Damon and his team—Daveon, Anaya, Celeste, and Miss Leana—all gathered in the training hall assigned to them.

The space was large, reinforced with magic barriers to withstand high-impact battles. The tournament was only four days away, and for the next two days, their focus would be on team coordination and improvement.

Miss Leana stood before them, her arms crossed as she surveyed her students.

“You’ve all improved individually,” she said, her sharp eyes lingering on each of them. “But that means nothing if you can’t function as a team. Strength alone won’t win this tournament.”

The group nodded, knowing her words were true.

They had spent the last three weeks training separately, honing their combat abilities under her brutal guidance. But a team battle required more than just individual skill. It required trust, understanding, and the ability to cover each other’s weaknesses.

Miss Leana’s gaze shifted toward Celeste, the newest addition to their group.

Celeste remained as calm and unreadable as ever, but Miss Leana saw through her facade. The girl was cocky, and her previous display of skill in the Dean’s office had only fueled her arrogance further.

That needs to be fixed, Miss Leana thought.

Unlike the others, Celeste’s fighting style was built for deception and quick eliminations. She excelled in stealth, precision strikes, and misdirection. But she lacked the endurance and resilience needed for prolonged fights, and worse, she had the habit of underestimating her opponents.

Miss Leana knew that if Celeste wasn’t taught her place now, she would become a liability in the tournament.

“Alright,” she said, clapping her hands once. “We’ll start with physical endurance training. No weapons. Just stamina drills, strength training, and sparring.”

The team groaned internally but obeyed without complaint.

For the next hour, they ran through a series of grueling push-ups, sprints, and endurance drills under Miss Leana’s strict supervision.

Celeste, however, held back.

Instead of fully engaging in the physical training, she moved just enough to avoid drawing attention. She had a leaner build than the others and wasn’t as physically strong, so she believed conserving energy was the smarter move.

Miss Leana noticed immediately.

A small smirk formed on her lips.

Time to straighten her out.

She raised her hand, signaling the others to stop.

“Take a break,” she told them. “And watch closely.”

Daveon and Anaya exchanged glances, already sensing something interesting was about to happen. Damon simply leaned against the wall, folding his arms as he waited.

Celeste, sensing the shift in the atmosphere, raised an eyebrow.

Miss Leana turned toward her. “Celeste, come here.”

Celeste hesitated, then stepped forward.

“You think it’s fine to rest while your teammates push themselves?” Miss Leana asked, tilting her head slightly.

Celeste shrugged. “I fight differently. Strength training isn’t as important for me as it is for the others.”

Miss Leana chuckled. “Is that so?”

Celeste nodded. “I rely on speed, technique, and precision. Strength is secondary to an assassin.”

Miss Leana smirked. “Then let’s test that.”

Celeste’s eyes sharpened, sensing a challenge.

“You’re going to fight me,” Miss Leana said. “No weapons. Just pure hand-to-hand combat.”

Celeste blinked. Then she grinned.

“Sure,” she said confidently. “I accept.”

She had fought Miss Leana before in the Dean’s office, and while she had been forced back, she had proven she was a threat.

She had dodged, countered, and landed an attack.

She could do it again.

Miss Leana saw the confidence in Celeste’s stance.

That’s her first mistake, she thought.

The two moved to the center of the training area while the others gathered around to watch.

Miss Leana cracked her knuckles.

“Come at me with everything you’ve got.”

Celeste nodded and disappeared in a blur.

She moved instantly, using her superior speed and footwork to close the gap between them. Her body was low and precise, aiming for a feint followed by a sweep kick.

But—

Before she could even complete the move, Miss Leana’s foot shot out faster than she could react.

A brutal kick to her midsection sent her flying backward.

Bang!

Celeste hit the ground, rolling to break her fall.

‘What?!’ She barely had time to process before Miss Leana was already on top of her.

Celeste dodged left, aiming for an opening—

But Miss Leana anticipated it, twisting her body and grabbing Celeste by the wrist.

A split second later, Celeste was slammed into the floor.

Hard.

Bang!!

The others winced.

But Miss Leana wasn’t done.

She yanked Celeste up just enough before throwing her into the air, only to catch her mid-fall and throw her again.

Celeste crashed into the ground for the third time in less than thirty seconds.

Miss Leana wasn’t even using her full strength.

Still, she spoke calmly throughout the fight, addressing the team.

“This is how you deal with assassin-types,” she explained, dodging another of Celeste’s desperate counterattacks. “Their greatest strength is their speed and unpredictability. So you take that away from them.”

She caught Celeste’s leg mid-kick and spun, throwing her onto the mat again.

“You don’t let them control the fight.”

Celeste gritted her teeth and forced herself to her feet, her body screaming in protest.

She lunged again—

Only for Miss Leana to sidestep effortlessly and slam her into the wall.

Celeste coughed, air forced from her lungs.

Miss Leana stepped back, watching as Celeste struggled to stand.

“And if an assassin tries to recover,” she continued, “you don’t give them the chance.”

Celeste clenched her fists, her pride in shambles.

She refused to lose like this.

Her hand instinctively reached for her hairpin.

A weapon.

She barely had time to move before—

Miss Leana swept her feet out from under her and threw her one last time.

Celeste hit the floor. Harder.

Her hairpin clattered onto the ground.

The fight was over.

Miss Leana folded her arms.

“You were disqualified the moment you reached for a weapon,” she said simply.

Celeste coughed, struggling for breath, but she didn’t argue.

She had lost.

Miss Leana turned toward the others. “And that’s how you deal with assassins in battle. Keep them on the defensive. Shut down their movements. Don’t let them dictate the fight.”

She turned back to Celeste, offering a hand.

Celeste hesitated before taking it, letting Miss Leana pull her up.

“Lesson learned?” Miss Leana asked.

Celeste exhaled heavily. “Yeah.”

Miss Leana smirked. “Good. Now get some rest. Training resumes in an hour.”

The group watched as Celeste limped to the side, her ego thoroughly crushed.

Damon exchanged a glance with Daveon and Anaya.

One thing was clear.

Celeste might have been strong but Miss Leana was still in a league of her own.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep