83 – Wenfu

"Divine Child, don't tell me you got hit so hard you lost your senses?"

"Yeah, what—did she beat you up and now you're into her?"

"When we left the restroom, you were swearing to the heavens you'd never forgive her."

Faced with the skeptical glares of his teammates, the brawny Divine Child stumbled for words.

"You guys don’t get it! These are two separate matters, alright? Yes, she was over the line—but her strength is beyond question. I just made a rational decision, that’s all!" he coughed and declared righteously.

"Is that really all there is to it?"

"What else could it be? It’s a strategic choice. Setting aside personal feelings, she wiped us out without a sound. You three don’t think that’s impressive?" the Divine Child raised his arms in exasperation. At his words, the others fell silent.

And indeed, quite a few students had placed bets on Teresa not just for her skill, but for her beauty. Nearly every team she had defeated—while perhaps not completely convinced—weren’t particularly bitter either.

After all, she’d defeated them fair and square, single-handedly, without relying on anyone else.

What was there to complain about?

Well... maybe one exception.

On the massive water-blue crystal in the plaza, the projected images had now split into multiple panels, displaying live feeds of all remaining participants.

The moment Teresa’s image flashed on screen, a tight-fitted brown-haired girl clenched her fists.

Irene had been among the first to leave the rest room, her score just barely scraping past the entry threshold. She had technically enrolled.

But the indignation in her heart hadn’t diminished one bit.

She couldn’t understand—why had she, a proper Divine Princess, lost to some barely-awakened Wild Divine Princess?

Her combat experience, battlefield judgment, Divine Authority level—she had Teresa beaten on all fronts. There was no logical reason she should have lost.

On the other hand, she also regretted it deeply. Entry via the lowest qualifying score meant being slotted into the lowest tier of official Coleman students. Unless she received an invitation from a higher-ranked student, she could only form teams with those of equal tier and live in the furthest outskirts of campus—in tiny cottages, not even a proper manor!

If—if—she hadn’t gone out of her way to pick a fight with Teresa at the start, might she have scored higher?

But it was too late now. No matter how she agonized over the reasons for her defeat, the loss was a fact. Teresa, still standing tall on the tournament stage, was another.

And yet...

When Irene remembered the look in Teresa’s eyes during their final moment—her anger faded into a strange emptiness.

Teresa hadn’t even looked at her directly.

No revenge. No mockery from a victor. Nothing at all. It was as if, in Teresa’s eyes, Irene wasn’t even worth the effort.

Her thoughts and emotions tangled like a ball of yarn, and Irene’s heart sank into a complicated silence.

After leaving the rest area, she hadn’t gone to find her teammates. Instead, she’d curled up in bed alone. She had no desire to attend the top ten matches… but her feet had other ideas. Before she knew it, she’d found herself in the plaza.

“Hey, Pat—look! It’s Teresa, your favorite! She’s on screen!”

“Wha—what do you mean ‘my favorite’? I just think she has potential, okay? Don’t twist things...” The long-haired boy flushed red and snapped back at his friend.

“Not your favorite? Then why’ve you been talking about her non-stop since we left the restroom? You were more excited about her making the top ten than your own score!”

“Stop twisting my words!”

“Come on, just admit you like her. What’s there to be embarrassed about? With her looks and strength, Teresa’s definitely going to have a crowd of admirers at the Academy.”

“Ah—ahh, uh...”

“What’s that face for? What, people aren’t allowed to like her? Like it or not, looks do matter—and face-judgers are the majority everywhere. There’s no way someone like her will stay unknown.”

“Oh? So you’re a face-judger, too?”

“Of course I am. I admit it. But compared to Teresa’s otherworldly, ethereal vibe, I prefer the cute type. Someone like Miss Wenfu.”

“Wenfu...? You mean...” The boy pointed to a figure near Teresa on the screen.

“Wait, huh?!” His friend looked, eyes widening. “Miss Wenfu??”

“Their panels aren’t just close—they’re the same frame!”

“What??”

***

The top ten showdown marked the final stretch of the Crown Cup. As the announcement ended, Teresa encountered her first opponent in the finals.

In truth, long before the girl had noticed Teresa, Teresa’s Divine Appraisal had already locked onto her.

Teresa had originally planned to lure her into a sneak attack, baiting her for a counter-assault. But surprisingly, the girl showed no intention of ambushing her. Instead, she walked straight down the mountain path into the valley—completely unimpeded—as she approached.

Though Teresa stood with her back turned, it was obvious she had already detected the girl. Her tightly gripped longbow said as much.

“Please don’t be nervous, Miss Blonde.” A voice rang out behind Teresa—tender as a dewdrop, yet still tinged with youthful awkwardness.

Teresa remained silent as she turned around. Her gaze, calm and unhurried, fell on the silver-haired girl approaching her.

The petite girl had shoulder-length bobbed hair, the most noticeable feature being a pair of adorable cat ears the same color as her hair. Her bright blue eyes radiated innocence.

She wore a light yellow sundress with an open-back design. Paired with her silvery hair, the outfit gave off a cheerful, vibrant schoolgirl vibe.

Her ears revealed her identity.

She was a demihuman.

Teresa made no reply. She simply nocked an arrow to her bowstring.

“Should I stay here, then? Not come any closer?” Seeing this, the cat-eared girl quickly stopped in her tracks. “Okay, I’ll stay right here. I won’t move.”

Teresa said nothing, but her arrow was now aimed directly at the girl.

Clearly, Teresa didn’t understand what this beast-eared girl wanted.

“You didn’t attack right away, so I assume you’re at least willing to hear what I have to say, right?”

“Please, rest assured—I pose no threat to you. If I meant you harm, I wouldn’t have strolled right up to you like this, would I?”

“I came here to propose a deal.”

“Let me guess—you’re the only one left in your team, just like me, right?”

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