The duel was over. Cheers still echoed faintly in the arena, but Ron had no time to bask in victory. Without even catching his breath, he rushed straight toward the medical hall where Lia had been taken. His spear arm still trembled from the fight, but his eyes searched only for her.

Ron stepped into the medical hall, his steps heavier than usual but his eyes searching only for one person. Rows of beds lined the quiet chamber, students resting under the academy's restorative spells, but his gaze instantly landed on Lia.

She was lying on a simple white-sheeted bed, her breathing steady but her face pale. Sitting close by, Lirael was gently channeling her light magic, strands of soft radiance weaving into the academy's restorative enchantments around Lia's body.

Ron let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding and walked over, relief flickering in his eyes. He didn't really know her exact condition—he just needed to see her, to assure himself that she was still here, still safe.

"You pushed yourself really hard," Lirael's calm voice reached him as she glanced up.

Ron scratched the back of his neck, giving a nervous chuckle before pulling a chair and sitting down beside Lia's bed. On the other side, Lirael continued her careful work, the glow from her palms wrapping Lia in gentle warmth.

Ron leaned forward slightly, his hand curling into a fist as he released a faint sigh. Lirael heard it but said nothing. Instead, she shifted her focus toward him.

Raising her other hand, she whispered softly, and a gentle circle of white light bloomed around her fingers.

"3rd Circle Magic: Healing Glow."

A warm brilliance enveloped Ron. His cuts sealed themselves, the sting of battle fading as his body was mended. His drained muscles relaxed, the fatigue lifting just enough for him to breathe easier.

The glow dimmed, leaving him a little steadier than before. Lirael's lips curved into a faint smile.

"Now you look better."

Ron exhaled slowly, his shoulders easing as he gave her a small nod. But even as he regained his strength, his eyes never left Lia's face.

Across the hall, Arin had been carried to another room. Unlike Lia's space, his bed was curtained off, healers moving around hurriedly. He had yet to regain consciousness.

Then—

A faint ding echoed.

A translucent blue screen flickered into existence before Arin's closed eyes. Only he could see it—yet he remained unconscious.

[Error!!]

[Error!!!]

[Connection to fated heroine broken…!!!]

[Attempting re-establishment…]

…

[Re-establishment failed.]

[Error!!!]

[Connection to villain character broken…!!]

[No connection…!]

The screen trembled violently, letters distorting into nonsensical symbols.

[Backup plan initiated…

Fate absorbing from alternate villain character…!

Fate paths changing…!]

The neat text twisted into glitching, garbled words—

[ F@%€ c#@vd&gd..!!+#^#€

°○¿¿¿¿¿]

Through the chaos, a chilling new line appeared, almost as if written by a different hand.

[What the hell is happening…???]

Another screen overlapped it, the font jagged and broken—

[Administrator will descend soon…!!!]

And then—silence.

The glitches vanished. The warped letters dissolved like smoke. All that remained was a faintly glowing screen, silent and still, as if nothing had happened.

Arin lay motionless on the bed, unconscious. The healers didn't see a thing. The others in the room remained unaware.

But somewhere beyond the fabric of fate, a thread had been severed.

And something—someone—was preparing to descend.

--

Medical hall,

Lia's eyelashes fluttered as her eyes slowly opened, still hazy from exhaustion.

"Lia…!!" Ron's voice came out full of relief, and his face lit up in happiness.

Still half in a trance, Lia turned her head toward him. Without a second thought, she reached out and hugged him tightly while smiling faintly in her half-asleep state. "Good morning…" she murmured softly, her voice dreamy.

Ron froze, his face immediately flushing red. W-what the…!? His mind was thrown into chaos by the sudden hug.

Lirael, standing nearby with her hands glowing faintly with light magic to support the academy's restorative spells, blinked in surprise. A faint blush rose on her cheeks as well. She coughed lightly—once, deliberately—to remind Lia of her presence.

"Hm?" Lia blinked, loosening her hold on Ron and turning toward the sound. Her gaze landed on Lirael, and in that instant her foggy mind cleared. Her eyes widened as the memory of what she had just done hit her like a bolt of lightning.

Her entire face went crimson. "Awawawawawawawawa!!" she stammered, flailing in embarrassment.

Ron could only smile helplessly at her reaction, though his own cheeks were still pink.

"I—I was in sleep, Lirael, you know that!!" Lia said frantically, her voice high-pitched as she tried to explain.

Lirael's lips curved into a teasing smile. "Yeah, sure," she said knowingly, her tone dripping with playful amusement.

