Chapter 27: The 0.1% Upset
`CRUNCH`
The sound echoed through the entire arena.
Team 03’s A-Rank Mage was airborne.
His golden robes tore. His mana shield shattered like glass.
He hit the far barrier and slid down, unconscious.
`[ANNOUNCER VOICE, SHOUTING]`
`[ONE HIT! THE GOLEM TOOK OUT AN A-RANK IN ONE HIT!]`
`[TEAM 03: MAGE DOWN!]`
Silence.
50,000 people held their breath.
Then the arena exploded.
"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!"
"THAT’S NOT A C-RANK GOLEM!"
"THE ODDS WERE 0.1%!"
Kael stood still in the center. Eyes glowing blue.
Blood dripping from his nose.
The cable to Scrap pulsed.
He felt it.
Scrap was furious. Hungry.
It wanted to end all of them.
`[Synchronization: 96%]`
`[Mana: 88%]`
"Regroup!" The Team 03 captain roared.
The Swordsman and the Tank instantly moved.
They didn’t charge Scrap. They were smart.
They charged Kael.
_The Flank_
Two A-Ranks. Full speed.
10 meters.
5 meters.
3 meters.
Lira appeared out of nowhere.
Her spear slammed into the ground between them and Kael.
`BOOM.`
Ice spread from the impact point.
`[Skill: [Frost Wall]]`
The Swordsman skidded to a stop. The Tank crashed into the ice wall.
Lira didn’t look at Kael.
"Focus on the golem. I’ve got these two."
Her voice was ice. Deadly.
The Swordsman grinned. "Finally. Someone fun."
He drew both blades. They ignited with fire.
The Tank raised his tower shield. "You’re not passing."
Lira smiled. Cold.
"Watch me."
_Kael’s Turn_
With Lira holding 2 of them, it was 1v1.
Scrap vs the Tank.
The Tank was 2.5 meters. Bigger than Scrap Mark II.
His shield was 3 meters wide. Made of `Orichalcum`. A-Rank material.
"Little trash can," the Tank mocked. "Let’s see if that cannon—"
`THOOOM!`
Scrap didn’t let him finish.
`[Fire Scrap Cannon]`
A sphere of bolts, nails, and shredded metal hit the shield at point-blank.
`BOOOOOOM!`
The Tank was blown back 15 meters.
His shield was dented. Cracked.
`[Armor Integrity: 78%]`
The Tank coughed blood. "What... what kind of power is that?"
Kael answered through Scrap. His voice echoed from the golem’s chest.
"The kind you get from 200 pieces of trash."
Scrap charged.
`CLANG!`
Shield vs Fist.
`BOOM!`
`Heavy Stomp` cracked the ground.
The Tank was good. He blocked 3 hits.
But Scrap was faster now. 2.4m and lighter.
And it wasn’t fighting alone.
Every time the Tank moved, Kael moved.
Every punch, every feint, came from Kael’s mind.
`[Synchronization: 98%]`
`[Mana: 71%]`
"Yield," Kael said through Scrap.
The Tank spat blood. "Never."
`WHIRRR.`
Scrap grabbed the edge of his shield and _ripped_ it off.
The Tank’s eyes went wide.
Scrap’s other fist came down.
`CRACK.`
The Tank went down. Out cold.
`[ANNOUNCER]`
`[TANK DOWN! TEAM 03: 2 MEMBERS DOWN!]`
`[IT’S JUST THE SWORDSMAN LEFT!]`
_Lira vs The Swordsman_
While Scrap fought the Tank, Lira was dancing.
The Swordsman was fast. Too fast.
Fire slashes came from every direction.
`SHING SHING SHING!`
But Lira wasn’t there.
She was water. She was ice.
`[Skill: [Glacial Step]]`
She sidestepped every slash by millimeters.
"You’re good," the Swordsman panted. "But you can’t hurt me."
Lira stopped. Planted her spear.
"You’re right. I can’t."
The Swordsman frowned. "Then—"
The ground beneath him froze.
`[Skill: [Absolute Zero Zone]]`
His legs locked in ice.
"What—"
Lira was already moving.
She appeared behind him. Spear at his throat.
