their right minds would try to mess with him?
Chuck smiled faintly, proud to be part of Endless Horizon.
At the start, he thought that Alex was just messing around. But through his actions, he had managed to put their club in the spotlight, allowing everyone to pay attention to them.
"Before we start this battle, I would also like to have a word with the person who sparked this interesting duel," Chuck stated and pointed at the North gate of the Colosseum.
"Let us welcome the muse of this battle, Ms. Vaan Damne!"
Vaan, dressed in Damne Viscounty’s ceremonial robes, walked with grace and confidence.
Chuck had been the one to persuade Vaan into dressing up for the occasion, and the latter reluctantly agreed to it.
His charming look made both the guys and girls sigh—sure enough, Vaan was a beauty for whose favor two heroes dueled.
When Vaan arrived at the side of the arena, Chuck jumped down and approached her with a smile.
"Ms. Vaan, please say something before the battle starts," Chuck said with a smile.
Vaan nodded and accepted the microphone from Chuck before glancing in Alex’s direction.
A mischievous smile hung on her—errr, his lips, which made Alex suddenly feel anxious.
"Alex, if you win this battle, I will let you do the deed with me," Vaan said firmly. "I mean, I will give you the deed of the land as promised."
His beautiful, angelic voice spread across the Colosseum, making every girl’s face redden while screaming "Kyaaaah!"
As for the guys, they all glared at the handsome silver-haired boy, whose lips were currently twitching nonstop at the moment.
Clearly, Vaan had deliberately phrased it to sound misleading before correcting himself.
But the damage had been done.
The Colosseum erupted with cheers, screams, and curses from the students, who were giving Alex the middle finger!
"Prince Garen! Kill that scum!"
"Castrate him!"
"Break his balls!"
"Kill!"
""Kill!""
The audience’s roars shook the entire Colosseum, their voices blending into a thunderous storm of curses, cheers, and laughter.
Chuck, ever the opportunist, raised his hand to calm the crowd. But his grin betrayed how much he was enjoying the chaos.
"Well, well! This just got spicier than a dragon’s breath!" Chuck declared. "Ladies and gentlemen, the stakes for this duel are now higher than ever!"
The students erupted again, their chants echoing through the arena like war drums. Some screamed Prince Garen’s name, others Alex’s, and many just shouted obscenities for fun.
Prince Garen’s grip tightened around his sword hilt, a nerve bulging on his head. He gave Alex a death glare so sharp it could cut steel.
"You bastard..." Prince Garen growled under his breath, his pride as both a prince and a man thoroughly trampled. "I’ll make you regret ever stepping into this arena."
Lavinia and Latifa, who were also watching, both glared at Alex as if they wanted to give him a piece of their mind.
"Hah..." Lotte sighed in exasperation, while Lumi by her side simply shook her head.
Clearly, Latifa’s two Alters understood that Vaan was just messing with everyone to keep the duel more lively.
Fran, on the other hand, subconsciously clenched her fist tightly, which made her frown.
"Huh?" Fran blinked in confusion, unsure why she suddenly felt concerned after hearing Vaan’s declaration.
Finn glanced at his twin sister before shifting his gaze back at Alex. Whatever the young dwarf was thinking at the moment, no one knew aside from him.
"Well, then, since all sides have already made their peace, I hereby declare the start of this duel!" Chuck raised his hand.
"Battle Start!"