Rumors can be more terrifying than they seem.

Words have no shape, making them hard to contain. Once they spread, it’s nearly impossible to control them.

Iria had allies, but just as many enemies. Stopping the rumors that spread subtly and unseen was nearly impossible.

At least, Iria didn’t know how to stop them. Perhaps, there wasn’t a way at all.

So, she decided to stick with what she knew best.

She wasn’t good with words. So, she used force. After all, it was the only thing she really knew how to do.

"That was easier than I thought."

After facing three students simultaneously in a duel, Iria placed the broken wooden sword aside.

In front of her lay the fallen students, bruised and defeated.

Though now lying on the ground, they were some of the top-ranked third-year students.

Individually, they surpassed the top first-year, yet Iria had effortlessly taken them down without sustaining any injury.

'Maybe I overestimated them.'

They were certainly a cut above the first-years, but—

Having seen the likes of Sera and Ariel in action, Iria found them underwhelming by comparison.

Perhaps it had been a mistake to compare them to those two.

In a story, main characters are often treated differently from the background extras.

Iria slowly approached the defeated students.

"Ugh… stay away…"

"Please, enough… we’ve lost…"

The thorough beating had left them so terrified that they shrank back at the mere sight of Iria.

They clawed at the ground, trying to widen the distance between them.

But crawling on all fours is slower than walking, so Iria caught up to them easily. The third-years screamed.

Iria’s cold red eyes looked down at them. The blank expression on her face was more terrifying than they had anticipated.

They learned a new kind of fear. It would surely linger with them.

"Where is Amelia?"

Iria’s voice was cold.

Though it was her usual tone, it sounded even colder now—perhaps because they had just learned what true fear felt like.

They tried to speak, their words slurring, but it was too late.

Iria had already looked into their eyes and found the information she needed. She turned away without a second glance.

She had no interest in defeated opponents.

The reason she was looking for Amelia was simple.

Like these students, she intended to challenge Amelia to a duel.

She was tracking down everyone who had slandered her, and Amelia was on that list.

Amelia had wanted fairness.

If some were punished while others got away, that wouldn’t be fair.

Iria didn’t discriminate when dealing with people.

She had always treated everyone equally, and Amelia’s words didn’t seem entirely wrong to her.

So she put them into practice.

'One can’t take down the king right away.'

After purging those who shared in Amelia’s guilt, she would call her to the training hall.

Iria wandered the Academy’s buildings. There were still plenty left to handle.

At this point, to the third-year students, Iria was nothing short of a living nightmare.

Honestly, at first, it seemed laughable for Iria to challenge the entire third-year class on her own.

No matter how strong an individual is, there are limits. They thought there was only so much one person could handle alone.

"So, what can Iria even do? She can’t take us all down if she makes an enemy of the whole class."

They knew she was strong, but they still thought: what could one person really do?

But—

"Uh…?"

Iria was proving them wrong. She was crushing the rumors—not with words, but with sheer force.

It seemed improbable, yet she was making it possible.

With strength, there are more things you can do than things you can’t.

If something seemed impossible, perhaps it was because one’s strength was lacking.

Iria continued to knock down students.

After taking down dozens, she showed no signs of fatigue.

She merely listened for any mention of herself.

Her efforts seemed to have some effect, as fewer people were daring to speak her name openly.

But that didn’t mean there weren’t any.

"Never mess with Iria. Don’t even mention her name. If you do, we’re all as good as dead. I’m so scared of her."

"Wait, didn’t you just mention 'her name'?"

"Ah! We’re doomed!"

Now, it was words of terror that echoed around her.

Iria listened quietly and thought for a moment.

"…"

They weren’t exactly saying anything bad. They were just scared.

But they had mentioned her name. Should they be dealt with as well?

Her decision didn’t take long.

'No exceptions.'

That was Amelia’s version of "fairness."

Iria didn’t distinguish between good and evil. Her sense of morality was vague at best.

To her, people weren’t divided into good and bad but into weak and strong.

Iria had grown up in a place where only the strong survived. She was the sole survivor of that back alley.

So, her views naturally aligned with that.

Strength was the clearest form of self-assertion. She never doubted the path she walked.

"Ack! It’s Iria! Run!"

"…"

Now they ran just from meeting her gaze.

It looked like it would take some time to catch them all.

Meanwhile, one student in particular was filled with terror.

She checked the hallways several times a day, fearing Iria might appear.

"She’s insane!"

Amelia muttered as she watched Iria take down students.

She was observing from a distance, too scared to get close. She anxiously shifted her weight.

Iria was taking her words and putting them into action.

"Is she seriously doing this?"

Watching her confront the students with a cold expression made Amelia think Iria was broken.

Or maybe she’d always been like this.

In all her life, Amelia had only known one other person as unhinged as Iria—Sera.

Maybe spending time with Sera had driven her over the edge.

No, she’d always been missing a screw. That much was clear now.

"Insane people stick together."

Amelia muttered to herself, biting her nails.

It was a habit meant to ward off her growing anxiety, but it wasn’t working. She didn’t have time to waste on this.

Iria would come for her once she was done with the third-year students.

She couldn’t avoid Iria forever. Eventually, she would have to face her.

So, what should she do?

"Ha…"

Amelia let out a deep sigh.

Purple sparks crackled around her.

"Fine. Let’s do this."

In the end, all she had to do was win.

If Iria thought she could beat her after all those duels and with her strength drained, she was sorely mistaken.

Amelia was the top student of the third years, after all. Perhaps Iria had underestimated her.

Iria’s victory over Sera was just luck. Amelia firmly believed that.

After all, fire magic was weak against wind magic. And Sera had been caught off guard by a first-year.

But she was different.

Despite her cunning nature, Amelia was thorough in battle.

She never underestimated her opponent.

And unlike Sera, Amelia had the advantage against Iria.

Though she was momentarily shaken by Iria’s rampage, Amelia realized she had nothing to fear.

'Even human mana has limits.'

A human’s strength largely depended on mana. For most, anyway.

Humans could only regenerate so much mana in a day.

If Iria was human, she would also be limited by that constraint.

Defeating Amelia with depleted mana was impossible.

So she smiled.

"Well, if you’re so confident, come at me."

For now, Amelia felt ready.