The Most Satisfied Reincarnate

As the match concluded, Desmond found himself unexpectedly transported, his body materializing among the floating debris. His eyes widened in astonishment as he realized he was surrounded by his previously seated friends, all of whom happened to be female. A perplexed expression settled upon Desmond's handsome face, unintentionally prolonging his gaze and causing the girls to blush in response.

Sensing his prolonged stare, one of the girls found the courage to speak up, her voice slightly trembling with a mixture of shyness and curiosity.

"U-umm, Master Desmond?" she hesitantly addressed him, averting her eyes and stealing glances in his direction. "May we know each other?"

The sudden inquiry from her friend caught the other girls off guard, and they regarded her with a mix of surprise and amusement, as if she had dared to voice what they were all thinking. Desmond, now fully regaining his senses, turned his attention to the girl who had posed the question. He paused for a moment, contemplating his response, before offering them a warm smile.

"Of course, but can I ask why I'm here?" he inquired, his eyes narrowing slightly as he surveyed their surroundings.

Judging by their expressions, it appeared that every contestant who had completed their battles would soon be teleported back to their seats. Desmond realized that this was a new experience for him, as he had mostly remained in the principal's room during previous events.

"Well, umm, you teleported to us after the match," the girl replied truthfully, causing her friends to slap her back playfully for stating the obvious.

"What are you saying?!" one of them exclaimed, momentarily losing composure before regaining her poise and turning her attention back to Desmond. "Master Desmond, after winning a match, your body randomly appears in the audience seats. We don't know how or why this happens, but we've come to accept it as part of the academy's mechanics."

The girl who had spoken to Desmond appeared shy and reserved on the surface, her glasses concealing her true beauty, while her long, flawlessly graceful neck contradicted her attempt at disguise. On the other hand, the girl who had boldly questioned Desmond initially seemed rather ordinary.

A third girl timidly peered out from behind her friends, giving the impression that they were a group of bookworms, their love for knowledge palpable.

"Okay, thank you, miss," Desmond responded graciously. While he could be ruthless in battle, he displayed a completely different demeanor outside of combat, feeling at ease conversing with individuals of the opposite gender. His polite manner put the girls at ease, shattering the image they had built in their minds of Desmond as a cold, aloof boy who looked down on girls like them.

As Desmond's attention shifted to his surroundings, he became aware of numerous pairs of eyes fixed upon him. Some held malicious intent, quickly dissipating when he met their gaze, while others simply whistled and then disregarded him. However, it was the girls who screamed and enthusiastically waved at him that stood out the most.

Desmond courteously nodded and smiled in response, inadvertently fueling their excitement further.

Desmond noticed the absence of Matson and the other young talents he knew; it seemed they had vanished, potentially teleported to a different area. He scanned the stage and its surroundings, but there was no trace of them. A thought crossed his mind—perhaps they had been disqualified due to their defeat?

He contemplated seeking clarification from the girls, but they seemed to have already gleaned the answer from his expression, their eyes fixed on him as if they held some unspoken knowledge.

"The losers will be transported back to the open field where we were gathered before. Only the winners are allowed to remain here," explained the ordinary girl, her demeanor having undergone a transformation since her friends had playfully smacked her.

While her appearance remained ordinary, it meant that her face neither possessed exceptional beauty nor was marred by ugliness. Her countenance was reminiscent of the commoners one might encounter on the streets, marked by several wrinkles. Her disheveled hair, with its untamed strands branching out in various directions, added to her somewhat chaotic appearance.

"I see, thank you once again," Desmond expressed his gratitude, causing the other girls to gaze at the ordinary girl with a hint of jealousy. Undeterred, she proudly straightened her posture and glanced down at them.

*rumble* *rumble*

Suddenly, the stone debris upon which Desmond and the girls sat began to tremble, echoing the movement that rippled across the entire island. The girls beside him clung tightly to his clothes, while the rest clutched onto the stone debris with all their might. Their faces turned pale as they cast anxious glances at Desmond, the sole boy among them.

Frowning, Desmond attentively surveyed the situation. Though he felt uncomfortable being held by strangers, he observed each stone debris descending and seamlessly integrating with the stage structure.

*rumble*

When it was their turn, Desmond and the girls experienced a disorienting shift in their surroundings. They were swiftly propelled forward, arriving beside other stone debris where fellow students were seated. The students gazed at Desmond's group, only for one of them to succumb to nausea, unable to cope with the abrupt bodily changes.

"The stage has narrowed," Desmond mused after closely examining the alterations for some time.

The expansive arena that had once provided ample space for the contestants to battle had transformed into a square, accommodating only two people at a time. This suggested that the next challenge would likely still involve combat, albeit with the students fighting one another individually.

As for the audience seats, the previously split stone debris had merged with others, forming a long row of seats for the students.

This arena now resembled the colosseum from Desmond's past life, its only distinction being that it was situated on a hovering island. In a sudden expansion, the seats were enveloped in a white light, revealing the younger generation of students whom Desmond recognized. Elizabeth and the others appeared unharmed, even the group of black-haired girls whom Desmond had previously set ablaze.

"The academy has truly concealed their power well," Desmond smirked, observing their condition. To his knowledge, the kingdom had only acknowledged a few master witches and wizards, yet it seemed the academy had effectively divided their strength within the kingdom.

"However, in the end, the academy still belongs to the kingdom. Could this imply that something amiss will unfold in the future?" Desmond speculated, pondering the possibilities. Though his conjecture was based on mere recklessness, who knew, perhaps it held a grain of truth?

"At long last, it seems Mother and Father must have foreseen this," Desmond mused, his thoughts drifting back to the maids in his household, all of whom possessed magical abilities. Despite their potential to dominate a small village with their powers, they chose to work as maids.

Lost in his thoughts, Desmond was suddenly jolted back to reality by the arrival of Jessy and the other white-robed figures. They carefully observed the students before Jessy raised her long, smooth hand.

"Firstly, congratulations on reaching this stage," Jessy's voice rang out, capturing the attention of the students. "I must say, all of you show immense potential to become mages in the future."

Her words ignited a spark of excitement among the students, prompting them to cheer and rekindling their spirits, even those who had felt disheartened by their previous match outcomes.

In a sudden turn of events, as the students cheered and encouraged one another, the stone seats above them began to tremble once more. This time, however, instead of stacking onto the seats below, the stones levitated, hovering in the sky. One by one, they arranged themselves, encircling the expanse above.

Still bewildered by this unfolding spectacle, the students found themselves gazing upward as numerous shadowy figures emerged above the floating stones. These figures donned the academy's distinguished robes, signifying their status as seniors.

"And lastly, your battles this time will be witnessed by your esteemed seniors," Jessy declared, her words carrying a weight of anticipation and importance.