Part Sixteen

-Biana's POV

Ugh... what a pain. I don't want to make more talismans later... stupid fucking devil. I glance back at Isadora, sprawled on the ground, and wonder how she struggled with these clowns.

I lazily slip my hand into my pouch, feeling the familiar shapes of my talismans. I'm so tired... I'd rather be in my bed right now.

Orion, trying to sound intimidating, chimes in. "You don't think you can actually beat us, do you?"

I rub an eye, barely stifling a yawn. "I'm not going to put in the effort to beat all you bitches," I say with a wave of my hand, pointing back at Isadora with my thumb. "All I'm doing is giving that idiot time to heal."

Quinn, quick as ever, appears next to me, her daggers aimed at my chest. But they don't even make a dent in my pajamas. "My pajamas are scratch and enchantment proof," I inform her with a bored tone, holding up my pillow as if it's a weapon. She jumps back, narrowly avoiding the soft, deadly blow.

Elina, with a raised eyebrow, asks, "What the hell... Are you planning to be a rune master?"

Me, a rune master? Hahaha, no fucking way. That stuff takes way too much energy. "No fucking way," I reply, shaking my head. "I just want to go home, to my room, and sleep."

Yawning, I watch Knox and Calder charge at me. A great sword wielder and a martial artist, huh? Isadora tries to stand up, but I shoot her a glare. "Don't you fucking move, bitch. I don't know where V is, but for some absurd, unrealistic, unfair reason, he cares more about you than me, so sit your ass down."

I pull out two talismans, placing one on my hand and the other on my pillow. As Calder swings his great sword, I casually slap the side of it with the talisman in my hand. Knox, aiming a punch at me, finds his fist engulfed by my pillow, which glows slightly on impact. "What the hell..." he mutters, baffled.

I yawn again, turning to Isadora. "Listen here, Isadora, my little stupid prodigy," I start lecturing. Calder tries to strike me again, but I just slap his sword away, redirecting it towards Knox. "This is how you fight. Who gives a fuck about strength? Use your damn head for crying out loud." Seriously, these guys are a product of duel-based training and monster fighting. They have no idea about real combat strategy.

I've only trained once in my life. How can these people, who train every day, be so stupid? Swinging my pillow at both Knox and Calder, I watch as they underestimate its power. Expecting a soft impact, they're shocked when it feels like steel, sending them flying back. I stretch, feeling a sense of accomplishment. After countless days of testing it on that bitch (Isadora), I've finally perfected a pillow that hits as hard as I want.

Massaging my shoulder, I watch Tara roll her eyes and charge at me, followed by Axl, Quinn, Zara, and Eamon. Ugh, these bastards really don't care about their image, do they? And they call me a bitch.

I grab four talismans from my pouch. "Listen here, my stupid prodigy," I call out, hoping Isadora is paying attention. "Because I'm older than you—at least I think I am—and because I'm the best, I'm gonna give you a lesson. So you better listen because I'm not doing this again. And you better treat me like your senior after this, got it?"

Ripping one talisman, I smirk as the ground around me turns into a muddy, slippery mess. This should mess with their precision, even if they coat their feet with mana or aura. Quinn and Zara are the first to strike, but I'm already a step ahead. I use another talisman to nudge myself back just enough. They end up striking each other and jumping back, gritting their teeth in frustration.

Eamon and Axl come at me next. Axl tries to blast me with his mechanical prosthetic arm, but I simply lift my pillow. The blast gets absorbed, leaving Axl to exclaim, "What a damn cheat." Eamon makes his move, but I tilt my pillow, and Axl's blast shoots out, hitting Eamon and sending him sliding through the mud right into Axl. They crash into each other, making me chuckle.

Meanwhile, Tara is still observing. I yawn, calling out to Isadora, "Are you watching, Idiot?" I point at the four of them as they struggle in the mud. "It doesn't matter if they're all after you. There are three separate teams here, and they'll still attack each other if they get close enough."

Tara claps her hands, seemingly impressed. "You're not bad. I guess your bad reputation is a cover-up for your strength."

Cover-up my ass. I've tried everything to get kicked out of the academy, and they still won't do it. Tara then asks, "And what weird method do you have for dealing with me?"

Yawning, I can't help but mutter, "Fuck you," under my breath. Ah, I almost forgot about the rest of them. "Ugh, you all can just fight it out," I say, waving my hand dismissively.

I take out a stack of talismans, holding them casually next to me. Suddenly, an arrow zips right through them, and I shout in the direction it came from, "I can see you, bitch! You're hiding behind that tree over there, but it's kinda hard to miss you when your damn arrows are glowing!" Luna, always trying to be sneaky.

I turn back to the others. "Ah, the talismans are active... Well, blame that arrow girl for what's about to happen." I toss the ripped talismans into the air towards them as they slowly crumble. I stroll back to Isadora while the ground starts shaking violently.

