Junior did not wait a minute longer.
His bare feet slapped against the cold stone floor as he hurried through the corridor.
The rough surface bit into his soles, but he did not slow down. He had forgotten his shoes. He had forgotten many things.
The only thought in his mind was reaching the vice-principal’s office.
Behind those walls, [Mythril] rankers were stationed. The lunatic would not dare follow him there.
He had to believe that. He had no other hope.
His heart pounded against his ribs. Each beat was louder than the last, thundering in his ears.
His breathing grew ragged. His walk turned into a run.
The corridor stretched before him, empty and silent, lined with closed doors.
He could not see the walls. He could not see the doors. But he could feel them.
Then suddenly, a hand landed on his shoulder.
Junior froze as he thought,
’He got . This fast?’
His breath caught in his throat. He waited for the grip to tighten. For the cold voice to speak. For the darkness to swallow him again.
But instead of the lunatic’s cruel grip, a pleasant female voice asked,
"Are you okay? Why are you running?"
Junior’s legs nearly gave out. Relief flooded through him, warm and dizzy.
He forced himself to calm down, to slow his racing heart. He had been too nervous. Too careless. He was not thinking straight.
He turned back. He knew the girl’s mana signature well. He had felt it before, lingering in the halls, in the training grounds, it was...
"Elara?" he said.
Opposite him, Elara Grace raised an eyebrow,
"You know ?"
Junior inwardly cursed his own stupidity.
He could not tell her the truth. Only [Gold] rankers could sense mana signatures.
And he was just a [Bronze], who had no business sensing anything.
So, he lied, saying,
"N-not really. I heard your voice before. It was lovely. I was easily able to recognize it."
The words hung in the air. Junior waited and waited, but Elara did not respond.
He replayed his words in his mind.
A blind boy, complinting a girl’s voice, using it to identify her.
Junior felt a little embarrassed.
So, Junior cursed the lunatic again.
This was all his fault. If the man had not been hunting him, if he had not died four tis in a single morning, he would not be this flustered.
He would not be saying things like that to a stranger.
Elara, anwhile, was caught off guard. She had heard complints many tis before, from many people.
But from a blind boy who had recognized her by her voice alone? That was unexpected. That was... new.
She studied him for a mont. His bare feet. His disheveled appearance.
The way his hands trembled at his sides. Sothing was wrong.
She cleared her throat and said,
"Is that so? Tell , why are you running? And where are you going?"
Junior hesitated. Should he tell her? If yes, what should he say? The truth was impossible.
He gritted his teeth and made a decision.
"I had a favor to ask."
As one of the academy’s representatives, Elara was obligated to listen.
Her duty was to resolve any issues or problems within the Golden Scale.
Now, she was curious. The blind boy successfully got her attention.
"Favor, you say?"
She crossed her arms and asked,
"Tell ."
Junior took a breath and decided to tell her. Not the whole truth, but enough.
"Soone has been ssing with , and I do not know who. I do not know why. But they have been following all morning."
Elara’s expression shifted. She assud so bully was targeting the poor, blind boy.
Students could be cruel, and a blind [Bronze] ranker made an easy target.
She had seen it before. She had stopped it before.
"Go on," she said.
Junior swallowed his breath and said,
"The favor I need... take with you."
Elara raised an eyebrow.
"With ?"
Junior imdiately clarified,
"You are the academy’s representative. And if sothing happens, you can easily help ."
Elara was the safest zone he could think of. She was the daughter of an [Adamant] ranker.
One call from her, and her father would co.
Not to ntion, as an academy representative, she also had the ans to summon instructors.
Although staying near the [Mythril] rankers at the vice-principal’s office was safer, it also raised questions.
What if the lunatic thought he had sohow learned of his arrival?
Elara was a safe card. No one would question him being near her.
Elara studied Junior for a long mont and said,
"Fine, you can stay with ."
Junior smiled in relief.
They exchanged nas properly. Elara Grace. Junior Steven.
Then she followed him to his dorm so he could put on his shoes. The walk was quiet.
Ti passed, and it was midday.
And it was the longest day he had survived today.
Junior began making plans for the night.
After all, he could not stay with Elara after dark. That would be inappropriate.
As they walked toward the cafeteria, a voice reached them.
"Excuse ."
Hearing that voice, Junior’s hands trembled. Elara noticed it as she turned back.
A boy with white hair and clear blue eyes stood a few ters away. A mask covered his nose and lips.
He was waving at them casually, as if greeting old friends.
The boy said,
"I heard that anyone could ask for a spar. And if the opponent is from Golden Scale, they cannot refuse, if they haven’t sparred at least once a day."
Elara raised an eyebrow. She was a [Gold] ranker.
Few students dared to challenge her. She glanced at Junior. His face was pale. His hands were shaking.
She turned back to the white-haired boy.
"Then I take it you want to spar with ?"
The boy smiled behind his mask.
"Yes. That is exactly what I want."
....
Junior, the white-haired boy, and Elara moved to the sparring arena.
As soon as soone noticed that Elara was registering a match, the news spread like wildfire.
Students rushed from the cafeteria, from the training halls, from their dorms. Within minutes, the spectator stands were half full.
Within an hour, they were packed.
Elara, as the daughter of the city protector, had unwillingly beco an object of attention.
Her matches were events. People bet on her. People talked about her. People ca just to say they had seen her fight.
The crowd murmured, speculating about her opponent.
"Who is that white-haired boy?"
"His blue eyes are so cool."
"Why is he wearing a mask?"
"Even with half his face covered, I say he is handso."
Junior stood in the spectator zone, his blind eyes turned toward the arena.
He ntally noted down the boy’s appearance, hearing from the crowd.
He was one hundred percent sure that the person who had killed him four tis was the sa person who had just challenged Elara.
How did he know? Because even now, standing in a crowded arena, he could not sense the boy at all.
No mana signature, no presence. It was as if the boy did not exist.
Elara seed oblivious to this. Either she did not notice, or she did not care.
Concealing one’s presence was not a big thing, after all.
Junior’s mind raced.
’What is his motive? Why challenge her?’
The announcer called the fighters to the stage. Elara and the white-haired boy walked to the center of the arena.
On the stage, Elara did not exchange small talk.
She did not offer a handshake. She had her own suspicions.
The boy who had been bullying Junior might be standing right in front of her. She intended to beat him up and teach him a lesson.
The countdown began. Three. Two. One.
Elara imdiately moved.
Her fist shot forward, covered in golden flas. The heat was intense enough to make the air shimr. She aid for the boy’s chest.
But the boy took two steps back in quick succession, avoiding the punch by inches. The golden flas passed by harmlessly.
Elara pressed her assault. A kick. A palm strike. Another punch. Each attack was faster than the last, each one aid to corner him.
The boy dodged. Stepped left. Leaned back. Shifted his weight. He did not block. He did not counter.
He simply moved, always just out of reach.
Then flas erupted from his body.
They were whitish blue. It was cold where golden fire was hot.
The temperature in the arena dropped. Frost crept across the stage floor.
The boy’s aura flared. [Gold 1].
Golden flas clashed with whitish-blue frost. The crowd gasped. The battle was heating up.
Junior smiled and thought,
’Finally.’
For the first ti since the loops began, he could sense the culprit.
The boy’s mana signature was now visible, leaking through as he fought. Junior committed it to mory. He would not forget it any ti soon.
He also learned from the spectators that the boy was using a special elent. Frostfla.
Even if he died now, he had a lead. He had sothing to work with.
Then suddenly, a hand pressed down on his shoulder as he heard a voice,
"Found you, Blindy."
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