Dialing his communicator, Clifford said, "Dad, book me a box ticket for the next round. What? They're sold out? Then just pay whatever it takes. My friend made it into the next round, I have to go and support him!"
After ending the call, the other three turned to him.
Otwin asked, "Well? Did you get them?"
"It should be fine," Clifford replied confidently. "My dad was hesitant at first, but once he heard it was Sebastian's match, he agreed immediately."
"Should we head to Sebastian's place and celebrate?" Jane suggested.
"No need." Clifford shook his head. "The tournament kicks off in three days, and time's tight. Better to let him focus and get fully prepared."
Once the group stage ended, each participant was teleported back to their original location. Sebastian returned to his villa and let out a faint sigh. He opened his communicator, and unsurprisingly, it was packed with messages and missed calls as he had turned it off during the competition. Most of the messages were from friends, teachers, and some unfamiliar contacts. Sebastian skimmed a few, mostly congratulations. He replied briefly to Prokopy and Clifford, then turned it off again. It was time to focus on preparing for the elimination rounds.
"Based on what I saw in the group stage, HEIAP rounds won't cut it anymore." Sebastian rubbed his chin. "The ammunition is already maxed out; there's no more room to improve performance. It's time to start shifting to next-gen weaponry."
He understood this was the ceiling of conventional gunpowder. The projectiles depended on chemical propulsion, and at current tech levels, muzzle velocity had hit a plateau. Further gains would be marginal at best. Real breakthroughs required a fundamental change.
Fortunately, the Astra Militarum had anticipated this long ago. They'd been developing alternative weapons systems for decades, and some were nearly combat-ready. But the main bottleneck was energy: the new systems needed vast amounts of electrical power.
Right now, battery technology could only power the new weapons for five shots before running dry, and recharging took too long to be practical in combat. While graphene-based advances were on the horizon, real breakthroughs were still years away.
That left a problem. Which is why the Astra Militarum still relied heavily on missiles. As a last resort, saturation bombardments worked, but not sustainably. Once enemies were scattered, precision dropped off sharply, and each missile might only eliminate a single target.
"But there'll be millions of opponents in the next round," Sebastian mused. "Do we need to fire off a million missiles?"
That wouldn't just be wasteful, it would also become ineffective. The deeper into the tournament, the stronger the competition. Missiles alone wouldn't guarantee victory.
"The real issue is power supply..." His thoughts paused, then a spark lit up his mind.
He immediately entered his awakening space and turned his attention to the Third Continent, specifically, to the mischievous, electricity-spewing Pikachu. There, he watched two Pikachu unleash bursts of electricity, shattering a boulder. His eyes lit up.
After decades of rapid reproduction, the Pikachu population had grown into the millions, spreading across half the region. Like rodents, they bred quickly, with each generation stronger than the last. Sebastian still remembered the weak, flickering sparks of the first generation; now, they packed serious voltage.
"Could this actually work?" he muttered, pondering the idea.
He decided to try. Using his authority as a Planetary Lord, Sebastian sent a mental pulse across the continent, a wave carrying his will.
Across the Pikachu colony, they suddenly paused. One by one, they raised their heads and blinked at the sky, unsure of where the signal came from, but understanding its meaning instinctively. A great battle was coming. The humans needed their aid.
"Humans?" One Pikachu tilted its head, puzzled.
Back in the Imperium, at the Star House, Sebastian left a single line of text.
"Hm? There's a unique electric creature on the Third Continent?" Lando, Margaret Thatcher, and Coleman widened their eyes. The Imperium had discovered the continent long ago, but war had kept them from exploring it fully.
"That's clearly a hint." Lando's eyes gleamed. "If this pans out, it could solve our power supply issue, at least temporarily!"
None of the High Council of Terra members questioned the message. After a brief discussion, they dispatched a team led personally by Lando to retrieve a batch of Pikachu.
"There shouldn't be any problems," Sebastian reassured himself.
Still, to be safe, he consulted the system. The answer calmed him. With three days until the elimination round, he adjusted his personal time flow, stretching the next three days into a subjective year. Lando's mission went smoothly. The Pikachu were cooperative, and integration began at once.
Three days passed in a flash.
Sebastian and the Astra Militarum were ready.
Unlike the group stage, this round would be broadcast live, with tickets sold to the public. Spectators could attend in person, watching from vantage points high above the battlefield.
Every major power tuned in. Unlike the chaotic, crowded group stage, the elimination round featured elite contestants, the top of the Level 2 Planetary Lords. This was where things got serious.
Just like before, the match began at 8 PM. The venue was already buzzing. Support teams had bought up massive ticket batches to cheer their champions.
Hope's Peak Academy was no exception. Despite having only ten qualified contestants this year, their supporters had swarmed the arena. Tickets had sold out long ago, with some reselling at multiples of the original price through private channels.
According to the rules, contestants had to arrive an hour early. Sebastian, like the others, stepped onto the stage, fully prepared for the fight ahead.