Chapter 103: Lances Most Heinous Act Yet

Chapter 103: Lance's Most Heinous Act Yet

The combination of the tranquil arena, the rustic wooden building, the dappled midday sunlight, and the two duelists locked in intense focus silently conveyed the essence of a supreme spirit of combat.

Once the match began, Zirvini didn’t recklessly rush in to attack Lance. Instead, she maintained her distance, cautiously casting enhancement and immunity spell cards on herself.

She moved with lithe grace and was poised to dodge at any moment. Her eyes were filled with wariness. Even at this moment, she was already bracing herself against any potential ranged spellcasting from Lance.

Sensing the hostility of others, also known as reaching the realm of "striking before the intent arises," was a pinnacle achievement for a combatant. Zirvini was capable of detecting Lance's intent to attack even before her eyes could physically register the movement. She knew Lance was a mage of many talents, so she had to remain vigilant against any trap spells he might have laid.

Surprisingly, Lance's eyes were as calm as still water, seemingly devoid of any hostility whatsoever. Zirvini grew even more wary. She had never encountered anyone like this: someone who could maintain such an amicable demeanor even when facing an opponent they were duty-bound to defeat.

If Lance had truly reached a state where he could completely suppress all hostile intent, then he was likely already her superior in this aspect. After all, even she could not suppress her killing intent completely to Lance and launch an attack that left the opponent utterly unable to detect or predict it!

While these thoughts raced through her mind, Lance finally drew a stack of enchanted cards from his pocket. With a clean, decisive motion and not a hint of hesitation, he scattered the cards toward the rafters behind him, simultaneously activating a spell sequence to add a final, simple touch to the cards.

A whole stack?

Neither Zirvini nor the other people watching from the sidelines could make sense of Lance's actions. After all, there was a strict limit on the total number of bound enchanted cards one could have. A card's Tier could be viewed as its cost, and a Rank 3 caster could only sustain a combined total of thirty "tiers" worth of cards.

Even if Lance packed his deck entirely with Tier 1 cards, that would amount to thirty cards at most. Of course, a deck built that way would leave him with absolutely no combat capability.

Lance's shout echoed throughout the arena, "I forfeit!"

Standing opposite him and still trying to process the situation, Zirvini watched as Lance sprinted out of the wooden building at full speed without once looking back.

"Forfeit?" She was utterly bewildered. She had imagined a thousand different ways Lance might go all-out in the duel, but she never expected him to simply concede and hand the victory to her on a silver platter!

Could it be... Does this guy have a crush on me? Were all those agreements signed earlier just another way to help my team?

Her mind grew chaotic, and her heart pounded wildly as she struggled to fathom the true intent behind Lance's actions. Just as the sound of her frantic heartbeat filled her ears, an explosion, far more violent than the one during Frey's duel, rocked the arena!

Zirvini's eyes widened. The slew of enchanted cards Lance had left on a structural beam directly in front of her was detonating in a chain reaction, much like explosive tags. The wooden structure had already been damaged on one beam. As a second, critical beam was blown apart, the building swayed violently. It was on the verge of total collapse.

When she looked back toward Lance and his companions, she discovered that all three had vanished. Frey, having prepared in advance, had bolted for the exit the moment Lance conceded the match. Hyperion had fled even more quickly, going invisible and leaving behind a decoy.

As Zirvini stood there, mind reeling and face frozen in sheer disbelief, the wooden building shuddered precariously before crashing down in a thunderous heap.

***

A sky-splitting roar within the Knights' College's grounds drew the attention of many nearby students. Upon looking over, curious passersby could see that a small wooden structure deep within the jacaranda grove had been reduced to utter ruins. Splintered wood and swirling smoke filled the air.

After a bit of time, a slender figure, covered in dust, finally crawled out from the wreckage. She stood up unsteadily, her eyes vacant, as if replaying the events that had just unfolded. A sense of emptiness, heavy as the settling dust, weighed upon her heart.

She had won, there was no doubt about that. Yet the joy of victory and that indescribable warmth she had felt couldn’t settle in. Instead, her heart shattered completely, just like her team’s clubhouse.

She recalled something. It was written in the contract: any damage caused during the duel was the sole responsibility of The Warrior's Soul. The Student Management Council bore no liability.

The items Lance had used to blow up the cabin were indeed enchanted cards. While the mechanism remained a mystery, it allowed him to repurpose an unfinished card as an explosive talisman.

The contract even stipulated that, regardless of the outcome, neither party could seek post-duel retribution in violation of the spirit of combat or family honor. Nor could they tarnish the other's reputation, use force or authority to threaten or harm them, or fail to maintain a friendly rapport. None of this had been a coincidence!

At that moment, Zirvini finally grasped the trick Lance had played. That bastard never had any intention of winning! His only goal was to demolish the building during the duel, and it was a scheme he had ensured by tricking them into signing that contract beforehand.

And Frey's series of provocations? They had merely been a ploy to create room for negotiation, misleading them into believing Lance was the reasonable one!

"I-I actually thought you were a good guy..."

Zirvini trembled all over. She could not tell if she was consumed by sheer rage, or if the mortification of her earlier mistake was making her heart feel as though it might burst. Her cheeks flushed a deep crimson, and tears of bitter resentment welled up, threatening to spill over.

