It had been about ten minutes since I set myself as bait, and they finally showed up. Their hairstyles looked like eagles from a distance—all five of them had the same look, and honestly, it was irritating.

“Strutting around here all alone, aren’t you?”

“Does she think she’s some big shot just because she’s Yu Jin-seok’s sister?”

The guys in white cadet uniforms emerged from the forest, snickering at me. Unlike some gossipy girls, Goryeo Academy really lacked class. At least the cadets from Hansung Academy weren’t like this. They might talk behind your back, but they’d do it to your face.

I put a cigarette in my mouth, took a deep drag, and exhaled slowly. The taste of nicotine, which was always thrilling and fresh, filled my lungs.

“You talk too much. If you’re here, bring it on.”

“You’re cocky!”

*Clank!*

The signature move of the Eagle Five—a chain binding—wrapped around me. This turtle-shell binding had me curious. The thought of the mighty dragon restrained by mere humans and taunted… Okay, just curious; I’m not into that.

“Eagle Five, always moving in a pack, capturing their target with chains and taking them down with coordinated attacks.”

“Oh? So, you’ve heard of us.”

Forget rumors, they’re even famous among the readers. They came up with the ridiculous nickname “Eagle Five,” only to get one-shotted by Choi Si-woo. And that was that.

“Which means you’re a bunch of morons who can’t fight on your own.”

“What did you say?”

“Unlike my brother, I’m not big on mercy. Remember that.”

“What kind of nonsense—”

“Let me show you the difference in our levels.”

*Snap!*

With a flick of my fingers, the chains binding me ignited, spreading flames to the entire Eagle Five.

*Whoosh!*

“Aaaah!”

Since this was a battle between cadets, I didn’t intend to kill them. I just used the White Flame to burn away all of their mana. The Eagle Five, engulfed in white flames, ended up as charred chickens, foaming at the mouth and stripped down to their underwear. All identical, like some twisted human pretzel.

*Broadcast: All members of Goryeo Academy Class 1-C, Team 2, have been rendered unable to fight. Hansung Academy Class 1-A, Team 1, wins.*

Well, that was anticlimactic.

---

*One hour earlier*

The headmasters of Hansung Academy, Goryeo Academy, and Seoul Academy had gathered in one place. However, the atmosphere was tense. The headmaster of Seoul Academy sat shivering in a corner, while Kim Young-hee, the headmaster of Hansung Academy, and Viola, the headmaster of Goryeo Academy, glared at each other as if ready to kill.

“Young-hee, it’s been a while. How’s Cheol-soo?”

“Oh ho ho. Still got a thing for Cheol-soo, huh? Too bad—he’s a married man now.”

“I’m not interested in married men. Just suspicious that it’s been years and they still don’t have kids.”

“Are you saying Cheol-soo’s… well, you know?”

“Maybe it’s *you* that can’t, ever thought of that?”

Their rivalry went back a long way, something even Yu Jin-seok knew about. With them both leading Hansung and Goryeo, their competition had only intensified over the years.

“You! Fine, I’ll let it go. After all, this is about our academies’ pride, not us.”

“All you have on your side is Yu Jin-seok’s sister and a Sacred Sword wielder. Kim Jae-su’s disciple is useless anyway.”

“Well, let’s see who comes out on top, shall we?”

“Alright, ladies, let’s save the words and begin,” the Seoul Academy headmaster interjected, calming the two women.

Reluctantly, they initiated the team competition. And the first match began, pitting Hansung against Goryeo Academy.

“Oh, is that Jin-seok’s little sister? Will she be alright?”

Viola had been secretly browsing Hansung Academy’s anonymous forum, assuming Yu Eun-ha’s rising popularity was due to her brother’s reputation.

“Still think it’s all rumors, huh?” Young-hee sighed.

“Obviously. Even if she’s as fast as they say, the Eagle Five are more than she can handle alone.”

“Fast? Her nickname’s changed, you know.”

“What?”

Typical American—always the last to know. Feeling a bit unsettled, Viola turned her attention to the magic device projecting the match onto the screen. There, a white-haired girl was surrounded by the chains of the Eagle Five, smirking with a cigarette in her mouth.

“Let me show you the difference in our levels.”

*Whoosh!*

The girl ignited the forest around her, the Eagle Five going up in flames.

“Yu Eun-ha, the White Flame Valkyrie.”

