The crowd went wild after that.
Seeing me land not one, but two clean hits on Alad sent shockwaves through the training ground. Murmurs spread like wildfire, voices overlapping in disbelief and excitement. No one had expected it—not from a first-year, and certainly not against someone like Alad.
"That guy's done for," a blue-haired boy muttered, shaking his head as he crossed his arms. His tone wasn't mocking—it was almost sympathetic.
"Is he even thinking straight?" a dark-haired boy beside him said, his voice tense. "Now he's practically asking to be sent to the battlefield, just like what happened to those students caught on the fighting grounds."
The mention of the battlefield caused several students to fall silent. Everyone in this academy knew what that meant. It wasn't just punishment—it was exile disguised as duty.
"But you know…" a bald student said thoughtfully, rubbing his chin as he watched the scene unfold. "I can't help but feel he's doing the right thing."
