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"That Incident at the Little Heroes Tournament... annoying, for sure," he declared, his voice slick and assured. "Make no mistake, Gerrard. If my son hadn\'t gotten sidelined with that injury Quadra had caused, He would\'ve won his fight against Jan Ates. No doubt."

Sitting across from him, Gerrard Freya, Valencia\'s father, was relaxed. He sported a more casual sense of style, yet his presence held an undeniable power of its own.

"Times change, old friend," he replied. "Three years can make a world of difference. Let\'s appreciate this long-awaited rematch for what it is – two rising stars of the Pinnacle going head-to-head."

Kang scoffed, a touch of arrogance at Gerrard\'s Words. "Rising stars? Please. You\'re talking about my son, the one born to lead. He\'ll single-handedly redefine the next generation of heroes."

Gerrard\'s smile was genuine. "Maybe. Or maybe what matters more is that unbreakable spirit. Power can only get you so far, right?"

Irritation crossed Kang\'s face. "Power is everything, Gerrard. You either have it, or you\'re already a loser. The weak are destined to serve. That\'s just how the world works."

Gerrard leaned forward, his tone deceptively mild. "Life\'s never quite that straightforward, is it? Sometimes, weakness hides extraordinary strength of will. On the other hand, You could be strong, but could never have the strength of a strong-minded weakling. Maybe years of success have blinded you to that simple truth, Kang?"

Kang smirked, unfazed, "You and your bleeding-heart idealism. It\'s always been your weakness, Gerrard."

Gerrard simply shrugged. "I\'ll be eagerly watching your son show us what he\'s got. Maybe we should even make a small wager..." He trailed off, then glanced playfully at Kang.

Kang annoyed at Gerrard asks a different question to divert the topic,

"Speaking of... who\'s your daughter up against?"

A flash of genuine curiosity crossed Gerrard\'s face. He was well aware of his daughter\'s prowess, but there was always a chance for unexpected outcomes.

Gerrard checked the match schedule, his attention snagging on a single name.

"Looks like she faces the student named Rel Laurence."

Gerrard knew that name... He recalled his daughter and her friends talking about the boy. He\'d questioned Valencia about it, but she\'d denied knowing him. Still, a nagging concern remained.

The roar of the crowd interrupted his thoughts. He stood, eyes on the distant platform.

"Seems our much-anticipated match is about to begin," he said. "Win or lose, you wouldn\'t criticise your son for this, would you, Kang?"

Kang stared back, his expression hardening. "Criticise him? My son has come this far and surpassed all expectations. Even if he lost to someone like... him," a slight hitch in his voice betrayed his unspoken concern,

"I wouldn\'t be disappointed. He is the hardest worker I know, dedicated to being the best person he could be."

A genuine smile broke through on Gerrard\'s face. "That\'s what I like to hear, old friend. I wouldn\'t want to see that fighting spirit of his crushed, regardless of the outcome."

Kang relaxed slightly, mirroring Gerrard\'s smile. "Never. I would be proud no matter what."

***

{Rel\'s POV}

[Pinnacle Academy, Stadium 1 - Arena A: Office Reception]

The walk to the administration office felt awful. Every step brought me closer to inevitable destruction, yet also to the last shred of hope I desperately clung to.

The tournament rules were vague on some things. While they specified that only academy-issued weapons were permitted, there was nothing about switching between weapon types. A loophole, perhaps?

Another flaw I found within my own novel...

But why? My crossbow was no match for Valencia\'s speed, even with my quick-shot skill It was pretty much useless. So why consider this madness?

A bow was pretty much better than what I had... Although my marksmanship wasn\'t at Jae\'s level. I could land enough shots to make her work for it. Defeat was inevitable, but perhaps not a total humiliation.

Of course, this absurd plan depended on two things: the availability of a bow, and Kolek being somewhere here.

But I had given up on searching for someone who couldn\'t be found and wasted precious minutes searching, my usually reliable homeroom teacher was a ghost. Which left me, standing sheepishly in the office, praying the usually stern-faced receptionists might display an uncharacteristic streak of mercy.

...

...

Finally, I reached the reception desk. The woman on duty was absorbed in her phone, her face lit by the endless scroll of… was that TikTok? Gods, even during the biggest event of the year, she was slacking off.

I cleared my throat, the sound startling her. She jerked upright, hastily shoving her phone out of sight.

"Sorry!" I blurted out. "Didn\'t mean to scare you."

"No worries," she mumbled, a flush colouring her cheeks. "Shouldn\'t be on my phone anyway… so, how can I help you?"

"Um..." My carefully crafted excuse wavered on my tongue. "I was wondering if I could change my weapon. My crossbow, it\'s kinda worn out—"

The receptionist frowned. "We can get a technician to look at it. Won\'t take more than ten minutes."

