Enariss and the captain stretched their muscles while waiting for the people to crowd around them. The platforms under them had risen, making a stage where everyone could see what was going on. Upon the other four fighters’ request, the other matches had been postponed and their platforms lowered. This was a fight they simply could not miss.

They were currently on the central platform. In the room, there were nine platform squares in total, with the central one being the largest (10mx10m). It was only used in official matches during festivals or when the captain’s place was challenged. Everyone stood around it nervously as their excited whispers filled the air. The room was dark—the lights had been shut off and the spotlights focused on the central platform.

One of the club’s sub-leaders was acting as the referee. His only job was to start and stop the match when it seemed clear who was going to win. He readied the whistle in his hands and wiped the sweat off his palms. Even he couldn’t expect the outcome of this match. Would it be the super-rookie Enariss or the undefeated Deion?

Enariss eyed Deion as she readied herself. She had seen him fight, but it all ended too quickly for her to analyze him. He had never shown the true extent of his skills, and no one in their right mind (the upperclassmen) had challenged him. She barely knew about his fighting style or his limits. He was undefeated and perfect—the boringest person ever. Maybe today he might become a bit more interesting.

Deion in the meantime gracefully controlled his muscles to bring himself into prime condition. Not that he needed to, but he believed in giving his all in every situation. That is how he had risen to the top. He also inspected Enariss and watched her tie up her long hair into a ponytail behind her.

“This is a surprise,” he said, “for you to challenge me so suddenly.”

“I felt like today was the perfect day for it, captain,” Enariss replied. “And you’re the only one I haven’t fought. Mind showing me how good you are?”

The captain gave Enariss a gentle smile full of relaxation. Enariss seriously wanted to wipe that disgusting look off his face by bashing it into the floor. It was genuine, and that’s why she was so unsettled by it. His expression told Enariss that he stood in a position where she would never reach, and she hated it, even though he hadn’t said anything. He was too perfect. Too boring. She clenched her fist and smiled back sweetly.

“Fighters, take your positions!” the sub-leader shouted nervously. Enariss and Deion moved to their designated spots on the ring, around 6 meters away from each other. The more knowledgeable part of the group had surrendered the front positions for the new members. They knew what was going to happen.

The two fighters in the ring took their stances.

“Ready!”

The fighters tightened their muscles. Enariss raised her power level by 50x. She couldn’t go weak on the captain.

“Set!”

Demund stared intently at the moment. Everyone did. The first second would be over very quickly. He had to focus on everything.

“Go! *PLEEEEEP*”

With the sound of the whistle, Enariss dashed towards the captain with her fist enclosed. She wouldn’t give him time to react and smash it right into his face. She saw the captain raise his arms in slow motion, but her fist was faster. She thrust it with her 50x force—

—as she hit the air. Surprised that the captain had disappeared, she did a full-circle kick in mid-air, aiming to smash anything that was near her—and kicked the air again. She landed on the ground with a *tap* and looked around her quickly.

The captain was on the other side of the ring, leisurely waving at Enariss. What the hell had just happened, thought Enariss. She was sure she had been faster than him…unless he activated his ability.

“You’re no fair, captain!” she yelled. “You never said what your ability is!”

“Nor am I obliged to,” Deion coolly replied. “Are you sure you want to be speaking right now?”

The crowd roared into cheering and applause. They had seen Enariss fly towards Deion at lightning speed, and Deion had just vanished and reappeared behind her in a split second. Everything had happened so fast, and the crowd was crazy about it. They were seeing something that only heroes could do. It was absolutely entertaining.

Enariss waved her head to the side with a cute smile. She would definitely land a hit on that slimy bastard. She raised her power level to 80x and stomped her right feet to test her strength. An ear-splitting *boom* vibrated through the room and the people at the front closed their ears in pain. The fight was only going to escalate.

The floor that Enariss was standing on was made out of nuclear-withstanding material. It barely budged at her stomp. Great. She could go all-out soon without breaking the building.

She dashed towards the captain again, this time faster. Not letting him out of her sight, she flung another fist at his stomach. The captain seemed to move his arms to block her attack, but he was still far too slow. Her fist zoomed through the air as it landed—

—on the air again. Enariss had kept her eyes on the captain, and he had just evaporated from the spot like an afterimage. She quickly turned around to see Deion leisurely crossing his arms and staring at her.

“Is that the best you have, Enariss?” he teased politely.