The earth around us bends and breaks, up and down, left and right, throwing everyone off balance. They all stumble towards each other, struggling to stay upright. Some of those talismans are bad luck ones; I can't help but smirk at the chaos they're causing.

I sit back on top of Isadora, watching the pandemonium unfold. "Look, all they need is a spark and it'll start a fire." Just as I say that, Cassia falls to the ground with a curse. "Ah, what the fuck!" she yells, tumbling towards Mira, who's ready with a grin, her fist raised for a punch.

Orion steps in, blocking Mira's punch with his sword. Elara, struggling to get up, shoots a bunch of water arrows, but the shifting ground misdirects them towards Quinn. She slices through them, charging at Elara.

I burst into laughter. "Hahahaha! See, Isadora, this is how you win a war. You let the other fuckers fight each other." The sight of them all turning on one another is too much; it's like watching a bunch of headless chickens in a pen.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Clicking my tongue, I watch the match play out from my hidden vantage point. Good. With Biana and Isadora together, everything should be fine. The other class, still lurking in the shadows, is waiting for the right moment to strike. Even if the bizarre duo of Biana and Isadora works well together, they're not equipped to handle that crazy pink-haired woman. That's where Oliver comes in, but he needs to cross the lake... Tsk, looks like I'll have to tell Isabella to send them his way.

Lysandra, beside me, yawns loudly. "How long do we have to wait?" she asks, her impatience clear.

"Stay quiet," I reply sharply. "They'll be here soon. We can't afford to get caught, do you understand?"

Just then, my TSI vibrates with an incoming message from Des. [Kael! Are you okay? Where are you? I don't see you in the test? Did a monster eat you?] I can't help but smirk. Des always gets worried way too easily.

I type back, [I'm fine, Des. Just make sure Ash completes his task. After that, I have a special task for you.] Barely a second passes before her reply comes in. [Special task? What should I do?]

Grinning, I type, [Remember that girl you met, who went out with you and bought you clothes? She's watching the competition right now.]

Her response is immediate and filled with excitement. [Really? Where is she? o(≧∇≦o)]

I quickly formulate my plan. [Actually, your friend is a very important guest. She'll see you if you get the queen's attention. Try to get as close as you can and wave at the queen until she notices you. She's hiding around there, so just give her some time. And remember, don't mention anything about any of us. Just tell her Ash is at the academy and there's been an attack. Ask for her help in saving him.]

With the queen in the know, the entire dynamic of this situation will shift. I can already picture the chaos this will bring, and it brings a sly smile to my face.

Rubbing my chin, I can't shake the feeling that things are going a bit too smoothly. Sure, I meticulously planned this for months, but this sense of ease is unsettling.

My TSI vibrates again, pulling me from my thoughts. It's a message from Eira: [I did everything you told me. 2 platinum coins as we agreed upon, and make sure you don't damage the gun, alright? I will charge you extra if you damage it.]

A grin spreads across my face. Perfect. Now, I just need to ensure Lysandra executes her part flawlessly. I pull out an earpiece, making sure it's securely in Lysandra's ear. "Don't take it off," I instruct sternly.

Lysandra, tapping her ear, questions, "Fine, but why do I need one anyway?" I hand her a pouch containing only a crystal. "Your task is simple, so don't screw it up. When we get back to the academy, head straight to the huge fountain in the center. Take out the crystal, infuse it with your mana until it glows bright green, then smash it in the fountain. But wait for my signal before you drop it in, got it?"

She rolls her eyes. "I'm not a damn kid. I can do something simple like that." I quickly shut her up before she can say more.

Five minutes later, the sound of footsteps alerts us. I mutter under my breath, "Hey, system, this is working, right? Answer me, you fucker."

[You two are sworn siblings, a small amount of your blood runs through her while her blood runs through you. As long as she is touching you, you will be able to hide her with the sword skill 'shadow'.]

"Alright, good," I whisper, relieved. I watch them approach, trying to focus on the task at hand. But it's hard. Every time my gaze drifts to Sera, there's this uncomfortable twist in my stomach, a physical reaction I can't shake off. It's like my body's reacting to something my mind's trying to ignore.

I bite my lip, forcing my eyes away from her. It's easier not looking directly at her, not having to see the damage, the change. There's this weird tension in my shoulders, a kind of unease that's got nothing to do with the danger of the situation.

I find myself fidgeting, an unusual restlessness taking hold. It's not fear or nervousness, it's... something else. Guilt, maybe? I've never been great at naming these things. All I know is it doesn't feel good.

My hand instinctively goes to my stomach again, trying to ease the knot that's formed there. 'Focus,' I tell myself, but it's like telling a storm not to rage. I can feel a slight twitch in my eye.

I keep telling myself it's for the greater good, that this is all part of the plan. But knowing that doesn't make the queasiness go away. 'Just a little longer,' I think, hoping that's enough to get me through this.