CHAPTER 9 — The Duel of Monsters and Shadows
"They sent monsters to test me… but what they didn't realize was—I've already become something worse."
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The courtyard didn't recover.
It didn't calm.
It didn't breathe again.
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It got worse.
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The moment the shadowed figure stepped forward in the previous duel… something changed in the air itself.
Magic didn't flow anymore.
It pressed.
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Aira Valen stood at the center of it all, chest rising and falling, her body still vibrating from devouring Kaelis's forbidden rune.
Her veins burned.
Her muscles trembled.
Her Devour—
Was wide awake.
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"…You're not here to duel," she said quietly.
Her eyes locked onto the figure emerging from the shadows.
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The hooded presence tilted their head slightly.
"Smart."
Their voice was calm.
Measured.
Like someone observing an experiment.
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"Duel implies fairness," they continued.
A pause.
Then—
"This is evaluation."
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Aira smiled.
Sharp.
Dangerous.
"Then you should've brought something stronger."
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Silence.
Then—
The air shattered.
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The Monsters Are Released
Magic tore open behind her.
Not one.
Not two.
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Multiple gates.
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Cracks of darkness splitting the courtyard open like wounds.
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And from them—
They came.
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Creatures.
Not summoned normally.
Not controlled cleanly.
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These were unstable constructs.
Half-formed.
Overfed with magic.
Barely contained.
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A wolf with molten veins and fractured bones glowing beneath its skin.
A serpent made of frost and shadow, its body glitching between forms.
A hulking beast stitched from different magical signatures, breathing raw arcane fire.
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And more.
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Aira's breath slowed.
Not fear.
Never fear.
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Recognition.
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"…You're feeding me."
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The figure didn't answer.
But the creatures—
Moved.
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Multi-Target Devour – First Real Limit Test
The wolf lunged first.
Too fast for a normal student.
Too violent for a clean defense.
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Aira stepped forward.
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Impact.
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Its claw hit her shoulder—
And instead of tearing through—
It stalled.
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Her Devour latched onto it instantly.
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Energy surged into her body.
Hot.
Violent.
Explosive.
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At the same time—
The serpent struck from behind.
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Too fast to turn.
Too fast to block.
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It wrapped around her arm—
Freezing.
Crushing.
Injecting magic directly into her veins.
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Aira gasped—
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Then smiled.
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"…More."
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Devour Evolution – Multi-Channel Absorption
Something inside her snapped into place.
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Before—
She absorbed one attack.
One source.
One flow.
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Now—
Two.
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Her Devour split.
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One stream pulling from the wolf.
Another draining the serpent.
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Her body screamed.
Too much input.
Too much power.
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But she held it.
Forced it.
Controlled it.
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"Take it… all…"
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Energy flooded her.
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Her vision flickered.
For a second—
Everything turned white.
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Then—
Sharp.
Clear.
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Her senses expanded.
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She could feel magic.
Not just near her.
But everywhere.
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"…So this is the next level."
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The Crowd Breaks
From the shadows—
Students could no longer stay quiet.
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> "She's absorbing two at once—!" "That's impossible—!" "Her body should collapse—!"
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Some stepped back.
Others turned away.
Unable to watch.
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Because they realized—
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This wasn't a fight anymore.
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This was transformation.
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Ren Kael – The Line He Won't Cross
From above—
Ren Kael's eyes darkened.
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"She's overloading…"
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His hand lifted slightly.
Magic gathering.
Instinct screaming at him to intervene.
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But he didn't move.
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Because he knew.
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If he stepped in now—
She would hate it.
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And worse—
She might stop growing.
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"…Don't die," he muttered again.
His voice quieter this time.
More dangerous.
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"Because if you do…"
A pause.
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"I'll kill everything responsible."
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The Battle Escalates
The stitched beast charged next.
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Massive.
Unstable.
Overflowing with mixed magic.
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Fire.
Lightning.
Decay.
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Aira turned toward it—
Still absorbing the other two.
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"…Let's push it further."
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She didn't release them.
Didn't stop.
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She added a third.
