The Eclipsed Order

Chapter 195: Chapter 196: The Overall Champion

A few days had passed since the academy festival began.

The performances had ended.

The stages had been dismantled.

The decorations that had covered the academy grounds were gradually being removed.

But the festival itself had one final event remaining.

The awards ceremony.

Unlike the performances, which had been held at separate venues for each group, the final ceremony was being held in the academy’s enormous arena.

By the time the ceremony began, almost every seat had been filled.

Students from all four years occupied the stands, while instructors sat in the reserved sections closer to the main stage. Several guests from noble families, affiliated organizations, and other institutions had also been invited to attend.

The arena was already lively.

Students were talking about the performances they had watched over the previous few days, arguing about which group had done the best.

"Who do you think is going to win?"

"Group 4."

"You’ve been saying that since the first day."

"Because I’m right."

"What about Group 2?"

"Their traditional dance was incredible."

"Group 3’s music was better."

"You haven’t even mentioned Group 1."

"That’s because I’m trying to win an argument."

Their friends laughed.

Elsewhere in the stands, another group was having a similar conversation.

"I heard Group 4’s play was amazing."

"It was."

"Did you actually watch it?"

"Of course."

"Was it really that emotional?"

"One of the instructors was crying."

"No way."

"I’m serious."

The students laughed.

At the center of the arena, the main stage had been prepared for the final ceremony.

A large academy emblem hung behind the podium.

Several tables had been arranged along the side of the stage, holding trophies, certificates, medals, and other awards.

The dean eventually walked onto the stage.

The conversations gradually faded.

He looked across the enormous arena.

"Students, instructors, distinguished guests..."

He paused.

"Welcome to the final day of this year’s academy festival."

The audience applauded.

The dean waited before continuing.

"Over the past several days, every group has demonstrated an extraordinary amount of effort."

He smiled.

"We have witnessed music, dance, theater, performances, athletic competitions, and many other events that have reminded us that the academy is not simply a place where young people come to study."

His gaze moved across the students.

"It is also a place where friendships are formed, talents are discovered, and memories are created."

The students applauded again.

"Today, we will recognize the students and groups who achieved the highest results throughout the festival."

The dean gestured toward the large display behind him.

"There were numerous categories throughout the festival."

The screen illuminated.

"Rather than keeping you here until sunset, however, we will present the results of the earlier categories in summary."

The students immediately laughed.

One student shouted,

"Thank you!"

Another yelled,

"Please don’t make us sit here all day!"

The dean laughed.

"I assure you, I have no intention of doing so."

The atmosphere became lighter.

"Then let us begin."

---

Fast Forward — Earlier Categories

The results of the various festival categories appeared one after another on the large display.

Traditional dance.

Music.

Instrumental performance.

Stage design.

Group presentation.

Cultural performance.

Athletic events.

Team competitions.

Several individual awards.

There had been far more categories than most students could remember.

The rankings changed constantly.

One group would take first place in one event, only to fall behind in another.

Another group would recover several points through an individual competition.

The scoreboard continued changing throughout the ceremony.

The audience reacted to each result with cheers, groans, laughter, and occasional protests.

Traditional Dance

1st — Group 2

2nd — Group 3

3rd — Group 4

4th — Group 1

The Group 2 section erupted.

"YES!"

"We won!"

"Group 2!"

The students celebrated while their friends applauded.

The next category appeared.

Musical Performance

1st — Group 1

2nd — Group 4

3rd — Group 2

4th — Group 3

Group 1 immediately cheered.

"We got it!"

"That’s two trophies!"

The scoreboard changed again.

Another category.

Then another.

And another.

The students barely had time to react before the next results appeared.

Some categories favored Group 3.

Others went to Group 2.

Group 1 managed several strong finishes.

Group 4 consistently remained near the top.

The points continued accumulating.

The display eventually showed the current standings.

1st — Group 4

2nd — Group 2

3rd — Group 3

4th — Group 1

The arena became noticeably louder.

