Noon. Holy Dawn Academy was especially quiet compared to usual.
Because the vast majority of Holy Dawn Academy students all went to watch the match in Dragon-Battling Arena, so at mealtime, even the great dining hall usually filled with people bustling here and there was now only sparsely populated with a few people sitting there.
Third year’s Tonkin walked out dispiritedly out of the canteen, carrying a lunchbox. Looking at the pamphlet pasted on the wall opposite the canteen, the one who told every student of Holy Dawn Academy to go to Dragon-Battling Arena and cheer for their school team, a bitter smile hard to describe with words floated on his face.
It wasn’t that he didn’t love this school, and he wasn’t one of those people lacking courage and hotbloodness either. But he knew better than anyone that the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment. Back when he still was a freshman in Holy Dawn Academy, he was an ardent supporter of team Holy Dawn, and he would be at the field for every match to cheer for his academy’s team. Oftentimes, when others lost hope, he still shouted and encouraged the school team at the top of his lungs. But he witnessed too many disappointment within three years. Even when seeing an existence like Chris who once sparked his hopes; these opponents were just too strong. Just the veteran teams in St. Lauren were already so strong, just how powerful would these teams in the national tournament be?
After three years of winds and rain, of trials and hardships, he was so weary.
Even if he went to Dragon-Battling Arena, what good would it do?
Perhaps it would be a little better if he didn’t see it, didn’t think about it. If he held no hope, then he wouldn’t be disappointed either.
He watched that pamphlet for a second, then turned his head away and stopped looking at it.
At this moment, he suddenly heard many vague voices coming from the school gates.
"Did they lose again?"
The bitterness and pain at the corner of his mouth became all the more thicker.
But when the voices became increasingly clearer, increasingly louder, he stiffened as if slowly frozen.
"Fight with courage! Brave warrior! …The darkness will finally out far be hurled, dawn’s already nearing closer…"
The voices were increasingly clearer and louder, making one’s blood surge hotter and hotter, like a boiling tide advancing inside Holy Dawn Academy. Countless people were singing Holy Dawn Academy’s school song.
If they lost, would so many people be singing the school song in such a blood-stirring way?
But Divine Shield Academy’s team was such a formidable team that fought their way into the national tournament year in and year out, how could they have defeated them?
"Crash." The lunchbox fell from this third year senior’s hands to the ground. The next second, this senior student rushed to the school gates like a madman.
"Five one?"
"What, we beat Divine Shield Academy five one?"
"Moss and Ayrin, we beat Divine Shield Academy just thanks to the performances of two freshmen?!"
Very soon, the entire Holy Dawn Academy, just like the Dragon-Battling Arena right at the end of the match, turned from quiet to frantic.
"Stingham!"
Ayrin’s voice rang in a corner of the square outside Dragon-Battling Arena.
"…" Stingham turned around and shouted loudly, depressed, "Did you make a mistake, how did you recognize me after I disguised myself like this!"
At Ayrin’s side, Chris and Carter were a little speechless when they looked at Stingham.
It was the first time they saw Stingham, but the latter gave Carter a headache just from his first impression. He had the feeling Stingham was the same as Belo or Ayrin, a young man who couldn’t be predicted with common sense.
"In the whole square, you’re the only one who wrapped yourself entirely in one of the black flags outside the Dragon-Battling Arena. You bundled yourself like a zombie…" Ayrin actually guffawed out loud. "You attract so much attention, it’s hard not to recognize you. Right, you must have done it because you were afraid I wouldn’t be able to find you among so many people, am I right?"
"Right your ass!" Stingham wanted to cry but had no tears. He tossed away the black flag wrapped around his body, thinking, he was planning on making his escape much earlier, but Charlotte had a real fine figure, so he crowded forward to have a good look at it. That was why he came out late and ended up caught by this guy.
"How about it, are you excited about our victory?" Ayrin excitedly waved his fist at Stingham. "We’re real strong, now you can transfer to our school right?"
"No way I’m going to join your school team. Charlotte’s figure is so fine, I’d rather join team Divine Shield!" Stingham desperately roared in his mind, but he actually feigned a contemplative look on his face. "Mhm, about that, first let me go back and think about it, prepare for a few days."
"Are you looking for an excuse?" Ayrin blocked the way in front of a Stingham who was ready to make his escape. "Abiding by your own words is an essential requirement of a brave warrior. You look so handsome, but you don’t even respect your own promise? You clearly promised me you’d transfer and join our team Holy Dawn as long we defeat Divine Shield Academy!"
"I…" Stingham retreated a step back, and shouted, incomparably depressed, "Don’t you try that again! When did I ever agree to something like that? I clearly told you, I’d only transfer and join your team Holy Dawn if you satisfy two conditions: beat team Divine Shield, then you have to beat me. Get it right!"
