The white-haired girl with deep blue eyes walked toward them confidently, her academy uniform and face untouched by a single speck of dirt.
A cold smile appeared on her face as she drew closer. Curtis, Lyra, and Isolde watched her warily.
“You should clean your face, Princess. It’s not very ‘princess-like’ of you, otherwise.”
Instead of answering, Celestina glanced past Anastasia, then looked back into her eyes.
“Are you lost, Anastasia? Do I need to hold your hand and guide you back to your teammates?”
Anastasia’s smile widened at Celestina’s icy words. She shrugged.
“Not really. They’re just having trouble keeping up. We already passed the test, but instead of heading straight to the coordinates, I decided to use this opportunity to hunt more mana cores. Why waste a perfectly good chance to grow stronger?”
Celestina kept her gaze locked on her, studying her eyes. Seeing no deception, she sighed.
“Very well, but there are no mana cores here for you to hunt. Be on your way.”
Listening to Celestina, Anastasia narrowed her eyes, a playful look creeping onto her face.
She walked toward Celestina until she was only an arm’s length away. Celestina remained seated, her cold gaze never leaving Anastasia. Explore stories at My Virtual Library Empire
Anastasia’s grin only widened.
“Are you still mad at me for what happened between us and Prince Caleus, Princess?”
If the air around them was cold before, it now felt like it had dropped into the negatives. Isolde, Curtis, and Lyra took a few steps back, sensing the growing tension as Celestina’s face grew even colder.
Seeing Celestina’s silence, Anastasia only pressed further.
“What is it, Princess? Are you still afraid? Is it still too much for you to open your heart to anyone who doesn’t have Crimson, Dusk, Nebula, or Frost in their last names? Do you still not trust anyone out of fear they might hurt you? Can only royalty receive your highness’s grace?”
Instead of anger, a mocking smile appeared on Celestina’s face. She put her left hand in front of her mouth and chuckled.
“I don’t need to hear about fear from someone who’s too afraid to reveal her true name to the public.”
At once, Anastasia’s smile vanished. Her expression hardened into ice. Celestina met her gaze with cold amusement.
“What’s the matter, Anastasia? Are you afraid to open your heart to anyone who isn’t royalty?”
Anastasia gritted her teeth and took a step forward. Her face was now inches from Celestina’s, who smiled back at her coldly, seated with the poise of a ruler on her throne.
Before either could speak, Isolde suddenly spoke up, her voice hesitant.
“You’re Anastasia, ranked fifth, right? We aren’t allowed to pick fights amongst ourselves in this test… so if you go against her highness, it won’t end well for anyone.”
“Huh?”
A displeased expression crossed Anastasia’s face as she turned to Isolde, whose entire body stiffened under her gaze.
In the next moment, Anastasia moved. She was suddenly right in front of Isolde, both twin blades in hand, thrusting them toward her eyes. Isolde froze, unable to react.
But before the blades could reach their target, a loud clang echoed in the air. Isolde blinked in confusion, not understanding what had happened.
They looked and saw Celestina standing in front of them, her back shielding Isolde. She held a longsword that had deflected Anastasia’s strike. Anastasia clicked her tongue in frustration as she jumped back.
“As always, you act like a goddess, helping your subjects without getting too close to them, while they start loving you.”
Celestina’s expression was frigid, her eyes darkening. She spoke in a low voice, her tone dripping with warning.
“Anastasia. You’re out of line. Take one more step, and I promise you’ll regret it.”
Anastasia blinked, raising an eyebrow.
“Was that a threat from the Frost Princess? What, are you going to ask your daddy to slap my wrist?”
She twirled her twin blades, aiming them at Celestina.
“Or if I cut your face, covered in dirt, will I get a heavier punishment?”
Anastasia spat, her words dripping with malice. It felt like dozens of blades were aimed at them, and Lyra, Isolde, and Curtis sweated furiously, sensing the tension between the two.
Who was this bold girl!?
“Anastasia!”
A sudden shout snapped everyone’s attention. They turned to see Lumine with three others behind him, all wearing hardened expressions.
They dashed toward the group and stopped a few meters away, eyes locked on Celestina and Anastasia.
The black-haired boy with purple eyes glared furiously at Anastasia.
“What do you think you’re doing, heading off on your own like that? We’re a team, remember? You gave up the role of leader, yet you still don’t listen!”
Anastasia shot him a cold look and snorted.
