“Yes, it’s already our win here. We’re faster than Mortimer Academy by 10 minutes, so it’s already guaranteed. Let’s win all the way!” Rizza replied, her voice tinged with a mix of excitement and pride.

They had also beaten the Adeareth or the Rune Arts Academy by 7 minutes, so they felt that no one could defeat them anymore.

“I guess the fourth-year students of their Academy weren’t as impressive as their sixth-year batch… The Psychic Arts and Dark Arts Academies would probably show the same result.” Ceres muttered as she couldn’t help but notice that the other Academies’ fourth-year students weren’t as impressive as their sixth-year counterparts.

Her senior classmates, who had gathered around, also nodded in agreement. “Well, the Psychic Arts and Dark Arts Academy have never had decent records in this contest…” one of them remarked with a hint of amusement.

“Kuku… Isn’t it because we’re bullying them before?”

“Sshhh… That’s no longer allowed.”

Ceres’s curiosity piqued as she heard their conversation and couldn’t resist asking. “You guys are bullying who?”

She leaned in closer, eager to uncover the secret conversations happening among her seniors.

The seniors exchanged hesitant glances. However, since the Princess was the one asking, it didn’t take long before one of them decided to enlighten Ceres.

“Well, Princess Ceres, in previous competitions, it was common for the higher-ups to select a group of students, like those from the Elemental Arts Academy, to stay behind and intentionally hinder the Dark Arts students’ progress. This was done to delay them and ensure they wouldn’t achieve a high ranking.”

Princess Ceres gently nodded after hearing this. Surprisingly, she didn’t feel disappointed or outraged by this revelation.

“Well, they deserved that.” She replied calmly, her voice reflecting a hint of understanding. “But that would be a pity for the Elemental Arts Academy.”

Her senior nodded, acknowledging her sentiment. “It’s true, but since only three academies will receive points or rewards in the end, there are bound to be groups that won’t get any. In a way, they might as well contribute by hindering others.”

Ceres nodded in agreement, appreciating the strategic approach. She didn’t find anything wrong with this method.

Just as she was about to ask for more details, the stone door at the Labyrinth’s exit suddenly began to vibrate, signaling the imminent emergence of a group.

The next students should be from Farrel Academy… These Mind Controllers would be a massive problem in the Clash of Champions, so Ceres immediately paid attention as she wanted to familiarize herself with them.

Excitement filled the air as everyone turned their attention towards the door, eagerly awaiting the arrival of the next group.

“Huh?”

However, as the group emerged from the Labyrinth’s exit, everyone was stunned to see that their uniforms were different. They were unmistakably wearing the attire of the Dark Arts Academy.

Confusion filled the air, as everyone knew that the Psychic Arts Academy was supposed to be the next group to enter after the Transformation Arts Academy. The Dark Arts Academy should have been the final group to navigate the Labyrinth.

Had there been some last-minute changes that no one was aware of? 𝘪𝘳.𝒸𝘰𝑚

Whispers filled the crowd as they tried to make sense of the unexpected turn of events. “Aren’t they from Vermont Academy?” One student spoke out loud, his voice laced with bewilderment.

“Indeed, what happened to Farrel Academy?” another pondered aloud. The confusion was evident on everyone’s faces.

The Labyrinth Officials, too, were momentarily taken aback by the unexpected twist. However, they quickly consulted with the event Timers to confirm the situation and the timings on the other side.

The verdict came as a shock to everyone. The Vermont Academy had completed the Labyrinth in less than 10 minutes, surpassing the Farrel Academy, who had entered 15 minutes earlier.

“9 minutes and 40 seconds! The Vermont Academy has reached the end of the Labyrinth in less than 10 minutes! We have a winner!” The Labyrinth Official announced, his voice was filled with a mix of surprise and awe.

The crowd erupted in a chorus of gasps and murmurs, as this record-breaking time was unprecedented, even among the higher-year students.

They hesitated to applaud the Dark Practitioners, but as soon as one of them started clapping, the crowd just followed. There were no loud cheers for Vale’s group at all.

Some supporters of the Holy Arts Academy, unwilling to accept the unexpected outcome, voiced their suspicions.

“Impossible… Is there some sort of mix-up?” One of them questioned, their voice tinged with doubt. “There must be a mistake…” another added, seeking an explanation for this unprecedented feat.

These words continued for a while as the officials had no choice but to conduct further investigation.

The Labyrinth Officials, experienced in handling such situations, immediately called upon the special officers who had been trailing behind each group.

Among them, Steven emerged from behind Vale’s group, ready to shed light on the situation.

He confirmed that the Dark Arts Academy had indeed taken the fastest but most challenging path within the Labyrinth.

“I’m not allowed to disclose the details of what they did inside the Labyrinth, but I can tell you that the exit they chose was the most difficult one…” Steven revealed.

His words hung in the air, leaving a sense of mystery and intrigue. The crowd could only accept this explanation, albeit with lingering curiosity.

As the revelation sank in, Ceres squinted her eyes and looked at Vale, the leader of the Dark Arts Academy, with a cold gaze.

‘Most difficult one? We’ve also chosen a difficult path… Just what kind of path they encountered. Tsk…’

As she thought of this, the stone door vibrated once again, and the students from Farrel Academy came out. She was no longer interested in this and decided to leave.

“Just take the award, Rizza. I need to get some rest.” Ceres said as she turned her back to leave the resting area.

***

In the meantime, a young girl with a striking mix of black and white hair sat in the audience seat, her eyes fixed on the unfolding event.

She couldn’t help but smile after seeing the students of the Dark Arts Academy. She even exclaimed after hearing that they achieved a record-breaking time in the Labyrinth.

Beside her, a faint figure of a Dark Spirit perched quietly, sensing the girl’s growing interest.

With a gentle nudge, the young girl turned to the Dark Spirit and whispered softly. “Lotus, do you want to meet him? He’s the person I’ve been talking about all this time. I heard he also has a Dark Spirit…”

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