Only sixteen groups remained in the tournament. Every match from this point forward meant facing opponents who had already crushed dozens of others. The air buzzed with tension, the scent of sweat and scorched earth lingering from previous battles.

  Nox’s team was the sole representative from the first and second years. That fact alone drew glances, some curious, some hostile.

  Yet attention was not solely on them. Every fourth-year Class A’s group moved with an unnerving precision.

  Nox’s gaze locked on a tall, dark-skinned man whose aura radiated control; a single, perfectly cast water ball obliterated an entire team before the rest even reacted.

  After five exhausting matches, it was finally their turn.

  “Our opponents are from fourth-year Class B,” Nox murmured, voice tight. His stomach churned at the thought.

  Beatrice’s eyes narrowed. “At least they’re only four people,” she replied, but she quickly went silent as she saw that they were only three people themselves.

  The match began. Immediately, the difference in skill became obvious. Their opponents’ spells flowed like water, smooth and unbroken, each cast requiring almost no effort.

  Their magic control radiated the kind of calm lethality that only came from years of combat experience.

  Regea stepped forward, raising a protective sunflower to shield the team, but cracks quickly spread across his defences. He poured every ounce of magic into repairs, yet the relentless assault destroyed his spells faster than he could cast.

  Nox moved across the battlefield on his icy field, leaving a lattice of frost in his wake, each step calculated to slow and confuse his foes.

  But the enemies responded with earth magic, blocking rows of ice crystals before they could reach them.

  Nox’s mind raced, glancing down into the canyon satiated by trees.

  “I still have my water ball,” he thought, determination burning in his chest. “Time to combine.”

  Between a burst of trees and rocks, Nox launched water ball and wind strike simultaneously. With giant ice crystals and the nearby bushes, he hid from everyone’s view, as the mana roared violently, threatening to escape his control.

  -You have unlocked the skill Snowball

  The ground trembled as the two forces collided midair, condensing into a massive rolling sphere of snow that grew with every rotation.

  Frost spread across the battlefield, crawling over stone and earth.

  “There he is!”

  Two female opponents sprung into the canyon and dashed toward him. Nox instinctively stepped back, fire arrows flying past his ear. His back grazed the rough stone wall behind him.

  With no way out, he used his new skill. Water vapour froze, turning into snow. The rotation reflected the two women’s shocked gazes, as he rolled toward them.

  They shot spells at it, but the snowball just kept growing.

  Splash-

  At the impact, the two were completely drenched in water, their armours beeping.

  “Finally… I can help Regea and Beatrice,” Nox thought, leaping into the air, ready to flank the two remaining enemies.

  A wind spell hit him midair, spinning him sideways before he crashed into the rock wall. Pain flared across his shoulders as he scrambled up, eyes scanning the field.

  Most of the enemies were down, only one figure remained. A towering fourth-year standing on the far side, his presence heavy, almost suffocating.

  Beatrice, Regea and the other enemy were down, starring at him from within their barrier.

  “Tell me,” the man said calmly, voice carrying over the field, “how did you grow this strong without a main stigma?”

  “You don’t want to find out” Nox shot back, voice steady despite his racing heartbeat. “Surrender, and nothing happens to you.”

  A smirk played at the corner of the man’s lips. “You should not compare me to my comrades,” he replied, mana flaring around him. With a swift movement, earth missiles sprouted from the ground, rock and soil twisting into jagged projectiles.

  Wind magic accelerated them to impossible speeds. Explosions cracked through the arena as Nox barely dodged them, sweat stinging his eyes.

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  The fight spiralled into chaos. Every spell was countered; every strike mirrored. The crowd roared, but Nox’s focus narrowed to the rhythm of mana and motion. He drew his sword. The enemy did the same.

  Blades clashed, sparks flying as steel met steel. Every movement drained stamina. Blood streaked his vision; muscles trembled with exhaustion. Nox could keep up at first, but his ice skills couldn’t balance the difference in stats.

  “Shit, my stamina!”, he thought.

  “It’s time to end this,” the enemy shouted.

  Reaching with his hand towards the sun, he summoned a massive fireball, launching it at Nox. The heat distorted the air like a mirage.

  “I’m gonna take you with me,” Nox replied, using his last mana reserves to launch a wind strike. His limbs screamed in protest.

  Both stood still for a split second, grinning at each other. Neither was willing to back down, as they were hit by the attacks.

  Bang-

  When the smoke cleared, no one was standing there as a victor. The silence felt heavier than any roar. The only sound that was heard was the loud beeping of the two’s armour lying on the ground.

  “I- It’s a draw!”, the commentator screamed.

  They were carried out and a disappointed laugh escaped Nox’s lips.

  In the evening, Nox visited Lina.

  “You’re injured.” She didn’t have to look at him to know, her expression hardening instantly.

  “I’m sorry… I didn’t win. It resulted in a draw,” he said in agony. His voice lacked any pride and he lowered his gaze in shame.

