Chapter 111: The Sealed Ice Queen
Two days passed.
The round of 32 concluded with few surprises. The top academies dominated as expected — China’s Vanguard Institute crushed Poland’s Winged Hussar Academy in six minutes. Japan’s Tokyo Kami Academy dismantled Panama’s Isthmus Crossroads Academy with terrifying efficiency. France’s Elysian Lumière Academy narrowly defeated India’s Vajra Crown Academy in a contested 4-2 match that drew the loudest cheers of the round.
Russia’s Siberian Frost Academy eliminated Tonga’s Oceanic Horizon Academy without difficulty. The remaining matches followed the predicted pattern — stronger academies advancing, weaker ones eliminated.
On the second evening, the round of 16 draws appeared on the stadium’s main screen. The crowd hushed. Every remaining academy had proven themselves. From here on, every match mattered.
Match 1: Roman Imperium Academy — Italy vs Amber Oasis Academy — Morocco
Match 2: Southern Cross Academy — Chile vs Chinese Vanguard Institute — China
Match 3: American Apex Academy — United States vs Black Iron Reich Academy — Germany
Match 4: Amazonia Emerald Academy — Brazil vs Lion City Academy — Singapore
Match 5: European All-Star Academy — United Kingdom vs Golden Elephant Academy — Thailand
Match 6: Iberian Sun Academy — Spain vs Mount Olympus Academy — Greece
Match 7: Siberian Frost Academy — Russia vs Oceanic Horizon Academy — Tonga
Match 8: Elysian Lumière Academy — France vs Tokyo Kami Academy — Japan
Lucian found match five immediately. Golden Elephant Academy. Thailand.
He’d never heard of them.
Back at the hotel, Arthur called the team together.
"Golden Elephant Academy. GEA. Placed second in their group behind Japan’s Tokyo Kami Academy, which means they’re quite strong. Japan eliminated their opponents in under seven minutes in every group stage match, and GEA was the only academy that scored against them — a 3-2 loss."
He pulled up their known data.
"Golden Elephant Academy is known for earth and beast-related abilities. Their captain is a Mid Core Realm fighter with an A-Rank Bull Transformation ability. Big, fast, hits like a truck. They also have a confirmed healer on their roster. I’m not sure who they will bring in this round though."
Arthur tapped the display. Eleven profiles appeared — some filled with data, others mostly blank.
"We have confirmed information on eleven of their fifteen students. Two are confirmed Mid Core Realm — the captain and a female vice captain whose ability is unknown. The remaining four fighters they’ll likely send are mysteries. They haven’t fought in any match since the tournament began."
"They will likely fight us," Ethan said from the back.
"Likely," Arthur agreed. "They’re hiding their full strength for the knockout rounds."
He turned to face the group.
"Lineup for the round of 16. Lucian, Clara, Ethan, Bruno, Rose, Julian."
Julian’s head snapped up. "Don’t you fucking dare put me on support."
Everyone laughed.
Arthur’s mouth twitched. "Don’t worry. You can go wild."
Julian leaned back, satisfied.
"Golden Elephant Academy has a healer," Arthur continued. "That means we need to either eliminate the healer first or overpower their team fast enough that healing doesn’t matter if she’s on board. We’re going with the second option. Rose protects the crystal. The rest of you fight."
He looked at each of them.
"Lucian and Bruno — you take the captain together. Clara — you’re free to engage whoever you want."
"Same plan as before," Clara said.
"Similar. But don’t underestimate them. Japan couldn’t put them away cleanly, and Japan is one of the top fifteen academies in this tournament."
The room went quiet.
"Rest up. Tomorrow, we fight."
The next day, the stadium was electric.
The round of 16 drew a bigger crowd than the round of 32. Every seat was filled. Standing-room sections had been added. The noise was a physical thing — a wall of sound that pressed against the skin.
The arena floor had been transformed again. This time, the terrain was brutal.
A rocky mountain landscape. Steep cliffs rose from the arena floor, some twenty meters high. Narrow paths wound between them, barely wide enough for two people to walk side by side. Caves dotted the cliff faces — dark openings that could hide anything. The ground was uneven, littered with loose stones and gravel.
Four hundred meters of vertical hell.
The two teams walked out.
Golden Elephant Academy’s six fighters wore dark green and gold uniforms with elephant motifs embroidered on the shoulders. Their captain led the front — a massive man, easily two meters tall, with thick arms and a flat, brutal face.
EASA’s six spread into formation. Rose split off toward their crystal. The remaining five moved forward.
The referee’s voice echoed off the cliff faces. "Round of 16 — Match 5. European All-Star Academy versus Golden Elephant Academy. Begin."
The moment the word left his mouth, the Golden Elephant Academy vice captain moved.
She was a slim girl with sharp eyes and dark hair tied in a tight braid. She didn’t engage any EASA fighter. Instead, she raised both hands toward Clara and began chanting.
Clara’s eyes narrowed. She raised her hand to fire an ice lance.
Too late.
A cube of translucent light materialized around Clara — six walls, floor and ceiling, sealing her inside. The ice lance she’d been forming shattered against the inner surface of the cube.
"Clara!" Arthur shouted.
Clara slammed her fist against the cube’s inner wall. Ice spread across the surface but couldn’t break through. She tried Psychokinesis — grabbed the walls and pulled. Nothing. The cube held.
"I’m sealed," Clara said through gritted teeth, her voice muffled but audible. "It’s a containment ability. I can’t break out from inside anytime soon."
The Golden Elephant Academy vice captain lowered her hands and stepped back toward their crystal, where an earth manipulation user was already reinforcing the terrain around it. Neither of them had fought in the tournament yet. Now they were revealed — the hidden pieces.
The mystery four, Lucian thought. They kept two hidden fighters specifically to counter Clara and protect their crystal. They watched our previous matches. They knew Clara was our strongest mid-core fighter.
"They planned this," Ethan said through the team link.
"I can see that," Arthur replied, his voice calm. "Adjust. Lucian, Bruno — take the captain. Ethan, handle whoever comes at you. Julian — the two on the left flank are yours. Rose — crystal defense. Tighten up."
"On it," Julian said, and he was already moving, lightning blazing around his fists as he charged toward the two Early Core Realm fighters on the left side of the arena.
Lucian and Bruno moved together toward the GEA captain. The massive Thai man saw them coming and grinned.
Rose split off toward their crystal, Aegis barriers already forming around her hands.
Ethan walked forward with his hands in his pockets. A figure detached from the GEA captain’s flank and moved to intercept him — a man of average build with no visible weapon and no obvious ability active. Mid Core Realm, according to the pre-match data. One of the mystery four.
Ethan’s eyes narrowed slightly. "So you’re one of the unknowns."
The man said nothing. He just smiled.
And on the left side of the arena, Julian crashed into the two Early Core Realm fighters with a lightning-charged fist.
Boom.
The first fighter blocked — barely — and was pushed back three meters. The second flanked immediately, striking at Julian’s side with an earth-covered fist.
Julian ducked, grabbed the man’s arm, and electrocuted him point-blank. Zzt. The fighter screamed and staggered.
But the first one was already recovering, and both of them were pressing in — coordinated, relentless, not giving Julian space to breathe.
"Two on one," Julian muttered through the link. "They’re good. But I’ve got this."
Lucian didn’t respond. He was focused on the captain.
The massive Thai man had stopped running. He stood in the center of a narrow mountain path, arms at his sides, waiting. His grin hadn’t faded.
Lucian and Bruno reached him and stopped ten meters away.
The captain rolled his shoulders.
"Come then," he said in accented English. "Show me what European All-Star has to offer."