Chapter 49: Gold-Rank vs. Bronze-Rank
Since the list of matchups was in Vanessa's hands, everyone felt uneasy, constantly speculating about the kind of opponent they would face next.
"May the gods bless me with a bronze-rank badge freshman as my opponent..."
"You're so spineless. I'd be fine as long as it's not someone above mithril-rank."
"By the way, who's the strongest among us freshmen?"
"Of course, it's the little princess from the Elfreid family. Look at the badge on her chest—gold-rank."
"True, the Elfreid family has noble blood. We can't compare. Just hope we don't face her in this match."
...
For a moment, everyone started discussing Isana, with many sneaking glances at her.
In the academy, badges symbolize one's strength.
A gold-rank rating was outstanding among freshmen. To avoid the punishment of running twenty laps, everyone silently prayed not to be matched against Isana.
Erika's ears were sharp; she clearly heard the surrounding discussions. She turned her head and cheerfully said, "Isana, everyone's afraid of you."
"Doesn't matter."
Raising her small fist, Isana replied, "Anyway, I don't want to run those dreadful twenty laps. Later, I'll make the unlucky one who faces me beg for mercy, hmph."
Then, she smiled at Erika, "Erika, you have to do your best too. Running twenty laps around Wode Academy is no joke."
"I won't lose."
Even if she couldn't partially transform into a dragon here, Erika was confident in handling these freshmen.
"Boyce Green!"
"Peter Marcellus!"
Vanessa, standing at the center of the arena, called out, glancing at the two she named, then waved her hand.
"You two, step forward! Begin the first match!"
"Yes!"
The two responded and stood up, exchanging glances.
Both wore mithril-rank badges, which slightly eased their minds.
It seemed Vanessa arranged matches between opponents of similar strength, not random pairings.
As the two stepped onto the arena, the freshmen below began to cheer.
"Peter! Go for it! I believe in you!"
"Boyce! I know you can beat him. Don't let us see you running laps later!"
...
Cheers erupted. Vanessa merely smiled at the noise, not stopping it. She believed such an atmosphere would motivate the freshmen.
"Alright, the rules are as I mentioned earlier. You may begin."
Glancing at the two in the arena, Vanessa acted as the referee. As her raised arm dropped, the two in the arena responded immediately.
"Whoosh!"
In an instant, two invisible auras swept through, igniting the entire classroom. Accompanied by the cheers below, the two on the arena engaged in combat.
For the freshmen, this kind of battle was straightforward—physical combat enhanced by magic power. It tested not only their control over magic but also their combat skills.
"Bang! Bang! ..."
Fists and feet clashed on the arena, each strike imbued with dense magic power. Both being mithril-ranked freshmen, their strengths were evenly matched. The intense battle thrilled the spectators below.
Watching the two fight in the arena, Erika couldn't help but glance at the bronze-rank badge on her chest.
If opponents were matched based on rank, who would be her bronze-rank opponent?
As she pondered, the battle in the arena intensified, reaching a fever pitch.
Many began to speculate on the outcome, and Erika noticed that Isana beside her looked utterly uninterested.
Leaning her elbow on the armrest, her hand supporting her cheek, Isana's eyes were filled with boredom.
Curious, Erika asked, "Isana, aren't you interested in who will win?"
"That Peter will win."
Isana replied unhurriedly, "That guy named Boyce seems to have the upper hand now, but he won't be the final winner."
"Why?"
Tilting her head, Erika didn't understand Isana's certainty.
"Because he's just recklessly using magic power. His combat experience is far inferior to Peter's."
Isana explained, "Magic power can indeed enhance one's physique, but since this is a battle without magic spells, it's not just about magic power; technique plays a crucial role.
For example, look at Peter. He's been feigning weakness from the start, not using much magic power, but each of his attacks hits vital parts of the body.
A punch to the shoulder and a punch to the abdomen cause different levels of pain.
Peter is smart. Dragging it out like this, he's bound to win."
After Isana's detailed explanation, Erika slightly opened her mouth, somewhat surprised.
She didn't expect Isana to know so much about this.
In contrast, Erika knew nothing, only relying on brute strength in battles.
Perhaps this was why Gladys wanted Erika to attend Wode Academy—because techniques couldn't be learned overnight and required practical experience.
"Bang!"
Suddenly, a dull sound came from the arena. Just as Isana predicted, Boyce could no longer hold on and was heavily knocked out of the arena.
"Wow!"
At that moment, the freshmen below cheered. This evenly matched duel thrilled everyone, and some battle enthusiasts even started to enjoy Vanessa's compulsory class.
"Let's proceed to the next match."
After the two left the stage, Vanessa continued to shout, "Isana Elfreid! Erika Blaniel!
You two, step forward!"
With Vanessa's announcement, the previously noisy classroom became even more uproarious.
Isana and Erika had been the subjects of everyone's discussions, and their badge rankings were well-known.
Isana was gold-rank, while Erika was only bronze-rank.
Such an arrangement immediately raised questions.
"Vanessa-sensei, did you call the wrong names? Miss Isana is gold-rank."
"Exactly, how can a gold-rank be matched against a bronze-rank?"
"There's no suspense in this! Is this match-up randomly assigned?"