Chapter 7

  As Mr. Kisimoto’s class ended, the bell rang loudly, waking Rei from his nap.

  “Hm? That was quite a nice nap,” Rei mumbled, stretching his arms with a yawn. “Wish it could’ve lasted a little longer.”

  Sera, clearly irritated, shot him a look. “How are you going to pass the exam now that you didn’t take a single note?!”

  Rei glanced lazily at her and flashed a smug grin. “No worries, sweetheart. I’ve got you, right? You’ll lend me your notes later.”

  Sera blushed hard. “I-I’m not your sweetheart! And this is the first and last time I’m giving you my notes! Hmph!”

  “I knew I could count on you,” Rei chuckled, completely unfazed.

  The other classmates stared, wide-eyed and whispering.

  “Wait… are they a thing? No way.”

  “That’s Sera and Rei? Why does this feel illegal?”

  Before things could escalate, the bell rang again. It was time for the next class.

  Sera led Rei through the academy hallways toward a massive double-door entrance. As they entered, an explosion of noise hit them—battle cries, cheering students, and the rhythmic thud of fists meeting fists.

  The training hall was enormous, like an indoor stadium. Multiple sparring rings were set up, with dozens of students fighting or spectating.

  “What a rowdy and noisy bunch,” Rei muttered, hands in his pockets.

  “This rowdy bunch is the pride of Fireguard Academy,” Sera replied sharply. “This is where real agents are born.”

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  Before Rei could respond, a loud beep came from the speakers overhead.

  “Attention students! Starting today, there will be 15 official spar battles every afternoon for ranking evaluation and each match will be supervised by an instructor to improve the performance of the students.

  The first match is about to begin!”

  A pause.

  "Match 1: First-Year Top Student, Sera Adyn versus Second-Year Top Student, Luise Mark!”

  Gasps spread through the crowd.

  Even Rei raised an eyebrow. “Damn, no warm-up?”

  Sera clenched her fists, determination in her eyes. “Guess I’m up first.”

  Rei gave her a lazy grin. “Go show them why you’re the top of our year… sweetheart.”

  “Shut up!” she snapped—but this time, her face was red for an entirely different reason.

  As Sera and Luise stepped into the sparring ring, a wave of anticipation swept through the crowd. Sera rolled her shoulders and began stretching her legs, calm and focused.

  Luise, arms crossed and smirking, scoffed. “Unfortunate for you, getting paired against the top second-year student in your very first match.”

  Sera’s eyes narrowed. “I might be a first-year, but underestimating your opponent is a mistake.”

  Luise chuckled and looked away. “There’s a clear difference between us. I’ll show you what real experience looks like.”

  The instructor stepped in. “No disrespecting your opponent. Now, without further ado… let the match begin!”

  With lightning speed, Luise dashed forward and threw a powerful punch straight for Sera’s face—an attempt to end the match in one blow. But Sera calmly deflected it with a swift move.

  Luise blinked. “Not bad... for a first-year.”

  Sera said nothing. Her expression was cool, focused—completely unfazed.

  Luise swept low, aiming for her legs. But Sera leapt into the air and struck a spinning kick directly into his face.

  SMACK.

  Luise staggered backward, clutching his jaw. “Tch… I was just testing the waters. Now it's time for the real show.”

  He sneered. “Let me teach you a lesson for kicking your senior. Especially in that pretty face of yours.”

  He lunged with a furious barrage of punches and kicks, the crowd gasping at the sheer speed and aggression. Everyone leaned forward, sure the fight would be over in seconds.

  But Sera… didn’t move. Her eyes narrowed slightly—as if searching her memory.

  On the sidelines, Rei’s lazy smirk slowly sharpened.

  He sat up straighter.

  “That stance…” he muttered. “She’s copying me?”

  As Luise’s assault continued, Sera suddenly shifted. Every strike—punch or kick—was deflected with smooth, precise movements. She wasn’t blocking; she was redirecting, just like Rei had done against General Kaine.

  It wasn’t perfect. Her technique was still rough, still learning. But the form, the essence—it was exactly like Rei’s.

  The crowd went dead silent.

  Luise’s eyes widened in disbelief. “W-What…? That was my strongest combo—how?!”

  Fueled by rage, he roared and charged once more. But this time, Sera stepped forward calmly and punched him square in the face.

  CRACK.

  Luise crashed to the mat.

  As he struggled to sit up, Sera finally spoke, her voice cool and steady:

  “The moment you lose your cool in battle… is the moment you’ve already lost.”

  Gasps echoed through the hall. The match was over.

  And Sera Adyn had just sent a message to the entire academy.