The quiet arena, the rustic wooden house, the mottled blaze of the noon sun, and the two duelists completely absorbed in battle—everything wordlessly conveyed the supreme spirit of martial arts.
The duel began.
Zirvini did not recklessly charge forward to ambush Lan Qi. Instead, she kept her distance, cautiously casting enhancement and immunity spell cards on herself.
Her body moved lightly, steps prepared to dodge at any moment, her gaze filled with vigilance.
Even now, she was already guarding against the possibility of Lan Qi casting long-range magic.
Sensing hostility—reaching the realm of acting before the opponent—was one of the martial artist’s great pinnacles.
Zirvini could sometimes perceive Lan Qi’s intent to attack even before her eyes could react.
She knew well that Lan Qi, the one she faced, was a mage skilled in many arts. She had to beware of any trap spells he might lay.
Yet—
Lan Qi’s eyes were calm, like still water, carrying not the slightest hint of hostility.That only made Zirvini more on edge. She had never seen anyone like this—someone who, even when facing an opponent he had to defeat, could still remain as if in friendly coexistence.
If Lan Qi had truly reached a state where all hostility was concealed, then he was already above her. At the very least, she herself could not bypass the perception of hostility, hiding her attack from an opponent so thoroughly.
As Zirvini strengthened her guard and thoughts, Lan Qi finally pulled a stack of magic cards from his pocket. His movements were crisp, without hesitation, tossing them toward the beams above the house while inscribing a brief artificer’s initiation rune—just a final stroke to trigger them.
A stack?
Both Zirvini and the watching fighters were baffled.
Everyone knew the number of bound magic cards was limited. Each card’s tier could be considered its “cost,” and a third-tier mage could at most carry thirty tiers of cards combined.
Even if Lan Qi carried all first-tier cards, that would be thirty at most. But a deck like that would give him barely any combat strength at all.
“I surrender!”
Lan Qi’s shout echoed through the arena.
Before Zirvini could react, she saw Lan Qi suddenly dash for the outside of the wooden house, running with all his might without a backward glance.
“Surrender?”
Zirvini froze in disbelief.
She had imagined a thousand ways Lan Qi might fight her with all his strength, but never once that he would surrender outright, handing her victory.
Could it be—
This guy… liked her?
Had all those contracts he made them sign earlier really been just his way of helping their team?
Her heart grew chaotic, pounding wildly in confusion. She couldn’t make sense of Lan Qi’s intentions at all.
But then—
A series of explosions, fiercer than even Frey’s duel before, ripped through the arena!
Zirvini’s eyes widened. At the beams ahead of her, the stack of magic cards Lan Qi had left behind erupted like a chain of explosive talismans.
The wooden house, already damaged in one beam, shook violently as another critical beam shattered—on the verge of collapse.
When she looked again for Lan Qi and the others, they were gone.
Frey had bolted the moment Lan Qi surrendered.
Huperion had run even faster, leaving only her decoy in place after turning invisible.
And so—
As Zirvini’s mind went blank, the wooden house swayed, then collapsed with a thunderous crash!
Inside the Knight Academy’s district, the thunderous noise drew many students’ attention.
They saw, in the depths of the jacaranda grove, a small wooden house now reduced to rubble, smoke curling around broken timbers.
From the ruins, after some time, a slender figure finally crawled out, covered in dust.
She staggered to her feet, eyes hollow, as if replaying everything that had just happened.
A heavy emptiness pressed on her chest like falling dust.
She had indeed won.
The joy of victory, and a faint warmth she couldn’t quite name, had yet to settle in her heart before crumbling apart—like the house itself—shattered to pieces.
She remembered—
The contract had clearly stated:
Whatever damage was caused during the duel, the fighting team would bear full responsibility. The Student Council was not liable.
The house had indeed been destroyed by Lan Qi’s magic cards, though she had no idea how he managed to use incomplete cards as explosive talismans.
The contract even included: regardless of outcome, both sides must not betray the martial spirit or family honor by seeking revenge, must not slander or threaten one another, and must maintain friendly relations.
None of it was coincidence.
At last, Zirvini understood Lan Qi’s trick—
He had never intended to win.
He only wanted to tear down the house during the duel, and had tricked them into signing the contract beforehand.
Frey’s provocations were merely to buy Lan Qi space for negotiation, making them believe Lan Qi was “reasonable.”
