Chapter 574: Continental Festival 3

As the name suggested, the Grand Continental Festival was an event that mirrored the Academy’s traditional grand festival in structure, but on a scale so vast it made the original seem like a mere rehearsal.

Three days. Three stages.

The first was dedicated to first-years clashing against second-years, a chaotic storm of youthful potential testing itself against slightly sharper blades.

The second day belonged to the third-years—a proving ground where only those standing at the cusp of graduation could truly measure one another.

And finally, the third day was reserved for the open individual battles, where anyone brave—or arrogant—enough could step forward and showcase their skills before the watching eyes of the continent.

Invitations had been sent to famous guild leaders, tower masters of the great Magic Towers, and renowned warriors who sat at the peaks of their respective fields.

Sponsors, recruiters, and potential mentors would all be there, watching.

In previous years, this had been a celebration limited to the Academy itself.

The top students of the world’s most prestigious school would battle, dazzle, and rise—or crumble—under the weight of expectation.

But this time was different.

For the first time, academies across the continent would be sending their own prodigies to participate.

A true inter-academy challenge.

A chance for other nations, schools, and lineages to prove that brilliance did not only bloom inside the Academy’s walls.

Of course, our Academy still stood unmatched—its scale, its resources, its history of producing legends.

It was the oldest and brightest jewel among academies, the standard against which all others were measured. But prestige didn’t mean invincibility.

Depending on the match-ups, even some of the key figures among our main cast could very well taste defeat.

And depending on how fate—or rather, how choices—played out, those losses could become blessings in disguise, pushing them toward greater heights.

“HAAAAAAAAH!!!”

The raw bellow ripped me from my thoughts.

My eyes snapped forward just in time to see a streak of whitish-blue light tearing across the training grounds like a comet crashing from the heavens.

Condensed aura, packed into a single fist, blazing toward me.

[Comet’s Tail (S)]

Instinct moved before thought. My hand reached for my sword, steel singing as it met the light head-on.

BOOOOM!!!

The impact detonated behind me, rattling the ground underfoot and sending a cloud of dust and shattered stone into the air.

“Tch…!”

The sharp click of Kagami’s tongue echoed through the clearing.

“At least allow me to hit you one time, bud…” he muttered, glaring at me with frustration.

Beads of sweat rolled down his forehead, his chest heaving like a furnace on the verge of collapse.

The smoke behind me finally thinned, unveiling the destruction his fists had carved into the earth.

Craters layered over one another, each one wide enough to swallow a carriage, fiery blue flames still seething at their edges like fragments of falling starlight.

The title Meteor Fist Kagami wasn’t just empty bravado—it was carved into every scar the battlefield bore.

I turned slightly, my blade lowering. “This new technique of yours… it’s simple, but impressive.”

“Hah… says the man who casually cuts my attacks in half,”

Kagami shot back, collapsing onto the ground with a heavy thud.

He let out a long, ragged sigh, dragging his hands across his face to wipe away the sweat.

“Seriously, bud… just how far do I have to go before I can actually reach you? I really thought this time I could at least land a graze. Well… half expectedly, at least.”

He tried to laugh, but it came out tired, almost bitter.

And the truth was—he wasn’t wrong. If this had been before my ascension, those fists would have left me battered, maybe even broken.

But now… even holding back, the gap was wider than ever.

“My compliment wasn’t a lie,” I said evenly.

“Yeah. I could tell that much,” Kagami answered with a crooked smile.

I studied him quietly.

A few months ago, his attacks were strong enough to split mountains, but his technique had always lagged—raw force with too little speed, too little control. That was Kagami’s fatal flaw.

But now… he’d found a way around it.

By spinning the mana around his fists in a constant spiral, he created a vortex that refined the flow, letting him fire attacks in rapid succession without losing power.

It was crude, but clever, and it offset his old weakness almost entirely.

Blue flames flickered faintly around his knuckles even now, a stubborn refusal to die out, mirroring Kagami himself.

I couldn’t help but let the corner of my lips tug upward.

Step by step, this guy was making his own effort work.

“By the way, I won’t be helping you pay for any of this if the dorm head finds out about the state of this place…” I said casually, pointing at the field of destruction he’d left behind.

Kagami stared at me, defeated. “Traitor!”

Right now, the two of us were standing in the central section of Killian Hall, the very heart of the Academy’s indoor training grounds.

Normally, someone like Lucas would monopolize this space, away from the chaos of the public fields, but as expected, except for a handful of students, almost nobody actually used it.

Because of that, the Academy rarely invested much budget into its repairs.

Well, at least not until Lucas made it his personal training arena.

Since then, the cracks and craters had become almost a part of its identity.

And now, thanks to Kagami’s little meteor barrage, the place looked like it had been shelled by artillery.

“Come on. Let’s sit at the bench for now, or else the guardian golems will mistake you for some sort of monster in your current state,” I said, offering him my hand.

He grumbled but accepted the pull. His grip was still tight, stubborn even in defeat, and I hauled him up onto unsteady legs.

“You know, you’re quite open with the insults these days,” Kagami said, raising an eyebrow.

