The tension in the communal hall was immense. All eyes were fixed on the stage where the announcer held the final score tally for the drama competition—the last piece of the puzzle for determining the overall festival winner.

"And now," the announcer boomed, drawing out the suspense mercilessly, "for the results of the final competitive event, the Drama Competition!"

He paused for dramatic effect.

"Securing the third position... with a moving rendition of 'The Shadow's Lament'... A Class!"

A smattering of polite applause followed.

"And now, the battle for the top spot! Securing the second position... for their tragically hilarious and structurally robust performance of 'The Jealous Stepsister'... C Class!"

The hall erupted in laughter and wild applause, clearly acknowledging the comedic value of Grey's performance.

The S Class section cheered loudly for their imminent victory, but the C Class students, though disappointed not to take first, burst out in shouts of excited disbelief.

They immediately started hugging and cheering—second place was a miracle they hadn't dared to hope for.

"And the first position, for their faithful and deeply moving adaptation of 'The Founding Hero's Sacrifice'... S Class!"

The S Class students burst out in shouts of ecstatic triumph, leaping up and down in their seats, utterly convinced they had secured the overall victory.

The C Class contingent, though disappointed, clapped for themselves, a genuine sense of pride replacing their frustration.

They all remembered Grey's comic role and took pride in making the entire Academy laugh. Second position in a traditionally weak area was an unexpected win.

As the applause died down, the four friends quickly regrouped.

Lenore was beyond furious. Her face was dark, her eyes burning with intensity. "Second place? After that Masterwork dagger and Zenon's draw? It's rigged!" She whirled around, muttering threats under her breath.

"I'm going to find the drama leader and kill him!" she hissed, storming away from the seat row and disappearing rapidly toward the back exit.

Aeron, Blaze, and Zenon didn't rush behind her. They exchanged knowing glances.

They understood Lenore's intensity; she would just vent her anger and cool down.

Besides, they knew their friend, Grey, would definitely stop her from going too far.

"We still did great," Blaze said, shaking his head and laughing faintly, still recalling Grey in the gown. "We beat A Class!"

"Now we just wait for the overall winner announcement," Aeron concluded, watching Grey's expression on the stage.

The tension in the communal hall reached a breaking point as the announcer prepared to reveal the Overall Festival Winner.

The competitive results from the previous days were about to be finalized.

"Attention, students! We begin with the calculation of the Day One Earnings!" the announcer boomed.

"The money earned from the stalls directly translates into bonus points for your class!"

The total earnings from the stalls of all classes appeared on a huge, floating screen above the stage.

| Class | Stall Earnings (Gold Coins) | Position |

|---|---|---|

| A | 310 | 3rd |

| B | 255 | 4th |

| S | 620 | 2nd |

| C | 700 | 1st |

The display confirmed the extraordinary success of their food stall.

C Class came up top in stall earnings, thanks entirely to the lightning-fast pivot by Blaze and Grey.

A roar of pure, unadulterated excitement erupted from the C Class section.

They jumped up in celebration, validating the sweat and grease they had endured the day before.

This was the single biggest unknown factor in the competition, and their win here gave them a critical head start.

"Incredible! C Class takes the earnings bonus!" the announcer shouted, quickly moving on before the chaos subsided.

"Now, let's tally the points for the competitive events of Day Two and Day Three!"

He explained the points system: First place receives 50 points, second receives 30 points, and third receives 15 points.

Silence descended again as all the classes held their breath.

The C Class was particularly excited and hopeful. Their 'star player,' Grey, had participated in almost seven of the twelve total events, including the drama.

Crucially, he had clinched the first place in almost all of them, except the drama.

The announcer started calling out the event winners, and points began jumping up and down rapidly on the floating screen below the class columns.

The tension soared as the points rose and fell. S Class was running neck-and-neck with another class, piling up points from their wins in events like advanced tactics and spellcasting.

But the real shock was seeing the other class challenging them: C Class.

No one—not the professors, not the rival students—would have ever imagined seeing the auxiliary C Class keeping pace with the prestigious S Class in a lifetime.

Finally, the points from the Drama competition were added.

The announcer paused, his eyes wide as he looked at the final tally. He screamed the result in pure, unbridled shock and excitement:

"Congratulations... C CLASS for being the OVERALL WINNER OF THE FESTIVAL!"

Though he had screamed the result, silence was the immediate answer. No one could move. No one could believe what they were seeing; it was almost statistically impossible.

The higher classes—A, B, and S—felt a sense of collective shame and utter bewilderment that the auxiliary C Class had defeated them.

Then, the dam broke.

A huge ROAR erupted from the C Class crowd. They screamed at the top of their lungs, their shouts a mixture of vindication and pure shock.

Boys tore their shirts off and swung them in the air; some were crying openly; others were frantically slapping themselves, unable to believe they weren't dreaming.

Blaze stood still, shocked but controlled, his gaze immediately moving toward the stage.

He found the figure still standing there in the ridiculous dress of the ugly stepsister—Grey—who was smiling from ear to ear.

"He's done it again," Blaze thought, a wide, genuine smile spreading across his face.

On the stage, beneath the hideous makeup and the ill-fitting gown, Grey was ecstatic.

"Yes! Fuck yes! I cleared it!" Grey was screaming inside his mind.

He wanted to roar at the sky in triumph, but he maintained his composure, not wanting to gather any more attention than necessary.

He just smiled as a familiar sound welcomed him again.

DING!

[MISSION COMPLETE]

[MAIN STORYLINE ASSOCIATED MISSION: ACADEMY FESTIVAL PARTICIPATION]

[Goal Achieved: Overall Winner of the Festival (Class C)]

[Reward obtained: +500,000 EXP

Affinity increases with Grand Elder Ignis]

[You now have an opportunity for a meeting with grand elder Ignis]

[Make use of your time with him]

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