The fight lasted nearly fifteen minutes - an eternity compared to earlier matches - as both competitors pushed each other hard.

Kyle demonstrated impressive versatility, adapting tactics when initial approaches failed.

Marcus showed why his family's reputation for resilient warriors was well-earned, absorbing punishment that would have eliminated weaker opponents while continuing to pressure relentlessly.

But gradually, Kyle's advantages accumulated. His system-enhanced perception allowed him to predict and counter Marcus's patterns. His energy efficiency remained superior despite the extended engagement. His technique execution stayed crisp while Marcus began showing signs of fatigue.

The finishing sequence came when Marcus committed to a powerful overhead strike that Kyle redirected with minimal effort, using Marcus's own momentum against him. A follow-up combination struck multiple vulnerable points in rapid succession, and Marcus went down.

"Winner: Kyle!"

The crowd erupted with appreciation for the high-level display. Both fighters had demonstrated capabilities that justified their reputations.

As I watched Kyle leave the ring with barely a scratch despite the intense fight, I analyzed what I'd observed carefully.

He hadn't revealed everything. Maybe seventy percent of his true capabilities, I estimated. He'd won convincingly but held back enough that opponents in later rounds wouldn't have complete intelligence about his full arsenal.

Smart strategy. Classic Kyle thinking - win efficiently while preserving mystery about ultimate limits.

Marcus's early elimination was genuinely unfortunate. Under different bracket luck, he might have reached semifinals or even finals. Instead, he'd drawn the worst possible opponent in round one.

The tournament was already proving interesting, and we'd barely begun.

"Next match: Adrian Blackwood versus Thomas Crane!"

I stepped into the combat ring with measured composure while my opponent - a nervous-looking student I vaguely recognized from one of the mid-tier classes - approached from the opposite side. His movements were hesitant, and his face had gone pale the moment our names were announced together.

Thomas Crane. I knew virtually nothing about him except that he'd maintained low profile throughout the term, avoiding attention and controversy. Now he stood across from me, and judging by his expression, he was absolutely terrified.

As the referee prepared to signal the match start, Thomas raised his hand.

"I…"

"Wait," I interrupted quickly, moving closer before he could complete the formal surrender declaration.

The referee paused, looking confused. The audience murmured with curiosity about the delay.

I approached Thomas until I was close enough to speak quietly without the crowd overhearing.

"Don't worry," I whispered. "I won't go too hard on you. Dont surrender, you will not be given any opportunity by guilds."

His eyes widened with surprise, clearly not expecting mercy or consideration from someone of my ranking and reputation.

"But… everyone knows you're one of the strongest," he said quietly, his voice trembling. "I can't possibly—"

"You entered this tournament to learn and improve, didn't you?" I kept my voice low and reassuring. "Surrendering without fighting teaches you nothing. Let's have a proper match. You'll get experience, I'll get practice teaching, and your future won't be ruined by a humiliating instant forfeit that everyone remembers. We are comrades after all."

Understanding slowly dawned on his face, followed by cautious hope.

"You… you're serious?"

"Completely. Just fight to the best of your ability. I'll respond appropriately."

Thomas took a shaky breath and nodded, lowering his surrender hand and moving back to his starting position with renewed - if still nervous - determination.

The referee, seeing both fighters ready, signaled the match start.

"BEGIN!"

Thomas launched into a cautious offensive, his sword strikes competent but predictable. His form was textbook academy training - nothing innovative, but fundamentally sound.

I defended easily, blocking his attacks while observing his technique carefully. He telegraphed his movements too obviously, left his guard slightly open after commits, and his footwork needed refinement.

Rather than simply overwhelming him, I engaged at his level.

"Your stance is too wide," I said casually while deflecting a strike. "It gives you stability but reduces mobility. Try narrowing it slightly."

Thomas blinked in surprise at receiving coaching during combat but adjusted his footing as suggested.

"Better. Now watch your guard after you attack - you're dropping your blade too low."

The fight became less traditional combat and more instructional sparring. I matched his pace, allowed him opportunities to attempt techniques, then provided immediate feedback on execution and improvements.

"Good attempt at that feint, but you committed too early. Try again - I'll give you the opening."

Thomas attempted the feint sequence again, this time with better timing, and actually managed to land a glancing strike on my shoulder that wouldn't have hurt even without my supernatural physique.

His face lit up with genuine surprise and satisfaction.

The crowd was watching with growing interest now, recognizing this wasn't the quick domination they'd expected. Some seemed confused, others appeared thoughtful about the unusual dynamic.