"Group 4 is still first!"

"How many points ahead?"

"Not enough!"

"Group 2 can still catch them!"

"Group 3 isn’t far behind either!"

The dean raised one hand.

"And that brings us to the final two categories."

The arena gradually quieted.

The dean smiled.

"The Play."

The reaction was immediate.

Several students turned toward Group 4.

Rhal immediately straightened in his seat.

A few of his friends noticed.

"You heard that?"

"Of course I heard it."

Rhal grinned.

"Now we’re talking."

A student beside him laughed.

"You really think we’re winning?"

"Absolutely."

"What if we lose?"

Rhal’s smile disappeared.

"Don’t say things like that."

The students around him laughed.

The dean waited until the noise settled.

"The final category carries significant weight."

He looked toward the display.

"And because the results are particularly close..."

He paused.

"The outcome of this category will determine the final standings."

The arena became completely silent.

---

The Play

The dean stepped slightly away from the podium.

"The judges evaluated the performances based on acting, storytelling, stage direction, character portrayal, emotional delivery, cooperation, and overall execution."

The display remained blank.

"All four groups presented very different performances."

He smiled.

"Each had its own strengths."

The students waited.

"However..."

The first result appeared.

4th Place — Group 1

The Group 1 students applauded, although several immediately began complaining among themselves.

"Fourth?"

"We did better than that!"

"You forgot three lines."

"That was one time!"

Their classmates laughed.

The next result appeared.

3rd Place — Group 3

The Group 3 section applauded.

Several students looked disappointed, but they quickly congratulated one another.

Two groups remained.

Group 2.

Group 4.

The atmosphere became tense.

The dean looked toward the audience.

"Second place..."

He paused.

The display changed.

2nd Place — Group 2

The arena erupted.

Group 2 students cheered loudly.

"We got second!"

"That’s enough!"

"Great job!"

Some of them looked toward Group 4.

The students of Group 4 became noticeably quieter.

Rhal stared at the screen.

Then slowly smiled.

The dean waited.

"Which means..."

He paused again.

The entire arena became silent.

"First place in the Play category goes to..."

The screen changed.

1st Place — GROUP 4

The arena exploded.

"YES!"

"GROUP 4!"

"WE WON!"

The Group 4 students jumped to their feet.

Rhal grabbed the shoulders of the students beside him.

"I TOLD YOU!"

"Let go!"

"We won!"

Several students laughed as they celebrated.

Across the arena, other students applauded.

Group 2 accepted the result with smiles.

"Congratulations!"

"You deserved it!"

Group 3 joined in.

"That play was really good."

Even Group 1 students applauded.

The instructors stood as well.

One of them smiled.

"Their acting was excellent."

Another nodded.

"The emotional scenes were particularly strong."

Several students were still talking excitedly.

"I actually cried during the ending."

"Same."

"I didn’t expect Ares to act that well."

"Neither did I."

"Princess Lyra was incredible too."

"Yeah."

The dean smiled as the applause continued.

"Congratulations to Group 4."

The trophy was brought onto the stage.

The members of Group 4 eventually walked forward to receive it.

Ares and Lyra stood among them.

The trophy was presented to their group.

The applause grew louder once again.

Rhal raised both hands.

"WE WON THE PLAY!"

The students laughed.

Ares looked at him.

"Everyone heard you."

"Good!"

Rhal grinned.

"Let them hear it!"

The dean waited until the excitement settled.

Then he returned to the podium.

"There is now only one thing remaining."

The trophy was carried away.

"The overall result."

The arena immediately became quiet again.

---

Overall Champion

The large display changed.

The accumulated points from every category appeared.

The numbers slowly settled into place.

The students stared at the screen.

Nobody spoke.

The dean looked toward the scoreboard.

"Fourth place..."

A pause.

"Group 1."

The Group 1 students applauded.

"Third place..."

The display changed.

"Group 3."

The Group 3 students cheered and applauded.

