Shi Zhao Mei smirked.
"Finally, something interesting."
Aleeman crossed his arms, watching as Mei-Xi-Li took a slow step forward, her aura shifting like the ebb and flow of a tranquil tide.
She reached behind her, grasping the Twin Crescent Daggers – Moonflow Blades, their curved cerulean edges shimmering like liquid moonlight.
The crowd fell silent.
Then—
A rumble.
The ground trembled as a new Arcane Titan descended from above.
Unlike the previous ones, this one was monolithic, its entire body composed of flowing, mercury-like metal, adapting its form at will, shifting between solid steel and liquid alloy.
The Abyssal Sentience Titan.
A beast of sheer unpredictability.
A sentient storm, waiting to consume its prey.
And yet—
Mei-Xi-Li simply smiled.
She lifted her daggers, spinning them gracefully between her fingers, her stance unbothered, her presence serene as the still waters before a typhoon.
Finn leaned toward Aleeman.
"She's not nervous at all."
Aleeman exhaled.
"That's because she's always calm before the storm."
The Titan moved first.
Its liquid-like limbs morphed into a massive spear, shooting forward at blinding speed, aiming straight for Mei-Xi-Li's chest.
But—
The instant it should have pierced through her, she vanished.
Like a ripple on the surface of a still pond, her form shimmered, her entire being dissolving into liquid mist, only to reappear five feet away—
Untouched.
A technique rooted in elemental mastery—Ethereal Water Manipulation.
The Titan shifted, recalibrating, its AI-driven mind adapting, forming a hundred razor-sharp tendrils, all aimed toward Mei-Xi-Li at once.
The arena gasped.
A normal fighter would have been skewered instantly.
But Mei-Xi-Li…
She simply breathed in.
Then—
She moved.
A twirl—
A flicker of blue light—
And suddenly, she was everywhere at once.
Her Twin Crescent Daggers became an extension of the ocean's wrath, their edges gleaming as they sliced fluid arcs through the air, each movement guided by an invisible rhythm, as if she were dancing upon the waves of an unseen melody.
The Titan struck—
She weaved.
It swung—
She vanished.
A whirlwind of slashes, each cut accompanied by rippling water formations, carving deep into the Titan's shifting form, preventing it from stabilizing itself.
It tried to morph, but Mei-Xi-Li wouldn't let it.
She moved like a storm unchained, her daggers tearing through liquid steel, her every step causing small pools of shimmering water to ripple beneath her feet.
Aleeman watched, arms crossed, a small smirk tugging at his lips.
"She's not even breaking a sweat."
John Wei-Tang, who was still nursing his wounds from his humiliating defeat, scoffed.
"She's just running around. If she's so skilled, why isn't she attacking properly?!"
Wang Ji-Pang snorted.
"Because unlike you, she's intelligent."
Mei-Xi-Li glanced upward, noticing how the Titan's core was struggling to reform each time she struck.
A strategy formed in her mind.
She inhaled—
And then she sang.
A soft, ethereal melody filled the air.
The entire auditorium seemed to hold its breath.
The water around Mei-Xi-Li began to glow, forming rippling patterns across the Titan's metallic body.
The Titan lurched, its liquid form convulsing as if being lulled into a trance, its movements slowing, struggling against the invisible pull of her voice.
Aleeman's smirk widened.
"That's her true ability."
Mei-Xi-Li's Song of Tranquility was not just an artistic display of magic.
It was a weapon.
A spell designed to disrupt energy flows, to calm the tides of chaos, to bind even the most uncontrollable forces.
The Titan tried to resist—
But it couldn't move.
The once-unpredictable Abyssal Sentience Titan had been halted mid-action, its ever-shifting form frozen in the embrace of the moon's lullaby.
It was over.
Mei-Xi-Li ceased her song.
In the absolute silence that followed, she lifted her daggers, their edges glowing with an oceanic luminescence.
She vanished—
Only to reappear directly above the Titan, her daggers crossed in an X-formation.
"Lunar Tide Blades—Crescent Moonfall."
She descended.
Two arcs of shimmering blue light slashed downward, cutting straight through the Titan's core—
A final, elegant crescendo to the battle's symphony.
The Titan's body collapsed, dissolving into metallic droplets, evaporating under the moonlight glow of her energy.
Silence.
Then—
Thunderous applause.
