Aftermath and the Final Test

In the wake of the brutal monster gauntlet, the arena was eerily silent. The victorious 20 first-year students—among them our elite seven, along with the formidable Cedric, and the resilient Damian, Leon, Alden, Dante, Celeste, Iris, and Ethan—stood amidst the ruins of the battlefield. Their armor was scorched, their faces bore the grime of battle, and wounds testified to the ferocity of their struggle. Yet, despite the exhaustion, there was a fire in their eyes—a shared understanding that they had been forged in the heat of combat.

For many, the victory was bittersweet. The relentless onslaught of monsters had pushed them to their limits, and while 250 kills each had guaranteed their passage, it had come at a great physical and emotional cost. In quiet corners of the arena, students nursed their wounds and exchanged nods of respect, silently acknowledging that only the strongest would continue. As the dust settled, Headmistress Valeria's voice boomed over the arena once more.

"Congratulations to all who have proven your might. Now, prepare yourselves for the third stage of the tournament!" .You all will given time off for the rest of the day the next sage shall continue tomorrow. 

The next day as soon as all the candidate arrived. A large magical display illuminated the arena, revealing the new rules. This time, the remaining 20 students would face a different challenge—a series of one-on-one duels, where the fate of each would be decided by a random pairing.

One-on-One Battles: Each student would be paired with a random opponent.

No Team Alliances: Unlike previous rounds, no temporary alliances would be allowed; it was every contender for themselves.

Survival is Key: When a duel ended, the loser would be transported out, while the winner advanced to the final stage.

All fights are non-lethal: No one truly dies; defeat means removal from the tournament.

A palpable tension swept through the crowd. The randomness of the pairings meant that even the strongest might face a surprise challenge, and alliances from before would mean little in one-on-one combat.

Among the victors, murmurs filled the air.

"Who will be paired with whom? Will the mighty Seven be pitted against each other, or will they face new, unpredictable opponents?"

Some speculated that fate might see Seraphina Ignis's blazing fury clash with Celeste Everhart's icy precision, while others whispered that Ethan Baron's dark, calculated power might soon meet the relentless energy of Alden Ascar.

In the midst of this uncertainty, Ethan, the Dark Magic Knight, stood quietly. He observed his peers—each with their own scars, their own stories of valor. His mind raced with strategies and possibilities. The randomness of the pairings was a double-edged sword: it could pit him against a less experienced foe, or against someone whose strength he hadn't yet encountered.

He thought of the sacrifices, the relentless training, and the heavy toll the gauntlet had taken on them all. Yet, within him, a steely resolve was forged. "I must be ready for anything," he murmured.

Meanwhile, high above in the hallowed halls of the Student Council, Gabriel Aurelius and his peers were busy. As the First-Year Representative, Ethan's progress was closely monitored, and the Council had a vested interest in ensuring that the tournament remained a true test of strength. With every random pairing, they would collect data, assess rivalries, and refine their understanding of the potential future leaders of the Academy.

The Council's secret agenda was clear: they needed to know exactly who would emerge victorious so that they could guide, influence, and, if necessary, control these rising stars. But for now, all they could do was wait for fate to deliver its verdict in the upcoming duels.

As the announcement of the random pairings was prepared, a magical mechanism whirred to life, sending shimmering streams of light that began sorting the names of the remaining 20 participants. In that dazzling display of arcane engineering, every student held their breath, wondering who fate would cast as their next opponent.

The tension in the arena was palpable—each student's heart pounded with anticipation, each breath a mix of hope and anxiety. Even as they looked upon their battered armor and bloodied faces, one thing was certain: only the strongest would remain.

In the back of his mind, Ethan recalled the fierce battles of the gauntlet and the subtle lessons learned from every blow. Now, he steeled himself for the one-on-one duels. Every move he had practiced, every secret technique he had mastered through countless hours of training, would soon be put to the ultimate test.

And as the magical display began to reveal the first pairings, the stage was set for the next chapter in this brutal tournament—a chapter that would determine who among the 20 truly deserved to advance.