The Protagonist Already Knows

As Carissa changed back into casual clothes, she couldn’t help but recall the final scene.

They had been the ones falling behind...

Ren’s team, who had been in charge of the right side of the semi-circle, had already completed their invasion while Leon’s team and she were still struggling a tiny bit.

Unlike most teams, which had one team captain and 19 other team members, the Sunken Pearl Inter-Academy team infamously had two team captains, who were each in charge of 9 students.

While this wasn’t important in the group stages of the tournament where all 20 students on each team competed simultaneously, it was vital in the knock-out stages where minigames with only 5-10 students from each team would take place.

Everyone wasn’t just fighting to win...but to prove their worth and represent The Sunken Pearl in those minigames later on.

Clicking her tongue in annoyance, Carissa glanced at Lily and curiously asked.

"Are you gonna stay for the next game?"

Lily simply nodded her head.

"We’ll probably face one of them in the future. We should know their strategies."

Holding in a laugh, Carissa sarcastically commented.

"You’re taking this seriously, aren’t you? Don’t you only care about science?"

Tying her hair into a ponytail, Lily glared at Carissa and responded.

"Are you scared that I’m not only smarter but stronger than you, now?"

Before Carissa could respond, another one of their teammates suddenly announced.

"The next match is starting!"

...

...

...

Sitting in the dedicated student section of the coliseum’s stands, Carissa watched in utter disbelief as Lily pulled out a pen and notebook beside her.

Even Leon couldn’t help but comment from the seats behind them.

"You don’t even take notes in class, do you!?"

Ignoring them, Lily kept her gaze locked on the two opposing tunnels, from which each team would soon flood out.

As Ren and Evangel sat in empty seats beside Lily, the seats behind them already packed to the brim with students wearing Sunken Pearl blazers, Ren curiously asked.

"Who do you think will win?"

After thinking a moment, Evangel answered.

"Probably Corridius."

Seeing Ren shake his head, Leon suddenly butted in from behind them.

"Hah, you really think the elves will win? Besides their princess, everyone else on their first-year team is mediocre."

Nodding her head, Lily agreed from the side while scanning the list of names in her notebook.

"Corridius’s team has at least 3 D- ranked heroes, while the elves only have their princess."

Ren just shrugged his shoulders.

"I have a feeling."

His feeling was, of course, his knowledge of the future.

There was no way one of his actions thus far could have any connection to the elven team or Corridius team: he hadn’t interacted with any of them in the slightest.

Anyway, the Sunken Pearl was going to face The Grange in the grand final: that wouldn’t be possible if The Grange lost today, as they would be put on the same side of the bracket.

Seeing Ren’s nonchalant expression, Leon immediately smiled.

"If you’re so sure, let’s make a bet, then? Whoever’s team loses has to sleep outside for a day."

"Fine."

At that moment, a loud voice exploded through the arena, drawing everyone’s attention to the coliseum’s center.

"PLEASE WELCOME OUR 2 TEAMS!!!! ON ONE SIDE WE HAVE...CORRIDIUS, THE 2ND PLACE FINISHERS IN LAST YEAR’S TOURNAMENT!"

"OPPOSING THEM, WE HAVE...THE ONLY ELVEN HERO ACADEMY IN THE WORLD...THE GRANGE!"

One by one, the elven students and human students flooded out of their respective tunnels, lining up across from each other.

With their long and pointed ears and light-blue eyes, the elves faced the humans...until finally.

"*PFFT* Is that a...human!?"

"Haha, did he come out of the wrong tunnel!?"

"Your team’s on the other side, buddy!"

"Wrong side, kid!"

As the mocking shouts sounded through the coliseum, everyone slowly turned their attention to the elven tunnel, as a human with black hair slowly staggered out.

Raising his arm above his head, Ash narrowed his eyes and slowly walked out from beneath the tunnel and into the sun.

"..."

Ren, whose eyesight was undoubtedly one of the best, if not the best, in the world...rubbed his eyes for a second....because he was absolutely sure he was seeing things.

Even when fighting against the Dreg God in his final battle, Ren hadn’t doubted his eyes for a moment, trusting them fully and faithfully against the God’s tricks.

But...as he looked down at the Elven tunnel, he rubbed his eyes until they turned red.

There was no way, right?

Why was he seeing Ash down there? No way...

"Ah...perhaps it’s the guilt."

Seeing Ash being the target of those disgusting rumors, Ren felt terrible, knowing it was because Leon was targeting people close to him.

After all, prior to his regression, nothing like this had happened...because Leon had no reason to target Ren, with him not belonging to a guild at this point.

Thus, Ren knew he should have immediately cleared the rumors to help Ash...but he couldn’t for the time being.

It was for Leon, his past friend’s progression.

Self-deprecatingly laughing to himself, Ren turned to the right and sighed.

Guilt really was a powerful emotion.

However...right on the other side of Lily, Ren suddenly noticed Carissa.

Her eyes as wide as they could be and mouth completely agape, Carissa gazed down at the Elven tunnel.

"...?"

Ren followed her gaze...and lo and behold, there was Ash...his messy black hair and crimson-red eyes completely standing out amongst the blonde and silver-haired elves.

"..."

Behind them, completely oblivious, the other students simply laughed at the human student standing with elves.

"Did he get lost!?"

"OTHER SIDE, DUDE!"

At that moment, a familiar voice suddenly sounded throughout the speakers.

"*AHEM* It seems that The Grange required a substitute for this match! Thus, The Sunken Pearl has graciously supplied them with one of their very own...first-year human, Ash Fell! He will be temporarily joining the Elven Team!"