The Golem Mage Chapter 1069: He Is Back 4.

“Yes!!!” The fans burst into thunderous cheers, declaring their eagerness to witness the mages step forth, all of them pressing the judge to hasten his address and call forth the competitors so the clash could commence without further delay.

“However!” After uttering this, he halted, lifting a single hand skyward to hush the audience, leaving them puzzled over what condition had sparked this sudden “however.”

“For this round of the loser’s bracket match, a fresh regulation has been introduced, owing to the rising strengths shown by mages in previous loser’s contests, we've resolved that the initial change will be to free them from a solitary platform. At present, the whole terrain serves as the battlefield.”

Having hovered just above the earth, the judge spoke these words prior to lowering himself down, letting his boots meet the platform's surface.

With that action, the platform started to alter, seemingly squeezed into the depths, while its dark brick expanse expanded rapidly, swiftly covering the full floor area.

To those observing from the spectator seats, it looked like an enormous, round black combat zone extended clear to the three open tunnel gateways reserved for this event, those passages kept ajar to let the three involved academies enter via distinct routes.

This arrangement ensured they avoided early confrontations or even glimpses of one another prior to the start of combat.

“Yeah!” Reacting to this enchanting display they'd beheld, the audience roared with even greater fervor, convinced that this broadened combat area would render the showdown far more savage and enthralling.

And the reason was clear: they recognized this updated layout removed any chance of triumph just by shoving an opponent off the platform.

At this point, victory demanded a total knockout—rendering the rival mage utterly unconscious—though while numerous spectators viewed this as a way to heighten the excitement, those detecting foul play suspected it was the Northern Kingdom’s monarch meddling covertly.

Since although the altered rules stopped mages from quick elimination via expulsion from the combat zone, it likewise trapped weaker ones without simple retreat by dismounting.

Without limits in place, they'd need to withstand blows and assaults to be deemed defeated; should a frail squad meet one that rapidly overpowered them, it might still be tolerable.

Yet if they faced a squad that preferred to prolong the torment for amusement, no aid could come if surrender proved impossible, and given the widespread opinion that the War God Mage Academy ranked as the feeblest, it was no shock that certain individuals saw this setup as tailored to undermine them.

Once this murmur circulated, the dean's and Old Man Alderic's immediate response was to look upward at the Northern King’s perch, where his overt grin greeted them, making it obvious to all that he was once more orchestrating from the shadows.

Nevertheless, amid these schemes unfolding, they held firm that superior might would shatter every scheme.

“Thus, let us summon the members of the initial academy to enter this revamped combat zone: heading the Shinsei Academy squad, Captain Hoshino Ren!” The judge started proclaiming the names of the combatants in the fray.

Upon hearing the opening name, shock rippled through much of the throng, as no updates on Hoshino Ren had surfaced since his grueling bout against the Ember Citadel squad the prior day.

All along, folks had assumed his absence from the event, yet with the judge voicing his name and him striding from the indicated tunnel first, realization hit them swiftly that he was indeed competing.

In that instant, he appeared fully recovered to their eyes, showing no trace of weariness or concealed agony in his expression.

Right away, whispers flew that Shinsei Academy's healers had likely toiled through an intense effort, channeling rare materials to revive him to prime form ahead of this showdown, or maybe he'd consumed top-tier recovery elixirs.

Regardless of the scenario pondered, it invariably led to the same conclusion: the immense resources Shinsei Academy had poured in to enable this.

“Next comes Takeda Shun, the vice captain; Aoyama Kiri; Mizuno Rei; and Kagura Yato.” After permitting the full Eastern audience to erupt in frenzy for their champion's return, Ren, the judge pressed forward without delay.

One after another, he revealed the remaining Shinsei Academy roster, and with every declaration, supporters in the Eastern Kingdom's area leaped to their feet, yelling the names in return and amplifying the judge's calls.

This built a wave of encouragement for the spellcasters stepping from the passages as their identities echoed around.

With the quintet fully present, the Eastern side exploded into chaos, the competitors saluted them with waves, a few even sending air kisses, while they limbered up awaiting the judge's following command.

True to form, he allowed sufficient moments for the fans to rally behind their favored academy before elevating his hand aloft again.

“Alright, that's sufficient; now onto the subsequent squad: the Blade clan, commanded by their captain, Kealus Blade, trailed by the vice captain, Aeron Blade.” The judge declared, holding brief after naming those two as they appeared from their dedicated passage.

In that juncture, the Central Kingdom's casters unleashed their own deafening support, even though they resented the Blade clan's apparent discord, they couldn't restrain their fiercer shouts—considering the Blade clan was Central's sole entrant to progress this deep, holding genuine promise for more.

Should defeat strike here, Central enthusiasts knew their claims to superiority would vanish.

Moreover, they deemed their group most worthy among rivals: the War God Mage Academy originated from the Northern Kingdom, already boasting a qualified academy; The Bloodline Academy, and the Shinsei Academy stemmed from the Eastern Kingdom, the realm that birthed the School of Silent Night, which had qualified as well and posed as a top pick for overall victory; while the third academy from the Southern Kingdom had been written off already.