"Lance!!!" Standing atop the ruins, Zirvini let out a roar that tore through the sky. Like a deafening storm, it reverberated across the Knights' College.

A tidal wave of rage consumed her, transforming her into a frenzied beast. She surged from the wreckage and sprinted furiously in the direction the trio had fled.

The other members of the team, having just struggled free from the debris, had also succumbed to a blood-fueled frenzy. Seeing their leader leading the charge, they followed suit without a shred of hesitation or restraint. They were driven solely by sheer, unadulterated madness.

Farther along the path, the three student council members, who had already put some distance between themselves and their pursuers, sensed the terrifying murderous intent and the thunderous rumbling of the earth behind them. Instantly, they accelerated, fleeing for their lives.

As he ran, Lance shouted back, "Hey, hey! It's written in the contract! You signed that agreement yourself. You can't retaliate against us!"

Although Lance believed he was in the right, the sheer intensity of the other party's fury made him feel, to some extent, as if he were the one at fault. He hadn't expected Zirvini to get this angry. After all, he had conceded defeat to her quite amicably!

Her rage filled voice drifted over from a distance behind him. "Lance! You despicable, cunning villain!"

Lance didn't dare say another word. The moment he glanced back and saw the look on her face, he understood the situation perfectly. He was all too familiar with the stages of human anger, from its inception to the point where it surpassed all limits!

Zirvini had clearly lost all reason. Until she calmed down, it was doubtful that even the spirit of combat oath within the contract could restrain her. Talia's teachings had been right all along: both sprinting and long-distance endurance running were essential skills. Sure enough, it was inevitable that he would occasionally run into unreasonable, hot-headed types just like her!

Frey turned his head to praise Lance. "Working with you is incredibly efficient."

He had once believed no one could keep up with his train of thought, yet here was a teammate who could coordinate with him to achieve flawless results with incredible efficiency.

Lance was equally impressed by Frey. "The feeling is mutual. Without your preparations, I wouldn't have found it so easy to persuade them to sign the agreement."

He even found himself wishing he had met Frey sooner.

"By the way, what's the deal with those explosive cards of yours?" Frey was intrigued by this efficient, convenient new technology.

"Oh, those are just semi-finished enchanted cards. I only need to add a simple supplementary spell to trigger the explosion." Inspired by Talia's teachings, Lance had recently developed a new type of "semi-finished explosive enchanted card."

Although these products couldn't be soulbound, as a white mage, he had finally gained access to some of the offensive capabilities typical of a red mage. Of course, it was in a roundabout way. There was still plenty of room for future improvements to boost their explosive power.

After finishing his explanation, Lance suddenly remembered something and quickly asked Frey, "Should the three of us tackle the Shadow Realm together next time? The Model Citizens Team is missing a front-liner, and you're pretty good at using Taunt, aren't you, Frey?"

The three of them belonged to the same organization, were all first year students, and worked together remarkably well. Surely, they would make a perfect team for challenging the Shadow Realm!

"What more is there to say? I'm short on academic credits and haven't been able to find suitable teammates anyway!" Frey was delighted. Having grown close to Lance and Hyperion, he had completely shed the aloof, cold persona he'd displayed at the start. He was eager to get back to the student council room to play cards and chess with them.

"You guys..." Listening to the conversation between the two eccentric young men beside her, Hyperion couldn't help but look up at the sky and lament, "Why do I have to go along with you two?!"

She hadn't done anything wrong, after all. Yet, she had a sinking feeling that if she were the one to abandon their shenanigans, she'd be the one to meet her end!

And so, along the campus path, countless students gawked as they spotted three freshmen sprinting wildly ahead, pursued by a mob of upperclassmen who were intent on hunting them down. Observers found it hard to imagine what kind of trouble those three had caused to provoke such fury in the group chasing them.

***

In the spacious and silent conference room of the Student Management Council, the president and vice president were sitting at their respective work desks, completely immersed in their work. The president's long table reflected a dark hardwood luster, and its clean lines made the table look more spacious. Even though there were many folders and papers piled on it, it was organized in an orderly manner.

Suddenly, raucous sounds accompanied by the wind slammed through the large window of the spacious office. President Monaster temporarily put down his pen. He got up and stood by the window with his hands behind his back, witnessing the noisy scene of people being chased downstairs.

"It looks like they finished the task." Monaster picked up the coffee cup on the table and took a sip, feeling quite satisfied by the outcome.

Before long, Vice President Asina also came to the window. She was clearly surprised to see what was going on downstairs.

"...Can this really be considered finished?" Her voice was hesitant, as she didn't know how to evaluate this situation. It felt like the three people being chased were acting like they had just slashed a hornet's nest. They must have done something outrageous!

"With our three new outstanding members, I believe the work of the Student Management Council will go smoothly this year. It just so happens that there will be an academic visit from Yaloran Kingdom's Royal University next month. Although it is a prestigious school in the Southern Continent at the same level as us, every year their attitudes belie the fact that they are quite intent on suppressing us."

President Monaster adjusted his glasses calmly, seeming to appreciate the value of these newcomers, as he continued with a smile, "This year, they have apparently recruited many outstanding freshmen, which have given them the confidence to conduct an academic visit this early in the school year. But with our three first years here, I am not afraid of any trouble."