William was groaning, having his lover fawn over him.

When he saw Daven holding her, his first reaction had been to sever the arms that dared touch Emma. He knew Daven had caught her purely on instinct, but still…

And now, Emma kept repeating how jealous he had acted just moments ago.

"I have never seen you react in such a deadly manner before."

William pressed a hand over his eyes and asked, "Can you stop talking about it now?"

Emma merely giggled in response, and that alone was enough to tell him she wasn't going to stop anytime soon.

Not long after, the group of seven entered the island gates and was met with a familiar sight—well, not for a few who hadn't been part of the contest before.

If there was one difference compared to the last time, it was the presence of several Hall staff members moving about, busy with their duties.

Perhaps they had kept the island free of such personnel back then because things were relatively normal. Now, however, the situation was grim. And as the defensive pillar of humanity, the Great Hall had become the busiest organization on the planet.

There was also no old man nagging them this time, since only the students had been instructed to depart for the island.

As they walked, the man leading them spoke, "There will be an opening address by your mentor, followed by dinner."

With that, he guided everyone toward the ceremonial hall—the same one where the first test had taken place.

As the students were instructed to enter, William moved closer to the man leading them and asked, "Can I get something to eat right now? Even a small snack would work."

The man looked surprised for a brief moment before nodding. "I will arrange something right away. Please wait inside with the others."

William nodded and approached Emma, who was waiting a few steps ahead of him.

She had clearly heard his request, which prompted her to say, "I could have managed for a few more hours."

She had told him on the train that she was hungry, given that she hadn't eaten anything since morning—and it was already nearing evening.

William scoffed. "God knows what kind of challenge they might throw at us. Better not have an empty stomach."

Emma smiled softly at him, slipped her hand into his, and entered the ceremonial hall alongside him.

Inside the hall, Kevin was currently staring at the unfamiliar figures standing across from them.

There were five of them.

Two girls and three boys.

Unlike those from Ardentia, they wore dark-yellow lowers and white shirts. Their skin tones were slightly darker, and all of them carried an unmistakable air of superiority.

The one who caught Kevin's particular attention was the boy with short violet hair, standing with his back against the wall.

He wasn't releasing his aura—there was no reason to—but Kevin could still tell that the boy was strong.

"He's the infamous hunter of the south; Brutus," Natalie whispered. "Someone hailed as the strongest student across the globe. He defeated the headmaster of his academy a few months ago."

Kevin was shocked. "Why did he fight his headmaster?"

Natalie shrugged. "From what I heard, the man was a sexual offender—someone who blackmailed female students into sleeping with him. When Brutus found out his sister was being trapped, he took matters into his own hands… and nearly killed a fifty-year-old, seven-star warrior."

Kevin's eyes sharpened at the mention of such depravity. The conclusion, however, made him look at the violet-haired boy in a different light.

Anyone who used their strength to fight crime and protect the innocent earned Kevin's respect.

Just then, Emma and William entered the hall, instantly drawing the attention of everyone present—including the foreign students.

Kevin noticed that even Brutus briefly opened his eyes to look at William.

But the duo was far too absorbed in their own world to notice the many gazes fixed upon them.

"They can never get bored of each other's company," Natalie muttered under her breath, a helpless smile on her face.

William and Emma stood near the others, chatting animatedly, when several men entered the hall carrying trays filled with snacks and juice.

As one of them approached William and Emma, offering the food, William took the entire tray from the man and said, "Thank you."

Though slightly startled, the man nodded and walked away.

Presenting the tray to Emma, William said, "Now, don't be shy. Eat your fill."

The tray held small snacks—roasted nuts, cookies, and candies. It couldn't be considered a proper meal, but it was enough to soothe her burning hunger.

Emma didn't hesitate. She picked up a cookie and some nuts.

She chewed on the crunchy nuts and even fed William after every bite.

The two of them enjoyed the snacks, as did the others; the long journey to the venue had left everyone famished.

Then Emma asked, "Is there no water?" The two cookies she'd eaten had absorbed all the moisture from her mouth.

William looked around and spotted a man holding a tray of juice, offering it to one of the visiting students.

The boy being offered the drink was none other than Brutus.

He wasn't particularly hungry, but he did want to quench his thirst.

However, just as he raised his hand to take the glass—it began to levitate and drift toward a certain blond boy.

Brutus's eyes narrowed at the blatant rudeness.

Meanwhile, William hadn't intended to humiliate Brutus at all. He simply picked a glass at random.

As it moved toward him, his telekinesis coming in handy once again, he suddenly felt resistance.

Frowning, William glanced over his shoulder.

Swirling sand had gripped the base of the glass and was pulling it away from him.

Students nudged their friends as they noticed the sudden tug-of-war between two aspect manipulators.

Brutus didn't mind if the glass shattered and the juice spilled—but something he had claimed wouldn't be taken away.

William, on the other hand, didn't share such a rigid mindset.

He released his hold on the glass and calmly picked another one.

Unbothered, he offered it to his lover with a smile.

That simple act only made Brutus look desperate—needlessly aggressive.

"He really lives up to his name… the mad bull."

"All this over a cup of juice…"

Not just students from Ardentia, but even someone from Brutus's own group scoffed quietly.

Brutus clenched his jaw.

The glass shattered into pieces, the sharp sound echoing through the hall.

No one spoke after that.

Of course—except for the two.

°°°°°°°°°

A/N: Thanks for reading.

Is the pace too fast or okay?

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.