Beach. Villa. Girls splashing in the turquoise waves.

"Yeah, this is definitely the most comfortable way."

Sharkai Bai lay bare-chested on a beach chair, his pupils behind the sunglasses turned purple as he gazed at the distant seascape.

"Darling, here's your juice."

A blonde girl in a blue bikini appeared beside him.

Cecilia Xuelian placed a glass of blue juice on Sharkai Bai's table.

"Thanks, Snowlotus."

Sharkai Bai removed his sunglasses, his gaze lingering on the blonde girl's chest.

"S-stop it... But... if it's you, Darling, I guess it's okay..."

Cecilia Xuelian lowered her head, blushing deeply, and slowly untied her bikini top.

Thud.

Tick... tick... tick...

Sharkai Bai, hair disheveled, tumbled off the sofa. The clock on the living room wall kept ticking.

"Tch. Knew it was a dream. I'd never use Berserk Mode for something so lewd."

Lying on the floor, Sharkai Bai opened his eyes wearily and muttered weakly.

It was the fourth day since Sharkai Bai's discharge. Yesterday's final day of the school festival had drained all the energy he'd stored up over two years.

The girls' shopping sprees and curiosity had really caught Bai off guard.

Since Hesna's memories started from her awakening at the Ghost Dragon Martial Consortium, they couldn't help her find her family. Reluctantly, they kept her in the dorm. When Hesna learned Cecilia Xuelian was her big brother's fiancée, she kept apologizing sincerely—so earnestly that even Snowlotus felt bad. Finally, Cecilia Xuelian agreed to let Hesna stay, though she looked thoroughly annoyed.

Thus, the living room sofa became Sharkai Bai's sleeping spot.

"Hey! Whose dorm do you think this is?!" Sharkai Bai protested, but the other two girls instantly shot him down.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

Loud thuds echoed from the playground.

"Ah... ranking battles again."

Sharkai Bai got up, ruffled his messy white hair, and trudged weakly toward the bathroom.

His whole body ached.

This ranking battle was easier for him. Holding the #3150 tag—the dead last spot—no one would bother challenging him, right?

After washing up, clutching his growling stomach, Sharkai Bai left the dorm.

This morning's rare "peaceful, safe wake-up" brought back memories of his old, carefree school life.

A running girl bumped into Bai's shoulder.

Long black hair, A-rank uniform, looking very rushed.

"Sorry."

Sharkai Bai stepped back instinctively, apologizing.

But the black-haired girl ignored him and sprinted toward the playground.

(She looks kinda familiar...)

He hadn't seen her face. Only when she vanished from sight did Sharkai Bai look away.

(Meh, none of my business anyway.)

At the supermarket, Sharkai Bai picked breakfast items, checked his change, then headed to the playground.

He'd heard Snowlotus was challenging Elucia.

After thinking it over, Bai decided to watch the match.

"Oh? That guy."

Standing outside the playground, Bai spotted a familiar figure in the arena.

Black Falcon.

A third-year A-rank mage.

But now, Black Falcon looked a mess—face bruised and swollen, uniform covered in dust.

His opponent was another black-haired girl in an A-rank uniform.

"Hmph. So she rushed here for the battle."

Recognizing the familiar back, Sharkai Bai realized it was the girl who'd bumped into him earlier.

But when the black-haired girl turned to face him—

Sharkai Bai's pupils dilated rapidly.

"Zhiminghan!?"

Zhiminghan, whom he hadn't seen in ages, still looked as delicate and beautiful as ever.

But—

What the hell was with that terrifying expression as she savagely beat up Black Falcon, that A-rank delinquent mage??