"Art!"Hearing his name, Art turned his head and saw Elora walking toward him. The meeting had ended.“Oh, hi,” he greeted, raising a hand lazily.It was the first time they had seen each other since the attack, and Elora felt a strange sense of relief at his casual demeanor. He wasn’t treating her like a princess. He wasn’t using formalities or bowing his head.That was exactly what she wanted.She wanted to be seen as a person, not a royal figure bound by duty and expectations. If she could get him to stop acting formally around her, that would be a step in the right direction.But beyond that, she was still struggling to process the fact that he was alive.When she woke up after the incident, she had learned of everything he had done. How he had put himself in danger, stalling a Kyusei member long enough for reinforcements to arrive.It sounded impossible.Kyusei warriors were monsters. The thought of someone like Art—someone barely older than her—standing against one and surviving

After resting up a little and freshening up, Art headed out of his room. His goal today was to get the final piece for his escape plan.He needed to copy the attribute of a male student. His magic was very spectacular, and Art had doubts about whether he’d even be able to copy it now.It was too bad that such wonderful magic ended up in the hands of a jerk.Art spent the next forty minutes searching for him. He asked for directions from people who had last sighted him, which eventually led him to a boy seated alone on a bench, seemingly lost in thought."Hey!" The boy snapped out of his thoughts, turning to Art."How can I help you?""I'm looking for Lance," Art replied, standing over him. "Do you know where he is by chance?""Huh? Why?""Well… you can say that he has something of mine," Art grinned slightly.The boy’s eyes brightened. "That must mean you’re the boyfriend of the girl he took away earlier!" he exclaimed. ‘Why is he smiling, though?’‘He has me all wrong,’ Art thought,

The two groups stared each other down as the pressure steadily rose. Even those who had been in the middle of sparring stopped to observe the confrontation.The ones who had just walked in were Elites—high-ranking students of the academy—comprising the 6th, 8th, 11th, 14th, 15th, and 18th ranks. They were being led by the 6th rank, who was doing most of the speaking. Iris had no intention of getting into a confrontation with them. The Silvers had simply come here for a friendly spar amongst themselves. There was no need for unnecessary conflict.Also, she didn't like the look Beatrix was making."We’ll use the largest sparring stage on the left," Iris stated calmly, hoping to end things before they escalated. "You guys can take the one on the right."But she was mistaken."Oh?" The 6th-ranked Elite grinned. "And who gave you the right to decide that?"A wave of murmurs rippled through the growing crowd. More students began arriving at the sparring grounds, the news spreading like wil

The next spar commenced immediately.Beatrix was facing off against the 14th Elite, someone they were all familiar with. She was the yellow-haired girl who had interrupted their discussion during their first meeting, taking Art to the Elite gathering while knocking Ryan out in the process.Risel, the yellow-haired girl, hadn’t intended to participate, but she had been dragged into it nonetheless. Beatrix stepped onto the sparring ground, rolling her shoulders as anticipation surged through her veins. Across from her, Risel stood poised, her yellow hair seeming to glow under the light. Her expression remained composed, almost indifferent.The crowd had grown significantly, murmuring in excitement, their voices buzzing like a swarm of insects. This was a battle between two highly skilled combatants, and no one wanted to miss it. Art leaned forward slightly, his sharp gaze analyzing both fighters. He knew Beatrix was strong, but he also recognized that Risel’s ability would be difficult

The C-rank summon charged forward furiously.Just by running, its paws and claws left deep marks on the ground.Many students watching were disturbed by its presence. To think Valor would summon something this powerful for just a spar—it was absurd. But despite its ferocity, the beast only showed interest in Art, proving that Valor had complete control over it.The summon was a four-limbed creature resembling a massive hound, but it had two additional appendages sprouting from its back. These thick, tail-like structures ended in razor-sharp points, radiating immense heat. A strike from them wouldn’t just cut—it would sear flesh instantly.Art steadied his stance, his true weapon shifting into a long spear as he faced both the beast and its summoner. Valor smirked, gripping his short sword tightly as he advanced in tandem with his summon.The beast lunged first, its molten tails whipping toward Art with deadly speed. He dodged, pivoting on his heel to evade the searing strikes. Counter