Chapter 324: The Greatness of the Third Years

Harl, a man with sharp eyes like an eagle, stared at the screen with a serious expression. Where Harl crossed his arms on his chest, Harl's jaw tightened as he watched how the fighters in the arena exchanged attacks at a speed that was difficult to follow with the naked eye.

"Amazing..." Harl muttered in a heavy voice. "The third year team is really strong."

Jae Hyun, a young man with a muscular body, nodded. "I agree. They are on a different level."

Cynthia, a girl who always spoke in a calm but calculating tone, leaned back against the sofa. "If we had faced them earlier, we would have been eliminated before we could face Lucy's team," Cynthia said, Cynthia's tone was flat, but there was a hint of tension hidden in Cynthia's voice.

"Uh... That's right," Yuna, a girl with glasses, where Yuna bit her lip anxiously.

The atmosphere in the room felt heavier, as if there was an invisible weight pressing down on the shoulders of each team member.

However, amidst the tension, Annie's voice broke the silence.

"Don't worry," Annie said confidently. "We will definitely win."

All eyes were on her.

"Didn't we promise we would win?" Annie continued, her eyes gleaming with determination. "So we will definitely win."

Oliv, a short-haired girl with a serious expression, nodded in agreement. "What Annie said is true. We didn't go through Senior Haruto's brutal training just to lose here."

William, who had been quiet until now, smiled faintly. "We've been training for months. We've become stronger than before. Now, we just need to prove it."

While Annie's team focused on strategy and preparation, somewhere else, outside the stadium…

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Outside the bustling stadium, filled with various street vendors selling food, a man in simple clothes stood behind a small cart. On the grill, several skewers of spicy, golden-red grilled meatballs sizzled, emitting a tempting aroma.

The man was no ordinary vendor. He was Haruto.

Pretending to be a grilled meatball seller, Haruto remained vigilant, Haruto's eyes continued to observe everyone who passed by. Where Haruto was looking for signs of movement from the Soul Collector, a shadow organization that planned to do something during the tournament.

It was already late afternoon. The clock showed two o'clock in the afternoon, and so far, there had been no suspicious movements.

Have they not moved yet? Or are they waiting for something?

Even though he looked busy flipping meatballs on the grill, Haruto still received information from his Shadow Clones that were spread across various corners of the City Academy.

Where Haruto already knew that Annie's team had made it to the top eight.

A faint smile appeared on the corner of Haruto's lips.

"Looks like they've really improved," Haruto muttered.

However, right now, Haruto's focus was not on the tournament.

Where Haruto was still waiting.

The Soul Collector would definitely move.

And when that happened, Haruto was ready.

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"Ladies and gentlemen! This is the most awaited moment! The two first-year teams that have managed to survive will finally face each other!"

The announcer's voice echoed throughout the arena, shaking the atmosphere filled with the crowd's roar. Cheers could be heard from all corners of the stands, creating waves of excitement that spread to the field. Some spectators even stood up from their seats, trying to get the best view of the match that was about to begin.

On the left side of the field, right in the waiting room, Team Annie stood in silence. Not an empty silence, but a silence filled with tension and the awareness that they were about to enter a decisive battle.

Annie stood in the middle of her team, her hands clenched tightly, then Annie immediately exhaled slowly before finally speaking.