The red cat—System Administrator Meow—hovered in the air, her red fur shimmering with authority.
She glared at Fluff, her voice sharp.
"[What do you think you were about to do just now, Fluff?]"
Fluff crossed his tiny arms and looked up, trying to stay calm.
"[What do you mean? I was just going to tell my host something.]"
Meow's expression darkened, and without warning, she smacked Fluff on the head with her paw.
"[Idiot! Did you forget one of the most basic system rules?]" she snapped. "[You're not allowed to reveal information about protagonists from other novels outside your host's world! And you have the audacity to talk about promotion? Hmph!]"
"[Ouch!]" Fluff winced, rubbing his head with his paw.
A cold sweat ran down his back as realization hit. In his rush of emotion, he had nearly broken one of the system's cardinal rules.
"[I-I wasn't really going to tell her! It was just a joke! Meow, please—could you tell the administrators I didn't actually break the rule? Pretty please?]"
He looked at her with wide, glistening eyes, puffing up his fur in an exaggerated attempt to appear cute.
Meow blinked at him, her expression faltering for a moment. Then, after a single awkward cough, she looked away and muttered:
"[F-Fine... but only this once. Don't do it again. Got it?]"
And with that, she vanished in a shimmer of red light.
Fluff watched the space ripple and sighed in relief, slumping to the ground.
"[Why does that trick always work on her... but not on anyone else? If I try it on others, they just beat me up...]"
Outside the space realm, back on the training stage, Jason raised his voice with authority:
"Next match: Elira versus Mia Valemir!"
With that, he jumped down from the platform, landing gracefully offstage.
Elira, standing beside Mia, smirked."Get ready to get beaten, Mia."
Mia responded with a goofy grin."Why are you saying it backward? You should be saying, I'm ready to get beaten, big sis!"
Zara burst into laughter, and even Selena cracked a smile at the exchange.
Elira pretended to be angry, puffing out her cheeks."Oh yeah? Let's just see then!"
Both girls walked to the center of the stage and took their stances. Elira held a sleek, thin sword that glowed faintly. Mia, by contrast, stood unarmed—but clearly not unprepared.
At Jason's signal to begin, Mia immediately channeled her mana. The air chilled as she cast a Minor Ice Age spell, frost quickly spreading around her.
Elira dashed forward, a graceful white aura blooming around her sword as she sprinted across the icy surface.
With a sharp grin, she leapt into the air.
Mia countered swiftly, summoning a massive Ice Spear that formed above and launched straight toward Elira's path.
With a confident smile, Elira swung her sword mid-air. A glowing aura blade extended from the slash, slicing the ice spear cleanly in two.
Mia grinned despite the setback and quickly channeled a high-class defensive spell, conjuring a radiant magical shield around herself.
Elira's sword clashed against the shield, and instantly, visible cracks began to spread across the magical circle.
Both girls paled.
"Oops."
An explosion burst from the collapsing shield, a chaotic mix of mana and aura erupting outward.
Zara tensed as she watched from the sidelines, her eyes darting toward Jason.
Just as the explosion was about to engulf both girls, Jason reappeared in a flash. With a calm smirk, he slashed his hand casually through the air, and the explosive energy froze mid-motion—before dissipating harmlessly.
The students in the crowd burst into applause.
Elira and Mia both let out deep sighs of relief, slightly singed but unharmed.
Jason raised his voice again.
"The duel is a draw. Next students will be..."