The students shuffled, some exchanging glances, unsure who would step up to challenge her.

Zoe, however, remained silent, watching the scene unfold with keen interest. She was aware of Violet's considerable talent and potential. This was not mere bravado; Violet had the prowess to back up her arrogance.

As the crowd of students held their breath in anticipation, a young man with short brown hair stepped forward, his gaze fixed on Violet. He positioned himself across from her, awaiting for further instructions.

Zoe exhaled deeply before cautioning, "Be careful to not use any deadly attacks and stop the fight when the opponent can no longer continue. Remember, this is a friendly match."

Both Violet and the young man nodded in understanding. Zoe gestured with a simple hand wave, signaling the commencement of the duel. "Begin."

Taking a few strategic steps back, the young man clasped his hands together, forming a mystical seal. Moments later, two cyan rings materialized around his left wrist. His clothes fluttered as if caught in a gentle breeze, and the dust around him swirled into the air.

"Aero Blades!" he called out. Instantly, six razor-sharp blades of wind coalesced around him, their edges gleaming as they rocketed towards Violet.

The students watched with fascination. However, Violet remained calm in place with unreadable expression. Just as the wind blades neared, slicing through the air towards her, she murmured softly, "Inferno Wheel."

Beside her, a wheel of blazing fire materialized, spinning with intense heat. It devoured the incoming Aero slashes effortlessly. The wheel then continued its relentless advance, growing larger and more ferocious as it spun towards the young man.

He watched in astonishment, rooted to the spot by the sheer force of the attack. However, just as the fiery wheel was about to engulf him, it halted abruptly.

"Violet wins the match," Zoe declared.

Breathing heavily and wiping sweat from his brow, the young man gave Violet a wary glance before retreating to his classmates.

Violet, turning to face the group, confidently called out, "Who wants to come next?

Felix nudged his friend Garrick, who quipped with a smirk, "I have no wish to become a living barbecue, but you, our aspiring leader, should step into the flames!" With a playful shove, Garrick pushed Felix towards the arena.

With a forced smile that barely hid his trepidation, Felix approached Violet. He tried to lighten the mood, or perhaps to hide his own nerves. "I just hope I don’t hurt you too much in this duel. After all, we wouldn’t want a valuable ally injured before the next class expedition, would we?" His attempt at humor fell flat, met only with the indifferent stares of his classmates and a dismissive glance from Garrick.

Violet simply raised an eyebrow, unimpressed, as Felix took his position across from her.

Zoe raised her hand signaling the commencement of the duel. "Begin."

As the duel commenced, Felix quickly summoned his power. On his left wrist, three brown rings shimmered into existence. Clasping his hands together, he muttered a quick incantation, “Quicksand Pit.”

The ground before Violet began to quiver, revealing the formation of a pit of quicksand right beneath her.

Felix watched, his eyes narrowed in concentration, hoping for a swift victory as the sandy trap opened its maw. But Violet was not one to be easily caught. With a graceful leap, she evaded the ensnaring quicksand, landing lightly on solid ground.

Undeterred, Felix advanced his tactics, waving his hands forward, summoning several large boulders that hurtled towards Violet. Yet, she danced between the incoming projectiles, leaving the boulders crashing harmlessly behind her.

Growing desperate, Felix summoned another wave of quicksand pits across the arena, trying to control the battlefield and keep Violet at bay.

But Violet seemed almost to glide over the treacherous ground, her eyes fixed on Felix. As she drew closer, Felix prepared his next spell.

"Granite Grasp," he announced.

The earth around Violet erupted, stone hands reaching up in an attempt to bind her. Felix felt a surge of confidence, believing this attack would trap her, and even the students thought Violet was done for.

However, she appeared unworried. In an instant, her hands blazed with fiery energy. She quickly struck at the stone hands, shattering them upon impact and sending debris flying in all directions.

Closing the distance, Violet confronted Felix directly. Just as she was about to punch him, Felix activated his defensive spell, "Stone Skin," encasing his body in a stony shell. Violet’s fist met his shell with a resounding crack, her face contorting with the pain of the impact.

Thinking he might finally have gained the upper hand, Felix watched as Violet staggered back, massaging her hand. But her resilience was not to be underestimated.

With a fierce yell, she summoned another spell, "Inferno Wheel." A fiery wheel spun out of her palms, growing in size as it whirled towards Felix with terrifying speed.

The air heated around them as the wheel neared, but just before the fiery tempest could engulf Felix, Zoe’s commanding voice echoed across the field, "Stop! This match is over. Violet is the winner."