“What are you going to do? Fight me? I said I was going to hunt more void creatures for mana cores. I won’t share my food with yours. First come, first serve.”
Lumine’s expression darkened. He understood Anastasia’s desire to grow stronger by gathering more mana cores, but this was still part of the test.
His gaze, along with that of the others, shifted toward the trees, where four instructors stood watching from the branches. Their expressions were filled with concern, unsure whether they should intervene before things escalated beyond their control.
The entire reason Isolde spoke up was that she noticed the instructors.
Celestina’s attention shifted to Lumine, her voice still as cold as ice.
“You’re the leader of your team, aren’t you? Keep your teammates in check, Cadet Lumine, unless you’re all seeking a fight.”
Lumine’s eyes widened at Celestina’s tone. He could feel the tension in the air, his hair standing on end, just as his teammates did. He quickly shook his head.
“No, this is a misunderstanding. Anastasia was out of line, but we don’t want any trouble with you or your team.”
The black-haired boy next to Lumine nodded, his face dark with concern. He bowed his head slightly.
“Your Highness, we mean no offense. Please, forgive our teammate.”
But despite Max and Lumine’s attempts to salvage the situation, Anastasia couldn’t care less.
“What good dogs you are. The moment the princess commands, you all kneel, bark, and fetch, trying to please her,” she sneered. “I say let’s fight. It’s not like your team would stand a chance, even if you all came at me together.”
Everyone’s gaze turned sharply to Anastasia. No one looked pleased anymore. Even the instructors seemed tense, though they hesitated to intervene.
Anastasia looked coldly at every person before her, even her own teammates.
“You know what? Let’s make it interesting. How about all of you come at me at once? If you win, I’ll prostrate myself and apologize in any way you want.”
Celestina sneered back at her.
“I know you’re not one to keep your word, but fighting you benefits me in two ways. If I win, I’ll wipe that arrogance off your face. If you keep your word after I win, that satisfies me, too.”
The others exchanged uneasy glances. Lumine stepped forward, his gaze darting between the two girls, whose eyes locked with such hatred that he couldn’t comprehend it.
“We don’t need to go this far,” Lumine said.
“We’ll get penalized if a fight breaks out. Let’s just head toward the coordinates, complete the test, and forget about this. None of us will truly win in the end if we fight.”
But despite his plea, Celestina and Anastasia stubbornly refused to look at him. Their eyes remained locked on each other, cold as ice.
Anastasia spoke again, her voice dripping with venom.
“You want a duel, don’t you, Princess? Fine. I’ll grovel before you and apologize if you win. But if I win…”
Anastasia’s sneer widened.
“I want you, the Heiress of the Frost Clan, to get on your hands and knees, prostrate yourself, and apologize to me. You’ll say I’m better than you.”
At her words, everyone—except Celestina—stared at Anastasia in disbelief. Their faces twisted with shock.
Even the instructors, hearing this, looked as though they couldn’t believe their ears.
…Was this girl suicidal?
As Celestina opened her mouth to accept, a familiar voice interrupted, drawing everyone’s attention.
“I hope you wouldn’t mind if I join in, with the same conditions attached, Anastasia?”
It was Azriel.
“Ah, the prince is back!” Isolde exclaimed.
“I told you he’d defeat the Ebonclimber!” Curtis added.
A wave of relief swept through most of the cadets as they turned to face Azriel. He walked toward them, his expression dark, his mood clearly foul.
Curtis and the others were about to greet him, but froze when they saw his demeanor—and not just that. Like Celestina and Anastasia, Azriel’s white academy uniform was pristine, not a speck of dirt on it.
But his face…
It was smeared with black blood and his own.
He was injured.
Before anyone could speak, Azriel stopped in his tracks, and Anastasia’s mocking voice broke the silence.
“Did the apex of the first years seriously fight a mere Ebonclimber and get injured? Seems like the rumors about you are false. To have the academy and your family love you so much, putting that Void Dungeon achievement under your name without earning it—how typical. As always, you just hide behind your irritating sist—”
Before she could finish, Azriel vanished.
Anastasia blinked, and in the next instant, Azriel was standing inches from her. His cold eyes locked onto hers, and his breath sent a chill through her.
“You’re fast, aren’t you, Anastasia? Did you see me move?”
Azriel tilted his head slightly, his breath hitting her face like ice.
“I hope you did. Because the next time I move, it will be with the intention of ripping your annoying head from your body.”