Chapter 69

Noel, who had received a full-force strike, slowly collapsed to the ground.

Though she had fainted, it seemed that she had not been injured due to the effects of [Absorb Territory].

Then, as the referee announced my victory, the arena was enveloped in a loud cheer.

"Whoa! Is this for real?! [Emblem of Nothingness] beat the next Holy Sword Saint!"

"What happened?! Due to the sand, I couldn't see much of the end..."

"Whatever it is, it's a huge upset! I can't believe it!"

The audience, who had previously claimed that the test results showing me above Noel were a mistake, seemed to have changed their minds after seeing the mock battle.

Shuna and Reina, who caught my eye, wore smug expressions as if to say, "What did I tell you?"

(At least it's over safely.)

From the looks of it, they hadn't noticed that I had activated my skill.

By demonstrating my strength, I should have fewer opportunities for people to nitpick.

I might need to smooth things over with Noel later, but for now, it's a pass.

As I was thinking this—

"Great battle."

That voice came from high above.

Looking up, I saw the floating silver-haired girl—Noa.

She gracefully descended onto the stage and smiled at me.

"Zeros Sylphid and Noel Fanatis. Both of you have shown us an intense battle that exceeded our expectations. It will be a great inspiration to both current and senior students, and the Academy will surely develop even further."

After finishing her words, she turned to the audience and continued.

"Ladies and gentlemen, once again, let's give a round of applause to the two who have shown us such a wonderful battle!"

Following Noa's words, cheers and applause erupted again.

Amidst this, Noa slowly approached me.

Then, leaning close to my ear, she said,

"Could you come to the principal's office afterward? I have something important to discuss."

"..."

I widened my eyes slightly, and Noa smiled lightly.

After a moment of hesitation, I nodded.

"Understood."

"Yes, then, until later."

With that, Noa returned to the VIP room.

After that, all the remaining procedures were completed, and the opening ceremony ended successfully (or so it seemed).

◇◆◇

After the opening ceremony.

Normally, I would have joined Shuna and headed to the classroom, but I briefly explained the situation to her and went straight to the principal's office.

I took a deep breath in front of the heavy door and knocked a few times.

"It's Zeros Sylphid."

"Please come in."

A clear voice responded.

With permission, I slowly opened the door.

Inside was a space befitting a principal's office.

Tall bookshelves reaching the ceiling were lined with neatly arranged old leather-bound books.

Antique-style, heavy furniture gave the room a sense of history, and soft sunlight streamed in from the large windows.

At the back of the room, Noa, sitting in a large chair, exuded even more dignity than she did in the arena.

"Thank you for coming, Zeros Sylphid."

"No... What is it you need?"

After a moment, Noa spoke.

"First, I would like to express my gratitude and praise. Though it was sudden, thank you for participating in the entertainment. In fact, I happened to witness your interaction with Noel Fanatis yesterday from here. Additionally, other new students had raised questions about the test results... I thought this was the best way to resolve everything."

Looking down from the window, I could indeed see the place where the acceptance announcements were made.

...It's quite a distance, and it seems difficult to see and hear the interactions, but it would be unwise to pursue this.

As I was thinking this, Noa slowly stood up from her chair and approached me with a leisurely pace.

"And you have truly met our expectations. From now on, there will be fewer people criticizing you and the Academy."

Here, Noa's smile deepened.

Her expression had a hint of something meaningful.

"Yes, it was truly a wonderful display. Not many people can wield a sword like that without the [Sword Emblem]."

"That's... my pleasure—"

"But what was even more impressive... was the timing of using your skill."

"..."

For a moment, the room's atmosphere froze.

Noa's smile disappeared, and she glared at me with cold, ice-blue eyes.

"An [Emblem of Nothingness] user being able to handle skills... is impossible."

Her tone held no trace of the previous kindness.

"You may have thought you could hide it, but you couldn't fool me."

Then, she said,

"Tell me, Zeros Sylphid—just who are you?"

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