"Haha, I said that on purpose, I wanted to make you admit it." Ayrin started laughing.
"…"
"That’s the only way then!" Speechlessly rolling his eyes, Stingham leaped a step backward and beckoned to Ayrin with his hand. "Come then!"
"What are you doing, please don’t come over, conduct yourself properly!" Stingham shouted again one second later.
"Weren’t you the one who told me to come?" Looking like he wanted to go forward and give Stingham a hug, Ayrin looked at him with a puzzled expression.
"I’m telling you to fight me! What did you think I was saying!" Stingham blew off his top. "Could you please act with a little more propriety!"
"I thought you directly promised to transfer and join our team." Ayrin scratched his head, a little embarrassed. All of a sudden, he pointed behind Stingham. "Hey, Charlotte, you don’t have a coat on!"
"Ah? Goddess Charlotte without a coat!"
Stingham’s eyes suddenly filled with little stars. He arranged his hair while turning his head around.
"I don’t see anything?"
"Crown of Ice and Snow!"
Stingham was still puzzling over the lack of Charlotte behind him, still looking for her, when he suddenly felt a freezing ice mountain press on his body.
"Ah!"
Then, one second later, countless icy beams sent him flying in the air.
…
Half an hour later.
Covered in bandages, Stingham sat on the streetside and watched the proud Ayrin in front of him. He kept repeating, "What the hell are you doing… You actually sneaked on me so treacherously… What the hell are you doing… Just let me go alright?… Just let me go alright?…"
Chris and Carter had little trouble enduring the scene. They couldn’t resist persuading Ayrin, "Why not let him go back and rest first, let him think about it for a few days?"
"No way. Teacher Carter, didn’t you say he’s from a green dragon bloodline and recovers very fast? Look, other people can’t even sit after taking my Crown of Ice and Snow like this, but he’s still fine and dandy. Also, he hasn’t fought for Golden Lion Academy yet right now. Don’t the tournament rules say that only those who haven’t represented their school in a fight yet are able to fight for another school team as soon as they transfer? If he represents Golden Lion Academy and takes to the field in the match against Iron Forest Academy, then he can only participate and fight for our team in next year’s tournament even if he transferred over." Ayrin fiercely shook his head, then said to Stingham, " Brave warrior, stop trying to cheat your way out now! Our Holy Dawn Academy defeated Divine Shield Academy, then you also lost to me. All the conditions you talked about are met, transfer immediately to our school team!"
Carter and Chris exchanged a look. They both felt that Ayrin might be slow on the uptake in usual times, but he often would be so careful and clever when doing things that it became hackles-raising.
"That was a sneak attack! Despicable, shameless, vulgar, sinister!" Stingham shouted out loud, about to be go mad.
"Sneak attack, sneak attack, when did that ever matter in a match between arcane masters? Blame yourself for letting your attention get distracted." Ayrin said sternly, "How about we let Chris and teacher Carter be the judges?"
"They’re both on your side, of course they’re going to help you." Stingham closed his eye and yelled desperately, "Out of the question, I won’t accept it, I won’t join a team like yours even if I died."
"I’m really hungry, how about we grab a bite first!" Ayrin excitedly said once again, "Anyway, teacher Carter, why don’t you invite us to eat something first? We can chat after we’re done eating."
"You jump from one thing to the next a little too fast, right?" Carter looked at Ayrin and Stingham, speechless, then nodded.
"Alright."
It was already past noon, and Stingham also heard his stomach go gurgle gurgle, so he rubbed his belly and nodded.
"Smells so good."
Ayrin deeply breathed in the aroma in the doorway of a shop with many meat soups, then turned around and looked at Stingham, saying, "Weren’t you unconvinced by your loss earlier, how about we have one final match? I won’t bother you if I lose, but if you lose, then you’ll have to stop looking for excuses and immediately transfer to our school team. How about it?"
"What are we competing in?" Stingham’s eyes lit up all of a sudden.
"How about we compete in eating, see who eats the most." Ayrin looked at Stingham and seriously said.
"…" Chris and Carter exchanged a glance. Both of them felt that Ayrin’s words were sinister enough to make one’s hair stand on end.
"Really?" Stingham actually seemed to see the light at the end of the tunnel, seemed to completely come back to life. "Are you serious!"
"Of course!" Ayrin looked at him and firmly brandished his fist. "I guarantee it as a brave warrior and as a man!"
"Haha, you’re dead now! Don’t you know my bloodline’s really good at eating! Bring it! Hurry up, give me a pot of meat soup, I’m dead hungry!" Stingham started laughing madly all of a sudden, but he didn’t notice the foxy expressions on Ayrin, Chris, and Carter.
A few minutes later… Scream after mournful scream rose in this famous St. Lauren restaurant. "I even ate three pots already… You actually ate ten pots waiting for me… Is there a hole in your stomach!"
"Are you still human!"
