The saint, Adizel, bowed her head with a look of shame on her face.

The spectator seats, once filled with her fans, erupted in cheers of encouragement, telling her to hang in there, that everything was fine.

Adizel tried to say something, but perhaps due to the lingering effects of being strangled, she could only cough and sputter.

Leana turned her back to her and walked toward me with an expression of disbelief.

My face probably looked just like hers.

This wasn’t an outcome that should have happened.

In terms of explosive power, Adizel had the advantage and should’ve easily been able to break free from a joint lock using her overwhelming aura.

The fact that she couldn’t meant...

"...she far exceeded the limits set by the narrative."

There are limits to how much stronger one can get per chapter.

Of course, I’ve seen these guys casually break those limits before, reaching into the next chapter’s level even during the early evening.

There have been plenty of variables caused by me, after all.

But this time felt different.

Aura is a power that strengthens through training and experience, and that requires time.

Yes, there are exceptions, like consuming elixirs that provide a massive boost in a short period of time.

But the level of growth Leana showed goes far beyond what even an elixir can provide.

Unless she found some kind of time-dilating room to train in, which doesn’t exist in Asares, that’s not the answer.

Bellen was a likely candidate, but no matter how talented a swordswoman or brilliant a mentor she may be, this was beyond her scope.

I wondered if Leana had perhaps stumbled upon some kind of hidden opportunity I didn’t know about, but even if that were the case, the only possible route—the Frostheart Citadel—was reduced to rubble.

Which means there’s only one conclusion.

‘Donatan, you damn bastard. What the hell did you do this time?’

This guy...

‘A-hem! What are you talking about? What trick?’

‘You’re the only one who could’ve done it. If you keep denying it, I’ll be forced to add extra punishment.’

At my deadly threat, Donatan sighed in resignation and offered a deal.

‘If you promise not to punish me, I’ll tell you the truth.’

Suddenly, I remembered a useless science experiment.

‘Regular vinegar is mildly acidic, with a pH of around 2 to 3. When you add it to rusted iron, it speeds up the corrosion. Now, imagine dipping an already rusted sword into it. Curious what might happen?’

‘You’re not saying you're going to put me in vinegar, are you?’

‘That actually sounds like a good idea. I’ll be sure to document your firsthand experience of corroding in real-time and publish a paper on it.’

His usual wavering voice about whether to enter water or vinegar ended quickly.

Suddenly, static electricity surged from my hand.

‘I used electricity while you were asleep to pierce through the atrophied aura channels in their bodies.’

‘Atrophied aura channels?’

I didn’t know what that meant, so a quick Q&A session followed.

The human body, like a vestigial tailbone, has dormant aura channels.

He had activated those, increasing the aura capacity by expanding the storage space.

This wasn’t about strengthening the core or existing channels like an elixir would—it was more like building an entirely new storage unit.

That’s why the power surge was so extreme.

While I was amazed at his trick, I also felt slighted.

‘If you can do that, why haven’t you fixed the core in my body?’

‘The core is an incredibly complex organ. Restoring or regenerating it is virtually impossible. I don’t have regenerative abilities. In your case, the only solution is to be born again.’

‘So I’m the only one you’re useless for.’

Worse yet, it wasn’t just Leana he’d helped.

He did this to the entire Knight Division.

No wonder they held their own surprisingly well against Wisdom, despite their lack of experience.

When facing Ever Blaze, they even showed some composure.

To think all of this was because of a little electricity—I never would’ve imagined it.

‘But there’s something I’ve always wondered. Where does that electricity even come from?’

Sometimes when he manipulates my body, static suddenly shoots out.

It helps heighten my reflexes or push my muscles past their limit.

I’d always dismissed it as just some minor power of his.

But this electricity feels far stronger—much more intense than during the monstrous bird incident.

I guess Donatan’s grown stronger too, facing adversity with me.

Maybe I should praise him a little.

I smiled gently and said,

‘As expected, even you’ve managed to grow on your own—’

‘I offer my deepest apologies. I dared to use your lifespan without permission.’

My gentle praise and his criminal-level confession clashed mid-sentence.

Wait. What did he just say?

‘What did you just say?’

When I asked again, he tried to cover it up.

‘Ah, ahem. Growth, yes. I’ve accumulated power alongside you. The electricity has strengthened as well.’

But it was too late.

He clearly said the word "lifespan."

And I knew very well that he used my lifespan to fuel his powers.

‘Don’t tell me... the electricity’s source is my life energy?’

‘...’

‘So it was.’

‘C-calm down. Think of all the times we narrowly escaped death by sacrificing just a few minutes of your life.’