---

When the battle ended, cheers erupted from all around.

“Kyaaah! You’re amazing!”

“Now that’s what I call girl crush!”

“Marry me!”

Taking down the Eagle Five had definitely raised my profile. People who were previously wondering, “Could the rumors be true?” were now saying, “Maybe they are.”

“How did you get so strong, all of a sudden?”

“Han Su-ji, are you dense? Have you forgotten who Yu Eun-ha really is? She’s, uh… well, our little dragon!”

“Our dragon? What are you talking about?”

I still hadn’t told Si-woo that I was Azhdaha. I hadn’t found a good opportunity since the events in Songdo, and I wasn’t sure how to explain it.

“Um, Si-woo, I’ll fill you in later.”

“Oh, no problem.”

No need to complicate things for Si-woo right now. Besides, she looked completely unbothered, almost as if she thought Reina’s comment was a joke.

“Actually, the Sacred Sword told me. That you inherited Azhdaha’s power.”

“Oh, really?”

“He said it was to protect us, so I don’t find it strange.”

So, that’s how it’s going to be, huh? Not exactly a lie. Even if I told Si-woo I *am* Azhdaha, she might not believe me. And Azhdaha has no real connection to Si-woo’s family; unlike Kim Jae-su, her parents weren’t eaten by me—they died during the Great Cataclysm.

“But I didn’t expect the other team to be this weak.”

“Or maybe we’re just too strong.”

“Our team balance seems off, doesn’t it?”

Honestly, we’re pretty much the de facto representatives of the first-year class at this point.

“So what? Even the instructor had no complaints. Having strong friends is a skill too, right?”

At one point, our instructor had said that being close to talented people was a skill in itself. There are points for building connections. The difference between those who networked with elites from the beginning of the semester and those who didn’t—it’s all part of the survival system.

“It’s true, but…”

“Looks like other academies are gathering too.”

There were elite teams from Seoul and Goryeo. The rest of the teams across Seoul, Goryeo, and Hansung were about the same level. Being one of the “Big Three” doesn’t mean the academies are all powerful. In Korea, there are only these three Hunter academies; Japan’s similar. And, boasting their “great” numbers, China has three times as many Hunter academies as Korea and Japan.

“You don’t think they’ll try to finish the tournament in one day, right?”

“They probably will, since the schedule got pushed back.”

The attack on Hansung had delayed things quite a bit. Since it’s a single-day event, at least they’re providing meals. I had a bad feeling, like something else might happen today… hopefully not.

---

During lunch, I stepped outside for a smoke. Rosaria, who had followed me out of boredom, wrinkled her nose.

“Why do you even smoke, anyway?”

Good question. Why am I smoking? I don’t get visions anymore, nor do I see the darkening sky from the edge of death. It’s just a habit, or maybe an addiction to nicotine. I don’t smoke too often, though. It reminds me of a high school girl I saw smoking near my old job; she said she’d started because her boyfriend smoked. Another reminder that partners matter. I’m not a kid, though, so I won’t make excuses.

“It just… clears my head.”

“But it’s bad for a woman’s health—”

The nagging is annoying. It’s the modern age; people can regrow limbs now, thanks to the magic of Hunters.

“C’mon, even old-fashioned people don’t care anymore. Come here.”

“Why?”

“Come on. After what you’ve done, you’re really going to complain?”

I gently pulled Rosaria’s arm. She reluctantly moved closer to me. If I listed out everything that happened at the church that day, she’d probably die of embarrassment. Dressed as a nun, and yet… the memory gave me a sudden thrill, so I took a deep drag of nicotine to calm down. And then, without hesitation, I pressed my lips to Rosaria’s, letting the nicotine flow from my mouth to hers.

“Mmph?!”

She resisted at first, but this was payback. Why remind me of that day?

“Cough! That’s so mean

!”

Rosaria, now with a lungful of nicotine, looked at me with accusing eyes. Yet, her body was clearly heating up. No need to confirm that further.

“Did you get all worked up?”

“Wh-who says so?! I don’t need anything from you!”

She pushed my hand away. What a pity. After all her whining that day… A book fell out of her arms. The title: *The Maid’s Mistress Training Diary.* It’s exactly what it sounds like: a maid training her arrogant mistress and even stealing her from her husband. In other words, a yuri novel.

Since when did her taste change from BL to yuri?