"There’s no need. What’s the point of that?" Yan Yining retorted, her eyes never leaving the match.

Why is Mo Ying always so composed? Just looking at her is irritating.

"Actually, you want Senior Yuhuai to win, don’t you?" Yan Yutong said perceptively.

Yan Yining froze. She had wanted to ask how Yan Yutong knew something she herself hadn’t fully realized, but her own behavior had been far too obvious. Her gaze had been fixed on Mo Ying the entire time—filled with hostility and jealousy.

Why? Why was she more jealous of Mo Ying than Yan Yu Huai?

As Yan Yining fell into thought, Yan Yutong and Yan You’an turned their attention back to the match.

"Senior is so cool! Go, Senior Mo Ying!" Yan Yutong cheered excitedly.

On the field, Yan Yu Huai and Mo Ying were locked in a fierce battle.

Relying on his Combat Instincts, Yan Yuhuai continuously dodged attacks, occasionally using Guaranteed-hit to pressure his opponent. Mo Ying, on the other hand, could only rely on her reflexes to evade—but her greatest advantage lay in her stamina. Here, stamina referred to the energy consumed when using abilities, and in this regard, she was exceptionally gifted. According to rough estimates by the instructors, Mo Ying’s stamina was at least twice that of an average Affinity User.

Because of this, she had no need to conserve energy. She simply stopped dodging altogether, relying purely on her abilities to block incoming attacks.

The arena was incredibly sturdy, showing no damage even after multiple battles. Yan Yuhuai sheathed his sword, and Mo Ying put away her handgun—with one bullet still left. The fight paused momentarily.

"I think this battle has gone on a bit too long," Mo Ying said.

"Looks like we’re evenly matched?" Yan Yuhuai said, somehow producing a folding fan and casually fanning himself.

"Is that so? The outcome isn’t decided yet." Mo Ying put away her whip as well.

She’s about to make a big move. Yan Yuhuai braced himself, sensing her next attack.

"You’ve got to be kidding me…" His expression changed.

With a flick of her hand, dozens of red points of light spread evenly across the arena.

"There’s nowhere left for you to hide," Mo Ying said, snapping her fingers. "You’ll have to face it head-on."

Boom!

In an instant, the fifty-meter-radius arena was engulfed in flames. The referee and spectators instinctively stepped back.

"My god…" someone gasped.

"She’s incredible…" Yan Yutong murmured, eyes full of admiration.

"Can Senior Yuhuai block that?" Yan Youan said nervously.

Boom!

Another explosion echoed, but no one could see what was happening inside.

As the flames dissipated, everyone held their breath, waiting for the result.

Yan Yuhuai was sitting on the ground, while Mo Ying stood steadily, her handgun aimed at his forehead.

Bang!

Mo Ying lowered her gun. Of course, she hadn’t actually fired—the sound had come from her own voice.

"The outcome is decided," the referee announced, breaking the silence.

The crowd erupted instantly.

"That was amazing. Battles between strong opponents really are the best."

"This year’s first-years are insane. You did pretty well back then, but against those two, you’d be completely crushed."

The one being addressed nodded, then shook his head. "N-no way!"

"I wish I had talent like that…" someone else sighed enviously.

So I lost… in both academics and combat. Yan Yu Huai accepted the reality.

"Your ability is ridiculous. I admit defeat," he said, shaking his head as he tried to stand.

Mo Ying reached out and helped him up. "I had fun."

The moment their hands touched, Yan Yu Huai jolted as if struck by electricity, springing to his feet.

Under Mo Ying’s puzzled gaze, he pressed a hand to his racing heart. "Me too."

"Powerful, and precisely controlled…" Yan Wanyi muttered, then turned to her daughter. "Look at others and learn—"

Yan Yining wasn’t listening. Her expression darkened as she stared at Mo Ying, then turned and walked away.

"Where are you going?" Yan Wanyi asked.

"Home. Where else would I go?" Yan Yining replied.

"You child—watch how you speak to your mother," Yan Wanyi scolded.

"Hmm…" Yan Youan watched her leave, thinking. "Why does it feel like Senior Yining isn’t very happy?"