  “Give me your head real quick,” she replied.

  As Nox moved closer, she pulled Nox on the bed and chocked him. Pain shot through his ribs as she pinned him down.

  “I told you to be careful. Do I look like I care about that ranking?” she asked, “which place did we even get for you to whine?”

  Her tone made it clear that the answer didn’t matter.

  “Cough-, eighth,” he answered. The word barely left his mouth.

  “We were that good and you’re still crying around?” Lina grew furious. She let go of his head and let her mana flow into him. Her arms however, were still around his neck; a silent warning.

  “Okay, okay, I’m sorry.”

  “You better be. When does the two-month ranking come out?”

  “I think in three days, so we have free time until then,” Nox replied.

  Lina’s eyes sparkled at the thought.

  “Hehe, then pack some clothes tomorrow and meet me in the entrance hall at 8 am,” she said. Her grin promised trouble.

  The next morning, Nox walked downstairs, still half asleep, his silver hair sticking everywhere.

  “Where are we even going?” he asked, rubbing his eyes.

  “Didn’t I tell you? To the spa,” Lina replied. Her gaze lingered on him longer than usual before she turned away with a cough.

  They stepped through the teleportation gate and emerged onto a long, empty street. The road paved its way through a small mountain range.

  A carriage waited patiently ahead, polished wood glinting in the soft morning light.

  “Come on,” Lina said. “The place doesn’t have direct teleportation access, so we need to use this.”

  The journey was quiet at first, broken only by Lina’s curious questions about his stigma, his past, and his fights in the tournament. Nox answered as best he could, his voice hoarse from yesterday’s exhaustion.

  It wasn’t so bad to talk to her after all. A soft laugh escaped Nox’s lips as he realized that they’ve been intimate, before having simple conversations about life.

  After about two hours, the mountains grew larger, jagged and imposing, yet peaceful. The air here was cleaner, each breath feeling like it filled his lungs with something new.

  A giant building came into view, its walls painted bright white, waterfalls cascading from nearby cliffs, and lush trees lining the courtyard. Several carriages were parked outside, indicating they weren’t the only visitors seeking peace.

  Inside, an elderly woman greeted them warmly. “Good morning! Do you wish to stay at our hotel?”

  “Yes, two rooms please,” Lina answered promptly.

  The woman briefly glanced at a small blacked device.

  “I’m so sorry, miss, but we only have one room left. You would have to go to another place,” she said.

  “Then we’ll go to anot-” Nox started.

  “Oh yeah, that’s fine,” Lina interrupted, calm as ever. She didn’t hesitate, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

  Before Nox could react, she grabbed the keys and dragged him upstairs. Somehow, she instinctively knew where their room was.

  As they entered, Nox’s gaze darted around in mild panic. His mind raced through worst-case scenarios, every possible awkward interaction forming like shadows in his head.

  “T- That’s one bed, you know. Why did you book that?” he asked, voice tight with embarrassment.

  “Relax,” Lina said with a small shrug, a smirk tugging at her lips. “We’ve slept in the same bed before, so it’s not dramatic.”

  That only made Nox’s face heat up more, ears burning.

  “Anyway,” she continued, her eyes glinting with a mixture of excitement and mischief, “I’m going to check out the bath. How about we meet for dinner later?”

  After parting ways, Nox stepped outside. Mangrove trees arched overhead, forming a narrow, peaceful passage that led to a small pond, a waterfall spilling into it with a soft, constant murmur.

  “This is… heaven,” Nox thought as he dipped into the hot water. Steam rose in lazy clouds around him, curling in the cool mountain air. His muscles loosened, every knot of fatigue and tension from the tournament unwinding in warm waves.

  Injuries faded as soon as he touched the liquid. For the first time in weeks, his thoughts quieted, leaving only the sound of flowing water and his own steady breathing.

  He explored every bath for hours and even went to the weight room, which made the day feel at least a bit effective.

  His stomach growled as he returned to their room.

  “The one with the hot spring… really good,” he murmured to himself, moving slowly. The room was large, spacious, but of course it only had one bathroom, a small kitchen, and a single bed; a reality he hadn’t quite processed yet.

  “All that… but not two beds or two bathrooms at least,” he thought, instinctively pulling out his nicest shirt with trembling hands. His fingers hesitated longer than necessary, a nervous energy knotting his stomach.

  “It’s only for dinner… so why am I so nervous?” he whispered under his breath as he slowly descended the golden stairs, each step echoing softly in the quiet corridor.

  At the bottom, Lina waited. The evening sun caught her perfectly, making her hair glow like spun gold. She wore a white dress that seemed to shimmer with every movement, as if the fabric itself carried a light of its own.

  For a moment, Nox forgot how to breathe. His chest tightened; for a moment, he thought of running away, but her light blue eyes seemed to pull him toward her.

  With a slight bow, she stretched out her arm as if she were the gentleman and he were the princess.

  It didn't feel so bad.