The Strongest Student of the Weakest Academy - Chapter 87

Chapter 87: Interlude: Snow Festival (IV)
“Hello, ladies and gentlemen!”

The announcer’s energetic voice boomed across the massive arena, instantly drawing the attention of everyone present.

“And welcome to the first event of today’s Snow Festival—MANA FOOTBAAAALL!”

“YEEAAAHHHHHHHHH!”

The crowd erupted in excitement, their cheers echoing through the air. Most of the loudest shouts came from the boys, hyped up beyond reason.

The announcer grinned.

“Now, for those of you who are new, let me explain the rules! It’s simple!”

He cleared his throat before continuing.

“The game is just like regular football, but with magic! Players can use mana or aura to boost their speed, strengthen their kicks, and defend their goal!”

“However, flying magic and long-range spells are NOT allowed! Only body-enhancement magic is permitted due to the injuries from previous games!”

“The first team to score FIVE goals wins!”

“And remember—no direct attacks on other players! If you injure someone on purpose, you’re out!”

The crowd buzzed with excitement as they processed the rules.

“Now… it’s time to announce the teams!”

The announcer’s voice grew even louder.

“A total of 150 students have signed up, which means we have the perfect setup for a 75 versus 75 match!”

“WOOOOOOOAAAAAHHHH!”

The crowd roared once again.

And then—

A figure suddenly soared into the sky.

FWOOOSH!

The moment the students and spectators saw who it was, they all reacted at once—

“HEADMISTRESS!!”

Their voices rang out in admiration.

High above, Eleonora floated effortlessly in the air, gazing down at the field with a small smile on her lips.

Then, with a single graceful motion—

FWOOOP!

The entire arena transformed.

The flat, open space rippled as if reality itself was shifting. In the blink of an eye, an enormous football field materialized in the center of the arena.

It was no ordinary field.

It was MASSIVE—at least five times the size of a regular one!

The crowd gasped in awe.

Eleonora lowered her hand, satisfied with the transformation.

“Now that the field is ready…” the announcer continued, his voice filled with excitement.

“All 150 players will now be teleported to a random team and given a random position!”

FWIP!

FWIP!

One by one, students began appearing on the massive field, their expressions ranging from excited to nervous.

The atmosphere grew tense as the announcer gave his final instructions.

“Alright, players! The match will begin as soon as the whistle blows!”

“Remember! If you hurt another player, you’ll be DISQUALIFIED!”

“So play fair and give it your all!”

With that, the announcer took a deep breath—

Then—

FWEEEEEEEEEEEET!!

The sharp sound of the whistle echoed through the massive arena.

In an instant, the game had begun!

On the right side stood the White Team and on the left side stood the Gold Team.

Fwip!

The mana-enhanced ball shot into the air from the center of the field, glowing faintly with magic.

Players from both teams immediately rushed forward, their bodies surging with mana as the match kicked off at a blistering pace.

BOOM!

Lucas was the first to react.

His golden hair shimmered under the arena lights as he blasted forward, his legs glowing with golden mana.

He leaped into the air with one smooth motion, his foot slamming into the ball with immense force.

WHOOOOSH!

The ball shot through the air like a cannonball, heading straight toward White Team’s side.

‘Ah… already?’

Stretching himself slightly, Aestrea who had been positioned as one of the defenders, focused his eyes on the ball.

The impact of Lucas’s kick alone was enough to send weaker players tumbling.

Aestrea braced himself slightly.

He could hear the footsteps of his teammates shifting into position.

“Left!” he called out sharply.

But as he looked at the teammates around him, he noticed their hateful gazes, and amongst them, there was Telmo.

Ella’s simp.

And of course, instead of moving left, Telmo charged forward on his own, his blue mana flaring around him.

“Tsk…” Aestrea clicked his tongue.

‘Fucking idiot…’

Lucas’s shot was coming in fast, and with Telmo out of position, the left flank was completely exposed!

Aestrea had no choice.

FWOOSH!

With a burst of icy mana, he dashed left, snow kicking up beneath his feet.

The ball was seconds away from breaking through.

Aestrea didn’t hesitate—his right leg swung forward, intercepting the ball with an ice-infused kick.

BANG!

The ball shuddered mid-air, the impact sending a shockwave through the field.

For a split second, the ball hung between Aestrea and Lucas’s energy—a battle of strength.

Then—

BOOM!

The ball rebounded toward the midfield and redirected away from the goal.

The crowd erupted.

“WHOOOAAAAA!!”

Aestrea landed smoothly, his breath visible in the cold air.

