At first, she had always considered herself strong.

How could she not?

Her older brother was a weakling—a pathetic sort who never seemed worthy enough to one day inherit their household's honor.

That was how she used to see him.

"I'm sorry, Reina—haha…"

In the past, he had always apologized first, even though it was Reina who hurt him during their childhood training sessions.

Again and again, those words would leave his lips with an awkward smile, rubbing the spot she had struck him as though she were the one who deserved pity.

"You fool! I told you not to hold back just because she's your little sister!"

Their grandfather would scold him endlessly, beard trembling with anger.

"Like hell I could hurt her, gramps!" Riley would retort. "Besides—I'm very weak! What did you expect!?"

He was stubborn. Irritatingly so. Lazy to the bone, never taking anything seriously unless forced.

But… even back then, even when they were small, Reina could sense it—under Riley's laziness, there was something else hiding in those eyes.

A gaze that never belonged to a mere child.

A gaze that felt older… steadier… quietly watching over her.

He wasn't looking down on her with contempt.

He wasn't comparing their talents.

He wasn't jealous of her strength.

He was simply there—kind, gentle, and unshakably understanding.

There had never been even a trace of envy between them. Not once.

Because to Riley, she was his little sister.

And to Reina… he was the strange, infuriating older brother who always seemed to know something she didn't.

Even when she was stronger.

Even when she surpassed him easily.

Even when she believed she stood far above him—

—she never felt like she could truly reach him.

As if, somewhere deep within, Riley had always been standing on a distant peak she could not see.

"Hmm, you're worried about the future of the Hell house? Then how about you become the next head instead? Just say the word and I'll have Mom and Dad arrange everything."

He had said it so casually back then—like giving away the position of family head was no different from offering her the last cookie on a plate.

He didn't care about his title, his status, nor how people viewed him.

As long as he could live quietly, peacefully, and on his own whims, he had no attachments to the burdens that came with being the heir.

At that time, Reina didn't understand him at all.

Despite how close they were, her brother remained an enigma—kind, perceptive, gentle in ways he didn't realize, yet unbearably detached from everything else.

It frustrated her, confused her, and pushed her.

So, she worked.

To cover all the "weaknesses" he didn't bother fixing, she trained relentlessly.

To uphold the household name he didn't care about, she studied until exhaustion.

To protect the prestige he shrugged away, she polished herself to perfection.

She became so exceptional that even their parents couldn't object.

The talent, the effort, the discipline—it was all undeniably hers.

By the time she grew old enough to truly understand how the world worked… she finally felt relieved.

"Here, darling~ Ahmm~"

"Haha… Ahh."

"Hehehe~"

It was honestly annoying seeing her brother pampered so thoroughly every single day by his fiancée.

The way Liyana fed him, hovered near him, doted on him like some over-affectionate noble cat—Reina would sometimes feel her eyes twitch.

But she couldn't deny the truth.

As much as it irritated her, as much as she wanted to scold him for being spoiled… she knew he was safe in Liyana's hands.

Her apathetic, unpredictable, impossible brother—

He was safe, sound,

Even if something went terribly wrong in the future, as long as he remained within Liyana's grasp, their household's future was sealed tight and flawless.

Reina didn't have to worry about him becoming the heir.

She didn't even have to worry about him at all.

"Are you sad?"

"I'm not!"

"Haha, you could at least try to say you are. I'm leaving tomorrow, you know?"

"W–Who cares."

"I care."

Back then, when Riley was preparing to leave for the academy for the very first time, Reina felt something tighten in her chest—a strange mixture of goodbye, anxiety, and an unfamiliar loneliness.

She had never imagined she would feel that way toward her brother of all people, yet there it was, quietly pulsing with every passing minute.

He reached out and gently patted her head the way he always did, wearing that same calm and gentle smile she had grown up seeing.

"Take care of everyone while I'm away, okay?"

"I've always been the one taking care of everyone," Reina shot back reflexively.

"Haha… that's true."

And with that, the time finally came for him to leave.

Honestly, Reina expected him to return within a week—or a month at most.

Knowing how lazy he was, how easily he gave up when things became troublesome, she was certain an academy full of prodigies and monstrous talents would overwhelm him.

She imagined him coming home exhausted, complaining as usual, perhaps having gotten into some trouble.

But those expected weeks turned into long, empty months.

Nothing.

No sudden returns.

No desperate letters saying he couldn't keep up.

Just silence.

And even some reports about his achievements….

By the time winter arrived and her brother finally returned home… he had become someone entirely different.

Someone strong.

Someone powerful.

Someone who carried himself with a quiet confidence and a cold presence heavy enough to fill the room.

