Witnessing the prowess of the kingly academies, the faces of the Colzen representatives turned serious.
They clenched their fists, only, it wasn't due to frustration and anxiety but due to excitement.
The bastards, hateful as they may be, were truly top-tier, stoking the flames of competence in the hearts of the Colzen representatives.
*BLEEP*
A bleep sounded from the holographic television inside the Colzen Academy station displaying the semi-final match-ups.
Freia vs. Aslan
Colzen vs. Eusford
"Oh? We already got the chance to teach that annoying bi*ch a lesson?" Ian said, excitement visible on his face as they waited for the staff member's signal.
As they watched the next matches after theirs, the Colzen representative group already formed standard plans for each match type, however, they were responsible for improvising on the fly if anything went wrong.
After all, the deans could only give them so much guidance.
In the end, they have to rely on themselves if they want to grab the number one spot for Colzen.
After a few more minutes, the designated staff member informed them to prepare and head out towards the main stage.
Finally, it was time for them to prove themselves against Valenzia's mightiest of academies.
Pushing the door open, the Colzen cohort found themselves drowned in a typhoon of cheers and applause.
As the last remaining dark horse and the biggest underdog, they've unknowingly captured the hearts of around sixty percent of the crowd.
Shockingly, they were now the crowd favorites.
The Colzen representatives waved at the audience as they enthusiastically walked towards the enormous stage in the middle of the arena.
"Here they come! The bravest of challengers, the darkest of horses, the ground rumbles at their arrival, and the kings raise their vigilance at the mention of their proud name, Let us all welcome, the champions of the common populace, Colzen Academy!"
The hype-inducing voice of the commentator resounded in the entire arena, prompting the crowd to cheer even wilder as the Colzen representatives arrived at the ringside.
As nobodies from a relatively mediocre academy, they needed more publicity especially now that they were about to graduate as it would help them secure more sponsorships and partnerships in the future.
"Is everyone ready?! Our competitors are so you guys better be!"
As the commentator delivered his introduction, the initial group slated for introduction had already positioned themselves behind an organizer.
Shockingly, they were the representatives from Eusford Academy.
Usually, it was the underdogs who were introduced first so one could only imagine the rage welling up in the hearts of the Eusford representatives.
However, what could they do? Everything was up to the organizers of the competition.
Faking a smile, each of them ascended the stage one by one as their names were called by the commentator.
Shye and the others already knew their names due to the meeting earlier but they didn't know who was who so they made sure to remember their faces.
Hilariously, each Eusford representative glared at them before walking down the stage, visibly furious due to being introduced first.
They wouldn't feel anything if the match was against their rivals, Freia and Aslan, but to be introduced first against some random dark horse?
Unacceptable.
Naturally, seeing their mocking faces turn into one of fury felt satisfying for the Colzen representatives.
Ever since they first met this group of Eusford representatives, all they saw in their faces was disdain and mocking smiles.
'Hahaha, serves you right.' Shye mused.
"Everyone, please give a round of applause to the Eusford representatives." The commentator said while enthusiastically clapping his hands, setting a very good example to the audience.
However, instead of improving, their mood simply worsened.
What infuriated the Eusford representatives even more was the fact that although lots of people cheered and applauded them, it was way less compared to the previous years.
They listened to the crowd cheer for their seniors as a companion student so they were irked that fewer people seemed to be cheering for their academy this year.
Unbeknownst to them, their feelings of frustration had just started.