Chapter 108: Round of 32
In the hotel conference room, Arthur walked in.
He didn’t waste time. The holographic display activated behind him, showing Rift Valley Academy’s known fighter data.
"Lucian Grimaud, Amira El Fassi, Bruno Remmos, Julian Renard, and Carlos Vega." Arthur read the names without fanfare. "That’s our lineup for the match against Rift Valley Academy."
Bruno cracked his knuckles. Julian leaned back in his chair. Carlos smirked.
"We’re going fully offensive this match," Arthur continued. "Rift Valley has to win or they’re out of the ICL. They’ll send their best. Based on the intelligence we’ve gathered, they have two Mid Core Realm fighters. Amira and Carlos will handle them."
He looked at the remaining three.
"Lucian, Julian, Bruno — you handle the other three. This will be one-on-one. Each of you takes one opponent. And display as little as possible."
Lucian raised an eyebrow.
"We’re moving into the round of 32 after this," Arthur said. "The knockout format hasn’t been announced yet. We don’t know what we’ll face. So we keep our cards hidden. Use basic abilities. Win clean. Win fast."
He turned off the display.
"Questions?"
Nobody spoke.
"Good. Match starts in two hours."
The Stadium of Ascension was packed again. Different day, different matches, same roaring crowd of over a hundred thousand.
The referee stood at the center of the arena floor. IAR officials moved to the edges, pressing their palms to the ground. Mana surged outward.
This time, the terrain that rose was a forest.
Massive trees erupted from the stone floor — oaks, pines, ancient things with thick trunks and sprawling canopies that blocked out the simulated sunlight above. Undergrowth filled the gaps between trees. Ferns. Bushes. Moss-covered rocks. A shallow stream cut through the center of the arena.
Four hundred meters of dense woodland.
The two teams emerged from opposite sides of the forest.
Rift Valley Academy’s five fighters wore earth-toned uniforms — browns and greens, blending naturally with the terrain. They moved with the confidence of an academy that had trained in real forests back in Tanzania.
EASA’s five spread out immediately.
The referee’s voice echoed through the trees. "Begin."
Lucian’s eyes flared gold.
Eyes of the Eternals.
Five signatures appeared in his vision — each one tagged with cultivation realm, position, and movement direction. He fed the information through the team link comms.
Two Mid Core Realm — northeast quadrant, forty meters apart. One is near the stream, the other is moving through the canopy. The other three are Early Core Realm — one west, one south-southwest, one directly ahead moving toward our center.
"Got it," Carlos said.
He was already moving. Flames flickered to life around his fists as he tracked the Mid Core Realm fighter near the stream. He moved fast — Flame Body activated, his body engulfed in fire, leaving a trail of scorched undergrowth behind him.
Amira went northeast toward the canopy fighter. Sand swirled around her feet as she ran, ready to erupt at a moment’s notice.
The three Rift Valley Early Core Realm fighters panicked when they realized two of their Mid Core Realm teammates were already being engaged.
"Split up!" one of them shouted.
Too late.
Bruno crashed through a bush directly in front of the western fighter. His Body Strengthening activated — skin gleaming with metallic luster, muscles bulging. The Rift Valley student — a guy with a rock-armoring ability — barely had time to cover his fists in stone before Bruno’s punch hit him.
BOOM.
The stone shattered. The student flew backward through two trees. Crack. Crack. Both trunks snapped. The student hit the ground and didn’t get up. His bracelet was glowing blue.
"Rift Valley Academy — one eliminated."
Julian engaged the south-southwest fighter in a clearing. Lightning crackled between his fingers as the Rift Valley student — a girl with a vine-manipulation ability — sent thorned tendrils shooting from the ground.
Whoosh. Whoosh.
Julian burned through them with precise lightning bolts. Zzt. Zzt. The vines charred and fell apart. He closed the distance and slammed an electrified palm into her guard.
Boom.
She staggered. He hit her again. Boom. Again. Boom. Her bracelet flashed.
"Rift Valley Academy — two eliminated."
Lucian moved through the forest like a ghost. Phantom Walk made him flicker between trees — visible one moment, gone the next. The Rift Valley fighter directly ahead of him was a spear user, scanning the trees nervously, his weapon held ready.