He tried to emotionally manipulate me and rationalize the situation.

And yes, trading a few minutes of life to survive is better than dying on the spot.

‘Let’s just move past it. Even if I knew it cost me lifespan, I would’ve made the same choice.’

But this time is different.

‘This time, there was no danger to my life at all. Worse, not only did you not help, but you also completely ruined what I was trying to achieve. And the most unforgivable part is that you used my lifespan to do it.’

‘I-I’m sorry.’

Vinegar isn’t enough this time.

I’ll use this opportunity to devise the most agonizing punishment possible.

Painfully detailed—from start to finish.

I must’ve accidentally let out the burning remnant of noble blood in anger.

People nearby were now staring at me.

They all looked cautious—except for two.

“We won, thanks to you.”

Leana, as oblivious as ever, casually stepped in to thank me.

Still, perhaps sensing the anger on my face, she hesitated slightly.

“I’ll make sure to win even more clearly next time.”

It felt like another stack of rage had been added, but there will be no next match for Leana.

That line likely meant she’d do better in the next narrative, which would actually be more beneficial.

So I answered appropriately.

“Do that. Even after graduating from Frostheart, you’ll need to manage well on your own.”

Leana gave a faint smile and turned around.

As she left, Dorosian smiled and asked,

“You don’t seem mad because of her. Did a bad memory resurface?”

Her eyes sparkled with amusement, like she’d spotted a kindred spirit.

As expected from someone who knows anger well, she picked up on it instantly.

“I’ve found someone deserving of a gruesome punishment. But unlike a living being, this thing is sealed inside an object. It’s hard coming up with torture methods.”

Donatan muttered something like “Don’t just talk about being merciful, Hersel! Show it in action!” but I ignored him.

Dorosian glanced at the air with a seductive look and said,

“Oh, torturing something sealed inside an object? That’s fun.”

So this is just another Tuesday for her, huh.

“I’d like to hear the expert’s opinion.”

“So you’re thinking of ways to cause psychological pain, right?”

She nailed it.

“Yeah, exactly. Hurting the object itself is basically just damaging its container.”

“Then why not just pull out part of the body? Like just the arm, so you can poke it with a needle or something.”

Her suggestion instantly piqued my interest.

“Is that possible?”

“It depends on the quality of the sealing spell and the device.”

I silently recalled the old, worn-out magic sword Donatan was sealed in.

As much as I hated to admit it, the seal was probably high-grade.

Donatan’s past feats made his claim that his former master was a Sword Saint somewhat credible.

He had never once lost in a sword duel without using aura.

Even if his former master wasn’t a Sword Saint, he must’ve been something close.

And though the blade is rusted, it has held its shape for a very long time.

Sure, there are many magic swords without a single spot of rust, but they’re usually made of special metal.

Ironically, the fact that a simple iron sword has lasted this long is what amazes me.

“Oh, by the way. You’ve lived a long time. You know how to read runes, right?”

“I used to.”

“You forgot...?”

“It’s an obsolete language. It’s only natural it faded from memory.”

Based on our conversation, it seems Donatan had been sealed in that sword since the ancient civilization where runes were used.

It might have been forged even before that era, so there’s no telling how old it really is.

“This is going to be harder than I thought. It’s no ordinary item.”

“Yeah? Then show it to me after the Aizen Arena is over. I’ll take a look.”

“I’d appreciate that.”

“Actually, forget that. Why don’t you just come over to my place?”

“Huh?”

“You’d need the right tools for that, wouldn’t you?”

“That’s true.”

But the area around us had grown noisy.

I hadn’t noticed because I was busy talking with Dorosian, but apparently, ever since earlier, the audience had been loudly complaining.

“Do it again!”

“This round doesn’t count!”

“I couldn’t even watch it, so why are they continuing the duel?”

One person even stood up and left, crying that they were heartbroken over their favorite saint, Adizel, being eliminated.

They were seated in the VIP section, which made their departure all the more conspicuous.

It was a blatant reminder that extreme fandom is problematic no matter the era.

Having seen such things on TV before, I calmly observed the committee members.

I wasn’t keen on it, but with someone in power throwing a tantrum, there was always a possibility of the result being overturned.

I had experienced it before.

For a moment, I was slightly excited, wondering if the outcome might change.

But the committee turned out to be far more reasonable than expected.

They didn’t overturn the result.

Instead, they simply announced that, in order to calm the audience, the next match would be postponed by three hours.

So I now had some time to rest and made my way to the waiting room.

On the way, a staff member stopped in front of me.

“What is it?”

“You’ve received a visitation request.”

“For me?”

“Yes, it’s a request to meet with Leana Rel Derevian.”

