After reading the last na on the list, Jason glanced down, nodded to himself—and then, without a word, raised a hand.
A soft glow of magic ford around him, and in the blink of an eye, he vanished from the training hall in a swirl of light.
The room fell silent for a heartbeat.
Then—"Whoa! Did you see that? He teleported!" one student gasped.
Another student scoffed, crossing their arms. "Why are you so stunned? All senior students know teleportation magic. Of course the instructor would."
"Yeah but... isn’t he a sword instructor?" soone asked, clearly confused.
A nearby student rolled their eyes. "So what? Just because he teaches swordsmanship doesn’t an he can’t learn magic too."
The confused student frowned. "Hey! How dare you call out! Do you even know who my parents are?!"
"Here we go again," soone muttered under their breath.
anwhile, Zara stood with her arms crossed, trying not to laugh."Looks like it’s not just the fights that’ll be entertaining today."
Elira glanced at the arguing students and then turned to Zara with a soft chuckle."Yes... I think you’re right. We’re getting more than just a tournant today. It’s like a cody show."
Zara grinned. "Academy drama is the best kind of drama."
anwhile, Mia stood off to the side, arms crossed and lips pursed in a deep pout. Her eyes kept darting toward where Alex had been standing, clearly still fuming.
Noticing her mood, Selena approached quietly. She wasn’t the best at comforting, but she leaned in slightly and said, with the faintest smile she could manage,"You’re not going to let soone like him ruin your day... right?"
Mia blinked, surprised for a second. Then her pout slowly faded, replaced by a reluctant smirk."Hmph. I guess not."
Mia suddenly turned to Selena with a mischievous glint in her eyes and a strange smile on her face."Oooh~ Seleeenaa~ Did you just comfort ? That ans... you’re my friend now, right?" she cooed, then reached out and began rubbing Selena’s cheeks with both hands.
Selena, caught off guard, blinked. Her expression shifted into her usual blank look before she simply turned around and started walking away without a word.
Mia gasped theatrically and quickly chased after her. She clung to Selena’s arm with a dramatic pout."Heyyy! Why are you walking away, friend~?"
Then, with a teasing grin, Mia started rubbing her arm against Selena’s like so overly clingy mascot.
Selena’s brow twitched. With a sigh, she raised one hand and started gently pushing Mia’s overly affectionate face away.
From the side, Zara and Elira watched the chaos unfold. They exchanged wry smiles, both clearly used to Mia’s antics.
But while most of the students were laughing or whispering, one person wasn’t amused.
Across the hall, Drakan stood watching the scene—specifically, watching Mia.
His eyes narrowed, and his fists clenched tightly at his sides, small sparks of energy crackling between his fingers.
His jaw tightened, fury twisting across his face.
Standing near him, a student noticed the sudden surge in tension. Seeing Drakan’s expression, the student paled and stepped back, trembling slightly."W-What’s wrong with him...?"
Suddenly, across the hall, a soft flash of light drew everyone’s attention.
On the elevated stage, four figures had appeared—instantly silencing the students’ chatter.
There stood the principal, calm and dignified. Beside him was Jason, now without his usual smile. Next to him stood Natalia, the head mage instructor, with her arms crossed and eyes sharp as ever. But what drew most of the attention... was the final figure.
A beautiful girl in flowing white and gold priest robes stood quietly at the edge of the group. Her serene expression and radiant presence made her stand out like a light among shadows.
Students leaned in and began whispering—but this ti, their voices were hushed, almost reverent.
"Hey... I recognize everyone else, but who’s that pretty girl in the priest dress?"
"She’s probably a healer," one boy whispered excitedly. "Maybe after I win my match, she’ll co heal personally."
"Hah! More like after I beat you, she’ll heal you."
The other snorted. "Please. I’m stronger than you."
"Sure, sure... keep dreaming."
Even as the banter continued, most eyes remained locked on the mysterious girl—her presence oddly calming but also captivating.
anwhile, Zara narrowed her eyes slightly. "...That girl,"
Zara’s eyes stayed fixed on the serene girl in priest robes. Her expression tensed slightly.
"Why is she here?" she muttered under her breath. "Fluff almost had a heart attack last ti he saw her..."
That thought alone made Zara snap to alertness. Her eyes darted around quickly, scanning her surroundings.
"Wait... where is Fluff? I haven’t talked to him this whole ti..." she thought, frowning.
Just then, a soft snoooore echoed faintly in her mind.
Zara’s mouth twitched.
"...Don’t tell ... he’s sleeping in the system space? Now of all tis?! Seriously?!"
Up on the stage, while the students whispered and waited for the announcent, Ishara’s calm gaze lingered on one particular person in the crowd—Zara.
A gentle smile played on her lips, though it wasn’t one of friendliness. It was thoughtful. Curious. Almost... amused.
The principal, standing beside her, noticed the direction of her attention.
He leaned slightly closer and asked in a low voice, "Why are you looking at that girl?"
Ishara didn’t turn her gaze. Her voice remained soft but clear."That girl... she’s hiding sothing."
The principal’s expression shifted subtly, his interest piqued.
Ishara’s eyes glinted faintly as she continued,"She also carries a presence with her... a beast that shouldn’t exist. At least, not in this continent."
The principal’s eyes narrowed. Slowly, he turned his head to look at Zara among the students.
She stood there, arms crossed, still ntally grumbling about Fluff.
Oblivious to the attention she was drawing from so of the most powerful people in the academy.
The principal raised his hand high, his voice echoing powerfully across the hall.
"Now—let the tournant begin!"
A wave of excitent rippled through the crowd. Students who had been murmuring and joking just monts ago now stood straight, eyes wide with anticipation. Cheers and claps erupted from different corners of the hall as the announcent hit.
The once casual atmosphere instantly shifted—this was no longer just schoolyard banter. It was ti to prove strength, skill... and reputation.
Zara straightened up, cracking her neck with a smirk."Well, ti to show Alex what luck really looks like."
anwhile, in the depths of system space...
Zzzzz... snrk—!!
Fluff suddenly jolted awake with a yelp.
[what did I miss]
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