“I… I really thought you were a good guy…”
Zirvini’s whole body trembled. She didn’t know if it was sheer fury, or the shame of her earlier daydreams, but her heart felt like it would burst.
Her cheeks flushed red, tears of rage brimming in her eyes.
“LAN QI!!!”
Standing atop the ruins, her roar split the sky like a deafening storm, echoing across the Knight Academy.
The tide of rage devoured Zirvini’s reason. She became like a berserk beast, charging from the rubble in pursuit of the three escapees.
The other fighters, also clawing free of the wreckage, had entered a blood rage as well. Seeing Zirvini’s charge, they followed without hesitation—only madness remained.
Far off, along the Academy road—
The three Student Council members, already some distance ahead, suddenly felt the murderous intent and the thunderous stampede closing in.
They immediately ran for their lives.
“Hey, hey! It’s black and white on paper—you signed the contract yourself, no revenge allowed!”
Lan Qi shouted back.
Though he still believed he was in the right, the overwhelming fury behind them made him feel almost guilty.
He hadn’t thought Zirvini would be this angry. He had even surrendered to her so politely!
“Lan Qi!! You despicable, scheming villain!!!”
Her voice thundered from behind.
“….”
Lan Qi dared not reply further. Just a glimpse of her expression when he’d turned back told him enough.
He knew too well the stages of human rage, from nothing to beyond the limit.
Zirvini was already past reason.
Until she cooled down, not even the martial oath in the contract could restrain her.
Indeed, Talia’s lessons had been right—sprints and endurance running were both essential. Because sometimes you really would meet classmates who didn’t play by reason at all.
“Lan Qi, working with you is incredibly efficient.”
Frey glanced sideways, admiring him. He had thought no one could keep up with his schemes. Yet here was a teammate who could cooperate seamlessly and achieve flawless results.
“Likewise. Without your cover, I wouldn’t have gotten them to sign the peace treaty so easily.”
Lan Qi was equally impressed.
He even thought, if only he’d met Frey earlier.
“By the way, what was with those exploding cards?”
Frey was clearly interested in the new technique.
“Oh, those are semi-finished cards. Just a little inscription added can make them detonate.”
In recent days, inspired by Talia’s teachings, Lan Qi had developed a new type of “Explosive Semi-Finished Magic Card.”
Though they couldn’t be soul-bound—
For a white mage like him, they provided a rare means of direct offense, almost like a red mage’s weaponry.
There was still plenty of room to improve their power.
“Next time in the Shadow World, shall the three of us go together? Our Model Civility Squad just needs a front-liner—Frey, you’re good at taunts, right?”
Lan Qi asked quickly.
They were all first-years, all in the same organization, and their teamwork was solid. Perfect for a Shadow World run.
“Of course! I need credits anyway, but I haven’t found good teammates.”
Frey was delighted. Now familiar with Lan Qi and Huperion, his aloof demeanor was gone.
He seemed eager to hang out in the Council room, playing cards and chess with them.
“You two…”
Huperion lifted her head helplessly to the sky.
“Why do I have to run with you guys too?!”
She hadn’t done anything wrong.
But if she stopped now, she knew she’d be the one to die!
And so—
On the Academy road, before stunned students, three figures sprinted desperately ahead, pursued by a horde of enraged fighters.
No one could imagine what sin those three had committed, to provoke such wrath.
In the old Humanities building, the Student Council room—
The spacious chamber was quiet. The President and Vice President sat at their desks, fully immersed in work.
The President’s long desk gleamed with dark polished wood, its clean lines making it look broad and neat, even with papers and folders stacked in order.
Suddenly, a ruckus carried in through the tall windows with the breeze.
President Monast set his pen down, rose, and clasped his hands behind his back as he looked out the window at the chaotic chase below.
“Looks like they succeeded.”
He sipped from his coffee cup, the ease in his manner tinged with approval.
“...This really counts as success?”
Vice President Asina joined him, stunned by the sight below.
She hesitated, unsure how to describe what she saw.
It looked more like they had kicked a hornet’s nest. Surely they’d done something outrageous!
“With those three excellent new members, the Student Council’s work will go smoothly this year.”
“Next month, the Yaloran Academy will send a scholarly delegation. Though it’s a peer institution, they always come with the intent to suppress us.”
“This year they’ve recruited many outstanding freshmen, which is why they dared visit so early. But with those three here, I have nothing to worry about.”
Monast calmly adjusted his single-lens glasses, clearly pleased with their value, and smiled.