Crimson Phoenix Guardian- Aspiration to the Heavens: Becoming the Supreme Mage 4

Episode 120: The True Semi-finals Begin

*Tamara*

I smiled as I stared at the audience gathering around us. This year, the tournament was going to take place at the same arena where the finals usually did. Arima said that last year, the first-years had to fight in the plaza in front of the school, but that proved chaotic for several reasons.

Shuai smirked as he stared at the empty spot next to me. "Seems Nat got cold-feet." He laughed. "Not that I blame him. He did see his classmates lose in an eight versus one to yours truly."

I frowned. 'Nat would never run away! Would he?'

"Shu, don't taunt our opponents," Enkai said, sighing. He snickered. "Save that for the battlefield."

He leaned back. "Okay." 

He looked angsty to start. Was he nervous? Maybe he was projecting his fears onto Nat! 

"Hope nothing bad happened to him," Lei said, looking around.

"Yeah, maybe Obi is trying to do to him what he did with you," Adela said.

Burai snickered as he walked over. "Gramps is actually looking forward to seeing Nat fight."

The two second-years blinked.

"Why is that?" Yuzuki asked.

He shrugged. "Maybe it's because of his smell?"

"His smell?" Shuai asked, scratching his head.

Burai touched his nose and nodded. "Yup. We foxes have great noses."

"So, does Nat have an interest smell or something?" Yuzuki asked.

"He smells like us. My family, I mean."

"Wait, you're related?" Adela asked.

He shrugged. "I'm not sure. My extended family is pretty big. Grandpa and Grandma had more than four kids."

Shuai sighed. "Hard to believe any woman would want to do it with that guy. Well, unless she has an ugly fetish or something."

"Hey! Grandpa is actually very handsome."

We all stared at him. Handsome? He looked even uglier than the members of Ethan's ogre clan.

Koharu sighed and lightly tapped him on the head.

"Hmm?"

"Sit," she said, taking a deep breath.

"Say, who are the top two honor students this year?" Lei asked, staring at the two of the four empty spots to the left of Ning.

"That would be me. Well, one of them, at least," a voice called out. A young man with green dreads walked toward us as if he had no care in the world. His attire was very casual, even by festival standards.

"Koiichi!" Burai said, smiling as he waved at his friend.

He sat down next on the far left edge of the bench and sighed. "Wished I was fighting you, but you chose to participate in our class tournament instead."

I tilted my head. Why did he?

Burai hummed as he turned to look at me. "Well, I wanted to fight Lei."

Lei snickered. "You flatter me, but I don't think I'm quite ready to take you on just yet."

"Oh, that's unusual," Yuzu said.

He blinked. "What is?"

"Well, you would usually say stuff like 'I will give you the battle or your life', or 'I'll for sure beat you'."