The Forsaken Heir's Ascension-Chapter 93: Academy Tournament: First Battle

The team fell silent, the weight of Tina’s words sinking in.

Finally, Alex broke the silence, frowning.

"What? Isn’t that... unfair?"

Tina shook her head calmly.

"No, it’s fair. A lot of temporary teams have been formed by teachers just for this tournament. They’re not as polished as official clubs like us. This way, they get more battle experience before getting eliminated."

Alex nodded, finally understanding.

They’re trying to make us learn through real fights... through fierce competition.

Suddenly, a sharp whistle echoed across the arena.

High above, a giant display board lit up. It had a black background with shimmering golden letters that slowly rearranged themselves.

Alex looked up and spotted their match:

Arena-9

Match 1: Rebel Club vs Team D-2

"That’s us," Darian said, already turning. "Follow me."

The team quickly got to their feet and trailed behind their captain through the winding stone path, past other platforms and waiting teams.

Soon, they reached Arena-9, a raised dueling platform surrounded by flickering energy barriers. Team D-2 was already there, standing confidently on their side, weapons ready and eyes scanning the Rebel Club.

An umpire, wearing the standard white shirt with "UMPIRE" in bold black letters across the back, stepped forward and gestured to them.

"Rebel Club, step onto the platform."

They stepped into the arena, and immediately, a shimmering barrier activated, sealing them in with a quiet hum that echoed ominously around the space.

The umpire raised his hand and announced,

"Captains of both teams, please step forward."

Darian walked ahead, his calm but confident expression in place. From the opposing team, a towering man, easily eight feet tall, approached. His footsteps were heavy, and his presence was intimidating.

Darian smiled casually.

"Hello, Langha. How have you been?"

Langha smirked, his gravelly voice grinding like stone.

"Darian, the fool of Terravyrn family, right?"

Darian’s jaw tightened. His fists clenched slightly, but he kept his smile.

"You shouldn’t have said that."

Before the air could grow heavier, the umpire stepped between them.

"This is a single coin toss. No arguments. The winner chooses to be the attacker or the defender, and the loser accepts the result without complaints. Clear?"

Both captains nodded.

"Call your sides before the toss," the umpire continued.

"Phoenix or Dragon?"

Darian said, "Dragon."

Langha followed, "Phoenix."

The coin flew into the air, spinning rapidly under the light. It landed with a soft clang on the arena floor.

Phoenix.

The first loss of the day went to the Rebel Club.

Langha’s grin widened with satisfaction.

"We’ll be the defenders."

Darian nodded and turned back, his shoulders a little heavy.

Back at the team, Tina stepped forward with a firm, encouraging tone.

"Don’t worry. Our attacker team is stronger this time."

Darian gave a casual shrug.

"I’m not upset about the role. I’m just mad I lost the toss."

Tina let out a deep breath, clearly holding back her irritation.

She turned to the team, her crimson eyes sharp and focused.

"Just like we trained. The attacking team is already decided."

Then, with a commanding tone,

"Let’s go win this."

"Yes!" the team shouted in unison, their voices echoing across the arena.

"Huddle up, attacker team—for strategy," Tina ordered.

The group closed in. On either side of Alex stood Rina and Selene, as usual. During training, the two had always hovered near him—his quiet shadows and constant allies.

Tina’s eyes swept over them with authority.

"We’re sticking with yesterday’s strategy. Alex, go all out from the start. Selene, Rina—support him with suppression and mobility. Luther, follow behind and act as a blaster. I’ll handle their frontliner. If he retreats to the vertical column and leaves me, that’s your warning—he’s planning something. Stay sharp and end this quickly. Understood?"

"Yes, Captain!" the team replied in unison, fire in their voices.

The Rebel team moved into formation, lining up before the first column of the platform. On the opposite end stood Langha, towering like a fortress. He held a massive silver shield, plain but imposing—larger than even his own eight-foot frame. It blocked nearly the entire width of the column, a wall of steel ready to deny any advance.

The umpire stepped forward, standing between the two teams. His voice echoed across the arena:

"This round will take place in the Fog Zone. Fog will start rolling in as soon as the timer begins. Remember the rules—no foul play, no cheating. We’ve got monitors watching every inch of this arena. Keep it clean."

He walked away, ascending a raised platform to get a clear bird’s-eye view of the match.

The arena was silent for a moment. Tension hung thick in the air—about to get even thicker.

30:00

[RING!]

29:59

The sound echoed—and fog surged in like a tidal wave.

In an instant, the entire arena was swallowed. Visibility dropped to almost zero. The once-clear battleground was now a ghostly void, bathed in grey.

