"Alright, the preliminary round is over. Students whose names I call, please come up to the stage: XXX..."

"Ah, the main matches are starting. Too bad none from our class made it..."

"Yeah, those nobles are outrageous—all ganging up together!"

Lilina heard her classmates grumbling and spoke up quietly.

"Um... I qualified..."

"What?!"

"Lilina, you made it?"

Gasps of surprise rippled through the crowd.

"L-Lilina, is this true?" Alimi asked, disbelief in her voice. Lilina looked a little embarrassed.

"Lilina!"

Hearing her name called, Lilina released Alimi’s hand.

*Gurgle!*

*Phew. Saved. Almost suffocated. Would’ve been the first person in history to die from... chest compression.*

"Alimi, sorry—I have to go up now..."

"Lilina... do your best!" Alimi wiped her tears, cheering her on.

"Okay... thanks..."

"Lilina, give it your all! You’re carrying our class’s hopes—make us proud!"

Though most classmates hadn’t been close to Lilina before, their shared frustration now pinned heavy expectations on her.

Teacher Stephanie smiled warmly. "Don’t pressure yourself. Just do your best, Lilina!"

"T-thank you, everyone..." Lilina’s eyes grew misty. For the first time, she felt the weight of others’ hopes. She nodded firmly.

"Little Dark, you’ll work hard too..." Alimi stroked Wu Yan’s head, whispering.

*Gurgle!*

*Yeah, yeah. Leave it all to—*

Wu Yan suddenly felt déjà vu.

*Wait. I showed off earlier and forgot about Lilina. Cleared the whole arena...*

*Ahem. Accidents happen. Who doesn’t slip up?*

*This time, trust me!*

*Gurgle!*

"I’m going up..." Lilina turned, cradling Wu Yan, facing the crowd.

Stephanie gave her an encouraging look.

Lilina took a deep breath and walked toward the stage.

*Remembering how Little Dark cleared the arena earlier, confidence surged through her.*

"Little Dark, I’m counting on you now. I’ll get stronger too!" She stroked his head.

Sensing her resolve, Wu Yan draped a tentacle over her shoulder.

*Yeah. I believe you. Let’s grow stronger together.*

...

"You’ve all excelled in this tournament. To ensure fairness, matchups are based on your last performance—avoiding early finals. I’ll pair you two by two. Winners advance. First pair: XXX..."

Lilina scanned the competitors. Not a single Junior Mage. Three High Mages stood among them.

Her grip on Wu Yan tightened, sweat beading on her palms.

Wu Yan sensed the dampness. He cast *Drying Touch* (Level 1) and *Calm Mind* (Level 2—just a minor spell, no need to describe its effects).

"Eh?" Lilina blinked in surprise at the sudden magic, then recognized Wu Yan’s energy. Warmth flooded her chest.

"Thank you, Little Dark..." she murmured.

*Gurgle!*

*No problem. You’re my main squeeze (→_→). Hahaha!*

Wu Yan scratched his head with a tentacle.

"Next pair: Lilina and XXX..."

"Time to go, Little Dark!"

*Gurgle!*

*Showtime again? (I mean... performance time!)*

Wu Yan puffed his chest—then remembered he had no chest. *Soft-bodied creature... wait, who’re you calling an animal? Your whole family’s animals!*

*And... do I even have a chest?*

*OTZ*

---

Elsewhere.

"President, everything’s arranged as you ordered."

"Good. You may go." Scottia’s tone was calm, but the girl left beaming.

*The President praised me...*

Scottia watched Lilina stride resolutely onstage, Wu Yan strutting beside her.

*That arena-clearing move earlier...*

*Just how many secrets do you hold...*

*But after today... everyone will know.*