Ery had prepared himself to face Hall 6's instructor, Grand Magus Lewis. The young Nephilim, while in the two-cosmos realm, was soone Ery felt ready for. He had studied Lewis for weeks, knowing the fight would be tough, but not impossible. Ery's goal was clear: ensure victory after all the hard work his acolytes had put in.
But as Ery stood in the arena, sothing unexpected happened. Instead of Lewis, an older figure erged from the Nephilim side, parting the crowd as he approached. His presence imdiately filled the space with a powerful, suffocating aura. It was unmistakable—this man was a three-cosmos grand magus.
The audience gasped, murmurs spreading like wildfire across the arena. Shock and confusion rippled through the crowd.
"They've swapped their instructor!"
"To think the Nephilim would go to such lengths for a re Magus instructor."
"This is what happens when you go up against the Nephilim!"
Narrowing his eyes, Ery quickly assessed the situation. The realization hit him—just like the Navaroo faction had done in a previous tournant, the Nephilim were making a last-minute switch. Instead of facing the expected opponent, he now found himself confronting soone far more formidable.
There was no need for VIA to identify the approaching figure. Ery imdiately recognized the imposing presence of the Nephilim Grand Overseer. It was the sa elder he had encountered 15 years ago during his dealings with Kronos. Despite the surprise, Ery harbored a level of respect for this man, one of the few Nephilim he genuinely admired.
With a respectful tone, Ery addressed him. "Grand Overseer, why are you here? will I be fighting you today?"
The elderly expression remained calm as he replied, his voice steady but commanding, "I am here to make things right." He then turned his gaze toward Headmaster Goldstein, who stood overseeing the match. "Instructor Lewis was always a temporary replacent to fill the gap left by Isthar. Therefore, I request a change for this challenge."
His words caused a ripple of murmurs through the crowd. So were confused, others nodding in approval. It was clear that they had planned this to humiliate Ery in front of the tens of thousands gathered here, making it clear that any defiance against their power would not go unpunished.
Ery turned toward Headmaster Goldstein, awaiting his decision. Unsurprisingly, the headmaster swiftly approved the Nephilim's request without hesitation. The ease with which such manipulation occurred only deepened Ery's irritation with the Academy's flawed structure. It was clear that favoritism and politics often held sway over fairness here.
However, Ery had anticipated this exact scenario. He remained calm, waiting for his carefully prepared counterasure to unfold. As if on cue, another powerful figure stepped onto the stage, this ti from Ery's side. The newcor was also a three-cosmos realm grand magus, but his appearance was striking in more ways than one. Despite his age, his body was imposing, muscular, and emanated strength not usually found in the elderly. But what truly caught everyone's attention were the two antennas protruding from his forehead—a distinctive mark of his insectoid lineage. A few monts of silence passed before recognition spread through the audience. This was none other than Balthazar, the Scorpion Lord, one of the strongest grand figures among the insectoid bloodline. His re presence caused a palpable tension to ripple through the arena.
Balthazar's appearance was no coincidence. He had arrived in response to a personal request Ery had made to Queen Phyllis, the insectoid queen, seeking her support for her offspring—Blaine and Bellana—and the wider insectoid community. His presence was a statent, turning what had initially seed like an underhanded move by the Nephilim into a true contest of equals.
The atmosphere in the arena shifted as the crowd whispered in awe. As the imposing insectoid elder took his place on the stage, Ery turned to Headmaster Goldstein and spoke up confidently
"I request permission for another to take my place,"
The request caught the headmaster off guard, and murmurs broke out among the other academy staff. A ripple of confusion spread, but Ery had anticipated this reaction. Fortunately, he wasn't without allies on the panel.
Grand Magus Aurora, sitting among the panel, let out a soft chuckle before speaking up in support of Ery's request. Her intervention swayed the ongoing discussions, and the atmosphere slowly shifted toward allowing Ery's request.
The Nephilim Grand Overseer, who had maintained a composed expression throughout, now cracked a small smile "You ca prepared indeed," he said, his voice filled with a subtle respect for Ery's foresight.
Ery t his gaze without hesitation. "I an no disrespect, Grand Overseer, But a fight between myself and soone of your stature wouldn't be appropriate."
The elderly Nephilim raised a brow, clearly entertained by Ery's confidence. His lips curled into an amused smile before he turned toward Headmaster Goldstein, addressing him directly.
"I believe there's been a misunderstanding," he said with a hint of playfulness in his voice. "It is not I who will be representing the Nephilim Hall in this fight."
Soon after, the Grand Overseer called out a na, and a figure stepped forward, drawing the attention of the audience. This newcor was a young-looking grand magus, exuding an air of formality in his crisp attire adorned with symbols of the papal church. Despite his seemingly unassuming presence, a warning flashed across Ery's mind from VIA, alerting him to the significance of this figure. The young-looking grand magus was Adam, the youngest of the Nephilim's twelve apostles, a title that carried weight and prestige. Grand Overseer Lewis turned to Ery, his gaze sharp and challenging. "What do you think?" he inquired, a hint of amusent in his voice. "I'm sure he will be a more appropriate match for you."
Ery shifted his attention to the grand magus standing before him. Despite Adam's lower rank compared to Lewis, there was a strength in his deanor that couldn't be overlooked. Recognizing that refusing this challenge would only further complicate matters, Ery decided to accept the challenge.
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