As soon as the duel between Knox and Andre was officially confirmed, along with the conditions for both the winner and the loser, the entire Kizen Academy fell into an uproar.
Before long, discussions could be heard throughout the campus.
"A second-year bullying a first-year? Is this for real? That Senior Andre is such a punk!"
"What is President Phantasus thinking? He should've convinced that first-year to back down instead of approving the duel!"
"And what's with Knox's wish? Can that even be considered a wish?"
From first-years to second-years, conversations about the upcoming duel echoed throughout Kizen.
Naturally, Knox's friends were no exception.
The moment they found him, they immediately began nagging him.
"What on earth were you thinking, picking a fight with a second-year student?!" Claudia asked.
"Heh. That bastard threatened me. Was I supposed to stay quiet?" Knox replied.
"Uh..." Cindy scratched her cheek awkwardly. "I understand that, but... did you really have to take it this far?"
"I agree!" Meilyn quickly chimed in. "Why did you even give him a handicap by refusing to use your summons?!"
Of course, where there was nagging, there were also people cheering him on.
"Knox, make sure you beat the shit out of him, okay?" Lorain said with a grin.
"Hehe~ Knox, just go wild. I'll cover for you~" Serene added cheerfully.
"Huh?! Why should Knox be covered by you?! It should be me!" Lorain protested.
"Of course. Because I'm better than you~" Serene replied with a teasing smile.
Before long, the two of them started bickering again.
"..."
Merida quietly looked at Knox.
"Knox..."
"Would you lose?"
Knox simply smiled.
"Nah, I'd win."
Fortunately, although Knox had white hair, he didn't wear a blindfold or a pair of sunglasses. Otherwise... well, things might have ended with him becoming "Knox/2."
Hearing that answer, everyone fell silent.
One after another, they exchanged glances before letting out small smiles.
If Knox himself could remain that confident...
Then there was no reason for them to doubt him.
***
As the arena opened for the long-awaited duel, students, professors, and even visitors from outside Kizen gradually filled the stands. Every seat was occupied, while countless others remained standing around the arena, all eager to witness today's highly anticipated match between first-year Knox Aznable and second-year Andre Dresden.
Among the professors, however, the topic of discussion wasn't the duel itself, but the handicap Knox had placed on himself.
"Seriously, what is that boy thinking?" one professor frowned. "Summoning is one of his greatest strengths, yet he willingly sealed it away before facing a second-year."
Most of the professors nodded in agreement.
Only Hong Feng remained unconvinced.
"Considering the physical abilities and martial arts he displayed during the duel evaluations, isn't it possible that he's planning to elevate himself through martial arts instead?" she said calmly.
"Hmm..."
"Come to think of it, during the duel evaluations, he did rely on martial arts as well, and it was more than enough to defeat his opponents."
"But those opponents were still first-years," another professor pointed out. "Andre is on an entirely different level."
The professors continued exchanging their opinions as they watched the arena below.
Meanwhile, Vice President Jane sat quietly in the front row, her eyes fixed on the stage.
Unlike everyone else, Jane had remained silent the entire time.
Then, just as she was about to speak...
Two female voices suddenly interrupted the discussion.
"I don't think that's necessarily true."
"Fufu... I was wondering who everyone was talking about. Turns out it's Knox."
Every professor in the front row turned toward the source of the voices.
Approaching them were two women.
The one in front possessed a striking and commanding presence. Her long, dark hair flowed behind her, while a pair of sharp golden eyes calmly swept across the arena. Dressed in a pristine white military uniform beneath a dark maroon-lined officer's cape adorned with golden epaulettes, she carried herself with the quiet dignity of someone accustomed to leading thousands into battle.
Beside her walked another woman with pale skin covered in countless stitch-like scars that stretched across her body. Standing nearly one hundred and ninety centimeters tall, she cut an imposing figure despite the relaxed smile on her face. Unlike the cold impression created by her appearance, her expression was easygoing, almost carefree, making the contrast all the more striking.
The moment the professors recognized the pair, several of them immediately straightened their backs. Even the murmurs around them died down almost instantly.
"The Second Legion Commander... Jean Arskalt."
"...And the Fourth Legion Commander, Tenerife Echeverria."
Jane looked at the two women, a hint of surprise flickering across her usually composed face.
