Azuma laughed in disbelief. He knew Merlin had ties to the Black Clan, so her confession to a crime she didn't commit only solidified his assumption that she was protecting them. His perception of the situation was far from reality.
"Don't try to cover up for others' mistakes. I know the Black Clan is behind this. I'll confirm it with Zaky," Azuma said firmly, determined to protect his territory from further interference.
"Please believe me—it was my doing. I was training my internal energy, but I couldn't control it. This is all my fault," Merlin pleaded, trying to explain. But Azuma wasn't convinced.
"You can't fool me. Your abilities aren't nearly strong enough to cause such destruction. Only the Black Clan could do something like this," Azuma countered, intending to confront Zaky for answers.
Merlin grabbed Azuma's arm, stopping him from leaving. She refused to let the blame fall on someone else.
"I'll prove it to you. If you don't believe me, I'll show you it was my doing. Please, don't blame the Black Clan," she begged.
Azuma hesitated, sensing Merlin's desperation. He also knew the tension between Zaky and his father and didn't want to escalate the conflict unnecessarily.
"Fine. If that's what you want, prove your strength. Show me how you supposedly caused this destruction," Azuma challenged.
"Alright, follow me," Merlin said, leading Azuma to the forest where she had been training.
Azuma remained skeptical, doubtful of Merlin's capabilities. He couldn't believe she could have caused such devastation. They stopped by a lake—Merlin's training ground.
"Why did you bring me here?" Azuma asked, confused.
"To show you my power. I was training here earlier, and I'll demonstrate it again," Merlin replied, preparing to channel her internal energy.
Lucy, who had been observing through telepathy, felt alarmed. She whispered into Merlin's mind to avoid being overheard by Azuma.
"Are you planning to destroy the village again?" Lucy asked, incredulous.
"Please, guard the outskirts of the forest. I'll make sure the water doesn't reach the villagers," Merlin responded.
"You're making things so difficult for me," Lucy grumbled before heading off to keep the area secure.
Merlin began focusing her internal energy once more, careful to regulate its intensity. A massive surge of energy rippled through the lake, causing the water to rise into a massive wave that soaked Azuma, who had been observing closely. The water quickly receded, leaving the lake in a state of turbulence.
Azuma, drenched and awestruck by Merlin's power, barely noticed his condition. Meanwhile, Zaky had been watching them from a tree above.
Unable to contain himself, Zaky burst out laughing, drawing their attention.
"What are you doing here?" Azuma demanded, glaring at Zaky.
Zaky leapt down from the tree, still chuckling. "Wait, my stomach hurts from laughing so much. You're completely soaked!"
"Are you mocking me?" Azuma snapped, irritated.
"No, no, I was just worried about Merlin, so I followed you both here," Zaky said, trying to diffuse Azuma's anger.
"But you're impressive, Merlin. You managed to soak Azuma like that," Zaky added, smirking.
Azuma finally accepted that it was indeed Merlin who had caused the earlier destruction, easing his suspicion of the Black Clan.
"I'm heading back to change. I'll see you both at the academy. Don't waste time—your opponents won't go easy on you, so stay sharp," Azuma said before leaving.
Merlin turned to Zaky, feeling guilty about his strained relationship with his father, which had worsened because of her.
"What are you doing here? Your father will get angry again," Merlin said worriedly.
"How do you know my father's upset because of you?" Zaky asked, surprised.
"Rumors spread fast. I heard about it. Go back quickly before anyone notices," Merlin urged, not wanting to cause him more trouble.
"We just met, and you're already sending me away. Fine, I'll return to the academy, but I'll keep visiting you secretly," Zaky said before dashing off.
Lucy returned to Merlin's side. "I've taken care of the area. But don't ever show off your power like that again," she scolded.
"I wasn't showing off. I just didn't want the conflict between the clans to escalate because of me," Merlin replied, lowering her head in regret.
Initially, Merlin had been unaware of the consequences of her actions. Now she realized how difficult it was to bridge the divide between the feuding clans. It wasn't even her true goal—she simply sought revenge. Yet, her vengeance against Sujin, the king's daughter, seemed out of reach.
Merlin resolved to focus on her stepfamily first. Once the tournament ended, she would ensure they paid for their cruelty. As for Sujin, Merlin hadn't figured out a plan yet.
"Why are you just standing there? Are you out of energy?" Lucy asked, noticing Merlin's silence.
"Not at all. I'm just lost in thought. I'll finish this tournament and head home," Merlin replied, eager to confront her stepfamily with the prince of the Eastern Kingdom by her side.
"That's still a long way off. You're only in the first round. Are you sure Azuma will help you?" Lucy asked skeptically.
"Yes, it's far off, and I don't even have money for proper meals. If Azuma doesn't keep his promise, I'll find a way to make him help me," Merlin said, determined.
"Fine. Let's head back," Lucy said, not wanting to linger in the forest. She also wanted to watch the matches to assess their future opponents.
As Merlin returned to the academy, two men dressed in black blocked her path. They were members of the Black Clan, sent by their king to follow Zaky.
The Black Clan's king had forbidden his son from associating with Merlin and had threatened to harm her if Zaky disobeyed.
"Where do you think you're going?" one of them asked, forcing Merlin to stop.
"I'm heading to the academy. Care to join me?" Merlin replied, oblivious to their intent.
"We're under orders from the king to kill you," the man said, his tone cold as he unsheathed a blade.