The stone hall outside the library turned into a blur as Roan dragged me along, his grip on my collar tight enough to choke me.

"Wait, wait! Hold your damn horses!" I barked, twisting my shoulder hard.

I finally broke free from his grip, making us both stop just a few feet from the heavy library doors. I stumbled forward, quickly fixing my dusty coat.

"At least let me walk on my own, you bastard!" I hissed, glaring at him. "Why are you running like a madman anyway? Let me guess. Someone finally made Arthur angry? Or did a senior say something about his friends? Amelia maybe?"

Roan paused, breathing hard, a crazy grin on his face. He shook his head, his silver hair flying. "No! It was not like that! No one provoked him. Arthur went to the registration boards himself and issued a formal challenge."

I frowned. "He did what? The hell is wrong with him? Who did he even challenge?"

"Your girlfriend. Seris," Roan said.

My eyes went wide. Girlfriend? Seris?

Before I could even think about that, fast footsteps came from the library doors. Cordelia stepped into the hall, her green eyes narrowed in annoyance, with Julia right behind her, still holding her thick book like a shield.

"She is not my girlfriend," I said, my voice dropping into a flat, and serious as I completely ignored the burning stares behind me. "And why the hell did he do that? Arthur isn’t a fool. He knows the gap between them as well as anyone. He knows he can’t defeat her — at least not as he is now. So why?"

"I don’t know, and honestly? Who cares!" Roan laughed, already bouncing on his feet. "All I care about is the fact that the top students are clashing! Now move your ass before we miss the opening exchange!"

He did not wait for an answer. Roan turned and ran down the hall, his boots thudding loud on the stone.

Cordelia did not wait either. With a sharp look, she grabbed Julia’s wrist and dragged her along as she chased after him. Julia shot a quick, wide-eyed look back at me, and I gave her a short nod to keep moving.

But I stood there for a second longer, staring at the empty hall.

Why did he challenge her? If a bastard noble or an arrogant senior had pushed him, I would understand.

But choosing Seris?

It couldn’t be simple pride. Arthur wasn’t the type of guy to throw himself into a reckless beating without a clear, motive. He had something specific to gain from her.

"Hey, bastard! We are going to be late!" Roan’s voice echoed from the end of the hall.

Shaking my head to clear the thoughts, I finally ran.

Whatever he was planning — whether it was to force a breakthrough under the pressure of a Master-rank powerhouse or to test his limits against one of the best students of the academy, I had to see it for myself.

_

Meanwhile, across the school grounds, the big arena was already full of noise.

The arena was built into the heart of the academy, a massive circular structure carved from grey stone.

Rows of seats rose high above the central floor, packed with students from all years. The first-years leaned over the front rails, their faces pale with a mix of awe and nerves. Higher up, the upperclassmen sat with crossed arms, their eyes sharp and critical.

At the very top, the faculty and student council had their own private viewing boxes.

The arena floor itself was a wide, flat ring of reinforced stone, covered in faint silver runes that glowed whenever a fight began. It was built for one purpose — to host official duels and ranking challenges.

The only empty spot was the VIP balcony. There, away from the noisy crowd, stood the teachers and the Student Council — the silver hair of the President catching the light, while the Vice President stood stiffly beside him, her paperwork forgotten.

The noise of the crowd was a wall of sound. Thousands of voices shouted, bet, and argued over a first-year daring to challenge a second-year.

"Cough, cough. Ahem. Testing, testing."

A loud, clear voice cut through the noise, coming from the floating speakers above the arena floor. The crowd slowly quieted down, turning toward the announcer’s booth, a raised platform overlooking the arena where the officials and commentators sat.

Standing at the railing was a well-known third-year girl. Her black coat was loose over her shoulders, showing her white shirt underneath. Her long purple hair was tied back in a high ponytail. She held the floating speaker with ease, a big, playful smile on her face.

"Welcome, welcome, my lovely juniors and classmates!" she shouted, her voice light, energetic, and perfectly filling every corner of the stadium. "For those who don’t know me, I am Cynthia, a third-year student, and today, I am your official host!"

The crowd instantly erupted into cheers. Everyone in the academy knew Cynthia — her voice was everywhere, and she could turn even the most boring school events into something fun.

