The moment the announcement was made, Sylvia stood with Elias and Damen, her expression unreadable. Yet, something felt off about her. Her usual confidence was replaced by a tinge of unease, her fingers twitching slightly as she clenched her fists.
Elias and Damen exchanged glances.
"You look a little odd," Elias remarked, raising an eyebrow. "Are you scared? The great black belt Sylvia, scared of Aezel?"
Damen snorted, nudging Elias. "Haha, yeah! What, did Aezel suddenly become a monster overnight?"
Both burst into laughter, throwing casual jokes back and forth. But then-
Sylvia's eyes darkened, her smile vanishing. The atmosphere around her turned ice-cold, and an eerie silence filled the space. The sharp glint in her eyes made both Elias and Damen stiffen, their amusement dying instantly as a chill ran down their spines.
She wasn't joking.
'Who could that person be?' Sylvia thought, her mind running through possibilities. She had initially suspected Aezel, but the thought seemed ridiculous. That loser? No, Aezel didn't have the cunning to pull something like this. But whoever it was…
"I'll find them," she murmured under her breath. "And when I do, I'll make their life a living hell."
Her fingers curled tighter.
"But before that…" Her lips twisted into a smirk, her gaze flickering toward the stage. "I need to cut off a mouse's legs first. That little thing has been jumping around too much."
Elias and Damen instinctively stepped back. The killing intent radiating from her was no joke.
---
Meanwhile, with Aezel...
"Asuka, don't worry," Aezel said, stretching her arms lazily. "She's just a little mouse, jumping too much in front of a lion." She let out a carefree laugh. "I'll be fine."
Asuka frowned. "You sure? Sylvia looks like she wants to kill you."
Aezel's grin faltered for a fraction of a second. She probably won't kill me… right? Truthfully, she wasn't as confident as she seemed. She recalled her past—how she couldn't even win against a child who made fun of her in her old world.
But this time was different.
I have to make Sylvia feel pain.
She clenched her fists. Because she hurt someone special to me… Reina.
Aezel inhaled deeply. She had already destabilized Sylvia mentally during Reina's incident. That should give her an advantage.
Or so she thought.
Little did she know that her psychological attack had only made things more complicated.
---
Reina's Unsettled Feelings
Reina, though feeling physically better, was restless. Something was gnawing at her. Aezel's match was coming up, and she felt this strange, unshakable unease.
She wanted to tell Aezel not to overdo it, not to get hurt. But why? Why do I feel like this? She wasn't sure.
Shaking off her thoughts, she refocused on the test ahead. But again, her mind circled back to Aezel's upcoming fight.
Aezel… fighting? Reina frowned. Aezel wasn't built for combat. She wasn't like the others.
A sudden sting of pain pricked her heart.
Why do I care?
Before she could stop herself, she threw on a tracksuit and ran toward the test hall.
Halfway there, she encountered Ren. He stood by the hallway, as if waiting for someone. But the moment he saw her, his eyes flickered with surprise.
"You okay?" he asked.
"I'm fine," Reina muttered quickly, brushing past him. She didn't stop running.
Ren raised an eyebrow before jogging alongside her. "Why are you running?"
Reina glanced at him. "Why are you running?"
"I asked first."
Reina didn't answer, her pace quickening.
Ren sighed. "Aezel's match is starting soon."
Reina froze in her tracks.
"…Sylvia?" she asked.
Ren nodded. "Yeah. Sylvia-the black belt."
Reina's heart sank. "…Wait. Most students here have good physical skills, right?"
"Yep."
"…Then, is Aezel…?"
Ren hesitated, then sighed. "You also think she isn't good at fighting, huh?"
Reina pressed her lips together. "So what? It's her choice. What does it have to do with me?"
Ren shot her a knowing look. "You do know why she's fighting, right?"
Reina crossed her arms. "How would I? The matchups were fixed by the school authorities. It's not like she could_"
She stopped mid-sentence. Her eyes widened slightly as a thought clicked.
"…Did she pull some strings?" Reina murmured. "Because of what Sylvia did to me?"
Ren smirked. "So, you do know now."
Reina whipped her head toward him, eyes narrowing. "Wait… how do you know about that? Did Aezel_?"
Ren raised both hands in surrender. "Nope, not her. I'm not dumb enough to not know about something that is before my eyes."
Reina: "...Huh?"
Ren stared at her, deadpan. "Are you serious?"
Whatever. He shook his head and started running again. "Let's go. We don't wanna miss the show."
Reina hesitated for a split second before running after him.
"Shut up," she muttered.
And together, they headed to the test hall.
---
The Start of Round 1
The crowd murmured with anticipation as Aezel and Sylvia stood face to face in the ring.
Sylvia's smirk was dangerous.
Aezel's lips curled into a confident grin.
The bell rang.
The first round had begun.
Aezel stood in the ring, her body tense, her fists clenched. She had one goal. Just one. Hit Sylvia at least once. It didn't matter if she lost, if she got humiliated, if she was tossed around like a ragdoll-she just needed to make sure Sylvia felt something before this fight ended.
The bell rang.
Aezel barely had time to react before...
WHAM!
Her body soared through the air like a thrown sack of potatoes. She landed with an undignified thud, the breath knocked out of her lungs.
"Okay… that was unexpected," she gasped, staring at the ceiling.
The crowd collectively winced.
