"As expected, no injuries."

I used my Observation Power to carefully check my physical condition. I meticulously examined whether there were any permanent wounds or lasting effects.

The result? I couldn't find even a single scratch. Only then did I release the Observation that had been running through my body, both externally and internally.

Thanks to the Tower of Growth. Just like inside the tower, any damage I took on the stage was erased as an illusion.

Without such measures, there would have been countless casualties.

And I would have been left with lasting damage.

The strength of Changhae lies in its versatility with water and ice.

It's true that its offensive power is somewhat weaker compared to the Flame of Fear.

However, no one in their right mind would underestimate Changhae's ice.

Once a part of you is struck and frozen by Changhae, it's nearly impossible to restore.

There are few means capable of melting Changhae's ice.

Ice used for restraint is extraordinarily strong, making it difficult to break free. Even if you do break it, the frozen part is often shattered along with it.

This is why facing Changhae is so challenging.

The ice is difficult to destroy even when attacked. Once you’re hit, the frozen area spreads outward, and breaking it means shattering the frozen limb.

And when water energy is intertwined, things get even nastier.

If you think about how the surrounding area is covered with flowing water energy that can all be converted into ice to attack, it’s utterly terrifying.

Baek Ahrin's ice is especially dangerous.

Just as Hong Yeonhwa's Flame of Fear has been rated as unprecedented in its power, Baek Ahrin is similarly evaluated.

Two heirs from two of the three great families, each born with unique abilities on an unprecedented level, in the same generation.

For the Flame of Fear and Changhae families, it’s a cause for celebration, while the Taesan family... well, their feelings must be quite complicated.

Especially for the descendants of Taesan in the same generation as Hong Yeonhwa and Baek Ahrin.

Anyway.

Because of that, I was cautious of Baek Ahrin’s ice throughout the entire duel... But for some reason, she focused primarily on water energy instead.

Although she did use ice toward the end, the feeling of unease remained.

And then...

— "Keep your schedule free tomorrow?"

'What’s that about?'

I still couldn’t figure out why she made that bet. Why did she go so far as to make a wager to spend a day with me?

...And why did she suddenly pull me into that tight hug...?

The sensation of that moment still lingered on my face.

I shook my head vigorously, trying to rid myself of those strange, inappropriate thoughts, and pressed my hands hard against my cheeks.

I rubbed them so roughly that they started to sting, as if trying to erase the lingering sensation.

As the discomfort finally started to fade, I let out a long sigh.

"Hayul, what's going on?"

Elia, who was sitting next to me, reached out with a puzzled expression.

Her soft hand gently touched my reddened cheek, which I had been fiercely rubbing.

A faint glow of light spread from her hand as she began to softly stroke my cheek.

Her unique ability, Melody of Recovery, had manifested.

[I just had a strange thought.] [I’m okay now.]

As I felt the gentle touch on my cheek, I snapped back to reality.

I shook my head, signaling that it was nothing. Elia withdrew her hand, and the soothing sensation disappeared.

The cheek that had been healed by the Melody of Recovery was still red.

Feeling a bit embarrassed, I glanced around the room.

There was more than one pair of eyes watching me.

Besides Elia, who was sitting next to me, there were others sitting across from me, quietly observing.

A middle-aged man and woman, along with three children...

The middle-aged man smiled warmly. His smile was bright, much like the one I often saw on Elia’s face.

"Haha, I was worried that my daughter might have offended you, but seeing how well you two get along, I feel relieved."

[No, no.] [I’m the one who’s probably troubling Elia.]

After losing to Baek Ahrin in the duel, I had been too scared to face my mentor, so I had come to meet Elia's family instead.

When I asked when would be a good time to meet them, they said immediately, even though the tournament was ongoing, and we arranged to sit down together.

Elia’s parents gave me the impression of being stereotypical Westerners.

Her father, Brian Slade, was a middle-aged man with blond hair and golden eyes. He didn’t give off the impression of a bald eagle or a pot-bellied man.

He was tall and broad-shouldered. His face had few wrinkles for his age, making him appear much younger.

Next to him was her mother, Ayla Slade.

A woman with the same blonde hair as Elia, and clear, sky-blue eyes. Despite her age, she looked remarkably young.

I could also tell where Elia had inherited her figure from.

"Dad, do you really think I’m that reckless? I’m always so careful!"

As I awkwardly smiled, Elia, surprisingly, pouted and made a sulky face.

Then her mother responded with a disbelieving look.

"I can't believe those words are coming from the person who toppled the Millennium Tree, one of our homeland’s treasures..."

"Ah! It's unfair to bring up something that happened when I was a child!"

"Well, you’ve had quite a few ‘childhood mistakes,’ haven’t you? Didn’t you just destroy Mr. Billion’s ranch fence two years ago─"

"Hayul, Hayul! Don’t listen to them! That’s all in the past! Cover your ears, quick!"

At first, the atmosphere had been awkward, but both of Elia’s parents seemed to have passed down her cheerful personality. They were easy to talk to, and once they realized how uncomfortable I was with their excessive gratitude, they toned it down significantly after the initial introductions.

Thanks to that, we were able to talk in a relaxed and comfortable manner.

That’s also how I learned some of Elia's embarrassing stories from her past.

From what I gathered, Elia’s childhood seemed... quite eventful.

It didn’t match at all with the gentle, considerate image she had displayed up until now.

