17 Chapter 17: An electrifying end

For the first time ever, Cecilia's impassive façade cracked as she lost her calm and stared with her mouth wide open at the lightning storm unfolding before her.

Several white arcs of electricity whipped across and struck her, forcing her into the defensive. She staggered, rubbing her arms, which were turning numb from the devastating current that ran through them.

An immense white tiger emerged from a gigantic arcane circle made from lightning, roaring bestially as it set its inky black eyes upon Cecilia's trembling form.

"No way…impossible…"

Cecilia's eyes were bulging as she watched my White Tiger lope toward her with a feline grace. She shook her head in denial, her lips opening and closing like a goldfish. Brandishing her sword in front of her, she attempted to cast another spell.

However, she had been severely injured and expended most of her magical energy during the fight earlier against Vermilion phoenix. While she had been busy, I had made use of the time to cast a second summoning spell.

I wasn't the type to underestimate my foes, after all. Hal Gunther had provided a very good lesson on the consequences of that.

Lighting lashed out and burned the petals that were slowly swirling around Cecilia. Before she could swing her sword, White Tiger pounced on her, swatting her aside with an immense paw. Even though she parried the blow, Cecilia was almost thrown off the stage.

"Ugh!"

Hitting the ground, she tried to roll back to her feet, but White Tiger was already upon her before she could fully get up.

Lighting Claws.

White Tiger unleashed its signature attack, slashing with its gigantic claws. Three jagged bolts of lightning descended from the heavens (or to be more precise, the ceiling of the main hall) and crashed into Cecilia.

She shrieked, her iron will and discipline finally shattering from the shock and excruciating agony, and the Invincible Goddess of War slumped down onto the ground, unconscious. Her body continued to jerk and convulsed as electricity continued to run through her body, but it was clear she wouldn't be rising to her feet anytime soon.

A hushed silence fell upon the crowd.

"The match is over!" Teacher Fielding quickly announced, regaining his senses. "The winner is Richard Huang!"

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The silence continued for a few more seconds, until Doug broke it with polite applause. Everyone turned to stare at him, and he merely shrugged before continuing to clap, unabated. His teammates gaped at him, but he ignored them.

Then my schoolmates joined in. And within a few minutes, the entire main hall erupted in thunderous applause.

Dismissing White Tiger, I fell to my knees. I realized just how violently my legs had been shaking the entire time. Not from injuries, not from shock, but from sheer nervousness. I was so anxious that I felt like throwing up, but fortunately I could hold the nausea back.

Taking a deep breath, I watched as the staff ferried the unconscious Cecilia off the stage, and then slowly disappeared during the confusion, not wanting to remain in the limelight for even a second longer.

*

"Phew…"

I gagged and held my mouth, trying my best not to throw up.

Five matches. That was the first time I had fought five matches in a row. Some of the throbbing from my injuries returned, now that the adrenaline had worn off, but they were nothing compared to the turbulence that was churning in my mind.

At that moment, the news were spreading not just across my school but throughout the entire Federation. People were posting the matches on social media, making comments and offering video analyses of it. I had practically become a celebrity overnight, especially since I had just pulled off the unprecedented achievement of team-killing Crowley's Grand Arcane Academy's representatives. And not just any representatives.

I had even defeated the previously undefeated Crowley representative team's captain, Cecilia Stuart. The Invincible Goddess of War.

None of this felt real. I wouldn't be surprised if I woke up in my bed later, only to find out that it was all a dream. Reality was harsh like that.

"Richard? Student Richard Huang? Where are you?"

There were voices. Either from teachers or my fellow schoolmates. I didn't know who, and I didn't care. Right now I didn't want to see anybody.

Swallowing as my mouth went dry, I slipped out of there as quickly as I could. Good thing I did, for after I left the area, the students from the Jing Tian Magazine Society showed up, wielding their smartphones. They had switched on the recording and microphone functions (smartphones these days could literally do everything) in hopes of interviewing me, obviously to publish an article in their online weekly magazine.

I was in no mood to participate.

"The first person ever to team-kill the representatives from Crowley Academy!" one of them was muttering. "I've to interview him at all costs!"

"How did he do it?"

"Didn't you watch the match? By summoning, obviously."

"Heh, and he's supposed to be the last-ranked mage in our school. I can't believe he lost ninety-nine of his matches prior to this."

