"Welcome, kids. How do you want your defeat to be served? Hot or cold?" Noelle could be heard asking as, for the first time since they got into the academy, a smirk flashed across her face. She cranked her whip in her hand while staring at the four students heading her way. Ray, Finral, Liam, and Jared each stood ready, glaring back at her. "Be brave, you all! She’s the weakest of the group!" Ray shouted as he bolted forward, leaving the others behind. "She’s the weakest doesn’t mean it’ll be easy for us!" Liam groaned out, but it was no use — the others had already exploded forward. "Weakest? Me? How dare you?!" Noelle screamed aloud in anger as she saw Ray streaking toward her. Without hesitation, she swung her whip forward, producing a loud crack that resounded in the air as the weapon lashed toward him. Seeing the whip streaking in the air, Ray immediately stopped his charge, firmly planted his feet into the ground, then pivoted around, causing the tip of the whip to continue onward harmlessly. Without wasting a second, he swirled Ki around his feet and exploded forward with full speed, almost looking like a blur. But in the next instant, he felt something off. Trusting his instincts, he spun around just in time to see the whip he had avoided suddenly coil back and streak toward his face. "Shit!" he muttered, raising his guard. A deafening boom echoed out as the whip struck him squarely on his arms before sending him skidding a few meters back in pain, the ground scratching under his boots. "Don’t forget about us!" Finral’s voice cut through the noise as he appeared in front of her, swinging from the side — a clean and sharp arc through the air. But Noelle casually sidestepped, avoiding the swing that sliced nothing but wind. "Get away from me, peasant!" she growled as Ki flared up around her foot. Without hesitation, she cranked it up and bashed it straight into Finral’s abdomen, sending him tumbling backward with blood shooting out of his mouth. "Don’t hit me that hard." Liam’s voice suddenly wafted into Noelle’s ears from the side, and she spun around to see a sword thrust toward her eyes at full speed. Suddenly, the hand holding the sword halted, unable to move an inch. Liam’s eyes widened in shock as he looked back to see her whip coiled around his arm, dragging it backward. The next second, he was yanked off his feet and flung away with brutal force, slamming directly into Jared, who was just about to launch his own attack. The duo went flying away with such velocity that the ground where they crashed cracked deeply, sending dust into the air. Luckily for the students, during the break Leo announced earlier, the whole platform had been expanded in just five minutes — a feat that left everyone stunned. Earlier, it was only ten meters wide, but now it stretched to twenty, and all the previous cracks and damages had been instantly repaired. This allowed more than enough room for movement and chaos as Jared and Liam went crashing and tumbling into the newly reinforced platform, coughing and groaning as they tried to recover. "Damn it! You’re too weak! How could you let her fling you away so easily?!" Jared roared in anger as he struggled to stand, his knees wobbling slightly from the earlier impact. Follow current novels on 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝•𝖿𝗂𝗋𝖾•𝘯𝘦𝘵 "Just shut the fuck up and let’s attack!" Liam snapped back, his tone sharp as he fixed his gaze on Noelle, who was now being frantically attacked by both Ray and Finral. After being hit by the whip earlier, Ray had managed to regain his composure almost instantly. Without wasting a second, he swirled Ki around his feet and bolted straight toward Noelle, who had just finished tossing Liam away. ’It’s like that whip has a mind of its own. I need to be careful. If I can get the whip away from her, I can maybe land a solid hit,’ Ray thought as he appeared a meter in front of her. She was about to swing her whip again when, suddenly, Ray leaped into the air, causing the whip to crackle and lash through the space where he stood a heartbeat ago. While airborne, Ray instantly kicked the air, boosting himself forward in a blur of motion. He closed in on Noelle with his fist drawn back, aiming for her face. Seeing this, Noelle’s eyes flashed coldly as the whip abruptly coiled around and shot straight toward Ray’s exposed back. "Now!" Ray shouted without breaking eye contact with her and right on cue... A cloud of dust kicked up, the air vibrating from the impact. When it cleared, Finral could be seen with his sword out, his blade locking against the tip of the whip. His teeth were gritted, veins bulging on his arms as he skidded backward for several meters before finally halting. ’Huh? H...how can he stop my whip?!’ Noelle thought, furrowing her brows in disbelief. She swiftly withdrew her hand, causing the whip to recoil before it shot toward Finral’s exposed side. But as if he had grown another pair of eyes, Finral spun around in time, his sword slashing through the air and clashing with the whip again, sending it ricocheting away from him. Sparks flashed upon contact. "Focus on me!" Ray thundered, his voice booming as Ki swirled violently around his fists. Noelle’s eyes snapped up just in time to see him crashing down toward her like a meteor. A shockwave erupted outward as Ray’s blow connected — not with her body but with the ground where she’d just been standing. The earth cracked beneath the force, dust rising like smoke. Before the dust could even settle, Noelle swirled Ki around her feet and exploded forward, moving like a streak of lightning. In the blink of an eye, she was beside Ray. Without hesitation, her fist shot toward his face at incredible speed. "Shit!" Ray cursed as he crossed his arms in front of his face like an X just before impact. The powerful punch struck true, sending Ray flying backward, skidding across the ground. His boots carved shallow trenches as he struggled to keep his balance. Noelle bolted out of the dust after him, her whip snapping back before she lashed it forward again. It shot through the air like lightning, heading straight for Ray as he tumbled in pain. But before it could connect, two figures dashed in from opposite sides. In perfect unison, they swung their swords, clashing with the whip midair. The collision sent them both skidding backward, their blades ringing from the tension — but it gave someone else the opening they needed. "Gotcha." Finral’s cold voice broke through the chaos as he appeared right in front of Noelle, his sword already mere inches from her throat, his eyes glinting darkly with determination.