A girl in her early twenties stepped into the room. Her short, shoulder-length hair framed her face, and her sharp, icy eyes made the temperature seem to drop instantly. The sheer intensity of her gaze fell on two students nearby, who froze in place, their confidence vanishing in an instant.
The taller one among them, a sophomore who had just been laughing boastfully with his friend, immediately straightened up, his swagger gone. Beside him, his companion fidgeted nervously, not even daring to make eye contact.
They both knew exactly who the girl was.
She was Jade Walker, their senior.
No, more accurately—she had been their senior last year. Now, she had already graduated.
But her presence still carried immense weight in their hearts. Jade Walker wasn't just another upperclassman—they knew her as a legend.
Last year, she represented Kyoto University in the National College League. Her appearance alone caused a stir, and when the matches began, she cut through the competition like a storm. She led her team to a resounding championship victory, defeating every opponent in her path. Her cool demeanor and unmatched skill had made her a household name throughout the school.
Back then, these two boys were mere freshmen watching the broadcasts, awed as she demolished one elite team after another.
From that moment on, Jade Walker became an idol in their hearts—someone whose footsteps they wished to follow.
And now here she was… glaring at them.
"Senior Jade... I..." The boy who had spoken earlier, now pale-faced, could barely get a word out.
Just moments ago, he had been reclining with a leg crossed, talking trash about the new students like he owned the place. Now, he could hardly lift his head.
His friend quickly bowed and blurted out an apology. "We're so sorry! We spoke out of turn... we shouldn't have—"
"You think it's just bad luck, huh?" Jade's voice was calm but carried an unmistakable edge.
She had obviously overheard their complaints.
"You think you lost because of bad luck? What was your rank in the last freshman competition? Top three? Champion?"
The question made them squirm even harder. Neither of them had even made it into the top ten.
They were completely speechless. Shame flooded their faces.
"Then don't go blaming 'bad luck,'" she said coldly. "If you can't even win in your own class, what makes you think you're ready to face this year's batch of freshmen?"
"Y-Yes, Senior Jade. You're absolutely right..." they stammered.
Jade gave them one last disapproving look and turned around. As she walked away, both boys exhaled in relief.
"She's terrifying!" one whispered.
"Her presence alone is crushing!" the other muttered, wiping the cold sweat from his brow.
---
Elsewhere, high in the observation stands, a girl was seated with a laptop perched on her knees, typing rapidly. Her focus was intense as her eyes swept across the groups of freshmen on the field below.
"You're here?" she said without looking up.
"Yeah." Jade Walker took a seat next to her, her gaze now scanning the rows of newcomers. "So, who's the promising one you mentioned?"
"In the east corner—group of five girls. See the one with the shield?"
Her companion didn't even pause her typing. With lightning speed, she pointed in the direction without shifting her gaze.
Jade followed the direction of her hand. She narrowed her eyes and spotted the one she was talking about.
"Oh... is that her? The Holy Shield Knight with the SS-ranked Talent that people have been whispering about? Looks pretty small..."
"Doesn't matter," the laptop girl replied blankly. "Small or not, who dares challenge her?"
Jade chuckled. "True. Never judge a book by its cover, right?"
Then she turned and looked at her friend fondly. "Come on, Alexis Lane, what else do I need to know?"
Alexis Lane—the quiet genius behind the screen—pulled up another profile and handed her laptop over.
Jade leaned in. "Hmm? Level 20 in just one month... cleared the first round too? That's fast. And brave."
Her eyes skimmed the digital profile. "S-Rank Talent plus a Hidden Combat Class... not bad at all. Name: Lucas. Profession: Shadow Assassin. I like it."
"If he performs well in the next few rounds, I think we should recruit him," Jade added decisively.
Alexis said nothing but swiped through more profiles and passed them on.
Among them were Alexis Lane herself, listed as an S-Rank Frost Mage, and Zach Darnell, an S-Rank Contract Summoner—both familiar names to Lucas.
Jade gave a long, approving nod. "I trust your judgment. The future of our guild is in good hands."
"You just want to dump the hard work on me," Alexis muttered, deadpan.
"Aww, I know how hard you work, Alexis!" Jade said playfully, reaching over to hug her around the shoulders and rubbing her cheek against hers with exaggerated affection.
Alexis sighed. There was no winning with Jade, and she knew it.
After all, Jade Walker was the current Guild President.
---
Just then, more footsteps echoed across the platform. A group of powerful-looking students entered the stands.
The man leading them—a tall, confident guy in his mid-twenties—spotted Jade immediately and walked over with a smile.
"President Jade, long time no see," he said smoothly.
Jade raised an eyebrow. "Logan Barrett, huh? Still alive and shameless, I see."
He laughed it off. "Word is that this year's batch includes a new SS-ranked Holy Shield Knight. Thought I'd come check it out."
Jade's eyes darkened. "I've already got my eye on that one. Don't even think about trying to recruit them."
"Oh? But our guild has been needing a solid defense specialist," Logan said, still smiling. "That shield knight would be a perfect fit."
"Perfect fit for a guild of cowards, maybe?" Jade snapped.
The members behind Logan bristled at her words, but he casually lifted his hand to stop them.
"No offense taken, President Jade," he said coolly. "You're known for being fiery. I get it."
"Then you also get that if you try to steal this one from me, I'll crush your guild personally," Jade said with a smile that didn't reach her eyes.
"Fair enough. May the best guild win," Logan said, and turned to walk away with his crew.
Jade glared after him. "One of these days, I'm going to knock that smug face into the dirt."
Alexis didn't comment. She'd seen this kind of thing from Jade many times before.
---
The freshman competition was just about to begin.
The air buzzed with excitement as teams gathered, stretching and preparing. Dozens of eyes watched from above—senior students, guild representatives, instructors. This wasn't just a showcase of talent.
This was a battlefield for recruitment.
And Jade Walker, seated high above, had already decided who her next guild recruit would be.
She looked once more toward the tiny Holy Shield Knight holding firm at the front of her team, eyes scanning the crowd with confidence.
"Let's see what you've got, rookie," she whispered.
Beside her, Alexis was already compiling real-time data, adjusting power ratings and reaction times as the match began loading.
And down on the field, Lucas tightened his grip on his daggers.
He could feel it.
Someone was watching him.
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