The Strongest Student of the Weakest Academy

Tap...

Aestrea stepped off the cracked battlefield, his breath fogging the air. The silver mist around his body slowly faded, and the winter energy retreated.

"Mhm...!"

He stretched lazily, arms raised above his head, a small yawn escaping his lips as he strolled toward the exit.

Waiting near the gate were Derek and James.

"Dude, you annihilated him!"

James smacked Aestrea's back with a wide grin.

"Seriously, fuck you."

Derek snorted, slinging an arm over Aestrea's shoulder.

"You were definitely holding back during our duel."

James did the same as him, tossing his own arm around Aestrea's other side.

"You're buying dinner." Derek declared.

Aestrea blinked.

"Me? I'm the one who won, you know."

"With my gold."

Derek raised an eyebrow as he added.

"Which I gave you this morning."

"And now you want me to spend it already?" Aestrea gave him a flat look.

James chuckled.

"C'mon, like this is the first time."

Aestrea sighed.

"Tsk. Whatever."

He rolled his eyes but didn't fight the pull as they dragged him out of the arena.

"Let's hit the usual spot."

"Hell yeah!" James grinned.

"Drinks on you too, by the way." Derek added.

"Keep dreaming."

Meanwhile...

Between the thinning crowd, a ripple of whispers flowed like waves in the sea of students.

Eyes turned. Mouths hung slightly open.

A few boys even forgot how to blink.

Click… click… click…

Each step of her heeled boots echoed softly on the stone floor

Her long, flowing cyan-colored hair glistened like an enchanted river.

A fluffy tail, matching her hair, swayed behind her with hypnotic elegance. Her fox ears, perched atop her head, twitched slightly as they caught whispers from the crowd.

She wore the pristine white seifuku of the 4th-year elites, trimmed with soft blue lines that complemented her light blue eyes.

Selene.

The second-strongest student in the academy.

Cold and beautiful beyond words.

And those eyes were locked entirely on Aestrea's back as he disappeared with his friends into the corridor.

Her pink lips slowly curled into a small smile.

"He's changed..." she whispered to herself.

"Interesting."

A moment later—

"Senior S-Selene!"

A boy—red in the face and clearly trembling—stepped forward, clutching a small box of handmade sweets wrapped with a blue ribbon.

Noble family, polished shoes, and desperate eyes.

"I—I've been watching you for so long! I know I might not be worthy, but please, would you—"

"No."

Her voice was sweet, velvety.

But behind it was the cold finality of an unsheathed sword.

She didn't even glance at him.

Her gaze remained distant as her tail lazily swayed behind her.

The boy stood frozen, heart shattered into a thousand shards, before quietly shuffling back into the crowd.

Selene reached up and gently brushed her fingers against her lips, still watching where Aestrea had gone.

"That magic you used… it felt cold as ice and looked like it. But it was not ice..."

Her eyes glowed faintly.

"Winter...?"

She chuckled softly.

"You've gotten even more dangerous than I thought, Aestrea..."

She turned, the wind catching her hair and tail as she stepped away, her fox-like grace drawing every pair of eyes again.

"...Fortunately, I like dangerous."

—

Sizzle...!

The bubbling sound of broth boiling filled the air as steam clouded around the small, private booth inside Hot Pot Haven, their usual go-to spot off-campus.

A metal pot sat in the middle of the table, split into two halves—one side rich and spicy red, the other a mild, creamy broth.

Meat, vegetables, mushrooms, and seafood swam inside, slowly cooking under the rising hot steam.

Aestrea sat back in his seat, sleeves rolled up, cheeks faintly flushed from the heat.

Derek leaned forward with chopsticks, fishing out a piece of tender beef before dipping it into sauce.

"I'm telling you—Professor Ryo actually made that first-year cry today. Just because he mispronounced 'Ars Nova' in class." Derek snorted, popping the meat into his mouth.

"Oof. Rest in peace." James laughed, pouring sauce over his rice.

"I'd cry too if someone called me out in front of fifty mages."

"I don't get why they even let that guy teach general magic theory," Aestrea muttered, lazily stirring the broth on his side.

"He looks like he hates talking to humans."

"That's 'cause he probably does," Derek said through a mouthful of noodles.

"Dude looks like he eats curses for breakfast."

James raised a finger, mock-serious.

"No, no—he eats first-years for breakfast. Curses are his mid-afternoon snack."

