At the end of the day, all these students were their opponents too and the duo didn''t know when they could betray them. It was better to avoid everyone who was theirpetitor before the tournament ended.


    Sophia and Lucas, though disappointed, understood N''s stance and nodded their eptance. They knew better than anyone that Rio was stubborn, and cold and was afraid of getting into his bad books.


    Soon, Rio and N made their way out of the battle sites, going further from their schoolmates. They were going to rest for a while in the wonderous forest realm before going to hunt again.


    Seventeen days passed...


    The Grand hall was adorned with gs of the participating military schools, a sea of colors symbolizing the diversity of the different cities.


    A red carpet wasid out, leading to the stage, where arge backdrop proudly disyed the tournament logo and the names of thepeting schools.


    Uniformed cadets, who had already graduated, marched down the carpet, their eyes focused on the stage where the high-levelmanders and generals were seated among government officials.


    The band yed ceremonial music, creating a sense of excitement among the audience.


    The hall was filled with an air of bright expectation as the students of the different military schools awaited the announcement of this year''s tournament winner. The federation had only invited those who ranked in the top twenty and the winning military schools'' headmasters.


    The judges and officials sat on a raised tform at the front of the room, and the students were seated below them in rows, each team eager to hear the final results.


    N was sitting with Sophia and Lucas among the Golden Seal Military School teams but there was one person who was nowhere to be seen, Rio.


    Following the opening act of the ceremony, A youngdy in herte twenties stepped up to the podium, her voice reverberating through the hall. "Students of the participating academies, I am pleased to announce the ranking for this year''s national military school tournament for, this year,"


    She paused to create suspense in the hall as her eyes swept to all the students with a mysterious smile.


    "The team that came in fifth ce is Sapphire Storm from the Irond Military School!"


    The members of Sapphire Storm stood up from their seats, their faces beaming with pride as the crowd''s apuse echoed through the grand hall. The light in their eyes showed their happiness in getting a high rank for their Irond military school.


    Last year their military school didn''t even get into the top ten so they were delighted to be in the Top five ranking. There were many schools that participated in this national military school tournament and getting just fifth rank was the same as bringing glory to their school.


    Thedy didn''t stop and continued announcing, "In Fourth ce, we have Emerald Enigma from the Valiant Military School!"


    The team from Valiant Military School also stood up, their cheers filling the air. They were joyous to have achieved the fourth rank, and the sense of camaraderie and teamwork among them was noticeable.<novelnext></novelnext>


    The announcer continued with the rankings. "In the third ce, we have the Crimson ze team from the Thunderbolt Military School!"


    The Crimson ze team''s students of Thunderbolt Military school stood up and received apuse from the audience but they had a disappointed look on their faces as they didn''t get first or second rank this year. Theye secondst year so they weren''t pleased with the oue of this year. Neither did their team win any runner-up position like thest year.


    "The moment we''ve all been waiting for," the hostdy said, her eyes glinting with a hint of mystery.


    "Who will emerge victorious as the winner of this year''s tournament? And who will fall just short of that title as the runner-up? All will be revealed in just a moment, as we announce the names of the top schools and their standout students." She paused for a moment, allowing the tension and mystery to build in the audience.


    A silence fell over the audience, No one knew who had be the winner as most students had hidden their team names when the tournament was nearing its end.


    Only the members of the top two teams knew where they stood in the final standings. The rest of the audience could only guess and specte, adding to the suspense of the moment.


    "May I have the honor of inviting the distinguished retired General Stevenson to announce the victors of this year''s tournament and present them with the coveted winners'' trophy?" Thedy''s voice sounded across the grand hall, as she gracefully stepped away from the podium.


    A hush fell over the crowd as an old man stood up from his seat, who was sitting with officials. The old man''s face was weathered and lined with age, with deep wrinkles etched into his forehead and around his eyes. His eyes were a piercing blue, sharp and keen as if he could see right through the students. His hair was a mix of gray and white, cropped short and neat around his ears.


    He wore a simple navy suit with a crisp white shirt and a red tie, but there was an air of authority and strength about him thatmanded respect. His broad shoulders and tall stature, and the way he held himself with such poise and confidence left no doubt that he was a man of great power and influence.


    The old man''s hand moved as he retrieved the golden envelope from his coat pocket. With a calm manner, he opened it and scanned the contents inside.


    A flicker of surprise crossed his face, but he quicklyposed himself, tucking the envelope back into his pocket. His gaze swept over the audience of young cadets, stopping abruptly on one person.


    ________________________________


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    Edited By: TheWhiteSnow