Watching Lana fall into deep thought, clearly calculating sothing in her mind, Shelley felt a surge of excitent.
She wanted Lana to accept imdiately.
Lana looked at her for a long mont before replying, "In that case, we should draft an agreent."
.................................
Soon, a formal contract was written.
Both of them signed it, each keeping a copy of the docunt.
Shelley had insisted on adding a clause: if Lana lost, she would have to publicly apologize to Shelley and to Spineridge University, give up her position as an exchange student, and promise never to participate in any exchange program again.
The stakes were crushingly high.
Yet Lana agreed without hesitation. Sowhere deep inside her, there was a strange, unwavering confidence.
...........................
By the ti lectures ended, news of the duel had already spread.
When Shelley, Rim, and Lana arrived at the arena, they found it packed.
Students from the Mystic Departnt and many other departnts had gathered, curiosity buzzing through the air like a swarm of insects.
Everyone wanted to see the mysterious Lana, who had stirred such a storm.
Lana frowned slightly at the overwhelming attention but forced herself to ignore it.
’The only thing that matters is winning.’
Earlier that day, she had requested Axel to gather a detailed report on Shelley. After reading it carefully, she had reached a clear conclusion.
This entire situation had been ticulously planned.
Shelley was the strongest student in the Mystical Departnt.
It was even rumored that so junior professors could not defeat her, and that she could fight a senior instructor to a draw.
This was never ant to be a fair confrontation.
It was a trap.
Lana took a slow breath.
Fortunately, external equipnt was allowed in this duel.
She wore the jade bracelet Luciana had given her, along with several hidden talismans.
Axel had also provided protective items, rings capable of deflecting minor attacks.
anwhile, Shelley claid she would not use any external equipnt at all, presenting it as a gesture of fairness.
’Let’s see how long you maintain that pride,’ Lana thought quietly.
............................
When both of them stepped onto opposite ends of the vast arena, a referee approached.
He looked from Shelley to Lana. "Are both participants ready?"
They nodded.
The whistle pierced the air.
At the sa mont, both won raised a single hand.
Without elaborate movents or chants, a wave of mystic energy surged from their index fingers and collided in midair.
The impact shocked the audience.
It was not because Shelley appeared overwhelmingly strong.
It was because of the colors.
Shelley’s mystic energy shone with a bluish radiance, smooth and refined.
Lana’s energy, however, was different.
It carried a yellow-brown hue, dense and heavy, like fertile earth after rain.
Murmurs spread instantly through the crowd.
"Did she use external equipnt to alter her energy?"
"No... that looks terrifying. Maybe it’s so defensive artifact!"
Shelley frowned.
If she did not recognize what she was seeing, she would have been a fool.
The investigation reports had already indicated that Lana’s energy leaned toward a yellow energy, yet this shade was deeper than expected.
For the first ti, Shelley felt she might have underestimated her opponent.
Still, confidence returned when she realized they were evenly matched.
Their energies continued clashing; sotis Shelley seed to gain ground, only for Lana’s power to surge back like an unyielding tide.
Ti passed.
The audience grew restless, tension mounting with every exchange.
Finally, both of them withdrew their energy simultaneously.
Not because they were exhausted, but because they both understood that this approach was aningless.
Shelley looked at Lana, an idea forming.
"Since you wish to prove yourself," she said, "why not let our mystic companions fight as well, while we engage in close combat using our own energy?"
Lana paused.
Through her spiritual link, she silently asked, ’Mr. Crow, is that acceptable?’
Mr. Crow responded calmly, ’It is fine.’
Relief passed through her.
"Very well," Lana said aloud. "We will do it your way."
She raised her hand.
Mr. Crow, who had been perched quietly on her shoulder, fluttered forward.
His form shimred as mystical light gathered around him.
At the sa mont, sothing vast descended from the sky.
A brilliant white figure unfolded above the arena, radiant enough to draw gasps from every spectator.
When it fully revealed itself, the crowd could not help but stare in stunned silence.
It was a massive, unknown creature, pure white, impossibly elegant, with two magnificent wings that resembled sculpted crystal, refracting light into dazzling fragnts across the battlefield.
The creature possessed a long, flowing tail made of delicate strands that resembled layered silk ribbons drifting in water.
Each movent caused the strands to sway gracefully, as though woven from light itself. Its figure was elegant and refined, carrying an almost sacred beauty.
At first glance, it resembled a swan.
Yet the proportions were unusual.
Its neck was not as long as a swan’s nor as stout as a pigeon’s.
Instead, it existed sowhere in between, giving it an otherworldly appearance, like a creature designed by imagination rather than nature.
Lana had never seen such a being before.
To be precise, she had never seen such a white mystic beast.
But thanks to the reports she had accessed earlier, she already knew what it was.
’Taro,’ she recalled silently.
This was a rare beast that could only be found within hidden secret realms.
What made it especially dangerous was not just its beauty.
It possessed a powerful charm effect, capable of influencing emotions and clouding judgnt.
Those with weaker minds could be drawn toward it without even realizing they were being manipulated.
Its offensive ability was even more alarming.
If it wished, it could simply swallow an opponent whole.
Historical records showed that it had devoured nurous mystical beasts, growing stronger with each consumption.
The more it ate, the more violent it beca.
In truth, it could even be classified as an evil mystical beast.
Yet because of its pristine white appearance, hardly anyone saw it that way.
People admired it, adored it, and rarely questioned its existence.
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