Chương 36: Challenge

Ch 36 - Challenge For a second, nobody reacted. Every eye remained fixed on the giant screen as stunned silence hung over the plaza. Then the spell broke, and the entire crowd erupted into an uproar.

"What the hell did I just watch?!"

"Is he crazy?!"

"I think I'm dreaming. Somebody pinch me!" Those standing near Evan and Hiroto quickly noticed them. One by one, heads turned until dozens of stunned and excited gazes converged on the pair.

"Evan Whitfield!" Reika shouted.

"Like I said, that's my name. Don't wear it out," Evan replied, scratching his ear with his pinky. Reika stormed toward them, the crowd instinctively parting to clear her path. Yet instead of backing away, more students drifted closer, drawn by the promise of an even bigger spectacle.

"What the hell are you implying with that video?" Reika hissed as blue lightning crackled around her.

"Wasn't it obvious?" Evan asked.

"My point was pretty clear. Your brother and I are challenging you to a match."

"F-ranks like you?!"

"Exactly. We're just two F-ranks. So why are you so scared of us challenging you?" Evan smirked.

"Don't tell me you're actually afraid we'll beat you."

"You dare!" The lightning dancing around Reika intensified, forcing the nearby students to hastily retreat another few steps. Completely unfazed, Evan reached into his bag, pulled out a thick stack of papers, and thrust them inches from her face, close enough that she almost went cross-eyed trying to focus on them.

"What's this?" she snapped, snatching the papers from him.

"The contract for our duel, should you accept," Evan said with a shrug.

"I mean, we're two F-ranks against an A-rank. We have to make things a little fair, don't we? Otherwise, you'd flatten us in a second. So I thought, why not make it entertaining for the audience as well? Give them a show unlike any other." He pointed at the papers.

"The usual no-killing rule still applies. Nobody wants this turning into a crime scene. Beyond that, we're requesting permission for these two poor F-ranks to bring items and weapons into the match. You, on the other hand, won't be allowed to use any. Consider it a handicap to even things out a little. The rest is explained in the contract." Reika glanced over the first page before crushing it in her hand.

"Are you joking? You think I'd accept something this ridiculous?"

"Ah," Evan said, narrowing his eyes.

"So you really are scared." Before Reika could respond, Evan cupped his hands around his mouth and bellowed for the entire plaza to hear.

"Hear ye! Hear ye! Behold the glory of our esteemed A-rank Awakener! She had no hesitation trampling over her own brother for years because he lacked power. But now, when two F-ranks stand before her and demand a fair fight, she hesitates? How tragic! How shameful! Is this the future of Awakeners? A world where the strong can do whatever they want simply because everyone else is beneath them?"

"EVAN Whitfield!" Reika's voice thundered across the plaza. Blue lightning burst from her body as her bloodshot eyes burned with murderous rage. Her fingers twitched violently, as though she were barely restraining herself from lunging at Evan.

"Do you like my name that much?" Evan asked.

"Sorry, you can't have it. It's already taken."

"You uncultured, lowly—!"

"That's enough, Reika." Hiroto stepped forward, placing himself between her and Evan.

"If you don't want to accept, then just reject us. There's no need for all this shouting and threatening. Who taught you to behave like that?" Reika's glare shifted to her brother.

"So now you finally dare look me in the eye?" she sneered.

"Has having someone stand beside you made you brave? You think you can walk around with your head held high now? You're still nothing more than an F-rank." Hiroto met her glare head-on.

"That's right. We're just two F-ranks. If we're really that insignificant, then accepting the challenge shouldn't be difficult, should it?" The siblings locked eyes, neither willing to look away. After a long, tense silence, Reika drew a slow, trembling breath.

"... Fine," she spat.

"I accept."

"Ahahahaha! I don't think I've ever seen that princess so furious!" Carmen doubled over with laughter, clutching her stomach as she sat on the floor of the private training room. Gone was the glamorous outfit she'd worn as the festival's MC. She had changed into a pair of jeans and a simple shirt.

"You really seemed to enjoy the show," Evan said dryly, not slowing his push-ups.

