Final round,begin,
Theo and I split up—he went right, I took the left.
We both charged in. They focused more on Theo, while Selene tried to keep me back with her raging windstorm.
Theo looked for an opening to grab the flag from Selene, but it wasn't easy. Tetsu was guarding him closely, making things really tough.
With just 1 minute left, I tried to attack from another angle, but Selene's winds knocked me back. I couldn't get close.
Theo countered Tetsu's water attack with Kor'smagic, freezing it and making the battle even more intense.
45 seconds left...
I didn't give up. I kept trying to strike from different angles, drawing Selene's attention toward me.
30 seconds left...
Time was running out. They were going all out—and so were we.
15 seconds left...
Selene unleashed her ultimate move: Skyborn Maelstrom —a massive tornado spinning around her. We couldn't even get close. It was getting impossible to win.
5 seconds left...
Theo and I both tried to get near. Theo used his wind magic to counter Selene's tornado, but Tetsu quickly interrupted him with another spell, making things even harder.
4 seconds...
I smirked. Time was almost up. And Theo still hadn't used that yet.
3 seconds...
Finally, Theo used INFERNAL CIRCLE—a massive fireball shot toward them like a meteor. Tetsu tried to block it with water, but he couldn't handle it. Selene had no choice but to shift her focus to the incoming meteor.
2 seconds...
They gave it everything they had to destroy the fireball. It exploded into a blast of smoke and heat that blanketed the entire battlefield.
1 second...
The match was over. The crowd waited as the smoke slowly faded, holding their breath.
A figure holding the flag emerged—black hair, sleeves burned, arm slightly singed.
Applause erupted. We'd won.
Everyone stared in shock.
Selene and Tetsu collapsed from exhaustion, having used up all their power.
Theo walked up to me, panting. "You crazy idiot," he said, leaning against my shoulder.
---
Before the Victory…
We won the second round by holding onto the flag the whole time. It drained me a lot, though—I had to use a ton of energy.
With the score tied 1–1, this last round would decide everything.
Theo and I had a plan.
"Theo, listen up. This is the strategy."
He nodded.
"First —since we're tied, they've used a lot of mana already. That's our first advantage.
Second —I want you to force them to use their ultimate moves.
They'll probably wait until the last second, so I need you to use your highest-level fire magic right before the final second.
One of two things will happen. Either Tetsu or Selene will block it and we lose, but they'll be totally wrecked. Or, both of them will try to block it together. When that happens, I want you to use Vyn's wind magic to knock the flag out of Selene's grip—then I'll grab it."
Theo looked unsure. "And if it doesn't work?"
I grinned. "Then I'll charge in anyway, even if it means getting hit."
---
Now…
After the win, I walked over to Tetsu and reached out my hand. "How'd you end up losing, huh?" I teased.
He took my hand, stood up, and said, "So sad," before hugging me and bursting into tears.
"You fought hard, Tetsu. Even if your efforts don't get results now, they'll make you stronger in the future."
It was a beautiful ending. Theo and I got 5 gold coins as our reward. Theo gave all of them to me, saying I deserved them. Hehe.
The War of Class was over. The students left the arena buzzing with excitement. I overheard them talking about how amazing Tetsu was. I smiled.
This is what happens when someone like Tetsu shows the world what he's capable of.
Back in my room, I flopped onto my bed, exhausted from the intense match. I stared at the ceiling.
I smiled to myself. Honestly, I almost lost.
But I used Tetsu's kindness, his compassion, our friendship… to win. I forced my way into Theo's blast radius. Tetsu saw me there—saw me risking it all.
And he used all his power to shield me.
Selene saw that, realized Tetsu couldn't hold it on his own, and instinctively dropped her focus—let go of the flag and the tornado—to protect him.
Human minds can't think clearly in split-second decisions. In the end, self-preservation wins.
It was... fun.
---
In the principal's office…
"Madam, I need to report something," said Sir Arsene, standing before the head of the school.
"Go ahead," the principal replied, her voice smooth like silk as she flipped through a file.
"According to the data, Theo might actually have the potential to become king. He used high-level magic today without showing any signs of fatigue."
"If that's true, we'll see in the next match. The battle of geniuses," the principal said.
"I'll keep monitoring him closely," Sir Arsene said before walking out.
"This next match is going to be interesting," the principal said, tossing aside the first-year student file.
---
The Next Day…
I visited Elysia after hearing she wanted to see me—Selene told me.
I walked into the infirmary. Her expression was flat. Something bothering her?
I sat beside her.
"What do you want?" I asked.
She stared at me with sharp eyes, then smirked. "I just wanted to see your face."
…What the heck?
"Well, now you've seen it. I'm leaving."
As I stood up to leave, she grabbed my hand.
"Didn't you hear me?"
"Yeah, and as usual, I'm not listening," I replied, trying to pull away.
She grabbed my hand again.
"Stay with me, please..." she said softly, her pretty face looking gentle.
I let out a deep sigh and sat back down.
"Alright. Stare at my face all you want till you're satisfied."
She smiled and laid on her side, facing me, eyes locked on mine.
Why am I even doing this? This girl's so weird. I'm starting to regret coming here.
"Nao," she called.
"Hold my hand."
"No."
"You promised to stay by my side," she teased.
Damn it. I don't get this girl at all.
I held her hand. "Like this?"
"No," she said, sliding her fingers between mine. "This is how you do it."
She's been acting super strange ever since that creepy girl attacked her. I don't know what's up with her, seriously.