Alex, Selene, and Rina—the rookies—froze.

Clang!

A sharp metallic clash cut through the silence.

Tina had already launched herself forward. Her blade met Langha’s massive shield with a brutal impact. Sparks flew.

She snarled, voice slicing through the fog like lightning:

"Wake up, you morons!"

Alex snapped back to reality at the sound of his captain’s roar.

His grip tightened around his twin dark daggers. He crouched low, one hand pressing against the cold ground.

Black lightning crackled across his arms, dancing around him like hungry serpents.

"Guys, I’m moving forward." His voice was low, focused.

He looked ahead—the shield in front of the first column was massive, taller than any student had the right to carry, stretching like a wall of silver steel. It blocked the entire passage.

"That... should count as cheating, right?" he muttered.

Boom!

He launched forward, a burst of wind and black lightning trailing in his wake.

Sliding low, he ducked under the towering shield, sparks flaring where his boots skimmed the stone. He shot past the first column.

"One down."

Behind him, Rina and Selene, jolted into motion by his momentum, followed without hesitation.

Alex kept running—through the haze, a surprised defender emerged from the second column. Too slow.

Alex’s dagger slashed clean across the defender’s armguard, throwing them off balance.

Then—

Thud!

A blur from the side.

The third defender, faster than the others, rushed in. The fog had hidden his approach perfectly.

Alex braced to dodge, but the moment his foot touched the ground—

it sank.

"What the—?"

The floor felt like sludge, a trap zone. His boots stuck. He twisted, but it was too late.

He looked over his shoulder.

Only fog.

No Rina.

No Selene.

Alone.

The only visible space was the third column—everything else swallowed in thick, shifting fog.

It was as if the battlefield was carved from mist, revealing just enough to stage a brutal confrontation.

The defender stood still, unmoving—eyes locked onto Alex like a predator who had already won.

Whoosh!

Alex instinctively crouched.

"Aargh!"

Pain flared through the side of his head. His ear—half gone. Blood dripped warm down his jaw.

He stumbled back, clutching the wound.

"What was that...?" he whispered, eyes scanning the fog.

The defender grinned, twirling a dagger so thin it was almost invisible.

"You’ll die if you don’t give up," he said casually. "That was a poison dagger."

Alex’s eyes widened.

"What?! That’s illegal!"

The defender threw his head back and laughed, the sound echoing through the arena.

"Oh, a newbie. Newbie, newbie, newbie."

He crouched, slinking forward like a wolf. His tongue slid across his lips as he whispered,

"Newbies are always tender."

Alex stared at him, face deadpan.

Why do the weakest ones always act like this?

His voice dripped with sarcasm.

"You’re a trapper, right?"

Without waiting for an answer, Alex wrapped dark elemental aura around his feet, black mist coiling and hardening with each step. The squishy ground resisted, but his aura let him step lightly, nullifying the trap zone.

The defender’s smirk faded—shock flashing across his eyes.

Typical. They always used cheap tricks to stall time, but once their gimmick failed...

Boom!

Alex burst forward, running parallel to the column, ignoring the rattled defender entirely.

In seconds, he cleared the third zone and sprinted toward the fourth column.

As Alex stepped into the fourth column, he noticed something strange—the fog had lifted here. It was eerily clear, but...

No defender.

He narrowed his eyes in suspicion and took a cautious step forward.

Suddenly, a shiver ran down his spine.

Danger.

Without thinking, he jerked back—just as a dagger sliced through the air, missing him by inches.

Whoosh!

From the void, a figure cloaked entirely in black emerged, only slitted cat-like eyes visible beneath the hood. The figure glared at Alex with burning anger and resentment, then—

Vanished.

Fog surged back in, swallowing the column whole.

Now, Alex stood in a thick, suffocating silence. No sound. No vision.

I can’t see... and I can’t hear anything either...

Does this fog cancel sound too?

Alex exhaled slowly. Staying calm was key.

He absorbed his dark daggers back into his body, then summoned a weapon more suited for range—

His spear.

Gripping it with one hand, he spun it fluidly, the momentum singing in the air. Then he aimed it forward, toward the column.

The flexible handle of the spear stretched like a serpent, elongating with precision.

Shingggg!

The sharp hiss of steel echoed. freёweɓnovel_com

Alex fixed his gaze on the column.

His instincts—honed in the shadows of the Darkness Realm—kicked in.

He stilled his breath and extended his senses, attuning to the air itself.

Then he began to move.

Inch by inch, he slid his feet forward, spear extended, every muscle coiled like a spring.

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