"I love you, Cynthia!" someone yelled from the back rows.

"Hey, she doesn’t love you back, freshman! Sit down!" another voice shot back, sparking a wave of laughter through the stands.

Cynthia laughed into the speaker, waving at the stands. "I love you all too, everyone!"

The stands filled with laughter, the tension breaking a little before Cynthia’s face lit up with a big, excited grin

"Now, let’s talk about the exact topic that has brought every single one of us out of our classrooms during our precious lunch break," Cynthia said, her voice dropping into a dramatic tone. "Today, we are not watching a normal spar. We are watching something strange! A fight that has split the whole school!"

She waved dramatically at the empty, dusty ring below.

"On one side, we have the fresh blood — the Chosen Hero himself, challenging on his first week! And... well, the second-years already look like they want to kill someone!"

She was not exaggerating. The whispers in the crowd were sharp and mean.

"Is the Hero out of his mind? Standing up to a second-year?"

"You didn’t see the tournament? The first-years are different this year, Arthur is a monster!"

"Doesn’t matter who he is! Seris is the best. She is on a completely different level!"

"He’s walking into a goddamn slaughterhouse."

"So, without more talk, let us bring out the brave challenger!" Cynthia’s voice rose, cutting through the whispers. "From the left tunnel, entering the ring with the weight of the Goddess’s blessings... the first-year prodigy, Arthur Vale!"

The left tunnel gates groaned open.

Arthur stepped out into the bright sunlight of the arena, his jet-black hair falling messily over his forehead.

He wore the standard academy uniform — a black coat over a white shirt, silver trim on the edges, and the academy crest pinned over his heart. But it was his eyes that caught everyone’s attention, piercing, brilliant gold, glowing with quiet intensity.

He looked a bit exhausted, with dark shadows under his eyes, yet his back was straight as he gripped his sword.

The left side of the stadium exploded. First-years and fans waved banners, shouting "Arthur! Arthur!" loud enough to shake the stone.

Cynthia waited for the noise to die down before raising her hand toward the other gate.

"And from the right... the top student of the second year. The silent blade who has held the top spot since she arrived... Seris Lunaria!"

The right gate opened quietly.

A heavy, unnatural stillness seemed to sweep across the arena as Seris walked in. Her long black hair fell loosely past her shoulders, catching a faint blue tint under the sun. Her pale skin made her look like a ghost moving across the stone floor.

She wore the standard student uniform — perfectly neat, without a single wrinkle, her white shirt and black tie tucked neatly beneath her high-collared coat. Her deep red eyes were completely unreadable, cold and steady as they fixed on the boy standing across from her.

The chants for her name were different — less wild, more respectful, a big wall of sound honoring the top fighter of the second-years.

"Look at her... she doesn’t even care."

"Seris is still the best. That freshman won’t even touch her coat."

"He’s fast, but she’s a ghost."

The two fighters stopped ten feet apart in the middle of the dusty ring.

Arthur looked at her, the tiredness on his face lifting a little as he gave a small, respectful nod. "Thank you, Senior, for accepting this match."

Seris stood perfectly still, her small mouth pressed into its usual expressionless line. She didn’t speak. She simply gave a single, slow nod of acknowledgment, her hand resting casually near the hilt of her blade.

A shadow fell over the center of the ring as Professor Helene stepped between them. Her gray eyes scanned both students with cold authority, making the whole stadium go quiet.

"I am your referee for this duel," Helene said, her voice dropping like a heavy weight into the ears of everyone present. "The rules are simple. This is a friendly match for learning, not a real fight. The moment I see a threat to life, I will stop it. Do you both understand?"

Arthur nodded. Seris followed suit.

Helene stepped back, her hand rising slowly into the air. The magical barrier around the ring began to glow and hum.

"Raise your weapons."

Arthur’s hand gripped his sword, his knuckles white as a faint gold light began to glow from his sword. Across from him, Seris stood like a statue, the air around her feet turning cold.

Helene’s hand began to drop.

"Three."

"Two."

Before the final count could leave her lips, a loud voice broke the silence.

"MOVE!!!"