“Hahaha! You’re quite open with insults now, huh?” he repeated, laughing this time, though the way his jaw tensed betrayed him, and the grip he had on me was the complete opposite.

Maybe I should ease up with the ugly jokes next time….

“So, the Grand Continental Festival is really going to happen next month, huh?” Kagami leaned back on the bench, still wiping the sweat from his forehead.

“Yes,” I replied simply.

“Top students from different academies are really coming here…” he muttered, half in awe, half in dread. “I don’t even know if I should be excited or nervous.”

“Why’s that?”

He scratched his cheek awkwardly. “Well… I don’t know if I ever mentioned this to you, bud, but my little sister is one of the top students at Wave Dragon Academy back in the Eastern Empire.”

I blinked. “Isn’t that a good thing? You get to see your sister and all.”

“Haha, that’s true, but… my little sister tends to get a bit, well—too cheeky. Controlling her is a nightmare.” He sighed, shoulders sagging. “She’s talented, sure, but she’s also the type to climb on your head if you give her even an inch.”

Is he talking about that girl?

I couldn’t help but smirk.

Everyone had that family member whose antics were impossible to manage.

Just the thought brought Gramps’ smug face into my mind, and I quickly shoved it away.

Kagami shifted the topic. “By the way, do you know how many academies will be attending the event?”

“There should be seven in total, including ours.”

“Seven…” He let out a low whistle. “Damn. I can only imagine the logistics and management behind that. Just thinking about it makes my head hurt.”

I chuckled alongside him. “You’re not wrong. On paper, the festival looks simply—just matches, stages, rankings. But behind the scenes? The scale is ridiculous. Controlling something this massive takes more than just clean scheduling. Security, politics, the egos of nobles and guild leaders, academy heads and principals, the magic tower representatives… all those external and internal factors are going to clash.”

Kagami groaned. “So basically, chaos wrapped in fireworks.”

“Pretty much,” I said. “And knowing how things are run, the student council’s going to get pressed hard. They’ll need every scrap of manpower the Academy can squeeze out of us.”

Since Kagami was a member of the student council, his groaning face was honestly understandable.

Even if I felt a little bad for Snow—knowing the mountain of work she’d be buried under—I could only sympathize so much.

Maybe I should visit her once the event finally begins, if only to keep her from snapping under the pressure.

“This event basically has the same setup as the Grand Festival,” Kagami muttered, “but how are we going to choose our opponents this time?” His tone carried both curiosity and dread.

“It’ll probably be set randomly,” I answered, “but overall, the fights will be structured to make sure only the strongest come out on top.”

“So… it’s like a tournament this time,” he mumbled, unamused.

I half expected him to react with excitement—Kagami usually enjoyed a good fight—but I guess it made sense.

For him, every battle was followed by a nightmare: paperwork, reports, and council duties stacked on his shoulders.

The thought alone probably soured his enthusiasm.

This time, there would be no segregation by year or grade.

Everyone in the top ten from each department was required to participate—except, of course, the external course students.

In other words, all the Academy’s best would be thrown into the same battlefield.

The scale of it was staggering.

Just the announcement alone had stirred discourse across the entire continent.

It was only natural—an event that gathered so many geniuses in one place was bound to shake the balance of power, even temporarily.

But that same spotlight also painted a target on the Academy’s back.

And in that vulnerable state… it was the perfect time for the hidden demonic worshippers to make their move again.

For the past month, I’d been debating whether I should interfere again.

Whether my hand was truly needed, or if I should let things play out as they were meant to.

But My decision was made.

There was no need to dwell on it further.

I also need to get involved in a few sub events as well… if this event follows the course of the game, then she would be here as well.

Knowing her personality I doubt she’ll leave Seo alone.

Sigh….

For some reason I’m getting a little nervous now.

Still… as I leaned back, eyes drifting toward the training grounds ceiling.

I wonder who my future opponent will be….

….

“We’ve arrived, Mistress…”

With a quiet nod, the young-looking woman stepped gracefully out of her carriage.

Despite her age, her beauty was timeless, untouched by the years.

A veil hung from the brim of her hat, concealing much of her face, while her flowing eastern attire caught the eyes of the academy staff nearby.

Whispers followed her presence—few here had ever seen someone from the Eastern Empire up close, much less a figure of her stature.

Aera, who stood by to receive her, raised her fan and lightly covered her mouth before bowing in greeting.

Her usual calm expression softened into something more respectful.

“Lady Gyeoul..”

“I didn’t think the principal of this academy would personally greet me,” the veiled woman murmured, her voice like a clear stream muffled by silk.

Leilah, the principal, only smiled.

“Fufu, surely you jest. You are the wife of the future clan head of the most influential household in the Eastern Empire.

Showing you this level of respect is nothing less than what you deserve. Especially,” she added, her gaze sharpening just slightly, “for someone who has reached the zenith of her martial realm.”

The woman—Aera Nari Gyeoul—could only smile gently at those words.

Her eyes, barely visible beneath the veil, gleamed with the weight of experience and quiet authority.

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