Hua-Jing whistled.
"Remind me never to fight her."
Finn chuckled, spinning Serpent's Fang on his finger.
"She didn't even break a sweat."
Wang Ji-Pang grinned.
"That's just Mei-Xi-Li for you. If elegance had a name, it'd be hers."
John Wei-Tang scowled.
Celeste Marlowe pursed her lips.
Shi Zhao Mei smirked.
"Well, well… It seems we have another opponent worth fighting."
Mei-Xi-Li turned toward them, offering a graceful bow, her crescent daggers spinning once before disappearing into her wrist sheathes.
"Did you enjoy the performance?" she asked with a smirk of quiet confidence.
Aleeman chuckled.
"It was… beautiful."
Mei-Xi-Li's smile widened, just a fraction.
Then, with a flick of her wrist, she turned toward Shi Zhao Mei.
"Your turn, Gemstone Bellied Troublemaker."
Shi Zhao Mei cracked her knuckles, eyes flaring with crimson intensity.
"Then allow me to set the stage on fire."
The thunderous applause for Mei-Xi-Li had barely faded when the next name was called.
"Shi Zhao Mei."
A sudden hush fell over the audience.
For all the chaos, destruction, and whispers that followed her ever since she stepped foot into the academy, this was her first true test—a battle in front of everyone.
But Shi Zhao Mei—once known as Prince Wei Yang Hong, the fallen heir of Ji-Gong—did not hesitate.
She walked forward, her expression unreadable, her movements flowing yet deliberate, as if the world around her was nothing more than a stage, and she—the lead performer.
A deep, mechanical growl shook the arena as the next Arcane Titan emerged.
This one was colossal, towering above the previous ones—its crimson plating pulsing with raw etherial energy, jagged runic sigils burning along its limbs.
Its right hand—a gargantuan battle axe, crackling with dark plasma energy.
Its left—a serpentine chainblade, curling like a viper waiting to strike.
It was a titan not of steel alone, but of cursed magic.
A war machine of forbidden design.
Finn muttered under his breath.
"That thing… looks like it was built to fight entire armies."
Wang Ji-Pang cracked his knuckles.
"Yeah. Too bad it's going up against her."
Shi Zhao Mei closed her eyes, inhaling deeply.
Then, as if answering a silent command, her dao materialized—
Asina Wo Do Blood—a crimson blade, pulsating like a beating heart, its hilt etched with the sigils of an ancient power long forsaken.
And then—
She moved.
A step.
A blur of crimson silk.
A flash of steel.
The moment the Arcane Titan struck, bringing down its plasma-infused axe, Shi Zhao Mei was already gone, her body twisting mid-air as she spun, her dao slicing a perfect crescent arc, narrowly dodging the impact.
The arena quaked, debris scattering as the Titan's axe left a scorching crater where she once stood.
But before it could recalibrate—
She danced.
Her body moved like a river of flowing fire, a rhythm only she could hear, her dao slicing through air and shadow, each step a bladed waltz of precision and grace.
The Titan lashed out with its chainblade—
She twirled, her dao intercepting the strike, her blade carving through dark steel, severing a section of the chain.
It retaliated, its massive foot stomping down to crush her—
But Shi Zhao Mei vaulted over its leg, using the momentum to flip through the air, landing on its massive forearm with deft agility.
The Titan roared, trying to shake her off, but she—
She was a storm.
She was a dragon.
And she would not be moved.
Shi Zhao Mei pressed her palm against her chest, her chi igniting in a surge of crimson light.
Her veins glowed beneath her porcelain skin, her breath ragged yet controlled, her entire body pulsating with a power that was never meant for mortals.
And then—
The Blood Dragon was set free.
The arena trembled as a phantom draconic form burst from her back, its serpentine figure writhing in the air, its golden eyes burning with an insatiable hunger.
Its roar split the heavens.
The students gasped.
Even Headmaster Falani, watching from the balcony, furrowed his brows.
"The curse…" he muttered. "It's evolving."
Shi Zhao Mei tightened her grip on Asina Wo Do Blood, the phantom dragon coiling around her, its presence making the air heavy with the weight of an unseen force.
She exhaled, her crimson eyes locking onto the Titan.
And then—
She vanished.
A scarlet afterimage burned the air.
The Titan swung its axe wildly, trying to hit something that was no longer there.
