422 Chapter 422: Question of Morale

When it was clear that Kufa Van Peer wouldn't be breaking out of my Aboslute Zero spell, the commentator finally cleared his throat and announced the outcome of the match.

\"My goodness! Is Richard really going it? Is he on his way to achieving a team-kill – against Saint Teresa Academy, no less?! How is this possible?!\" He then suppressed his excitement. \"Whatever the case, the match is clearly over! The winner is Richard Huang of Jing Tian Academy…again! Will Saint Teresa Academy be able to stop him?\"

With the result of the match officially ruled in my favor and no longer beyond any doubt, I dismissed my spell and released Kufa from the clutches of my Absolute Zero. His frozen body slid out of the extreme ice and lay very still on the ground. It was only because of the boundary field that he was still alive, otherwise even his vampire body would have been completely destroyed by the absolute zero temperature.

Medics rushed forward to cast emergency healing spells on Kufa's near-corpse (fitting, given how he was a vampire) and ferry him out of the arena on top of a stretcher. The poor dude was still in his vampire form, his long silver hair unchanged, and his fangs still visible. His eyes were sealed shut by frost, so I couldn't see if they had remained red or returned to blue. Most likely the former, given how the other vampire features lingered.

\"Feed him some blood and he'll recover quicker,\" Kureha informed the medics, and they nodded unquestioningly. Evidently Kufa's status as a vampire was not a secret. His team captain obviously knew about it, and the medics seemed used to treating him, not at all appalled by what would otherwise be perceived as a demonic treatment.

On the other side of the ring, the atmosphere was a lot less somber and a lot more celebratory. My teammates were cheering and whooping, exchanging high fives and hugs. The spectators were also riled up by the unexpected outcome and they were applauding what they thought was a splendid performance. Harvey and Adrian were leading the cheers, gesturing wildly for the supporting contingents to roar their approval and praise.

But I wasn't listening to any of that. I was far too exhausted, too drained. Slumped against the corner of the ring, I watched blankly as Harrison approached, a big smile on his face.

\"You did well, Richard,\" he told me. \"You did very well.\"

I forced a tired grin and nodded.

\"Thanks.\"

\"Four zero!\" Dong Fang Yue Chu yelled as he bounded over excitedly. \"Thanks to your efforts, we're up four-zero against Saint Teresa Academy, of all people! You're amazing! You helped build up such a tremendous lead and took out four of their core members!\"

\"It's not over yet,\" I reminded him cautiously. Taking a deep breath, I leaned against the wall. \"We still have the final match and then the team match. Assuming I lose the fifth match, as long as we defeat three of their members in the team match, we should theoretically progress to the next round.\"

\"Yeah! Don't worry, even if they are Saint Teresa Academy, I'm sure we'll be able to take out at least a few of their members. But we aim to win!\" Craig was enthusiastic as he patted my shoulder almost violently. \"We're not going to settle for the minimum score.\"

\"Wait,\" Bu Fan said as he raised his hand. \"You just said assuming you lose the fifth match, didn't you?\"

\"Yeah.\" I was too tired to nod, and honestly it was a miracle I could still speak.

\"So you intend on continuing on?\"

\"Hah! At this rate, Richie will grab another team-kill! Another all-kill!\" Yue Chu was chuckling. \"As expected of him!\"

\"That's a bad idea!\" Pearl snapped harshly, glaring at me. \"Look at you! You're in no condition to fight!\"

\"I will be after resting for a few minutes.\" I was closing my eyes and doing my best to recuperate as much as possible.

\"You're too reckless!\" Pearl argued hotly. She turned to Harrison. \"Captain, tell him!\"

However, Harrison was watching me intently, and he seemed to have reach an unspoken understanding from my posture. He nodded grimly and then returned Pearl's gaze.

\"Richard has earned his chance to attempt an all-kill. I don't think it's fair if I deny him this chance to make history.\"

\"Make history?! But…\"

\"Don't worry,\" Theodore assured Pearl. \"We have healing spells to help him recover if he does go too far. Furthermore, there's the boundary field to protect him too. Nothing bad will happen.\"

\"But don't blame yourself if you lose,\" Harrison continued with a grin. \"You've more than contributed your part for the team. You've surpassed all expectations and gone beyond what was asked of you. No matter the outcome of the fifth match, you have become someone that the whole team is proud of. I dare say you've earned the respect of the entire Global Federation…if not the whole world. So just go in there and fight however you want. Don't hold back – as long as you don't regret anything, feel free to go wild.\"

\"Thanks. I really appreciate it.\" I lowered my head, my eyes still shut as I focused on recovering my mana. \"Thank you for going along with my selfishness and allowing me the chance to score an all-kill.\"

\"Like I said, you've earned it.\" Harrison reached up and patted my arm. He then gripped my shoulder and gave me an encouraging squeeze. \"And honestly, I believe in you. I strongly think that you'll be able to pull it off…create a miracle and make history today.\"

\"Thank you. I really appreciate it.\"

Personally, I wasn't sure if I could pull it off. After executing Absolute Zero, I was nearly on empty. I probably didn't have much mana left to do anything beyond a couple of moves. Even so, I selfishly wanted to continue on, whether it was to the detriment of my team or not. I had gotten them this far, surely it wasn't unreasonable for them to accede to my request?

Furthermore, it wasn't as if I wasn't guaranteed to lose. I was stubbornly volunteering for the fifth match precisely because I saw a chance for victory, even if it was very slim.

\"Who do you think Saint Teresa Academy will send out for their last member?\" Lily asked from the sidelines.

