Part Thirty-Nine

Sera enters Class B's tent, her mind abuzz with thoughts and instructions from Kael. She exhales deeply, reassuring herself, 'It's okay, Kael said he'll handle everything. I just need to stick to the story. Everything will be okay.'

As she opens the door, everyone inside turns to look at her. Elara greets her with a contagious smile, "Hey Sera~"

Sera pauses, noticing the absence of Rami among her classmates. "Um... Why are you all..." she begins, but Mira interrupts her sharply, "All dead? Are you being serious right now?" Mira steps forward, raising an eyebrow at Sera, her tone laced with accusation. "I don't know, maybe because 'someone' wasn't there to help us," she adds, rolling her eyes.

Zara quickly steps in front of Mira, trying to diffuse the growing tension. "Hey, calm down, Mira. We don't know what happened," she says soothingly.

Luna, her expression a mix of disappointment and frustration, adds her perspective, "It was a horrible fight. Isadora is a monster. We ended up losing to Class A simply because Elara decided to hand over the crown." Her glare towards Elara is sharp, clearly unhappy with the decision.

Remy, biting her lips and playing with her fingers, speaks up in a quiet voice, "We were going to lose regardless. There's no need to get angry at her." She sits next to Luna, trying to bring some calm to the conversation.

Luna stands up, stretching, and expresses her preference, "Well, I would have preferred it if we fought till the end."

Gareth, grinning, chimes in with a more relaxed attitude, "It was a fun competition. Ugh, is this really the best food they got here?" He comments while snacking casually.

Ariadne then approaches Sera, yawning, "Where were you? I didn't sense you while everyone was fighting."

Sera, sensing the need to stick to her cover story, lets out a sigh and falls onto a chair, gearing up for her best acting performance. "I don't know what happened to Nyssa... She suddenly ran into a cave, and I followed her, trying to catch up. But I ended up coming across V and Lysandra in the cave. Unfortunately, I ended up losing to them." Her voice carries a tone of exhaustion and regret.

Eamon, hanging upside down from a pole, taps his chin thoughtfully. "That guy from Class A? Hmmm... isn't he kind of weak?" he muses aloud.

Mira, with a smirk on her face, can't help but laugh. "Yeah, that bastard is weak," she says confidently, stepping back from Sera.

Zara and Luna both raise their eyebrows in unison, both echoing, "Weak?" Their simultaneous reaction causes them to turn towards each other, leading to an awkward moment. Zara, trying to recover, coughs slightly and says, "I don't know about weak, but his control over aura, from what I've seen, is impressive."

Mira, seizing the opportunity to tease, retorts with a sly grin, "Ah~ From what you've seen, huh?"

Choosing to ignore the banter, Luna turns to Eamon and offers a more analytical perspective. "His strength is a bit difficult to gauge. He wasn't a student at Royal High, so there are no records of his actual level. He seems to avoid fighting in most situations." She sits down, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. "I don't want to say he's strong, but he shouldn't be weak, right? Remember that huge monster that exploded in the lake?"

Eamon nods in agreement. "We could feel the vibrations and hear it from a distance. Who wouldn't know about it?"

Luna continues, "I saw him jump into the mouth of that monster with Lysandra. Shortly after, the monster, which others struggled to damage, blew up."

Mira, unable to contain her impatience, slams her hand on the table. "Why are you all overthinking this? Isn't Sera a friend of his? You know how weak he is, right, Sera?" Inside, she smirks confidently, thinking, 'Heh, come on, Sera, tell how weak he is. That damn bastard always uses some cheap trick when sparring.' 

Sera, caught in the spotlight, bites her cheek, her mind racing. 'What do I say? Should I claim he's strong? But Kael might want to be perceived as weak...' Her thoughts are interrupted when Elara speaks up, her voice tinged with exasperation.

"How busy have you all been? Seriously, there's already countless talks about it," Elara remarks, lying down on the ground and gazing up, seemingly lost in thought. 'Ah, how can they not have heard about it? It was insane.'

Zara, curious, raises an eyebrow. "What do you mean?" she inquires.

Remy, speaking up timidly, adds, "Um... Elara and I both have V in our Magic theory and application class. The midterm we took... it was a bit crazy."

Kaden, slapping his forehead in realization, chimes in from his corner in the bed. "Oh yeah, I heard about it, but I thought it was just a rumor," he admits.

Elara continues, her voice carrying a hint of intrigue. "Isabella was V's opponent in the exam. I couldn't see exactly how the fight went because of the smoke, but I did see Isabella use some crazy spells. She ended up breaking the wall, and the fight continued outside. Others might not know this, but I clearly saw V walk out of a building. I didn't see Isabella for the rest of the day."

Gareth, pausing mid-snack, looks at Elara in disbelief. "Are you saying that guy named V beat the Isabella I know of?" he asks, finishing off his bowl in one go.

Mira, clicking her tongue in annoyance, can't hide her disbelief. 'That stupid fucker... How the hell did he beat Isabella in magic? Isn't he supposed to be a martial artist?' she thinks, her skepticism evident.

Zara, looking perplexed, turns to Sera. "Huh? He beat her in magic? That doesn't make sense, he's a martial artist, right Sera?" she asks, seeking clarification. Sera feels cornered, unsure of how to navigate the conversation without contradicting herself or Kael's narrative.