Lucian appeared behind him.
The fighter spun — fast, good reflexes — and thrust his spear. Lucian leaned aside. The spear passed his cheek by an inch.
Lucian grabbed the shaft with one hand.
The fighter’s eyes widened.
Lucian yanked him forward and drove his knee into the student’s stomach. Bam. The fighter doubled over. Lucian released the spear, grabbed the back of his neck, and threw him into a tree.
Crack.
The fighter hit the trunk and slumped. His bracelet activated.
"Rift Valley Academy — three eliminated."
In the northeast quadrant, Carlos had cornered the Mid Core Realm fighter near the stream. Fire and water clashed — the Rift Valley student using a high-pressure water ability that pushed back Carlos’s flames.
Carlos grinned.
He clapped his hands together. A massive fireball — compressed, dense, burning white-hot — erupted between his palms and slammed into the water stream. The water evaporated on contact. Steam exploded outward. The Rift Valley student, blinded and scorched, stumbled backward.
Carlos appeared in front of him and delivered a flaming uppercut.
BOOM.
The student flew out of the forest canopy and crossed the boundary line.
"Rift Valley Academy — four eliminated."
Amira finished last. The canopy fighter — a woman with a wood-manipulation ability — had turned the trees themselves into weapons, sending branches swinging like massive clubs. But sand was the natural counter to wood. Amira buried the woman’s feet in sand, locked her in place, and then compressed the sand around her like a coffin.
The woman struggled. The sand tightened. Her bracelet flashed.
"Rift Valley Academy — five eliminated. Match over."
Time on the clock: Five minutes and forty-three seconds.
The EASA section cheered. Lucian walked out of the forest without a scratch, his expression flat. Julian and Bruno looked bored.
The next match was Southern Kiwi Academy versus Bosphorus Crescent Academy.
BCA won. Two eliminations to one when time expired, securing their spot in the round of 32.
The group standings finalized on the stadium screen:
Group H —
European All-Star Academy: 9 points, 3 wins, 0 draws, 0 losses.
Bosphorus Crescent Academy: 6 points, 2 wins, 0 draws, 1 loss.
Rift Valley Academy: 3 points, 1 win, 0 draws, 2 losses.
Southern Kiwi Academy: 0 points, 0 wins, 0 draws, 3 losses.
EASA topped the group. BCA took second. Both advanced.
An hour later, the round of 32 matchups were displayed. The crowd fell silent as the bracket appeared on the massive screen above the arena.
Match 1: Roman Imperium Academy — Italy vs Scarlet Sands Academy — Egypt.
Match 2: Black Iron Reich Academy — Germany vs Frost Spirit Academy — South Korea.
Match 3: Inca Gold Academy — Peru vs Southern Cross Academy — Chile.
Match 4: Iron Veldt Academy — South Africa vs Amber Oasis Academy — Morocco.
Match 5: American Apex Academy — United States vs Jade Lotus Academy — Vietnam.
Match 6: Chinese Vanguard Institute — China vs Winged Hussar Academy — Poland.
Match 7: Amazonia Emerald Academy — Brazil vs Winter Wolf Academy — Ukraine.
Match 8: Lion City Academy — Singapore vs Quetzal Sovereign Academy — Guatemala.
Match 9: Mount Olympus Academy — Greece vs Maple Frost Academy — Canada.
Match 10: Iberian Sun Academy — Spain vs Pampas Wind Academy — Argentina.
Match 11: European All-Star Academy — United Kingdom vs Aztec Sun Academy — Mexico.
Match 12: Golden Elephant Academy — Thailand vs Pearl Archipelago Academy — Philippines.
Match 13: Elysian Lumière Academy — France vs Vajra Crown Academy — India.
Match 14: Desert Mirage Academy — Saudi Arabia vs Oceanic Horizon Academy — Tonga.
Match 15: Siberian Frost Academy — Russia vs Bosphorus Crescent Academy — Turkey.
Match 16: Tokyo Kami Academy — Japan vs Isthmus Crossroads Academy — Panama.
Lucian found their match immediately. Match 11. Aztec Sun Academy — Mexico.
Arthur turned to the group.
"Round of 32 starts in four days. Rest up. We have work to do."