ROSES HAVE THORNS

The stands of the academy’s coliseum was a violent blast of sensory overload.

"FOR HONOR AND SPILLED BLOOD!!!"

"FIGHT ON, MYRIA!!!"

"DOMINATE THE PIT, ELDORIA!!!"

Kurt hastily pushed through the lower walkways, making his way to the front-row VIP sector; he couldn’t help but notice that the architectural geography of the massive coliseum had undergone a drastic political realignment since yesterday.

The entire northern and eastern upper decks were completely packed by a dense ocean of Myrian citizens, waving their dark crimson and gold banners in synchronised patterns.

Across the massive divide, the southern and western decks were completely claimed by an equally massive wall of Eldorian support, roaring and waving a sea of blue and silver flags.

’Holy crap...’

As Kurt reached his designated seat, he was immediately greeted by the sight of Sadie and Hope who were standing and scream-singing along with the Eldorian national anthem.

"Hey, Sadie. Where’d the Saintess disappear to? Is she not gonna be here?"

Sadie abruptly paused her screeching vocals. "Oh! The Saintess told me to tell you that since she sat with you yesterday, today she has to listen to ’Granny’ and sit up with the old Pope!"

Without waiting for a response, Sadie threw her hands back into the air and returned straight to her loud singing.

"Ah. Got it."

"Hey, best buddy! It’s been a hot minute, hasn’t it?" a cheerful voice suddenly greeted him from the side.

"Dom!"

Recognising that carefree cadence, a genuine, wide smile broke across Kurt’s face as he turned his head. He immediately bolted up from his seat, and the two men shared an explosive handshake, slamming their free arms together in a shoulder-bump hug.

Right beside Dominik, Mia waved happily at Kurt. "Hey, Kurt! You know, after the spectacle you pulled off yesterday, Diana hasn’t stopped smiling since she walked into the office this morning. She was in such a good mood that she even let me take today off just so that I could watch today’s match down here with Dominik!"

"That’s awesome! I’m glad things worked out that way for you."

Dominik let out a proud grin as he nudged Kurt’s shoulder. "Seriously, man. If you keep up this insane pace, you’re gonna completely overtake Emelie in terms of popularity. Though... after whatever she pulls out today, she might widen the gap again."

"The less my Rosie is popular with the public, the better it is for me," a smooth and fiercely possessive voice purred from directly above them.

The moment she appeared out of nowhere, a group of guys in the rows behind them went completely wild, their jaws dropping to the floor as they stared at her ethereal beauty.

"SHE"S SO BEAUTIFUL! WHAT WAS BULA THINKING WHEN SHE MADE YOU!!!"

"I LOVE YOU, PRINCIPAL VALENTINE!!!"

"... Bro, Rossana is gonna whoop yo ass."

"IT’LL BE WORTH IT!!!"

"Hey, Diana!" Mia quickly waved at her hand before sharply glaring at her fiancé. "Dominik, move your butt out of the way! That’s Diana’s seat beside Kurt."

"Whaaat? But I wanted to sit next to my best buddy today..."

Mia’s expression dropped into a stern mask. She pointed a finger at the empty cushion beside herself. "Come sit down next to me. Right. Now."

"Alright... Later, dude..."

Deflated, Dominik meekly shuffled over and plopped down beside her. Mia immediately reached over and gently rubbed his red hair with a sweet smile. "There’s a good Dommy~"

"S-Stop it... not in front of everyone, Mia..."

Diana let out an amused giggle as she slid into the seat beside Kurt. She then tightly interlaced her fingers with his and rested her head comfortably against his arm.

"... Bleugh, look at that guy. How the hell is he that lucky? He gets to sit there and hold the principal’s hand like it’s nothing."

"... Lucky?! Did you NOT see what that monster did here yesterday? He shut the mouths of every person who tried their luck at claiming her hand. He beat a Royal Guard and an S-rank to a bloody pulp. I bet there were fifty more guys planning on challenging him today who are currently too terrified to even look in his direction."

"... Yeah... you’re right. I was actually one of them. I’m keeping my mouth shut now."

SHEEN!

Suddenly, the clear blue sky above the center of the pit flashed a blinding crimson red. The massive holographic runes appeared in the sky, beginning the official countdown for Day Two.

"OH SHIT! IT’S STARTING!!!"

"LET’S GOOO!!!"

""TEN!"" The entire coliseum echoed, a unified roar of seventy thousand voices.

""NINE!"" The Myrian crowd waved their banners in a synchronised surge.

""EIGHT!"" The Eldorian section stomped their feet, making the concrete foundations of the coliseum shake.

""SEVEN!"" Down on the Myrian representative benches, the principal of Skyward Academy, Chihara Mei, sat with her chin resting in her palm. Her narrow eyes locked onto Diana with a dangerous smile filled with competitive spirit.

""SIX!"" Inside the shadowed depths of the eastern tunnel, the Myrian representatives were a mixed bag of emotions – some looking dead calm, others sweating nervously, while Yamada Ryuuji was bouncing up and down in place, his fists punching the air with boundless excitement.

""FIVE!"" Standing at the center of the Myrian line, Ayako kept her disciplined gaze locked onto a single, specific location: the southern tunnel entrance.

