For a brief moment after the attack, no one in the arena moved.

Silence spread across the entire hall like a heavy weight pressing down on everyone at once.

The students stared at the scene in front of them, their minds unable to fully process what they had just witnessed. Jaden’s body had been completely separated, his head rolling across the arena floor while the girl stood behind him with a dagger that still carried traces of blood.

No one spoke.

No one reacted.

It was as if their thoughts had been frozen in place.

Then, something unexpected happened.

Right before their eyes, Jaden’s body suddenly began to glow once again, but this time the light was much brighter and more intense than before. The glow covered every part of him, including the pieces of his body that had been separated, and in the next instant, everything shattered into thousands of tiny fragments of light.

The fragments did not fall to the ground.

Instead, they dissolved into the air as if they had never existed.

Before anyone could even begin to question what they were seeing, Jaden’s figure reappeared outside the arena standing. He was completely unharmed.

Not a single scratch could be seen on his body.

Jaden blinked several times, clearly confused, as he looked down at himself and then around at his surroundings.

"Huh... what just happened?" he asked, his voice filled with disbelief.

Without realizing it, his hands moved toward his neck, touching it repeatedly as if he was trying to confirm that his head was still attached to his body.

His breathing became slightly uneven.

"Why am I outside the arena?" he added, still unable to understand what had just occurred.

"Because you died," the pink-haired girl replied calmly, her tone completely steady as if she had just stated something obvious.

Her words were simple, yet they sent a chill down Jaden’s spine.

Even though his body was perfectly fine, the memory of what had just happened remained clear in his mind, and the realization of it made his expression stiffen.

"That was quite something," Professor Claire said, her voice carrying a hint of genuine interest as she observed the girl more closely.

It was clear that she was impressed by the ability the girl had just demonstrated.

Among the students, whispers quickly began to spread again, but this time the tone was very different from before.

"That girl..."

"Did you see how fast she moved..."

"That Jaden guy didn’t even have time to react..."

Lucian narrowed his eyes slightly as he analyzed what he had just witnessed.

"That girl is using magic to enhance her physical abilities. Based on her speed and precision, she is most likely an assassin-type awakener," he said in a thoughtful tone.

Jane crossed her arms as she continued observing the girl.

"The skill she just displayed is not something an ordinary student could achieve. She is also probably from another group of first-year students, otherwise I would have recognized her already," she added.

Shadow remained silent, his gaze fixed on the girl as his mind processed everything in detail.

’That speed... that timing... and the way she struck without hesitation... she did not just rely on raw ability, she has experience,’ he thought.

Back in the arena, Professor Claire nodded slightly before addressing both participants.

"Thank you, both of you. You may now return to your seats," she said.

Jaden did not waste any time and quickly stepped away, still trying to fully understand what had happened to him, while the pink-haired girl turned calmly and began walking back as if nothing unusual had taken place.

As she moved past the students, her pace remained steady and composed.

However, midway through her path, she suddenly stopped.

For a brief moment, she turned her head slightly, her gaze shifting toward Shadow’s group. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

Her eyes lingered there for just a second.

Then, without saying a single word, she turned back and continued walking to her seat.

Lucian frowned slightly, clearly noticing the moment.

"Why was she looking at us?" he asked, confusion evident in his voice.

"Not us," Shadow replied calmly, his eyes still fixed on the girl’s back as she walked away.

"She was looking at me."

His tone was quiet, but there was a clear certainty behind his words.

For the first time since the demonstration began, his attention was no longer on the device or the system.

It was on her.