The tranquil arena, the rustic wooden cabin, the dappled midday sun, and two intensely focused duelists—all of it silently conveyed a supreme martial spirit.

  The duel began.

  Zirviny did not recklessly charge at Lanqi for an immediate attack. Instead, she kept her distance, cautiously casting enhancement and immunity-type Magic Cards on herself.

  Her movements were light, her steps poised for evasion, and her eyes brimmed with vigince.

  Even at this moment, she was already on guard against any potential long-range spells Lanqi might cast.

  Sensing hostility and reaching the realm of preemptive awareness is a hallmark of a true martial artist.

  Zirviny had honed her instincts to detect Lanqi’s attack intentions even before her eyes could react.

  She knew that the Lanqi she faced was a versatile mage, and she had to remain vigint against any traps he might set.

  However—

  Lanqi’s gaze was as calm as still water, devoid of any trace of hostility.

  This only made Zirviny more alert. She had never encountered someone like this—someone who could maintain such a friendly demeanor even when facing an opponent they must defeat.

  If Lanqi had truly reached the level of completely concealing his hostility, then he was undoubtedly above her. At the very least, she couldn’t manage to bypass her opponent’s awareness and leave them unable to sense or predict her attacks!

  As Zirviny continued to reinforce herself and ponder her strategy, Lanqi finally reached into his pocket and pulled out a stack of Magic Cards. His movements were clean and decisive, showing no hesitation as he scattered the cards onto the wooden beams behind him. At the same time, he activated some sort of artificer-like initiation script, adding a simple stroke to these Magic Cards.

  A stack?

  Neither Zirviny nor the crowd of martial artists present could make sense of Lanqi’s actions.

  After all, the number of Magic Cards one could bind was limited. The rank of a card determined its cost, and a third-rank individual could carry a total of thirty ranks worth of Magic Cards at most.

  Even if Lanqi carried only first-rank cards, he could only bring thirty at most. Such a deck composition would leave him virtually powerless in combat.

  “I forfeit!”

  Lanqi’s loud decration echoed throughout the arena.

  Before anyone could react, Lanqi turned and bolted out of the wooden cabin at full speed.

  “Forfeit?”

  Zirviny was utterly dumbfounded.

  No matter how many ways she imagined Lanqi might go all out in the duel, she never expected him to simply forfeit and hand her the victory!

  Could it be—

  Does this guy… like me?

  Was all that contract signing earlier just a way to help their team in a roundabout manner?

  Zirviny’s mind was in chaos. Her heart pounded wildly as she struggled to comprehend Lanqi’s intentions and behavior.

  But just as her frantic heartbeat filled her ears—

  A series of explosions, even more intense than the ones during Frey’s duel, erupted within the arena!

  Zirviny’s eyes widened as she saw the wooden beams ahead, where Lanqi had left that stack of Magic Cards, ignite in a chain of explosions like detonating talismans!

  The wooden cabin, already weakened by a damaged beam, began to shake violently as another critical beam was blown apart. It seemed on the verge of colpse.

  When Zirviny looked again toward Lanqi and his companions, she found that all three of them had already disappeared.

  Frey had bolted out the door the moment Lanqi forfeited.

  Huberrian had run even faster, leaving behind an illusionary decoy after going invisible.

  In the blink of an eye, under Zirviny’s stunned and incredulous gaze, the wooden cabin swayed precariously before colpsing with a deafening crash!

  …

  In the Knight Academy district, the enormous rumble drew the attention of many students nearby.

  Looking toward the source of the sound, they saw a wooden cabin nestled deep within the jacaranda grove reduced to a pile of rubble, with smoke and shattered wood scattered everywhere.

  Amid the ruins, after what felt like an eternity, a slender figure finally crawled out, covered in dust and dirt.

  She staggered to her feet, her eyes hollow as if repying the events that had just transpired.

  A heavy sense of emptiness, like the settling dust, weighed down on her heart.

  She had indeed won.

  Yet the joy of victory and the indescribable warmth that had begun to bloom in her heart crumbled like the wooden cabin, shattering into pieces.

  She vaguely remembered—

  The contract had clearly stated:

  Regardless of any damages caused during the duel, the martial artists’ team would bear full responsibility. The Student Management Committee would not intervene.

  Lanqi had indeed used Magic Cards to destroy the cabin. Though she didn’t understand the principles behind it, he had somehow turned unfinished Magic Cards into makeshift explosives.

  The contract even stiputed: Regardless of the outcome, neither party could viote the spirit of martial honor or family name to seek revenge, tarnish the other’s reputation, or use force or influence to threaten or harm the other. Both parties were to maintain friendly retions.

  None of this seemed coincidental!

  At st, Zirviny realized Lanqi’s ploy—

  This cunning freshman had never intended to win!

  His only goal was to demolish the cabin during the duel, even luring them into signing the contract beforehand.

  Frey’s provocations were all part of the setup, creating the illusion that Lanqi was a reasonable negotiator!

  “I… I thought you were a good guy…”

  Zirviny trembled, unsure whether her rage or the shame of her earlier fantasies was closer to bursting her heart.

