Maruti's hips swayed in rhythm as she danced carelessly through the clearing, humming her ridiculous tune. Kaelith, standing nearby, crossed her arms and sighed deeply, her silver eyes narrowing. "What is she even doing? Has she finally lost her mind?" Thoughts like these buzzed through Kaelith's head as she watched Maruti's carefree performance.
But then, in a sudden twist, Maruti froze mid-dance, her eyes widening in shock. "Esdeath? Why are you here?!" she gasped, eyes darting behind Kaelith with exaggerated alarm.
Kaelith's brow furrowed in confusion. "Esdeath?" she muttered, spinning around to check behind her. But there was no one. No Esdeath, no surprise arrival. It was all a trick.
When Kaelith turned back, realization dawned just in time to see Maruti bolt into the dense forest, her feet kicking up dirt as she sprinted away, laughing.
Kaelith's jaw clenched, her face flushing with anger. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me," she growled, her patience snapping. "You're not getting away with this!" Without another second of hesitation, she launched herself forward, chasing after Maruti with renewed determination.
---------
"Esdeath Crimson!" Ethan exclaimed as he looked at Esdeath, clenching his fists in frustration. "So, all this time, you were just pretending to be helpless?" His thoughts raced with anger and confusion. He couldn't believe that the girl who had once seemed so vulnerable was now overpowering everyone without a hint of mercy.
The shock was even more evident on Emma and Violet's faces. This was the same girl they had seen crying just days ago. For Violet, the memory of Esdeath, broken and teary, was fresh. For Emma, it was even more baffling—this was the same girl who had been beaten down without resistance. And now, seeing the pile of beaten students scattered around her, both of them froze in place, unable to move. They were just normal girls, and witnessing this level of brutality made their stomachs churn.
Outside the forest, a magic hologram projected the scene for others to see. Gasps filled the air as the crowd watched, jaws dropping in astonishment. "Is that really a Class B student?" someone murmured, disbelief in their voice. "No doubt she was the first to refine the Moonblade Essence Stone," a second-year student whispered in awe.
Among those watching was Lilith, her eyes narrowing with interest as she observed Esdeath's display of power. She watched silently, her expression unreadable, but there was no denying the intrigue in her gaze.
Back at the scene, Ethan's team wasn't the only one shocked by Esdeath's actions. Valen, the quiet nerd from Class A, stood off to the side, his clothes still pristine, untouched by the chaos around him. His finger adjusted his glasses dramatically, sunlight gleaming off the lenses and hiding his eyes behind the glare. "Hmph… just more victims," he muttered, looking at Ethan and the others with cold detachment.
"I was so worried about qualifying for the competition," he thought, eyes flicking over to Esdeath, "but now my worries are gone." His mind buzzed with admiration for her skill. "Who *is* she? She took down everyone without even using her hands. Just her legs! Such precision, such power… such mastery."
Valen couldn't contain his excitement any longer. His eyes gleamed as if he'd found his new hero. "Yes! From this point on, she's my lady boss!" His heart raced, his face flushing as he looked at Esdeath with admiration bordering on worship. "I'll be in your care, Lady Boss!"
Ethan's voice rang out, "Take your formation as we discussed!"
Violet and Emma immediately took their stances, ready for battle. Ethan, opting for caution, wielded a simple wooden stick in place of his usual sword, knowing a real blade could cause fatal harm. They surrounded Esdeath, forming a tight circle, the tension building as each prepared for the attack. Meanwhile, Esdeath jumped gracefully from the pile of beaten students, her calm yet intense gaze never leaving the trio.
With a quick glance, she assessed their strategy. Ethan, Violet, and Emma all jumped towards her legs simultaneously, hoping to trap her in place, making her vulnerable to their strikes. But for Esdeath, this was a trivial challenge—an opportunity to show her superiority.
