“Big Bro Fudi, what’s with you?? You’ve been wearing a funeral face this whole time. Not even a crowd of pretty girls can heal your wounded soul?” Seeing Fudi nursing a drink and cracking seeds while mumbling under his breath the entire time, the card buddies beside him grinned and ribbed him.

“Hey—tell me—are my eyes messed up or something?!” Fudi ignored their teasing. His expression stayed taut as his gaze stayed fixed on the direction where that light-blue-haired girl had just left.

“Huh? What do you mean, messed up? What’s wrong?” The joking card buddies didn’t get it. It was a lazy day off to unwind and watch beauties—who keeps their nerves strung this tight?

“I’m asking—didn’t you feel it? That No. 18, Student Vinnia—didn’t you sense something kind of familiar about her?”

“Haha, what ‘familiar’ feeling? Fudi, just admit you like her. Why be so coy? A ‘familiar feeling,’ he says—pfft—what, you sensed you two were lovers in a past life?”

“Click-click—here I thought our ultimate card geek Fudi only had room in his heart for cards, but look at that—his spring has come. What, was it love at first sight?”

“Get lost! You punks—I’m serious!” Fudi snapped. “Don’t you feel that this Vinnia gives off... /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ a vibe kind of like our bro Vinny?”

“Huh? Similar? How?” The buddies kept needling him. “Seriously, if it’s love at first sight, just own it. Be a man. We might even give you a push.”

“Oh-ho, so Fudi’s type is the willful, rich-girl heiress kind?”

“Tsk, tsk, but Fudi, your chances look slim. Stack that up next to a bright, blooming beauty and—well—your face is a bit... rough.”

“You little—calling me ugly? You begging for a beating?” Fudi bristled. Still, seeing how none of the card crew who’d played with Vinny forever had noticed what he noticed, he figured it had to be his imagination.

“Hahah—don’t say that! If she really is a dead ringer for Big Bro Vinny, that’s great. Maybe they’re relatives. Ever heard of proximity advantage?”

“Tch!” With the crew refusing to be serious, Fudi let it go. Must be an illusion.

I mean, come on—that pretty girl is his bro? How’s that possible? That’s a plot from a novel, right??

Better not get too neurotic.

—

On the other side, back in the rest room, Vinny stared at the Virtue change and felt seriously spooked.

What the hell is going on??

Who? Which destined heroine was here, spotted him, and saw through Vinnia to him??

No way—what destined heroine would be this bored—coming to watch a pageant? Could the contestant field possibly cough up someone prettier than they are? Do you even need to check??

Mirexia was working overtime—impossible it’s her. Besides, with her temperament, even if she squeezed out a sliver of free time, she wouldn’t waste it on a pageant.

Isatia didn’t seem the type. Shicodale had already seen him cross-dressed and already triggered Virtue—and he was in the dorm now. Milian obviously wouldn’t either.

Eliminating every possibility, Vinny suddenly thought of someone—and shivered all over.

Wait—don’t tell me—??

No—no way, right?? No matter how twisted her sense of humor, she wouldn’t be that twisted, right??

No way—it’s not that terrifying white-haired nut, is it?!

No, no—shouldn’t she be hiding in some corner right now, laughing at his crushing defeat and panic, then waiting for him to admit defeat?

She must think he wouldn’t dare actually compete, right??

Besides, isn’t that one into women?

Why would that pop a Virtue burst??

No. Probably not that white-haired nut. Aesphyra looks down on men—if she’d seen through him, why would that have triggered that much Virtue?

Unless... he grossed her out?

No, that shouldn’t be it. She shouldn’t be anywhere nearby, right??

Vinny’s mood turned jittery.

Back in the rest room, at his seat, he tried to steady himself and stop overthinking. Now wasn’t the time for that—he should be thinking about how to take the overall win.

He’d dressed as a girl, he’d shown his face in public, might even have been recognized by some destined heroine. If he didn’t take the title and instead got routed—wouldn’t the cross-dressing have been for nothing? Wouldn’t that make him a pure clown??

Vinny smoothed along his hair—looked like he was tidying it, but it was really a nervous tick.

He’d cleared the first round. The real hard second round was coming.

Round Two was unarmed combat. You could use magic, but not to strike—only to assist. That actually favored him.

Problem was... skirts have a way of flying up in a fight, don’t they??

Was this really not going to cause a problem??

“How is it? How do you feel? You okay?” Just then, Liz, seated beside him, saw Vinny return and tried to soothe him.

“Mm. I’m okay. Thank you for earlier.” Vinny thanked her.

“You’re welcome. Honestly, I was nervous too. But once I got on stage and settled down, it wasn’t a big deal, right?” Liz smiled.

“Mm. Right.” Vinny nodded, agreeing with her—then left it there.

Liz didn’t push. She figured this blue-haired little sister was just shy. If the other party didn’t want to talk, then don’t.

The self-intro round ended. Next came the long unarmed duel segment.

You didn’t need to win—just look good doing it. Everyone was already sick of ordinary fights and duels. If you want to watch fighting, why not go to the campus training grounds? Why come here??

The organizer had probably nailed that student mentality—that’s why they chose this off-beat format. It worked: it drew a lot of attention and curiosity inside the Academy.

After that, to show fairness, all eighteen contestants went up in turn to draw lots. Nice and even—perfect for pairing.