That was a good question. If Kureha was smart and practical, she would send out one of the reserve members in place of the core members instead of risking losing any of them in the individual matches. Such a tactic was understandable – she would be focusing on the team match, gambling everything on the team match. After all, it was unlikely that there was anyone of similar caliber to me in the rest of Jing Tian Academy's team. Or so she believed.

However, Kureha also acknowledged the necessity of appearances and reputation. She couldn't be seen as deliberately throwing away the last match – not only would it reveal that she had acknowledged that her Saint Teresa Academy couldn't defeat our Jing Tian Academy in the individual matches, she would also be lowering the morale of her team while raising ours. Her team was already demoralized from suffering four consecutive defeats, and to throw the last match would further sink their already rock-bottom morale and affect their performance as a whole in the team match. Kureha was not stupid enough to ignore the psychological effects of such statements and outcome.

In contrast, if Kureha fielded a core member and scored a victory in the final match, it would lift the spirits of Saint Teresa Academy considerably – not only would it dispel the impression of my invincibility, it would inspire the remaining members to fiercely launch a counterattack and claw their way back into the game. It would greatly increase their chances of making a comeback.

That was why Kureha understood that they needed a decisive victory in this final round. Very badly at that. Otherwise their morale would completely collapse.

The other side of the coin was that if they lost, their morale would collapse even further than rock-bottom, and there would be only one core member left to lead the team match. That would guarantee their loss and our progression to the semifinal.

Of course, everything was a gamble. There was a risk in whatever we did. There were no guarantees in life, and it was Kureha's responsibility to shoulder all of that and make her decision. I didn't envy her position – in fact, it was the reason why I avoided leadership positions at all cost. There was no way I could withstand such a heavy burden.

\"Do you think Saint Teresa Academy will send Rossetti next?\" Sheila asked thoughtfully.

Harrison shook his head. \"No. Captain Kureha will be personally participating in the fifth round, in hopes of bringing about a decisive victory.\"

\"You believe this based on earlier matches and their fighting patterns?\" Cody inquired. Harrison nodded.

\"That's right…in all of the individual matches so far, Kureha has never failed to participate in all of them. But it's not just that. She wants to send out a statement.\"

\"A statement?\" Bu Fan asked.

\"Yeah. She's trying to boost the ravaged morale of her team and encourage them. Give them hope and show that they can and will win. I would do the same if I was in her position.\"

\"Doesn't that mean Richard will be in for a very hard time?\" Pearl glanced in my direction worriedly. I didn't blame her – it wasn't as if she had no confidence in me, or didn't have any faith that I could pull off a miracle. Honestly speaking, the reputation of the Sword Saint far preceded her. Kureha Franklin was a formidable foe, much stronger than any of the other Saint Teresa Academy students. I personally knew just how strong she was because I had fought alongside her before, back when we confronted the Hellfire Drake along with Troy.

She wasn't someone I could underestimate. I daresay she was probably going to be the strongest opponent I had faced in my life.

Even so, I was looking forward to the match, so much so that I couldn't conceal the grin on my face. Harrison noticed it too and chuckled.

\"Maybe, but Richard doesn't seem to think so.\"

\"I know that smile.\" Yue Chu was laughing. \"You bloody rascal, you have a trump card or two hidden up your sleeve somewhere, don't you?!\"

\"Who knows?\" I responded with a nonchalant shrug. \"We shall see.\"

At the other end of the arena, the remaining members of Saint Teresa Academy finished their discussion. And then, just as Harrison and I had predicted, Kureha took to the stage herself.

\"You're a strong opponent,\" she acknowledged as she stood opposite me. I opened my eyes and slowly got to my feet. Obviously I didn't have enough time to totally recover all of my mana, but I managed to recuperate enough to put up a good fight. Unfortunately thanks to my use of Absolute Zero, I calculated that I could only cast three or four spells before I ran out. Five at most. Even after absorbing Miura's mana, I wasn't able to completely refill my tank.

However, Kureha didn't know that, and she didn't have to know. She did suspect that I was nearing my limits, though, because she had a sympathetic look on her face.

\"Are you sure you want to continue? You still have the opportunity to swap out with a teammate.\"

\"Yeah, I'm sure,\" I assured her confidently. \"I am not going to let this chance sweep by.\"

\"I won't think any less of you if you back off now,\" Kureha said. \"You have already proven yourself in front of everyone and displayed how strong you are. Nobody can make fun of you or call you a coward, not after you've defeated four of Saint Teresa Academy's core members.\"

\"I'm well on my way to achieving an all-kill.\" I grinned. \"I would prefer to have a chance to complete that, no matter how unlikely it is.\"

Kureha studied me for a few moments, and then nodded in resignation. \"So be it. Even if you're exhausted from fighting four consecutive matches, I still won't hold back. I plan to go all out against you.\"

\"That's exactly what I wish for,\" I replied with a weary smile. \"It won't be a true victory otherwise. And I don't want you to use that as an excuse in case I actually win.\"

\"Oh, I won't,\" Kureha reassured me. Then she giggled. \"Honestly, I know exactly how you feel. I'm a little envious of you, you know? If I were in your position, I definitely wouldn't pass up on the chance to score an all-kill, even if it's at the expense of my team. Of course…pulling off an all-kill would benefit the team a lot more.\"

\"Agreed.\"

\"However…that's not going to happen.\" Kureha pointed her sword at me, her eyes narrowing in determination. \"Because I'm going to end your winning streak here and defeat you decisively.\"

\"You can try,\" I scoffed, drawing both of my swords in return. \"And I'll do my best to ensure you fail.\"