Before they could even close in, Esdeath's body seemed to blur. Her legs moved with the grace and speed of a whirlwind, and suddenly, their formation began to unravel. Esdeath, a master of Capoeira, danced effortlessly between their strikes, her movements fluid, unpredictable, and lethal. Her kicks snapped through the air, invisible to the untrained eye, and before anyone realized, her legs connected with devastating force.
Violet was the first to feel it—a powerful strike to her midsection. She gasped, the air knocked out of her lungs as she crumpled to the ground, blood dripping from her mouth. She could barely register what had happened before Emma suffered a similar fate. Esdeath's foot swung in a wide arc, landing a clean hit on Emma's side. The impact sent her tumbling backward, her body hitting the ground with a sickening thud, blood spilling from her lips.
In mere seconds, Violet and Emma were incapacitated, beaten down with such ease that it looked almost like a dance.
Ethan, wide-eyed and heart racing, barely had time to react before Esdeath's foot was aimed at him. But this time, he managed to block it with his stick, though the force still pushed him back. His arms trembled from the impact, but unlike the others, he remained standing.
Outside the forest, the magic hologram showed the entire scene, leaving the crowd of onlookers in stunned silence. Teachers and students alike couldn't believe what they were witnessing.
"That's… impossible," one of the senior students muttered, eyes wide in disbelief. "How can a Class B student be this powerful?"
"Her mana is low but because use of mana is prohibited in this round and She is having the greatest benefit from this" a second-year student remarked, realising why she was winning.
Even the teachers were at a loss for words. Lilith, who had been watching intently, narrowed her eyes. "Interesting… her technique isn't just brute strength. It's like she's mastered an art of movement I've never seen before."
Back at the scene, Valen adjusted his glasses dramatically, his awe for Esdeath only growing. "She didn't even need her hands to destroy them… "
Ethan's voice echoed in the air. "Don't give up! Strike again!"
Even though Emma and Violet had suffered brutal blows, they stood tall once more. Pain etched across Emma's face, but a bitter smile crept on her lips as she and Violet charged toward Esdeath with renewed determination. Their goal remained unchanged: to catch her legs.
The onlookers, including the students watching through the magical hologram, couldn't help but shake their heads. "Are they seriously trying the same thing again?" someone muttered, knowing it would likely end in another disaster.
Esdeath sighed. "Same move? Really?" Her expression showed both boredom and a hint of disappointment as she readied herself to end this quickly. But just as she moved to strike, something unexpected happened.
*Woosh!*
Esdeath aimed a punch directly at Ethan's face, the force of her fist slicing through the air. But at the last possible moment, Ethan dodged! He stepped backward, his feet shifting with precision, causing Esdeath's eyes to widen. *What's this?!* Her mind raced as she realized too late that it was a trap.
In an instant, Emma grabbed Esdeath's left arm and abdomen, locking her in place. Violet was already on the move, jamming Esdeath's right arm and neck with a swift maneuver. Their legs worked in unison, blocking Esdeath's powerful kicks.
Esdeath struggled, but for the first time, she was unable to move. "Damn it!" she muttered under her breath.
Ethan, seeing his teammates successfully immobilize Esdeath, grinned. He raised his wooden stick high, exclaiming, "Jigen-ryū!" His stance shifted into the iconic Dragonfly Stance, the wooden stick poised for a single, powerful strike. This wasn't just any move—it was one of the academy's most famous techniques.
Outside the forest, spectators gasped. "That's Jigen-ryū! The first-strike technique!"
"Can he actually pull it off?" another student wondered, watching the tension rise as Ethan prepared for the final blow.
Jigen-ryū is known for its emphasis on the first strike: Jigen-ryū teachings state that a second strike is not even to be considered.
The basic technique is to hold the sword in a high version of hasso-no-kamae called tonbo-no-kamae (蜻蛉構 Dragonfly Stance), with the sword held vertically above the right shoulder.
The attack is then done by running forward at your opponent and then cutting diagonally down on their neck.
