I Got My System Late, But I'll Become Beastgod-Chapter 97: Beyond Strength: The Art of Victory

The sun rose on a new day of the tournament, and with it, the excitement in the air buzzed stronger than ever. freewēbnoveℓ.com

The host’s voice echoed across the arena:

"First match of the day—Team 4 versus Team 9! Contestants, to the stage!"

Team 4 stepped forward:

Meera, calm and focused;

Miyo, with a distant gaze and flowing robes;

And a peculiar boy from Carnelia, his hair wild like a bird’s nest, round spectacles sitting crookedly on his nose.

He adjusted them nervously and walked over to Meera. "Hey, just so you know—I’m not much of a fighter. But I’m pretty handy with tech."

"I’m Miyo," the mage said softly. "I use Spatial and Ancient magic. It takes time to cast, but... if I land one, it’s over."

Meera nodded. "I’m an energy controller. Fast with daggers—but since we can’t use them here, I’ll rely on my speed."

The Carnelian boy grinned and introduced himself. "Sung Ji-hoo. And I’ve got something interesting."

He pulled out four small, badge-shaped devices from his coat pocket.

Meera raised an eyebrow. "Landmines?"

"Nope. Magnetic Energy Routers," Ji-hoo said proudly. "If I place four of these in a square, they generate a magnetic field—like a cage. The thing is, once it’s active, nothing gets in... and nothing gets out. Not even a shot."

"So we trap them," Miyo said thoughtfully. "But how do we eliminate them?"

"One of us has to go inside the trap before I activate it," Ji-hoo explained. "It’s risky."

Meera cracked her neck. "I’ll go. Just make sure the field holds."

Ji-hoo nodded. "Then you two draw their attention. I’ll set it up."

DING!

"BEGIN!"

The battlefield shifted into a dense, leafy forest. Sunlight poured in through the canopy.

Meera lunged forward, sprinting toward Team 9 as the opposing team scattered and surrounded her from three sides.

But just as they closed in—

WHOOOSH—a glowing portal opened beneath Meera’s feet, and she vanished.

She reappeared in mid-air, above her enemies, twisting like an acrobat.

With a powerful kick, she used the back of one boy as leverage and launched herself to the ground, landing nimbly.

Pew! Pew! Pew!

Three energy shots from Team 9 streaked toward her. But Miyo opened another set of portals, redirecting the blasts harmlessly into the trees.

Behind the chaos, Ji-hoo’s voice crackled in the comms: "I’m done!"

Meera climbed a tree quickly, while Miyo blinked near Ji-hoo using a spatial portal.

As planned, Meera ran from tree to tree, the members of Team 9 chasing her like hounds, unaware of the trap being laid.

Branch to branch, she flew—until finally, she dropped down into a small clearing.

One girl from Team 9 blocked her path and smirked. "Now where will you run?"

Meera grinned. "Nowhere. I don’t need to."

She whispered into her mic: "Now."

BZZZRRRRM!

A brilliant shimmer pulsed across the field. The magnetic energy prison activated—trapping all four inside.

Meera took aim with her gun and fired—but just as the blast was about to land, a boy from Team 9 teleported behind her.

BAM!

A point-blank shot hit her in the back.

Her button turned red.

The girl laughed. "Now what?"

Meera gritted her teeth. "You forgot one thing..."

A new voice echoed behind them, calm and deadly.

"I’m a Spatial Mage, remember?"

Miyo appeared, eyes glowing. She opened three portals in the air and fired energy blasts into them—

ZAP—ZAP—ZAP!

—And the shots exited from portals inches in front of each opponent’s chest.

Their buttons flashed red.

Team 4 wins!

The crowd roared in excitement. The stadium buzzed with praise for Miyo’s timing, Meera’s bravery, and Ji-hoo’s tech genius.

Back in the observation room, rulers watched silently.

The Queen Tsukiku chuckled. "That Carnelian boy... underestimated, but clever."

"Fascinating. They gambled, and I like gambling," King Rico said, a smile playing at the corner of his lips.

Ivanka of Calonia clicked her tongue. "Another win. These Aryavratan-linked brats just keep rising."

Veerendra smiled. "And we’re just getting started."

In the contestants’ zone, Aamir crossed his arms. "They’re getting better. That tech boy might be weird... but he’s smart."

Sinki nodded. "Ji-hoo’s mind is sharp. Dangerous in the right hands."

Seenu added, "I’d like to see him and Kunal work together someday."

"Yah well that’s quite impossible, you know." Aamir said with a grin.

Next Match: Team 5 vs. Team 8.

As the announcement echoed through the arena, Raj stood up, cracking his knuckles.

