"Ah...f*ck that hurts..." mumbled Siegfried who sauntered down the stage while rubbing his poor face.
He was a bit disappointed by how their match ended, however, a win's a win so he'll take it.
"YOU BASTARD!!!" a rampaging Lesurii shouted, furiously charging towards Siegfried who just got down from the stage.
Startled by the sudden loud and angry voice, Siegfried promptly turned around, not realizing that Lesurii was right in front of him already.
His eyes widened as he skillfully grabbed Lesurii's wrist which was already in a stabbing motion.
"H-Hey! You crazy woman! Why are you attacking me outside the stage?!" he raged, "Just accept your loss! Your academy will suffer the consequences of your idiotic actions!"
"As if I care about the loss! How dare you k-k-kiss me?! I can't get married now so you better take responsibility, you bastard!!"
Hearing her insane reply, Siegfried began to shiver and couldn't stop.
He was an all-rounder with both brains and brawn but was truly clueless when it came to matters like these, hence, he...believed Lesurii.
His dreams of becoming a strong and respectable adventurer flashed right before his eyes, his dream battles against equally skilled or possibly even stronger individuals–gone–replaced by scenes of family life together with the crazy lady next to him.
"N-No...I refuse!! It was your fault anyway for teleporting in front of me! Hmph! This might even be your scheme from the beginning! I refuse your senseless claims!" scowled Siegfried, fully defiant in the face of familial responsibilities.
As the clown show unfolded before the Colzen ringside, magnified on the enormous holographic screen for all to witness, the deans of Colzen Academy averted their gaze, massaged their temples, and shook their heads in embarrassment.
How could twenty-year-old students be so clueless?!
How could a simple kiss seal one's fate?!
Absurd!
As for the Aslan deans, they were faring much worse when it came to handling the embarrassment.
Paying little to no attention to the discrepancy in equipment, the Colzen party stood by–ready for battle.
Mighty as they were among their age group, both parties of representatives suddenly felt their hairs stand on end–endless fear slowly consuming their hearts after the administrator pressed a certain button on the control panel.
A majestically terrifying predatory aura enveloped the entire arena, causing even those who were only watching to break out into cold sweat–some even having difficulties breathing normally.
'Isn't this creature way too advanced for mere students?' mused the bald old man.
Shortly after, a blood-curdling roar reverberated in the arena followed by a slowly materializing creature clad in tough tangerine scales and had massive spikes on the sides of its head and spine.
Its pair of enormous draconic wings flapped mightily, stirring up gusts of wind and clouds of dust in its wake.
With widened eyes and trembling hearts, the representatives recognized the creature.
They all saw it once in the blacksmith competition, but back then, it had been lifeless, allowing them to endure its intense draconic aura.
This time, they have to fight it–alive and healthy.
All of the representatives onstage tried their best, however, they remained petrified–they couldn't move a single step; their young mortal bodies didn't allow them to.
"E-E-Ember Wyvern!! What monstrosity!! I'm barely able to withstand its aura even though I'm already this far away. Will the students even last a few minutes against this draconic creature?!"
The commentator exclaimed, trying his best to do his job while withstanding the terrifying pressure brought about by the creature's aura.
After another deafening roar, both ember wyverns ferociously flapped their wings and flew towards the representatives–its horrifying maw wide open.
The slightly more faint-hearted ones–namely–Wendy, David, Lesurii, and Horcus, failed to reorganize their wits on time and were devoured by the gigantic maw, turning into four azure rays of light and shooting towards their respective ringside seats, still trembling in fear after materializing outside the blue dome.
In an instant, both parties were down to five members each.
Unfortunately, for those remaining onstage, the draconic creature didn't plan on stopping its attacks anytime soon.
If they allow themselves to be consumed by fear every time they face such overwhelming danger, then they won't last for a long time–neither in this simulated realm nor in the real world.