""FOUR!"" Inside the southern tunnel, the Eldorian representatives stood in a tight formation, their faces reflecting a mixture of absolute calm and explosive excitement.

""THREE!"" Standing near the back of the Eldorian line, Junior continuously repeated a silent mantra to himself: "I won’t let Master down. I won’t let Kiana down today."

Zack glanced over his shoulder at him. "If you even get a chance to step onto the arena today, that is," he muttered. His eyes drifted forward toward the front of their line. "Look at who we’re starting with."

""TWO!"" Amber stepped up to the front of the gates, turning her head to look at the girl standing beside her. "Are you ready for this, Emelie?"

""ONE!"" Emelie lazily turned her chin to look at Amber with a cool smile spreading across her face. "I was ready a thousand years ago, Prez."

""ZERO!""

["LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!!!"] Commentator Ken’s amplified voice boomed through the speaker horns, sending an electrical wave of excitement through the coliseum.

["Welcome back to Day Two of the international tournament! Today, we transition into the unforgiving mechanics of the Gauntlet! MYRIA!!! If you are ready to completely dominate this arena today, make some goddamn noise!!!"]

"""YEEEEEAAAAHHHHH!!!"""

The entire northern and eastern decks exploded into a unified roar. The Myrian fans slammed their drums, their crimson and gold banners creating a massive wave of color as their voices shook the very sky.

["Incredible! Myria is definitely hungry for blood today! Next up... ELDORIA!!! At this rate, the vocal volume from Myria alone is gonna snag them the victory before a spell is cast! I need you to be louder! If you are ready to defend your home turf, MAKE SOME NOISE!!!]

"""YEEEEEEAAAAAAYYYYYY!!!"""

The southern and western decks answered with an absolute avalanche of sound. The Eldorian crowd rose to their feet, snapping their flags violently in the wind as a deafening, unified cheer rattled the souls of each, and everyone present.

["NICE! Now that the mood is set, we have an incredibly special guest joining us on commentary today! Help me give a warm to none other than the Saintess of Eden herself... CHRISTY DONNA!!!"]

"HI, EVERYBODY!" Christy’s sweet, angelic voice echoed through the coliseum.

"""HURAAAAAAAAAY!!!"""

Both Eldorian and Myrian people alike completely lost their collective minds. Hundreds of fans began weeping openly at the sight of the Saintess waving from the high box, their voices screaming her name in pure worship.

Christy let out a bright laugh as she waved and thanked them for the overwhelming reception.

’I thought she was sitting with the pope? She must’ve weaseled her way out of it somehow.’ Kurt chuckled.

"Now, then!" Christy gestured toward the center stage. "How’z about we have the lovely Principal, Diana Valentine, come up to the center stage to formally explain the gauntlet rules and bring out our two spectacular teams?!"

"""YEEEAAAHHHH!!!"""

Diana let out a soft sigh. She turned her head toward Kurt and gently planted her soft lips against his knuckles. "I’ll be right back, Rosie."

SHWOOSH

Within a second, her form vanished from the VIP section and instantly appeared at the center of the arena.

A massive roar of applause echoed throughout the stadium. However, just like on the first day, Diana raised a single hand and calmly gestured for the audience to quiet down.

As the stands settled down, a random, loud fan from the upper decks suddenly shouted at the top of his lungs: "GOOD JOB ON YESTERDAY, ROSSANA!!!"

Right on cue, another fan from the opposite side roared: "YOU TWO ARE MY ABSOLUTE FAVOURITE COUPLE!!!"

"Thank you all for the sentiment." Diana stopped the buzz before it got out of hand again.

"But I assure you... today is not about myself, nor is it about Kurt Rossana. Today is about them, your representatives. It is about national pride. It is about the elite students currently waiting inside those tunnels, waiting to prove to every single one of you why they represent the future of our respective nations.

"Speaking of... please give an unforgettable welcome to your continental representatives!"

"""YEEEEEEAAAAAAYYYYYY!!!"""

The steel gates of both tunnels slammed open. From the east and the south, the two teams marched out onto the white stone in an imposing line, stepping to their respective sides of the arena.

"Now, to explain the rules of the Gauntlet, which are actually really simple. A single member from each team will step up and duke it out until one or the other formally gives up or is knocked unconscious.

"The winner of the bout stays inside the ring, whereas the losing team must immediately bring out their next sequential representative to challenge them. This process will continue until there is only one single team standing. Understood?!"

"""YEAH!!!"""

"Excellent!" Diana smiled. "Then let the first members of each team remain on the floor and let the continental gauntlet formally begin!"

At the east, the Myrian representative line began to break formation, walking back toward their designated benches. Except for one single individual. Yamada Ryuuji remained, cracking his knuckles as he grinned like a psychopath.

But as the Eldorian team began to filter back toward their own benches, Commentator Ken’s eyes sharply locked onto the single figure who remained. His jaw dropped open and his voice cracked over the microphone in absolute shock.

["Wait... hold on a minute! L-Ladies and gentlemen! As the Eldorian roster leaves the field, their opening act is... is someone we could only describe as the literal final boss of this academy! EMELIE HERST IS STAYING IN THE RING AS THEIR FIRST – AND POTENTIALLY LAST – FIGHTER!!!]

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