"I don’t need to hurt you," she whispered. "I just need to win."
`TAP.`
The spear touched his neck.
`[ANNOUNCER, LOSING HIS MIND]`
`[SWORDSMAN: PINNED!]`
`[TEAM 03: FULL WIPE!]`
_The Aftermath_
The barrier flashed.
`[WINNER: TEAM 47!]`
`[TEAM 03: ELIMINATED!]`
`[ADVANCING TO QUARTERFINALS!]`
Silence.
Then... chaos.
The crowd lost it.
Chairs were thrown. People were screaming.
Betting slips were torn up.
"0.1%! 0.1% WON!"
"THE TRASH ARTISAN DID IT!"
"TEAM 03 IS OUT!"
Kael disconnected the cable.
`[Mana: 34%]`
`[Mental Load: Critical]`
He dropped to one knee.
Scrap stood behind him. Motionless. Guarding.
Ren ran to him and pulled him up.
"We did it! We actually did it! We beat the champions!"
He was screaming, crying, laughing all at once.
Lira walked over. She looked calm.
But her hands were shaking.
She looked at Kael. At the blood. At the exhaustion.
Then she did something she’d never done.
She put a hand on his shoulder.
"Good job," she said. Quietly.
"Both of you."
From the VIP box, Instructor Garrick stood up.
He didn’t clap.
He just nodded once.
And made another note:
`Team 47. Threat Level: A-Rank.`
_1 Hour Later: Medical Bay_
Kael was hooked up to 3 IVs.
`[Status: Severe Mana Depletion. Neural Strain.]`
`[Recovery: 72 Hours]`
He didn’t care.
He was staring at the ceiling, replaying it.
The first punch.
The Tank’s shield breaking.
Lira’s ice.
The crowd.
The door opened.
Lira. Clean. No injuries.
Ren. Arm in a sling, but grinning.
They sat.
No one talked.
Then Ren burst out.
"Do you know what they’re calling us now?!"
He pulled out his phone.
`[ACADEMY TRENDING]`
`#1: THE TRASH KING`
`#2: SCRAP GOD`
`#3: 0.1% UPSET`
Kael laughed. It hurt.
"The Trash King? Seriously?"
"Own it," Ren said. "You are the Trash King."
Lira rolled her eyes. "Idiots."
But she was smiling. A small, real smile.
She looked at Kael.
"Team 03 was A-Rank. The best in 2 years."
She paused. "We beat them in 4 minutes."
Kael nodded slowly.
"We’re not the underdogs anymore."
_Night: Workshop 2-B_
`2300`
Kael couldn’t sleep.
Adrenaline. And fear.
Because now everyone knew his name.
He was at the workbench. Scrap stood behind him.
On the table: a new projection.
`[QUARTERFINALS OPPONENT: TEAM 09]`
`[Team 09: 3x A-Rank. Specialists in Anti-Golem Tactics.]`
`[Odds: 15%]`
Better. But still bad.
`KNOCK KNOCK`
Lira came in.
She had a folder. Classified.
"I pulled their files," she said. "Team 09. They use `EMP Bombs` and `Mana Null Fields`."
Kael’s blood went cold.
EMP. That would fry Scrap. And his arm.
"They studied our fight," Lira continued. "They know about the link."
Ren walked in behind her. Face serious for once.
"So. We have 3 days."
Silence.
Then Kael stood up.
Went to Scrap. Put his hand on its chest.
The blue eyes flickered.
"They want to kill you?" Kael whispered.
"Then we become something they can’t kill."
He turned to his team.
"New upgrade. Starting now."
`[TRASH SYSTEM: EMERGENCY UPGRADE]`
`[Project: [Scrap - Mark III: Anti-EMP]]`
`[Time Until Quarterfinals: 3 Days]`
`[Construction Progress: 0%]`
Lira nodded. Drew her spear. "I’m in."
Ren cracked his good knuckle. "Let’s build a monster that laughs at EMPs."
Kael picked up the torch.
The blue flame sparked.
Outside, the whole Academy was talking about them.
Inside, 3 p
eople and a golem were building something impossible.
Because 0.1% wasn’t luck.
It was just the beginning.
`[The Trash King is coming]`
To Be Continued...
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