Aetheric Chronicles: Reborn As An Extra

(Say I Quit This Match)

'!'

Adrian's mind was suddenly invaded by the authoritative voice again, more clear and demanding this time.

'What?' Adrian was momentarily stunned but quickly regained his composure. The sudden intrusion of the Dream Stalker's voice threw him off balance, but he tried to understand the situation. 'Does that psycho want to meet in the team battle and not in the individual battle? What should I do?'

As Adrian struggled with his decision, his eyes met Aria's and then turned to the judge. While Aria's purple eyes glowed slightly, and a calm determination and a unique feeling behind them.

"I... I..." Adrian's voice wavered, neither loud nor soft. He knew he couldn't abandon all the preparations and strategies he had put in place. Exposing the Dream Stalker was more important than this event. "I qui—"

"I forfeit."

"Eh?"

Adrian looked at Aria, stunned by her sudden announcement. The entire arena fell silent, the crowd holding its breath in shock. They had all thought that it was Adrian who had a problem and was likely to forfeit, but Aria's unexpected decision left everyone bewildered.

The judge hesitated, clearly uncertain of what had just transpired. He looked at Aria for confirmation, his face a mix of concern and confusion.

"I forfeit," Aria repeated calmly, her voice unwavering.

The judge, still hesitant, finally nodded and announced the end of the match. "The winner, by forfeit, is Adrian Lighthaven!"

The crowd erupted into a mixture of cheers and confused murmurs, unable to comprehend what had just happened. Aria walked towards Adrian, her expression serene. As she passed him, she said, "Your attack was really impressive. Thanks for sparing me."

Adrian's eyes widened in confusion. He hadn't launched any attack at her, yet Aria's words suggested otherwise. The crowd, overhearing her words, began to murmur more intensely, trying to piece together the mysterious event.

The announcers, equally puzzled, started to speculate wildly. "What just happened? Did Adrian use some kind of invisible attack that we couldn't see?" one of them wondered aloud.

"It must have been an incredibly powerful attack if it forced Aria to forfeit. Perhaps Adrian's collapse was a result of the backlash or a side effect of such a move," another suggested.

As Adrian stood there, still processing the events, the misunderstanding had already taken root. The audience and commentators continued to theorize about the mysterious attack that seemingly took Aria to the brink of defeat, causing her to forfeit.

Adrian, amidst the chaos of speculation and confusion, could only watch as Aria left the arena. Her decision to forfeit and her cryptic words had shifted the narrative, leaving everyone—including the real culprit—wondering what had truly happened in those moments.

'...Thanks, Aria... I owe you one.' Adrian finally realized the reason behind Aria's actions. 'But... what will be off the gift then? I won't get it... right?'

'Damn you, you psycho, *****' Adrian cursed inward the Dream Stalker by their true name.

"Student Adrian, you can take your leave, or should I call the healers?" The judge came over and asked. The next match would begin soon so the arena should be free.

"...No, I can leave by myself." Adrian replied 'hoarsely' and stood up and started to leave the arena with silent and slow steps.

"Woah, it seems our guesses were somewhat correct, look at how student Adrian walking, he is clearly exhausted yet still trying to look cool and tough."

"I think he really looks cool, he is... somewhat sweet as well." The female announcer chuckled looking at the departing Adrian. "The Sweet Silent Strategist, sounds good, right?"

"Eh?" The male announcer looked at his coworker, "Ah... I think that was a bit embarrassing nickname, so let's stay with the Silent Strategist."

"Eh! Then, what about Sweet Silent Devil? It sounds more hot and fitting, don't you think?" the female announcer suggested with a playful tone.

"Well, we'll let the audience decide on that one," the male announcer responded with a wry laugh. He didn't want to upset her by saying your naming is cringe. "For now, let's prepare for the next match. This tournament has been full of surprises so far, and I expect nothing less from the upcoming battle."

"Right, the next battle, between the Aurelia and Aurelius, will start in 5 minutes. And, remember, even though their names are similar, they aren't siblings or twins. In fact, I received quite interesting info about them from one of our VIPs." The female announcer smiled mysteriously. "Ladies and Gentlemen, do you want to hear it? The relationship between the two contestants?"

"?" The male announcer who was waiting for his turn to speak looked at his colleague in confusion. What is she saying? He thought. After all, it wasn't allowed for them to talk about the personal lives of the contestants without their permission. He was about to intervene when the female announcer continued with a mischievous glint in her eye.

"H-Hey. St-"

"Student Aurelius and Aurelia are..." The female announcer noticed her colleague's gestures but ignored him thinking he was just being all ruly again. "They are former fiances!"

The arena erupted in gasps and murmurs at the female announcer's revelation. The crowd's curiosity was piqued, their attention now fully captivated by the unexpected personal drama.

"That's right, ladies and gentlemen," the female announcer continued, relishing the audience's reaction. "Aurelia and Aurelius were once engaged, but their engagement was called off for reasons unknown to us. This match might be more than just a battle of skills; it could be a clash of unresolved emotions. Wow, I can't wait to watch their match!"

The arena was abuzz with excitement and speculation following the female announcer's unexpected revelation about Aurelia and Aurelius. The crowd's curiosity was at an all-time high, eager to see how this personal drama would play out in the upcoming match.

The female announcer, sensing the audience's rapt attention, leaned forward with a conspiratorial grin. "But that's not all, folks," she continued, her voice dripping with anticipation. "I have another juicy piece of information for you. Did you know that student Aurelia and student Adrian are—"