Re-Awakened :I Ascend as an SSS-Ranked Dragon Summoner-Chapter 202: Next up!

The competitor's exit was crowded with students eager to congratulate the winners or console the defeated. Noah, Sophie, and Lila pushed through the throng, eventually spotting Kelvin being swarmed by admirers from Academy Twelve.

"There he is," Sophie said, pointing toward their friend who was animatedly explaining something to the gathering crowd.

As they approached, they caught the tail end of Kelvin's enthusiastic explanation.

"—completely reconfigured the resonance matrix to amplify the detection range. Honestly, it's a wonder no one's tried it before. The standard configurations are so limited by outdated thinking about energy conversion ratios..."

Noah cleared his throat, and Kelvin's face lit up when he spotted them.

"Hey! Did you see that?" he exclaimed, breaking away from his admirers to join them. "First place! Academy Twelve takes the crafting competition!"

"We saw," Noah said, unable to suppress a smile at his friend's exuberance. "You were incredible."

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"Congratulations, Kelvin," Lila added... "Your device looked amazing."

Kelvin beamed, practically vibrating with pride. "Those other competitors didn't stand a chance. Not even close! Chen's gravitational disruptor was decent engineering, but the power consumption was ridiculous. Completely impractical for field applications."

Sophie laughed, shaking her head. "Clearly the judges agreed with you."

"The judges," Kelvin scoffed, lowering his voice conspiratorially, "don't even understand half of what my detector can do. Commander Voss called it an 'early warning system,' but it's so much more than that. It can differentiate between beast signature types, track evolutionary patterns, even predict mutation probabilities based on energy fluctuations."

Noah nodded along, genuinely impressed despite his friend's characteristically boastful delivery. "That could save lives in the field."

"Exactly!" Kelvin exclaimed, pointing at Noah. "You get it! It's not just about detection—it's about prediction, prevention. The entire containment strategy could be revolutionized with this approach."

As Kelvin continued his technical breakdown, Noah noticed how his friend's nervousness had completely evaporated, replaced by the confident expertise that emerged whenever technology was involved. This was Kelvin in his element—brilliant, innovative, and utterly unconcerned with how his enthusiasm might appear to others.

"—and the micro-focusing array was the key innovation, really. Without that, the signal would be too diffuse to—"

"Pithon," a deep voice interrupted, "impressive work."

They turned to find Lucas Grey approaching, his tall frame commanding respect even among the crowded exit area. A few students from other academies stepped aside to let him pass, their expressions a mixture of wariness and admiration.

"Lucas!" Kelvin's eyes widened slightly. A compliment from Academy Twelve's top year three student was rare currency. "Thanks! Did you see the circuitry configuration? I modified the standard approach to—"

Lucas held up a hand, a faint smile softening his normally serious expression. "I'll take your word for it. The judges were impressed, and that's what matters." His gaze shifted to Noah. "Eclipse, got a minute?"

Noah nodded, recognizing the subtle tension in Lucas's posture. "Sure."

"Next event starts in forty minutes," Sophie reminded him. "Don't be late for check-in."

"I won't," Noah assured her, then turned to Kelvin. "Enjoy your victory. You earned it."

Kelvin grinned. "Just returning the favor this afternoon, yeah? Show them what Academy Twelve is made of."

Noah followed Lucas through the crowd, away from the main thoroughfare and toward a quieter corridor that led to one of the arena's observation decks. Neither spoke until they were alone, the sounds of the tournament fading to a distant murmur.

"Something's wrong," Lucas said finally, his voice low despite their isolation.

Noah leaned against the wall, studying the older student's face. "What is it?"

Lucas gestured vaguely toward the main arena. "The security. It's excessive."

Noah frowned, recalling the armed guards, the scanner drones, the constant surveillance. "There are a lot of VIPs present. Military commanders, government officials..."

"I've attended two tournaments before this one," Lucas cut in, shaking his head. "Yes, there's always security. Yes, there are always important spectators. But this..." He trailed off, eyes narrowing. "This is different."

