Jake left the stage after being declared the winner and changed back to his original form. Asher thought it would be better not to reveal that he knew Jake's true identity of being another system wielder.
When Jake returned to them, Emily and Asher congratulated him on his win.
As Jake sat down beside Emily, he leaned in close to Asher, his voice barely above a whisper. "Are you surprised?" he asked, his breath tickling Asher's ear.
Asher's heart skipped a beat as he felt a shiver run down his spine. He turned to Jake, his eyes narrowing slightly. What did Jake mean by that question? Was he referring to his victory in the battle, or something more?
Asher's mind racing with possibilities, he tried to play it cool. "What do you mean?" he asked, his voice neutral.
Jake just smiled, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Nothing," he said, leaning back in his chair. "Just wondering if you're surprised."
The conversation seemed innocent enough, but Asher couldn't shake the feeling that Jake was hiding something. What did he know, and how did he know it?
Asher's eyes locked onto Jake's, searching for answers. But Jake's expression was serene, giving nothing away.
Emily noticed Asher's pale face and asked if he was okay. Asher denied anything was wrong.
The matches continued, and it was time for the last two contestants to battle. One of the contestants, who seemed familiar to Asher, ended the battle in a blink of an eye. However, Asher was lost in thought and didn't focus on the battle.
The last battle of the day was between two mysterious contestants. One of them was a beautiful and charming lady with long, flowing silver hair and piercing emerald green eyes. She wore a sleek black dress that hugged her curves in all the right places, and she carried a gleaming silver sword that seemed to shine with an inner light.
Her opponent was a tall, muscular man with a menacing scowl. He was dressed in a sleeveless shirt and ripped jeans, and he carried a massive war hammer that looked like it could crush a car.
The battle began, and the man charged at the lady with a fierce roar. But to everyone's surprise, the lady didn't flinch. She simply raised her sword, and a blast of energy shot out, striking the man with incredible force.
The man flew across the battlefield, crashing into the wall with a loud thud. He struggled to get to his feet, but the lady was too fast. She darted towards him, her sword flashing in the light.
In a blur of motion, the lady struck the man with a series of swift, precise blows. He tried to defend himself, but she was too agile, too quick. She dodged his attacks with ease, striking back with deadly precision.
The battle was over in a matter of seconds. The man lay defeated on the ground, and the lady stood over him, her chest heaving with exertion.
Mochi's voice echoed through the speakers, "And the winner of this battle is... the lady in black! Congratulations!"
The crowd erupted into cheers
As the lady walked off the stage, Asher couldn't help but feel a sense of awe. Who was she, and how had she become so incredibly skilled? Although he barely watched.
No one understood how this lady won. Mochi congratulated the winner, and after announcing the end of the day's training, everyone disappeared.
Everyone was relieved that no one had died permanently. Emily approached Asher, asking why he didn't battle. Asher replied that maybe Mochi forgot about him.
Emily wasn't convinced, but she thought it was possible due to the large number of students. Jake remained silent, watching them.
As they walked out together, discussing the match, Asher tried to avoid talking about himself. They met another group of students, and Emily went to greet them.
Jake then turned to Asher and said, "I know." Asher's mind was puzzled once again.
Asher asked Jake if he had a different system, and Jake replied, "Yes, I do."
Asher decided to open up about his system to Jake, but just then, Emily called them to come and greet the other students.
When they arrived, Jake was greeted warmly, but Asher was ignored. Asher felt angry but thought it wasn't their fault.
As Asher walked away, feeling ignored and unimportant, he couldn't help but think about how he was always treated like an outsider. He felt like he didn't belong, like he was just a ghost hovering on the fringes of society.
Lost in thought, Asher didn't notice the person in front of him until he bumped into her. Apologetic, he looked up to see a familiar face - the lady he had saved in the SSS rank dungeon.
The lady's eyes widened in surprise, and then a warm smile spread across her face. "you" she sighed her voice filled with gratitude.
Asher's eyes narrowed, surprised she remembers him."you still recognize me" he asked, his voice cautious.
"of course I do", she replied
The lady's smile faltered for a moment, and then she replied, "I've been searching for you, I wanted to thank you for saving my life in the dungeon." she said with a shy tone.
Asher's expression softened, and he felt a sense of pride and purpose. Maybe, just maybe, he wasn't as invisible as he thought.
The lady nodded, her expression thoughtful. "I see," she said. "Well, Asher, I'm glad I ran into you. My name is Lila, by the way." her shy tone over shadowing her voice.
Asher smiled, feeling a sense of connection with Lila. "Nice to meet you, Lila," he replied, his heart feeling a little lighter.
As they stood there, talking and laughing together, Asher felt like he had finally found someone who saw him, who heard him. And for the first time in a long time, he felt like he belonged.