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n“Welcome, students… to the Inter-Class Exchange!” A magnanimous voice boomed from the stage.

nInstantly, the students burst forth in response. Well, most of them were the heated second years and Third years who most likely looked forward to having rematches with their fellow students after previous attempts.

nThe First Years were also excited, some making glorious noises. Of course, I fell silent despite the anticipation I had.

nThe man who stood on the stage was exquisitely dressed, as expected of our moderator. The arena, which took up a bulk of the hall, was so wide that I reckoned over a thousand people could fit in there. It brought certainty to me that this hall was most definitely used for something other than the Exchange.

nLooking at the speaker, it was the same as the one we had during our exams. I recognized him well—Klaus Tallman.

n‘So, he’s the moderator this time as well… I wonder why?’

n“As you know, this event marks the beginning of a blood-curdling rivalry between the students who are experiencing this for the first time, and the continuation of a heated competitive spirit among the first and second years.”

nThe responses of the students told Klaus point-blank that he was right.

n“The Exchange will occupy all seven days of the week! Yes, that’s right. It will be an all-out internal competition, so the length is very much understandable!”

nNeron Kaelid had already informed us of this fact, so none of us were surprised. Still, it was quite amazing that we would spend seven days competing.

n“The first three days will be the preliminary rounds, whittling down the competitions to five each. After that, the next three days will be the final matches of each year… it will be quite heated indeed!”

nMy heart beat faster as Klaus kept speaking.

n“As for the last day… it will be the greatest treat and the ultimate battle which will round up the events of the Inter-School Exchange! Yes… it’s the battle among the Elite Ten of the three Classes!!!”

nMore roars and screeches spread across the hall, and I knew why.

nThe Elite Ten were the most powerful and talented students in each Class. The rankings were made irrespective of the year a student belonged. So long as they could defeat another member of the Elite, they automatically gained the position. Our Lower Class had ten of such students, same as the Middle and Upper Class.

nSo, for the last day of the Inter-Class Exchange, these students would compete for the right to become… Rankers!

n“Huu, this is exciting!” My voice leaked out as I couldn’t contain myself anymore.

nBeing amid students who fought with their pride and honor on the line to prove their worth… was too exciting.

nMartial Artists would use their various techniques to showcase why they were the best in the Martial Arts section.

nScholars would make use of their intellect to solve various problems in order to outwit the other for the Scholarship section.

nFinally, the Magic Users would go all out to defeat their opponents using their adept manipulation of mana and their deep knowledge of Spells for the Magic Section.

nThese three sections made up the Inter-School Exchange, a reason why it took a total of seven days to complete.

nHowever, since this wasn’t a strict academic program and had no effect on the scores gotten from our respective courses, it was possible for students to register for participation in any section… or not to register at all!

nFor the Exchange, I had Anabelle go for the Magic Section, same as me. Edward, of course, would be contesting in Martial Arts.

nIt was not a team match, so it wasn’t possible for Ana and me to collaborate, but since we were matched against students from other classes, we wouldn’t need to face ourselves at all.

nOut of everyone I had to watch out for, the Upper-Class students had the bulk of talent, naturally. People like Stefan Netherlore, Maria Helmsworth, and even Ivan Smith, had my interests.

nOf course, the new face was also on my list since I knew nothing about him. Of everything one needed to fear most, the unknown topped the list.

n“Now then, without further ado… I shall be Introducing your judges!!!”

nPointing toward the edge of the stage, a tall platform emerged. I was certain earth magic was at work since it appeared so seamlessly. The platform was made up of sturdy tiles and began floating in the air.

nThe platform in the air levitated, and three seats with desks were placed atop it. A bright light sparked, and in an instant, three people occupied the judges’ seats.

nA wry smile formed on my face as I noticed our academic supervisor, Damien Lawcroft at the center of the seat. Legris Damien, another familiar face sat on the left, while someone I hadn’t seen before occupied the left.

n“These Senior Lecturers who are well-versed in the art of Magic and Martial Arts will be accumulating your points and judging your performance based on merit.”

nSilence filled the hall as a result of the huge respect we placed on the highly esteemed figures that sat on the floating block of tiles.

n“The rules shall now be displayed for everyone to see. These judges will completely adhere to the regulations when compiling the results and as competitors, you should too. Please note that cheating is strictly forbidden, and you will never be able to get away with it. That much I can guarantee!”

nThe fact that he emphasized cheating meant some idiots had tried that before. It almost made me laugh that someone would attempt such a thing when experts keenly watched their every move.

nThe moment Klaus finished announcing his piece, large panels appeared on all four corners of the stage, displaying the rules to everyone.

nThe panels, similar to the board that displayed our results back then, were easy to read and had to have required an impeccable use of mana to create.

n“Hmm, let’s see…”

nLooking at them now, I could understand why the exam required judges. It was going to be an intense match!

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