Conquering The Novel

Both teams from Soreh Academy and Shadow Academy stood on a circular stage opposite each other, waiting for the match to begin.

The stage was massive, spanning nearly 50 meters in diameter, with a towering glass dome overhead, giving a clear view of the sky above. Maya stood in the center of the stage with a microphone in hand and a huge grin on her face.

"As you can see, there is nowhere to hide on this stage, which means both teams will have to engage in a fierce 5v5 match as soon as the match starts," Maya said, her voice echoing through the arena. "The last team or at least their member left standing will be declared as the winner, and the team will be given a point for that round."

The crowd cheered with excitement, waiting eagerly for the match to start.

"Alright, alright, I know. Let's get this match started now," Maya spoke, hearing the eager crowd, and stepped off the stage.

Cling—

And the crystals surrounding the arena began to glow up, creating an invisible safety barrier on the stage.

[You have 30 seconds to choose your desired weapon!] The robotic voice was heard by the participating students, and an underground weapon vault appeared before both teams.

The vault was a large metal structure with intricate carvings and engravings, giving it an ancient and mystical feel. It contained a range of weapons, including swords, staffs, and bows, among many others.

Without wasting any moment, the students picked up their desired weapon from the vault, and as soon as the 30 seconds were up, the vault disappeared underground with a soft humming sound.

Clang—

The stage was now set, and the teams readied themselves for the match. The air was charged with anticipation as the audience waited for the semifinals to begin.

A voice boomed over the speakers, [Get ready! The Round 1 of the Semifinals will begin in 10 seconds!]

The teams heard the announcement, and the stage came to life. The ground beneath their feet rumbled, and the energy in the arena intensified. Suddenly, neon lights illuminated the stage, lighting up the entire arena, and the glass dome overhead transformed into a giant display screen showing the team names and scores.

The countdown began, and the crowd joined in.

[10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1]

Beep!—

The sound of the beep echoed through the arena, and the match was underway.

In an instant, the archers drew their bows, mages began casting spells, and front liners charged toward their opponents with a fierce battle cry. The stage was filled with the vibrant colors of their auras as the two teams prepared to clash.

However, just as the teams were about to meet, Livia muttered under her breath.

"DOMAIN!"

Before the arrows left the bows or spells left the staffs, the whole stage was covered in a thick layer of ice, immobilizing both teams in their tracks.

!!

The gasps from the crowd echoed throughout the arena as they watched the sudden change in the match. The stage glinted under the bright lights, and the teams were left stunned, unsure of what to do next.

"What the-!?" The students from both teams exclaimed in shock, their eyes moving towards Livia as they knew she was the source of the spell.

The unexpected turn of events left everyone in the crowd on edge, wondering what would happen next.

Livia raised her hand, and a series of magic circles appeared in the air, glowing with an icy blue light.

"Frostburst!" she exclaimed, and the circles suddenly burst forth with a piercing sound of cracking ice.

Swish— Swish— Swish

A barrage of sharp icicles shot out from the circles, hurtling towards the Shadow Academy team with incredible speed and force like bullets. The sound of the icicles cutting through the air was like a chorus of sharp whistles.

"S-Shield!" One of the members from the Shadow Academy shouted, using their skill to create a huge shield before them, shielding their team.

Tud— Tud— Tud— Tud

As the sharp icicles pummeled the Shadow Academy's shield, cracks began to spiderweb across its surface. The student struggling to hold the shield gritted his teeth and shouted to his teammates, "This won't hold much longer! We need to act fast!"

As the shield-wielding member of Shadow Academy struggled to keep Livia's relentless barrage of icicles at bay, his teammate urged him to hold on.

"P-Please, hold on for a moment longer! My spell is almost ready—" his teammate spoke but halted in her words as she saw something incredible, "W-Wait, is that...?" She trailed off, watching Livia in disbelief.

Meanwhile, Livia wasn't content to wait for her previous attack to finish the job. With a swift motion, she materialized an ice sword in one hand and a pair of ice wings on her back. She soared into the air, the ice sword glowing with an eerie blue light.

Flap—

With a powerful flap of her wings, Livia launched herself toward the Shadow Academy team, her ice sword at the ready.

!?

Her opponents were caught off guard by her sudden change in strategy, but they quickly regained their composure and prepared to defend themselves.

"G-Get ready, she's coming!" the shield bearer shouted, as the rest of the team readied their weapons.

As Livia descended upon them, the Shadow Academy team braced themselves for impact, but just as she was about to strike, Livia vanished in a puff of icy mist.

Whoosh—

!?

The team looked around frantically, trying to locate their opponent, but Livia was nowhere to be seen.

"W-Where did she go?" one of the archers who was aiming at her asked, bewildered.

Suddenly, a cold breeze swept over them, and they shivered involuntarily.

"Frost Crescent!" Livia's voice echoed through the arena as she reappeared behind the Shadow Academy team and swung her sword, unleashing a massive, crescent-shaped wave of ice toward them.

The team whirled around just in time to see Livia's ice sword coming down on them, glinting in the bright lights of the arena.

"S-Shit—!" The shield bearer tried to react and quickly raised his shield in a desperate attempt to protect his teammates, but it was not enough. The force of the Frost Crescent shattered it instantly.

And the wave of ice continued its path, obliterating the entire team with a thunderous boom and leaving behind a massive crater in the ground.

Boom!—

The sparkling ice and Livia's majestic figure, with wings and fluttering hair, exuded a deadly yet beautiful aura, as if she were an ice goddess descended from the heavens.

"....."

Silence hung heavy in the aftermath, broken only by the announcement that echoed through the arena:

[Livia Has Eliminated A Member Of Team Shadow Academy!]

[Livia Has Eliminated A Member Of Team Shadow Academy!]

[Livia Has Eliminated A Member Of Team Shadow Academy!]

[Livia Has Eliminated A Member Of Team Shadow Academy!]

[Livia Has Eliminated A Member Of Team Shadow Academy!]

Beep!—

A beep signaled the end of the match, declaring the victor of round one.

[Round 1 Has Ended, And The Winners Are Team Soreh Academy!]

The announcement of the end of the match brought everyone out of their daze, and the crowd erupted into a thunderous cheer, chanting Livia's name.

The members of Team Soreh Academy, still immobilized in Livia's Domain, were left stunned. They hadn't even had a chance to free themselves before the match came to an abrupt end.

"....."

Kevin muttered to himself, "She didn't really need us in this match, did she?" as he watched Livia descend gracefully back to the ground, her wings disappearing as she sheathed her sword.

"...Claude is a lucky man," he said but after a sudden realization, he shook his head and corrected himself. "No, scratch that. Ares is the lucky bastard. Poor Claude."

His teammates gave him quizzical looks.

!?

"...Oh, did I say that out loud? Well, who cares? It's not a secret that Livia has a thing for Ares," Kevin shrugged and turned his attention to Livia's departing figure, who was leaving the stage alone.

He then glanced over at the eliminated team, who had been teleported outside the stage as soon as they were Killed. They were all on their knees, gasping for breath, and the medical team was attending to them.

'The shock seemed to be severe. They were eliminated brutally with nothing left of their bodies,' the team pondered inwardly.

"...Thank goodness she was on our team!" Evan muttered, sighing in relief. The rest of the team nodded in agreement, understandingly.