Vinny drew No. 5. He found his opponent in the crowd. One look told him he’d pulled a strong one.

“Oh? So you’re my opponent?” A tall girl in luxurious dress, holding an ornate fan, looked down at Vinny. The invisible pressure in her eyes surged at once.

As a guy, Vinny’s height only counted as average. In this setup, he ended up suppressed by a tall girl’s height.

It grated. Add her overbearing posture—screamed old money or high birth.

“Heh.” The tall, richly dressed girl brushed her fan across her lips, raked Vinny from head to toe, and let out two little laughs—tinged with disdain—especially when her eyes flicked over Vinnia’s flat chest.

Tch. One look and you could tell this one wasn’t friendly—worlds away in temperament from Miss Liz.

Vinny knew she was doing it to rattle him—to make him stiff during the match and fall into her tempo.

With people like this, Vinny never yielded. He folded his arms and threw up his reprobate airs—no, in this body the aura read more like a certain villainous heiress out of a novel.

“What? What are you ‘heh’-ing at? You came over to find this young lady—planning to surrender early?” Vinny snorted in his fake voice. “Wise choice. If you don’t want to embarrass yourself, best to withdraw before we begin.”

When it came to huffy lines, he’d never lost to anyone.

“Which backwater noble are you from? Not much age, but a big mouth.” The tall girl couldn’t swallow the provocation; her eyes narrowed.

“Tsk. You sure talk a lot. This young lady deigns to speak to you and you really think you’re some superstar?” Vinny kept his arms crossed, aura unflagging. “Say a few less words now, and in a bit this young lady can let you lose quickly.”

“Heh! Country bumpkin—just you wait!” With that, the tall girl shot Vinny a cutting look and walked off.

Huffed that fast, huh?

Vinny sat back down. That little spat blew away all his stage fright.

Soon, the first four duels finished, and from the rest area Vinny got a basic read on the mechanics.

Make your footwork and moves as gorgeous as possible. The judges on stage score you. It’s totally possible to win the bout and still score lower than the other person.

Ready, he heard his name called from the judges’ table. He and the tall girl stood at the same time and headed down their respective player passages.

The ambient hush turned into noise by degrees. Vinny’s surroundings shifted; the stage lights felt a touch stabbing.

Under the gaze of the crowd, the two met.

“Pray for yourself,” the tall girl huffed when she saw Vinny, clearly trying to use her height to suppress Vinny’s aura.

“Now, I’ll restate the rules,” the referee announced. “Both sides are forbidden to use magic to attack the opponent. Magic may only be used for assistance. When time ends or victory is decided, you must not attack further. Do both of you understand?”

Vinny and the tall girl both answered in the affirmative.

“After introductions, the match will begin.” With that, the referee stepped off.

“Alaia Collinne, eldest daughter of the noble Collinne Family of the Tyrel Empire.” Alaia lifted her skirt in a practiced curtsey, then looked at Vinny with towering arrogance—provocation beyond words.

Psych war before we even start, huh?

“Vinnia.” Vinny used his falsetto—concise, just his name. No other introduction.

Hearing that, Alaia let out a derisive little breath. “Pfft. No family? Or is yours already fallen?”

“I thought you were at least some country noble—that would explain the lack of manners. Turns out you’re not even nobility? Looks like I overestimated you.” Alaia deployed family pressure from on high.

Her domineering bearing made many commoner students purse their lips. A handful who knew Alaia in real life and knew her disposition couldn’t help but worry for the light-blue-haired girl on stage.

Most of the audience, though, came to watch the spectacle. The stronger the smell of gunpowder, the better the show.

After all, girls’ fights are the most entertaining.

“Huh?” Vinny tilted his head; pale-blue strands fell along her ear as the villainous heiress aura rolled out. “So your courage and capital to provoke this young lady come only from your family?”

“Does that mean that, leaving your family, Miss Alaia—you’re nothing at all?”

“You—!” Alaia ground her teeth. From childhood to now, no one dared talk back to her. Verbal sparring was not her strong suit—and she couldn’t match Vinny’s.

“Country girl, you’re here for the Elemental Elixir too, right? Tsk. Someone like you... and you qualify for high Ice affinity?”

“Just you wait!” Alaia took her stance, eyes locked on the light-blue-haired girl opposite, pink fists clenched.

It had no bite for Vinny. From childhood to now, what ugly words hadn’t the capital’s reprobate heard?

Being called a “country girl” was nothing—besides, she even got the gender wrong.

Vinny flicked a glance at the judges’ table: five judges total, all unfamiliar faces. Fair—he wouldn’t know them anyway.

As for the crowd—too many. One sweep and he couldn’t pick out a single familiar.

Their standoff broke the instant the referee’s “Begin!” sounded.

True to her looks and words, the tall girl’s aggression was fierce. The moment the match started, she lunged to strike.

Fast.

This was Carillian Academy, where combat ability was sky-high across the board.

Vinny drew a deep breath.

If this were back when he’d just started as a student, he might have been crushed in no time.

But he was no longer the Vinny who had nothing but a sharp tongue.

Heel sliding back, hair fluttering, Vinny slipped his body out of line and let Alaia’s fist for his face whistle past.

Even so, the wind of the blow slapped his cheek hot.