The day before the tournament, I was summoned by our combat class instructor, Violet Albestorm.

Now, I stood in the middle of the Elite Training Arena on the academy building's top floor, alongside nine other students.

I glanced around. It wasn't hard to recognize the familiar faces.

Yukie stood near the window, her pale white eyes sweeping the room coldly, pausing briefly on my face. Maximus stood some distance away, his mind seemingly adrift somewhere far—probably memories of the encounter at Skyview Overlook with the stranger carrying his sister.

Isabel and Nerissa looked as confident and arrogant as ever. Arianna was also here, her eyes occasionally meeting mine with meaningful looks.

Then there were four other students I didn't know as well. From the name tags on their uniforms, I read the names: Drake, a large man with a fierce gaze; Ace, who looked intelligent and agile; Kelvin, with a calm demeanor and watchful eyes; and Mason, with an enthusiastic expression.

Standing before us all was Violet Albestorm. The instructor with long purple hair who always wore tight-fitting combat attire that never failed to highlight her curves that practically begged for attention. Today she wore a dark purple training suit, her hair tied up high, and her sharp eyes swept over us one by one.

"Alright," her voice, deep and authoritative, echoed in the quiet room. "You are all the ten chosen representatives of Nine Stars Academy for the Gatehaven Inter-Academy Tournament, which begins tomorrow. You were selected based on your grades, combat records, and... the exceptional potential seen by the headmaster and the instructors."

She walked slowly along our line, as if weighing each person. "Today is our last day to align our strategies, hone coordination, and ensure no weaknesses are left behind. Tomorrow, you will no longer fight as individuals, but as the face and pride of this academy."

She paused, then shifted her gaze towards Arianna. "And due to the circumstances... involving Alex Rutherford, his position on the team needs to be replaced. Arianna will be taking over that slot. May she provide the contribution needed."

When Alex's name was mentioned, almost all heads turned towards me. Their gazes were full of unspoken questions and deep suspicion, including that of the hot instructor herself.

I just raised an eyebrow, meeting all those stares with a flat expression.

Yeah, let them wonder.

Violet quickly redirected attention. Her voice grew louder, filled with her characteristic pride. "Since this Academy's founding, we have not always stood at the top—we have never, not once, fallen from the first position as champions. That is no coincidence. It is the fruit of the best training system, the best instructors, and the best students like you."

Some students, especially Maximus and the other guys, couldn't hide their confident smiles. But Violet promptly curbed that.

"BUT!" she barked suddenly, startling a few. "That is no reason to underestimate your opponents! Never think that the other academies are nothing compared to us! That is a petty and stupid mindset that can bring you and this academy's good name to its grave, especially in real combat where lives are at stake!"

She stared at us sharply.

"Arclight Academy is famous for its iron discipline and perfect team tactics. GOTE Academy produces elemental specialists and unpredictable strategies. Drakefield Academy, whose students are often considered crude, actually possess exceptional survival skills and physical endurance in the field. They can all bring surprises. And you must be ready!"

Despite the warning, there was an unmistakable glint of confidence in Violet's eyes. She clearly believed in our capabilities.

"So, today, we will train. We will simulate the most likely scenarios you will face, work in the team formations I will set, identify and patch every weakness, until there are no gaps for the enemy to exploit tomorrow."

And we trained until midnight.

During the practice, I deliberately held back from being too conspicuous, though not entirely, but two people seemed to have caught on.

Yukie and Violet, although their expressions didn't change, they knew my strength and speed had increased drastically since the time I humiliated Alex.

.

.

.

When I finally stepped out of the academy building, the biting chill of the night air immediately greeted me. The sky was a deep, star-dusted black, a cold crescent moon hanging overhead.

I pulled my jacket tighter, intending to head straight home—to the house where Delilah, Angel, and Gwen would be waiting for me with their special welcome.

But then, a presence made me freeze.

I turned slowly.

There, standing under the pale moonlight, was Yukie. She just stood there, in her still-neat training uniform, her white hair messy over her cheeks, and her white eyes that seemed to emit their own cold light in the darkness. She looked like an elegant, yet terrifying spirit.

"Adam," she called.

I didn't answer. My body automatically went on alert, though I appeared relaxed.

She said nothing more. Just looked at me, then her gaze dropped to the ground.

Kreek... Kreek...

A thin layer of blue-white crystal crept from her shoes, slithering across the concrete, branching out like ravenous frost-moss. Its speed was astonishing; within seconds it had covered the ground several meters towards me, splitting the moonlight into cold, glittering fragments.

Curiosity and a spark of challenge surged through me. The last time I fought this bitch, I lost embarrassingly, but what about now?

Without a word, [Mindrender] materialized in my hand. Its familiar weight, the cool touch of the metal, gave a strange comfort.

Seeing my saber appear, the expressionless white eyes of Yukie narrowed.

Then she gave no warning.

From the thin ice flowing on the ground, a large chunk of sharp, jagged ice suddenly formed and shot straight towards me. The reflexes from my high Agility stat kicked in instantly. I leapt sideways, my body becoming a blur in the darkness.

But I wasn't given time to breathe. The moment my foot touched the ground, a biting cold sensation crawled up. The ice had spread silently, surrounding my landing area.

My foot was trapped, shackled by a ring of crystal gripping tight like a frozen corpse's hand. The cold stabbed to the bone, trying to paralyze.

"Damn it," I seethed inwardly. I exerted strength in my leg, and with a hard jerk that cracked the concrete around me, I freed myself before the ice could take deeper root.

Shards of ice scattered.

However, Yukie already controlled the rhythm of this fight.

Every time I moved, every step I planned, sharp ice fragments always appeared first. I kept moving, dodging, leaping, like a rat in a maze where the walls kept changing.

She wasn't rushed. Like a cat playing with a mouse before the kill, Yukie just stood in her spot, one hand slightly raised. Her expression remained flat, but there was a heightened intensity in those white eyes.

Then, she clenched that raised fist.

A low rumbling sound echoed. All around me, within a five-meter radius, massive walls of ice erupted from the earth. They grew rapidly, towering high to block my view of the sky, forming a perfect, transparent hexagonal prison. The walls shimmered beautifully in the moonlight, reflecting my stunned image in many facets.

And the prison began to contract, closing in swiftly.

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