Maya's sudden change in aura and wicked grin caught everyone off guard. "Before we begin, let me fill you in on some crucial details about this match," she announced.
!?
Although the students had read the instructions and felt prepared for the challenge, they listened intently as Maya continued. "Firstly, the match has a 50-minute time limit. You'll need to be strategic and efficient if you want to win."
The students nodded, their expressions serious as they considered the time constraint.
"Secondly," Maya continued, "as you know, you can earn points by seizing other academies' crowns. However, what the instructions fail to mention is that you won't earn those points unless you have your own crown with you at the end of the match."
The students murmured among themselves as they processed the new information.
"That means that even if you manage to seize another academy's crown, you won't earn the points if your own crown has been stolen," Maya explained. "So, make sure you keep a close eye on your own castle while you're attacking others."
"...."
pAn,D a-ɴᴏᴠ ᴇ1,c-o-m Everyone's previous strategy of attacking other academies' castles to seize their crowns had suddenly become much riskier. The possibility of losing their own crown in the process made them question the value of their efforts.
Alexandre, the representative of the Royal Knight academy, spoke up with a question that was on everyone's mind. "Is there any way for us to hide or take our own crown with us while we're on the move?" he asked.
Maya's smile faded as she shook her head. "Nope, unfortunately, each academy's crown is placed in its respective crown room and cannot be moved by their own team. It can only be moved or stolen by the opposing team."
Hearing her they began to wonder how they could protect their own crown while trying to seize others. Maya's response only made their concerns greater.
"Attacking other academies' castles will require a lot of power and effort, and there's a risk of losing your own crown in the process," Maya continued. "Even if you manage to seize another academy's crown, it'll be pointless if your crown was stolen, unless you can retrieve your own crown back, which won't be an easy task."
Everyone exchanged worried glances, realizing that their initial strategy would need to be revised. They needed to come up with a new plan that would balance offense and defense, while ensuring the safety of their own crown.
As the students were lost in thought, Maya spoke up again with a mischievous smirk on her face. "Oh, I almost forgot to mention that defeating each student will add a point to your score immediately. With 80 students in total, even if you ignore attacking the castles to seize the crowns, you can still earn enough points to secure a win just by hunting down other students," she said, her voice trailing off with a sly chuckle.
"...."
The students stared at her in disbelief. While it was an obvious point, the fact that their professor was suggesting it so casually left them shocked.
Maya nodded in satisfaction at their reactions and pressed a button that opened eight VR rooms, each allocated for one academy.
Click—
"Break time is over. Let's start the match, shall we? We wouldn't want to keep the audience waiting," Maya said with a warm smile as she gestured for the teams to head to their respective rooms.
The teams glanced at each other one last time before starting to move toward their designated VR rooms. However, they halted in their steps as Maya spoke up again.
"Now that I think about it, there are no restrictions that say teams can't team up against each other to siege the castles, right?" Maya mused aloud. "But then again, they wouldn't know where their allies or opponents are since every academy's castle will be scattered randomly on the map, so it wouldn't matter, I guess."
Hearing her, the teams exchanged wary glances before entering their respective VR rooms.
***
Sigh!—
Penelope let out a deep sigh of relief as she spoke, "Well, that's good news for us, isn't it? We'll have some time to catch our breath at the beginning of the match while the teams that plan to team up search for their ally's castles," she remarked.
The rest of the team nodded in agreement, grateful for the moment of respite.
However, Erina couldn't shake off her concerns about the size of the map, but she decided to push those worries aside and focused on getting equipped with their VR gear before entering their respective pods.
In an instant, they were teleported into the VR world.
Swish—
[Preparation Phase: 2 minutes!]
With a sudden swish, the team found themselves standing in the lobby of the virtual reality World, each member dressed in matching red attire, each bearing the insignia of the Soreh Academy, and equipped with their carefully chosen weapons.
Erina, the team leader, wore a sleek red bodysuit with golden stripes that hugged her curves and allowed for maximum mobility. Her long blonde hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail, and two small daggers hung at her waist.
