The villainous young master just wants to live a Buddhist-like life.

　The venue also shattered Even Pearson's will.

　"Wow—"

　"The battle is over!"

　[9+/20]

　[8k bonus chapter, 6.6k extra chapter, 14.6k votes requested.]

Chapter 1221 Proof of the Hero, Echoes of Victory (4k)

　"Winner: Witt Gold!" the referee announced abruptly.

　The entire venue erupted in cheers!

　Regardless of the race or attribute of the magical spirit the "Son of the Hero" used in this duel, he ultimately relied on the (Holy Sword) to secure victory.

　That giant sword of light, seemingly piercing the sky, is forever etched in the minds of the audience.

　The victory in this duel belongs to the "Son of the Hero"! As for the "Holy Son"...

　Although he performed exceptionally well in the duel, his hesitation and oversights at crucial moments, as well as his lack of desire to win, ultimately cost him the victory that was within his grasp.

　If future generations were to examine the records and study this pivotal duel, they might give him a more fair assessment.

　But now, he is a loser who lost a crucial point despite starting as captain.

　He ultimately became a supporting character, forming the basis for the "Son of Heroes'" confidence.

　He himself fell into confusion after losing the duel. As the saying goes, the more confident you are before a match, the more confused you are afterward. It remains to be seen how Evan Pearson will change after this duel.

　But he definitely won't be able to recover in a short time. However, the winner advances, and the loser is eliminated.

　After being reborn from the "graveyard," Evan Pearson eventually returned to the arena of the Holy Mystic Academy.

　As he stepped onto the contestant's platform, he subconsciously glanced at the audience area of ​​the Royal Capital Duel Hall, his eyes revealing an undisguised frustration and confusion; he needed guidance.

　And in the fragmented dueling arena.

　Vito Gold did not stand upright like a victorious hero. With the shattering of "Greatsword of Light - Zoffy," he had lost his support.

　Although the physical injuries have healed somewhat after the duel ended, the depletion of energy and spirit will not disappear.

　He could still feel spasmodic pain all over his body.

　After the mind relaxed, the feedback from the excruciating pain became increasingly unbearable.

　He stood up with his back bent and his hands on his knees, barely able to stand. Surprisingly, no joy immediately appeared on his face.

　He was panting, looking at the arena that had been cleaved in two by the giant sword of light, his mind a chaotic mess of thoughts he himself didn't even know what he was thinking.

　So much so that when Judy appeared behind him, he was genuinely startled—and actually jumped up.

　“Congratulations, congratulations,” Judy said in a very gentle tone. “Ah, thank you,” Witt quickly replied, straightening up slightly. The bloodshot in his eyes had faded, and his pupils had returned to their original color.

　Judy's gaze shifted, and she asked with a smile, "Is this suitable for an interview?" Witt nodded slightly and said, "Yes."

　Judy smiled and snapped her fingers.

　Her magical spirit immediately used a teleportation skill to bring her and Witt to the stage.

　Next up is the winner's interview!

　The contestants' platform at St. Mary's College.

　The moment Witt Gold confirmed the victory, Emma and the others clenched their fists and shouted loudly.

　This victory was also very important for the team. When Emma found out that her opponent was Evan Pearson, she thought that she had no chance of winning this starting match, but unexpectedly, Witt proved to be so brave and won.

　"The Holy Son of the Holy Church doesn't seem very capable."

　—Of course, Emma didn't say that.

　"You can't say that. Evan Pearson is still very formidable. If he had been able to stay calmer at the last minute and use 'Sacred Purity' against 'Holy Court Judgment,' he would definitely have won."

　Duolong subconsciously retorted, though his face was still beaming with surprise.

　"Who are you standing there for?" Anna glared at him fiercely.

　"I knew you were a born rebel!" Angie glared at him fiercely.

　Doron awkwardly touched his face, quickly trying to salvage the situation: "But in the end, wasn't it Vittoria who won? That proves Vittoria is the true hero."

　But as soon as he finished speaking, he noticed that Anna and Angie's gazes had already shifted elsewhere.

　They didn't care who was stronger; winning was all that mattered. Only Dark Dimon seemed to have some mixed feelings at that moment. "Winning... is always a good thing, isn't it?"

