Reincarnation Of A Swordsman: The Omni Mage

He hesitated for a moment, before slowly turning to face her so as to confirm his thoughts.

Lora stood behind him, her expression timid, almost shy. Her chestnut hair fell in gentle waves around her face and her eyes avoided direct contact with Kyle's.

Without a word, Kyle turned away, ignoring her completely and facing the stage once more.

Lora seemed to hesitate, standing there for a long moment before she finally had a seat next to him.

An awkward silence fell between them, but it wasn't maintained for long as Lora spoke, her voice barely a audible.

"I'm... I'm sorry."

'Sorry?' Kyke's eyes narrowed slightly, staring harder at the empty stage in front of him.

'Sorry for what?' The words echoed in his head, but he didn't speak them aloud.

Kyle felt his frustration build up once again but tried to remain calm, ignoring her comment.

An awkward silence stretched between them once more until, eventually, the other finalists began to filter into the row.

Zack was the first to arrive, followed closely by Milo, Joseph, and Riya. They all seemed to share a similar energy—excited, relieved, and chatty.

Zack's jovial voice cut through the tension almost immediately, throwing out a friendly insult that made Kyle's muscles tense.

"Well, well, look who finally decided to show up," Zack said with a grin, seating down next to Lora, as he stayed closest to Kyle.

"Thought you had it all in the bag. What happened?"

Kyle gritted his teeth but said nothing. Milo snorted, leaning forward to look at Kyle with a cocky grin.

"Yeah, man, what happened? All that talk about winning it all, and then—" Milo clapped his hands mockingly.

"Boom! Down you go."

Joseph chuckled, while Riya tried to hide the amusement on her face. It wasn't teasing, but she was clearly amused by the banter.

Kyle clenched his fists harder trying to control himself and before he could stop himself, he snapped.

"Shut up."

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The words came out colder than he intended, and the sudden silence that followed was deafening.

Zack, Milo, and the others blinked, momentarily taken aback by the sharpness in Kyle's tone.

"I get it, okay? I lost. But I don't need you guys rubbing it in. So just... drop it."

"..."

An uncomfortable silence settled over the group. Milo opened his mouth as if to say something, but then quickly shut it, apparently deciding that now wasn't the time for more jokes.

Kyle exhaled, running his temples as he relaxed on his seat. He didn't want to think about what just happened.

Moments later to Kyle's good, Instructor Dan stepped onto the stage, his tall figure commanding the attention of the entire coliseum.

The crowd slowly quieted down, all eyes on the man as he prepared to address the participants and spectators alike.

"Good evening, everyone."

"First off, I'd like to congratulate every single participant who competed in the Electives Battles. Y'all have shown incredible skill and determination, and for that, you should be proud."

Dan continued, listing the highlights of the tournament and thanking the various instructors and staff who had made it possible.

Then, with a flourish, he moved on to the part everyone was waiting for—the rewards.

"As you all know, each of you will be receiving rewards based on your performance.

Let's start with those who made it till the Round of 16." Dan paused dramatically, scanning the crowd. "Each of you will receive 500 credits."

There was a murmur of excitement from the crowd, particularly from the participants who hadn't made it further. 500 credits was a very generous reward, and it was more than most had expected.

But Dan wasn't done. "For those who reached up to the Quarter Finals, you'll be receiving 1,000 credits."

Another round of murmurs, this time louder. Most of the students had never gotten their hands on such money, now some would.

The ones in the stands felt bad, while the Quarter Finalists exchanged pleased and excited looks.

Dan continued, his voice picking up energy. "Semi-finalists, you'll each be awarded 2,000 credits."

Kyle felt a slight twinge in his chest. He had made it past that point, yet hearing those rewards only reminded him of how close he had come.

"And for the finalists..." Dan's voice rang out, pulling Kyle's attention back to the stage. "5,000 credits."

Kyle blinked, feeling a strange mix of emotions. 5,000 credits. It was... Just there. It might be a windfall for the others but was just slightly more money than usual for him.

[It's not that bad] Void's voice echoed in his mind, though it lacked its usual bite. [That's 25 mana cores, you know?...]

Kyle almost chuckled, shaking his head slightly. 'Greedy dragon.'

"And finally, for the winner of the Electives Battles," Dan said, building up to the climax. "10,000 credits."

There was an audible gasp from the crowd, and Kyle noticed the jaws of many participants—particularly those who had been eliminated earlier—hanging open in disbelief.

Even all of the contestants in his row—Lora included, looked stunned by the amount.

The amount of credits... It was mind blowing!

Kyle, however, just sat there, his expression blank. He was surprised, yes, but not to the extent of the others.

The credits were significant, but it wasn't something unattainable for him.

All around him, there were whispers, some participants even looking tearful, realizing how close they had come to earning more.

But for Kyle, the credits felt like a consolation prize. A reminder of what he had lost, not what he had gained.

Dan's voice cut through the murmurs as he stepped back, gesturing toward the center of the stage.

With a dramatic flourish, he removed a cloak from four large glass cases that had been positioned near the beginning of the tournament.

The objects inside glimmered under the coliseum's bright lights, casting a mesmerizing glow that captured everyone's attention.

A katana, a space pouch, a cauldron, and a runic textbook.

These were not just prizes. They were treasures, each capable of elevating its owner's skills to unimaginable heights.

Dan turned back to face the participants, his voice booming again.

"Now, for those who reached the semifinals, your performances were exceptional, and it's time to receive your primary rewards.

First, please step forward: Riya, Milo, Lora, and Kyle."

The four of them stood, their gazes briefly meeting before they began the walk to the stage.

Kyle could feel the weight of the other contestants' eyes on him, but all he could focus on was the katana, gleaming like a beacon in the glass case.

The desire to hold it, to wield it, surged through him like a current of electricity.

As they reached the stage, Instructor Dan gave them all a proud smile.

"As the winner or the tournament. Lora, you'll have first pick."

Everyone nodded their head in agreement as it felt right. "Kyle, you'll go second. Then Riya and Milo as third and fourth respectively."

Milo had a confused expression on his face as he felt wronged, he couldn't protest though, he could only hope Dan justified himself.

As if reading everyone's thought, Instructor Dan continued.

"Milo would go after Riya due to Riya being the Semi-final path that led to the winner."

That may not be an accurate measure of performance, but they'd had to make do with it. It wasn't like a third place match could be initiated to determine who picked first.

"Lora Ings, make your pick!"