Meanwhile, Elara, observing the discussion from her laid-back position, ponders whether to reveal more. 'Should I tell them he used martial arts?' she thinks, smirking as she watches the debate unfold. Deciding to keep quiet, she muses, 'Nah, this is way more fun.'

Mira, growing increasingly frustrated, grabs her head as if plagued by a headache. "Oh my god, he's a damn martial artist! Stop bullshitting, Ariadne!" she exclaims, her glare directed at Ariadne.

Ariadne, slightly amused and baffled by Mira's reaction, responds, "Well, obviously not. If he truly beat Isabella, he needs to be a mage. Why are you making such a big deal out of this?"

Mira rubs her eyes in disbelief and frustration. "Well, I don't know... maybe, just maybe, it's BECAUSE I'VE SPARRED WITH HIM!" she blurts out, her voice rising with each word.

Ariadne, not fully convinced, rolls her eyes. "So, you've trained with him, which means you know he's a mage. Why do you keep insisting he's a martial artist?"

Mira, clenching her fists in exasperation, replies in a tone laden with frustration, as if explaining to someone who just doesn't get it. "Are you stupid!? Why would I spar with a mage!? He's a martial artist! M-a-r-t-i-a-l A-r-t-i-s-t, do you understand?" She enunciates each syllable as if speaking to a child, her patience wearing thin.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Lysandra stretches, yawning widely, and asks with a tinge of impatience, "Hey, where are we going?" I scan the area carefully, formulating a plan in my head. "There are two bow users around here. They're busy watching the fight below. We need to knock them out before they can react," I explain. These guys are a nuisance, but if we catch them off guard, it's an easy win.

Lysandra perks up at the mention of a potential fight. "Can I handle them?" she asks eagerly. I let out a sigh, knowing her penchant for action. "Sure, but it'll be quick and uneventful. We're not here for fun today," I remind her. I've got a feeling those two will be easy targets, thanks to their habit of sticking together.

We move stealthily through the forest, keeping a low profile. After a short while, I spot them. Perched on a tree, two guys with blond hair and blue eyes are absorbed in the fight below, their bows at the ready. Perfect. Once they're out, we should have this in the bag. Oliver can handle the rest. His physical strength might be laughable, but those potions of his are no joke.

"Okay, Lysandra, go deal with them. Just a quick stab in the chest. We get out, and I'll make you something good," I instruct her, trying to keep her motivated.

Her eyes light up, and she smirks mischievously. "I'm hungry... You're going to make me a family-size meal," she declares, sprinting towards the unsuspecting archers.

Family-size meal? Ha, she must be joking. Does she really think thirty servings count as family-size? Well, whatever keeps her going.

Lysandra, grinning with confidence, swiftly conjures a spear made of fire. I can't help but notice how much her control over fire has improved. It used to take her four seconds to create a weapon like this, but now it's down to just two. Impressive.

As she approaches the unsuspecting bow users, she calls out, "Oi, you two should really be more careful," breaking the silence of our stealthy approach. They whirl around, their eyes widening in surprise. One of them, clutching a stark white bow, quickly shoots an arrow at their own branch, initiating a hasty escape as they maneuver around the trees.

I let out a sigh and rub my temples in frustration. What an idiot. Stupid damn idiot. Is it really that hard to stay quiet while attacking?

One of the archers, recognizing us, comments with a hint of recognition, "Huh... aren't you two the ones that went into that monster's mouth?" He sounds almost casual, poking at his ear as he assesses us.

The other, with a more calculating tone, adds, "Yeah, these are definitely the ones. But I'm not sure how they found us. The only way they could is if they're intentionally looking for us."

Lysandra, unfazed by their recognition, smirks confidently. "I'm going to get rid of both of you," she declares, hurling her fiery spear towards one of them. The fire glows intensely as it cuts through the air.

"You missed," the archer says, flipping his body to dodge the attack. But Lysandra's smirk only widens. "Oh, did I?" she retorts. To my surprise, the fire spear suddenly changes direction, stabbing him right in the stomach. He's teleported out instantly.

"Oh, she's getting better at this," I mumble, slightly impressed. A few months ago, she wouldn't have pulled off a move like that.

The remaining archer sighs, seeing his teammate teleported out. "Seriously, that moron always underestimates others," he mutters. Then, with a smirk of his own, he lifts his bow, aiming directly at me. "If I lose a teammate, so do you," he declares, releasing the arrow.

The arrow zips through the air towards me. I react instinctively, catching it mid-flight, but the force dislocates my wrist. Shit, that hurt. Gritting my teeth as I quickly relocate my hand.

Ignoring my brief moment of pain, Lysandra continues her assault, weaving through a barrage of arrows with ease. She closes the distance and delivers a powerful punch straight through his stomach. "W-what the fuck, there's no way you're human," he gasps before getting teleported out.

Lysandra returns with a self-satisfied smirk on her face. "See, I did it just like you told me," she boasts proudly.

I can't help but raise an eyebrow. Huh? What is she talking about? Without missing a beat, I smack her on the head. "I said quietly. When you attack someone by surprise, you don't announce your arrival," I remind her, slightly irritated. I turn away, starting to walk back. "Now let's go see the others. We're going to win this competition."

Lysandra, rubbing her head where I smacked her, lets out a sigh, her mind clearly on something else. "I just want to eat..." she mutters, her usual appetite taking precedence over everything else.