"I’m not sure, but I think I can guess a little," Yan Yutong said.

Both Mo Ying and Yan Yuhuai were peers who outperformed Yan Yining, yet her hostility toward Mo Ying was clearly stronger. It wasn’t just because of rankings—there was likely another factor.

They were both women. This was jealousy between equals.

But within that, there was something more complicated.

"What are you thinking about?" her twin brother asked.

"I’m thinking… human emotions are quite fascinating."

"Wow, there you go again, pretending to be all mature."

"What do you mean by that?"

Meanwhile, Mo Ying and Yan Yu Huai continued chatting amicably after the match, holding to the idea that friendship came before competition.

"Why did Yining leave so quickly?" Mo Ying asked. She had only blinked, and Yan Yining was already gone.

"Probably going back to prepare for your final tomorrow. You know how much her mother cares about results—both written exams and combat," Yan Yu Huai shrugged.

"True. You and I, on the other hand… I guess no one really manages us," Mo Ying said.

Yan Yu Huai’s parents had died in an accident when he was twelve. He was now raised by relatives who had their own children, so while they provided for him materially, they didn’t pay him much attention.

"What about your parents? Do they expect you to get first place?" he asked.

"No. They’re busy. They’ve never really had expectations for me," Mo Ying replied.

"Hmm… would that count as irresponsible? Ah, forget I said that. Maybe Yining is jealous of you," he guessed.

Bang!

Yan Yining slammed her door shut, then immediately realized it had been too loud.

"Crap, that was too hard!" She turned back nervously, placing a hand on the doorknob before letting go. "Why am I even worried? Mom isn’t home yet."

Her report card lay on the desk, likely placed there after Yan Wanyi had looked at it. Seeing her third-place ranking annoyed her. She shoved it into a drawer, opened her computer, and continued working on her unfinished program.

"Cybersecurity… that falls under information security. Let’s see…" she muttered, following along with a video—but her mind kept wandering.

She had intended to relax a bit before practicing her abilities, but thoughts of tomorrow’s match kept intruding.

"Third place is already great. Look at me—I’m over two hundred. Don’t be so hard on yourself," a classmate’s voice echoed in her mind.

"If only my mom thought that way…" Yan Yining slumped over her desk.

If only I could think that way too.

"Why can’t she just be a little lazy? Or have less talent? After all, her parents don’t even care about her results…"

Her voice grew quieter, until she fell asleep.

Yan Yining had a beautiful dream.

In the dream, she ranked first in exams and performed exceptionally well in her match against Mo Ying.

They fought intensely, exchanging blows. After a fierce battle, Yan Yining stood up from the ground, touching the slight sting at her neck wound, and looked ahead. Mo Ying appeared completely relaxed, defenseless.

She didn’t know why—but it was an opportunity.

You… the one who took my place and kept me from ever satisfying my mother… you deserve to be taught a lesson!

Bang.

Yan Yining fired a shot. Mo Ying’s body swayed, blood slowly spilling from her lips as she collapsed, a shocked expression on her face.

She won?

Wait—Mo Ying wouldn’t react that slowly. This really is a dream.

"My god…"

"How could she…"

"Get help—"

The voices sounded distant. Yan Yining’s head throbbed faintly. Her hand trembled, and the gun slipped to the ground.

Clatter.

Suddenly, someone slapped her.

"Yan Yining! Look at what you’ve done!"

She snapped awake. The sounds around her and the scene before her became clear.

Yan Wanyi stood before her, face twisted with rage.

Ah… she understood now.

Why Mo Ying had been defenseless—because the match had already ended. The victory belonged to Mo Ying. And she, Yan Yining, was nothing but a despicable loser who attacked her opponent out of spite.

She saw Yan Yuhuai looking at her with unfamiliar disappointment.

"No… that’s not it. I didn’t mean to hurt her…" Yan Yining stepped back, clutching her head. How could she have done something like this?

"Not getting first place is one thing, but doing something this despicable—you’ve completely disgraced me!" Yan Wanyi lashed out in front of everyone.

…Heh. Not caring about Mo Ying’s condition, not questioning why I would do such a thing—only caring about my results and your reputation, is that it?