Holding his breath, Felix watched as the deadly wheel of fire evaporated just inches from him. He let out a deep breath, relief flooding through him.

The arena was abuzz with whispers from the students, all awestruck by the fiery display they had just witnessed. It was evident to all that both competitors were formidable, but Violet was in a league of her own. After witnessing her overwhelming victory, it seemed few had the appetite to challenge Violet’s dominance.

Elara, caught between emotions, wanted to speak but hesitated and then simply nodded in acceptance. Her expression revealed her dissatisfaction with how things had turned out, yet she did not consider challenging Violet for the leadership.

Off to the side, standing a bit apart with Theo, Lorian leaned in and whispered regretfully, “Brother, you should have let me challenge her...”

Theo replied calmly, "She's six circle ranks above you and You're still at circle rank twenty-nine. It wouldn't be wise."

Lorian fell silent, contemplating the difference in their strength.

Zoe, observing the subdued reactions of the students, addressed the group, "Since we have a clear winner, Violet will become the leader of your class, with Elara serving as the Vice Leader. This Wednesday, your group expedition begins and will continue for a month. Each of you will be evaluated based on your performance, and the students of the winning section will receive an additional 10 silver points."

Felix, who was standing next to Garrick, stared at the newly appointed leaders with a sour expression. "Oh, lovely. There goes our manly reputation. Now Section A of the first year will be the punchline in every 'men can't lead' joke across the Academy."

Garrick offered a comforting pat on Felix's back, choosing not to voice his own thoughts on the matter.

After making the final announcements, Zoe dismissed the class, leaving the Valor Ground herself. As the students dispersed, Lorian and Theo made their way to the canteen for lunch.

Once their meal was finished, Lorian informed, "Brother, I need to bridge the gap with her. I'm off to train more."

As Lorian departed, Theo made his way back to his room before heading to the farm.

Two days flew by, and soon it was the day of the group expedition. The students gathered around Zoe as she led them to the Aether Gate Hall, where she opened a portal and ushered them through to the other side.

Emerging under a clear sky, with white sand beneath their feet, the students were momentarily reminded of the Crimson Dunes. However, the sound of waves crashing against the shore and the cold breeze caressing their skin confirmed they were not there. Sea shells and stones gleamed in the sunlight, scattered across the sand. In the distance, a small makeshift house stood beside the entrance to the forest.

Zoe addressed the crowd as they stood on the white sands. "Students of other sections have been transported to their respective locations. It is crucial to remember that no one is allowed to enter another section's home territory when the sun is in the sky; doing so will result in disqualification. During this expedition, you will need to survive for thirty days using only the resources you can gather from the forest."

She paused, ensuring her words sank in before she continued. "Additionally, each of you has been given a blue ribbon prior to your arrival here. If this ribbon is taken away or lost, you will be instantly disqualified from the expedition. Successfully collecting these blue ribbons from others will earn your class valuable expedition points. Furthermore, you will have to protect your king if you aim to win in this group expedition."

“King?” a student muttered in puzzlement.

Zoe, momentarily interrupted, picked up her explanation without missing a beat. "Every section has this role assigned to a student, and it's your job to identify the king of the other sections. The king's duty is to safeguard the sovereign emblem. While holding the emblem, the king is disabled from using any mana, relying on classmates to protect him from rival sections' students.”

After taking a brief pause, she added, “Moreover, if you successfully take out a king by stealing or removing their blue ribbon, you will be awarded ten silver points. Your class will also receive expedition points, and collecting more sovereign emblems will improve your class’s chance to win. The class with the highest expedition points will be declared the winner of this competition.”

The students murmured among themselves, still trying to grasp the full implications of the expedition rules.

"Now, I need all of you to submit your spatial rings to me. You are only allowed to keep a weapon with yourself," Zoe commanded in a firm tone.

The students exchanged uneasy glances as they began to hand over their spatial rings. As they did, Zoe scrutinized each students carefully.

"Hold on, this looks like more than a weapon," Zoe observed, taking out a necklace from a girl. "Remember, no additional items. Weapons only."

"But this necklace has been with me since—" the girl started to protest.

"I understand, but rules are rules," Zoe interrupted firmly, setting the necklace aside. "You can get it back from me after this expedition is over."

Reluctantly, the girl stepped back, leaving the necklace behind.

Felix, still puzzled by the unfolding rules of the expedition, raised a question that seemed to be on many minds. "But Teacher, you haven’t told us yet—who will be our king?"