By the time Novia finally slipped free of Gladys’s clutches and tried to regroup for a pincer counterattack, she realized she was a lone commander without an army.

  Simon was already unconscious. Boyce had fallen to Luo Wei. Farnell had been toyed with like a dog by Axina, then blasted skyward together with Nathan.

  Novia looked around, momentarily blank. Straight ahead, Gladys watched her like a tiger. Left?front, Luo Wei—hands now free—was walking toward her. Right?front, Axina’s mocking eyes treated her like some performing monkey.

  She almost forgot: behind her, a teammate’s screams were thinning inside a dwindling whirlwind; off to her left, a crouched boy—Jack—was skulking toward her, dragging the longsword one of her teammates had dropped.

  The arena floor was flat, no cover anywhere—nothing but people. He was a whole head taller than her, sword scraping along as he ran. Did he really think she was blind?

  In that instant, Novia felt genuinely hurt.

  She tipped her head back and let herself shed one second’s worth of tears; the next, she gritted her teeth, dropped her gaze, and lifted her wand.

  “Come on then! I’ll take you all—Aloro—”

  Boom—

  The mana Luo Wei had banked erupted; a searing white fireball streaked into Novia, slamming a period onto the spell she’d barely begun.

  Luo Wei lowered her wand with practiced grace, gaze gentle as she watched the figure fall in the flames. “As you wish.”

  “Axina.”

  “What?”

  Luo Wei lifted her chin toward Novia. “Go finish her.”

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  Axina’s water affinity was the strongest—flames didn’t bother her—making her the best choice to enter the burn zone.

  Novia was tenacious; if they didn’t finish the job, she might recover and cost Luo Wei another spell later.

  “You’ve got legs. Why don’t you do it yourself,” Axina muttered, but she still raised her wand, wrapped herself in a ring of water shields, and strode to Novia. The wand tip pressed against Novia’s pendant.

  Novia’s eyelids fluttered. She had meant to force herself up, but once Axina pressed the pendant, all resistance left her.

  Pressing the pendant meant surrender. No more miracle comeback.

  “Junior Division: Siria Magic Academy—victory!”

  Hearing the referee’s declaration, a bleak emptiness settled over Novia.

  Before the match she’d sworn she would lead them to second place. Now it felt laughable. With that herd of brutes from Siria in the way, how was that dream ever possible?

  Fine. If second was gone, she’d fight for third.

  She braced an arm, pushed herself upright, swaying.

  Once St. Teno finished with Snake Academy, her squad would face Snake for third place.

  She scanned the arena—her teammates sprawled everywhere, each a defeated mess.

  Then she looked at Siria’s five. Aside from Hol, dusty and listing a little to one side, every back was straight.

  Shoulder to shoulder, they strode toward the exit, spirits high.

  “Luo Wei!”

  Novia heard herself call the name.

  She didn’t even know why—just a surge that she had to stop the girl.

  She fixed on Luo Wei’s retreating back. As if sensing that unspoken pull, Luo Wei paused, turned, and looked back, dark eyes questioning.

  Novia parted her lips; a dozen questions crowded her mind—none came out.

  In the end she flashed a broad, candid smile. “You’re very strong.”

  “Thank you. You are too,” Luo Wei answered politely, then turned and left with her team.

  The first bout concluded; the arena was cleared.

  Taslonte’s squad was sent to the infirmary. Siria’s team returned to the stands to keep watching.

  Next up was St. Teno’s match—studying it was critical prep for tomorrow’s showdown.

  Luo Wei gazed down at the arena, fingers tapping lightly on her knee.

  She hoped St. Teno’s opponents would hold out—ideally forcing them to go two hundred percent and lay their cards on the table.

  Amid the audience’s eager anticipation, the referee finally called St. Teno’s name.

  “Junior Division, Match Two: St. Teno Divine College versus Snake Academy!”

  A roar swept the stands.

  St. Teno’s first appearance in the versus rounds had the students leaping to their feet. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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