Dark Magus Returns

Chapter 1397: The Victory’s Shadow

After their unexpected victory, Piba and Yolden had no interest in taking part in the ongoing events any longer. And truthfully, no one expected them to. After defeating students from the Central Academy, the most prestigious of them all, they had already done what most thought was impossible.

Still, deep down, the two of them knew something about that win, it wasn’t flawless. It hadn’t been overwhelming domination. It had been clever. Strategic. A bit of trickery, even. And they both silently acknowledged that if they were to face those Central Academy students again… they might not win a second time.

That was the risk.

Right now, people could claim it was a fluke. An upset. A once-in-a-lifetime kind of thing. But if they were to lose a rematch, then it would just be humiliation. All the praise they had earned would vanish.

So instead of taking that risk, they stepped off the stage.

Waiting for them at the edge of the platform were Chiba and Moze, both bursting with pride.

“Haha! You did it! You actually did it!” Moze shouted, practically jumping with excitement. “You should’ve seen the looks on the Central Academy students’ faces! They were so smug, so sure of themselves, like victory was already in their hands! And Chiba, man, the way she was talking about that guy, it was like she already had her ‘it’s okay you lost’ speech ready to go!”

Chiba’s cheeks flushed red.

“I was just making them aware of how skilled their opponents were. That’s all!” she shot back, clearly flustered. “Now that they’ve won, that should tell you just how impressive their victory was. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have known any better!”

Moze smirked, letting it go. It was obvious they were all proud. Piba and Yolden had made their mark.

“You used your moon magic, didn’t you?” Moze asked, curious. “That was your trump card, right? I bet they never saw that one coming!”

Piba gave a humble smile and pointed to Yolden instead.

“I only played a small part in the win,” he said. “The whole thing was Yolden’s plan. Without her… I doubt we could’ve pulled it off.”

“No, no,” Yolden protested quickly, raising her hands. “Don’t go putting all the credit on me. Without your moon magic, we wouldn’t have had a way to win at all. I was only able to do what I did because certain pieces were in place.”

She glanced back toward the stage, where the Central Academy students had stood just moments ago.

“I figured, being top-tier students from Central, they wouldn’t show their full strength, not at something like this. If any of them had a special affinity or a unique trait, they’d keep it hidden. It wouldn’t be worth showing their cards.”

She gave Piba a nod.

“But you were willing to reveal your power. Your moon magic let us win, even if it meant exposing what you could do.”

The others listened carefully. If Yolden had predicted all that, then it meant she had understood not just the battle, but the people involved. Chiba was always praised for being a genius in the heat of a fight, a true tactician. But there was another type of genius: one who could strategize from the outside, reading patterns and predicting behavior.

Yolden might just be one of those.

On the other side of the arena, Kayzel and Rupert had regrouped with their classmates. Bones and Nannan stood stiffly, unsure of what to say. Frustration clouded their expressions, they knew that same bitterness too well.

“That guy… he used moon magic, right?” Ponzo finally said. “I’ve seen that affinity before. They must’ve really wanted to win, if they were willing to reveal something like that now. It just means we can prepare for it in future events.”

There was a brief silence. Everyone seemed to be waiting to hear what Kayzel would say.

He turned his head slightly, just enough to see the Wilton students walking off in the distance. His eyes narrowed.

“We need to deal with them,” Kayzel said coldly. “Before the next event. They pulled off a stupid little trick, and they’re going to learn that it’s going to cost them, dearly.”

The group followed his gaze, then began tailing the Wilton students. They kept their distance, careful not to be spotted, watching and waiting for the right moment.

Meanwhile, unaware they were being followed, the Wilton students continued to walk around the fairgrounds. The events had started to blur together. They had seen most of what the fair had to offer. With their earlier victory still fresh and their spirits high, they didn’t want to risk dampening the mood.

“Should we just head back to the dorms and rest?” Moze asked. “The teachers said we’re meeting an hour from now in front of the coliseum, right?”

“I think that might be one of the smartest suggestions you’ve made,” Chiba said, chuckling. “I’m wondering if we should try to find the others first. Maybe they want to rest too.”

“We’ve been walking around for a while and still haven’t run into them,” she added. “Maybe while we’re back at the dorm, we can talk about what to do next.”

The group decided it was worth spending a little time searching for the others, at the very least, to let them know about their plan to head back. Still, part of them hesitated. They didn’t really want to get involved in whatever the others were doing.

They couldn’t deny it, they were still classmates. Still part of the same academy. But the truth… the whole truth… complicated things.

In the end, the search was fruitless. The fair was too massive, the crowds too thick, and the events too numerous.

“I guess we should just head back to the dorms,” Chiba said with a shrug. “We’ll see them in front of the coliseum anyway, right?”

“Yeah, sure,” Moze replied. “But before that, I need to answer nature’s call.”

His eyes darted toward the nearby restroom.

“I guess I should go too,” Piba added, grinning. “I’ll head with you.”

Chiba raised an eyebrow and smirked.

“And here I thought it was just girls who went to the bathroom together,” she teased.

The girls continued talking casually, thinking nothing of the two boys heading off.

They had no idea that four Central Academy students were quietly following behind them.

****

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