Because I took an isolated pathway in the academy, alongside the fact that it was lunch, I managed to avoid any students and make it back to my dorm room.
Taking off the mask and throwing it into the painting, watching it phase through the canvas, I sighed and lay down on the bed.
I could decently replicate the first two steps of the white-robed man's dance, also known as the Torrent Step.
But...that wasn't even close to enough.
Zyn had just received his powers, so I could easily catch him by surprise.
The fact that he had simply let me into his room while I was wearing a mask was a miracle.
Thinking of the next villain on my kill list, I rubbed my head and stood back up.
Food...I need food.
...
...
...
Dressed in a new pair of clothes, I confusedly gazed around at the dozens of massive booths, speakers, and crowds of students around me.
Ah...right, it's the club fair.
Maybe...I should join one.
Well, I had to join one.
The Tourist Club.
Every single important character was in it, and countless events that I needed to prevent took place within its trips around the world.
But that was it.
All the other clubs were normal, simply allowing for the main characters to interact with each other and form relationships.
Taking a deep breath, I glanced around for a moment, finding my target, and strolled toward where a massive crowd had gathered.
At the front of the crowd, countless students performed backflips, cartwheels, and various flexible moves while music blared in the background.
Entranced, I blankly watched the dance until finally the sound of applause snapped me back to reality.
*CLAP~CLAP*
As the crowd dispersed, I approached one of the dancers and asked.
"Is the dance club currently accepting new members?"
Nodding her head, the girl smiled and tilted her head while handing me a piece of paper.
"Tryouts will be held this upcoming Friday."
Taking the paper, I turned around, only to be met with a familiar face.
Ah...right, she's in this club too.
Emotionlessly gazing at the posters with the try-out dates, a girl with long, white hair and matching eyes walked past me, immediately drawing the attention of all the dancers.
"Ah, no need to try out for you!"
"Congratulations, you're on the team!"
With a simple nod of her head, she grabbed a post and said.
"I'll try out like everyone else."
Watching her walk away from the booth, leaving the club members in disarray, I sighed and strolled toward the other club stands in the distance.
Everyone was probably wondering why a seemingly serious and stoic girl like Carissa would join a silly and extracurricular club like dance.
After grabbing a sign-up paper for the travel club, I found a bench and exhaustedly sat down.
*Ring~ring*
...
...
...
"Today, we will be pairing up into groups of two and sparing as practice. This is in preparation for your practical exam on Thursday, which is just two days away."
Hearing Professor Lily's words, I glanced to my right, where a familiar figure with jet-black hair stood.
Due to my habit of running straight to my dorm room to train and my unsociable behavior as a whole, it was no surprise that I lacked a single connection.
And, there was only one other person who was in the same situation, for the exact opposite reasons.
In a heavily hierarchy-based academy, Ruby was, of course, shunned by other students for her low rank despite her attempts.
The worst hadn't even come yet.
In fact, after observing her for the past week, it was evident to me that she would become a villain.
With so much hatred and vengeance building up in her heart, she would eventually snap.
Gripping my wooden sparring sword, made in the exact shape of my Willow Leaf Dao, I walked up to the lone Ruby, who was anxiously glancing around as everyone avoided her gaze.
"Spar?"
Just because she was written to become a villain in the book didn't mean it had to actually happen. I, of course, had the opportunity to change that.
Yet...it was much more complicated than that.
Ruby's transformation into a villain was a huge plot point, with Leo and even Four-Axis Academy as a result being affected.
Leo would temporarily take a leave from the Academy as a result of the event, where he would meet the elves, and Four-Axis Academy's reputation would take a hit, allowing other magic academies to grow into the spotlight.
If not for Ruby, Leo would never meet the elves, allying with them, and the other magic academies would never prosper, many talents wasted as a result.
At my words, Ruby's head flicked to meet mine as she excitedly swung the daggers in each of her hands.
"Of course...Athen?"
Unlike Magnus's curved karamabit-like daggers, Ruby used stillettos with straight blades, decreasing her range of motion.
After finding an empty space and setting up ten feet away from each other, Ruby immediatly dashed at me, her wooden daggers held at the waist.
A vertical slash.
Instantly, my vision was blinded by a light-blue light as tens of holographic lines, starting at the tip of each of her daggers and ending on my body, appeared.
The lines were not spread apart; all their endpoints gathered on my chest, so I raised my curved sword horizontally over my chest.
*BANG*
As expected, her two daggers met my wooden sword, and immediatly, I pushed my sword horizontally forward.
While Ruby stumbled back from the pressure of my sword, I immediatly lunged forward and shot my sword forward at her unprotected neck.
Just as Ruby caught her balance, the side of my wooden sword rubbed against her neck.
Sighing, I muttered and withdrew my sword.
"Done."
She truly was as weak as the rumours said: Even someone like me who had begun using a sword a week ago could easily defeat her.