“Master Keshab, forgive me—I think I’ve changed my mind.”Miralda stopped in her tracks at the gate behind the compound, just before stepping into the Living Forest.“I can’t risk taking you in there with me.”As she spoke, Miralda lifted her hand and whispered an incantation. In an instant, Keshab’s body froze in place. He couldn’t move, nor could he open his mouth.“Mmm-mmmm!” was all that came out. He desperately wanted to protest, to beg Miralda to let him follow.“Don’t worry. If the senior masters see you like this, just tell them I’m the one who cast the spell on you,” Miralda said, before hurrying into the forest.By right, she was supposed to face this punishment together with Keshab. But time was against her. Going alone gave her a better chance of succeeding. Dragging someone else along would only slow her down.“Mmmm-mmmm-mmm!”Keshab’s muffled groans grew louder, but Miralda ignored him. Her steps carried her deeper into the woods.After about thirty minutes, the strange

Before Prayag could continue speaking, Flakor, who was seated behind him, suddenly cut in.“Master Shrestha, how could we possibly overturn a decision based solely on this girl’s one-sided explanation? We can’t act before hearing from the others involved.”Flakor’s words jolted Prayag back to his senses. He gave a slow nod.“Miralda, forgive me. But I must first hear the explanation from Shambhu and the other two young men.”He gestured for Shambhu to speak.“M-Master, please forgive me. Forgive me…”Shambhu instantly dropped to his knees on the wooden floor, pressing his forehead against the ground. Tirtha and Ujwal quickly followed suit.“I didn’t want to say anything, for the sake of keeping peace between Miralda and me. But what I’ve just heard is far too outrageous. I can’t stay silent anymore. All I can say is that what she claimed is nothing like the truth.”“What?”The entire hall erupted in noise once again. Shambhu’s words directly contradicted Miralda’s earlier statement.“

Nebulus’s words sounded like a final verdict for Shambhu and the other two. Nothing could sway his decision.But then, after remaining silent all this time, Miralda finally spoke.“Old Master, forgive me. But if I may be honest, I can see that they’ve truly repented. I wish to plead with you to let them go.”Her voice rippled through the great hall, igniting a stir.“What? Did I hear that right? Miralda is asking for mercy on the very people who slandered her? That’s insane!”“Unbelievable! This is sheer foolishness!”Two hours earlier.“I’ll allow you to take those three men, but only for today,” Nebulus had stated coldly, laying down his terms to Miralda.“Whatever business you have with them, you must resolve it before nightfall. If you fail to return with them by then, I’ll come to claim them myself. And when that time comes… they will be my prisoners forever.”He narrowed his eyes. “Well? Do you agree?”When Miralda ventured into the forest to retrieve Shambhu and the others, man

Varom’s body was blasted backward nearly ten meters. To stop himself from toppling over, he dug his heels into the courtyard floor, carving two deep grooves in the stone as he skidded to a halt.Spurt!He spat out a mouthful of blood onto the ground, easing the pressure in his chest. There wasn’t any internal injury—but the pain was real.“You’ve grown pitiful, Varom. I didn’t expect this fight to end so quickly,” Nebulus sneered, his voice cold yet amused. “In truth, I’ve only used ten percent of my inner force.”“I’ve been out of practice. Next time, I won’t give you the chance,” Varom replied calmly. He clasped his hands together at his chest, gave a slight bow to Nebulus, and stepped back beyond the boundary line of the courtyard.As he walked toward Miralda, the grandmaster forced a thin smile. “Forgive me. It seems I’ve let you down.”Miralda shook her head. “On the contrary, you fought brilliantly, Grandmaster.”She knew Varom hadn’t fought with his full strength. If he had, th

“What the hell…?! What kind of technique is this? Just how powerful is Miralda?”The masters widened their eyes, their faces twisted with unease and fear. They had already witnessed Miralda’s terrifying strength in her first strike. And now, the girl was unleashing something far more dreadful with her next move.Everyone finally understood—this was no longer some trivial spar. This was no less deadly than Varom’s previous duel.This was a battle of life and death.While most were still frozen in shock, Varom, standing not too far away at the edge of the courtyard, suddenly furrowed his brows. His eyes widened, as though he had realized something.“...The Phoenix Incantation?” he muttered, disbelief coloring his voice.“Then… my suspicions were right? Miralda’s already used this spell before?”Worry carved deep lines into the grandmaster’s face. Now he was certain—the technique that had nearly driven Miralda to unconsciousness weeks ago was none other than the temple’s most forbidden s