(Heartfelt thanks to Shuangyu Mingzuo for the 1888 reward, and to Yunqi Qinggu, Lin Tianwen, Canglan Feixue, Erciyuan de Shuangxiezuo, and Jigoku no Aishō for their rewards!)
(Today, someone said something to me—"Otaku can't get wives"—and it shattered my heart...)
"Boom... boom... boom..."
The explosions of fireworks echoed throughout the academy...
"Whoa!!!"
Cheers shook the entire venue...
Today was a rare, brilliantly sunny day.
As far as holding a competition went, it was undoubtedly an exceptionally suitable day.
Early in the morning, the athletic field of Ansarivan Dragon Riding Academy was already filled with numerous students in dragon-riding uniforms, reins in hand, standing in neat rows alongside their dragons.
"Whoa!!!"
The railings on either side of the athletic field served like spectator stands, packed with students who had no intention of participating in the Aries Palace Dragon Riding Festival and had merely come to watch the excitement. Wave after wave of cheers made the surrounding air tremble slightly, showing just how fired up the students were.
The Aries Palace Dragon Riding Festival was a spring celebration. Although many students had no plans to participate, their enthusiasm for the festival was even greater than that of the actual contestants. Amid the indiscriminate cheers, the students holding their Partner Dragons stood in orderly ranks, their eyes fixed ahead.
There stood a temporary raised platform, the main stage for this year's Aries Palace Dragon Riding Festival declarations.
Academy instructors stood in rows on both sides of the platform. They would oversee the entire competition, enforce its basic rules, and prevent anyone from causing trouble. Behind the platform, Wu Yan and Sylvia, both dressed in dragon-riding uniforms, stood with Rebecca, who wore her uniform.
However, compared to Rebecca's smiling face and Sylvia's stern expression, Wu Yan's face was full of helplessness.
"Why do I