"Of course I did!" Carmen slapped her thigh.

"Do you have any idea how much attention this got? Not just from the academy either! I streamed the whole thing on my channel, then uploaded the recording afterward. Look at these numbers!" She shoved her phone in front of Evan's face. He barely glanced at the screen before one number stood out. 10 million views... and still climbing.

"So, can I assume our business deal worked out well?" Evan asked. Carmen answered by laughing even harder as she continued scrolling through the comments. Evan took that as a yes.

"But... aren't you going to get in trouble because of this?" Hiroto asked between push-ups.

"You played that video without permission. How did you even get it onto the stage?" Carmen waved a dismissive hand.

"Oh, that? I just bribed one of the event technicians. As for the consequences, the headmaster gave me a lecture. That's all. You two got called in as well, didn't you?"

"Yeah," Evan said.

"But it's not like they can rewind time."

"Isn't your brother getting chewed out by the headmaster right now?" Carmen asked.

"He is your guardian, after all."

"Eh, he'll be fine." Reid had agreed to the plan from the beginning. Evan doubted a lecture from the headmaster would accomplish much. At most, Reid would listen politely, smile, apologize, and somehow leave the office with the headmaster wondering why he no longer felt angry.

"I have to admit, your brother's a different breed," Carmen said, locking her phone and looking at the two of them.

"That said, I'm honestly surprised Reika accepted. Now the three of you are really going to fight in the arena. Are you guys actually ready for this?" Evan finished his set, stood up, and stretched.

"If we weren't, why would we have challenged her in the first place?"

"I don't know." Carmen snorted.

"I just think you're completely insane, and somehow you've dragged poor Hiroto down with you." Evan rolled his eyes.

"Says the woman who agreed to my plan." Carmen grinned.

"You've got to be at least a little crazy to make it on the internet." She held up her phone again.

"Putting jokes aside, I am worried. I'll be livestreaming the entire fight on NovaTube, so people all across Nova Terra will be watching. Look at this, the scheduled stream already has over half a million people waiting." Evan glanced at the number before a grin spread across his face.

"Perfect," he said.

"The more people watching, the better. Then all of them can witness two F-ranks defeat an A-rank."

Reika sat on her bed with the door firmly locked, her phone lying beside her on silent mode. Missed calls filled the screen, but she ignored them all. No matter how many times she tried to push it away, her mind kept returning to that moment: Evan's infuriating smirk and Hiroto's calm eyes as he faced her without fear. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Her fingers had dug so deeply into her palm that they ached, yet she couldn't bring herself to relax them.

To think she had been forced into such humiliation. She would make them pay. If they thought they could defeat her by stacking the conditions in their favor, then they were sorely mistaken. She was an A-rank Awakener for a reason. She had earned that position through her own strength. She— Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of her phone ringing. A new number appeared on the screen. Father. Reika sat up and answered the call.

"Fa-father!" A deep voice came from the other end.

"Reika. I saw what happened at the academy. So you were challenged by your brother and his friend."

"... Yes." Reika lowered her gaze.

"I accepted. Rejecting it after being challenged so publicly would damage our family's reputation." She clenched her fist.

"This was all Whitfield's idea. He's trying to create a situation that heavily favors them, but it won't matter. I will win." Her father remained silent for several moments before finally speaking.

"I see. Then let the stronger one claim victory." Before Reika could respond, the call ended.

When morning arrived, crowds poured into the academy. If the previous day had been busy, today was even more packed. Some areas were so congested they resembled sardine cans, with people shoulder to shoulder and barely enough room to move. Visitors wandered the festival grounds, chatting excitedly about various things, yet one topic dominated nearly every conversation: the upcoming match between two F-ranks and an A-rank. Reid heard it over and over while helping at one of the cooking club's stalls.

Amid the constant sizzle of meat on the grill and the clatter of cookware, the conversations around him blended into a constant stream of speculation. Had Evan's challenge really attracted that much attention? On reflection, it wasn't difficult to understand why. It was a match that should never have been possible in the first place, and many of those in attendance had likely come expecting his brother and Hiroto to be thoroughly defeated. Reid couldn't fault them for thinking that.