Visitation requests for participants have to be approved by the student council president.

So they must’ve come to me for confirmation.

“Who’s come to see her?”

I was secretly hoping it was Bellen, but the staff’s answer was unexpected.

“A maid from the Derevian family. Her identity has been verified.”

That gave me pause.

A maid from the Derevian household had come.

Most likely, the head of the family had sent some kind of message.

It was a variable brought on by reaching the finals and defeating Valient.

It felt a bit premature timing-wise, so I hesitated.

Refusing would’ve aligned with the values I’d held all this time—but strangely enough, I nodded in agreement.

I suppose it was the naïve thought that it might not be from Leana’s father but her mother, or maybe just a maid who missed Leana.

Maybe I was changing too.

I’d need to be more careful next time so I don’t make decisions like this again.

***

“Would you like to meet?”

The joy of reuniting with the maid faded quickly.

At the maid’s cautious words, Leana went momentarily blank.

‘Now, of all times?’

Her thoughts hadn’t changed at all from when she got the letter.

The suddenness only stirred up feelings of rejection.

But she couldn’t help being curious.

Even if unpleasant emotions were involved, blood ties still made her want to see for herself if he was doing well—if he was healthy.

With that, Leana collected herself and followed the maid.

They arrived at a secluded garden.

There, standing with his back turned, was her father—whom she hadn’t seen in a long time.

When the maid stepped back, he finally revealed himself.

The atmosphere wasn’t much different from before.

An expressionless face and a stiff tone.

“It’s been a while.”

“Why did you ask to see me?”

Skipping any pleasantries, she went straight to the point, and instead of getting angry, her father simply avoided her gaze.

The awkward air lingered for a while.

Apparently deciding to skip a few conversational steps, he finally broke the silence.

“It’s okay if you resent me. I’m sure this must be confusing. You can even look down on me as an opportunist who came only because of your performance in the match.”

“Did you come all the way here just to say that?”

“Were you hoping for a compliment?”

“Not exactly…”

“I’m sure I wrote something similar in the letter. How did it feel when you read it?”

“It was unpleasant.”

“That’s why I didn’t say anything out loud. And since you didn’t reply, I figured you were really angry.”

Leana narrowed her eyes, trying to organize her confused thoughts.

Her father, who always left her muddled and slipped away like a snake—that was the image she remembered from long ago.

“Then why…?”

“I’m breaking off the engagement. That’s what I came to tell you.”

Leana was dumbfounded.

“Again? Just like that? Why?”

“Well, it doesn’t seem necessary anymore.”

“What?”

“Even though I blocked your path as a knight, you fought admirably.”

As he continued speaking nonsense, Leana’s brain short-circuited.

“What?”

“Judging by your reaction, I see you still don’t know. Well, it’s not really something you need to understand. Either way, it’s a good thing. You don’t have to marry that delinquent anymore.”

Leana fell silent.

While she was happy not to be forced into a ridiculous engagement anymore, she also felt an inexplicable sense of rejection.

“That part is good, yes, but… he didn’t seem entirely like a delinquent…”

“He tried to force a kiss on someone in front of a crowd, didn’t he?”

Leana was left speechless again.

She’d caught herself defending him—and that unsettled her.

‘He’s not a bad person. That’s the truth.’

So really, she was just correcting a misperception.

“That was only because he wanted to win…”

“And why, exactly, would one need to do that in order to win?”

But she had no answer for that.

“.........”

“Since you’re not saying anything, I guess he’s still chasing women. That’s good. I didn’t want to be associated with someone like him anyway.”

“…You’re so annoying.”

Leana turned without saying goodbye and stormed off.

The family head, left standing there alone, let out a bitter laugh—until his eyes widened at the sudden appearance of Bellen.

“Hey now, was that really necessary?”

“Treating her like it’s the old days only made her angrier.”

“She’s long past puberty. And then you say all that without even knowing the full story—it’s only natural she’d react like that.”

“Still, I thought she’d be thrilled to hear the engagement was off…”

Bellen gave him a look of pure exasperation.

“Wait—were you seriously trying to fix your relationship with just that one line?”

“I thought it’d be effective. My trump card. I honestly believed she’d light up and hug me the moment she heard it. After all, she’d finally be free of that scum.”

Bellen smacked her palm against the chest in frustration.

And yes, it was the chest of the family head.

As the head of the family coughed up blood from the pain of her steel-like punch, Bellen clicked her tongue and shook her head.

“Oh dear. You really don’t understand anything. Listen, Hersel—”

After hearing what Bellen said next, the head of the Derevian family wore a dazed expression for the rest of the day.