　He muttered something to himself and looked up at the podium. Witt Gold was being interviewed.

　The contestants' platform at the Holy Church Mystic Academy.

　After returning to his seat, Evan Pearson stared blankly ahead, lost in thought. With the captain's first match lost, the atmosphere here was bound to be tense.

　The four Knights of the Round Table, who were the main contestants, all had serious expressions and remained silent.

　Only Audrey Joan of Arc offered a simple word of comfort, but that was all.

　It wasn't until Witt stepped onto the stage that Evan Pearson snapped out of his daze and looked up.

　The duel between the "Son of Heroes" and the "Son of Saints" has garnered much attention, and the final result will naturally have a greater impact.

　Judy immediately asked Witt, "How does it feel to win?"

　Without hesitation, Witt replied, "Of course, that's great."

　Judy narrowed her eyes and asked him, "How would you rate your opponent?" Witt was taken aback by her question. After thinking for a while, he slowly shook his head and said, "It's hard to say, but I would like to have another duel with him."

　Judy smiled and said, "That's the best answer." The conversation between the host and the contestant was amplified and carried throughout the venue.

　The previously noisy venue quieted down a bit, and the conversations behind the stage softened considerably. "Would you like to play another round?"

　Evan Pearson repeated Witt's words, clenching his fist tightly.

　"What's there to be discouraged about? We can win it back next time." This time it was "Fighting Spirit Knight" Glastis Salome who spoke, patting Evan Pearson on the shoulder with a little more force.

　"Ouch!" Evan Pearson cried out in pain, his body tilting to the side. "Ah, it's just one game lost. What's wrong with everyone?" "Radiant Knight" Lanmayate McCarthy finally found a chance to speak.

　“That’s right, we’ll get back at them next time,” said Hadris Whitney, the “Holy Knight.” “Leave the rest to us.”

　As the Knights of the Round Table chatted amongst themselves, the atmosphere among the contestants of the Holy Mystic Academy finally improved.

　It was even better than at the beginning.

　"Saint" Audrey Joan pursed her lips, a hint of a smile appearing on her face. Only Justin Wayne, in the corner, remained intently watching his former classmate on the stage.

　The defeat in their first battle had a significant impact on the Holy Mystic Academy. However, they were not an easy team to defeat.

　However, both Archbishop Calenoris and Pope Sith, who was watching from the dueling arena in the capital, had grim expressions, clearly extremely dissatisfied with the "Son's" defeat.

　"Your Holiness, what are you thinking?" A slow, deliberate question suddenly came from the Pope's ear.

　The words sounded polite, but there was an unsettling undertone to them. His Holiness the Pope frowned, instantly changing his expression, but his tone remained unpleasant: "Nothing, I just feel that this generation of Holy Sons isn't devout enough."

　Arvit blinked and said gently, "Then let's send him to the monastery."

　The Pope's expression stiffened, and after a long pause, he said, "That's not necessary. I'll teach him a lesson after this competition is over."

　"Pfft." King Austin chuckled deliberately, but quickly straightened his face and said, "Speaking of which, I think I saw an arrest warrant for some escaped convict in a newspaper a while ago..."

　Pope Sith's face darkened again, and he said, "Which important prisoner is it that His Majesty the King is so concerned about?"

　The attack on Basilia Prison and the escape of Olivia Brad, Hephaestus, and Doragon happened a year ago. How could it possibly be in the newspapers "recently"?

　Didn't you see that Olivia went to the "Magic Alliance" meeting?

　Standing on the side of the Holy Church, they had long since tacitly accepted Olivia and Hephaestus's escape and abandoned the pursuit, so naturally they didn't want anyone to mention it.

　Just now, Vitgold's open use of the vampire's abilities in the dueling arena did make him somewhat embarrassed.

　But shouldn't communication between people be based on mutual understanding? Can't we just avoid trying to find a loophole?

　While Pope Sith was furious at King Austin's ky, Olivia Brad herself was celebrating with Hephaestus and Drogon with great excitement.

　Ever since she became best friends with Hephaestus, she could only sit next to Hephaestus and listen to her boast about how amazing her daughter was. Meanwhile, her proud son struggled to win a single important duel.