Judging by appearances alone, it was the logical conclusion. Even so, after everything the two of them had endured during training, he was confident the outcome would not be so one-sided. As he continued tending the grill, Reid kept half an ear on the conversations around him. Most revolved around the match, but one exchange caught his attention.

"I heard there was a breakout at the Special Containment Prison."

"Someone escaped? How? Shouldn't that be impossible?"

"Nothing's impossible in this world. Besides, don't you think today would be the perfect time for that criminal to suddenly show up and... boom! Chaos everywhere!"

"Don't joke about something like that! It's not funny!"

"It is, though! Hahaha!" Reid quietly committed the conversation to memory and made a mental note to look into it later. He wasn't particularly concerned, however. With so many Awakeners gathered throughout the academy, attacking the festival would be the last thing any sensible fugitive would attempt. His train of thought was interrupted by a voice calling from the front of the stall.

"Twenty grilled meat skewers, please!"

"Coming—" Reid said, but he suddenly blinked when he saw a familiar grinning face. Around him, the other cooking club members had also frozen, their eyes fixed on the person standing before them. Chen Junhao. An S-rank Awakener. The Vice Guild Master of the Skybreak Guild. A figure known across Nova Terra was now standing at their humble stall, casually ordering food.

"Why are you here?" Reid asked.

"Eh? Can't I visit? Besides, I have an invitation," Junhao said.

"I'm more curious why you're here cooking instead of watching your little brother. Did you miss the challenge he announced like he was declaring war?" Realizing Junhao was about to continue rambling, Reid raised a hand.

"Are you here to chat or to purchase food?"

"Can't it be both?" Junhao asked before turning his gaze toward the other cooking club members.

"Hey, how about you guys let him go? Don't you think it's a bit mean to force him to work cooking duty while his brother is going to be out there fighting? In exchange, how about I give you my personal endorsement, complete with an autograph?" Junhao's wink left many of the club members, boys and girls alike, blushing and flustered.

"O-of course!"

"You can go, Mr. Whitfield!"

"We can handle it here!" Before he knew it, the others had pushed Reid out from behind the stall. Exasperated, he removed his apron and head scarf, set them aside, and walked toward Junhao, who was busy scribbling his autograph and a few words onto a small whiteboard.

"You didn't need to force them like that," Reid said.

"I was planning to excuse myself anyway once the match was about to start."

"Now you've got more free time to just look around!" Junhao said, slinging an arm around Reid's shoulders while carrying the meat skewers he bought in his other hand. They slowly walked through the crowd, which parted around them, with many people staring at Junhao, some in shock and others with interest.

"Your brother really has a way with words," Junhao said as he chewed on his meat skewers.

"Do you know how many clips of him insulting Mr. Konoe's daughter are going around? I don't think I can open NovaTube without encountering a clip about it within a minute." Reid had witnessed the confrontation between Evan, Hiroto, and Reika the previous day. He had never expected to hear such anger from Evan. Yet knowing what Reika had done to Hiroto, he could understand why Evan had finally snapped.

"You look very calm. Aren't you worried your brother will lose?" Junhao asked.

"He can handle himself," Reid said.

"Spoken like a true big brother." Junhao grinned.

"That settles it. As your friend, I'm throwing my support behind little Evan!" Reid wanted to ask when they had become friends, but considering Junhao's free-spirited attitude, the man probably liked to call many people his friends. So he simply nodded. They spent some time wandering around the festival before eventually making their way to the temporary arena set up for the event. What had once been a training ground had been transformed into a proper battle venue.

A wide circular battlefield occupied the center, while towering stands rose in tiers around it, nearly every seat already filled. The excited buzz of thousands of spectators filled the venue. Thick mana barriers shimmered along the edges of the battlefield, and large screens hovered overhead to ensure everyone had a clear view of the match. Reid, who would have likely needed to squeeze in among the regular students in the stands, was unexpectedly brought into one of the private viewing boxes instead.

