My 5th Reincarnation: I Was Born in Another World as a Demon - TWOB 4

The first day of team battles turned the tournament arena into a spectacular display of magical combat. Raegan and his friends watched intently from their viewing box as the opening matches set the tone for what they'd face.

 "First match: Desert Storm Academy versus Mountain Peak Institute!" the announcer's voice boomed across the arena.

 The Desert team materialized in a swirl of sand, their distinctive glass weapons catching the light. Their opponents descended from above, gravity-manipulation magic allowing them to float in full plate armor.

 "Watch their formation," Aria pointed out as the battle began. "Desert Storm's sand manipulation isn't just for attack - they're constantly changing the battlefield itself."

 The arena erupted in controlled chaos. The Desert team's sand created ever-shifting dunes while the Mountain students used gravity magic to maintain their footing. It was a classic match of mobility versus power.

 "Seventy-eight possible counter-formations," Ace muttered, his calculations spinning wildly. "But they're choosing the most orthodox approaches."

 Luna's ears twitched as she tracked the mana flows. "Both teams are holding back. They're not showing their true strategies this early."

 The match ended with Desert Storm's victory, their sand tactics finally overwhelming Mountain Peak's defenses. But Raegan noted how both teams had stuck to well-known techniques - no one wanted to reveal their secrets in the preliminaries.

 Then came Drakmire Academy's first match.

 Their opponents were the respected Crystal Lake Academy, known for their precision and teamwork. But against Drakmire's enhanced squad, they looked like beginners.

 Viktor's team moved with that unsettling perfect coordination, their enhanced abilities letting them predict and counter every attack. Dark energy crackled around them as they systematically dismantled their opponents.

 "That's not normal enhancement mana," Luna's fur stood on end. "Their mana signatures are… twisted. Corrupted somehow."

 "Look at their eyes," Aria whispered. "That purple glow… it's like they're not entirely themselves."

 The match ended in less than two minutes. Crystal Lake's team didn't just lose - they were dominated in a way that sent murmurs of concern through the crowd.

 "A most impressive display," Arch-Mage Magnus's voice carried subtle disapproval despite his diplomatic words. "Though perhaps more restraint might be shown in future matches."

 Viktor merely smiled, that unnatural glow in his eyes intensifying for a moment. His team left the arena in perfect formation, their movements still unnaturally synchronized.

 "They're going to be trouble," Fin said quietly, his usual dramatic flair subdued.

 Before anyone could respond, the temperature in their viewing box dropped suddenly. Zia had returned, though she was carefully not looking at Raegan.

 "Drakmire's enhancement mana," she said, addressing the group but definitely not making eye contact with Raegan, "it's not just about power. They're sacrificing something important to achieve it."

 "Their humanity?" Luna suggested, her tail still bristling from the residual dark energy.

 "Among other things," Zia's ice-blue eyes finally flickered to Raegan before quickly looking away again, a slight blush threatening her composure. "Just… be careful when you face them."

 "Worried about us?" Raegan asked innocently.

 Ice crystals immediately started forming around Zia. "I… that's not… I mean… I have to go check my… ice… things!" She vanished in a swirl of frost, leaving behind a very confused group and several frozen seats.

 "You know," Fin grinned, "for the legendary Ice Princess, she sure melts easily around—"

 Luna's tail smacked him quiet as their team was announced for the next match.

 "Well," Raegan stood, stretching casually while Vivaan updated their combat protocols, "shall we give them a very normal performance?"

 His friends gathered around him, ready for their debut. They'd seen what they were up against - both the traditional powers and the dangerous innovations. Now it was their turn to show what Barthopia's most unusual team could do.

 "Just remember," Aria called as they headed for the arena, "stick to the plan and—"

 "Maintain strategic combat abilities!" everyone finished, drawing curious looks from nearby teams.

 Raegan smiled as they walked into the light. Between Drakmire's enhanced warriors and Zia's legendary ice magic, this tournament was proving to be anything but normal.

 Which, given his past lives' experience with 'normal' situations, felt oddly appropriate.

"Next match: Barthopia Academy versus Storm Gate Institute!" The announcer's voice echoed through the arena. "Barthopia's mysterious new team faces last year's quarter-finalists!"

 Raegan led his team into the arena as whispers rippled through the crowd: "That's the transfer student everyone's talking about!" "The twins who topped the tactical exams!" "The beast-girl with perfect mana reading!"

 Storm Gate's team materialized in an impressive display of lightning magic, their blue and silver uniforms crackling with electricity. Their captain, a tall thunder mage, stepped forward with confidence.

 "Remember the plan," Aria called from their tactical box. "Let them think they've read your pattern, then…"

 "Maintain very normal combat abilities!" Fin whispered excitedly, making several officials look at them strangely.

 The moment the match began, Storm Gate launched their famous lightning barrage - a technique that had overwhelmed countless opponents in previous tournaments. Multiple lightning bolts struck from different angles, designed to paralyze and disorient.

