Chapter 88: Fifteen Banners
Morning arrived beneath a sky unlike anything Noah had seen at Valhalla.
The three moons had finally disappeared behind the pale daylight, but their presence remained faintly visible beyond the clouds.
Hildgard was awake.
And today...
The entire city seemed to be holding its breath.
The streets leading toward the central arena were packed.
Thousands of spectators filled the roads.
Merchants had opened their stalls before sunrise.
Children waved academy flags.
Musicians played from balconies.
And above the main avenue hung fifteen enormous banners.
One for every academy.
Noah walked with Squad Seven through the crowd.
Eric looked around with wide eyes.
"This is insane."
Sophia smiled.
"I’ve never seen this many people gathered for a school event."
Damien corrected her.
"This stopped being a school event several centuries ago."
Luna glanced toward the arena.
"Then what is it?"
Damien looked at the fifteen banners.
"History."
The first banner belonged to Asgard Academy.
Black and gold.
A powerful symbol dominated its center.
The crowd immediately erupted.
"ASGARD!"
"THE CHAMPIONS!"
"ASGARD WILL WIN AGAIN!"
Noah looked toward the academy delegation.
Jordan Nethem walked at the front.
Confident.
Relaxed.
He occasionally waved toward the crowd.
Behind him came Christina Voldem, Adrian Aterias, and Hastral Rold.
Then...
Joseph Yonder.
His small hood covered part of his face.
Unlike the others, he didn’t acknowledge the crowd.
His eyes moved.
Left.
Right.
Above.
Behind.
Watching.
The next banner appeared.
Elementro Academy.
The cheering became deafening.
Reinham Edga stepped into the arena first.
The crowd knew his name.
"REINHAM!"
"THE FIRST PROSPECT!"
"ELEMENTRO!"
Flora Menestra followed.
Then Daniela Vannheim.
Then John Gallagher.
The four stood together.
Even among thousands of students...
They looked different.
Not because they were trying to stand out.
Because everyone already knew who they were.
Daniela’s eyes traveled through the arena.
Then stopped.
Noah.
She stared at him.
For several seconds.
Noah noticed.
Their eyes met.
Daniela smiled.
Not warmly.
Not coldly.
Curiously.
She raised two fingers slightly.
A tiny wave.
Noah returned the gesture.
Daniela’s smile widened.
Then she turned away.
Flora glanced at her.
"You know him?"
"No."
"You looked like you did."
Daniela laughed softly.
"I’ve never met him."
Flora shrugged.
"Then why were you looking?"
Daniela’s gaze briefly returned toward Noah.
"Because there’s something strange about his power."
The third banner entered.
Milgard Academy.
Their students wore deep green and silver.
Unlike Asgard and Elementro, the crowd didn’t erupt immediately.
Instead...
There was a wave of respectful murmuring.
Milgard had a reputation.
Not for flashy performances.
Not for celebrity prospects.
But for producing exceptionally dangerous specialists.
A tall young man walked among them.
His name was Kael Mordren.
He carried a massive black spear.
Another student walked beside him.
Seraphine Vale.
Her expression was calm.
And a third:
Darius Fen.
A young man with a strange blue mark beneath one eye.
Noah watched them carefully.
"Those three..."
Damien nodded.
"Milgard’s primary prospects."
Eric cracked his neck.
"They look strong."
"They are."
Then came Volstra Academy.
The crowd’s response was mixed.
Respectful.
Curious.
The Volstra students entered the arena.
And at the center...
Alcris Vannheim.
He looked completely ordinary.
Calm.
Well mannered.
A faint smile on his face.
He greeted several students from other academies.
He even stopped to shake hands with a representative from Freya Academy.
"Good luck."
"You too."
Nothing suspicious.
Nothing strange.
He looked like any other talented student.
Until his eyes found Noah.
Again.
That sensation returned.
Heat.
Pressure.
A burning sensation deep inside his chest.
Alcris’s smile remained.
But his thoughts changed.
There it is.
That same feeling.
He looked at Noah’s hands.
Nothing.
Just ordinary skin.
So why does it feel like something is burning underneath them?
Noah suddenly felt a chill.
He looked toward Volstra.
Alcris was already smiling at him.
Noah nodded.
Alcris nodded back.
Neither looked away immediately.
Then Alcris turned.
A few seconds later...
His expression became thoughtful.
Valhalla entered fifth.
Their banner rose above the arena.
The crowd cheered.
Not as loudly as Asgard.
Not as loudly as Elementro.
But loudly enough.
"VALHALLA!"
"LET’S GO!"
"FIFTH PLACE!"
"SHOW THEM WHAT YOU’VE GOT!"
Eric laughed.
"See? They like us."
Luna looked at him.
"They like the underdog."
"Same thing."
Noah walked beneath the Valhalla banner.
For a moment...
He looked up.