　Although she didn't often show this sense of loss, it was always hidden in her heart.

　At this moment, she could finally vent all her pent-up frustration.

　As she was celebrating, she threw herself into Hephaestus's arms, tears welling up in her eyes.

　Hephaestus smiled helplessly and patted her back gently, as if coaxing a child.

　As a mother, I can endure any hardship for the sake of my child.

　But seeing her child finally succeed, she couldn't help but let the tears she had swallowed while suffering flow down her face.

　She felt a certain degree of empathy.

　The autumn breeze is not cold, and the warm sun still shines.

　The game continues.

　The contestants from St. Mary's College are in the middle of the stage.

　Dark and the others have already begun discussing who will be their next duel opponent.

　"Witt's victory gives us a lot of room for error, especially since he beat the Holy Son. But we still cannot let our guard down."

　Emma re-entered serious mode and spoke.

　"The true trump card of the Holy Mystic Academy is 'Saintess' Audrey Jeanne, and her strength remains a mystery."

　“Audrey Joan,” Sarah said, “since she inherited Joan’s name, she theoretically inherited the abilities of the ‘War Saintess.’ If she also gained the approval of Ares, the God of War, and could summon the spirit of Ares to possess her, then…”

　At this point, she couldn't help but look up at Dark.

　If Audrey Joan of Arc could summon the spirit of the God of War to possess her, then it would be virtually impossible for any of them to defeat her.

　However, she was also unsure of Dark's true strength, so she could only ask Dark himself.

　Before she could ask the question, Emma interjected, "That's very likely. But judging from the previous duels, even Evan Pearson, the 'Holy Son,' isn't a saint yet."

　It's possible that Audrey Hepburn, despite being called a "Saint," wasn't actually "Joan of Arc." Of course, we shouldn't be overly optimistic.

　“She is already Joan of Arc,” Darke suddenly said.

　Emma frowned and scolded, "If you knew, why didn't you say so sooner?" But then she muttered to herself, "Is it because saying so wouldn't have made a difference? If Audrey is already 'Joan of Arc,' even if you go, you can't guarantee victory. So, given the current situation, it's best for us to win three more duels against the four Knights of the Round Table. That way, we can bypass 'Joan of Arc' and end the competition directly. Now, let's guess who they will send as their second fighter after the captain's first defeat."

　“If we want to boost morale, perhaps it’s the ‘Fighting Spirit Knights’,” Doron said, expressing his fondness for the fighting spirit of the “Fighting Spirit Knights.”

　“What good is morale if you can win?” Sarah said. “They will definitely send their strongest knights, the ones with the best chance of winning! So I have an idea.”

　Emma asked, "How so?"

　Sarah looked at Dark again and said slowly, "Since they can field their captain in the starting lineup, why can't we field our captain in the second game?"

　Emma listened and immediately began to think: "You're right. If Dark plays in the second game, he should be able to score points consistently. After that, they'll be left with three weaker paladins, and we just need to win two of those games..."

　But as Emma was analyzing the situation seriously, Aurora suddenly spoke up, "Let me do it."

　Emma looked up at her.

　Aurora stated clearly, "I'll take the second round." At this moment...

　Wittgold was just returning to the player's stand.

　The debriefing is over; time for countermeasures. On stage for the contestants from the Holy Church Mystic Ritual Academy.

　Although Evan Pearson has not fully recovered, he has resumed his duties as captain.

　After his unfortunate defeat, the team's player lineup arrangement suddenly became even more difficult.

　But after some discussion, apart from Audrey Joan of Arc remaining an outsider, the other four Knights of the Round Table were willing to participate.

　"Soul Knight" Glassi's voice was the loudest. But "Radiant Knight" Lanmayate's voice was more convincing. As of now, they were inclined to send out "Radiant Knight" Lanmayate, who possessed the strongest power.

　However, during the time for devising a strategy, after a thorough analysis by "Art Knight" Trinsnafeld, they changed their minds.

　[Not finished writing, refresh the content page at 7 PM]

Chapter 1222 A Blazing Soul, A Blood of Frenzied Battle (8.5k views, please vote)

　What the Holy Mystic Academy needs to face most now is the fact that they are already at a disadvantage.