Lia only blushed harder, panicking even more. Eventually, after a while of flustered muttering, she managed to calm herself—though a deep tint of red still colored her face.

Finally, she looked to Ron, forcing herself to focus. "Ron… what happened? In the duel round… I—I don't remember anything after my first match."

Ron's expression darkened a little, his mood dipping as thoughts of Arin resurfaced. After a pause, he explained everything that had happened—about her unusual behavior, Arin's actions, and how the fight had gone.

Lia listened in growing shock. "I… I talked to you like that?!" Her hands flew to her burning cheeks. But when Ron mentioned Arin's disgusting stunt, her shock turned into anger. "That guy did what…?! Ugh, that perverted bastard! You did good beating him, Ron!"

Ron gave a small, nervous chuckle, scratching the back of his neck. He sat down on the edge of the bed beside her while Lirael quietly watched, still tending to Lia's condition. For a moment, he just looked at her pale face, then sighed.

"Although… I'm not too sure about that," Ron admitted, his tone heavier than usual. "Arin… he actually did something. I don't know what it was, but I'm a hundred percent sure something happened to you after meeting him."

His eyes lingered on her, filled with worry that he didn't even bother to hide.

"How are you feeling now?" he asked.

Lia placed a hand over her chest, testing her own state. A small smile returned to her lips. "Quite good, actually. The heaviness I felt in my head at the start of the duel round… it's gone."

Ron exhaled in relief, while Lirael let her healing glow fade. She gave a gentle smile. "That's all that matters—that you're feeling well now."

"Yeah." Ron nodded, agreeing.

---

In the training hall, while the other judges conversed, Zane reclined casually in his seat. Through his special lenses, a faint shimmer of light rippled, revealing holographic screens only he could see. His surveillance bee fed him scenes of the medical hall—Ron blushing awkwardly, Lia hugging him half-asleep, Lirael smirking with that teasing smile.

Zane chuckled, resting his chin on his hand.

"Heh… feels like I'm watching some rom-com anime," he murmured, amusement flickering in his eyes. "Well, that's good. They're back to normal… that's the story I want."

But on another hologram, Arin's unconscious form flickered. Around him, unstable ripples danced, the residue of his system straining. Zane's lenses cut deeper than anyone else's magic could, advanced enough to observe the glitching screen of Arin's system itself.

[Error!! Connection Failed!]

[What the hell is happening…????]

[Administrator will descend soon…!]

The message glitched across his vision. Zane's smirk deepened.

"A system Administrator, huh? Interesting… looks like I'll have a new toy to play with soon."

A tap on his shoulder broke his train of thought. Lucen, the lead judge, gave him a look.

"It's time to announce the winners. Let's go."

Zane leaned back, still smirking. "Yeah. Let's."

---

The instructors gathered everyone, and the battered but proud candidates assembled in the arena. Ron, Lia, and Lirael joined the others, while Arin remained unconscious in the medical hall.

Lucen's voice carried firmly across the stage.

"Candidates, you have all done well in this duel round. Out of one hundred eighty, only ninety are eligible to advance."

The crowd fell silent, tension thick in the air.

Lucen's eyes swept the hall before he began:

"First of all—our winner of this round. Ron Volkov."

Dozens of gazes turned toward Ron. Some clapped, others cheered, while a few glared in envy. Ron simply stood there, awkwardly scratching his cheek.

"Next—Arin Blake."

The air stilled. Whispers rippled at the name, but Arin was nowhere to be seen. Still unconscious.

"Next, Lia Isolde. Next, Lirael Elenros. Next, Torren Durnan. Next, Iselde Velmira. Next, Aurelian Valmont. Next, Jax Harl…"

One by one, names echoed through the chamber until the ninety chosen stood tall among the rest. Some smiled brightly, others clenched fists in determination, and a few dropped their shoulders in defeat.

But Lucen's tone softened as he addressed those not chosen.

"To all who reached this stage but did not pass—do not despair. Your effort has proven your talent and diligence. Therefore, each of you will be given a recommendation letter from Astralis Arcanum, allowing you to join any academy of the same tier, aside from Astralis itself."

Faces once gloomy lit up with relief and pride. Cheers erupted across the hall.

Lucen gave a satisfied nod, then turned back to the ninety selected.

"And to you—tomorrow will be the interview round. There, your demeanor, behavior, and potential will be judged to decide which class you shall join."

His gaze sharpened, his voice ringing clear with finality.

"And lastly… welcome to Astralis Arcanum!"

The arena thundered with applause, shouts, and raw emotion.

And thus—the Duel Round came to an end.