I created my own system

On the second day of the festival, the events are made of duo to group participation. Unlike the first day with a separate event per year, the second had it mixed. The fever from yesterday was well-maintained until the morning. Everyone was excited, and each student already had plans for the day. However, as the morning progresses, Apollo and the rest of the students of the other class in the upper year seem to have forgotten the true meaning of the festival. They were too competitive. Even when some first years wanted to have fun during their events, they were forced to the edge due to the tension.

Apollo noticed it during the first event of the day: a team relay race that pitted groups from different years against one another. The older students, particularly the seniors, were intensely competitive. Their focus was not on enjoying the festival but on crushing their opponents, even if it meant pushing the younger students to their limits. The parents began to feel the heat and wanted to interfere, but the adults on the seniors' side were keen on defending their children.

This made all eight classes among the first year to have one thought: revenge.

"You are late"

Apollo greeted someone with those words, causing the latter to just shake his head.

"Why am I not surprised with your attitude?" Caesar just mutters, feeling helpless at Apollo's way of speaking to him. Behind the imperial prince is his escort student Johan, then the children of the two other ducal houses, Astrid and Odysseus, also tag along with their student escort.

"Heard the seniors are causing trouble?" Odysseus said while assisting Astrid to sit.

"Don't tell me the reason most of the highest-ranking students are out was because they purposely did it to cause trouble" Stay tuned for updates on empire

"Well, you know what they say? If the cat is gone, the mouse goes out. Since my brother and the rest of the key figures of the empire are gone, the ones in control of everything are.."

"The student council," Caesar finishes Astrid's words while Apollo only nods his head, agreeing.

"So you guys are late due to the council as well?"

"Yes Apollo we were suddenly invited to some party, if it weren't for the fact you had contacted we wouldn't know what's happening right now"

"Well, forget about that. Let's get to the point. Those students brought the shits to us....so we just have to return the favor" A pair of golden eyes glint in a mysterious light, and for some reason, the other students with him felt a sudden chill.

In one event, a pair of first-year students, wide-eyed and eager, were left flustered when their upper-year opponents treated the lighthearted scavenger hunt as if it were a high-stakes mission. The tension was palpable, and the fun was quickly drained from the activity. Alicia, who participated in the game with Alya, immediately made a move, and the already chaotic event turned even worse as Alicia accidentally hit the upper years. It wasn't intentional since that is what she claims to be. At the end of the game, Alicia and Alya won while the seniors were filled with coin-sized bruises since even the tiniest pebble can become a deadly weapon in Alicia's hand.

After that event ended, another transpired; Apollo stood with Alicia and a few others, watching a dodgeball match that had devolved into what looked like a battlefield. A group of third-years dominated the game, their expressions fierce as they relentlessly targeted the first-years. The younger students struggled to keep up, their enthusiasm dimmed by the overwhelming pressure.

"This is ridiculous," Odysseus muttered, his jaw tightening. "This isn't what the festival's supposed to be about."

Alicia nodded, her arms crossed. "They've forgotten the point. The festival's supposed to bring us together, not tear us apart."

Around them, their classmates murmured in agreement. Despite the tension between the eight first-year classes, an unspoken understanding began to form.

"They think they can push us around just because we're younger," Matilda said, her tone sharp. "Well, I'm not about to let that happen."

"Neither am I," Apollo said, his golden eyes glinting with determination.

The plan was simply to make the seniors regret everything while they still maintained their minds to have fun; they deserved that, after all.

The festival continued despite the hurdle, but it was okay with everything he did. The students and parents alike enjoyed the colorful booths, energetic events, and an air of friendly (and sometimes not-so-friendly) competition. Of course, for Apollo's class, chaos seemed to follow them wherever they went.

---

The Three-Legged Disaster

"Listen, Niko," Casper huffed as they stood at the starting line of the three-legged race. Their legs were bound together with a thick rope that seemed entirely too tight. "We need to coordinate. Left, then right. Got it?"

"Got it," Niko replied confidently, a mischievous grin on his face.

The whistle blew, and they took off.

"LEFT!" Casper yelled.

"RIGHT!" Niko shouted at the same time.

They immediately toppled over, landing in a heap on the ground. The crowd burst into laughter.

