The room was still.

No one spoke until Elyra broke the silence.

"So… what's the next step, now that Tyria is with us?"

Nicolas, arms crossed, looked around at his gathered students. "As much as I'd prefer otherwise, the tournament continues. You three, Charlotte, Elyra, and Elena, still have matches today. The reputation of our academy is still on the line."

He paused, then added, looking directly at Charlotte, "That said… you may withdraw if you wish, Charlotte. Your safety as a saint is more important than a simple tournament, I'm not as heartless as Torwan."

Charlotte smiled softly, her voice as gentle as ever. "Thank you, Headmaster Nicolas."

Nicolas nodded once. Then he turned toward Tyria, who had stood up from her chair. She looked steadier now, color returning to her cheeks, and a bit of strength in her eyes.

"I'll be taking Tyria to our hotel now," he said, his tone brisk. "You'll be under the protection of two of our professors, Daemar and Rauk," he added, glancing at her.

Tyria nodded without hesitation.

"I'll return to the director's balcony afterward. I've been gone long enough, they'll wonder what happened to that 'restroom break'."

A flicker of amusement passed through Charlotte's expression.

Nicolas held out his hand to Tyria. "Give me your hand. It's not safe for us to walk through the arena openly. Someone might recognize you."

Tyria took his hand quietly.

Then Nicolas turned to Noel. "I'll contact King Alveron IV with the information we've gathered. I expect his cooperation. And King Deyrion, from the demon continent, will likely assist as well, it's a chance to repair their people's reputation."

Noel nodded. "Understood. What should I do in the meantime?"

"Nothing risky," Nicolas replied. "Focus on the tournament. Once I speak with the kings, I'll let you know our next move."

"Alright. I will."

"Good." Nicolas glanced at everyone one last time. "Take care, my dear students."

In the blink of an eye, he and Tyria vanished in a shimmer of teleportation light, gone without a trace.

The room felt quieter now.

Only Noel, Charlotte, Elena, and Elyra remained.

It was Elena who spoke next, her voice calm but direct. "Can we all sit and talk for a moment?"

She looked at Noel.

"Elyra told us a little... but since you spoke with someone of us, I imagine you finally need our help."

Noel glanced at the three girls, then gave a small nod. He moved to one of the seats and sat down. The others followed.

He didn't waste time.

"I'll keep it simple. Torwan's part of the same group that tried to assassinate Charlotte," he said plainly. "He's using his students like slaves, forced to fight with enhancers. The whole tournament's rigged with betting schemes, and the king of Tharvaldur… is just a puppet."

There was a moment of silence.

Charlotte leaned forward slightly, blinking once. "Wow. That's even worse than last time."

Noel looked at her. "You think so?"

She nodded, her tone still light, but with a hint of sadness. "Last time… well, we all know what happened at the orphanage. But their target was me."

She glanced down for a second. "This time, it's just about money. They're using anyone — students, families, just to fund whatever it is they're doing."

Noel nodded. "Exactly."

A pause settled in again until Elena, shifting slightly in her seat, spoke with a more personal tone.

"Noel?"

All eyes turned to her.

She was already blushing.

"Have you… decided to take Elyra's surname?"

Noel blinked. "What?"

He looked genuinely confused.

"No. I'm only using it to pose as a merchant. What better name than the most powerful trading family in the human continent, especially one that works with Elarith and half the world."

Elena hesitated, but she wasn't satisfied. "But there's also… another meaning to that, isn't there?"

Before Noel could answer, Charlotte, who seemed to have recovered her usual energy, tilted her head slightly.

"It's true," she said playfully. "Isn't there something you'd like to tell us, Noel? This sort of affects our relationship, don't you think?"

Noel rubbed his temple.

This was getting complicated.

Noel opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

Elyra stepped in first, trying to ease the tension. "You'll have your turn too, alright? But right now, we don't really have time for this kind of conversation, do we?"

Her voice was calm, maybe a little smug.

But Elena didn't appreciate it.

She stood up slightly from her chair, arms crossed. "Don't you think you're being a little unfair here?"

Elyra turned to her with a raised brow.

"You were the one who seduced him and took advantage of the situation."

Elyra blinked. "...No, no. This time, it was Noel who made the first move."

That made both Elena and Charlotte freeze.

They stared at Noel.

Even Charlotte's playful smile faltered for a second. "...Wait, seriously?"

Noel leaned back a little. "What are you two imagining right now?"

Elena's face flushed instantly. Charlotte leaned forward slightly, her grin returning.

"I bet you'd like to know what we're imagining."

Elena glanced away, clearly flustered. Elyra just chuckled softly.

"Anyway," Elyra said, shifting the subject, "what do we do now?"

Noel exhaled. "Nothing, for now. We do as Headmaster Nicolas said. The kings are coming. They'll act, on the factory, on the puppet king. We've done our part. Now we focus on the tournament."

He turned to Charlotte. "And you need to officially withdraw. You're not in any condition to keep fighting."

Charlotte nodded slowly. "That's fair."

Elyra stood from her seat. "I'll go with Elena, then. Charlotte's in your hands, Noel."

She moved toward the door.

Elena, however, didn't follow just yet.

Elyra was already at the door, but Elena stayed behind.

She walked up to Noel, who was still seated, and stopped directly in front of him. Her expression was calm — but her flushed ears betrayed her.

Noel looked up, just about to say something.

She leaned in and kissed him.

When she pulled away, she met his eyes and whispered, "For now… I'll settle for this."

Then, without another word, she turned and followed Elyra out of the room.

The door closed behind them.

Now only Noel and Charlotte remained.

She stood nearby, still without her Sancta Veil — her long pink hair flowing freely over her shoulders, golden eyes fixed on him with quiet warmth.

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