Ahhh my lie didn\'t work. I had to think of something else.

"I… I just want to use a standard bow instead, if that\'s okay. Think it\'d be my best bet."

I decided to tell her the truth since I couldn\'t think of anything else as my Mom always said honesty was the best policy, and it wasn\'t like I had time to develop a believable story.

The receptionist\'s reaction to my words was clearly unconvinced, her scepticism a physical force across the desk. Time to throw myself on the mercy of the Academy gods.

"You would need a permission slip signed by your homeroom teacher or an academy staff member for a weapons exchange."

Of course. I already knew the answer...

"If I could just hand in my crossbow in exchange…" I pleaded, grasping at straws.

"Absolutely not," she cut me off firmly. "Weapons policy, clear as day. You can\'t just swap willy-nilly. Find your homeroom teacher or someone authorized, then come back."

My shoulders slumped. Hope, once a burning candle, sputtered and died.

The optimism I\'d managed to muster earlier evaporated, leaving behind a cold dread.

"Okay," I mumbled, defeated. "Thank you for your time."

"No problem," she chirped, oblivious to the despair clouding my world.

As I turned and trudged away, the weight of the crossbow felt heavier than ever, not just in my hands, but in my spirit.

It was a useless piece of metal now, a symbol of my foolishness...

***

As Rel had finally settled on defeat a flash of purple caught his eye and he knew exactly who it was her hair was tied up in a ponytail and her usual presence was quiet like usual.

Jae Yoona had her bow slung across her back, she was late, maybe, but could she be turning in her weapon? Rel had nothing to lose, even if the odds of this quiet, intimidating girl lending him her bow were slim.

"J-J-Jae Yoona..." Rel\'s voice was softer than usual, barely a whisper.

"...?"

She turned her expression a mix of curiosity and confusion. A single, questioning tilt of her head was her reply.

Rel\'s eyes almost felt blinded. It was breathtaking seeing her up close and He thought of the comparison between Alice, Valencia and Jae. It was likely for him to say that the three belonged in a tier of their own.

Now, his knees felt weak, the words stumbling from his lips. "If you don\'t mind," he choked out, "is there any chance... you would lend me your bow? Just for this one match?"

Jae Yoona didn\'t answer. Her expression remained guarded, her only reaction was a slight hug of the bow against her chest.

Rel sensed her hesitation, She even took a few steps back to prevent him from coming closer.

Desperate, Rel pressed on, his voice catching. "Please... Just this one time. I won\'t ask for anything else. I\'ll even pay you to use it, just please... let me use it."

His pride was already in shambles, Rel couldn\'t stop himself. Words were failing him and it got to the point where he dropped to his knees, an instinctual act of a loser\'s desperation.

It was humiliating, a gesture he would regret, but the match against Valencia was one he wanted to try to win.

"...!"

Jae Yoona\'s expression was surprised as his glasses slipped, revealing a face that looked usually gloomy.

He put his glasses back on taking a step back, he fumbled once more, a last-ditch offer tumbling out as a counter-bargain. "I-I\'ll give you my study notes if you\'d like," he stammered. Perhaps that would sway her. It was a firm belief that Rel\'s knowledge surpassed even Alice\'s.

Jae\'s face tensed, a flash of indecision crossing her usually emotionless expression. Rel was brilliant, that much was obvious.

Alice even admitted wanting to sit by him, to see how he works in class... A discomfort of something unfamiliar, a twist of unease, settled in Jae\'s chest. She didn\'t like the idea of Alice hanging around this... anomaly. but she believed that Rel probably had the answers to every question there was in theory.

finally, she met his gaze, speaking.

"On one condition."

"Anything!" The word burst from him, fueled by relief and desperation.

"You\'ll be studying with Alice and me," she declared, her eyes unwavering. "In the library, the week before our mid-term theory exam."

"Huh?"

His world tilted. It wasn\'t the bow, but the prospect of studying with Alice and Jae, something he\'d never dared imagine. The idea was so absurd he even thought of saying no on the spot.

Rel thought to himself thinking why would she need help? Was this a joke?

Jae\'s motives felt cruel, Yet, his quest was on the line... it was a wildfire in his veins. He wanted this, needed it, consequences be damned.

"Okay," he finally choked out. "Fine."

Jae Yoona handed him the bow. "I\'ll need your contact info. We\'ll set up times to meet."

Numbly, he shared his details. As she walked away, doubt washed over him. Had he traded one impossible battle for another, stupid one?

He stood there in utter regret thinking of what he had done.

"Fuck..."

_____________

Authors Notes:

- Kang\'s record against Gerrard in wages Wins: 3 - Draws: 76 - Losses: 45