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Breaking the Human Limit
The beast's fist crashed into her—
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And her Devour—
Took it.
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Three streams.
Three sources.
Three different types of magic.
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Her body broke.
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Bones cracked.
Muscles tore.
Veins burned.
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But instantly—
They healed.
Stronger.
Faster.
Better.
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Her body was evolving in real time.
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Not human anymore.
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Something else.
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Something built to survive this.
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New Ability – Partial Control
The wolf collapsed first.
Drained.
Empty.
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The serpent weakened next—
But instead of dissolving—
It twitched.
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Aira blinked.
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"…Wait."
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The magic didn't disappear.
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It stayed.
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Attached.
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Responsive.
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She moved her fingers—
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And the serpent—
Moved with her.
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The crowd gasped.
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> "She's not just devouring—!" "She's controlling it—!"
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Aira's lips parted slightly.
"…I can keep it?"
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Not everything.
Not fully.
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But enough.
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Enough to use.
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The Hunter Watches
From the edge of the courtyard—
The shadowed figure observed.
Still.
Silent.
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"…Adaptation confirmed," they murmured.
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Their eyes narrowed slightly.
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"Then let's increase the pressure."
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Final Monster – The Dragon Returns
The ground cracked open again.
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Everything went silent.
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Even the remaining creatures froze.
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Then—
It emerged.
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A dragon-shaped construct.
But not like before.
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This one was…
Stable.
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Controlled.
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Perfect.
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Its wings spread—
Blocking the moonlight entirely.
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Its eyes locked onto Aira.
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And unlike the others—
It didn't attack immediately.
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It waited.
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Clash of Predators
Aira released the remaining energy from the serpent.
Letting it dissolve.
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Not because she had to.
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Because she chose to.
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"…You're different."
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The dragon roared.
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And then—
It moved.
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Faster than anything before.
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Aira met it head-on.
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No hesitation.
No fear.
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Full Devour Mode
The moment they collided—
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Everything exploded.
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Magic.
Force.
Light.
Shadow.
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Aira grabbed its jaw mid-strike—
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And devoured.
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Not piece by piece.
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All at once.
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Climax – Devouring the Impossible
The dragon resisted.
Harder than anything before.
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Its magic fought back.
Pushed.
Tore.
Burned.
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Aira screamed—
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But didn't let go.
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"…Mine—!"
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Her Devour expanded.
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For a moment—
It felt like it covered the entire courtyard.
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Then—
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Silence.
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The dragon shattered.
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Gone.
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Consumed.
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Aftermath – Fear Becomes Reality
Aira stood alone.
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Breathing heavily.
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Her body glowing faintly.
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Her aura—
Different.
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Not just strong.
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Predatory.
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Alive.
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> "She devoured it…" "That wasn't possible…" "She's not a student anymore…"
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They weren't whispering anymore.
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They were afraid.
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Final Confrontation – The Real Enemy Steps Forward
Clap.
Clap.
Clap.
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Slow.
Measured.
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The shadowed figure stepped forward.
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"Impressive."
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Aira looked up.
Smiling.
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"Your turn?"
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The figure stopped just a few steps away.
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"…Not yet."
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Aira frowned slightly.
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"You're not strong enough."
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Silence.
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Then—
Aira laughed.
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Low.
Dangerous.
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"Then why are you here?"
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The figure leaned closer.
Just enough for their voice to reach her alone.
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"To see if you're worth breaking."
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Cliffhanger – The Game Changes
Aira's Devour flared violently.
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Not from hunger.
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From challenge.
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"Try me."
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The figure straightened.
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"…Soon."
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Then—
They disappeared.
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Gone.
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Like they were never there.
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Ending Hook
From above—
Ren Kael finally moved.
Landing silently behind her.
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"You're getting involved in something bigger than this academy," he said.
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Aira didn't turn.
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"I know."
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Her lips curved slowly.
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"And I like it."
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Her eyes flickered with something dangerous.
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Because now—
She understood.
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The academy wasn't the battlefield.
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It was just the beginning.
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"The monsters were just a test… but the one watching me? That's the real enemy—and I'm going to devour them too."