Several well-known figures were already inside, but his eyes locked onto one person. A man in his fifties with slicked-back dark blue hair sat calmly in his seat. Dressed in a perfectly tailored dark suit, a pristine white shirt, and a neatly knotted tie, he watched the arena below with a sharp, unreadable gaze. The moment he sensed their presence, those piercing eyes lifted to meet them.

"Mr. Konoe! Nice to see you here!" Junhao greeted with a grin, waving his hand.

"Mr. Chen," Masaru replied with a nod before shifting his gaze toward Reid. Reid stepped forward and offered his hand. Unexpectedly, Masaru stood up and firmly shook it.

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Konoe. My name is Reid Whitfield."

"Well met. I'm Konoe Masaru," the man replied. The three of them then took their seats.

"I didn't expect to see you here, Mr. Konoe. I heard you've had quite the busy schedule these days," Junhao said, leaning back in his seat and crossing his legs.

"I can still make time for an event like this," Masaru replied.

"I suppose that's true. It's not every day that your daughter and son fight each other in the arena," Junhao said.

"So, who do you think will come out on top? Your daughter? She's an A-rank, after all."

"The stronger one will prevail. That is all," Masaru said.

"I'm merely here to observe. Making such predictions is pointless." Junhao laughed.

"As serious as always. As for me, I'll naturally be supporting our two F-ranks. Don't you think it'll be interesting to see the crowd's reaction if they actually pull it off?" Masaru did not dignify that with a response. Soon after, Carmen took the stage once more, standing before the crowd in an outfit different from the one she had worn the previous day. A dark academy-style jacket rested over a white blouse, paired with a pleated skirt and knee-high boots.

"Hello again, everyone! I hope you're all having a wonderful time at the festival!" Carmen said with a bright smile, waving toward the spectators.

"I'm sure many of you have been waiting for this match, and after a little discussion with the headmaster, we decided there was no reason to keep you waiting any longer. So why not start with the fight everyone has been talking about?" She glanced toward the arena with a playful smile.

"After all, I'm sure everyone here wants to see just how long two F-ranks can last against an A-rank." The crowd erupted with cheers and excited chatter. Carmen raised her hand toward one side of the arena.

"Without further ado, let's introduce our first fighter! On my left, we have A-rank Awakener Konoe Reika!" Reika calmly raised a hand before walking to her position at one end of the arena. She wore the academy's combat training uniform, her expression cold and composed.

"The daughter of the Thunder Wolf himself and the inheritor of his lightning power. A true star of the academy!" Carmen then turned toward the opposite side.

"And on my right, we have our F-rank duo! Evan Whitfield, the younger brother of rising A-rank Healer Reid Whitfield, and fighting alongside him is Reika's older brother, Konoe Hiroto, another F-rank Awakener!" The crowd grew louder as the two stepped forward.

"Now, before we begin, let me go over the rules. Since this is a little different from a normal spar, the match will end as soon as first blood is drawn. No maiming, and of course, no killing." She paused, letting the anticipation build before continuing with a grin.

"However, because our challengers are facing an A-rank opponent, we've made a few adjustments. The F-rank duo will be allowed to use certain weapons and items. As for Reika, she may not use her lightning offensively during the first minute of the match. She may use it only for defense, though she's still free to fight using physical attacks." Carmen placed a hand over her chest dramatically.

"A pretty generous advantage, don't you think? Though considering who they're fighting, I have a feeling they'll need every bit of it." Cheers swept through the arena.

"Alright, everyone! Let's see what these three Awakeners can do!" She raised her hand.

"The stage is set, the fighters are ready, and now it's time to begin!" The three Awakeners stood facing one another across the arena. Reika's glare never wavered as she kept her eyes locked on Hiroto, who calmly returned her gaze. Evan, meanwhile, stood with his arms crossed, wearing a bored expression.

"You're going to regret this," Reika said.

"Very cliché words coming from someone about to lose," Evan replied with a smirk.

"Let's give our best," Hiroto said.

"Three!"

"Two!"

"One!"

"Begin!" Evan and Hiroto immediately burst into motion.