On the Reno Continent, students who dared to act high and mighty before our Director Bolong were—

well, if not unprecedented,

then certainly never to be seen again.

But Sima Luan Tong’s arrival shattered that norm completely.

The mighty Director Bolong now had only one thought—

to smear mud all over that pretty boy’s face and shove a steaming pile of dung down his throat.

“Who’s this brat daring to act tough in front of *me*, Bolong?! You— you— you…”

Bolong had been about to order the silver-haired kid to eat mud, but then he saw Alpha…

Our mighty Admissions Director instantly turned to stone.

Her water-bright eyes sparkled playfully, their dark depths seeming to pull you in with a single glance. Silky hair tumbled over her shoulders, bangs half-covering one eye—inviting curiosity. Especially that blissful expression radiating pure happiness, paired with her naturally adorable voice!

—This was the pinnacle of cuteness!

Even Bolong felt compelled to marvel at the Creator’s craftsmanship!

“Act tough? Tough about *what*?”

Ryosuke shot the old man an impatient glare. Ever since he’d carried Alpha up here, the geezer’s eyes hadn’t left her.

He didn’t know why, but that lecherous stare just pissed him off!

“Tough about… submitting your *documents*! Young man, you’re here to enroll, right? Ah, truly promising! A pillar of the nation!”

*Thud!*

Students collapsed all around the registration area!

Those still standing had jaws scraping the floor, pupils wide and glassy.

*Was this… really Bolong? The man who had wind and rain at his beck and call?*

“Oh? Enrollment needs documents? What a hassle…”

Ryosuke pulled a satchel off his shoulder with infuriating nonchalance and tossed a citizen ID onto the desk—the one Snowball had arranged back in Xianglong City.

“This work?”

Bolong’s mouth twitched as if slapped, but he forced a smile.

“A citizen ID is mandatory. Do you also have proof of your Battle Qi or magic rank?”

“Proof? I don’t have that crap.”

Another invisible slap cracked across Bolong’s face.

“Then why are you here, brat?!”

“To enroll, obviously. Did you think I came just to see your ugly mug, old man…”

“I—I’M FURIOUS!”

That “old man” shattered Bolong’s last thread of restraint. Only Alpha’s adorable presence stopped him from pulverizing the brat into dust!

*Even Granny could take it, but Auntie couldn’t! Auntie might endure, but Uncle sure as hell wouldn’t!*

Bolong surged to his feet, looming over Ryosuke. Earth-yellow Battle Qi flickered around him.

Ryosuke glared back unflinchingly, frost swirling at his feet.

The table between them shattered without warning. Nearby students scattered like startled birds. *Seriously?* Anyone could see Bolong was about to burst a blood vessel. Stick around, and you’d leave your corpse behind!

“Who the hell is this demon?!”

“The registration desk is doomed!”

“Hope it doesn’t wreck my family’s restaurant chain near Kempfa!”

“Dude, you’re loaded?! After this, even if we didn’t study together, we’ve faced death side by side! Gimme a discount next time!”

“Deal!”

“…”

The fleeing crowd somehow still haggled over business deals.

*Truly the Imperial Capital…*

Only Jing Yue watched Ryosuke with deepening interest.

Whenever Bolong’s Battle Qi neared Ryosuke, solid ice blocked it.

*This kid’s no ordinary brat.*

Jing Yue adjusted her gold-rimmed glasses, crossing her legs as she observed. Thanks to this old-young duo, the enrollment queue had vanished. Only a handful of young men and women remained.

Those who stayed had real skill.

Just as everyone braced for a clash as inevitable as a loaded gun or a man in bed—

*—a release was unavoidable*—

the loli in the silver-haired brat’s arms suddenly grabbed a card.

“Mew!”

It was Ryosuke’s citizen ID, fallen when the table broke. No one had noticed it—not even Ryosuke himself—until Alpha snatched it with a “mew!” and clutched it to her chest.

Her expression screamed, *Don’t take it from me!*

*Please don’t be this cute!*

“AHHH—!”

Bolong roared, blood surging to his throat. His earth-yellow Battle Qi collapsed as he slumped into his chair like a terminal cancer patient awaiting death.

Ryosuke stood over him like a surgeon, cold and detached.

Bolong’s tear-filled eyes softened as they met Alpha’s, then hardened into blades aimed at Ryosuke.

With the danger gone, the frost around Ryosuke melted. The crowd crept back, curiosity overcoming caution…

“W-wait…” Bolong gasped, fumbling in his robe’s deep pockets. He pulled out a pure white hexagonal crystal and held it toward Ryosuke. “Channel your maximum Battle Qi into this. If it turns red, you pass. But! This little girl *must* enroll too!”

“Fine. But *I* have a condition.”

The crowd sucked in a collective breath.

Bolong’s jaw twitched. He nodded slowly.

Ryosuke gently stroked Alpha’s hair, his voice icy calm. “Alpha stays in my class. And you—*never* approach her without my permission.”