He remembered arriving at Valhalla months ago.
He had been weak.
Unknown.
Unprepared.
Now he stood among fifteen academies.
And for the first time...
He understood something.
There would always be someone stronger.
Someone faster.
Someone more talented.
Someone with a greater reputation.
Good.
He wanted to meet them.
One after another...
The remaining academies entered.
Jazdris Academy.
Their students carried strange summoning seals.
Skadi Academy.
Cold-eyed warriors from the northern territories.
Jotun Academy.
Massive students who looked like they could break walls.
Freya Academy.
Elegant fighters surrounded by refined magical energy.
Niflheim Academy.
Quiet students dressed in pale colors.
Their movements were almost unnaturally silent.
Kingsguard Academy.
Disciplined knights.
Delenhart Academy.
Tactical specialists.
Velaguard Academy.
Defensive specialists carrying enormous shields.
Singcard Academy.
Students whose equipment contained strange resonance crystals.
And finally...
Veynholm Academy.
The fifteenth banner rose.
The crowd applauded.
Fifteen academies.
Hundreds of contestants.
One arena.
The cheering finally faded.
A massive platform rose from the center of the arena.
One by one...
The academy heads stepped onto it.
Headmaster Alaric stood among them.
Beside him were the leaders of the other academies.
The crowd quieted.
A woman stepped forward.
She wore a long black-and-crimson ceremonial coat.
Her silver crown was decorated with three small moonstones.
She was the representative of Hildgard’s governing council.
"Welcome."
Her voice echoed throughout the arena.
"Students."
"Masters."
"Headmasters."
"And citizens of Hildgard."
She spread her arms.
"Welcome to the Inter-Academy Tournament."
The crowd erupted.
She waited.
Then continued.
"Generations ago, four academies gathered with one question."
Her eyes moved across the contestants.
"Which academy produces the greatest generation?"
The arena became silent.
"Today..."
"Fifteen academies stand beneath the same sky."
"Fifteen banners."
"Fifteen philosophies."
"Fifteen generations."
"And only one will leave Hildgard as the champion."
The crowd exploded again.
Noah looked around.
He saw excitement.
Pride.
Nervousness.
Ambition.
Fear.
And beneath all of it...
Something else.
A hunger.
Everyone here wanted something.
Some wanted victory.
Some wanted recognition.
Some wanted revenge.
Some wanted to prove themselves.
And somewhere among them...
Someone wanted something much darker.
Joseph Yonder stood quietly among Asgard’s contestants.
His hand rested inside his coat.
His fingers touched the small black object again.
A faint black-orange shimmer appeared between his fingers.
It vanished immediately.
Nobody noticed.
Except...
A young woman standing several rows away.
Daniela Vannheim.
Her eyes narrowed.
She looked toward Joseph.
For the briefest moment...
She felt something.
Something unnatural.
Then it disappeared.
Daniela’s expression became thoughtful.
That energy...
She looked toward Alcris.
He was standing among the Volstra delegation.
Their eyes met.
For half a second...
Daniela felt the same strange sensation.
Her eyes narrowed.
Alcris smiled.
Nothing more.
Daniela looked away.
She didn’t understand why...
But something about that feeling bothered her.
The Hildgard representative raised one hand.
"Before the first event begins..."
"Each academy will present its registered contestants."
The crowd roared.
Names began appearing above the arena.
One after another.
Valhalla’s names appeared.
Noah Blackwood.
Laura Esteria.
Eric.
Sophia.
Luna.
Damien.
The crowd reacted.
Some cheers.
Some murmurs.
Some curiosity.
Noah looked toward Laura.
She smiled faintly.
Then the arena lights shifted.
The first academy’s contestants appeared.
Asgard.
Jordan Nethem.
Christina Voldem.
Adrian Aterias.
Hastral Rold.
Joseph Yonder.
The crowd erupted.
Elementro.
Reinham Edga.
Flora Menestra.
Daniela Vannheim.
John Gallagher.
The cheering became deafening.
Volstra.
Alcris Vannheim.
And the rest of their selected contestants.
Alcris looked toward Noah once more.
This time...
Noah felt something.
Not danger.
Not hostility.
Just...
Interest.
He couldn’t explain it.
Above them...
The three moons suddenly appeared on the enormous magical projection covering the arena.
Crimson.
Blue.
Scarlet-violet.
The crowd gasped.
The arena fell silent.
Then the Hildgard representative smiled.
"Let the Inter-Academy Tournament..."
"...begin."
A massive bell rang.
BOOOOOONG.
And the entire arena erupted.
Noah clenched his fist.
A tiny flame flickered around his fingers.
Orange.
Then...
For one heartbeat...
maroon.
His eyes widened.
The flame disappeared.
He whispered:
"...Dead Zone."
Somewhere across the arena...
Alcris smiled.
He had seen it.
And for the first time...
His curiosity became something more.