The screaming match in the backyard was escalating fast. Seniors were shoving each other, sparks and gravity distortions were faintly humming in the air, and Yellow Volcano's face was turning nearly as red as his magical magma.
But right in the middle of the grueling shouting match, a familiar melody of voices drifted over from the edge of the boys' dormitory path, cutting right through the noise.
"Crimson Phantom!" Aisha's voice called out.
I blinked and looked over the shoulders of the brawling upperclassmen. Standing there, waiting for me, were the three girls. I had to admit, I was impressed. The completely blood-drenched, sticky uniforms they were wearing twenty minutes ago were totally gone. Thanks to a few high-speed cleaning spells or a frantic trip to the academy's automated laundry vaults, their outfits were now shining ivory and gold, completely brand new and pristine without a single dark speck left on them.
Seeing my perfect escape window, I subtly shifted my weight, using a tiny burst of hunter agility to smoothly slip out of the dense crowd of arguing seniors without anyone even realizing I was moving.
Holding my black umbrella high to block the sun, I turned back and waved casually at the crowd.
"Sorry, boys! I've gotta keep going. Duty calls!"
The seniors who had been defending me suddenly paused their shouting, looking around in confusion as they realized I had already escaped the center of the conflict.
"Wait, Zenni! Where are you going? We were just getting warmed up!" the sophomore yelled.
Across the path, Yellow Volcano sneered, crossing his massive arms as his men patted his shoulders. He didn't try to stop me from leaving. Instead, he threw one last ominous glare my way.
"Enjoy your walk, freshman. Good luck at our battle, Crimson Phantom. You're going to need it."
"Yeah, yeah. Keep it warm for me, senior," I called back with a lazy shrug.
I walked away from the brewing riot, approaching the security gate separating the dorm sectors. I pressed my thumb against the enchanted scanner, a soft ding chiming as it registered my fingerprint and clicked the gate open.
The moment I stepped through and reached the girls, a massive cloud of sweet, floral mist hit me dead in the face.
"Pffft...cough!"
I stumbled back, waving my hand in front of my face as Amelia aggressively held up a sleek glass bottle, spraying a heavy dose of expensive perfume all over my uniform.
"Hey! What is that for?!" I laughed, adjusting my umbrella.
"To hide the stench of your blood, obviously! Do you have any idea how hard it was to get those stains out? The laundry runes barely processed it!" Amelia huffed, tossing her hair as she snapped the cap back on the perfume.
"Seriously, Zenni! We had to use three different scent-neutralizing charms just so we wouldn't smell like a battlefield during the afternoon ceremony. You are so lucky our uniforms have self-repair threads." Aisha chimed in, stepping close and pinching my sleeve with a pout.
Cindy sighed, though a small, amused smile played on her lips as she looked at my perfectly clean clothes.
"At least you managed to clean yourself up too, Zenni. If you walked into the coliseum smelling like iron, the Archivist would have suspected something immediately."
"Alright, alright, I'm sorry, ladies, but hey, you all look absolutely stunning in those fresh uniforms. Now, let's get to the arena. I have a volcano to extinguish." I chuckled, Zenni's charming, roguish smirk returning as I walked between them, shielding them from the midday heat with my wide umbrella.
As we walked side-by-side through the grand, sunlit pathways of the academy, I noticed a slight dampness to their hair, glistening under the afternoon sun. Ah, that explained it. They hadn't just sprinted to the laundry vaults...they had to take a frantic, high-speed bath to wash my crimson mana completely out of their hair before it dried. No wonder they smelled like a walking garden of expensive lilies and sweet berries.
Suddenly, the sweet atmosphere vanished as all three of these beautiful girls simultaneously lunged forward, swarming around me with playful but fierce glares.
Amelia grabbed my arm, pouting so hard her cheeks turned pink.
"You better win this match, Zenni! Do you have any idea how much of my imported, expensive soap I had to use just to get your stupid iron smell out of my hair?! My bottle is completely ran out, and my hair is totally ruined for the afternoon ceremony!"
"Mine too! I had to scrub my scalp three times! If you lose to Yellow Volcano after making us go through a literal bloodbath during lunch, we are never letting you sit at our table again!" Aisha whined, jumping up and down beside me while tugging at my shoulder.
Cindy folded her arms, shaking her head with a dramatic, heavy sigh.
"My hair dryer charm almost short-circuited from the rush. You really owe us big time for this, freshman prodigy."
Faced with the collective wrath of three freshly showered, furious academy girls, I could only hold up my free hand in mock surrender while keeping my black umbrella steady over our heads. I let out a lazy, thoroughly amused shrug.
"Alright, alright, I hear you, I swear I won't pop a blood shield over you guys ever again. I'll make sure to practice my blood manipulation until the bubble is perfectly mastered and doesn't leave a single splash next time." I promised, Zenni's signature roguish grin spreading across my face.
"You better!"
Amelia huffed, though she didn't let go of my arm, her grip loosening just enough to show she wasn't actually genuinely mad anymore.
Chatting and bickering like a perfectly normal, popular group of students, we finally crossed the rear courtyard and arrived at the towering, enchanted gates of the main coliseum facility. The grand banners for the afternoon matches were fluttering wildly in the wind, and the distant roar of the gathering crowd inside the stadium was already vibrating through the stone floorboards.
Suddenly, a large bell rang at the pathway of the Northern District
"BONG! BONG! BONG!"
Right on cue, the resounding mechanical chime of the campus bell tower echoed across the courtyards, officially marking the end of our chaotic lunch break. The afternoon program was about to begin.
The heavy gates of the coliseum swung open, and the sea of returning students began to funnel back inside, their voices buzzing with anticipation for the final match.
The beautiful, freshly scented girls finally let go of my arms, giving me one last round of encouraging...and slightly threatening...glares.
"Don't you dare get a single scratch on that uniform, Zenni, we expect a flawless victory." Amelia warned, flashing a playful smirk.
"Go smash that volcano into pieces!" Aisha cheered, waving enthusiastically as she and Cindy began to blend into the crowd.
"Good luck, Zenni. We'll be cheering for you from the front row," Cindy added with a warm nod.
With a final wave, they separated from me and proceeded up the grand stone staircases toward the gymnasium bleachers, leaving a lingering trail of floral perfume in the air.
I watched them go, my easygoing smile slowly shifting into something much colder, much more calculated. I turned on my heel, snapping my black umbrella shut as I bypassed the public entrances and headed down the dimly lit, private corridors leading to the combatant staging areas.
Pushing open the heavy oak door, I stepped into the preparation room. The space was dead silent, smelling faintly of old leather, iron weapons, and defensive runes. The stone walls effectively muffled the roaring crowd above, giving me a moment of absolute isolation.
I placed my umbrella against the weapon rack and stretched my arms, feeling the smooth, unrestricted flow of my mana beneath my immaculate uniform.
I took a slow, deep breath, letting the lazy persona of Zenni fade away for just a few seconds, replaced by the suffocating, lethal aura of the true Crimson Phantom. It was time to head up there, entertain the masses, and extinguish a volcano for good.