CHAPTER 56: SUKI

This time, Xino didn’t even attempt a smile. His face was set in a deep frown, the muscles in his jaw working as he clenched his teeth in barely restrained anger. Two of his Class 2 students had been defeated by this rank F nobody, and the humiliation was clearly eating at him.

He stepped forward, his movements sharp and aggressive, his entire body language radiating fury. "There’s one more opponent you must face," he said, his voice tight with controlled rage. "One more before we move on to other... methods."

The threat in those last words was unmistakable. If Jelo somehow managed to win this third fight, Xino was done playing by any semblance of fair rules.

"This opponent," Xino continued, his eyes boring into Jelo with undisguised hatred, "will definitely defeat you. I guarantee it."

He turned and pointed to another figure in the lineup of Class 2 students. "Suki. Come forward."

A girl stepped out from the group, and Jelo immediately noticed something different about her entrance. Where the previous two fighters had simply walked forward, Suki moved with fluid grace.

She executed a forward roll that transitioned seamlessly into a cartwheel, then landed in a perfect crouch before rising smoothly to her full height.

The display was effortless, showcasing flexibility and body control that spoke to years of dedicated training. This wasn’t just someone who could do acrobatic tricks, this was someone who’d integrated acrobatics so deeply into their movement that it was second nature, as natural as walking.

Suki was shorter than most of the Class 2 students, perhaps five foot four, with a lean, athletic build that suggested both strength and agility.

Her dark hair was pulled back in a high ponytail that swayed with her movements, and her face carried a friendly, almost playful expression that seemed completely at odds with the tense atmosphere of the hall.

She approached Jelo with that same fluid grace, her steps light and bouncing, and to his complete surprise, she extended her hand for a handshake.

Jelo stared at the offered hand for a moment, confused by the gesture, before cautiously accepting it. Her grip was firm but not aggressive, warm and surprisingly friendly.

"You’re cute," Suki said with genuine-seeming warmth, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "And honestly? I wish I didn’t have to fight you. You seem like a nice guy, and you’re clearly skilled. But..." Her expression shifted slightly, becoming more serious despite the smile still playing at her lips. "Hierarchy is hierarchy. I have to uphold it."

She released his hand and stepped back, but before she fully separated, she leaned in slightly and added in a lower voice, "After the fight, you should come find me. We can talk. And... more." She punctuated this with a cheeky wink that somehow managed to be both flirtatious and completely inappropriate given the circumstances.

Then she bounced back to her starting position, leaving Jelo standing there trying to process what had just happened.

But his mind caught on something she’d said, something that bothered him more than the unexpected flirting.

"Hierarchy is hierarchy. I have to uphold it."

Jelo had heard variations of that phrase countless times since arriving at the academy. From teachers, from students, from the administration. It was repeated constantly, reinforced in every interaction, embedded into every aspect of academy life.

But the way Suki had said it, with that slightly distant look in her eyes, that almost automatic quality to the words, made it sound less like a rule she was following and more like a mantra she’d internalized so deeply that she couldn’t question it anymore.

It seemed to be more than just a rule. It was starting to feel like a cult slogan to him, an indoctrination repeated so many times that it became unquestionable truth.

Jelo found himself wondering if all Class 2 students were like this. Had they all been systematically conditioned over their first year to internalize this hierarchy concept so completely that they couldn’t imagine operating outside it? Was this what happened to everyone who stayed at the academy long enough?

And more disturbingly, would he and the other Class 1 students someday be like that? Would they reach their second year and find themselves automatically defending the hierarchy, automatically putting down newer students, automatically repeating those same phrases without questioning them?

The thought was deeply unsettling.

"Enough!" Xino’s voice cut through Jelo’s thoughts, sharp and angry. "Stop wasting time with your flirting, Suki. The fight begins now. End this quickly."

Suki giggled at Xino’s irritation, clearly unbothered by his anger. "Alright, alright," she said with exaggerated patience. "Don’t get your uniform all wrinkled from stress."

She reached to her belt and drew out twin short blades, each about eighteen inches long, curved slightly, with edges that gleamed wickedly under the stage lights. The weapons were clearly well-maintained, the blades showing the kind of care that came from someone who relied on their weapons regularly.

She spun them once in a flourish, the metal singing through the air, before settling into a combat stance. Her body lowered slightly, knees bent, weight balanced perfectly on the balls of her feet. The playful expression remained on her face, but her eyes had changed.

Those eyes were different now. Focused. Calculating. Predatory.

Jelo recognized that look immediately, he’d seen it before in the eyes of people who’d killed, who’d fought real battles with real stakes, who’d learned to separate their personality from their combat mindset.

Those were the eyes of someone who could smile and joke one moment, then efficiently dismantle an opponent the next without hesitation or remorse.

The eyes of a calculated killer.

Despite her harmless and flirty behavior, despite the giggles and the wink and the friendly handshake, Suki was dangerous. Probably more dangerous than either Liam or Skyler had been.

Jelo’s exhaustion was becoming a real problem. His arm still throbbed from Skyler’s lightning strike, his body was covered in bruises from Liam’s ice attacks, and his energy reserves were depleting rapidly from using his abilities in two consecutive fights. He was running on fumes and adrenaline.

And now he had to face an opponent who combined acrobatic mobility with dual-wielded bladed weapons and a killer’s mindset.

He needed to be careful. Very careful.

Suki’s smile widened, as if she could read his thoughts and knew exactly how outmatched he was feeling. "Ready?" she asked cheerfully.

Then, without waiting for an answer, she moved.