Noah thought about the soldiers positioned at every entrance and exit, the powered armor they wore—equipment typically reserved for Harbinger containment operations, not exhibition tournaments.

"These people," Lucas continued, "the commanders, the ministers—they're some of the strongest individuals on the planet. Most have awakened abilities of their own. General Owen alone could handle any conventional threat. So why the excessive force? What aren't they telling us?"

The question hung between them, unanswered. Noah recalled the fires at the academy, Raven's warning about Albright, the sense that larger forces were at work beneath the surface of ordinary events.

"I don't know," Noah admitted finally. "But you're right—something feels off."

Lucas nodded, seemingly satisfied that Noah was taking his concerns seriously. "For now, focus on your matches this afternoon. We'll talk more after. Just..." he hesitated, "keep your eyes open."

"I will," Noah promised.

They turned to head back toward the main concourse, but stopped abruptly as two figures rounded the corner ahead of them. Noah immediately recognized the confident stride, the precisely tailored uniform, the calculating smile.

Jayden Smoak. Academy Eight's star student. Behind him walked a girl with eyes like chips of ice—Diana Frost, Academy Eight's second-ranked.

Jayden paused, his smile widening as he recognized them. "Well, if it isn't the famous Lucas Grey," he drawled. "And here I thought Academy Twelve's champions would be too busy celebrating their rare victory in the crafting competition."

Lucas's expression remained neutral, but Noah could sense the tension in his stance. "Smoak," he acknowledged coolly. "Congratulations on your school's third-place finish in beast core removal. At least you made the podium."

The barb was subtle but effective. Jayden's smile tightened fractionally before he recovered. "Early days, Grey. Early days. The tournament has barely begun." He gestured toward Noah. "And who's this? Your new protégé?"

"Noah Eclipse," Lucas said simply. "Though I suspect you already knew that. Or have you forgotten our last visit to your school?"

Jayden's gaze shifted to Noah, assessing. "Eclipse. Yes, I've heard the name. They say you're Academy Twelve's new rising star." His tone made it clear how little weight he gave such rumors.

Throughout the exchange, Diana Frost remained silent, her attention fixed solely on Noah. Her gaze was unnervingly steady, her expression revealing nothing of her thoughts. But Noah remembered their last encounter vividly—the dead zone she had created, the way her ability had neutralized all momentum within its radius, and how he had escaped using... other means.

The memory of that moment hung between them like an unspoken challenge. Noah met her stare evenly, refusing to look away first.

"We should be heading back," Lucas said, breaking the tense silence. "The Chi combat begin soon."

"Indeed they do," Jayden agreed, stepping aside with exaggerated courtesy. "Don't let us keep you. We wouldn't want Academy Twelve to forfeit before the fighting even begins."

As Noah and Lucas moved to pass, Diana finally spoke, her voice soft but cutting. "I look forward to seeing you in the arena, Eclipse."

Noah paused, meeting her cold gaze once more. "Likewise, Frost."

No more words were exchanged as the pairs passed each other, the tension stretching out like a thread between them until distance finally broke it. Noah and Lucas continued toward the main concourse, neither speaking until Jayden and Diana were well out of earshot.

"Be careful with those two," Lucas warned quietly. "Especially Frost. There's something... off about her today. I mean she's always cold but ..."

Noah nodded, the memory of Diana's dead zone still vivid in his mind. "I know. I faced her already, remember?" Noah said.

Lucas glanced at him sharply, perhaps hearing something in Noah's tone, but asked no further questions. "Get to your check-in," he said instead. "Focus on one match at a time."

As they parted ways, Noah couldn't shake the feeling that Diana Frost had seen something during their previous encounter—something she wasn't supposed to see that now she saw and was...prepared for?

The way she had looked at him just now, with that calculating intensity...

'She knows something,' he thought. Or she suspects. Either way, it was a complication he didn't need.

With a deep breath, Noah pushed those concerns aside and headed toward the competitor's preparation area. The tournament had barely begun, and already the stakes felt higher than he had anticipated.

One match at a time, he reminded himself. That was all he could control for now.