Sylvia didn't even give her a second to recover. She dashed forward, her movements too fast for Aezel's sluggish body to process.
THWACK!
Aezel's head snapped to the side. She staggered, barely able to stand.
BAM!
She stumbled again, arms flailing wildly like an inflatable tube man in a storm. "I'm still standing..."
POW!
She wasn't. She went spinning through the air again before collapsing onto the ground, groaning. Someone in the crowd whispered, "Is she dead?"
Aezel weakly raised a finger. "Not… yet."
Sylvia cracked her knuckles, unimpressed. "Stay down."
Aezel gritted her teeth. No. Not until she landed at least one hit.
She forced herself up, wobbling on her feet, and swung her fist.
It missed. Completely.
Sylvia sighed, stepped forward, and landed a clean uppercut to Aezel's stomach.
THUNK!
Aezel's eyes widened. Oh.
She fell backward, sprawled out like a starfish. This time, she didn't get up. Her lips parted, a breathless whisper escaping. "Just… one hit…"
And then she passed out.
---
Reina's Turmoil
Reina had just stepped out of the nurse's office when she saw Aezel's broken figure on the ground. Her breath hitched.
Bruised. Battered. Barely conscious.
A sharp pain stabbed through Reina's chest. Something inside her tightened, coiled with an unfamiliar rage.
Her eyes snapped to Sylvia, who was watching Aezel with a smirk.
Reina's fingers curled into fists. The feeling that surged inside her was dangerous. She wanted to run to Aezel, pull her away from this madness. She wanted to tell her to stop. To take her away from here.
Her gaze darkened.
She wasn't sure why she felt this hatred toward Sylvia. Was it because of what Sylvia had done to her? Or was it because of what she had done to Aezel?
Whatever the reason, she wouldn't let Sylvia go easily.
Reina remained silent, her expression cold, but inside...
I won't forgive her.
---
Sylvia's Mystery Threat
Just as the second round was about to start, Sylvia's phone vibrated.
A video message from an unknown number.
Her eyes narrowed as she opened it,and suddenly, her face went pale.
Her hands trembled. Her throat tightened. With shaky fingers, she typed a response.
Sylvia: Who are you? What do you want? Please, let me go. I won't do anything you don't want. Just delete the video!
The reply was instant.
Unknown: Just lose the game. I will delete the video.
Sylvia clenched her jaw, her emotions a tangled mess of fear and rage.
Sylvia: Are you Aezel?! I won't let you go easily!
Before she could process the situation further, her phone rang.
A cool, emotionless voice spoke.
"Turn to your right."
Sylvia hesitated, then slowly turned her head...
And there was Aezel.
Getting treated. No phone in her hands.
Sylvia's stomach twisted.
The voice continued. "Do I sound like Aezel now?"
Sylvia swallowed hard.
"Do as I say. If not… you know what will happen."
The call ended.
Sylvia sat frozen, gripping her phone. Her mind raced.
'Whoever this is… they care about Aezel. I need to keep my eyes on her.'
---
Before the Second Round
Aeron, watching from the sidelines, had an unreadable expression. He had remained quiet during the first round, but his eyes had not left Aezel once.
Beside him, Aezel's teammates looked horrified. "She's gonna die," one muttered. "Why is she even still standing?"
"She won't back down," Aeron finally spoke, his voice calm. "She never does."
Reina approached Aezel, her voice softer than usual. "If you can't win, just accept defeat. Why waste time getting injured?"
Aezel smirked, tilting her head. "Are you… caring for me?"
Reina scoffed, looking away. "Huh? No. Why should I?"
Aezel chuckled. "That's okay. I care for you. And this is my fight. I want to finish it."
Reina felt her heart skip. "You… what?"
Aezel stretched, wincing at her sore muscles. "And I also want Sylvia to know what happens when she messes with one of my people."
Reina's face burned slightly. "Your… person?"
Aezel just grinned.
Reina turned away, cheeks pink. "Idiot," she muttered under her breath. "But… a good one."
---
Round 2 – The Unbelievable Victory
The bell rang.
Aezel exhaled. Okay, just one hit. Just one—
Sylvia, on the other hand, was distracted. Her mind was still occupied by the mysterious threat. Who the hell is that person? How do they know...
WHACK!
The crowd gasped.
Sylvia staggered backward.
Aezel blinked. "Wait… did I just..."
Sylvia collapsed.
Silence.
Even Aezel looked confused. "Did I… just win?"
The referee raised a hand. "Winner: Aezel!"
Aeron's lips twitched slightly. "Accidental or not… she won."
The crowd erupted.
Reina facepalmed. "She won by accident."
Ren, sitting beside her, chuckled. "You should've stopped her, you know."
Reina folded her arms. "Why would I? It was her fight. Who am I to interfere?"
Ren smirked. "Uh-huh. And what was that you said? I won't let anyone harm her?"
Reina's face turned slightly red. "Shut up."
Ren laughed. "You two are crazy. Haha...No wonder you're made for each other."
Reina bit her lip but couldn't help the small smile forming. She turned back to the ring, watching as Aezel raised her arms in victory, pretending like she planned all of it.
Aezel caught Reina's gaze and grinned. "Told you I'd win."
Reina sighed, but her heart felt lighter. This idiot..
She shook her head. "Yeah, you did." said in low voice.