Two groups remained.

Group 2.

Group 4.

The tension inside the arena became almost unbearable.

Students leaned forward in their seats.

Some covered their mouths.

Others whispered.

"Who’s first?"

"I think Group 4."

"No, Group 2 caught up."

"How many points?"

"I can’t see!"

"Move!"

"Stop pushing!"

The dean smiled slightly at the reaction.

"Second place..."

He paused.

The display changed.

2nd — GROUP 2

The Group 2 section erupted.

"YES!"

"We got second!"

"That’s amazing!"

Several students hugged one another.

The remaining students immediately turned toward Group 4.

Silence.

The dean looked toward them.

"And therefore..."

He paused.

The arena became completely still.

"The overall champion of this year’s academy festival..."

The screen behind him remained blank for one final second.

Then—

1st PLACE — GROUP 4

The arena exploded.

"GROUP 4!"

"WE WON!"

"CHAMPIONS!"

"YES!"

The students from Group 4 stood together, cheering and laughing.

Rhal practically jumped over the person sitting in front of him.

"WE WON!"

Someone grabbed his arm.

"Calm down!"

"I’M CALM!"

"You’re screaming!"

"I DON’T CARE!"

The Group 4 students began hugging one another.

Some laughed.

Some shouted.

A few simply stared at the screen in disbelief.

Lyra covered her mouth with one hand, smiling as she looked toward the other members of the group.

Ares remained beside her.

He wasn’t nearly as excited as Rhal, but even he couldn’t hide the faint smile on his face.

"We actually won."

Lyra looked at him.

"Yes."

She smiled.

"Congratulations, Ares, you did well."

"You too."

Around them, the celebration continued.

Group 2 students applauded despite their disappointment.

Group 3 joined them.

Even the students from Group 1 were cheering.

One fourth-year student shouted from the stands,

"Congratulations, Group 4!"

Another followed.

"You deserved it!"

The dean waited until the applause had settled slightly.

"Group 4 has achieved the highest combined score across the festival’s categories."

He smiled.

"Please come forward and receive your trophy."

The Group 4 representatives walked onto the stage.

The overall trophy was larger than the previous awards.

It was handed to the group representative, who raised it above his head.

The arena erupted once again.

The instructors applauded.

The guests joined them.

Students cheered from every section of the stands.

The academy festival had officially come to an end.

Several days of performances.

Countless hours of preparation.

Music.

Dance.

Theater.

Athletics.

Team competitions.

Individual events.

And finally—

Group 4 had emerged as the overall champion.

The dean looked across the arena.

"Congratulations to all of you."

His voice carried across the hall.

"Regardless of your ranking, every student who participated in this festival should be proud of what you accomplished."

The applause gradually became quieter.

"You worked together."

He smiled.

"You supported one another."

His gaze moved across the students.

"And you created memories that will remain with you long after you leave this academy."

The students listened quietly.

"That is what this festival was truly about."

The arena applauded once more.

The final ceremony ended.

Students began leaving their seats, immediately returning to their friends and classmates.

The arena filled with conversation.

"We actually won!"

"Did you see the scoreboard?"

"Group 4 destroyed everyone in the final categories."

"That play carried them."

"Don’t forget the athletics."

"True."

Rhal was already surrounded by several Group 4 students.

"We did it!"

"You’re still shouting?"

"Of course!"

"That’s because we’re champions!"

The others laughed.

Nearby, several students were still discussing Ares and Lyra’s performance.

"I still can’t believe Ares was the male lead."

"He was actually really good."

"And Lyra..."

"She’s a perfect for Elena."

"That ending nearly destroyed me."

One instructor overheard them and smiled.

"It was certainly memorable."

The students continued talking as they slowly left the arena.

Outside, the academy grounds were beginning to return to normal.

But for Group 4, the celebration was only beginning.

And for the students who had spent days performing, competing, practicing, and supporting one another, that victory would become one of the memories they carried with them long after their time at the academy had ended.

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