Again, the crowd was eating the whole thing up. They whooped and cheered and screamed their souls out. The sound of the students filled the building. Demund turned to Rhyne.

“Rhyne! You’re seeing this in slow-motion, right? What’s happening! It’s too fast!”

“Enariss kept throwing punches at the captain, this time even faster,” Rhyne explained, “but I don’t know how the captain dodged them. He just disappears and reappears in an instant!”

Demund looked at the arena again. Enariss was impressive, but the captain was beyond imagination. He felt excitement fill him. This was the world of heroes he had so wanted to join. Something only available at the Preliminary Islands was happening here.

“Not at all, captain,” replied Enariss sweetly. This bastard was really fast. She didn’t want to fatally injure, but it seemed like she had no choice. She took a deep breath and concentrated. Her power level rose to 300x.

“Prepare yourself, captain,” she said. “You might die if you get hit.”

Deion smiled and positioned himself. He had felt the sudden spike in Enariss’s strength and had become wary. Well, it wasn’t anything he couldn’t handle, but she sure was impressive. Her power would be very useful in the future.

Going further would be a waste of time. It was probably time to end it.

Enariss shot herself like a bullet at a speed no normal eye could follow. She focused her fist on Deion.

Then Enariss found herself flying through the air.

What? She thought. Why was she away from the ring? Why were there people under her?

Everyone stood there shocked as Enariss crashed into the wall of the building some tens of meters away. The wall thankfully didn’t crack, but the sound of a human body smashing against a metal-reinforced surface was a painful one. They stood there agape as she fell to the floor and landed on her feet. Enariss looked up, sweat rolling down her body.

The referee quickly blew the whistle. “Enariss has been disqualified as she has left the ring. The winner is Deion!”

The crowd cheered once again and burst into thundering applause. Deion wiped his head and jumped out of the platform. Enariss approached him in front of the people, wearing a smile all the way. They shook hands.

“That was quite a match, captain,” said Enariss. “I really didn’t stand a chance.”

“I do have some tricks up my sleeve,” replied the captain lightheartedly.

The captain then signaled the crowd to die down.

“Alright everyone, it’s time for the other matches. Get yourselves ready!”

The MMA club died down and two other platforms were raised while the central one was lowered. They circled around the other two to inspect the remaining fights. Not that they were as exciting, but they still had their merits to learn from. The members could also follow it more, so in reality, it provided them with more education than the one between the first and second ranks. But still, after seeing the fight, they couldn’t help but be in utter awe.

One of the members threw Deion and Enariss each a towel, which they used to wipe off their sweat. Enariss was still discontent. He was still boring as ever. She didn’t know how he had dodged her attacks, but it proved that he was way out of her reach. He was too perfect. She *hmphed* internally and threw the towel into a basket.

Enariss glanced over the room and spotted Demund, who waved at her. She waved back. He looked excited and full of energy. Yes—this is what she had aimed for. He had to grow more into someone she could crush with some effort. It was much more fun that way.

Demund’s friends froze in place with their mouths hanging when they saw Demund and Enariss wave at each other.

“I told you! She’s a great person,” said Demund optimistically.

“Did you not just see the match that happened!” screamed Rhyne quietly. “She can destroy us!”

“Relax, Rhyne,” soothed Riley. “We’re just going to be studying, not fighting.”

“I don’t know about you guys, but I know what I saw,” said Rhyne. “She was seriously about to bash into the captain with that speed. Any of us would have died.”

“We’re not the captain, are we?” said Riley. “You need to chill. Take a deep breath.”

“Alright, I know, I know. I’m just really excited, that’s all,” said Rhyne. He took a few deep breaths and calmed himself. “That match was just way too cool.”

“I know,” said Demund.

“It really was,” agreed Riley.

They looked towards the platforms which had already begun their matches.

“I’ll be going to the library now,” said Demund. “There are some things I want to review.”

“Alright. See you later.”

“See you, Demund.”

Demund exited the building as his heart was still beating rapidly. Enariss had just inspired him to do one thing: develop and improve his body-strengthening magic and martial arts. He wasn’t skilled in reality yet, but if he could learn some tricks by the time he reached ten in the dream, he could rise the ranks in the MMA club quickly. He just hoped that the martial arts in his other world would be potent. Right now, however, he had to focus on his education. His first priority was to enter the special class, after all.

“Soon, next year I’ll join,” Demund promised the building as he walked across to the library.