But there was a problem. Violet's hand was still wrapped around Esdeath's neck, blocking Ethan's target. "I can't hit her neck like this…",he thought quickly. He made a split-second decision and jumped into the air.
Esdeath's gaze snapped upwards. Time seemed to slow as Ethan soared above her, his stick raised high in preparation for the strike. Before she could react, Ethan came crashing down, aiming directly for her face.
BAM!
The impact was so powerful that a shockwave rippled through the air. The loud crack of wood splitting echoed across the battlefield as Ethan's stick shattered into pieces, blasted apart from the sheer force of the blow. Dust and debris kicked up around them, and for a moment, the forest fell silent.
Everyone watching was in shock. Even the teachers couldn't hide their surprise.
"Finally someone worthy of being InClass A, It feels like we have another genius",somone exclaimed. Their attitude changed not even thinking that, Ethan was a commoner.
"Unbelievable, Just what is happening today? Everything is unexpected…" one of them whispered. "He actually landed a hit on her."
The students outside watching the hologram were speechless. "No way... did Ethan actually win?"
As the dust settled, a tense silence took over the battlefield. All eyes were fixed on Esdeath. Emma and Violet cautiously let go of her, expecting her to fall, but instead of collapsing, Esdeath remained standing. The seconds ticked by, and a chilling realization crept into the minds of everyone watching.
Blood dripped from her nose, a cut etched across her face from Ethan's strike—but she hadn't gone down.
A sinister chuckle escaped Esdeath's lips, low at first but quickly growing into a manic laugh. "Hehehe... Hahahaha!" Her face twisted into a disturbing smile, her eyes gleaming with a wicked light. "Do you really think I'd go down like this?" she snarled, her voice dripping with malice. Her gaze was no longer that of a mere student; it was something far more terrifying, almost demonic, sending chills down the spines of those watching.
She cracked her knuckles, stretching her arms as if ready to unleash her full fury. "I'll show you what real techniques look like," she threatened, her entire body radiating an eerie, dangerous energy.
But suddenly, her expression shifted.
Her eyes widened, pupils swirling in tight, ring-like patterns as she touched the blood dripping from her face. "My face…," she whispered in disbelief. Her breath quickened as panic set in. "My face got damaged!" The realization sent her spiraling into a frenzy, her obsession taking control.
Esdeath's thoughts tumbled out in a frantic stream, her fingers twitching as she brought her hand to her mouth. "What will Lortell think of me now? Oh no..no..no..no… What if she doesn't find me beautiful anymore? What if she… rejects me?" Her voice trembled, the very idea tearing her apart. She began chewing her nails aggressively, drawing blood as her mind descended deeper into her obsession with Lortell.
"No, no, no... this can't be happening!" she muttered, her eyes wide with madness. Even though she knew that healers could easily fix the damage, her love-fueled paranoia drowned out any sense of reason. In her mind, the smallest flaw was enough to ruin everything with Lortell.
Violet and Emma, watching her from a distance, were equally confused. "What... is she doing?" Violet whispered, unsure whether to strike or wait. But Emma wasn't about to waste this opportunity. "Now's our chance!" she yelled, charging forward with Violet right behind her.
"Pay attention, Esdeath!" Emma shouted, raising her fist for a powerful punch.
But in the blink of an eye, their world flipped upside down. They barely had time to register what happened before their legs were in the air, their heads plunging toward the ground.
*It was Aikido.*
Before they even hit the ground, Esdeath unleashed a series of brutal strikes. Bam! Bam! Bam!. . . .Without even looking, she punched both of them so hard it was as if an invisible force had launched them across the battlefield. Emma and Violet crashed into the ground with bone-crushing force, unable to move from the sheer pain.
Esdeath didn't even spare them a second glance. Her glowing eyes, filled with rage and unhinged devotion, locked onto Ethan. Her voice, dripping with fury and twisted love, rang out.
"Ethannn.... You are dead! "