Shoyo heard the voice and halted his tears, slowly turning around. What he saw left him in disbelief at first, then he broke into a wide smile. The owner of the voice was none other than Rachel, who was supposed to be with Edan and presumed to have been completely consumed by the Skullbreakers. Seeing her standing in front of Shoyo now was both shocking and joyous.
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"You...," he began.
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"Have you cried enough? Let's talk back at the academy," Rachel interrupted, her expression sour as she looked at him. She turned and left hastily, not wanting to linger near the scene, yet unable to stop the memories and longing for Edan.
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Recalling their first meeting, how Edan had protected her from the Fakeslave's attack, how he had held her in his arms, his dedicated weekly training sessions, his heartfelt confession, and the disappointment in his eyes when she hadn't given an immediate answer. Just when she was mentally prepared to accept him, he had suddenly disappeared, leaving her forever. All these thoughts overwhelmed Rachel, and tears slowly streamed down her face.
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In front of the dormitory, there were only Rachel and Shoyo standing in the rain.
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"What... what's going on?" Shoyo still couldn't believe his eyes. He gently touched Rachel's cheek, as if confirming her existence.
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"I didn't celebrate my birthday with Edan today, but I didn't expect him to..." Rachel's voice choked with tears.
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Shoyo joyfully pulled her into a hug, his first time hugging someone so tightly. "You trickster, luckily you only tricked me, or else..."
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"Sorry, are we still friends?" Rachel asked.
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"Of course!"
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Rachel didn't continue explaining. Instead, the two of them stood in the pouring rain, crying and embracing each other.
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The next day, in the royal palace hall, King Anwar sat on his throne with a heavy heart as a man came to see him alone.
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"Perhaps, Your Majesty, due to the recent attack, you may not be in the mood for a report, but I must fulfill my duty," Vork, who had been away from the academy for half a year, reported on the progress of his research at the palace.
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King Anwar waved his hand, signaling him to continue.
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Vork primarily reported that the progress on "Image Infiltration" and "Nonexistent Cloak" was not as ideal as expected, encountering significant difficulties in the power source.
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Furthermore, they had analyzed the Fakeslaves and found that their entire bodies were composed of air and air-like substances, possibly related to Talent. However, obtaining live samples was extremely difficult, as they would turn into powder and scatter during research, making the study process very challenging.
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"Finally... the development of the Burst Gun, a weapon for Huntectors that uses air instead of gunpowder, is entering the testing phase," Vork concluded his report, adjusting his glasses.
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Perhaps only Vork's report could momentarily make King Anwar forget his grief. He briefly praised Vork and then signaled for him to leave.
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"Well then, I take my leave, Your Majesty. Please take care," Vork said as he turned to leave, a strange smile on his face, hidden from King Anwar.
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Back at the academy, Cloude and Shoyo continued to console Rachel. The pain of losing a loved one wasn't something that could be forgotten quickly.
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What puzzled Rachel was that she didn't feel as sad as everyone had expected. Was it because her passion had dried up? Seeing Shoyo cry for her touched her more than the news of Edan's death.
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Rachel had an impulse, wishing time could freeze at last night, allowing them to continue their embrace in the rain.
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The students continued their relentless training day and night, with just over a month left until the announcement of the "Imperial Ceremony" participants.
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Time passed quickly, and on the day of the "Imperial Ceremony" participant announcement, all the students gathered in the square. Headmaster Baron and all the instructors were present, just like the opening ceremony.
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"Ladies and gentlemen, I believe the instructors have already explained the details of the 'Imperial Ceremony.' After over three months of evaluation, observation, and instructor deliberations, we will now announce the eight students selected! These eight students will be divided into four pairs for one-on-one competitions, and the details of the matches will be revealed on the day of the 'Imperial Ceremony.' Listen carefully..."
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This time, although Headmaster Baron didn't use Soureflexes, the students in rooms one through ten in the square were just as nervous as they had been during the opening ceremony. As for the other students who knew they had no chance of being selected, they watched the ceremony with envy.
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Cloude and Shoyo patted Rachel's shoulder, offering encouraging looks and smiles. "Let's do our best. The three of us should get selected together. Cloude, if I end up competing against you, I won't go easy on you."
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"Same here," Cloude responded with a smile.
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Rachel looked at the two of them and playfully complained, "Hey, are you ignoring me?" They all chuckled.
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After a few moments of silence, the results were announced. The eight students selected for this "Imperial Ceremony" were Kazami, Jennie, Lambo, Rico, Iris, Maggie, Cloude, and Shoyo.
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