Chapter 270: Loser’s Bracket Winner - 1 Chapter 270: Loser’s Bracket Winner - 1 The first match was between Dhalia and Marco. There was no betting for the losers’ bracket, since most matches would be repetitions; it was obvious who would win. As soon as both students stepped into the ring, cheers erupted from every direction, rolling across the arena like a wave. But most of them were for Dhalia; after all, she had already defeated Marco once before. Still, Marco wasn’t without support. Many voices rose for him too, rougher, louder—most coming from the commoners’ section, their faith stubborn and unyielding. But this time, Marco did something unexpected. The moment he summoned his Mammoth, the massive beast materialized with a tremor that rattled the stone beneath their feet. Without hesitation, Marco vaulted onto its back in one smooth motion and pointed his sword straight at Dhalia. Regalia Mammoth (Pseudo 3-star) – Super Bloodline "Mammon, Charge!" he roared, his voice cracking with intensity. "Hrrrruuuhhhhhh!" The Mammoth’s thunderous bellow shook the air as it barreled forward, each step sending vibrations through the arena floor. Dhalia blinked in astonishment. Even after losing once, Marco was still resisting like this? She had been certain she wouldn’t need to summon Boreal to deal with him again. But she was proven wrong almost immediately. The Mammoth’s dangerous, gleaming tusks cut through the air in front of her, forcing her back. She couldn’t reach Marco at all while he remained perched high and guarded. If she tried firing ice spears from a distance, Marco would simply coat his sword and body in aura, deflecting them with calculated swings. The aura shimmered around him like a translucent armor. "Boreal! Get that beast!" Dhalia shouted sharply, frost gathering at her fingertips. Her beast answered at once. Boreal Shellbeast (Low 3-star) – Noble Bloodline Though its 8 to 9 meter wide frame was massive and imposing, the Mammoth’s towering 11 to 12 meter bulk still dwarfed it. Even so, that size difference did nothing to dampen the Shellbeast’s ferocity. "GRAAAAAAHHHH!" It roared, slamming its wide, armored hands against the Mammoth’s tusks with a deafening crash. "HUUUUUUUU!" The Mammoth retaliated, channeling its ice burst skill through its tusks. Frost gathered rapidly, condensing into blinding shards of white light. At the same time, the Shellbeast activated the same skill, its body glowing with a chilling aura. "THOOOOWWSSSHHHHH!!!" The explosion that followed tore through the air. Icy mist rolled across the arena floor, freezing the stone in creeping patterns of white. The cold bit at exposed skin, and spectators in the front rows shivered as frost-laced wind swept outward. When the mist finally began to settle, both beasts were still locked together, wrestling in a brutal stalemate. Though the Mammoth’s rank was slightly lower, its superior size compensated for it, its bulk pressing down and keeping the Shellbeast grounded. Marco had leapt off before the ice burst detonated—but even then, he wasn’t fast enough to escape completely. He, along with Dhalia, had been caught in the edge of the blast. Their bodies were frost-bitten, skin pale and stiff. But Dhalia seemed far more accustomed to the cold. Ignoring the sting of her injuries, she charged toward Marco, frost rapidly coating her clenched fist. Marco was still struggling to regain mobility, his limbs heavy and sluggish. He couldn’t defend properly. Her fist slammed into his abdomen and chest. The impact rang out sharply, and Marco was sent flying backward like a ragdoll. He plunged his sword into the ground mid-air, metal screeching against stone as he dragged it to a halt. Gritting his teeth, he forced aura to surge around his blade and body once more, preparing for her next strike. "I like your determination, keke," Dhalia said, her tone teasing as she appeared right in front of him, cold mist curling around her shoulders. She delivered a crushing punch. Marco barely managed to block with the broader side of his sword. Crack! The sound was unmistakable. A fracture line shot across the blade—and in the next instant, the sword snapped cleanly in two. Her following punch came straight for his head. But just before it could completely decapitate him, light flashed—and Marco, along with his Mammoth, was teleported away from the arena. The match ended there. Dhalia was declared the winner of the first match. Soon after, the second began. Lyra vs Uraan. They wasted no time. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢 Both summoned their beasts immediately. Stormripper Raptor (Pseudo 3-star) – Super Bloodline Midnight Raven (Pseudo 3-star) – Super Bloodline The moment Uraan brought out his secondary beast, Lyra’s eyes darkened slightly. "You are underestimating me?" she asked, her voice low and dangerous. "Underestimate? No, no, no," Uraan replied lightly, waving a hand as he drew his sword. "Who am I to underestimate someone after being trashed in the previous match? I’m just being considerate. Considerate so that you don’t get defeated in starting 10 seconds." A crooked smile tugged at his lips. Lyra didn’t respond immediately. Instead, she pulled out her own weapon. This time, it wasn’t the same one. "A rapier?" Uraan said, raising a brow. Lyra gave no reply. She lowered her stance, one foot sliding back as she pointed the rapier’s slender tip directly at Uraan. Static electricity began crackling faintly around her boots. "Try tackling this!" she declared. She vanished. A streak of static electricity marked where she had been. Uraan’s eyes widened. Before he could even raise his sword to guard, a sharp sting tore across his chest. "Huh...?" Sprut! Blood spurted out, spraying in a brief arc. The cut wasn’t too deep, but it was clean and precise. As if on cue, Lyra reappeared a few steps behind him. "Tsk. Power still lacks in this," she muttered under her breath. "KRAAAAAAAA!!!" At the same moment, the Midnight Raven screeched as it was struck by [Lightning Fall], unleashed by the Raptor below. A bolt crashed down, slamming squarely into its dark feathers. But the Raven quickly regained itself, invoking a healing ability. Its body emitted a soft, moonlight-like glow that washed over its wounds. Uraan smiled and activated the same skill. A gentle radiance enveloped him as well, the bleeding stopping almost instantly. The torn flesh began knitting itself back together. "Rejoice," Uraan said with a cheeky grin, flexing his shoulders as the wound sealed. "You are the first one who injured me... well, not the first, but hey—you cannot destroy me like previously, right?" His healing ability wasn’t extraordinary—but it was more than sufficient. Lyra clicked her tongue as she watched his injuries close. The already slim chance she had of winning by directly taking him down seemed to shrink further. Uraan shifted his stance, wind beginning to swirl around him in visible waves. "Hehe, let me try the techniques of our 3rd secret star!" he exclaimed. Wind propelled him upward, lifting him high into the air. But unlike Lily, he couldn’t create stable footholds. He arced downward toward Lyra, blade ready. Lyra vanished again, leaving behind nothing but crackling static. Uraan landed on empty ground with a faint frown, clearly dissatisfied. How can you achieve those movements unless you have free control over the wind element? He thought, unaware that Lily indeed possessed such control while spirit-integrated. "KAWWWW!" Uraan snapped his head toward his Raven. Lyra had somehow launched herself high into the sky with the Raptor’s assistance. Mid-air, she slashed at multiple points across the Raven’s body in rapid succession, sparks dancing along her rapier. It didn’t end there. The Raptor screeched and unleashed [Lightning Fall] once more. BOOOM! The bolt struck squarely on the Raven’s head. Feathers scattered. The Midnight Raven became disoriented and crashed down toward the ground in a chaotic spiral. Uraan glanced upward, squinting slightly as his eyes drifted toward the blazing sun overhead. "Tch... Midnight cannot unleash its full strength in daylight..." he muttered under his breath.