Since I still had 69 opponents to defeat, and there were more than a hundred Mid-level mages in the queue, first things first, they had to decide whom to keep and whom to kick out.
The first to leave were those who couldn't use Mid-level magic. That's almost thirty people. Among them were the trio of clan Mid-level mages from the first-years.
Earlier, I had been slightly mistaken in my conclusions, and even the third mage from their clan posse hadn't connected all the stars of his element despite a stable aura. I keep forgetting that even in this world, where death lurks around every corner, there are slackers.
In the end, from the first-years, only Mo Fan remained to face me. And even him, they wanted to kick out so he wouldn't get in the way of the experienced mages.
But the guy demonstrated a rare lightning element at Mid-level and said he could cast that magic quite quickly. After that, several forming teams immediately wanted him as their main attacker.
Even after thirty mages left, there were still fifteen more people than needed. Now, they began excluding mages with too slow spell-casting and more unnecessary elements.
For example, there were more Mid-level wind mages than required. Two such in a team weren't needed, and once the most promising ones were taken, the rest were forced to retreat back to the spectator seats.
So, with shouts, curses, and all sorts of Chinese profanity, thirteen teams of five mages and one team of four were formed. It took a full forty minutes—I even got a bit bored.
The first team to enter the cage against me was the four-person one, as the weakest due to fewer numbers. Also, my fight with them would allow the others to gauge my strength.
According to the general plan, the teams' strength would gradually increase, while I would weaken over time. Accordingly, at the end, the strongest and freshest team would face me, exhausted. If I didn't collapse earlier.
The four-person team had one earth-element mage, one wind, one water, and one fire. None of them had a Spiritual Seed. Hell, none of the students here had one. Even clans rarely give such a gift to freshly broken-through Mid-level mages.
Noticing how the mages formed an attacking square, spaced somewhat apart, I decided to splurge a bit on a fourth-tier Basic-level ice-element spell.
With the power of my Spiritual Seed, it would be almost equal in strength to Mid-level magic. If I couldn't hit them one by one with three simultaneous spells, I'd just blast an area one. No way they'd break out of my icy shackles without artifacts.
I decided not to release Pikachu or Bula yet. I had to frame the situation as if, even without my summoned beasts, I'd freeze them all into icebergs. That way, my reputation would rise even higher.
When the signal to start the fight sounded, my spell flew into the center of my opponents' formation, instantly encasing them in icy shackles and covering a significant section of the arena with ice.
The new judge looked at me with condemnation and resignation. He finally realized what a headache he'd signed up for by replacing his colleague. Next time, of course, he'd manage to put up a shield to protect my opponents, now that he knew the area of effect of my spell.
But unlike the students, as a teacher, he had read my personal file and knew that, unlike him, I could cast three such spells simultaneously—and then he'd be screwed protecting them if they stood in different places. I love Heidi's talent.
While the ice sculptures were being cleared from the arena, my future opponents in the queue stood with somewhat lost expressions. But they hadn't despaired yet—after Director Xiao's instructions, the students had come up with numerous tactics, and different teams would try them on me in turn until they found the winning one.
But I shattered their hopes again and again. Team after team, no matter what tactics they used, no matter how far they spread out, my spells always hit them and encased them in ice.
When the number on the information board changed to 190, and only ten people remained in the queue, the team with Mo Fan as the main attacker finally took the stage.
If the guy had demonstrated both of his Mid-level elements, he could easily have taken a spot in the main team or even led it, but as usual, he's hiding. Not my place to judge him—I'm the same.
Deciding it was finally time, I addressed my opponents:
"Since my fellow countryman is among you, my conscience simply won't let me take you out like the rest of the trash. I think it's time to finally release my summoning monster." As soon as I said that, confusion flashed in the eyes of everyone in the hall, followed by realization hitting their brains like a hammer—this damn monster from the Summoning faculty!
Funny how they all forgot that fact while planning their victory over me, but I couldn't blame them. Summoners usually take great pride in their status and show off their summoned creatures at every opportunity.
Since I hadn't summoned anyone yet, they could well have thought my summoning monster was weak, or didn't exist at all. Sorry to disappoint them, but I'd have to.
"Bula, I choose you!" In the silvery glow of the summoning element, a cute water blob appeared next to me, with a face like it was drawn with a marker.
Everyone stared at Bula in bewilderment—he didn't look threatening at all and emitted no aura. My opponents' team even thought I was mocking them and began huffing angrily as a group. Only Mo Fan, knowing my character a bit, glanced warily at Bula.
And rightly so—if the students had looked at the teachers and judge, they'd have seen them frowning, some even rising in shock.
Not every day do they see a summoning creature at the High Pack Leader level from such a young mage. The most knowledgeable, like Director Xiao, even recognized Bula as an elemental being.
After the signal from the resigned judge, who knew he wouldn't get to do his job again, before my opponents could even think, a monstrous wave of water engulfed them—width across the entire arena and height to its ceiling.
Once inside the wave, each of my opponents was trapped in a water prison—a sphere of water with the mage inside.
Since the water pressed on them just enough to immobilize them and seeped through every orifice inside, not letting them breathe, it was no surprise the judge awarded them a technical defeat.
After I asked Bula to dispel the water prisons, Mo Fan's team left without looking back. Only he turned around and looked at Bula with stars in his eyes.
Apparently, he wants a summon like that. Sorry, Mo Fan—I've already decided to help Ai Tutu awaken summoning with the next element. Your flame fairy will belong to my cute little sun bunny. No hard feelings.
The number on the board changed to 195, and the last team entered the arena on unsteady legs. Pride wouldn't let them surrender, so they decided to just get it over with quickly.
In their opinion, hanging in a water orb was better than thawing out from an ice block later. Naive! I'd already decided to end this event on a grand note!
I nod to Bula and send him my order via spiritual link: "Blast with all your might, just don't injure the people in front of you. The Director Xiao will save the rest if needed. Your task—breach the arena walls and flood the spectators with water. Let them all get 'soaked' in our awesomeness!"
After the judge's signal, Bula, bubbling happily, concentrated his magic and, as I ordered, blasted with full force!
The walls of the arena's glass cube nearly instantly shattered, sending massive waves of water at the spectators. As they were all swept toward the exit, I made out one of the shouts reaching me:
"Fucking matryoshka!"
Interesting. So they've already come up with a title for me? My Russian side from my first life likes it, of course, but I thought for my actions today in clearing out and flushing the trash, they'd call me something like "Cleaner" or "Natural Selection."
I'm even curious what title will stick to me in the end.