At that very moment, someone slapped him hard on the shoulder: “Andrew, you damn guy, what are you doing here? Even if you want to calm down, you don’t have to come out here and get soaked in the rain, do you? Do you know I’ve been looking for you like crazy?”

　　Brian Carter’s expression froze, the light in his eyes gradually returning to clarity, and the blood-red markings on his face quickly faded away.

　　When he turned around, he saw a Black teenager about fifteen or sixteen years old, with naturally curly hair and dusky skin, standing behind him, panting.

　　In an instant, memories of this person surged into Brian Carter’s mind.

　　This was William York, a close friend who lived in the same neighborhood as the body’s original owner. Not only were they the same age, but they also attended the same school. With similar backgrounds, after Ethan Thompson transferred to Lyndon Academy, the two quickly became inseparable friends.

　　Yet, for some reason, a trace of displeasure rose in Brian Carter’s heart, showing directly on his face.

　　“OK, OK! Ethan, Ethan! I know, you don’t like me calling you Andrew.”

　　William York raised both hands in a surrender gesture: “Can you come back with me now? Your match is starting in at most five minutes. If you forfeit again because of absence, our Miss Louise will probably explode with anger.”

　　“Louise? Louise Lyndon?”

　　Brian Carter felt the name was familiar and unconsciously murmured it. At the same time, an image quickly flashed through his mind.

　　It was a girl with waterfall-like pale golden hair, flawless features, as exquisitely beautiful as a Barbie doll.

　　—Louise Lyndon, the sole direct heir of the Atlanta Linden family, currently sixteen years old, a student at Lyndon Academy, serving as both the student council president and the president of the Cold Weapons Mixed Martial Arts Club.

　　“Who else could it be but Louise?”

　　William rolled his eyes, then forcefully dragged his ‘friend’ inside: “Ethan, you have no idea. Eleanor and John Richardson, those two, suddenly said they were transferring schools right before the match started and just forfeited. Our club had a total of nineteen individual matches today and lost fifteen of them. If this keeps up, we won’t even have enough points to qualify for the team competition next semester. How do you think our Miss will take it? Lyndon Academy’s ranking in all of America will hit rock bottom.”

　　Brian Carter followed him in a daze, his mind already filled with a flood of information.

　　NHSAA, short for National High School Athletic Association, is an alliance of tens of thousands of high schools across America. Its main activity is hosting various annual sports leagues.

　　The most popular events are mixed old steel (MOS, mixed cold weapons) and mixed martial arts (MMA).

　　—In this world where magic energy flourishes and all kinds of ability users are everywhere, these two combat sports are the number one sports in every country, with the largest audiences for their events.

　　The comprehensive cold weapons and mixed martial arts tournaments held by the National High School Athletic Association are the largest combat sports events in America, second only to the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association).

　　For the many private schools in America that pride themselves on having and cultivating more magic-powered professionals, rankings and achievements in these two events are a matter of life and death—it affects their reputation, student recruitment, and government funding.

　　And Louise Lyndon is not only the eldest daughter of the Linden family, but also the future owner of Lyndon Academy.

　　The reason she humbled herself, giving up the four elite academies where the children of the powerful gather, to attend Lyndon Academy, was precisely to shoulder the mission of reversing the school’s decline in cold weapons mixed martial arts and securing a respectable ranking.

　　“Your opponent this time is Ichabod from Cardiga Academy. I’ve checked—he’s already a level four magic swordsman, with excellent sword skills. Last year, when he was in tenth grade, he made it to the top sixty-four in all of Atlanta’s individual tournament. Sure, luck played a part, but it’s been a year since then, and he’s definitely even stronger now. So honestly, I don’t have high hopes for your match.”

　　William York spoke with a wry smile: “But even if you lose, you absolutely can’t forfeit. No one in the club expects you to beat him, but if you dare to back out, I bet the scholarship you want is out of the question. Our Miss Louise is just looking for somewhere to vent her anger. Hey, Ethan, at least give me some reaction, why are you like a block of wood? Too nervous? Oh, shit!”

　　At that moment, a female voice broadcast through the corridor: “Ring P12, Match 5, Ichabod Wood VS Andrew Thompson Weldon, starting at 20:15—”