"...You two? What are you doing here?"
Jean answered without hesitation.
"Of course. We came to watch that little devil." She glanced toward the arena before looking back at Jane. "Mind if we sit here?"
"Hehe, Jean is right." Tenerife chuckled. "We came because we wanted to watch Knox as well. I hope we're not imposing on everyone~"
The professors exchanged bewildered glances.
The arrival of even a single Legion Commander would have been enough to shock them. Yet now, two of them had personally come just to watch a first-year student's duel.
Just who exactly was Knox Aznable?
Just what kind of relationship did Knox Aznable have with them?
Jane let out a helpless sigh.
"You two could've at least told me beforehand."
Despite her words, there wasn't a hint of annoyance in her voice. She simply shook her head with a faint smile before gesturing toward the empty seats.
"Go ahead. Sit wherever you like."
After Jean and Tenerife took their seats, the discussion naturally resumed, with the two Legion Commanders casually joining in.
Naturally, their arrival didn't go unnoticed.
Whether they were students, professors, or outside visitors, countless eyes immediately turned toward the two Legion Commanders.
Although Jane and Tenerife hadn't spoken loudly, those seated nearby still overheard enough.
Both Legion Commanders had personally come for one reason.
To watch Knox Aznable.
Within moments, the news spread throughout the arena like wildfire.
Why would two Legion Commanders personally come just to watch a first-year student?
How exactly did Knox Aznable know them?
Even Knox's own friends couldn't hide their surprise.
As for the outsiders, they suddenly felt that coming to Kizen today had been more than worth it.
Naturally, the news soon reached Andre as well.
When he first heard that two Legion Commanders had arrived, he couldn't help but smile.
"So they came to watch me."
After all, he was the Prince of Dresden. Who else could they possibly be here for?
Unfortunately...
That illusion lasted only a few seconds.
"They... came for Knox Aznable?" Andre's smile froze.
The next moment, his expression darkened before turning red with rage.
Even his younger sister, Molly Dresden, who was quietly watching from the VIP section, couldn't hide her surprise.
"...His connections are even wider than I imagined."
Putting everyone else's shock aside, there was one person who wasn't surprised in the slightest.
In fact, she looked incredibly smug. As though she were the one everyone had been praising.
That person was none other than Knox's childhood friend, Lorain.
She proudly folded her arms and lifted her chin high like a victorious black cat. Combined with her usual aloof beauty and tightly closed eyes, the smug expression somehow made her look unexpectedly adorable instead.
Naturally, no one around her dared comment on it.
Fortunately, there was always one exception.
Or rather, one particularly rebellious exception.
"You barbaric girl." Serene looked at Lorain in disbelief.
"Why are you acting so smug? They're not talking about you at all."
"Heh." Lorain didn't even bother opening her eyes.
"Laugh and be jealous all you want."
"I don't have time to argue with a child like you."
A vein immediately twitched on Serene's forehead.
Not only was Lorain wearing an unbearably smug expression, she had even called her a child.
Even so, Serene forcefully suppressed her irritation. With a smile that looked seconds away from cracking, she spoke through gritted teeth.
"Ho-ho-ho... I see."
"So, would this 'big sister' kindly explain it to a little child like me?"
Lorain slowly opened one eye. "Say the magic word."
"...?"
"Say 'please~'."
Another vein bulged on Serene's forehead.
Her fists clenched so tightly that the veins on the back of her hands became visible.
Seeing the atmosphere on the verge of exploding once again, Simon, Meilyn, Cindy, Claudia, Merida, and the rest of Groups Seven and Eight hurriedly stepped in to calm the two girls down.
After several rounds of coaxing, Lorain finally decided to give in.
"I can't tell you the details," she said with a helpless shrug. "But after Knox met Sister Jean and Sister Tenerife... let's just say they became quite close."
A brief silence followed.
It wasn't the explanation that caught everyone's attention, but the way Lorain had casually addressed the two Legion Commanders as "Sister." That alone was enough for everyone to realize they also shared a close relationship.
Unfortunately, her answer only gave rise to an even bigger mystery.
Realizing they weren't getting any useful answers out of Lorain, the group promptly gave up on that topic and started bombarding her with even more questions while waiting for the duel to start.