The onlookers leapt back twenty paces. *This brat’s pushing his luck!* Everyone saw Bolong’s obsession with the girl. This was a declaration of war!

Bolong closed his eyes. When he opened them, he looked decades older.

“Agreed… May we begin?”

*Bolong asking a boy’s permission?* The crowd stared, dumbfounded.

“Yeah.”

Ryosuke gripped the crystal. His small, pale hands trembled slightly.

“Can I… use both hands?”

An adult could hold it one-handed, but a child’s palms were too small.

“Of course.”

“Thanks.”

Ryosuke pulled his other hand from his pocket. Both palms closed tightly around the crystal.

Alpha felt his trembling and mewed softly, as if cheering him on.

Jing Yue watched, expression unreadable.

No one—not even Alpha, who lived beside him—could grasp Ryosuke’s heart right now…

That quiet, stuttering loli who’d given everything for him…

Her figure hadn’t faded with time. It had only grown clearer in his mind.

Unnoticed, she’d claimed a vital place in his soul.

Ryosuke knew…

He wasn’t just holding a test crystal.

He was holding a future—

*—his and Fan Qiandai’s future…*

“AAAAH—!”

Ryosuke threw his head back and roared, silver bangs hiding his twisted, childish face.

What *was* Battle Qi?

He didn’t know the theory. He only followed his father’s “Qi Gathering Art.”

Bolong’s mind warred within him. This test belonged in later exams—he’d skipped protocol for this brat. These crystals were special:

Grey → Red → Blue → Purple.

Red meant Fighter rank. Blue, Great Fighter. Purple, Fighter King.

At Ryosuke’s apparent age, reaching Fighter rank would be genius-level. Bolong had hoped the test would make him quit, giving Bolong leverage to negotiate for Alpha. That’s why he’d accepted Ryosuke’s terms.

But what happened next nearly dropped Bolong’s jaw to the floor!

Under everyone’s eyes, the crystal in Ryosuke’s hands changed color.

It skipped grey entirely—jumping straight to red!

Gasps rippled through the crowd. *This arrogant brat is a Fighter? Kempfa will gain another genius in four years!*

But underestimating our Iceflower Evil God Dragon would be a fatal mistake!

The unbreakable crystal in Sima Luan Tong’s grip shifted again!

Pale red deepened rapidly—edging toward blue!

*Impossible!* A Great Fighter at this age?!

The Reno Continent’s famed Radiant Ten Stars might as well eat mud!

Ordinary folks should just farm, fish, and quit dreaming of Battle Qi!

Bolong stared, stomach churning. One thought drowned out all others:

*We’re screwed. Totally screwed by this brat!*

Then—a girl’s scream split the air…

“MOVE, IDIOTS! No—DON’T MOVE!!!”

The shout broke Ryosuke’s focus. His Battle Qi scattered—and the crystal in his hands—

*Crack!*

—shattered into pieces.

Bolong’s mouth hung open, watching shards slip through Ryosuke’s fingers. “Impossible… This was diamond-forged crystal… It can’t break…”

“Overused. Reached its lifespan,” Jing Yue stated coolly, her gaze on Ryosuke laced with unease.

She left one truth unspoken:

Others might have missed it, but she saw clearly. Ryosuke’s Battle Qi had *collapsed first*. The crystal broke from pure physical force.

*It was his Qi that had been protecting it.*

What monstrous strength… Was this boy even human?

*Even魔兽 wouldn’t have this power…*

Jing Yue gave a bitter smile. Enrollment was pointless now. She turned and walked away, leaving a trail of speculation.

As for Ryosuke—his mind short-circuited! When the crystal broke, his first thought was:

*Shit! That looked expensive! Do I have to pay for it?! It wasn’t my fault…*

*Damn that voice!*

He glared upward—and froze at a sight he’d never forget.

A golden-haired goth loli plummeted from the sky!

“MOVE, YOU MORON! STUPID! DON’T—!”

*[What do you even want from me?!]*

“IDIOT! CATCH ME!”

*[There’s no way I can catch you?!]*

Instinctively, Ryosuke stretched out his thin arms, swaying unsteadily.

Then—Alpha, silent until now, suddenly kicked Ryosuke’s stomach. Using the recoil, she lunged for the falling crystal shards. No one noticed: hidden among the fragments was a small, exquisite purple crystal.

Unfortunately, the chaos was so overwhelming that no one noticed Jingyue had already slipped away. Bolong remained in a daze, not yet snapped out of his stupor.

As for our Lord Sima Luan Tong, Alpha’s kick had just thrown him completely off balance…

The blonde loli was already right before his eyes in the blink of an eye…

*Doll? What the hell…*

These were Lord Sima Luan Tong’s final words.

“Bang!”

“Meow!”

“Ahhh!”

“Whoa~~ah~!!”

Under the scorching sun, the boys and girls collapsed one after another with a clatter…