The kind of presence only those who stood at the top—warriors, prodigies, monsters—could naturally exude.

She remembered staring at him wordlessly, wondering what in the world had happened to him.

But the moment their eyes met, she understood.

The eyes that had always watched from the sidelines, always stepping back, always drifting—were now stepping forward.

Firmly.

As if he had made a decision, one he had never allowed himself to make before.

Did he finally decide to take life seriously?

Reina didn't know, and he didn't explain.

But one thing was crystal clear:

Her brother was strong.

Strong in a way that made her chest feel warm, proud, and even a little threatened.

And when she reached the academy herself, she finally realized—no, accepted—just how overwhelmingly powerful he had truly become.

All her worries from before faded away like a bad dream.

Because Riley had transformed into something far beyond what she had ever imagined for him.

He was—without question—the ideal brother she had always, secretly, quietly hoped he could be.

He was really, undeniably cool.

And incredibly powerful.

That's why I cannot loose…

She resolved herself as she faced her opponent.

Call it pride, or a whimsical bit of selfishness, but… she wanted to become like him—someone strong, someone unshakable, someone powerful.

Yes… Reina knew she wasn't as strong or as naturally gifted as the true prodigies of the academy.

She wasn't blind to her own limits.

The only reason she stood among the S-ranks of the first years was because she worked harder than everyone else—harder than the geniuses who coasted on talent.

But what if those geniuses began to try as hard as she did? What if they too poured everything into their growth?

Would they surpass her?

Leave her behind?

Reina didn't know.

And she didn't want to think about it.

Because right now, she had a perfect opportunity—her efforts, her resolve, her training… everything was about to be tested against a true genius.

Clara Luminaria.

Among the many shining seniors of the academy, Clara was a prodigy considered even more enigmatic than Seo or Rose.

She wasn't the absolute strongest, but because she was always overshadowed by the infamous top two, few truly understood what level of talent she possessed.

Yet even now, standing across from her, Reina could feel it—the overwhelming gap in their mana alone.

Clara was a mage; that much was obvious.

But even if she hadn't been, Reina wasn't confident she could overwhelm her.

The disparity was too clear, too suffocating.

Still… she placed her hand on the handle of her sword, fingers tightening around the familiar grip. She stepped forward, chin raised, eyes unwavering.

No matter what happens…

No matter how large the gap…

She would fight with everything she had.

Her heart pounded.

Watch me, big bro…

She silently wished Riley was watching her right now.

…..

Well… this is troublesome.

Clara exhaled softly through her nose as she eyed the overly stern, tense, and visibly nervous Reina standing across from her.

Of all the first-year students she could have been matched with today, it had to be this girl.

Honestly, she had been hoping to breeze through this round and quickly move on to more important matters—such as those glamorous, easy prey back in the commercial district.

The Huse family, the Gladius Merchantry… so many perfect opportunities for tightening her family's influence and subtly disciplining the merchants who dared exploit the Gatefall Bridge.

Important political maneuvers that required her personal touch. But alas, those plans would have to wait.

And the annoyance didn't come from missing those chances.

The true problem… was the girl standing right in front of her.

Reina Hell.

The Hell Family's prestige wasn't something she could afford to tarnish—not when Clara still needed them intact for future leverage.

Riley Hell aside, Reina herself was connected to someone Clara wished to build a proper relationship with as well…

Her gaze naturally drifted toward the VIP seats.

There he was—Lucas—watching the match with that overly composed, painfully obvious expression of fake neutrality.

Clara almost laughed.

Since the meathead knight-fanatic was always closely guarded by a certain red-haired menace, approaching him directly was nearly impossible.

Using Reina as the bridge had seemed like a more realistic route.

But now she had to fight the girl. And win… but not too decisively.

Losing was out of the question—it would be too suspicious. Crushing Reina instantly would also ruin her plans.

This was delicate.

Hmm… now what to do?

She had several ways of controlling the flow of this battle—magic pressure, illusionary misdirection, subtle telekinetic counters—but no matter how she looked at it, Clara simply couldn't envision a scenario where Reina genuinely defeated her.

The gap in experience, mana refinement, and sheer magical control was far too wide.

Should she just—

"LET THE BATTLE BEGIN!"

Her planning shattered as the announcer's voice boomed across the arena.

CLAAANNNG!!!

Clara's eyes widened—actually widened—as steel clashed against manifested mana right in front of her.

Reina had closed the distance in an instant.

Her blade came down with fierce determination, pressing hard against Clara's floating magic-forged sword, which hovered in the air held aloft by her telekinesis.

For the first time today… Clara blinked.

Well now.

Maybe this will be just a bit interesting after all.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.