The more they discussed it, the stronger the contestants' fighting spirit became.
Since they were going to fight one against seven, there was no point in avoiding the strong and hunting the weak.
Regardless of strength, treat everyone equally and hunt them all down—that was what it meant to be a hunter at the top of the food chain!
And after building up their confidence in victory, they rediscovered their original purpose. The Academy Championship was merely a shell packaged to attract "Divine Factors"; they could not put the cart before the horse.
Every contestant from Saint Marian Academy started with nine badges. From a defensive perspective, that was exactly enough for a ticket into the Blue Restaurant. But from another angle, having nine badges meant that in the first day's matches, where the wager was limited to one, they had eight extra lives and could lose eight times in a row!
There was no need to check the schedule or wait around. Fight anyone they encountered; win or lose, they had at least eight chances.
A contestant who had just accepted a duel challenge had the right to refuse duels for the following thirty minutes.
But that did not mean the other party would necessarily refuse.
If they were challenging someone stronger than themselves on paper, no one would likely choose to refuse.
After all, duels were the core; victory and defeat were merely embellishments.
So many contestants from eight academies had gathered here in the first place
to duel upon this enormous stage.
"Then let's settle it like this for now." Senior Pandora gathered everyone's opinions and said, "Those who want to escort others, and those who want to be escorted, can contact Shrek Holmes. As for everyone else, continue acting according to your own ideas."
In the