Sera had not taken a single moment to celebrate her previous victories.
The instant the third match pairings flashed on the official board, her heart stopped.
Marcus Kestrel.
The nephew of Duke Aldric Kestrel.
Hushed conversations immediately erupted through the crowd around her.
”This can’t be a coincidence.” ”The Kestrel family must have pulled strings for this.” Theron stepped up beside her, visible tension tightening his posture.
”This was planned,” he noted quietly.
”I know,” Sera replied, her eyes fixed on the board.
Kairos approached from the side, keeping his voice strictly low.
”Marcus has a terrible reputation,” he warned.
”He has permanently injured opponents before, especially women.” ”The Duke doesn’t keep him in check…
he actively encourages him.” Sera took a quiet breath.
“I understand.” As she made her way toward the arena floor, she noticed several unfamiliar observers seated in the upper rows.
They held leather notebooks and kept their eyes glued to her every step.
Their presence made the air in the stadium feel twice as heavy.
High above in the VIP box, Duke Aldric was already seated.
The moment Sera glanced up, he offered a small, knowing nod, as if the outcome were already decided.
Marcus stepped onto the dirt ring with absolute confidence.
He wore a cold, mocking smirk as he scanned Sera from head to toe.
”So you’re the famous one,” he said, his tone dripping with mock warmth.
”My prospective aunt.” ”Let’s see how useful you actually are.” Sera met his eyes with a flat expression.
”I am not going to be anyone’s aunt.” ”Nothing has been decided.” Marcus chuckled softly.
“A mere formality.” ”My uncle told me to handle you gently today.” ”Just enough so you learn your proper place as his future bride.” Before the referee could even call the match, Marcus launched a direct, high-speed strike.
He was cheating right out of the gate.
A wave of gasps echoed through the stands.
”That’s a premature attack!” ”That’s cheating!” The referee raised his hand to intervene, but Duke Aldric’s voice cut across the stadium from above.
”My nephew is merely displaying his readiness.” ”No official rule has been broken.” Marcus immediately followed up with a second aggressive strike.
Sera barely ducked in time, her shoulder grazing against the rough dirt.
”What’s the matter?” Marcus taunted, closing the gap.
”Where is that legendary power everyone keeps whispering about?” Sera quickly recovered her footing, resetting her stance.
”I don’t feel the need to prove anything to you.” Marcus threw a deliberately weak swing, laughing when Sera easily stepped back.
”See that?” he called out to the stands.
”Just mindless rumors.” ”A Zero will always remain a Zero.” A few students in the upper rows snickered.
Livia smiled from her seat, a flicker of hope returning after her own earlier defeat.
Sera clenched her fists tight, keeping her breath steady.
He wants a reaction, she reminded herself.
Don’t give it to him.
Marcus’s tone shifted, growing quiet, calculated, and deeply personal.
”Your mother,” he began, stepping closer with a casual shrug.
”She was weak too, wasn’t she?” ”I heard she died hiding in the shadows without ever showing what she had.” ”Living in constant fear.” ”Just like you.” Sera’s entire body froze instantly.
”Do not speak her name.” ”Why not?” Marcus taunted, taking another slow step forward.
”Maybe she kept quiet because she knew her daughter would turn out just as useless.” ”It must run in your line hiding away, dying in fear, lacking the spine to stand up.” ”Stop talking,” Sera said, her voice shaking with mixed rage and deep-seated pain.
”Why should I?” Marcus smirked, reaching out a hand as if to touch her face.
”Does the truth hurt?” ”Or do you already know I’m right that you’re just a fragile, frightened girl like she was?” His fingers brushed against her cheek.
”Let’s see if that dragon inside you actually exists, or if it’s all just a pathetic lie” The moment his skin touched hers.
An explosion of light tore through the arena.
Golden warmth and silver chill flared simultaneously with blinding intensity.
The sheer kinetic force hit Marcus like a physical wall.
His body was thrown backward through the air, crashing hard onto the dirt floor.
He lay completely motionless, his breath knocked cold.
A suffocating silence engulfed the entire stadium.
Sera stood alone in the center of the ring, her body trembling uncontrollably.
It wasn’t from the surge of magic, but from the raw, suppressed grief and fury bursting out at last.
Silent tears slipped down her cheeks.
Inside her mind, a voice resonated for the very first time clear, ancient, and terrifyingly cold: He touched us without permission.
He dared to speak her name.
Both were unforgivable.
Duke Aldric stood up violently from his seat, genuine horror flickering across his face alongside intense calculation.
Medical staff scrambled into the ring to carry Marcus away.
Sera caught sight of the quiet observers in the stands scribbling feverishly into their books.
One of them pulled out a glowing message crystal, swiftly relaying the news beyond the academy gates.
Sera’s heart sank.
This was no longer just an internal academy duel.
Theron rushed to the edge of the boundary ring, his eyes wide.
“Sera!” ”I’m fine,” she whispered, though her voice quivered.
Lucien approached the railings, his usual playful smile completely gone.
”I wanted to step in and stop him,” he said softly, his voice heavy.
”The rules held me back.” ”You shouldn’t have stopped,” Sera murmured.
“I could handle it.” ”I know you could,” Lucien replied quietly.
”You proved that.” ”But standing by and watching…
that feeling is terrible, Sera.” Caelum gripped the iron railing tightly, his jaw set in a hard line.
Riven stood beside him, his expression cold as ice.
Kairos stepped closer, his face clouded with worry.
”What just happened here,” Kairos warned softly, “will reach the Temple within hours.” ”Varis won’t ignore this.” ”So now everyone knows,” Sera said, exhaustion seeping into her voice.
”Malric, Varis, Duke Aldric.
All of them.” ”Yes,” Kairos affirmed.
“Now everyone knows.” Duke Aldric descended the stairs and looked down at his unconscious nephew before turning his gaze to Sera.
”This…” he murmured with a dark, dangerous smile, “is the most fascinating thing I have ever witnessed.” Sera looked down at her trembling hands as the radiant aura slowly faded into her skin.
The power inside her had spoken clearly for the first time.
It had not only defended against an unwanted touch.
It had avenged her mother’s name.
Now the entire arena knew the truth: Seraphina Voss was a Zero no more.