As the teacher's voice droned on, the class sat in quiet anticipation. Finally, he wrapped up, "So, the lecture ends here for today, but before you leave, I have an important announcement. In two weeks, the selection program for the upcoming competition will begin." His voice became more serious, and everyone in Class B perked up.
"First, there will be solo participants, followed by team matches. Those who collect enough points will qualify for the competition and face one-on-one duels," the teacher explained. His eyes scanned the class, gauging their reactions.
"You all have two weeks to prepare. Don't just focus on lectures—practice hard and be ready."
"Yes, sir!" The class shouted in unison, their voices echoing in the room. Excitement buzzed in the air, but Esdeath remained silent, lost in her own thoughts as she stared into the distance.
"Two weeks, huh?" she muttered to herself, her mind swirling with thoughts of both the competition and her own personal plans. "The time for my little mission is coming up soon too… but now that I have Predictor with me, I'm running short on money again," she thought, her lips curling into a frustrated frown.
Her gaze shifted out of the window, her mind wandering to something—or rather, someone else. "By now, Ethan's probably getting ready for his own inheritance. I'd love to snatch that from him, but... that treasure is only meant for the pure-hearted. Of course, I don't stand a chance at being that," she sighed deeply, her fingers drumming against the wooden desk in boredom.
Knowing the location of a priceless treasure, but being unable to claim it, gnawed at her. The frustration bubbled up inside her. "Knowing exactly where it is but not being able to take it... this is so annoying!" she groaned quietly, leaning her head onto her desk, feeling the weight of disappointment pressing down.
Her eyes lazily scanned the room as she fought the dull ache of boredom. That's when they landed on a group of girls nearby, giggling and chatting among themselves. They were the same group that had bullied Maruti but ended up getting beaten by her.
Esdeath's sharp gaze lingered on the group of girls across the room. As she stared at them, her eyes locked onto one of the girls. The girl quickly noticed and scowled in response, recognizing Esdeath's intense gaze.
Despite having been beaten by Maruti the previous day, their arrogance hadn't faded. "Hey! That cheating witch is staring at us ," one of the girls hissed to her friends, flipping her hair dismissively. "Looks like we're short on some losers to mess with. Let's give her a little lesson," she added, smirking.
With a sneer, they all turned and began walking toward Esdeath, their intention clear. Esdeath raised an eyebrow in confusion at first, wondering why they were approaching her so boldly. She hadn't done anything to them—yet.
As they got closer, it dawned on Esdeath what they were planning. Before they could make their move, she suddenly stood up, catching them off guard. Without any warning, she swung her hand forward, aiming directly at one of the girls.
In her hand was a pen. Its sharp tip stopped just inches from the girl's eye.
The girl froze, her breath caught in her throat as the sharp pen hovered dangerously close. Her face turned pale as she gasped, stumbling back in fear. "Shit! I thought I was dead for sure. This crazy bitch!" she muttered in shock, her voice trembling.
The rest of the group glared at Esdeath, anger flashing in their eyes. They had come expecting to bully her, but now it seemed like they were the ones at a disadvantage. Esdeath, however, wasn't finished. A plan appeared on her mind at lighting speed and Her expression shifted, instead of lashing out further, a sly smile spread across her face.
She tilted her head slightly, eyes gleaming with an idea. "Oh, did I make you angry? Do you really want to beat me up?" she asked with a playful, taunting tone. The girls looked confused, not sure what she was getting at.
Esdeath chuckled, her voice low and mocking. "How about I'll let you hit me as much as you want… but it'll cost you. How about one silver coins for each punch?" She smiled wider, clearly enjoying the tension in the air.
The group of girls paused, not because they were scared, but because they simply didn't have enough money for Esdeath's bold offer. The silence stretched awkwardly until it was broken by a voice cutting through the tension.
"I'll pay."
It was a boy's voice, confident and commanding. They all turned to see Corin Reynold, a tall boy with striking blonde hair and an air of authority.
Esdeath's eyes narrowed as she recognized him. She briefly wondered why Corin, a high-ranked student from Class A, was here in Class B, her gaze quickly moved to the girl standing beside him—Emma, his girlfriend. Emma was also part of class B, No double he came to class B to took her.
Although Emma had a crush on ethan at first sight but for now, she was still loyal to Corin.
Esdeath understood Corin's game almost immediately. He wasn't just here to humiliate her. No, he wanted to show off in front of Emma and indirectly vent his anger toward Ethan, who Corin hated so much. Esdeath could see it in the way his arm boldly rested around Emma's shoulders, his possessiveness clear.
"Alright then," Corin smirked, tossing a bag of coins toward the group of girls. "I'll pay for the punches."
-----------
They led Esdeath and Corin up to the academy rooftop, a place notorious for settling grudges and challenges out of sight.
Corin stood at the edge of the rooftop, leaning casually against the railing with Emma by his side. His arm was draped around her, a smug grin on his face.
BAM!
The first girl With a swift punch, she landed a blow to Esdeath's abdomen, causing her to double over in pain, knees hitting the cold ground. The force of the punch made her gasp for air, but she didn't cry out. Instead, she gritted her teeth and looked up at them, a flicker of amusement in her eyes.
Before Esdeath could fully recover, another girl took the opportunity to strike. With a powerful kick.
Swishh.....
she slammed her foot into Esdeath's face, sending her sprawling to the ground. The impact was hard enough that Esdeath's cheek stung with a burning sensation.
But rather than wince or whimper, Esdeath simply chuckled, her breath raspy as she coughed. Blood dripped from the corner of her mouth, but she wiped it away with the back of her hand.
"Cough… cough… Not bad… not bad at all," she muttered, her voice low but filled with a twisted kind of praise. Her lips curled into a grin, despite the pain.