But before he could relax—

BAM!

A streak of red mana flashed past him.

“Tch. You got lucky, Aestrea.”

Prince Leon.

His golden eyes burned with hostility as he sprinted toward the ball, his movements sharp and aggressive.

His golden jersey fluttered as his mana pulsed dangerously around him.

“I won’t let you get past me.”

Leon smirked.

“Hah…” Aestrea scoffed slightly.

“You still haven’t learned anything, did you?”

WHOOOSH!

Ignoring Aestrea’s words, Leon exploded forward, his red mana surging around him like crackling fire.

His foot met the ball in an instant, sending it racing down the field like a comet.

Aestrea didn’t hesitate.

With a sharp exhale, he sprinted alongside Leon, his ice mana swirling around his feet.

His eyes locked onto the ball—it was still bouncing, meaning he had a chance to intercept it before Leon could set up a clean shot!

FWIP!

Aestrea’s body tilted to the side as he lunged forward, his right foot stretching out to block the ball—

BAM!

Leon saw it coming.

He twisted his body mid-run, his knee coming up in a sharp feint before pushing the ball right with the outside of his foot.

“Damn it—!”

Aestrea barely stopped himself from over-committing, his boots skidding against the icy field.

Leon was quite fast

The crowd roared as Leon’s dazzling footwork sent the ball closer to the White Team’s goal.

“GO, LEON! BREAK THROUGH!!”

Aestrea had no time to think.

FWOOSH!

Instead of chasing after Leon directly, he sidestepped, cutting off the most direct route to the goal.

If Leon wanted to advance, he’d have to face him head-on.

Leon grinned.

“You think you can stop me, huh?”

“Try me.” Aestrea’s voice was cold.

Leon accepted the challenge.

BOOM!

Mana exploded from his body as he kicked the ball forward, sending it straight toward Aestrea—

No—

It was a feint!

At the last second, Leon dashed left, his body flickering like a mirage.

Aestrea’s eyes sharpened slightly.

He infused mana into his eyes.

After all, this was also some kind of body enhancement.

And if he couldn’t use his Judgement Eye because it was a skill, he could still use this kind of “Mana Vision”.

Everything slowed down for a moment.

Aestrea saw it—the tiny shift in Leon’s balance, the subtle bend in his knees.

He wasn’t shooting.

He was planning to break past him.

“Too slow, Little Leon.”

Aestrea moved first.

FWOOOSH!

The moment Leon attempted to cut past him, Aestrea’s right foot swung forward, tapping the ball just enough to make it roll away from Leon’s reach.

“What—?!”

Leon’s movement was interrupted.

Aestrea didn’t waste a second.

With a flick of his ankle, he flicked the ball upward, then spun his body—

BOOM!

He launched a long-range pass across the field.

“Hah—!”

Alaine, watching from the spectator stands, gasped.

Aestrea’s pass was perfect.

The ball soared over the heads of several Gold Team players, cutting across the sky like a frozen meteor.

On the other side of the field, a White Team forward jumped up, his mana blazing around him.

BAM!

He intercepted the pass with a powerful header, redirecting it toward the Gold Team’s goal—

“COUNTERATTACK!!!”

The crowd erupted.

The White Team’s forward, a bulky third-year named Grant, sprinted at full speed, his mana flaring around his legs.

His eyes burned with determination—this was a chance to score!

But then—

BANG!

A golden blur rushed forward.

Lucas.

The “Hero of Light”.

“Not so fast.”

His voice rang with confidence as he launched himself forward, his entire body glowing with golden mana.

The moment the ball bounced off the ground—

BOOM!

Lucas intercepted it with a precise kick, stopping its momentum in an instant.

“DAMN IT!” Grant cursed, trying to close the distance.

But Lucas was already moving.

His movements were smooth—too smooth. He was like a professional, dribbling the ball effortlessly as if he were born for this game.

“Hero Lucas takes the ball! Look at that flawless control!”

The crowd roared.

“GO, LUCAS!”

“SHOW THEM WHY YOU’RE THE HERO!!”

FWOOOSH!

Lucas sped forward, weaving past two defenders in an instant. His golden mana made it almost impossible to see his feet.

And now, he was directly heading towards Aestrea.

“Ah… really?”

Seeing the opportunity, Aestrea dashed forward.

BOOM!

Lucas grinned upon seeing him.

“You’re in my way, Aestrea!”

The moment Aestrea lunged at him—

Lucas faked left.

‘A feint?’

Aestrea didn’t fall for it.

“Too obvious.”