 But Luna's ears were already twitching, her mana reading tracking every spark. "Pattern detected. Fin, thirty degrees left. Ace, barrier formation three. Raegan…"

 "Very normal evasion," Raegan smiled, moving with carefully measured skill.

 Fin charged straight into the lightning storm, his seemingly reckless attack actually following Luna's precise guidance. Ace's calculations manifested as geometric barriers, redirecting the lightning in ways that made several judges sit up and take notice.

 "Their formation makes no sense!" someone shouted from the crowd.

 "That's the point," Aria smiled from her observation post.

 Storm Gate's captain frowned as his team's coordinated lightning strikes met unpredictable responses. Every time they thought they had Raegan's team figured out, the pattern would shift completely.

 "Now!" Luna called out. "They're realigning their mana circuits!"

 Fin unleashed what appeared to be wild sword strikes but was actually a carefully planned disruption pattern. Ace's barriers herded their opponents exactly where Luna's mana reading indicated they'd be vulnerable. And Raegan…

 "Very normal combat support," Vivaan commented dryly as Raegan filled whatever role each moment required, carefully maintaining the appearance of talented but not extraordinary skill.

 From her private viewing box, Zia watched with intense interest, small ice crystals forming unconsciously around her when Raegan moved in particularly impressive ways. In another section, Viktor's purple-tinged eyes narrowed at the unusual display.

 The match's turning point came when Storm Gate attempted their trump card - a massive lightning convergence designed to overwhelm any defense. But Luna had already read the mana buildup.

 "Formation Chaos Star!" she called out.

 What followed looked like complete randomness to observers but was actually a precisely calculated dance. Fin's "wild" attacks, Ace's "reactive" barriers, Luna's "intuitive" movements, and Raegan's "supportive" techniques combined in a way that turned Storm Gate's own lightning against them.

 The result: all four Storm Gate members ring-out, with Barthopia's team looking like they'd simply gotten lucky with their unconventional style.

 "An… interesting performance," the announcer managed as the crowd tried to process what they'd just seen. "Barthopia Academy advances in a most unusual fashion!"

 "Did you see that?" Fin bounced excitedly as they left the arena. "We looked so cool! Though I still think if we'd gone with my suggested team name—"

 "No," everyone interrupted.

 "Most intriguing," Arch-Mage Magnus mused from his observation point. "They appear to be doing everything wrong, yet achieving everything right."

 Raegan caught Zia staring at him as they passed her viewing box. She immediately created a small blizzard in her embarrassment and disappeared into it.

 "You know," Luna said quietly as they headed for their rest area, "for a team trying to maintain a low profile, we just gave a very memorable performance."

 "Yes," Raegan agreed, watching Viktor's calculating gaze follow them. "But sometimes the best way to hide is to give them something else to focus on."

 "Like how utterly chaotic and unconventional we are?" Ace asked, already calculating their next strategy.

 "Exactly," Raegan smiled. "After all, who would suspect that the team that appears to have no proper form…"

 "Has very normal combat abilities!" everyone finished, making several passing officials shake their heads in confusion.

 Mission accomplished: victory achieved, capabilities hidden, and everyone too busy trying to figure out their chaotic style to notice the ancient combat experience hiding behind it.

 Though Raegan made a mental note to tone down his "very normal" movements a bit. Judging by the ice crystals Zia kept accidentally creating whenever she watched him, he might have been a little too impressive.

 The tournament's strategy room was buzzing with activity as teams analyzed Barthopia's unexpected victory. Holographic replays showed their battle from various angles while tacticians tried to make sense of their seemingly chaotic style.

 "It doesn't follow any known combat pattern!" "Was that luck or calculation?" "How did they turn lightning mana against certified thunder mages?"

 Raegan and his team sat in their private preparation room, listening to Aria's post-match analysis while various reactions filtered in from outside.

 "They'll be studying our match recordings now," Aria noted, her royal training helping her read the political currents. "Every team will try to decode our 'system.'"

 "Good luck with that," Luna's tail swished in amusement. "Even I can barely follow what we're doing sometimes, and I'm part of it."

 A knock on their door revealed an excited tournament official. "Solo division preliminaries begin in one hour. Sir Raegan, you're in Block A, first match."

 "Against who?" Ace asked, already pulling up competitor data.

 "Magnus Academy's White Lightning - their speed specialist."

 Fin immediately struck a dramatic pose. "The legendary velocity mage who—"

 "Who's about to face very normal combat abilities," Luna finished with a smirk.

 As Raegan prepared for his solo match, they received some unexpected visitors. A group of Storm Gate students approached, led by their captain.

 "That was… unlike anything we've trained for," he admitted. "But it was also the most fun we've had in a tournament match. Whatever your style is, it's refreshing."