Lucas, wore a suit of lightweight chainmail over a red tunic, with a leather belt holding his spear at his side.
Ziona and Kevin, the sword wielders, both wore suits of red leather armor. While Ziona was carrying a katana, Kevin carried a long sword at his side.
Penelope and Mia, the mages, wore flowing red robes made of shimmering fabric. Each carried a staff made of dark wood and topped with a glowing crystal.
Nate, Lio, and Sofia, the archers, wore lightweight red leather armor that allowed for maximum flexibility. Each carried a longbow and a quiver of arrows.
Evan, the shield bearer, wore a suit of heavy red plate armor that covered his entire body, including his head. He carried a large shield made of reinforced steel that he could use to protect his teammates in battle.
***
As Mia checked the screen that appeared before her, she couldn't help but gasp in amazement at the sheer size of the mana pool in front of her, and the others seemed equally impressed.
"I can't believe how much mana we have!" Mia exclaimed, her eyes wide with excitement.
Erina nodded in agreement. "It makes sense, though. We not only have to defend our own castle, but also breach those of other academies."
Mia's mind raced with the possibility that having this level of mana would bring her into the real world. "I can't imagine how much easier it would be if I had this level of mana in real life," she said with a wistful sigh.
Penelope turned to her with a small smile. "Unfortunately, such power is impossible to attain outside the virtual world for us, Mia. But don't worry, with your skills and determination, you'll be just as formidable in the real world."
Mia nodded, reassured by Penelope's words. With a smile, she refocused her attention on the task at hand, ready to give it her all in the upcoming battles.
"There's a voice chat option as well, and we can even see our teammates' health bars on this screen," Lucas said, examining the game-like screen hovering in front of him.
"Wow, that's pretty convenient," Sofia chimed in. "And if we swipe the screen, we can even see our castle's layout and its health."
As they continued to discuss the features of the game screen, they heard a robotic voice that immediately grabbed their attention.
[The preparation phase has ended.] The voice announced.
Beep!—
With a bright flash of light, the team found themselves teleported to the castle allocated to their academy.
As they looked around, they were greeted by a grandiose sight, with towering walls and fortified gates surrounding them. The atmosphere was charged with excitement and adventure, as they anticipated the challenges that lay ahead.
!?
Their excitement was short-lived, however, when they noticed another castle just opposite their own. It belonged to the Iron Fortress Academy, and both teams were surprised to find themselves so close to each other.
"...."
Erina pondered inwardly, 'I could have sworn that the professor said that all the academy's castles would be scattered across the map.' The rest of the team shared her thoughts, but they didn't dwell on it for too long.
Suddenly, the representative of the Iron Fortress Academy muttered with a distorted expression, "Arghh, it's the Soreh Academy team again!"
The memory of their previous loss to the Soreh Academy team was still fresh in their minds. Since that defeat, nothing seemed to go their way.
But now, they had a chance for revenge. The Iron Fortress Academy representative declared pumping his fist, "This is it, guys. Our chance for revenge. Let's get 'em!" His voice was filled with excitement and determination as he urged his team to give their all.
...However, despite his enthusiasm, the team seemed to have reservations. Groans and anxious looks filled the air as they muttered to themselves, "Not these guys again. We're going to get our ass kicked." It was clear that they were less thrilled about facing the monsters from Soreh Academy.
"...."
[Team Soreh Academy Vs Team Iron Fortress!]
Nevertheless, it wasn't just their own castles that the teams saw before them. To their surprise, they found other academies facing off against each other right from the start as well.
In one corner, it was the Shadow Academy versus the Blitzeirg Academy, ready to clash in a battle of wits and strength.
In another corner, the Cherry Blossom Academy was set to face off against the formidable Royal Knight Academy, determined to prove their worth.
Elsewhere, the Martial Star Academy and the Glacier Peak Academy were preparing to go head to head in a fierce battle for supremacy.
And in the next second, the sound of clashing swords and battle cries echoed throughout the castle grounds, as the teams fought tooth and nail to come out on top.
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