Awakening Domination System: But I'm a Slave?-Chapter 281: Tournament [3]

Professor Vash’s amplified voice cut through the roar of the crowd.

"Attention! Our first Round One match... IRON TALON versus BRONZE SHIELD!"

The representatives from both houses stood and moved toward the arena floor. Nine from each side, all wearing their house colors with pride.

"Here’s how this works!" Professor Vash gestured to the magical projection above. "Each house will compete in FIVE one-on-one matches!"

The projection shifted, showing a bracket structure.

"To WIN this round, a house must claim victory in at least THREE matches! The winning house earns TWO POINTS! These points will determine which houses advance to face Silver Crown in Round Two!"

Understanding rippled through the crowd. Simple enough, best of five, winner take all.

"Competitors will fight simultaneously in our three rings to expedite proceedings! Matches one, two, and three will begin together! Then matches four and five! This keeps the energy high and the action constant!"

The betting corners exploded with renewed activity as people adjusted wagers based on specific matchup knowledge.

"Now, let’s meet our first fighters!"

Ring One: An Iron Talon student with wolf-like features came forward. Across from him, a Bronze Shield student wielding earth affinity, already causing stone to ripple around his feet.

Ring Two: An Iron Talon girl with wind essence, air already swirling around her hands. Her opponent from Bronze Shield carried dual daggers enhanced with fire essence. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

Ring Three: Iron Talon’s representative was a tall boy with lightning crackling faintly around his arms. Bronze Shield sent forward a defensive specialist, barriers already forming.

Professor Vash let the crowd absorb the matchups, then raised her hand.

"Competitors, READY!"

All six fighters took their stances. The crowd went silent, anticipation thick.

"BEGIN!"

Ring One

The wolf-featured Iron Talon student moved fast. His beastkin heritage gave him speed that caught his opponent off-guard immediately. He closed distance before the earth mage could properly set up defenses.

Claws raked across hastily raised stone. The barrier cracked.

Bronze Shield’s fighter stumbled back, trying to create space, raising pillars from the ground to obstruct—

But the Iron Talon student simply leaped over them, coming down with a devastating overhead strike that shattered the earth mage’s guard and sent him sprawling.

"First blood to Iron Talon in Ring One!" Professor Vash called.

The Bronze Shield student tried to recover, but the pressure was relentless. Within two minutes, he yielded, unable to keep up with the sheer speed.

Iron Talon: 1 | Bronze Shield: 0

Ring Two...

This match was more evenly matched.

Wind versus fire, both ranged combatants, both trying to control distance and tempo.

The Iron Talon wind mage sent compressed air blasts that forced her opponent to dodge constantly. But the Bronze Shield fire wielder used the momentum, closing angles, looking for openings.

A wind blade caught the fire user’s shoulder, drawing blood. She hissed but countered immediately, flame coating her daggers as she threw one...

It spun through the air, fire trailing, forcing the wind mage to generate a defensive barrier—

The second dagger came from an unexpected angle. It grazed the wind mage’s side.

They traded attacks, both bleeding now, both determined.

The crowd was on their feet, cheering every exchange.

Finally, the wind mage overcommitted on a large-scale attack, a tornado of compressed air that consumed too much essence too quickly.

The fire user saw the opening. Both daggers ignited fully. She closed distance while the wind mage was vulnerable and drove both blades toward center mass.

They stopped inches away. Yield or be struck.

"I yield," the wind mage gasped.

Iron Talon: 1 | Bronze Shield: 1

Ring Three...

The lightning user from Iron Talon was overwhelming his defensive opponent.

Every barrier the Bronze Shield student raised, lightning tore through. The electrical discharge disrupted essence flow, made maintaining constructs nearly impossible.

"Iron Talon’s Rennick is dominating Ring Three!" Professor Vash narrated. "Bronze Shield’s defensive strategy can’t handle concentrated electrical assault!"

The Bronze Shield fighter tried different approaches, layered barriers, essence-resistant shields, even attempting to ground the lightning through earth manipulation.

Nothing worked.

Finally, a lightning bolt struck directly, bypassing defenses entirely. The Bronze Shield student convulsed, muscles seizing, and collapsed.

Medical staff rushed in immediately. The student was conscious but incapacitated.

Iron Talon: 2 | Bronze Shield: 1

Professor Vash’s voice boomed. "Iron Talon takes the early lead! But Bronze Shield showed resilience in Ring Two! Now, MATCHES FOUR AND FIVE!"

New competitors entered Rings One and Two. Ring Three was being cleared and reset.

Ring One: Iron Talon sent a girl with ice affinity. Bronze Shield countered with a body path.

Ring Two: Iron Talon’s fourth fighter used shadow essence. Bronze Shield responded with a light-affinity user.

"Interesting matchups!" Professor Vash observed. "Classic element counters! Ice versus physical enhancement! Shadow versus light! This could swing either way!"

The fighters took positions.

"BEGIN!"

Ring One

The body path user charged immediately, essence coating his arms and legs, amplifying strength and speed.

The ice mage tried to control distance, creating frozen ground to slow him, throwing ice shards to force defensive maneuvers—

But the later was strong. He punched through ice walls like they were paper. His enhanced durability let him tank hits that would incapacitate normal fighters.

The ice mage was skilled, but this was a bad matchup. Physical enhancement countered ranged ice manipulation, he could simply endure and close distance.

Within four minutes, the body path user had the ice mage pinned, one massive fist raised.

"Yield!"

Iron Talon: 2 | Bronze Shield: 2

Ring Two...

Shadow versus light was a spectacular visual display.

Darkness spreading from the Iron Talon student, trying to blanket the arena. Light bursting from the Bronze Shield caster, pushing back the shadows, creating illuminated zones.

They traded control of the battlefield. Where shadows pooled, the Iron Talon fighter had advantage, moving faster, hitting harder. Where light dominated, the Bronze Shield caster could see everything clearly, no surprises.

The match became a territorial struggle.

But the Bronze Shield student made a critical error, overextending his light essence, creating a massive brilliant flare meant to dispel all shadows at once.

The Iron Talon shadow manipulator had been waiting for exactly that. The moment the light essence peaked and began fading, he struck, emerging from surviving shadows with devastating speed.

Shadow-coated strike to the solar plexus. The Bronze Shield student gasped, essence disrupted, and went down.

Iron Talon: 3 | Bronze Shield: 2

"IRON TALON WINS!" Professor Vash declared. "Three victories secures the match! They earn TWO POINTS!"

The Iron Talon section erupted in cheers. Their representatives raised fists in victory, acknowledging their supporters.

Bronze Shield’s students looked disappointed but not crushed. They’d fought well, two wins wasn’t shameful against Iron Talon.

"Excellent showing from both houses!" Professor Vash continued.

"Now, a brief intermission while we prepare for MATCH TWO. Bronze Shield versus Copper Thorn! Fifteen minutes, everyone! Refresh yourselves! Place new bets! We return shortly!"

The arena buzzed with conversation, people analyzing what they’d seen, adjusting predictions for remaining matches.

In the Champions’ Room, Verelia’s expression remained neutral. "Iron Talon performed adequately. Nothing we can’t handle."

Alaric nodded. "The shadow guy looked to be their strongest."

They watched the arena reset, preparing for the next match.