The results spread through Twilight Academy like wildfire—Class D had triumphed in the First Elimination Round. But what should've been met with applause was instead met with disbelief, envy, and quiet fear.
"How did a bunch of failures win?"
"They cheated. They had to."
"No one from Class D should have survived, let alone won."
In the instructor's hall, voices grew heated.
"That technique—Blood Thread! That girl used a banned method!"
"It's not banned," Han Li said calmly, his fingers tapping the desk. "It's a personally developed technique, registered under my name."
A hush fell. Elder Qiu narrowed his eyes. "You mean to tell us you taught them your methods?"
Han Li offered a faint smile. "They are my students. Is it strange to teach them how to survive?"
Silence.
Meanwhile, the students of Class D returned to their quarters, bruised but smiling.
Yue Qian tossed her blade on the table. "We really did it. They were stronger—more resources, better gear—and we still won."
Long Wu leaned back, arms behind his head. "Now they know we're not weak."
But Mo Xue's eyes stayed cold. "They won't sit quietly. Not after this. They'll target us harder next round."
Lin Yan nodded. "Let them come. We won't lose again."
Unknown to them, in the depths of the academy's vault, a masked figure reviewed a crystal orb replaying the match.
"That power… his students are evolving too quickly. Han Li is hiding something."
Outside, the sky rumbled faintly. Far in the distance, the seal on the Sky-Eater pulsed again—responding to the rise of power it had once known.