THAT DAY I BECAME A STAR

"Concerning the behavior to follow during the tournament, I believe the different headmasters will inform their respective students later as we have already given them the necessary documentation. For now, since the eternal academy students were late, I will rapidly go over the different rules."

"We don't need it." One of the guys from the hammer hands's side speaks through his helmet. His voice lets us know it is a man.

"Silence." The teacher at the far right of the referee's group yells at him.

"Yes, indeed, you might not need it but still, the procedures are here for a reason."

"Tch!" The guy doesn't even calm down. Though he doesn't speak after that.

"First of all, you will all receive a bracelet to put on before any match. But on contrary to what was initially planned, those bracelets will reduce your powers by thirty percent."

"Why?" Cordel immediately reacts but the teacher from earlier looks at him with a death stare, forcing him to shut up.

"The more you will overreact, the more time we will all lose here."

"I am sorry, Sir."

"Anyway, the ratio has been increased due to the common concern of all the headmasters of the different schools. A meeting was organized beforehand and the decision was taken during that meeting. Aside from that, the same bracelet," the teacher finally receives one of those said bracelets and shows us the thing. It is an orange-looking ornament with a crystal the size of a lemon on top of it. It has no particular shape or drawings on it, "there is a function that will automatically activate and sends you out of the field should be heavily injured."

"We will distribute one to each participant and you will give them back at the end of the event."

The teacher next to the one who does all the talking advances and after saying what he had to. A bunch of bracelets appears in his hands and he advances to Cordel first.

"Also, as you may know, it is prohibited to remove the bracelet or you will immediately be considered disqualified."

"But how will you know we have removed it?" Good question, Esteressa.

As she asks, the teacher looks at his colleague who then pulls some kind of paper out with two sticks. Each stick has a crystal resting at the top. Then he extends the paper between the two sticks that he has planted on the ground and it somehow stays there.

"Can I ask one of you to put his bracelet on?" The guy asks and Mister perfect obeys.

As Cordel puts his bracelet on, a green light appears on the paper. Waouh!! What is that?

"As you can see, every bracelet can be monitored here. It is prohibited to try to remove the bracelet of any participant as they ensure your safety. In case somebody is dismembered, a red light will appear here, signaling us that you are unable to fight and the team on site will retrieve you. And they are only signaled if put on. For the semi-finals and finals. The events will be recorded and displayed at the arena but for now. We believe this is enough. Now, who are the designated catcher of each team?"

"I am." One of the guys raises his hand in Mohana's team and a teacher goes to him and places a badge on him.

"And for the eternal academy?"

"I am the catcher." Germinia raises her hand as well and the teacher goes to her and does the same thing.

"Those badges will allow you to touch your designated object but only you can do it. Anybody else who will touch it will cause an explosion that will disqualify him." 

As he says that, six lights appear on the screen, near the one representing Cordel.

"Then, we are good to go, right?" The six people in armor from Mohana academy are all ready to go. They all put their bracelet at the same time? That's some good coordination there.

"Just one last thing." The main teacher brings out two objects from his bracelet, it's two daggers. One is red while the other is blue. "There are similar daggers somewhere in this forest. The Mohana academy will have to bring back the red dagger while the eternal academy must bring the blue ones.  The time limit is one hour. The first team to bring back their designated objects will obviously be the winner."

As he says that, the guys from the Mohana academy all depart like the wind.

"I didn't even give the signal."

"They are quite feisty, indeed." Frankher is surprised by the enthusiasm those guys are showing as well.

"They have been waiting for this for a while after all. Do forgive them." The hammer hands tries to apologize in their stead but it seems the referee doesn't care much.

"Even so, they are gone before the countdown was even given. The eternal academy will therefore be given and increased of time of ten minutes." The referee brings an hourglass, put it in front of him and shifts it down. "You may go. Good luck to all of you."

"Thank you, sir."

Cordel and his team also jump in the forest. I hope they will win.

***

Twenty minutes later, We can hear sounds of explosion and fights in the forest, smoke even rise once with a big explosion. Those traps are really that powerful? At least, nobody is back yet so I guess it is okay. On the screen, we can see the different lights moving around. Though it seems some of them have encountered each other. But I can't tell who is who.

"It seems Cordel divided the team." Frankher makes a comment while looking at the board.

"Really?"

"Yes, I was watching when they left. The three lights running together right there is part of his team."

"Okay. Then those five lights right there."

"It's the other parts, they are fighting with two members of the Mohana academy."

"Only two?" Those guys are strong enough to make it with two against three. Even though most of the guys on our side are powerhouses? I am surprised.

"That means we are at a disadvantage. If they encounter the other four…"

I look at the board and there are four lights sticking together and moving around in the direction of the three lights Frankher has identified as Cordel's team. Then, abruptly, a loud explosion resounds again, and before I turn to see where it occurred, I see one of the three lights of Cordel's team disappearing.

Almost at the same time, A blue light shines near us and I look, Esteressa is already there, kneeling. So she fell into a trap, huh?

"You idiot." Excia immediately reacts while looking at her.

"Shit!!" And Esteressa shouts while punching the ground. Yup, it must be really frustrating.

"It's okay, miss Vonild. You did your best." Esteressa stands up and comes to our side.

"I am sorry, Headmaster. Those traps are really well designed. I didn't sense the Angas variation at all."

"Of course, we put our utmost into designing each and every single trap for the team-based events." The referee informs us with a huge smile, revealing his white teeth. "Please don't feel discouraged just because you fell to them."

"Tch!" This guy is clearly trying to piss us off.

Soon after that, another explosion occurs. Instead of looking at the forest, I directly look at the board, and out of the five lights that were supposed to represent our team and Mohana's team. Two lights disappear. Then, two persons appear. One is a member of Mohana's team while the other one is Peter.

"Even you?" Peter got shot down? I am surprised.

"You fucking suicidal blockhead!!" Peter jumps on the guy who has come back with him and grabs his shoulder but one of the teachers immediately reaches out and separates them.

"Let me go!! What kind of crazy people are you?!"

"Stop and calm down."

"Peter, it is enough." At Frankher's voice, Peter immediately calms down and comes to our side as well, with his head lowered miserably.

"I am sorry, headmaster."

"What happened?"

"We were fighting and that guy detected a trap and throws us both into it."

"Still, it's not a violation of the rules. There is no reason for you to act that way."

The guy goes back to the hammer hands's side and stands straight behind him, without saying anything. Like a knight who just accomplished his duty faithfully. It seems those guys are more serious about this than I thought.

"You left your guard down, Peter. That's all."

"I don't need your delusional comments now, Kevin."

"Still, it is the truth."

"Don't push me around, I am warning you." Peter looks at me and through his helmet, I can see hatred, absolute hatred shining. Why is he so angry? Or is it the hate effect?

"As you wish." Let's leave him alone for now. the fight is not over and we have lost two team members already. "It won't be so easy to win, I guess."