"Makes sense," Aestrea smirked, finally plucking out a meatball from the pot and popping it into his mouth.

"Oh!" Derek perked up.

"Did you guys hear about the second prince of the Vargan Family enrolling in the Royal Academy next semester? Supposedly has a contract with a spirit king."

James let out a long whistle.

"Bet he's got a noble stick shoved halfway up his—"

"—mouth, James." Derek cut him off, grinning.

"Let's keep it PG until dessert."

"Sorry, sorry," James snickered.

"But seriously, spirit kings? What next, someone marrying a World Tree?"

"Wouldn't be the weirdest marriage this year," Aestrea said dryly, reaching for the hot pot ladle.

"Didn't a fourth-year get engaged to a banshee last year?"

"Yeah. Screamed at him every night for it. True love." Derek deadpanned.

They all laughed.

And then—

"Speaking of weird people..."

James leaned in with a cheeky smirk.

"Selene was watching your match pretty hard today."

Aestrea raised an eyebrow at his words.

"Who's Selene again?"

He knew that Vivian had mentioned her as the second strongest student and as a kitsune before, but he didn't know what all the hype was about.

James blinked like he'd just been struck with a fireball.

"Really? It's your second day back, and you still don't know who Selene Aoki is? Kitsune girl? Cyan hair, fourth-year, an absolute literal goddess—?"

"The one who wears the white seifuku uniform with her tail out like she's better than everyone?" Derek added, slurping his noodles.

"Which she kinda is, to be fair."

Aestrea stirred the broth idly.

"Vivian mentioned her. Said she's the second strongest student in the academy after me."

"Yeah, well, second strongest officially. But honestly, if she ever got serious... I don't even think you could take her." James leaned closer, eyes widening with dramatic flair.

Aestrea's chopsticks paused in midair.

"Impossible."

He shook his head with a small smile.

Theoretically, Aestrea is already the strongest awakened in the entire world. The only problem is that he can't fully utilize his second attribute.

Because if he indeed had the mana to use it, it would be impossible to win against him.

"Dude, you weren't here last semester, but she wiped the floor with the entire top ten in a mock battle. Literally crushed them—and get this:

She didn't even use her main attribute."

Aestrea's chopsticks paused once again.

"What?"

He was quite surprised, after all, Ulgar can almost reach the peak of the S-rank after using his bloodline ability, and with the seventh-level spell, he might have the power of a peak S-rank awakener.

So, he wasn't exactly a weak opponent.

"Yep," Derek chimed in.

"Her plant magic is classified, but they say it's strong enough to terraform entire dueling arenas. Instead, she beat them all using pure technique and her seduction attribute. When I was against her, I merely blinked, and when I noticed I had already been thrown out of the arena."

"She's scary," James muttered with a grin.

"Like, scary in the hot way. The more she smiles, the more you feel like you're about to die."

Aestrea raised an eyebrow again.

"Sounds... deranged."

"Aren't all the best people?" Derek shrugged.

"Well, she was definitely watching you during your fight. Not just casually either. Her eyes were locked on you the whole damn time." James smirked.

"Think you caught her attention."

Aestrea leaned back and laughed before picking up a cooked mushroom.

"If she wants to test me, she can try," he said calmly.

"But she better not hold back."

They all laughed—until James got quiet for a moment.

He tapped his chopsticks on the edge of the pot.

"Hey... are you thinking about it?"

His tone changed slightly.

"About what?" Aestrea glanced up.

"Running for Student Council President again."

Derek raised an eyebrow at James's words, now watching Aestrea closely.

Aestrea was quiet for a moment.

"I've thought about it before."

"You won last year, with almost the entire academy voting on you. But what about it now, still interested in the role, even though it will be much more difficult?" Derek added, setting down his cup.

"True... with those new students in the academy, it will be a little difficult, especially with Selene, who can seduce anyone with a mere glance," James muttered.

Aestrea didn't deny their words.

He just reached into the pot, fished out a shrimp, and stared at it for a moment.

"If they indeed try to get the Student Council President role..."

He looked up, and his voice sharpened.

"I'll win the vote and the seat. No tricks and no games. Just power that those arrogant races wouldn't be able to ignore."

The table went quiet for a second, save for the gentle bubbling of the broth.

Then Derek smirked and raised his drink.

"Well, if you're gonna go full tyrant, at least let us be your evil lackeys."

"Dibs on secretary," James said with a grin.

Aestrea rolled his eyes but smiled faintly.

"Idiots."