Chapter 158: Your Student
Never had the crowd cheered so loudly. They celebrated Arthur—their champion.
"Hoshikaze! Hoshikaze!" they roared.
They had come to witness a spectacle, and William's fall had only served to heighten their evaluation of Arthur's prowess.
William felt the weight of their adulations, and defeat tasted very bitter. He had not just lost a battle; he had lost a part of himself, and he feared he might never reclaim it.
It didn't matter that Arthur had claimed victory over him in front of so many—what stung was that the crowd had been ecstatic to witness it.
For they had always suspected him of cheating in earlier rounds, so it made it all worse.
Arthur stood, basking in the moment so as not to look suspicious. While the medics approached to lift William up from the ground, Naruto felt a great burden.
Arthur accepted the rewards—the check for one million ryō. This was ironic since the tournament he had orchestrated had culminated in a victory he had not planned to achieve.
Despite his nonchalant demeanour, he also accepted his own golden trophy. This was a victory of deep significance, one that would mark the name "Hoshikaze" in the annals of both this country and the neighbouring ones.
The announcer's voice carried through the arena one last time, declaring, "It was an honour to have you all here. We hope to see you again soon!"
With this final line, the tournament came to a close, and the crowd started to disperse. Their chatter was buoyed by the thrill of witnessing such a monumental showdown.