“Bullshit,” Jyn snapped, his glare sharp enough to cut.

Meanwhile, Sylra turned her attention back to Towan. Without another word, she began walking toward him.

“Where are you going, Sylra?” Jyn called after her, his frustration bleeding into his tone.

“I’m going to greet him, of course,” she said casually, glancing over her shoulder.

“What?! But you’ve never done that before!”

“He caught my attention,” she replied simply, flashing Jyn a brief smile before continuing toward Towan.

Jyn watched her go, his hands clenching into fists.

“No way,” Kael said with a laugh, leaning closer to Jyn. “He actually stole Sylra’s attention from you, dude.”

“Tsk,” Jyn muttered, clicking his tongue in irritation. “That guy is a nobody.”

“Why don’t you fight him? Show everyone what you’ve got,” Kael teased, his voice carrying just enough volume to stir murmurs around the hall. He clearly enjoyed the chaos, but Jyn ignored him, lost in his thoughts as he stared at Towan from across the room.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the hall, Sylra made her way toward Towan.

“It’s Sylra!” one student whispered, and the murmur quickly spread.

The number one ranker approaching someone? That had never happened before—not since Sylra took the throne.

“Congrats, Towan,” she said, her tone warm and genuine. “Getting 15th on your first try is really impressive!”

“Wait, really?” Towan blinked, caught off guard.

“Yeah,” Sylra replied with a small smile. “When I first ranked, I only managed to hit around 20th. It caused quite a stir with the top 10 when I started climbing, and I imagine you’ll cause the same ruckus soon enough.” She glanced briefly at the watching crowd, her presence radiating calm confidence.

“I'm Elliot, his brother,” Elliot interjected, stepping forward and extending his hand.

Sylra turned her attention to him and shook his hand. “I’m Sylra. A pleasure to meet you.”

“The pleasure’s mine,” Elliot said, his tone smooth but respectful.

Before Alira could speak, Sylra shifted her focus toward her. “You’re Alira, right?” Sylra asked, her eyes lighting up with recognition. “I’ve heard about you from the other rankers. They say you’re pretty strong.”

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

“Oh!” Alira froze for a moment, clearly caught off guard. Her admiration for Sylra was no secret, and the idea that someone like Sylra knew who she was felt surreal. “Thank you, but I’m nowhere near your level…” she trailed off, then hesitated before blurting out, “Can I get your autograph?”

Towan and Elliot exchanged a glance, both thinking the same thing: (Really?)

Sylra let out a soft laugh, her demeanor remaining as approachable as ever. “Sure, no problem,” she said, pulling a pen from her pocket as if this weren’t the first time she’d been asked.

Sylra handed Alira her autograph with a small smile. “Here you go. I’m flattered you’d ask.”

Alira took the autograph like it was a treasure, her hands trembling slightly. “Thank you so much! I—uh—I really admire you. You’re everything I want to be as a fighter.”

Sylra raised an eyebrow, amused but kind. “Well, if you keep that determination, you might just get there. I’ve heard good things about you, after all.”

Towan chuckled under his breath, glancing at Alira. “Looks like you’ve got a fan club of your own now, Sylra.”

“Don’t act like you’re not next in line for that,” Sylra teased, looking back at Towan. “You’ve already got the attention of half the room just by standing there.”

Towan rubbed the back of his neck, trying to brush off the comment. “Yeah, not exactly what I was going for…”

“You’ll get used to it,” Sylra said lightly. “Or at least, I hope you will. With your rank, people will start challenging you soon enough.”

Elliot smirked. “If they’re smart, they’ll avoid him entirely.”

“Oh?” Sylra turned her attention to Elliot, intrigued. “You sound pretty confident in him.”

“Of course. I’ve sparred with him enough to know what he’s capable of,” Elliot replied. Then, with a sly grin, he added, “Though I’m still better, of course.”

“Ha!” Towan laughed, giving his brother a playful shove. “Don’t push your luck.”

Sylra tilted her head slightly, watching the brothers’ banter with interest. “You two must have an interesting training dynamic. It’s not often you see siblings sparring like that.”

“It’s… intense,” Towan admitted. “He doesn’t exactly hold back.”

“And you’re welcome for that,” Elliot said proudly.

Alira chimed in, finally finding her voice again. “Do you guys fight a lot? Like, actual fights?”

“Only when I need to remind him who’s boss,” Elliot joked.

Towan rolled his eyes. “Or when you want an excuse to show off.”

Sylra laughed softly. “You two are something else. Honestly, I’m impressed. It’s not every day you see someone jump to 15th rank and have this kind of support system. You’re lucky, Towan.”

Towan glanced at his brother and Alira, a small smile forming. “Yeah… I guess I am.”

“So,” Sylra said, shifting the conversation slightly, “now that you’ve got your rank, what’s your next move?”

Towan thought for a moment before replying, “Honestly? Probably trying to avoid attention for a while. I’m not exactly eager to have people lining up to fight me.”

“Good luck with that,” Sylra said with a chuckle. “At this rank, attention comes whether you want it or not. But…” she paused, her tone becoming serious, “if you ever need advice on handling challenges—or challengers—you can always come to me.”

Elliot raised an eyebrow. “That’s a pretty generous offer.”

Sylra shrugged. “What can I say? He caught my attention.”

Alira’s jaw nearly dropped at the comment, while Towan stiffened, unsure how to respond. “Uh… thanks, I guess?”

Sylra smiled at his awkwardness. “Don’t mention it. Anyway, I should get back to my group before Jyn bursts a vein from all the staring.”

Towan followed her gaze and noticed Jyn glaring daggers at them from across the hall. “Yeah, I can feel that from here…”

Sylra smirked. “Don’t let him get to you. He’ll get over it. Eventually.”

As she walked back toward the top 10, Alira looked at Towan, her excitement barely contained. “You’re so lucky! Sylra herself said you could go to her for advice! Do you have any idea how many people would kill for that?”

Towan sighed. “Yeah, and I also have Jyn trying to kill me with his eyes. Balance, I guess.”

Elliot chuckled, crossing his arms. “Welcome to the top ranks, little brother.”