LHAHS Chapter 412
Tap— Tap— Tap—
The sound of heels echoed through the corridor leading to the arena.
Juen crossed paths with Luke, the victor of the previous match.
"I watched your match. That was amazing," she remarked, winking.
Luke smiled. "I did my best."
"That was more than just doing your best. What's your secret?"
"Something like hellish training, I guess." Luke's gaze drifted into the distance.
Juen shuddered. I've heard plenty of horror stories about Leo's brutal training… but that bad, huh?
"By the way, how long are you going to keep speaking so formally to a classmate?" she asked.
"Huh? But you're the daughter of the Southern Magic Tower Master."
"So what? We're both students." Juen scoffed lightly. "We've been at the same school since the entrance ceremony, and we've been friends since then. It's annoying."
"Then… I'll talk casually from now on."
"Should've done that ages ago." Satisfied, Juen nodded. "Do your best."
"Of course. I'm going to win."
Flashing a bright smile, Juen walked toward the end of the corridor.
A short while later, she stood at the entrance, where light poured in from the arena, and took a deep breath.
Slap, slap-!
She clapped her cheeks.
Don't get nervous, Juen Torvina. This isn't like you.
Since her entrance, Juen had been the undisputed top student in the magic division, but in the overall first-year rankings, she had never been number one.
Because there was someone immovable at the top—Aina Beidna.
A descendant of the legendary Sword Saint. Her bloodline alone set her apart.
On the other hand, Juen was a traditional mage. In a one-on-one match, her compatibility against Aina, a knight, was terrible.
In some ways, this was the biggest match of the tournament, but almost no one believed Juen would win. That was how overwhelming Aina was.
Always confident, Juen now felt sweat pooling in her palms. She exhaled and stepped forward.
"Juen Torvina is entering the arena! Give her a round of applause!"
"Wooooooah!"
"Go, Lady Juen!"
"Juen, you got this!"
Cheers erupted from all around. Among them, students from the Southern Magic Tower were especially enthusiastic.
Juen smiled at them and made her way onto the field. Aina was already there, standing still with her usual blank expression, eyes closed.
As Juen approached, she felt her legs trembling. When she was first matched against Aina, she had confidently declared she would win, but deep down, the pressure was suffocating.
No one understood better than Juen herself how disadvantaged she was in a one-on-one fight.
She had put on a brave face, feigned confidence. She had convinced herself she could win, prepared relentlessly.
However, now that the moment had come, her heart felt like it was going to burst.
You can do this, Juen Torvina. You can do this.
Clenching and unclenching her fists, she took a deep breath.
"Juen!"
A familiar voice called out just as sweat trickled down her back.
She turned to see Carl selling goods in the crowd. He had pushed himself to the front row, yelling at the top of his lungs.
"Don't get nervous! You can do it!"
"…Senior Carl." Juen smiled faintly.
"No, scratch that! You have to win! I bet my entire tournament earnings on you winning! If you lose, I'm screwed!"
Juen, initially touched, instantly froze. Her face darkened. Taking a deep breath, she said, "If I win, you know you're buying me something really expensive, right?"
"Of course!" Carl grinned, giving her a thumbs-up.
Juen spun around sharply and stepped into the arena. Somehow, the tension had vanished. A small smile tugged at her lips.
Yeah. I can win. I trained for this.
Her brown eyes gleamed.
Step—
She stopped before Aina.
Aina, who had been standing motionless with her eyes closed, finally opened them.
Their gazes met.
[And now! The first round's most anticipated match! No… perhaps the biggest match of the entire tournament!]
Runeba's excited voice filled the stadium.
[The number one knight in the first year and class representative, Aina Beidna, versus the number one mage, Juen Torvina! A win for either side is a win for the summoning division, don't you think?! Hahaha!]
[Runeba Tess, who told you that biased commentary was allowed?]
[Eek?!]
A chilling voice cut in—it was Harrid.
Seizing the opportunity, Sedgen grabbed the mic. [I cannot allow such lowly, biased commentary! It lacks elegance! Therefore, I shall take over from here. Everyone, prepare to be enchanted by my el…]
[Drag him out.]
[Mmph! Mmmph! Mmmph!]
There was no way Harrid would tolerate a second-year professor interfering in a first-year event. Sedgen was promptly dragged away by nearby students, and Runeba barely regained the right to continue commentating after a stern warning.
Once the commotion settled, Mel stepped forward onto the field. "I hope both of you have a match without regrets."
After explaining the rules, Mel stepped back.
Juen crossed her arms and took a deep breath. "Haviden Birson! Sasha Sienne Lordren! And Luke Eldar!"
Her sudden declaration silenced the previously noisy crowd.
"Just you wait!" Juen pointed straight at Aina. "After her, you're next!"
[Oooooooh! Juen Torvina just declared war on her rivals!] Runeba's voice rose in excitement.