Then—
A red streak of light.
A sharp, ringing sound.
The arm holding the axe—
Gone.
The Titan staggered, its limb severed, sparks erupting from the wound.
And yet, Shi Zhao Mei was not finished.
She reappeared—above it this time—her dao raised high, the Blood Dragon spiraling around her.
"Asina Wo Do Blood—Draconic Descent."
A downward slash—
A red comet tearing through the sky.
Her blade tore through the Titan's core, the energy within it imploding, its metallic form shattering in an eruption of crimson embers.
The ground shook.
The Titan collapsed.
And when the smoke finally cleared—
Shi Zhao Mei stood at the center of the destruction, her dao dripping with molten energy, her breath steady, her expression unbothered.
The Blood Dragon coiled around her one final time before slowly fading into the ether, leaving only the echo of its roar behind.
Silence.
Then—
The auditorium exploded into cheers.
Aleeman smirked, arms crossed.
"Well…" he murmured. "That was dramatic."
Hua-Jing's jaw hung open.
Finn scratched the back of his head.
"I take back what I said. That was—terrifying."
Wang Ji-Pang exhaled.
"I knew she was strong, but that wasn't strength. That was… something else."
Shi Zhao Mei slowly turned, her eyes locking with Aleeman's.
Her lips curled into a smirk.
"So, wolf of Abjannas…" she murmured, tapping the flat side of her dao against her shoulder. "Still think I need protecting?"
Aleeman chuckled.
"No, but…" He leaned forward slightly, his voice just above a whisper.
"I think I just found someone who can keep up with me."
Shi Zhao Mei's cheeks turned slightly pink, but she quickly masked it with an eye roll, spinning her dao once before dismissing it.
"Hmph. Don't flatter yourself, brute."
The crowd continued to roar with excitement—
But in the shadows, Headmaster Falani watched carefully, his expression unreadable.
Because this was no longer just a simple test.
Shi Zhao Mei's curse was evolving.
And soon…
It might consume her completely.
A hush fell over the crowd as the next name was announced.
"Aleeman Hakiman."
He exhaled, stepping forward with measured confidence. Unlike the others before him—who wielded elemental abilities, arcane mastery, and divine cultivation—Aleeman walked forward with nothing but his sabre and shield.
No magic.
No celestial power.
Only steel, wit, and willpower.
The crowd murmured.
John Wei-Tang smirked, leaning against the railing.
"Let's see how the so-called 'Wolf of Abjannas' does without his fancy soldiers backing him."
Celeste Marlowe chuckled.
"No tricks. No allies. No divine blood. Just a common warrior swinging a blade. This should be amusing."
Shi Zhao Mei's eyes narrowed, while Hua-Jing clenched her fists, glaring daggers at John.
Mei-Xi-Li's expression darkened.
"If that snake says one more word…"
Professor Galadriel, watching from her post, caught the shift in tension and swiftly shut it down.
"Quiet."
Her voice was sharp, like a blade cutting through air. The crowd fell silent.
"Do not mock a warrior before he unsheathes his blade, lest you be the fool who underestimates steel."
John flinched, clicking his tongue but saying nothing more.
Then—
A thunderous roar.
The final Arcane Titan stepped forth—a monstrosity of steel and sorcery, its massive frame towering like an iron colossus.
Its right arm—a flamethrower, spewing embers like a dragon's breath.
Its left—a colossal warhammer, each swing capable of leveling an entire battlefield.
Its eyes—glowing with a malevolent red, scanning its final opponent.
And yet—
Aleeman stood firm.
No flicker of fear.
Only calm calculation.
Professor Galadriel's eyes narrowed.
"He isn't charging blindly."
"He's studying it."
With a mechanical howl, the Titan's warhammer crashed down, aiming to crush Aleeman on the spot.
But he—
He was already gone.
A swift side-step, his shield angled perfectly, redirecting the force away from his body instead of absorbing it.
The Titan's hammer smashed into the ground, splitting the very floor beneath them.
Dust erupted.
Aleeman lunged forward, his sabre slashing along the Titan's exposed plating, aiming for a structural weakness—
But the Titan's flamethrower ignited, releasing a wave of fire straight at him.
He barely had time to raise his shield—the flames licking his arm, burning through fabric and skin.
A sharp hiss of pain escaped his lips, but he didn't falter.