"I said LEFT!" Casper glared at Niko.

"And I said RIGHT! Stop bossing me around!" Niko retorted, trying to untangle their limbs.

After a few more failed attempts (and several arguments), they finally managed to stumble forward in a clumsy rhythm.

By the time they crossed the finish line—dead last—they were both red-faced and panting.

"Well, at least we didn't quit," Niko said, grinning.

Casper scowled. "I should've partnered with someone with a brain."

---

Even with distractions coming their way the students of the Lower class participated in many events to enjoy the day.

The Station Race Chaos

Meanwhile, Blair and McKenzie found themselves in the most chaotic event of the day: the station race.

Station 1: Nonsense Questions

The first station required them to answer questions with unrelated answers.

"What is the capital of the Empire?" the facilitator asked.

"Uh... Apples!" Blair blurted out.

The facilitator stared at him for a moment before nodding. "Correct!"

McKenzie stared at his partner in disbelief. "How did you even come up with that?"

"Don't question my genius!" Blair shot back as they ran to the next station.

Station 2: Candle Blowing with Stockings

At the second station, Blair and McKenzie will take turns blowing their candles with their faces covered with stockings.

"You look ridiculous," McKenzie snickered. While moving in front of the candle to get a better view of his friend's ridiculous face.

"I can't see anything!" Blair yelled, flailing his arms.

"Just follow my voice! Blow!"

Blair inhaled deeply and exhaled, missing the candle entirely. Instead, he managed to blow directly into McKenzie's face.

"Blair!" McKenzie sputtered.

"Oops," Blair giggled.

After several more attempts—and much yelling—they finally managed to extinguish the candle and sprinted to the final station.

Station 3: Feeding Frenzy

At the feeding station, they had to feed each other within a time limit. However, there is a twist: they have to use their non-dominant hand to feed their partner.

Blair grabbed a spoonful of pudding and shoved it toward McKenzie, missing his mouth entirely.

"Hey! That's my nose!" McKenzie protested, his face now covered in pudding.

"Stop moving!" Blair laughed as McKenzie retaliated by smearing pudding onto Blair's cheek.

By the time they finished, both of them were covered in pudding but laughing uncontrollably.

---

Agnes and Arabella's Cooking Show

Agnes and Arabella had entered the cooking competition, hoping for a peaceful experience. Unfortunately, they were paired with upper-year seniors who seemed more interested in sabotaging than cooking.

"Do you even know how to chop an onion?" a senior sneered at Arabella.

Arabella bristled. "Do you even know how to cook without burning water?"

Agnes, ever the patient one, tried to mediate. "Let's just focus on our dish—"

But the seniors continued to bicker, even going so far as to mess with their ingredients.

Finally, Agnes had enough. She raised her hand, the faint glow of the Authority of Time shimmering around her.

"Oops," she said sweetly as the seniors' movements slowed to a crawl. "Looks like you're running out of time."

Arabella burst out laughing as she expertly plated their dish, leaving the seniors flailing helplessly in slow motion.

---

Braiden and Samael's Rock Climbing Showdown

Braiden and Samael were doing their best at the rock climbing competition when some seniors decided to shake the ropes, trying to throw them off balance.

"Are they serious?" Braiden muttered, gripping the wall tightly.

Samael sighed. "Guess it's time to turn up the heat."

With a flick of his wrist, Samael activated the Authority of Purity, causing the sacred flame to heat the seniors' bodies.

"HOT! HOT!" one of them yelled, letting go of the rope and sliding down in a panic.

Braiden smirked. "That'll teach them."n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

The two easily reached the top, earning applause from the crowd.

---

Jillian and Keith's Library Debacle

Jillian and Keith had hoped to escape the madness by retreating to the library, but even there, they weren't safe.

A group of seniors followed them, making noise and knocking over books.

"Do they ever stop?" Jillian muttered, trying to focus on her reading.

Keith finally snapped. He waved his hand, activating the Authority of Forces, increasing the gravity in the room.

The seniors were instantly pinned to the ground, groaning as they struggled to move.

Jillian smirked. "Now that's quiet."

More screams from the seniors can be heard, and the main cause of them is the first year who acted all wild and ready to pounce on them.