Zhang Yemiao’s movements grew strained. The Great Longsword was simply too heavy; her stamina couldn’t last. Li Pingtian, wielding the Divine Lance—a nimble weapon—could end Zhang with a single thrust from her small frame. Of course, one slash from Zhang’s blade would cripple Li too.

In one instant, Zhang blocked Li’s spear thrust. The Great Longsword obscured Li’s vision, hiding Zhang for a split second.

*Clang!*

The Great Longsword hit the ground.

Zhang shattered the safe distance between their weapons. Twin short blades flashed as she closed in on Li. Startled, Li raised her spear shaft to block while stumbling back.

A trace of blood appeared on Li’s cheek. She’d managed to create space.

"Dorm Leader really went all out—aiming for the face?" Zou Moan muttered, heart pounding despite just watching.

Wang Qi stayed silent.

Li’s problem wasn’t the cut. Divine Art could heal it without scars. Her real issue? The spear had snapped.

The spear was merely a staff shaped by Divine Power—fragile. She’d reinforced the collision point with extra Divine Power to withstand Zhang’s Great Longsword. But when Zhang closed in suddenly, there’d been no time to redirect that power.

So it broke.

While one of Zhang’s blades feinted toward Li’s face, the other sliced through the spear shaft Li used to block. Li was disarmed.

Undeterred, light enveloped Li again. She seemed unchanged—pure white wings, halo still glowing above her head.

Divine Power coalesced into a bow. She drew and fired instantly.

Zhang remained calm. A massive shield materialized in her hands. She ducked behind it—no innate talent needed.

Her twin short blades clattered to the ground.

Light surged anew. Divine Art radiated from Li’s entire body. Abandoning the bow, she charged the shielded Zhang and slammed a fist into the barrier.

The brutal force shoved Zhang back several steps. Still, she breathed easier. *Not as violent as Wang Qi. She’s weaker.*

Gauntlets appeared on Zhang’s hands—meant as a gift for Wang Qi. Gifts shouldn’t be given all at once; they needed a special moment. *Never thought I’d use them first.*

Power surged within her. These gauntlets, crafted with her layered stitching technique, amplified strength in her left hand and stamina in her right.

Combat knowledge flooded her mind. Zhang bit her lip, locking eyes with Li. No distractions now. Even with her head throbbing, she couldn’t falter.

Unspoken agreement: they entered the most brutal phase—close-quarters combat.

Li enhanced her body with Divine Power, likely using Divine Art to gain fighting skills. Zhang, boosted by her enchanted gauntlets, accessed combat techniques through her innate talent.

Li’s strikes fell like a relentless downpour. Naturally stronger and amplified by Divine Power, she overwhelmed Zhang’s defense—even with the gauntlets’ bonuses.

Defense only delayed defeat.

Zhang retreated step by step until—

A fist-sized stone lay forgotten on the ground.

It decided everything.

Zhang’s foot slipped on the stone. Off-balance.

A rare smile touched Li’s ever-stoic face. *Victory.*

…Until Zhang smiled back.

Hidden blades.

Yes—Zhang’s signature weapons, the ones that had slain countless thieves. She rarely used them now. Against that monstrous tiger, they’d been useless. Li had forgotten them.

*Was it deliberate?*

The blade pierced Li’s abdomen. Divine Power shattered across her body. Halo and wings dissolved. Scattered energy either faded into the air or rushed toward the wound.

Zhang collapsed. She’d truly tripped. Without that stumble, Li wouldn’t have fallen for it. Even without the stone, Zhang would’ve been knocked down eventually—that moment of impact would’ve been Li’s defeat.

Zhang raised a fist toward Li, her small frame towering from this angle. "You lost, Ping Tian."

Li stared at the ground, silent.

Zou Moan’s expression darkened as she glanced at Wang Qi. "You were right. The Dorm Leader planned every step from the start… even with so little combat experience."

"Maybe because she’s ‘died’ before?" Wang Qi recalled the girl sobbing in his arms after the pearl drained her life. Zhang had changed since then. *During our fight… she almost seemed to let me win. If she’d switched weapons and thrown hidden blades like now when I closed in… I might not have won.*

"Should we go over?"

"Wait."

Zhang stored her gauntlets, brushed dust off her clothes, and rubbed her aching head. The mental overload was brutal—like her skull might burst. Yet humans seemed tougher than she’d thought. *How am I still processing multiple unfamiliar combat styles…?*

"Either way, you lost." She pressed the truth, poking at Li’s pride. "You lost."

Li sat on the ground, head bowed. Divine Power flowed toward her wound. She couldn’t deny it: a Level 3 had lost to a Level 2.

Her pride was a joke.

She’d once believed Wang Qi’s limits were low, that he’d struggle to level up. She’d dreamed of stepping out of his shadow, of protecting him as he’d once protected her. So she left. Chose strength.

Reality? He’d shielded her again when they reunited. She’d done nothing. And Zhang—the one she’d dismissed as useless deadweight who’d just followed Wang Qi—had beaten her.

*Was the ‘weak’ one actually strong? Was the ‘strong’ one with grand ambitions… pathetically weak?*

*And she’d dared to dream of godhood? With what?*

Her dignity shattered. She’d poured everything into Divine Descent—a skill that wasn’t effortless. Using it meant channeling fragments of will from exalted beings. Her mind felt no better than Zhang’s: hammered, dizzy. Sleep would be mercy.

Yet she forced herself upright. *I lost. Undeniable.*

But she couldn’t say *"I lost."* Would admitting it erase everything? Wang Qi? Herself?

Zhang knelt before her, lifting Li’s chin. "Hey. I’m not kicking you out. Stop that face. No tears…" she grumbled.

*Tears? Me?*

Only then did Li realize her cheeks were wet. *Why am I crying? Why is she smiling?*

"I’m not," she choked out, fighting the flood. The harder she pushed, the weaker the dam.

Zhang sighed, pulling Li’s head to her shoulder. She mimicked Wang Qi’s comforting rhythm, patting Li’s back.

"It’s okay. Nothing’s ruined. This stubbornness ends now."

Like a snapped string, the silver-haired girl’s restraint shattered. She bawled into her *rival in love*’s shoulder.

"Ugh… can’t unsee this. Li Pingtian sobbing like a baby…" Zou Moan muttered, secretly capturing the moment with a recording spell—unnoticed even by Wang Qi.

Wang Qi stood frozen, deeply moved. He shook his head, speechless.

Only when Li’s sobs quieted—when she shoved Zhang away, face crimson, and fled to a corner—did he snap back.

Zhang stood beside him.

"How’s that? Problem solved. Next time, I’m *not* helping you!" She shot Wang Qi a fierce glare.

Just teasing… until she saw his strange expression.

"Dorm Leader…"

"Hm?"

"I’m completely conquered by you."

"*What?*" Zou Moan took a critical strike to the heart from the sudden confession. She bolted toward Li’s corner, desperate to escape the scene.

Zhang froze, then smiled playfully. "Really?"

"Really!"

Wang Qi took a deep breath. "Zhang Yemiao. I like you."

…

Zhang didn’t answer. She buried her face in his chest, arms circling his waist. "Blurtin’ stuff like that… Wang Qi, you brute!" Her muffled voice held complaint—but it hid her burning cheeks. *A sudden confession… so unfair.*