It wasn’t just Athena and Ayden who were emotional—Julian and Alya were also looking at the dais with surprise and barely restrained emotion. As the four of them were lost in the moment, a group of older boys suddenly approached. From their uniforms, they appeared to be second-year students.

The boy who seemed to be their leader cleared his throat—no one acknowledged him. He tried again, still no response. A third time, and all four of them felt irritation creeping in.

Athena slowly turned, her expression screaming leave, or you’ll regret it.

The boy stiffened, taken aback. God, she looks terrifying, he thought, feeling a slight tremor in his knees. A cold shiver ran up his spine, but he forced himself to regain composure. With an elegant bow, he introduced himself.

“Beauty, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Liam Amethyst, son of the Duke of Allegra. You must be a noble as well. From the moment I saw you, I was captivated. Allow me to offer you my protection and help you earn credits. May I have your name?”

He expected the usual reaction—adoration, flustered excitement, maybe even gratitude. Girls always fawned over him once they heard his name.

But this girl? She looked just as murderous as before.

Undeterred, Liam flashed his most charming smile. “Beauty, let’s get to know each other. If others see you with me, no one will bother you.”

Athena’s expression remained ice-cold as she growled, “Get lost.”

The low, menacing tone sent a shudder down Liam’s spine. Only then did he register the two boys flanking her, both staring at him with thinly veiled hostility.

Ayden spoke in a dangerously low voice. “Are you deaf?”

Julian followed, voice sharper than a blade. “If you want to leave in one piece, walk away.”

Even the usually gentle-looking Alya was glaring daggers at them.

Liam’s confidence wavered. Sweat beaded at his temple as he stumbled back. But his wounded pride flared, and he spat, “Who do you think you are? When someone offers you help, you should take it! What, you think you’re better than me just because of these two brats backing you up? A girl like you should know her place—you’re just here to find a real noble to marry!”

As his voice grew louder, more students began to take notice.

Athena sighed. The rules only prohibit skills, not mana.

Releasing an overwhelming surge of mana, she created a pressure variation that forced Liam to his knees. Liam tried to lift his head—tried to speak—but his body refused to obey. His limbs felt like they were being crushed under the weight of a mountain.

What… What kind of monster is she?!

When Athena took a single step forward, his body reacted before his mind—he scrambled back on all fours, his breath coming in ragged gasps.

“As long as you can’t even stand in front of me,” Athena said coldly, “don’t bark like you’re the strongest in this academy.”

She took a step forward, her eerie smile sending chills down his spine. Lowering her voice to a deadly whisper, she added, “If I ever hear you belittle someone like that again… I’ll rip out your tongue and feed it to the dogs.”

Liam and his friends paled in terror. The moment Athena released them from her mana pressure, they scrambled to their feet, tripping over themselves as they fled. Liam’s voice wavered as he shouted back, “I—I’ll get revenge for this!”

No one dared to approach Athena’s group after that. Some whispered in judgment, while others admired her boldness.

At Hunter’s Academy, senior students often preyed on the younger ones, treating the new female students as trophies. Some girls fell for their titles, others for their looks, and some out of sheer fear. Those who refused became targets. It was an unspoken rule—if a girl resisted today, someone more powerful would come for her tomorrow.

But today, Athena had broken that cycle.

Unbeknownst to them, several distinguished guests were watching with great interest.

One person in particular was practically seething with rage, while another stood beside him, doing everything in his power to keep the volcano from erupting.

“How dare he talk like that to my daughter?” Prince Alexander’s voice was dangerously low, his hands gripping the arms of his chair so tightly that the wood creaked in protest.

Sir Frederick Morari, who had taken on the unfortunate task of keeping him in check, sighed. “Your Highness, please calm down. Didn’t the princess handle it well?”

Hearing this, Alexander’s lips curved into a dangerous smile. “Of course, who do you think she is? She’s the same girl who broke the nose of that noble brat who mocked her for wanting to learn swordsmanship.”

Frederick nodded, speaking matter-of-factly. “Exactly. So please, let it go.”

Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

A snort came from the side. “Good to know your daughter has an ugly temper,” Duke Damarius remarked, watching the scene unfold below with mild amusement. “For a second, I thought she was going to kill that boy.”

Alfred Leylani rolled his eyes at the group of men who were supposed to be the pillars of their respective nations. Idiots, the lot of them. “Did any of you actually notice something important?”

The others turned to look at him, clearly thinking, What else was there to notice?

Leylani let out a long, suffering sigh. “Did you see the amount of mana that enveloped her when she forced that boy to his knees?”

Duke Damarius paused, then furrowed his brows in thought. “Hmm… Now that you mention it, it wasn’t normal. It wasn’t just her using mana—it flowed around her, as if she herself was a source of it. And the two boys with her… their mana had a similar quality. All three of them felt superior in their mana control.”

