**The Weight of Victory**
The training grounds fell silent under the oppressive aura radiating from Qin Hong. His words hung in the air like a bde poised to strike—*"Come at me."*
Not a single challenger stepped forward.
Haruko moved first, pnting herself beside him. "Count me in."
Worso flicked away his cigarette and joined the line, his usual smirk repced by uncharacteristic solemnity. Merkel, watching his teammates stand united for the first time, felt his vision blur. *This… this is what real camaraderie feels like.*
Bel’s voice cut through the tension. "Since there are no objections, Wynroth Group is today’s victor. The others failed. Dismissed!" With a gust of wind, she vanished.
As Qin Hong knelt to gather scattered alchemy tools, Ilen and Naya approached.
"We lost fair and square," Ilen muttered, avoiding eye contact. "We’ll handle your undry this month."
Naya tugged Qin Hong’s sleeve. "I *didn’t* throw your clothes! I just—I saw Tiffany running off and—"
He flicked her forehead. "Clean this up, and we’re even."
Tiffany intercepted him as he turned to leave. "Qin Hong, wait—"
He didn’t meet her gaze. "What?"
Her chest tightened at his icy tone. "I… I accept my loss. Name your price. Anything to make it right."
"Lower the brewing temperature by five degrees next time. That’s all." He walked away, adding over his shoulder, "And keep your hands off my wardrobe."
---
### **Celebration and Shadows**
Worso slung an arm around Merkel. "Drinks on me tonight! My acting? *Fwless.*"
"Your *smugness* needs work," Haruko deadpanned, though her eyes sparkled.
Meanwhile, in Norton Tavern on Wynroth’s outskirts, Guan Lan sipped "Viper" vodka, unfazed by the manicured hand sliding onto his shoulder.
"Sit. Drink." He didn’t turn.
Shan, her heart-shaped pupils glinting, draped herself onto the adjacent stool. Her violet dress clung to every curve, but Guan Lan’s attention stayed on his gss.
"Since when do you work for *them*?"
She pouted. "No ‘Missed you’? Just accusations?"
"Your *Allure* won’t work on me, Shan." He finally faced her. "Where’s the Steel Heart?"
Her pyful demeanor hardened. "What if I refuse?"
A steel fist *shattered* Guan Lan’s spine from behind—or should have. The attacker, a hulking man named Da Gou, gaped as his arm phased *through* Guan Lan’s body, blue electricity crackling around the void.
Shan sighed. "I *told* you. He’s a Naturalizer."
Da Gou roared, wrenching free—only for Guan Lan to seize his wrist with an *identical* steel grip.
"*Impossible!*"
Guan Lan’s entire body metallicized in response. "Last chance. Hand it over."
---
### **The Iron Wastend**
Da Gou snapped his own wrist to escape, absorbing a nearby iron rack to regenerate.
"**Iron Forest Domain!**"
The tavern dissolved into a gray wastend. Towering bck pilrs erupted, skewering Guan Lan—who merely *dissipated* into lightning and reformed behind Da Gou.
"*Enough.*"
A single swing of his **Lightning Draconic Sword** beheaded Da Gou…
…until molten steel bubbled from the stump, reforming his body.
"*Hah!*" Da Gou sneered. "Shan cried over you! I’ll—"
"**Thunder Dragon’s Descent.**"
The sword *morphed* into a colossal azure dragon, its maw swallowing Da Gou’s iron sphere shield whole. The ensuing explosion liquefied steel into glowing sg.
Guan Lan stepped through the steam, eyeing the ruins.