"Those idiots from Crowley underestimated him and allowed him to summon his monsters. We're smarter – we know just how potent summoned beasts are, which is why we always quickly take him out before he can summon them."

"Still, that doesn't change the result! Student Richard Huang still won against all five of them! By himself!"

"Ha ha ha ha ha! I don't think Crowley Academy will have any face left after this! They came here to bully and mock us, but ended up getting humiliated instead! Did you see their faces after the matches? Priceless!"

Apparently it wasn't just the people from the magazine society. A mix of other students had also left the coliseum and were heading this way as well. Later, I learned that as an act of mercy, Director Violet had dismissed all the students after the matches, to allow the Crowley students to hide their embarrassment after suffering such an ignominious defeat at the hands of the last-ranked student in Jing Tian Academy.

"Student Richard, are you all right?"

I almost jumped in fright when a familiar voice cut in right behind me. Turning around, I saw Teacher Fielding staring at me inquisitively.

"Um…yeah."

Damn it, the teachers were on another level. Their capabilities were far above those of the students. If they want to track down the students, there was no way we could evade them. So I resigned myself to fate and relaxed.

"You should get those injuries checked," Teacher Fielding told me. The bleeding had dried long ago, and there was faint throbbing, but all things considered, I had gotten off pretty lightly. Not to mention the bastard Hal Gunther was going super-easy on me and had avoided anything vital just so he could continue to play around and torture me.

Thanks to that, I was able to summon Vermillion Phoenix…

Whatever the case, it didn't seem like I had suffered any serious injuries. Furthermore, I had another reason why I didn't want to go to the infirmary.

"Teacher Cure is preoccupied with treating the injuries of all the Crowley Academy students. It's best if she just focuses on our guests instead."

"At least get a basic healing spell cast on you, like Chang Cheng did." Teacher Fielding frowned. "Your injuries are not light."

"They're not heavy either." Another reason why I didn't want to go to the infirmary was because the magazine society and a bunch of schoolmates would be sure to check there for my whereabouts, especially if they intended to talk to the present patients interred within there. Not only did I want to avoid the students from Crowley's Grand Arcane Academy, I also wanted to avoid contact with my schoolmates if possible.

"Is there anything else? Otherwise, can I go home for today?"

Teacher Fielding looked at me, and then sighed.

"Yeah. Director Violet dismissed school just now. He'll probably want to talk to you sooner or later so be prepared to be called to the office. But for now, you can go home. Make sure to rest up."

"Yes, Teacher Fielding."I did a sort of mock salute, and then proceeded to the classroom to grab my bag. Along the way, I had to dodge my schoolmates and classmates. Knowing that several of my classmates were waiting in the classroom to ambush me, I steeled myself.

Fortunately, everyone was still talking in the corridors, so I reached the classroom faster than anyone else. Grabbing my bag, I was about to leave when I heard the voices of my classmates approaching the classroom.

Damn, I was a minute too slow.

Good thing there was an alternative exit. I quickly headed toward the direction of the windows, which were several rows away from my seat. Opening them, I then jumped down from what was the third story.

I wasn't stupid enough to make the jump in a single bound. Instead, relying on the martial arts that Dad trained me in, I jumped to the nearest tree first, and then hopped from branch to branch in a smooth series of maneuvers. My injuries stung from the exertion, but as I said they were light enough to ignore.

Landing at the base of the tree, I then snuck along the bushes and hurried toward the gates, all the while remaining unseen from the students who now roamed the courtyard and outer compound of the school, most likely so that they could relax after being dismissed for the day, and also to discuss what they were talking about.

Buzz!

I almost jumped when my smartphone beeped and vibrated for a bit. Having left the damned thing in my bag, I had almost forgotten about it. Retrieving it from the top pocket of my bag, I swiped the screen, which proceeded to project a hologram directly to my eyes. anyone looking at me from a different direction would only perceived the shielded hologram as black or invisible, for the contemporary smartphones made use of esoteric technology and certain spectrums of light to ensure that the contents of the screen were visible only to the user. This was to protect their privacy. I had chosen the invisibility option, so I didn't have to worry about my schoolmates spotting a black light or hologram emanating from the bushes.

There already was a furious debate online, but I couldn't be bothered about that. Glancing at my smartphone, I saw that I had just received a few hundred Friend Requests on social media.

"You've got to be kidding me."

Swiping the notifications away in an impatient manner, I cursed and stealthily departed from the academy before anyone could detect me.