Chapter 36

"Here I come, teacher!"

All my clones leaped at her, their footsteps reverberating through the underground training ground. Teacher Erica's eyes gleamed with excitement as the seemingly empty arena was suddenly crowded with identical figures of me, each moving in a different direction.

She lunged at one, but her hand phased through it like air. Her lips curled into a smile.

"Illusions, huh?" she muttered to herself. "Tricky, but this is child's play."

But then, a massive fireball shot toward her from behind. Her instincts kicked in as she twisted to dodge it, the heat brushing past her face. Turning toward the source, she saw one of my clones standing still, its hand raised, finishing a chant.

"A real one?" she mused. Her grin widened. "Wrong move, kid!"

With a burst of speed, Erica darted through the sea of clones, appearing in front of the one that seemed real.

"Time to end this," she declared, striking it with precision.

Puff. The clone vanished.

The crowd gasped.

"If that wasn't her, then how was the fireball cast?" a student whispered in confusion.

Erica's brows furrowed as she scanned the area. Her sharp eyes caught movement, and before she could react, two massive projectiles-a glowing ball of light and a fireball-rushed toward her.

She smirked, leaping into the air. The projectiles passed harmlessly through her.

"Illusions," she stated confidently, landing gracefully.

But then, the clones froze. Every single one of them stood still as if waiting. Erica narrowed her eyes, her instincts on high alert.

A faint glow caught her attention-a magic circle paper stuck to her hand. Her eyes widened as she sensed the surge of magic behind her.

Too late.

A massive sphere of water engulfed her, cutting off her air. The crowd erupted in panic.

"She's trapped!" someone yelled. "Was that the real one? It must be!"

Gale, standing at the edge of the crowd, watched in awe.

'The magic circle... Did Aleena spend all this time preparing it?' he wondered.

Inside the water prison, Erica's vision blurred as oxygen dwindled, but she didn't panic. Instead, she smiled.

Swap.

In an instant, the positions reversed, and the clone that had been "real" was now inside the water sphere. It popped like a bubble.

Erica's grin faltered for the first time. Her sharp gaze scanned the arena, and then she heard it-a murmur from the crowd.

"Behind her!"

She turned sharply, but too late. I clung to her back, giggling.

"I win!"

For a moment, her expression was a mix of shock and admiration. Then, with a proud smile, she lifted me off the ground.

"That was incredible!" she declared. "I'm glad I got to fight you!"

The students erupted into cheers, their voices echoing through the training ground.

In the corner, a group of S-rankers observed the match with approving nods.

"That kid has talent," Mari remarked, her voice filled with admiration.

"Well, she's Alfred Xavier's daughter," Bargue added.

The large man seated beside them, the S+ ranker Ganth, smirked. "Alfred was a hero who saved the world. If this is how his daughter fights now, I can't wait to see her future."

Amidst the noise, Gale approached Erica, who still held what she thought was me.

"Teach! That's a clone!" he shouted.

"What?" Erica looked at the "me" in her hands just as it vanished in a puff of smoke.

Her head snapped toward the door, where I sat, scribbling on a drawing pad.

Erica and Gale approached me, their faces a mix of disbelief and amusement.

I looked up, startled.

"Who won? Did I do well?" I asked hesitantly.

Both of them blinked before bursting into laughter.

"Don't you remember the fight?" Erica asked.

"Well..." I scratched my head. "If a single clone survived, I'd know. But since there aren't any left, I guess I lost?"

They chuckled again.

Gale leaned over. "What were you doing, anyway, Aleena?"

I held up my drawing pad proudly. "This!"

The page revealed a detailed sketch of Gale and Erica mid-charge, their magic flaring around them.

They stared in awe.

"Does it look good?" I asked shyly.

For a moment, they were speechless. Then they both shouted in unison:

"It's amazing!"