True God In Another World (Tensura x Tbate)

Chapter 70 - The Semi-Final Pt.1

Rimuru POV

The morning sun poured through the Silver Spoon's large windows, catching on the steam rising from cups of coffee and hot chocolate. The restaurant was buzzing with its usual breakfast crowd - students sprawled across wooden tables, the clink of cutlery mixing with excited tournament talk. The smell of fresh pastries wafted from the kitchen, making my stomach growl despite the stack of pancakes in front of me.

"I'm telling you," Elijah groaned, dramatically flopping back in his chair, "Sylvia is an actual monster. And I mean that in the most respectful way possible." He rubbed his shoulder, wincing slightly. His eggs benedict sat mostly untouched, the hollandaise sauce starting to congeal.

"Still sore from yesterday?" Arthur asked around a mouthful of his cinnamon-apple pancakes. He'd already demolished half his plate, typical Art style - food first, conversation second.

"Everything hurts," Elijah muttered. "She didn't just beat me, she absolutely destroyed me. You know what she did? Turned my own earth magic against me! Who even does that?"

I couldn't help but grin, remembering the match. "Well, you did try to trap her with that rock wall formation..."

"Yeah, and she somehow reversed the polarity of my magic! One minute I'm thinking I've got her cornered, the next thing I know, I'm flying through the air!" He finally picked up his fork, stabbing at his eggs with perhaps more force than necessary. "At least tell me I lasted longer than Gerd."

"Oh definitely," Art chimed in, reaching for the maple syrup. "Gerd was out before most people even sat down. Remember his face when Sylvia just... sidestepped his 'ultimate thunder strike' like it was nothing?"

At a nearby table, some first-years were enthusiastically reenacting what looked like Loid's quarter-final match, complete with exaggerated wand movements and sound effects. Their coffee cups rattled dangerously with each dramatic gesture.

"Speaking of matches," I said, dunking a piece of pancake into my hot chocolate (a habit that made Art cringe every time), "the semi-finals are going to be interesting. Loid versus Stefan first."

"Stefan?" Elijah frowned, finally starting to eat his breakfast. "Oh wait, you mean Mr. 'Do-You-Know-Who-My-Father-Is' Salvatore?"

"That's the one," Art nodded, stealing a piece of bacon from my plate when he thought I wasn't looking. I was, but I let him have it anyway. "Tall guy, permanent scowl, probably sleeps with his family signet ring on?"

"He's been worse lately," I added, keeping my voice low despite the general noise of the restaurant. "Last week he had his little entourage corner some first-years who 'dared' to sit at 'his' table in the library."

"Seriously?" Elijah's fork paused halfway to his mouth. "What happened?"

"Professor Hayes happened," I grinned. "Apparently, she was doing her invisible rounds again. Stefan got a month of advanced cleaning duty - without magic."

"Serves him right," Art muttered, then brightened. "Oh man, I hope Loid wipes the floor with him. Speaking of which, what are you guys betting on for Sylvia versus Lucas?"

The mood shifted slightly at Lucas's name. Behind us, someone dropped a plate, the crash momentarily drowning out the constant chatter.

"Still can't believe he's just... back," Elijah said, pushing his plate away. "Like nothing happened."

"Family connections," Art scoffed, his usual cheerful expression darkening. "Must be nice having a brother who owns half the kingdom's newspapers."

I stirred my hot chocolate, watching the mini marshmallows swirl. "Yeah, the Wykes family influence is something else. Did you see the way they spun the whole story? Made it sound like he was the victim of a misunderstanding."