After about eight minutes of instructional combat where Thomas showed visible improvement from applying my real-time coaching, I decided to conclude the match properly.

"Alright, that's good progress. Final exchange now - give me your best technique."

Thomas nodded with appreciation, took a proper stance, and launched his strongest combination attack with everything he'd learned during our brief session.

I deflected the sequence smoothly, then countered with a precise strike to his chest that used just enough force to knock him backward and signal clear defeat without causing injury.

Thomas fell to one knee, breathing heavily but unharmed.

"Winner: Adrian!"

The announcement was expected, but the applause that followed carried a different quality than usual - recognition not just of victory but of how it had been achieved.

I extended my hand to help Thomas up. He accepted gratefully, his expression showing genuine respect rather than the humiliation he'd feared.

"Thank you," he said quietly. "That was… I learned more in those few minutes than weeks of regular training."

"Keep practicing what we covered," I replied. "You have solid fundamentals. Just need refinement and confidence."

As we left the ring together, I noticed several instructors watching with thoughtful expressions. Teaching during combat wasn't common, and doing so while maintaining complete control demonstrated capabilities beyond just winning fights.

But more importantly, Thomas's future hadn't been ruined by instant surrender or humiliating defeat. He'd fought, learned, and lost with dignity.

The day continued with each advancing contestant participating in their second match. The preliminary rounds were designed to quickly filter the bracket from hundreds of students down to a manageable number for tomorrow's more focused competition.

Kael's second match drew considerable attention, particularly from the Elite-class students who'd been curious about the mysterious late-entry student since his arrival.

His opponent was a solid Elite-rank awakener from one of the other premier classes - someone with good bloodline advantages, formal training, and respectable combat record. Not a pushover by any measure.

"Next match: Kael versus Daniel!"

The fight began with Daniel attempting to establish dominance through aggressive offense, clearly intending to overwhelm the newcomer quickly and decisively.

Kael responded with ice manipulation that proved how powerful. Ice barriers formed defensively while frozen projectiles launched with precision timing. His movements were economical and tactical, showing the street-fighting instincts refined by proper training.

What made the Elite students lean forward with interest was how Kael adapted mid-combat. When Daniel broke through his initial ice constructs with brute force, Kael immediately shifted tactics - creating slippery frozen patches on the arena floor that disrupted his opponent's footing, then capitalizing on the instability with perfectly timed offensive strikes.

The match lasted nearly ten minutes before Kael secured victory with a combination technique that froze Daniel's sword arm and followed with a decisive ice-enhanced strike to the chest.

"Winner: Kael!"

The murmuring began immediately throughout the Elite student sections.

"Who is that guy? I've never seen him before this week."

"Late entry, supposedly. But his combat fundamentals are really solid - that's not amateur level."

"Did you see how quickly he adapted when his initial strategy failed? That's talent, not just training."

"Ice affinity with that level of control… he could be a problem in later rounds."

"Wild card for sure. None of us have intelligence on his full abilities yet."

Several Elite students were watching Kael leave the ring with calculating expressions, clearly reassessing the tournament bracket and potential future matchups.

-----

Throughout the remainder of the day, the expected powerhouses continued advancing without significant issues.

Seraphina moved through her matches with elegant efficiency, her Valkyrie bloodline creating dazzling displays that were as beautiful as they were effective. She won both matches with minimal effort, barely breaking composure.

Emmet continued his pattern of silent dominance, dispatching opponents so easily that left no doubt about the outcome. His fights were brief and decisive, wasting neither time nor energy.

Elen demonstrated why she ranked first in theoretical knowledge by applying strategic thinking to combat situations. Her water manipulation controlled battlefield conditions so completely that opponents struggled to even reach effective striking range before being worn down and defeated.

I advanced through my matches without revealing more capabilities than necessary. The first opponent after Thomas had been more skilled but still manageable with basic techniques. Control and efficiency remained my priorities rather than impressive displays.

Kyle, predictably, continued winning with the same calculated approach - demonstrating enough power to secure victory while holding back enough to maintain mystery about his full arsenal.

By the end of the day's competition, the bracket had been reduced from the initial hundreds down to sixty-four remaining students. Tomorrow's quarterfinals would narrow that further to the true contenders.

The final announcement came from the referee platform as evening approached.

"Preliminary rounds concluded! Sixty-four competitors remain. Tournament resumes tomorrow at dawn for quarterfinal matches. Bracket postings will be available within the hour. All participants, rest well and prepare accordingly!"

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.