Alexander shrugged nonchalantly. “I knew it from the beginning. My kid is damn powerful.”

Duke Borghildr shot him a look. “Don’t get arrogant yet. Let’s wait until they display the trial recordings.”

At this, a small, knowing smile played on Leylani’s lips.

Frederick narrowed his eyes. “Every time that guy smiles like that, I get the feeling something big is coming.”

Leylani chuckled. “Oh, nothing to worry about. Just some very interesting things are about to be revealed. Don’t worry—you’ll all see soon enough.”

At the same time, Athena and her friends took their seats. Though their brief encounter with Liam had soured their mood for a moment, they quickly returned to their usual selves—especially after seeing their parents. Their excitement was evident, but Alya seemed a bit down.

“Why are you sad?” Athena signed, noticing her friend's change in expression.

Alya sighed. “My dad didn’t come.”

Athena felt a pang of sympathy. She knew Alya had been bullied for years, and yet her father—who supposedly cherished her—remained silent. Why? It was strange. Maybe he had his reasons.

She gave Alya a reassuring pat on the shoulder. “Don’t be sad. He might be busy. Didn’t he send you a gift yesterday? Maybe that’s his way of saying, ‘I’m here for you.’”

Alya smiled, her mood lifting slightly at Athena’s words.

Ayden, who had been munching on a snack, suddenly perked up. “Wait… gifts? You got gifts? Wow! That’s amazing. I hope Uncle brought some for us too!”

Julian chuckled, shaking his head. “Of course, dummy. Your uncle is always generous when it comes to gifts.”

The entire arena buzzed with laughter and excitement, though in some areas, troublemakers were already stirring up chaos. Some were harassing girls the same way Liam had tried to with Athena, while others took pleasure in bullying the newcomers and their juniors.

Meanwhile, Liam, still seething from the humiliation he had suffered, stormed toward a senior student.

The older boy watched him approach, smirking. “Hahaha, how does it feel to be put in your place by a puny little girl?”

Liam clenched his fists, staring at the ground in frustration. “Brother… that girl—that girl! How dare she humiliate me like that? Please, help me take revenge on her.”

The senior chuckled again, clearly amused. “I don’t need you to ask me for that. That girl is quite… interesting.”

His gaze landed on Athena’s back, eyes dark with intent. From the moment he first saw her, he had been intrigued—not just by her beauty, but by her sharp temper.

A slow smirk crept onto his lips. Once I break her claws, she’ll be an obedient little thing.

When most of the students, guests, and professors had taken their seats, the deep, resonant sound of ceremonial drums echoed throughout the arena, signaling the start of the opening ceremony.

Principal Sylvester stepped forward to the center of the dais, his gaze sweeping over the crowd as he greeted them warmly.

“I welcome our distinguished guests, esteemed professors, and, most importantly, our dear students. Today marks the official beginning of your journey at the Hunter’s Academy. Some of you have already met our new students when they first arrived, but today, they officially become part of our family.”

His voice carried with authority and warmth as he continued.

“This year is particularly special. We stand against an enemy that is both powerful and terrifying, and it is our duty to nurture the heroes who will one day defend our world. This year, we are honored by the presence of an esteemed guest—someone who has inspired this academy for years. Please welcome my student and your hero, the First Prince of the Arcane Empire, Alexander Quinn Arcane!”

The entire arena erupted into deafening cheers as the prince was acknowledged.

Sylvester smiled as he gestured toward Alexander. “This year, we are also privileged to have His Highness’s daughter and nephew among our new students. But let us not forget—all of you hold the potential to become heroes, regardless of where you come from. It is my greatest wish to witness the rise of new legends. With that said, I now declare the beginning of a new academic year!”

With his final words, the crowd roared in excitement.

“And now,” Sylvester added, his eyes glinting with amusement, “please remain seated and enjoy this year’s most exciting trials.”

Suddenly, the entire arena was plunged into darkness. A single beam of light illuminated the center of the stage, revealing two senior students standing with mana crystals in their hands—each engraved with a specialized sound transmission array.

One of them grinned.

“Hello… We’re back!”

The crowd erupted in cheers.

The other anchor chuckled. “Are you all ready to witness this year's newbies struggling—I mean, completing—their trials?”

Laughter and applause rippled through the arena.

“Now, let’s begin with the lowest level…” They paused dramatically.

“House of Eta!”

More cheers erupted.

“But don’t worry, everyone. We know what you’re all waiting for. You’ll soon witness the most anticipated trial in the history of our academy.”

At that moment, six enormous screens materialized in the center of the arena, each facing a different section of the crowd to ensure everyone had a clear view.

Both announcers grinned as they raised their mana crystals.

“Now… let’s begin!”