The crystalline skies of Xylophia-IV shimmered overhead as the Wysteria students dispersed into their assigned exploration teams. A buzz of excitement filled the air—this wasn't just a school trip. This was a venture across the edge of multiversal legend. The very ground hummed with latent energy, making every step feel like the prelude to destiny.
The girls formed five groups, their chatter vibrant with anticipation. Among them, one group sparkled with an odd mixture of charisma and danger: Mi-cha, Soo-ah, and Chae-won.
The boys, not far behind, broke off into their own cliques. Muhan Lockhart, Ji-hoon, and Jin-woo stuck together—each of them powerful in his own right, but it was Muhan who unknowingly stole the spotlight. Even amidst a world of radiant flora and impossible skies, he was the anomaly—the gravity that pulled all attention.
And indeed, it wasn't long before the whispers began.
"He's so hot…"
"I heard he doesn't even need a system boost."
"Did you see his eyes earlier? Crimson turning silver? That's not normal. That's... divine."
Mi-cha pretended not to hear them. But the faint smile on her lips betrayed her pride. Her fingers brushed the bracelet around her wrist—still warm from the brief energy flux it recorded earlier. She didn't understand what Muhan was yet. But whatever he was… he was hers.
Or so she believed.
Until Chae-won struck.
---
It happened near a clearing where floating petals danced above an ethereal lake, the girls pausing to admire the planet's surreal beauty. Chae-won approached, the soft earth crunching under her boots. Her amber eyes gleamed, and the confident smirk playing on her lips was anything but innocent.
"Mi-cha," she said, arms crossed. "I haven't forgotten what I said before. I promised I'd be back."
Mi-cha's casual smile froze.
Chae-won stepped forward, aura prickling like static lightning. "I challenge you to a duel. Right here, right now."
Soo-ah blinked. "What—why?"
Chae-won didn't look away. "If you win, Muhan's yours. But if you lose… you walk away from him. Forever."
Mi-cha gave a sharp laugh. "What is this, a romance drama from the 2D net?"
Chae-won's smirk deepened. "Or are you just scared? Maybe you know… deep down, that you're not worthy of someone like him."
That struck a nerve.
Soo-ah stepped between them, annoyed. "Don't do this, Mi-cha. She's just trying to get under your skin. You're smarter than this."
Mi-cha exhaled. But her competitive spirit—rivaled only by her pride—had already ignited. She turned to face Chae-won, her obsidian eyes sharpening like blades.
"I accept."
Her system pinged immediately.
> [Warning: Opponent Level – Above Current Parameters]
[Probability of Victory: 14%]
Mi-cha closed the alert without flinching.
---
Soo-ah sighed dramatically. "I'll referee, I guess. Ugh. Multiversal teenagers and their drama."
She raised her hand. "Combat rules: no life-threatening blows, disengage upon surrender or incapacitation. Match start in 3—2—1—GO!"
The forest blurred.
Chae-won exploded into motion, her bones snapping audibly as fur erupted across her body. Her shape distorted until she stood four meters tall—a fearsome werewolf, muscles rippling, claws sharp enough to slice steel. Her howl sent flocks of dreambirds scattering into the sky.
Mi-cha staggered back, eyes wide. She has a transformation?
But she had no time to gawk.
The wolf lunged.
Mi-cha activated Strength Suppression Release, and a golden aura coiled around her limbs, crackling with kinetic energy. She met Chae-won head-on, fists a blur. Her punches landed rapid-fire on the creature's snout, each one like thunder—but Chae-won barely flinched.
With a swipe of her paw, she knocked Mi-cha into a tree, the trunk snapping in half from the impact.
Mi-cha rolled, gritting her teeth. She's a tank. Fine. Let's go all in.
With a grunt, she pushed off the ground and used Extreme Kick, her body vanishing for a split-second before she reappeared mid-air, leg crashing down toward Chae-won's back.
Thoom!
The hit landed—but Chae-won barely budged.
Her wolf eyes glinted with amusement.
"Cute," the werewolf growled—and then activated her own skill.
> [Paws of Fury – Activated]
With devastating speed, she unleashed a flurry of savage punches, each blow compressing the air itself. One connected with Mi-cha's chest, sending her flying a hundred meters across the glade.
Dust rose. Birds shrieked. Soo-ah screamed her name.
But within the debris—
Something changed.
---
Mi-cha stood up.
Blood dripped from her mouth, but her posture was unshaken. Her eyes were glowing gold. Her aura began to twist—rising in concentric rings of radiant force.
> [Rage State – Engaged]
Her hair rose, dark strands snapping with raw energy. The forest seemed to hold its breath.
She vanished.
Chae-won blinked. An afterimage?
Too late.
Mi-cha was behind her.
With one scream of defiance and purpose, she unleashed a spiraling kick glowing with light. Her foot connected with Chae-won's spine.
BOOOOM!
The impact echoed across the sky. A crater exploded beneath them, vaporizing trees and sending shockwaves through the valley. Light erupted like a second sunrise, and the very air shimmered with residual Ether.
The dust settled.
Chae-won, back in human form, was on one knee. Her wolf features flickered and then faded.
She coughed once. Then looked up, eyes wide—not with fury.
But respect.
"I…" she rasped, "I concede."
Mi-cha exhaled, shoulders trembling. She hadn't won because she was stronger.
She had won because she refused to lose.
Chae-won slowly stood, brushing dirt from her clothes. "You're stronger than I thought, Mi-cha. I guess… Muhan's not the only mystery walking among us."
Mi-cha looked up at the sky, her golden glow fading.
"No," she whispered. "He's not."