Lucas tried to cut right—but Aestrea was already there.

“What?!”

Aestrea’s foot shot out, blocking Lucas’s dribble and knocking the ball loose.

The crowd gasped!

“AESTREA BLOCKED HIM?!”

Lucas clicked his tongue.

“Not bad.”

But he wasn’t done.

In one fluid motion, he spun his body, his golden mana surging as he tried to pass the ball to one of his teammates—

BANG!

Aestrea kicked it away first.

The ball flew across the field again, heading toward the White Team’s strikers!

“ANOTHER COUNTERATTACK!!”

The stadium shook with excitement.

The ball soared high into the sky, spinning rapidly as it arched toward the White Team’s forward.

“I GOT IT!”

A tall, muscular student from the White Team, Derek, jumped up, his body twisting mid-air.

His eyes locked onto the ball as he prepared to smash it toward the goal—

But then—

BAM!

A powerful force crashed into him.

“GAAH—!”

He was blasted backward, tumbling across the field as the ball was stolen mid-air by a single figure.

A golden-haired young man landed gracefully, the ball at his feet.

Prince Leon.

His sharp golden eyes burned with arrogance, and his lips curled in a smirk.

“Weak.”

The crowd exploded with cheers.

“PRINCE LEON!!!”

“SHOW THEM WHO THE REAL KING IS!!”

Leon flicked his hair back, his red aura shimmering in the cold air.

He turned his gaze toward Aestrea who was very far from his.

And his smirk widened.

“What’s wrong, peasant?”

Aestrea’s eye twitched.

Fwoop!

In just a matter of seconds, Leon slowly reached Aestrea, passing through the many white team’s players with ease.

Then, he kicked the ball forward, so he could get a huge rundown.

But Aestrea was faster.

BOOM!

The two collided.

Aestrea’s foot slammed against the ball, stopping it.

“Damn it!!” Leon clicked his tongue.

“Annoying.”

Aestrea didn’t respond.

He just pressed forward.

“HAAAH!!”

Leon sent a burst of mana into his legs, increasing his speed.

He flicked the ball left—

Aestrea followed.

He flicked right.

Aestrea still followed.

“DAMN YOU!”

Leon gritted his teeth.

With a snarl, he twisted his body, aiming for a powerful shot—

But Aestrea saw through it.

FWOOSH!

Just as Leon’s foot connected with the ball, Aestrea’s own foot intercepted it mid-kick—

“What?!”

CRACK!

A thin layer of ice suddenly spread from Aestrea’s foot, covering the ground beneath Leon.

“Tch—!”

Leon’s balance wavered.

“NO YOU DON’T!”

Leon pushed off the ice, trying to recover—

But it was too late.

Aestrea kicked the ball away, launching it toward the White Team’s forwards!

The crowd erupted!

“HE DID IT AGAIN!”

Leon staggered backward, his face red with anger.

His eyes burned with rage as he glared at Aestrea.

“YOU… DAMN… PEASANT!”

Aestrea smirked.

“Try harder next time, Prince.”

Leon’s mana flared.

Immediately, he turned on his heel and rushed towards the ball once again!

The ball rocketed across the massive field, streaking like a comet toward the White Team’s forwards.

The entire crowd was on the edge of their seats, their excited roars blending into the icy air.

“Go! GO!!”

But behind them—

Leon was seething.

His fists clenched, veins bulging in his arms.

His red aura flared, flickering like wildfire as he glared at Aestrea.

This… damn… PEASANT.

Not once. Not twice.

But THREE TIMES.

Three times Aestrea had humiliated him in front of thousands.

And now?

It was happening AGAIN.

“Leon, focus!”

Lucas, appearing right beside him, warned him.

Leon gritted his teeth.

“Shut up.”

Lucas frowned at him.

“The match isn’t over. The White Team is pushing forward. If we let our guard down—”

“I SAID SHUT UP!”

Leon’s aura flared violently.

A crackle of red mana surged from his body, briefly distorting the air around him.

Lucas’s expression hardened.

“Leon.” His tone was colder now.

“Don’t let your emotions control you.”

Leon let out a slow breath.

His eyes flickered toward Aestrea.

His greatest rival.

His greatest humiliation.

Then toward Lucas.

The one person he refused to lose against.

A moment of silence passed.

Then—

Leon let out a slow chuckle.

A twisted, bitter one.

“Fine.”

He rolled his shoulders, stretching his neck. His mana slowly settled.

But his eyes still burned.

“Let’s crush them.”

Lucas nodded, and both of them rushed towards the ball.