"You!" the girl growled, her teeth clenched in frustration. She was seething with anger, her hands shaking as she prepared to land another kick on Esdeath. But what she didn't know was that Esdeath was purposely provoking them, baiting them into attacking her for the money.
Before the girl could strike, a sharp voice rang out.
"Stop!" Emma yelled, stepping forward. Her face was filled with irritation as she glared at Corin. "I don't like these kinds of games!" she snapped, grabbing Corin's hand off her shoulder and turning away, her movements full of disgust.
Corin froze for a moment, his smug confidence crumbling. Instead of looking cool, he realized he had made himself look like a villain. Panic flashed across his face as he called after Emma, "Wait a minute!" His voice trembled with desperation as he hurried to follow her.
Watching Corin leave, Esdeath smirked to herself. She wasn't about to let him off that easily. "Hey! I took twelve blows. You owe me twelve silver coins!" she called out, her voice steady, demanding.
Corin stopped in his tracks, clearly irritated, but there was no escaping it now. Begrudgingly, he pulled out a pouch of silver coins and tossed it toward Esdeath. Without breaking a sweat, she caught it mid-air, her reflexes sharp. A sly smile spread across her face as she felt the weight of the coins.
The group of girls who had been part of the beating glanced at each other. There was a mix of disappointment and satisfaction on their faces—disappointment that they couldn't hit her more, but satisfied that they had bruised her enough. They walked away in silence, their steps heavy with frustration.
As Esdeath watched them leave, her body was aching, her face bruised from the hits. Yet, she didn't flinch or show any sign of pain. Instead, her smile widened, her eyes gleaming with mischief. "I'll definitely pay them back for beating me," she murmured under her breath. "But for now, money is what matters."
------
In the academy hall, Ethan walked alongside Violet and Sylvania, a smile tugging at his lips. The chatter around them was light, but Sylvania, with her usual confident charm, couldn't resist teasing him.
"I will definitely win this competition! Just don't get in my way, Ethan!" she said, her voice full of playful determination. Her cute tone didn't hide the seriousness in her words.
Ethan chuckled softly, shaking his head. "We'll see about that. If you want, I can train both of you personally. But don't expect me to go easy on you in the competition," he warned, his eyes flashing with friendly challenge.
As he spoke, thoughts swirled in his mind. "I need strong, determined companions for future events. This competition isn't just for fun. It's for their growth too, even if they are my friends," he calculated, his gaze sharpening.
Just as Ethan was deep in thought, something caught his attention. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a girl struggling to walk, her body covered in bruises. His heart skipped a beat as he realized who it was.
"Esdeath Crimson?" Ethan gasped softly, recognizing her instantly. His smile faded, replaced by concern as he watched her barely managing to stay on her feet.
Sylvania and Violet's eyes widened as they noticed Esdeath, struggling to stay on her feet. Without hesitation, the three rushed toward her, catching her just before she could collapse to the ground.
"What happened? Who did this to you?" Ethan asked, his voice filled with concern and anger as he gently held her up.
Esdeath looked up slowly, her tear-filled eyes sparkling like someone desperately seeking comfort. Before anyone could react, she threw her arms around Ethan, hugging him tightly. Her body trembled as sobs escaped her lips.
"Sob… sob… It was Corin… and his friends… sob… They beat me up and took my twenty silver coins that I won in the competition!" Esdeath cried harder, pressing herself even closer to Ethan, her tears soaking his shirt.
"We need to go to the teachers and report them right away!" Violet said urgently, her voice trembling with worry as she glanced at Sylvania, who nodded in agreement.
But Esdeath quickly shook her head, panic flickering across her face. "N-no! Please, we can't! I… I cheated in the competition. I used an Instant Success Essence Stone to refine the Moonblade Essence Stone, and they know it. If I tell the teachers, they'll expose my cheating too! My family… they're in debt, and I need money, even if it's just a little. But now… now I don't even have a single coin left… Sob… sob…" Esdeath cried harder, her body shaking uncontrollably, her tears flowing endlessly.
Ethan's expression hardened, his fists clenching in anger. "Corin… you've crossed the line this time…" he muttered through gritted teeth, rage burning in his eyes.
"Tell me where they are," he demanded, his tone cold and serious.
"No! If you go, they'll tell the teachers everything. We can't do anything!" Esdeath gasped, fear flashing in her eyes as she grabbed his arm in desperation.
"Tch…" Sylvania bit her lip in frustration, her fists trembling at her sides. "Fine, then we'll get your revenge in the competition! I swear, I'll show them no mercy," she vowed, her voice sharp and determined.
Ethan took a deep breath, calming his anger as he searched through his pocket. After a moment, he pulled out a small leather pouch filled with silver coins and held it out to Esdeath.
"Here, take this. It's twenty silver coins. I hope it helps," he said softly, handing it to her.
Esdeath slowly let go of Ethan, taking the pouch with trembling hands. Her tear-filled eyes sparkled with gratitude. "Thank you… thank you so much…" Tears of joy streamed down her cheeks as she held the coins tightly.
"Now, come on. We'll help you get to your dorm," Violet said gently, taking one of Esdeath's arms and placing it over her shoulder.
Sylvania stepped in on the other side, supporting Esdeath as they began to walk. Together, they balanced her carefully, their faces filled with concern for their friend.
But as they started walking, Esdeath's tearful expression twisted into a sly grin, hidden from the others. "Sometimes I even forget I'm acting," she thought to herself, amused. "Well, with this, my money problem is solved, and I've made sure Ethan sees Corin as his enemy now. Hehe…"
Her heart raced with satisfaction as she glanced at the unsuspecting trio supporting her. "Talk about killing two birds with one stone."