The woman was hit by a sudden punch and sent flying, crashing into the wall ahead and making the whole place shake. Just shake—because the structure was built from some kind of material that not even Niara could scratch.
The man beside her was thrown too, along with everyone else nearby. Neither he nor she had time to react—they were caught off guard. Everyone was. No one thought Niara would be stupid enough to go that far.
It was obvious that fighting in that place would earn you a heavy punishment. Everyone there was just starting out and didn't have many chaos crystals. Every tiny resource could mean life or death. Who in their right mind would pull a stunt like that?
A fierce aura burst from Niara, and Darian nodded in satisfaction.
Soon, green scales started to appear all over. Every patch of Niara's exposed white skin got covered in natural armor. Then she clenched her fists, and a cracking-metal sound echoed.
She really fought in the wildest way possible—with her fists. Her tight, light clothes already gave away that she was a close-combat fighter.
Even though she was slim, and Darian could easily describe her as having a beautiful, delicate build, her whole body was insanely powerful. Earth's logic didn't apply here.
Darian could feel everything. She had activated her Bloodline to attack, and when she punched, it felt like space around her bent. Her strike was definitely terrifying.
Her offense and defense were flawless... but he could tell she wasn't proud of it. The sacrifice of countless innocent people was the reason she'd become this strong.
Suddenly, she reached toward Darian and grabbed him, moving his position.
'You can't get hurt.'
Then, without hesitation, she moved her other hand and opened a small slit at the top of her outfit. Before he could react, she shoved him inside—right between two raised spots.
Darian was stunned by the sudden shift and her unexpected movements. But as soon as he came to his senses, he realized he didn't feel anything soft. It was just scales—hard as steel.
It was like she was wearing thick armor over her skin. He was just between the scales and her white clothes, but still, being wedged between those two elevated places made him feel oddly awkward.
They were big enough that he was completely hidden between them. That way, she could fight without exposing him—and just by looking, no one could tell he was under her outfit.
All of that happened in only two seconds.
"YOU BITCH!" Niara yelled, striking again without a care.
As the woman got back to her feet, still dizzy, another punch came flying. But... that little colorful snake jumped in front of her and opened its jaws. A thin, multicolored barrier appeared in front of Niara.
Niara slammed into it, making a loud metallic sound—like she'd just hit a steel wall. The barrier held firm, blocking the blow.
The man quickly got up, finally reacting. His partner, a small majestic bird, let out a snort. A layer of mist quietly wrapped around them. He pulled out a dagger—and then, just like that, they vanished from everyone's sight.
'From behind, right side. He's aiming at me,' Darian said.
Niara heard him, surprised, but didn't hesitate—she spun around instantly.
He appeared right in front of her.
His eyes widened as he came face to face with the Dragoness... who was now smirking wickedly.
That little bird flapped its wings and flew away fast.
All the guys in the room forgot to breathe. That young man had just taken the most brutal, savage hit possible... she kicked him, lightning fast, right between the legs.
It wasn't even that strong... but he flew two meters and hit the floor, rolling.
His pathetic groans echoed across the room.
"Qrow! How dare you!" the woman screamed, eyes wide. Her whole body lit up with a reddish aura.
People gasped—she actually managed to fully activate her ring's power? Things were escalating fast.
All of it had happened in less than ten seconds.
"What the hell is going on?!"
A furious roar echoed from inside the building. At the same time, the door burst open and three figures rushed in, weapons drawn.
When they got there, they saw a dozen young people picking themselves up off the floor, dragging themselves toward the corners of the room. They all stared at the center, stunned.
The woman froze. Niara snorted and didn't move.
The only sound was Qrow's pained groaning.
After about thirty seconds, when he finally quieted down and noticed the silence, he dropped to his knees and struggled to stand, feeling more humiliated than ever before.
"That bitch attacked us! Everyone here saw it!" the woman said seriously, looking at the Elders.
One of them was the old-looking man that Niara and Darian had met in the library. He glanced at the Dragoness, but she didn't react, not even bothering to defend herself.
"Yeah, and so what?" — it was Darian who spoke.
Everyone saw a little slug crawl quickly out from Niara's clothes and stop on her shoulder. It wasn't exactly coordinated, but since he was already in the mud, he might as well get dirty all the way.
Niara could be a bit... explosive.
She didn't care much about being insulted, but when the woman called Darian a mediocre insect and lumped him in with her... her mind just went blank.
The Elder stepped forward and snorted:
"If you're not denying it, then you'll be punished according to the rules. You can't settle personal problems ..."
"And how exactly should she settle it? Swallowing that woman's shit?" Darian snapped back.
Niara stayed quiet. Darian had told her to let him handle it. She wasn't the type to argue—she'd probably just lose her temper and attack again, even in front of the Elder.
"The rules apply to everyone, or things'll fall apart. You're not special," he said dryly.
"I've got the authority to pass judgment. Since this is a first offense, you'll get a mid-level warning fine—200,000 chaos crystals. If you break any other rule, it won't be just a fine next time."
All the younger ones swallowed hard... 200k... that was a terrifying number. As far as anyone knew, that was exactly the prize for first place in all the rookie tests.
But that man and woman weren't happy about it.
They knew a fine was nothing. If someone couldn't pay it after a few years, they could easily negotiate with the Academy and work it off. It didn't even need to be dangerous—there were tons of bureaucratic jobs that needed doing.
Their goal was to get rid of that thorn. That way, they could get a share of her blood and grow stronger. They had to act fast... and with that thought, both of their eyes lit up.
Wasn't this the perfect opportunity?
'Damn, that took some effort. Finally using their brain?' Darian thought, picking up on their sudden change.
The Elder stared at Niara and Darian, then continued:
"Don't act on impulse. That'll get you killed in battle real fast. At Celestia Academy, everyone can settle their issues with—"
"We want to settle it right now!" — the woman's voice cut the Elder off.
At the same time... the slug's eyes and his partner's eyes lit up with a wicked gleam. The timing was perfect.