"Don't worry, no teacher would ever take a bribe so openly. Darius is also the most honorable man I know," Headmaster Blake assured confidently only to eat his words the very next second.
Darius got surprised at the content of Number One's pouch and immediately signaled another teacher to take over for him while the two of them walked away. They were talking for over a minute and soon struck some kind of a deal with a handshake. Number One kept the pouch afterward and walked into the crowd as if nothing happened while Darius returned to his position.
"I will talk to him about it later," Headmaster Blake muttered and decided to change the topic as he pointed at another queue. "Look at that young man. He has a Blue Talent and should be one of the main candidates to compete for the top class. I know his father and the boy actually mastered his signature Tiger Punch."
Luna followed Headmaster Blake's gaze and watched an elegant man approach the puppet. She was intrigued by the introduction but her interest vanished as soon as the man punched the puppet with his flaming fist.
"Only seven hundred points?" Luna commented with a face of disappointment. "I was hoping he would at least break eight hundred."
Although the man managed to get his name on the leaderboard, it was all the way at the back which wasn't anything impressive. Unconsciously, Luna began searching for Number One who could possibly give her a challenge, but he was nowhere to be found.
"I guess he still has a long way to go, but I can see his potential," Headmaster Blake commented awkwardly and began introducing other promising talents. For some reason, Luna felt as if he was a matchmaker who tried to pair her up.
Luna still listened out of politeness but soon diverted her attention when a familiar face come out of the queue once again. They saw Number One approach another teacher and their eyes widened when the same situation repeated. Number One was first chased away only to be brought back for a conversation after something he said.
"I don't think that is a coincidence," Luna pointed out suspiciously. "Number One is definitely up to something."
Headmaster Blake remained silent, clearly debating if he should approach them or not. He stayed put for now and simply trailed Number One's movements on his own. Luna joined him curiously and they soon noticed a pattern.
Number One would return to blend with the crowd and target another teacher after a few minutes. He repeated the same strategy over the course of the next hour and managed to reach fifteen teachers in total until it was only the two of them who didn't attend the test. Everyone already gathered around Darius' puppet to watch the competition between them.
"Try to focus on the test while I ask around," Headmaster Blake informed as he approached the crowd with Luna and split up to join the rest of the teachers. "Darius, come with me for a second."
"Can't it wait? Those two are about to undergo their tests," Darius replied urgently while gazing at Luna with a side-eye. "I bet a lot of money with that kid."
"Huh? So it was another bet?" Headmaster Blake questioned in surprise, but he couldn't get a response. The crowd cheered excitedly, and they both paused to watch.
Number One and Luna both stopped in front of the puppet and stared at each other in a face-off. The cheering was divided as the majority of the females chanted for Number One while males focused on Luna.
"Ladies first," Number One said with a smile.
Luna only squinted her eyes in response and smiled confidently while gesturing to step away, "You should keep your distance or you might get hurt."
She stared into his eyes and red-colored Soul Energy gushed out from her palm. It formed and shaped until even Headmaster Blake raised his eyebrows.
"Is that a sword…?" he muttered as Luna's Soul Energy took the shape of a thin blade. She grasped its hilt proudly and it resonated with a pure power anyone close could feel on their skin.
"Heavens truly have favorites…" Darius commented with a hint of jealousy in his voice.
Headmaster Blake couldn't blame him though since he wasn't any different. He was blessed with a Red Talent just like Luna, but he didn't belong to a rich family that could provide him with powerful Soul Arts. He had to grind for decades to acquire his own Soul Weapon Art while Luna received one without any effort. Anyone would be salty, yet that was how the world worked and Luna wasn't at fault for that.
"Did you bet on her win?" Headmaster Blake inquired.
ƥαṇdα-ηθνε|·ƈθm "She wasn't even a part of our bet. He claimed something so impossible that I would be stupid not to bet with him," Darius replied honestly, but he didn't give a follow-up and simply signaled with his eyes. "Just watch."
Luna wasn't in a rush to hit the puppet and instead aimed the tip of her sword at Number One's face. "I hope you don't mind me using my Soul Weapon."
The common rankings for Soul Arts were low, mid, and high-ranked. Any Soul Weapon was at least a high-ranked Soul Art so it wasn't a fair bet. Unless Number One had a Soul Weapon as well, it was quite impossible for him to win.
Number One didn't seem bothered though and shrugged in return, "Go ahead. It's not going to change the outcome of our bet."
Luna smirked at his reaction as if she expected it before launching at her target. Her ruby sword shone with light and she suddenly vanished from her position.
A dull thud assaulted everyone's ears and they saw Luna behind the puppet in a graceful stance. The attack was executed so swiftly that barely anyone registered it with their eyes. The only way they could tell she hit the target was a shiny mark on the puppet's torso.
"My god! Look at the score!"
Naturally, being quick and flashy didn't matter when the test only measured Soul Power.
"It broke a thousand! We have a new record!"
"It will reach higher! She almost cut the puppet in half!"
The crowd of students exploded with excitement when the number on the screen crossed two thousand but that wasn't enough to satisfy Luna. She was yet to master any Sword Arts to combine it with her Soul Weapon or else the score would look much different.
Luna walked back to face Number One and stabbed the sword into the ground in front of him. The sword slowly vanished into nothingness as Luna glanced deeply into his soul before she casually stood to the side.
"Your turn. Don't disappoint me."
Her words caused a wave of cheers but Number One still wasn't fazed. He walked in position and cracked his fingers one by one. He then proceeded to stretch his arms and torso despite everyone waiting for him.
When he was properly stretched, he waved at the crowd behind the puppet and suggested, "Hey, I think all of you should remove yourself from the line of fire. I don't want to be blamed if you get hurt."
The youths got confused at his request since they were already squeezed to have a good view but the teachers acted right away. They ordered everyone to move and quickly freed the space.
"There is no way he is actually going to do it, right?" Darius muttered under his breath.
"Do what? What score did you bet on? Is it ten thousand?" Headmaster Blake questioned impatiently. Even though Darius was his friend, he was stalling for far too long.
"Score? I doubt there will be one," Darius replied with a deep breath. "There shouldn't be anything left after he is done."
Headmaster Blake raised his eyebrows in surprise and glanced at the other fourteen teachers. "I guess he is confident since he bet with all other teachers as well. Exactly fifteen of you."
"What…?" Darius replied with a frown but was unable to follow up.
Number One has rolled up his sleeves and shaped his fingers like a gun. He aimed at the puppet and everyone held their breath when his 'barrel' began to shine with white light.
"You said not to disappoint you, right?" Number One asked Luna while casually glancing at her. "I guess I have no choice but to fulfill your request."
Number One didn't look away from her eyes and suddenly spoke with cold confidence.
"Bang."
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