Chapter 73: Combat Duel (2)

Damon stepped toward the ten rings where the first wave of pairs stood ready. "You all know the rules. Let’s get right into it. Begin!"

At Damon’s command, Evan seemed to snap back to reality. That smug smirk returned to his face as he licked his lips, eyeing Shani’s attractive features.

"I’ll spare that pretty face of yours, but once you get kicked out of the academy, come with me to—"

Whoosh!

"I’m not getting kicked out of anywhere!"

Shani lunged forward at lightning speed. Pivoting sharply on her left foot, she delivered a brutal right kick straight to Evan’s chest.

The boy, easily half a head taller than Shani, was launched several feet back through the air before crashing onto the floor with a crisp, heavy thud.

’Was my kick really that strong?’ Shani blinked, stunned by her own power.

Damon’s assistant rushed over to check on Evan. His head lay well outside the ring, and more importantly, he was completely unconscious.

"Shani wins!"

Shani stood frozen for a moment before a glowing smile spread across her face.

Stepping out of the arena, she noticed the other students were still busy hunting for good seats to watch the upcoming matches. A few who had already settled in were chatting among themselves.

When they glanced toward the ring, they saw a student being carried off on a stretcher, but nobody batted an eye, no one cared about Class 5 students anyway.

Basically, no one noticed Shani’s victory, except for Jeryon, who stood by the entrance and had observed her match from start to finish. A faint smile touched his lips. ℴ

Damon, observing as instructor, hadn’t missed it either. He approached Shani as she walked out and leaned in to whisper, "Meet me after class."

’Did I just bring trouble upon myself?’ Shani thought, her nerves kicking in.

She walked over to Kiran, who greeted her with a bewildered look. "Aren’t you supposed to be dueling?"

"It’s already over. I won," Shani replied simply, leaving Kiran burning with curiosity.

Once the Class 5 duels concluded, with the exception of Jeryon’s, the matches proceeded through Class 4, 3, 2, and finally Class 1.

Kiran went up against her own resonance partner and won decisively.

"Don’t praise me. He’s just weak," Kiran said offhandedly.

Shani merely nodded. She didn’t know Kiran’s partner very well, other than the fact that he was a loner with a delicate appearance.

The match between Jeryon and Noella was the final duel, drawing the undivided attention of every student present.

"Begin!" Damon called out.

Shani watched from the edge of the arena, reflexively taking a step back. She couldn’t help but feel that if even a stray punch hit her, she’d be sent flying.

Noella’s kicks were blisteringly fast. Yet Jeryon managed to dodge, push back, and catch her leg mid-air.

Even so, Jeryon didn’t strike back aggressively. He focused entirely on maneuvering Noella outside the ring, but this defensive play made him passive, leaving several openings for Noella to exploit.

Not a word was spoken during the fight. The fierce deadlock stretched on, finally ending in Jeryon’s victory when Noella misread his movement just once.

For the first time in a while, the first-years were reminded that Jeryon was a prince who had undergone ten relentless years of crown prince training.

Regardless of his current state, those ten years of elite conditioning remained deeply ingrained in him.

Kiran and Shani met Noella at the sidelines with an energy drink and shoulder massages.

Noella chuckled softly. "I’m fine. Honestly, it was an honor to go up against the prince."

Knowing Noella wasn’t one to exaggerate, her friends breathed a sigh of relief.

Shani then walked over to Jeryon, holding a bottle of cold water. She had secretly mixed in a Stamina Booster Potion, an item she had purchased from the Cashback Shop for a steep 10,000 Credits.

The potion had harsh side effects if consumed too frequently, otherwise Shani would have bought one for him every single day.

"Jer, congratulations on your win! You must be exhausted. Here, drink this." Shani offered the bottle with a sweet, radiant smile.

Jeryon took the bottle with a blank expression.

His heart rate had remained perfectly steady throughout the intense duel, yet a simple smile from Shani sent it hammering against his ribs.

Without lingering, Shani turned and headed straight for the adjacent classroom where Damon was waiting.

Stepping inside, she was met with Damon’s complicated gaze. Shani stood before him, waiting nervously for whatever verdict was about to come.

"Let’s re-measure your beast energy," Damon said after a long silence.

Shani’s eyes slowly widened. ’Is Instructor Damon suspicious?’

"Granted, you caught him off guard. But given the massive gap between your ranks, a single kick shouldn’t have launched him like that," Damon explained, breaking down his observation logically.

"Sure, there have been too many anomalies surrounding you, possessing dual beast genes, successfully resonating with Jeryon, and now this sudden surge in physical power. I wouldn’t be surprised if your rank isn’t F at all."

Shani’s heart hammered against her chest. ’He’s already deduced this much.’

Her mind raced as she searched frantically for an excuse, biting her lip and staring at the floor in silence.

"Shan, I won’t force you to talk if you don’t want to," Damon said gently, noticing her distress.

"But whatever is happening to you can’t stay hidden forever. The mid-term evaluations are next week. By then, everyone will see your true condition."

Shani was well aware of that. She had toyed with the idea of asking to keep her re-measured rank confidential, but the upcoming exams involved far too many people. Hiding it would be impossible.

She racked her brain for an exit strategy, but every path felt like a ticking time bomb.

Letting out a heavy breath, Shani finally raised her head to meet Damon’s concerned gaze.

’I just hope I’m making the right call,’ she thought.

"Sir, my rank is currently D... and it’s going to increase rapidly moving forward. Can you help me find a way out?"

...