Blood dripped from his arm, staining the floor beneath his feet.
John Wei-Tang chuckled, his arms crossed.
"Well, well. Looks like the 'wolf' is nothing more than a whimpering pup."
A few students snickered, barely holding back their laughter.
Shi Zhao Mei's expression darkened.
Hua-Jing bristled, her teeth clenched in anger.
Mei-Xi-Li's daggers twitched in her hands.
But before any of them could speak—
Professor Galadriel shut it down again.
"Silence."
Her voice was ice-cold.
Her gaze sharper than steel.
She glanced at John, her presence suffocating.
"Mock a warrior once more, and I will personally ensure you regret it."
John swallowed, his smirk faltering, his confidence shaken.
And then—
Aleeman moved again.
As the Titan raised its warhammer again, preparing another devastating strike, something shifted in the air.
Unseen by all—except one—
A sliver of crimson energy unraveled from Shi Zhao Mei's wrist, snaking through the air like a spectral serpent.
A silent, unspoken command.
The Blood Dragon did not speak in words—
It understood.
It listened.
And in an instant—
It wrapped itself around Aleeman's sabre.
The transformation was instantaneous.
The simple steel of Wolf Claw became something else entirely—
Its blade pulsating with infernal energy, the very air around it crackling with a hunger unnatural and ancient.
Shi Zhao Mei's lips curled into a smirk.
She crossed her arms, whispering under her breath.
"Let's see how you handle power, wolf."
Aleeman felt it immediately.
His grip tightened around the hilt, his blood singing with newfound energy.
The Titan swung—
And this time—
Aleeman did not dodge.
The warhammer descended, an attack meant to shatter its opponent.
Aleeman raised his sabre, the crimson energy flaring around him.
And then—
With one clean motion—
He slashed.
A blazing arc of fire erupted, a roaring inferno shaped like a dragon's maw, meeting the Titan's onslaught head-on.
The collision shook the entire arena.
A blinding explosion of fire and steel erupted—
And when the dust settled—
The Titan's hammer-arm was gone.
Severed.
Molten steel dripped from the wound, the automata staggering, its once-indomitable form now crumbling.
The students gasped.
Even Headmaster Falani raised an eyebrow.
Aleeman exhaled, his sabre still glowing, the energy within it still raging, still demanding more.
He smirked.
"Not bad."
Then—
The final strike.
Aleeman lunged forward, his sabre spinning in his grip, tracing elegant yet deadly arcs in the air.
The Titan tried to retreat, but—
Too late.
Aleeman's blade tore through its core, the impact splitting it in half, the Blood Dragon's fire consuming its remains.
The Titan collapsed.
The battle was over.
The silence was deafening.
Then—
Thunderous applause.
Even those who mocked him earlier now stared in awe.
John Wei-Tang seethed, his fists clenched.
Celeste Marlowe's lips twitched, her ego wounded.
Aleeman lowered his sabre, turning toward his friends.
Hua-Jing beamed, practically bouncing on her feet.
Shi Zhao Mei?
She grinned.
Not kindly.
Not softly.
But like a villainess who just saw a worthy opponent.
She stepped forward, whispering so only Aleeman could hear.
"I didn't think a brute like you could wield something so… elegant."
Aleeman smirked back.
"And I didn't think a 'troublemaker' like you would lend me her power."
Her eyes narrowed.
"You noticed?"
"Of course. I notice everything."
She clicked her tongue.
"Don't get used to it, brute."
Aleeman chuckled.
"Too late, Gemstone Bellied Troublemaker."
Her cheeks turned pink.
And that—
That only made Aleeman smirk wider.
The auditorium still trembled, the scent of molten metal and scorched stone thick in the air.
The students stood frozen, as if carved from marble, eyes glued to the now shattered remains of the final Arcane Titan.
Even the most arrogant, the most skeptical, the most envious, could not deny it.
Aleeman Hakiman— without an ounce of magic—had torn apart a titan with nothing but his sabre, his shield, and sheer tactical mastery.
A few students muttered in disbelief.
John Wei-Tang's jaw tightened, his ego bruised beyond repair.
Celeste Marlowe crossed her arms, her eyes burning with disdain, but even she could not deny the display.
Meanwhile—
Shi Zhao Mei tilted her head, watching Aleeman with the sharp-eyed amusement of a cat toying with its prey.
