Fantasy Libary 46

Title: Strong Teams from Each Academy

Above the Student Council Office, a large virtual window opened in front of everyone, immediately capturing their attention. Displayed on the window was a tiered list resembling a massive castle, layered and showcasing the brackets of the Phoenix Festa tournament.

In that list, the names of teams composed of duos from various academies appeared one after another, leaving a lasting impression on the spectators.

This was the complete tournament schedule for the Phoenix Festa.

“Wow, there are so many participants!” Kirin exclaimed in awe as she gazed at the densely packed list of names.

Claudia’s voice chimed in at just the right moment.

“This year’s Phoenix Festa has 512 participants, divided into 256 teams. The groupings were done by the Operational Committee, and the matches will take place on various stages across the city after the opening ceremony.”

During the Festa, stages scattered throughout Asterisk City will be fully utilized. This includes the Sirius Dome, the main stage, along with ten other large and medium-sized venues, all dedicated to the event.

The Operational Committee, composed of representatives from the Integrated Enterprise Foundation that supports each academy, designed the groupings. To enhance the excitement of this global spectacle, the committee deliberately spread out the strongest competitors in the early rounds. This prevents potential key matches in later stages from being ruined by early eliminations caused by strong competitors clashing too soon.

As Ark and the others scanned the schedule to find their names, they were not surprised to discover that their initial opponents were relatively unknown figures from other academies.

Of course, “unknown” is relative.

As a global competition that brings together the Six Academies, anyone brave enough to participate in the Phoenix Festa must be confident in their abilities. Most are ranked students within their respective academies. Otherwise, participating would only lead to public humiliation.

For ordinary students, these high-ranked individuals are formidable. However, for elites like Ark and his group, they pose no threat.

This realization made everyone smile with ease.

“Looking at this bracket, it seems we won’t face each other until the main rounds.” Ayato said with a smile.

“That’s to be expected.” Julis replied, unsurprised.

Participants from the same academy were also intentionally spread out in the early rounds, making encounters rare but not impossible. Additionally, given the strength of their group—Julis is ranked 5th in Seidoukan Academy, and Ayato wields one of the Four Sacred Swords—the Operational Committee undoubtedly considers them a strong team.

This ensures they won’t face championship-level teams early on.

Claudia continued her explanation.

“The Phoenix Festa lasts about two weeks. The first week is for the preliminary rounds, where the top 32 teams will be selected. The current groupings you see will guide you through these matches. Unless something unexpected happens, all of you should advance to the main rounds.”

“Once the top 32 are determined, the second week will feature the main rounds. New brackets will be created through a draw conducted by academy representatives. Matches will proceed in pairs: the top 32 against the top 16, the top 16 against the top 8, then the semifinals, and finally, the championship.”

“For our academy to earn points, at least one team must reach the top 32.”

The points Claudia referred to are the scores used to calculate the rankings of the Six Academies in each Festa. The final placement of teams in the main rounds contributes to their academy’s total score, which determines the overall standings.

“Whether Seidoukan can overcome its recent difficulties depends on your performance in this Phoenix Festa.” Claudia said. “Honestly, this tournament is crucial to our overall strategy this season. The results largely depend on you, so do your best to secure a high ranking.”

As mentioned earlier, some academies excel in specific Festas.

Saint Galahadworth Academy dominates the Gryps Festa, a team-based competition.

Rewolf Black Academy specializes in the Lindwurm Festa, an individual competition.

These two academies have consistently won their respective Festas, almost to the point of monopolizing them.

For this season, the previous Gryps Festa-winning team from Saint Galahadworth has returned, and the two-time defending champion from Rewolf is also confirmed to participate in the Lindwurm Festa. This announcement effectively declared that the champions of these Festas have already been claimed.

For the other academies, their best chance to win lies in the Phoenix Festa.

Coincidentally, the Phoenix Festa is the event where Seidoukan Academy has historically excelled. However, in recent seasons, Seidoukan’s mediocre performance in its strongest Festa has contributed to its disappointing overall ranking.

“Now, here are the strongest teams from each academy in this Phoenix Festa that could pose a threat to you.” Claudia said, opening several spatial windows displaying detailed profiles of the other teams.

“Fortunately, no top-ranked participants are competing this time, and even fifth-ranked participants are rare. Still, these teams could be dangerous.”

Claudia shifted the windows forward so everyone could see.

Ark scanned the profiles first, nodding inwardly.

The teams aligned with what he remembered from the source material.

“From Saint Galahadworth Academy, the strongest team consists of Dorotheo Rems, the Armored Sorcerer (ranked 11th), and Elliot Forster, the Radiant Sword (ranked 12th).”

“From Jie Long Seventh Academy, their top team is composed of Li Shenyun, the Illusory Creator (ranked 9th), and Li Shenhua, the Fleeting Mirage (ranked 10th).”

“As for Queenveil Girls’ Academy, their strongest competitors are Sandra Sejure, the Water Dragon (ranked 7th), paired with Nina Ahrenwal, the Card Witch (ranked 47th). Compared to the others, their threat level is lower.”

Claudia paused briefly before continuing.

“As for Rewolf Black Academy and Alicante Research Institute...”

Before she could finish, Ark, Ayato, and Julis simultaneously narrowed their eyes.