  Her face flushed crimson, and tears of fury welled up in her eyes, ready to spill over.

  “LANQI!!!”

  Standing atop the ruins, Zirviny’s roar tore through the sky like a thunderous storm, echoing across the Knight Academy district.

  Her rage consumed all reason, transforming her into a feral beast as she charged out of the wreckage toward the fleeing trio.

  The other martial artists, who had also crawled out of the debris, were already in a state of bloodlust. Seeing Zirviny lead the charge, they followed without hesitation, driven by sheer madness.

  …

  On the distant path of the academy, the trio of students who had already gained some distance could feel the terrifying killing intent and the rumbling ground behind them.

  They immediately pushed themselves to run even faster.

  “Hey, hey! It’s all in bck and white! You signed the contract yourself—no revenge allowed!” Lanqi shouted over his shoulder.

  Though he still felt justified, the overwhelming fury from behind made him feel a twinge of guilt.

  He hadn’t expected Zirviny to be this enraged. After all, he had forfeited so amicably!

  “LANQI! You despicable, conniving vilin!!!”

  Zirviny’s distant voice echoed from behind.

  “…”

  Lanqi decided it was wiser to stop talking. In the brief moment he gnced back, he caught a glimpse of Zirviny’s expression and understood.

  He was all too familiar with the stages of human anger, from mild irritation to unbridled fury.

  Zirviny had clearly lost all rationality.

  Until she calmed down, even the contract’s oaths of martial honor might not restrain her.

  It seemed Talia’s teachings were spot-on: both sprinting and endurance running were essential skills, as situations like this could indeed arise with unreasonable peers!

  “Lanqi, working with you is incredibly efficient,” Frey remarked, gncing at Lanqi with admiration. Initially, he had doubted anyone could keep up with his schemes. Now, he realized he had found a teammate capable of executing fwless pns with him.

  “Likewise. Without your cover, I wouldn’t have convinced them to sign the peace treaty so easily,” Lanqi replied, equally impressed.

  He even thought how great it would’ve been to meet Frey earlier.

  “By the way, what’s the deal with those exploding Magic Cards?” Frey asked, intrigued by the innovative technique.

  “Oh, those are unfinished Magic Cards. With a simple augmentation script, they can be detonated,” Lanqi expined.

  Inspired by Talia’s teachings, he had recently developed a new type of “Explosive Prototype Magic Card.”

  Though they couldn’t be soul-bound, this innovation allowed him, a white mage, to gain some offensive capabilities akin to a red mage.

  There was still plenty of room for improvement and increased explosive power.

  “Next time we enter the Shadow World, shall we team up? Our Model Civilized Squad could use a tank, and you seem great at drawing aggro, Frey,” Lanqi suggested.

  “Do you even need to ask? I need credits and can’t find decent teammates!” Frey replied enthusiastically.

  Having grown close to Lanqi and Huberrian, Frey had shed his initial aloofness and seemed eager to spend more time with them, whether it was exploring the Shadow World or pying cards and chess in the student council room.

  “You two…”

  Listening to the two oddballs beside her, Huberrian sighed pitifully, raising her head to the sky.

  “Why do I have to run with you two as well?”

  She hadn’t done anything wrong, yet she felt that stopping now would spell her doom!

  And so—

  On the academy’s paths, under the astonished gazes of Icerite Academy students, three figures sprinted ahead while a mob of martial artists gave chase.

  It was hard to imagine what kind of trouble these three had caused to provoke such fury from their pursuers.

  …

  In the old humanities building, within the student council room—

  The spacious and quiet room housed the president and vice president, both immersed in their work at their respective desks.

  The president’s long desk gleamed with the dark polish of hardwood, its clean lines making the surface appear even more expansive. Despite the stacks of folders and papers, everything was meticulously organized.

  Suddenly, the raucous sounds of the chase outside drifted in through the room’s tall windows.

  President Monaster set down his pen, momentarily distracted by the commotion. He stood, hands csped behind his back, and gazed out the window to witness the chaotic scene below.

  “It seems they’ve succeeded,” Monaster remarked, taking a sip from his coffee cup with a hint of approval.

  “…Does this really count as success?”

  Vice President Asina soon joined him, her expression one of shock as she took in the scene below.

  Her hesitant words betrayed her uncertainty in evaluating such a spectacle.

  The three fleeing students seemed to have stirred up a hornet’s nest, and whatever they had done must have been truly outrageous!

  “With these three outstanding new members, I’m confident the Student Management Committee’s work will be exceptionally smooth this year.”

  “Coincidentally, there’s an academic exchange visit from the Aroran Kingdom Academy in two months. Despite being a peer institution from the southern continent, they always adopt a condescending attitude toward us.”

  “This year, they seem emboldened by their recruitment of several exceptional freshmen, prompting them to schedule the visit so early. But with these three on our side, I’m not worried about any mishaps,” President Monaster said with a composed smile, adjusting his monocle as he expressed his appreciation for the trio’s potential.

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