 More reactions came from unexpected quarters. Zia had positioned herself where she could watch Raegan's upcoming match while pretending not to be interested, small ice crystals forming whenever anyone mentioned his name. Viktor observed from shadows that seemed unnaturally deep, his enhanced team moving with that unsettling synchronization as they studied recordings of Barthopia's victory.

 "Your first solo match will draw a lot of attention," Aria warned. "After our team performance, everyone will be watching to see how you fight alone."

 "Perhaps I should tone down my very normal abilities?" Raegan suggested innocently.

 "Perhaps you should stop making the Ice Princess create snowstorms every time you move," Luna countered, nodding toward where Zia was failing to be inconspicuous.

 The announcement system crackled: "Solo Division Block A participants, please proceed to the arena."

 "Remember," Aria advised as Raegan stood to leave, "White Lightning holds the academy record for fastest ring-out. Don't let—"

 A sudden frost covered their window as Zia apparently overheard this fact, her concern manifesting in accidentally frozen architecture.

 "Is she going to do that every time?" Fin wondered.

 The arena was already filling for the solo preliminaries. Among the crowd, Raegan spotted Arch-Mage Magnus watching with that same knowing twinkle in his ancient eyes. Something told Raegan that the old mage saw more than he let on.

 'Well,' Raegan thought as he entered the arena, 'at least this match should be interesting.'

 'And probably very normal,' Vivaan added helpfully.

 Behind him, another window frosted over as Zia failed to maintain her dignified disinterest.

 The solo division was about to begin, and Raegan had to find the balance between showing enough skill to advance while keeping his true abilities hidden - all while apparently causing the most powerful ice mage of her generation to accidentally create localized weather patterns whenever he fought.

 Just another normal tournament day.

 The arena transformed for solo matches, magical barriers creating a smaller, more focused fighting space. White Lightning lived up to his name - a lean student in Magnus Academy's white and gold uniform, electricity crackling around him even at rest.

 "Block A, Match One: Magnus Academy's White Lightning versus Barthopia's Raegan!"

 "Let's make this quick," White Lightning smirked. "I have a date with the arena record."

 "Begin!"

 White Lightning vanished in a crack of electricity, his signature move that had overwhelmed countless opponents. Most couldn't even track him at this speed, let alone counter—

 He hit empty air. Raegan had moved, but so… normally that nobody quite caught how he'd dodged.

 "Lucky dodge," White Lightning called, launching into his famous Lightning Rush - a series of attacks from multiple angles designed to disorient and overwhelm.

 Raegan appeared to stumble away from the first strike, duck clumsily under the second, and trip backwards from the third - each 'awkward' movement somehow putting him exactly where the attacks weren't.

 In the viewing box, Fin was practically bouncing. "Is he really…?"

 "Fighting expertly while looking completely uncoordinated?" Luna finished, her tail twitching with amusement. "Very normally."

 White Lightning's frustration grew with each failed attack. His speed increased, electricity filling the arena as he pushed his technique to its limit. Yet somehow, Raegan's apparently random movements kept him untouched.

 "Stop moving wrong!" White Lightning finally shouted in frustration.

 "Wrong?" Raegan asked innocently, 'Stumbling' away from another lightning-fast strike. "I'm just trying my best here."

 Arch-Mage Magnus's smile grew increasingly amused.

 "Enough games!" White Lightning charged his ultimate technique. "Lightning God's—"

 Raegan tripped.

 At least, that's what it looked like to most observers. He appeared to simply lose his balance, his fall somehow causing White Lightning to miss completely, tangle in his own momentum, and exit the ring.

 Total silence fell over the arena.

 "Did… did he just win by being clumsy?" someone in the crowd asked.

 "The most awkwardly perfect counter I've ever seen," another responded.

 White Lightning stood outside the ring, still trying to process how his ultimate technique had been defeated by what appeared to be a simple stumble. "But… but you… how did you…?"

 "Good match!" Raegan offered cheerfully. "I got lucky there at the end."

 The judges were reviewing the footage, unable to find any technical violations despite their confusion about exactly what they'd just witnessed.

 "A most… interesting victory," the announcer managed. "Barthopia's Raegan advances to the next round through… very unusually lucky combat methods?"

 As Raegan left the arena, he passed Zia's box, now completely frosted over except for a small hole she was peeking through.

 "That wasn't luck at all," she accused quietly.

 "It was very lucky," Raegan replied with an innocent smile.

 The resulting snow flurry covered three sections of seats.

 Back in their preparation room, his team was trying not to laugh too obviously.

 "You know," Luna managed, "for someone trying to be unremarkable, you just gave the most remarkable 'unremarkable' performance I've ever seen."

 "Very normally," everyone chorused.

 Vivaan's private comment summed it up: 'Well, at least you didn't show any ancient combat techniques. Though making it look THAT normal might actually draw more attention.'

 Raegan just smiled, though he might need to tone it down a bit. At this rate, Zia was going to freeze the entire arena before the tournament ended.