CHAPTER 267: CHAPTER 267: BEFORE THE QUARTERFINALS

The noise inside the arena was chaos wrapped in celebration—thousands of voices rose at once, some shouting in wild excitement, others murmuring with concern.

In the center of the field, the "wounded dwarf" groaned and pushed himself upright. The crowd could not have known this was Noir, still wrapped in the battered illusion of the fighter Noel had just faced. She limped toward the edge of the field, slipping into one of the side tunnels without looking back, careful to keep her movements steady until she was out of sight.

The announcer’s voice boomed over the magical amplifiers.

"That concludes the matches for today! All sixteen contenders for the next round have been decided! However, due to the... unusual circumstances in the final fight, there will be a full investigation."

A ripple of reaction swept through the stands.

"For this reason, the tournament will enter a two-day recess before the round of sixteen begins!"

The statement drew a fresh wave of chatter—some disappointed, others clearly relieved for the break.

From the competitor’s entrance, Noel slowly pushed himself to his feet. His muscles ached and his body felt like it had been set on fire, but his mind stayed sharp. ’That wasn’t a normal fight... something was wrong from the start.’

He stepped out into the corridor, following the faint scent and sound only he would recognize. Noir was already there, waiting in her small wolf form, the Veilweaver’s Charm clamped gently between her teeth. Her yellow eyes met his, steady and knowing.

"Let’s go," Noel said quietly, crouching to take the charm from her. "Straight to Headmaster Nicolas’s office."

Noir’s ears flicked once in silent agreement before falling into step beside him, the two of them disappearing into the maze of stone corridors beneath the arena.

- Girls POV -

From their seats among the spectators, Elyra, Elena, and Charlotte had watched every second of the fight. Now that it was over, the noise of the crowd felt distant, like a dull roar behind glass. All three wore the same unsettled expression that rippled through the audience—this wasn’t the way a match was supposed to end.

Elena broke the silence first. "Will Noel be alright? We need to find him immediately."

Elyra’s gaze was still fixed on the now-empty arena floor. "Something must have gone wrong. The best place to check is where we saw him last time—Nicolas’s office."

Charlotte leaned forward slightly, her voice sharp with curiosity. "Did either of you see anything through those shadows?"

Elyra shook her head. "No... that was definitely Noir’s work. Which means something serious happened in there." She glanced between the two of them. "We’ll find out when we see Noel."

Without another word, the three rose from their seats. The atmosphere around them was tense—snippets of conversation from nearby spectators ranged from awe at Noel’s win to unease about the investigation the announcer had promised.

The girls moved quickly, descending the steps to the arena’s lower level and slipping into the internal corridors usually reserved for staff and competitors.

The air here was quieter, cooler, the muffled sound of the crowd replaced by the echo of their own footsteps. Torches set into the stone walls flickered, casting long shadows as they navigated the familiar route.

Elyra led the way, pace brisk but controlled. Elena followed close behind, her eyes scanning each intersection, while Charlotte trailed just a step back, her expression a mix of concern and calculation.

Their goal was clear—reach Nicolas’s office as quickly as possible. Whatever had happened inside that cloud of shadows, they needed answers, and Noel would be the one to give them.

- Torwan’s POV -

From the directors’ balcony, Torwan turned to address Redna and the Velmora Academy director, his tone light, almost conversational.

"Well, I hope you both enjoyed today’s matches. Don’t worry—there are already people investigating what happened in the last fight. My student... well, he’s had incidents before. Things happening that shouldn’t have."

Redna’s reply was curt. "Let’s hope both students are fine. This could affect your academy’s reputation, Balthor."

Without further pleasantries, Redna and the Velmora director left the balcony, their robes brushing softly against the stone as they disappeared into the corridor.

Torwan remained seated for a moment, eyes fixed on the empty arena below. Soon, footsteps approached from behind—his assistant.

"I think that Noel knows who I am," Torwan said quietly, without turning. "During the fight, the moment he realized something, his eyes came straight to me. Hm... yes. I remember what the first one told me when he came. Seems they’ve been working on this for a long time, knew who I was from the start."

The assistant stayed silent, awaiting instructions.

Torwan finally stood, brushing imaginary dust from his sleeve. "It’s time I leave while I can."

With a smooth motion, he extended a hand toward the assistant. Faint black lines crawled up the man’s neck as a mark bloomed into existence.

"From now on, you will act as Torwan."

The assistant’s body stiffened, eyes going glassy as the order rooted itself deep.

A ripple of mana swept over Torwan’s body, and in an instant, his form shifted—his tall, commanding frame replaced by the squat, broad shape of an average dwarf. The illusion was flawless; to any onlooker, he was no one of importance.

Without another glance at the arena, he turned and left the balcony, the echo of his boots fading into the corridors as he made his way to gather his belongings before it was too late.

- Girls POV -

The three girls reached a locked wooden door deep in the arena’s interior. Charlotte knocked firmly. "Noel, are you in there?"

The door opened—not to Noel, but to Headmaster Nicolas himself. His gaze was sharp, his tone brisk. "Charlotte, use a blessing on him. He’s in bad shape."

They stepped inside quickly. The air in the office was tense, thick with the scent of iron and smoke. In one corner, a corpse lay under a heavy cloth—the dwarf Noel had faced. Noel himself sat slumped in one of four chairs, pale, his breathing uneven.

"Come in quickly. We have to act now," Nicolas urged.

After a short while, Noel stirred. His vision was hazy at first, but he slowly became aware of a warm, steady light enveloping him. Turning his head slightly, he saw Charlotte standing beside him, hands glowing faintly as she poured her blessing into him.

Realizing what she was doing, he moved to grab her wrist to stop her—but Elyra and Elena each pressed a hand against his shoulder, keeping him still.

"Let her finish," Elyra said firmly. "You’re in no state to argue."

Noel exhaled sharply through his nose, leaning back as the warmth spread through him.

’At what point did it go wrong? Torwan realized something... but what? I don’t think I left a trace... or did I?’

He looked up at Nicolas. "We have to act now, Headmaster. He’s figured it out."

Nicolas’s expression didn’t change. "Reinforcements from Valor haven’t arrived yet."

"Can’t you teleport them here?" Noel pressed.

"I can’t bring more than three hundred people at once," Nicolas replied.

"Then how do we handle this?"

"You should rest. I’ll go to the factory with Redna, Daemar, Rauk, and more staff. Velmora Academy will join us. We’re strong enough to deal with it."

Noel’s tone sharpened. "The last time in the Holy Capital, half of them were infiltrators. What makes you think it won’t be the same now? And what about the king?"

"I’ve sent Balthor to the castle. Redna will go with him to deal with the illusion first and later she will join us, and Balthor has a personal letter from both continental kings to verify authenticity."

Noel’s voice dropped. "Then what am I supposed to do?"

"Rest, Noel. You’re still very young."

Elena glanced at Elyra and Charlotte. "We’ll take care of him. You don’t have to worry anymore."

Noel parted his lips to respond, but no words came. Slowly, he let his shoulders drop. His part, for now, was done—while the others moved to take theirs.