"Man, in my previous matches I didn’t even get a chance to show my new moves," he muttered, walking toward the stage. "And this time, I can’t use any weapons except the energy gun. What a waste."

With Raj were Shirou, and a tall, rugged boy from Danovia named Max. The three stepped onto the stage confidently.

Across from them stood Team 8—a boy from Navarra of Valtania, one from Maravalia, and another cloaked figure whose face remained unreadable.

As they squared off, Raj turned to Max and asked, "So, what’s your ability? I know Shirou here’s an energy controller and prefers swords, but what about you?"

Max gave a small smirk. "I’m an energy controller too," he said, flexing his fingers. "But my specialty is body enhancement. I can make my body beast-like—grow claws, sharpen my teeth, increase strength, speed, hearing, and vision."

Raj grinned. "Oh? Sounds wild. I’m an energy controller as well. No fancy tricks—I use my fists. Got plenty of raw strength to back them up."

Before any more words could be exchanged, the host’s voice rang out:

"Begin!"

Suddenly, the environment shifted.

The stage dissolved into a natural terrain—a shallow river running through the middle, trees and boulders scattered around. Team 5 and Team 8 now stood on opposite banks of the stream.

Raj squinted across the river at their opponents, his expression serious.

"Well," he said, clenching his fists, "let’s see if this terrain can handle us."

Raj stood at the edge of the river, staring at the opposing team across the water.

"Finally, a real challenge," he said, cracking his knuckles.

Shirou activated his wrist device. "I’ll take the right side and cause some confusion."

Max, the boy from Danovia, nodded. "I’ll use my beast mode to lure them in."

The host’s voice rang out, "Begin!"

Max activated his ability. His muscles bulked up, nails sharpened, and his eyes glowed. He didn’t attack, but moved fast—too fast for the eye. He leaped over the river, landing behind the Navarra boy and grabbed his arm, twisting him toward a tree where Max had already placed a trap—sharp stones sticking from the ground. The enemy stumbled back to avoid them.

Shirou used a small device to project a holographic clone of Raj running across the bridge. The opponents fired energy shots at it—but it vanished.

"Gotcha," Shirou whispered.

Using this distraction, Raj punched the ground, cracking the earth. The soil near the Maravalian student broke into a pit-like hole. As the student tried to back away, he fell in, unable to get out.

From a hidden angle, Max used his gun—zap!—one hit. Button turns red.

Now two left.

The Navarra boy tried to cross the river, but Raj had diverted a small stream using a rock slam, turning the ground muddy and slippery. The opponent tripped and slid right into another trap set by Shirou—metal panels that rose from the ground and formed a tight box.

Raj shouted, "Shirou, shoot!"

Zap! Another hit. Button turns red.

Only one Valtanian student remained. He climbed up a tree for height and fired down rapidly. Raj and Max dodged behind cover.

Shirou activated his final trick—four small reflectors placed earlier. He fired into one, and the beam bounced between them like a triangle before hitting the Valtanian from behind.

Zap! Final button turns red.

Team 5 wins!

Raj smiled. "Told you I don’t need punches to win."

"Well, all of us passed the second round. Now only two Aryavrata’s students remain," Aamir said, leaning back on the bench. "But both of them are in opposite teams... man, it’s gonna be difficult."

Seenu crossed his arms. "Yeah, they’ll have to fight. It’s Arjun and that guy Tushar, right? Both are pretty strong."

Aamir nodded. "Tushar’s quick with his decisions. Arjun is calm but clever."

The host’s voice echoed through the arena:

"Next match! Team 6 vs. Team 7! All contestants, please move to the stage!"

Everyone turned their eyes to the screen. On Team 6 stood Arjun, the calm, tall boy from Aryavrata with sharp eyes and silver hair. With him were two students from Kyokai and Calonia.

On Team 7 was Tushar, also from Aryavrata, known for his wild reflexes and strong grip. His team had one student from Zhonghua and one from Carnelia.

As they walked up, Arjun and Tushar locked eyes. No anger. Just respect.

Tushar raised his hand slightly and smiled. "Don’t go easy on me."

Arjun smirked. "I won’t if you won’t."

The host shouted:

"BEGIN!"

The surroundings shifted into a rocky canyon, with sharp cliffs, narrow paths, and a dry riverbed in the middle.

Arjun whispered to his team, "We’ll lead them toward the canyon wall. Let them chase us."

His teammates nodded and scattered.

Tushar’s side didn’t wait. He ran forward, his footsteps light but fast. The Zhonghua student stayed on the high ground, ready to shoot from above, while the Carnelian guy worked on setting up traps.

Arjun jumped down into the canyon and purposely made a loud noise. Tushar followed without hesitation.

Then it began.

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