"Blades Rage in Flame By Blood Dragon?"
"So he named it?"
"Cheeky brute."
Hua-Jing, practically bouncing on her feet, looked ready to launch herself at her brother with pure excitement.
Mei-Xi-Li, Mika Yamana, and Elizabeth Feng all exchanged knowing smirks.
Finn exhaled a whistle, resting his rifle Serpent's Fang over his shoulder.
Wang Ji-Pang, wiping sweat from his brow, elbowed Finn with a chuckle.
"Looks like our 'commander' just won over the entire academy."
Aleeman rolled his shoulders, the weight of the fight settling into his muscles.
Then—
BOOM.
The grand entrance doors slammed open.
Silence.
Every student whirled around.
At the threshold stood Alenka Anastasios von Eridani—the ever-dutiful assistant of Headmaster Falani.
Her emerald robes billowed, her mechanical eyes scanning the room with a sharp glint.
She cleared her throat.
"Aleeman Hakiman."
Her voice rang like a bell, cutting through the tension.
"Headmaster Falani requests your presence immediately."
Aleeman exhaled through his nose, running his fingers through his dark, sweat-dampened hair.
"Well, that didn't take long."
Hua-Jing frowned, nudging his arm.
"You're in trouble again."
Shi Zhao Mei's lips quirked, arms crossed.
"What else is new?"
Aleeman shrugged, adjusting his sabre Wolf Claw against his belt.
"Let's find out what punishment awaits this time."
The walk to Falani's office was one Aleeman had made far too many times.
This time, however—
It was different.
As he stepped through the heavy mahogany doors, he was met with not just the usual disappointment—
But silence.
A dangerous silence.
Headmaster Falani sat at his ornate desk, fingers steepled, his intense gaze unreadable beneath the golden light of the room.
To his left stood Professor Galadriel, arms crossed, her silver eyes sharp as ice.
To his right—
Vice Principal Aiguo Wei-Tang.
Aleeman barely resisted the urge to groan aloud.
"Oh great, the old crow is here too."
Falani inhaled deeply before speaking.
"Aleeman Hakiman."
A pause.
Then—
"What, in the name of every scholar who has graced this academy, was THAT?"
Aleeman blinked.
"That?"
He glanced over his shoulder, as if checking whether another Aleeman was standing behind him.
"You mean my flawless victory?"
Aiguo's lip curled in distaste.
"Flawless? You call burning through an academy-funded Arcane Titan a 'flawless' act?"
Aleeman arched a brow.
"Well, if you'd rather I lost—"
Professor Galadriel cleared her throat, cutting through the tension.
"You didn't just win, Aleeman. You obliterated it."
She tapped her fingers against the official combat reports on Falani's desk.
"Your blade exhibited properties we have never seen before. Properties that—by all technicality—should not exist."
Aleeman stilled.
For the first time since entering the room—
He understood.
This wasn't just about his fight.
This was about his sabre.
His newfound power.
Or rather—
The power Shi Zhao Mei lent him.
Falani's voice was low, heavy.
"Aleeman, what did you DO?"
Aleeman exhaled, leaning back.
His mind worked at lightning speed.
He could tell them.
He could explain exactly what happened—
How Shi Zhao Mei's Blood Dragon had wrapped itself around his sabre, lending him power beyond mortal comprehension.
But—
One glance at Aiguo Wei-Tang's face, and he knew.
If he did, Shi Zhao Mei would be interrogated.
She would be dragged into the spotlight.
And Aleeman?
He had no intention of letting anyone touch her.
So instead—
He did what he did best.
He smirked.
Shrugged.
And said, "I fought. I won. That's all there is to it."
Silence.
Professor Galadriel narrowed her gaze.
Falani's fingers drummed against the desk.
Aiguo scoffed.
"Tch. Arrogant child."
Falani finally exhaled.
"Very well."
Aleeman blinked.
"That's it?"
Falani pinched the bridge of his nose.
"You are to report to me twice a week for tactical and historical studies. You are NOT to engage in another reckless duel unless it is sanctioned. And for the love of Halmosian, Aleeman—"
His dark eyes locked onto Aleeman's.
"Control your ambitions. Or they will consume you."
A pause.
Then—
Aleeman grinned.
"No promises, Headmaster."