"Aww, why are you bringing up stuff from so long ago..."

Elia slumped over, her face pressed against the table, mumbling in defeat under the barrage of her parents’ teasing.

I offered an awkward smile in response and glanced away.

Across from me, her parents were holding a little boy and girl in their arms.

Both children had bright yellow hair, resembling fluffy little chicks, and they were sleeping soundly, their breathing steady.

And in the center of her parents, not sitting on anyone's lap but nestled between them, was a little girl... staring intently at me.

Her hair was the same fluffy yellow color, and her half-open eyes seemed uninterested in the world around her.

Her name was Adela Slade.

We had met in Sifnaha... the younger sister of Elia, whom I had saved.

"......"

At some point, the room had grown quiet. The mother gently patted the girl’s back, and Adela, who had been blinking drowsily, slowly lowered her head.

[Thank you for saving me.]

A hologram appeared beside her bowed head, displaying her message of thanks.

I had heard many expressions of gratitude by now.

My inbox was overflowing with messages, and my dorm room was filled with handwritten letters.

Even on the day of my discharge, a few people had somehow recognized me and approached to offer their thanks.

Just a moment ago, Elia’s parents had bowed and thanked me as well.

"......"

And yet, my heart still felt unsettled.

They say that my actions in Sifnaha saved many people. That was my intention, after all.

But I also regretted it.

From the moment I took that first step, while I recklessly unleashed magic and tore my circuits apart, when I was struck by Aerus and sent flying, even when I stood in the way of the shelter entrance and faced death, I regretted it.

Every time someone thanked me, I felt proud. But whenever I felt phantom pain, I regretted it all over again.

"......"

I glanced around the room.

A short while ago, everyone had been chatting and laughing, but now, they were all looking at me with strange expressions.

One of those people was Elia.

She had been the first person in this world to genuinely help me, and she had offered me much assistance during my time at Shioram.

She was someone I had grown quite close to here, someone I considered a friend.

If the little girl in front of me had been caught in that accident and died, Elia wouldn’t be sitting here, laughing and talking with her family.

She wouldn’t have that same happy smile on her face.

Lost in thought for a moment, I smiled softly and tapped the necklace I wore.

[No, thank you.]

The regret diminished, and the sense of pride grew.

 

Even after Lee Hayul was eliminated, the tournament continued.

The matches proceeded, with a brief rest between rounds, as cadets stepped up to compete in their next battles.

The schedule was grueling, with the entire round of 16 through to the finals taking place in just one day.

Several hours passed without incident, and finally, the stage was set for the final match of the tournament.

The one-minute countdown echoed across the stage.

"Hey, you fucking bitch."

Hong Yeonhwa stepped onto the stage, immediately hurling insults.

Baek Ahrin, who had been walking up from the other side, made a strange expression.

Recently, she had been holding back, supposedly out of consideration for Lee Hayul, but now she was freely letting the curses fly.

In that moment, Baek Ahrin felt a strange sense of nostalgia. It was almost... nice to see this side of her again.

Hong Yeonhwa spoke up once more.

"What the hell did you do to Hayul?"

Baek Ahrin, as if she had been expecting the question, answered without hesitation.

"What did I do? He was about to collapse, so I just caught him."

"Really? Because from what I saw, he looked perfectly fine. He didn’t show any signs of falling. And besides..."

Fwoosh! Flames erupted from her shoulder. The heat distorted the air around the stage like a mirage, and the energy was menacing.

Hong Yeonhwa’s eyes burned red.

"What did you say to him right before the evaluation started?"

"Oh... I just asked if we could hang out sometime?"

Cadets' voices weren’t transmitted during matches. Baek Ahrin avoided eye contact as she spoke.

"And... that I’d be taking a day of his time?"

"Ah."

While their voices weren’t audible, their lip movements could be seen.

This was a mess. An awkward smile spread across Baek Ahrin’s face.

11...! 10...!

The countdown was almost over. Hong Yeonhwa tilted her head.

"Any other excuses?"

"...Thinking about it, I’m not sure I need to make any~"

"What?"

Baek Ahrin chuckled softly as she raised her spear.

Seeing this, Hong Yeonhwa’s aura flared even fiercer.

"I just asked a friend of a friend to hang out. Is that really something to get cursed over?"

"...Oh, I see how it is."

Boom! Hong Yeonhwa slammed her sword into the ground. The loud impact echoed as the blade pierced the floor.

1...!

[The evaluation begins─!]

The countdown ended. The signal to start rang out.

Fwooosh─!

"Then you can just die first."

Flame of Fear Expansion Ability Flame Bloom

A massive burst of fire erupted from the ground where Hong Yeonhwa’s sword was embedded.

"This is a test, Yeonhwa..."

Changhae Expansion Ability Sea Overflow

In response, an immense wave of water and ice energy surged forward from Baek Ahrin.

The most intense final match in Shioram’s history had begun.

 

[Player Assistance System: Favorability] Lee Hayul → Elia Slade ●●●●●●●○○○ (73▷75/100) Affection, Pride, Gratitude, Chick

...

Lee Hayul → Baek Ahrin ●●●●●●○○○○ (56▷60/100) Affection, Curiosity, Confusion

...

[The conditions to lift the "Curse of Silence" have not been met.]
[The conditions to lift the "Curse of Solitude" have not been met.]