"I'll take the class representative title! And I'll be the next student council president, too!" Juen boldly announced, leveling her staff at Aina.
The audience erupted in cheers.
"Woooo!"
"That's the spirit!"
"We're rooting for you, Juen!"
Aina simply stared at Juen with her usual doll-like expression.
Juen shouted, "Prepare yourself!"
"I don't care."
"What?"
"I have no interest in being class representative or student council president." Aina's voice was flat as she drew her sword. "If you get in my way, I'll take you down. That's all there is to it."
Juen clenched her teeth. "I hate you, Aina Beidna."
Mel placed a coin on her finger.
"The way you ignore what everyone else wants…"
Ding—! Whirr—!
"The way you talk like you don't care about anything…"
The coin spun through the air.
"I hate it!"
Clink—!
The moment the coin hit the ground, a golden flash surged toward Juen.
Whoosh—!
Juen vanished.
Stealth magic.
Aina's sharp senses instantly spread across the battlefield. She already knew that one of Juen's specialties was stealth magic. And she knew how precise and difficult it was to counter.
When Juen activated it in advance, even Aina struggled to track her.
But that's only when I don't know she's using it.
Aina's golden eyes scanned the field. The difference between being aware and unaware was critical. Her honed instincts immediately pinpointed Juen's location.
Thud—! Flash—! BOOOOOOM—!
As Aina's sword slashed through the air, a massive explosion erupted.
"What do you think about this match?" Chloe asked.
Chen Xia replied calmly, "Juen will probably have a hard time winning."
A one-on-one duel between a traditional mage and a knight. Assuming they had similar skill levels, the knight class had an overwhelming advantage. To make things worse, Aina was the strongest first-year.
It was an absolutely unfavorable fight for Juen.
Chloe watched as her underclassman fought a difficult battle. Juen wasn't her mentee, but being only one year below, she had been keeping an eye on her.
She even challenged me during the entrance exam.
Chloe knew that Juen was highly skilled. Even so, she also believed Juen had little chance of winning.
"Leo, what do you think?" she asked.
"Judging objectively, Aina's victory is almost certain," Leo said flatly. "But one-on-one battles have many variables, especially since Juen's mentor is Carl. There's no way he wouldn't have prepared her for Aina."
"Right, Juen has Carl on her side."
Even if Carl was terrible at magic, he was exceptional at analyzing opponents and formulating strategies. That ability was what had kept Carl alive all this time.
Chen Xia nodded. "Carl is definitely skilled at exploiting weaknesses. But Carl isn't the only variable. Aina herself is a problem."
"Aina's is a problem?" Chloe tilted her head.
"That's right. The problem with Aina is the most critical factor here," Chen Xia said.
"What do you mean?" Chloe asked.
Chen Xia smiled. "If Aina properly sees Juen for who she is, she might not be able to win."
Hearing that, Chloe thought for a moment before her eyes widened in realization.
She recalled a conversation with her close friend Celia about mentees.
Aina doesn't pay attention to other first-years at all, does she?
Juen had spent an entire semester preparing to defeat Aina, but Aina hadn't done the same.
That difference was significant.
Flash—! BOOM—!
A massive explosion shook the ground, followed by a blinding light.
The arena was suddenly covered in ice.
Chen Xia's eyes gleamed with interest. "What kind of magic is that?"
"It's a fusion of ice and explosion magic," Chloe said, instantly recognizing the spell a combination spell that utilized Ice Clone, one of her specialty spells.
Three spells… no, she fused four together?
Chloe was impressed. Fusion magic was a technique that combined multiple spells to maximize their effects—a form of magical enhancement.
Leo smirked.
Two can be managed with effort. But from three onwards, it's a matter of talent and instinct.
Leo's own limit was three. The top second-year magic students, Chloe and Abad, had also managed three. Chelsea, who lacked an aptitude for fusion magic, had only managed two.
Well, Chloe, Abad, and Chelsea still have room to improve.
For reference, Luna had fused seven spells.
That woman was a magic-obsessed mana monster.
And yet, Juen, still a first-year, had already achieved four.
"She must be specialized in fusion magic. I had no idea," Chloe said, eyes shining with admiration.
What will you do, Aina Beidna?
Leo crossed his arms and looked down at the arena.
If you don't properly look at your opponent, you won't win.
Crack—
Aina brushed off the ice clinging to her.
Despite being caught in the powerful ice explosion, she showed little sign of injury.
Her senses detected multiple presences.
All of them are Juen Torvina.
Clack—!
Aina adjusted her grip on her sword. "Is this all you've got?"
"Of course not," Juen's voice responded from nowhere. "I've prepared a lot to take you down."
Juen gritted her teeth. "This is just a small part of it. Get ready."
With fierce determination, she shouted, "I'll throw everything I have at you and take you down!"