Chapter 404: Issuing a Club War Challenge

"Let this be known far and wide in the Military Department and the entire academy... The Black Ares Club is issuing a Club War challenge against the RBM Club! Starting from today, anyone standing on their side is our enemy!"

The proclamation thundered through the air, vibrating against the reinforced walls of the newly established base. Just as John and his friends reached the surface, the courtyard still shimmering from the residual wind of Ben’s tornado, they were met with these aggressive shouts coming from beyond the walls.

The moment John heard that specific, arrogant voice, he turned instantly toward Mond. The seventh-year student didn’t need to be asked; he nodded slowly, a grim, haunted look settling over his features.

"It’s Galbert," Mond said, his voice dropping into a low growl. "And he is here for blood."

"What is this Club War thing he’s talking about?" Ricky asked, turning his head toward Nikolas. The teacher’s expression was weird, a mixture of disbelief and a deep-seated anxiety that sent a chill through the group.

"It’s a very ancient tradition," Nikolas replied, his voice trembling as he struggled to contain an explosive inward fury, "a very ancient, obsolete tradition," he added, with his tone growing dangerous.

"We agreed... The Academy board and the different departments all agreed on closing this page centuries ago! It was a relic of the era of blood, a system that nearly tore this academy apart. How come someone dares to break that oath? This is... Totally unforgivable!"

Nikolas was beyond infuriated by the audacity of the declaration. He didn’t even wait to explain the details to the students. He dashed forward, his silhouette blurring as he headed straight for the section of the wall facing the Military Department, where the shouting originated.

"How come you issue such a forbidden challenge without getting the approval of the Headmaster and the board of the academy deans?" Nikolas roared as he crested the ramparts, his voice amplified by his rage.

"This is a grave offence to the very foundation of our academy! Step forward, the leading teacher of that pathetic club of yours... Jonathon! Step forward now!"

Nikolas demanded the appearance of the Black Ares Club’s official leading teacher. However, a different figure stepped out from the ranks of the approaching crowd.

By the time John, Luke, Elena, and the others managed to climb the stairs and look over the battlements, they saw a female teacher standing at the head of a column of thirty elite students, with Galbert positioned just a step behind her.

"Jonathon has dropped his leading role and ceded his authority to me," the female teacher said calmly. Her voice was smooth, almost melodic, but it carried a chilling lack of emotion.

The moment John spotted her, his face underwent a violent change. His eyes widened, and his hands gripped the stone railing so hard the rock began to crack under his fingers.

"It’s her!" his voice came out trembling, not with fear, but with a boiling rage that seemed to storm his chest. "It’s the one who attacked Cissel and me in the sparring building basement! She is the one who tried to kill her!"

"Are you sure, John?" Nikolas turned to him, his gaze becoming dead serious. He scrutinised the woman below. "Because this teacher, whoever she claims to be, doesn’t belong to our Military Department. I don’t recognise her at all."

"What?!!" Luke, Elena, and Ben exclaimed in unison, their shock palpable.

Mond, however, remained silent, his eyes narrowed. "Their club is an academy-wide club," he explained quietly to the others. "They recruit from the other departments as well. It’s normal for their leading teacher to come from outside our department. Still..."

Mond turned toward Nikolas, his eyes carrying a mountain of silent questions. Nikolas turned his attention fully back to the woman below, his posture shifting into a combat-ready stance.

"This is the first time I’ve heard of a transfer of leadership for a Major Club without an official notice," Nikolas said slowly. "Did you clear this with the Headmaster already?"

"I saw there was no need in doing so, hehehe," the female teacher replied. She was the total opposite of the battle-hardened, typical teachers of the Military Department. There wasn’t a single ripple of energy or an aura of strength around her to point toward her possessing any special power at all. And still, she felt extremely dangerous.

She wore a short, relaxed dress that was more suitable for a high-end social gala than a confrontation at a fortress gate, showing far more of her skin than it covered.

She didn’t stop there. Every time she spoke or shifted her posture, she looked as if she were performing on a stage. Her movements were unnaturally fluid, and her laughter sounded fake, theatrical, and hollow.

"You do know the Club Wars are obsolete!" Nikolas shouted down. "A challenge cannot be triggered without the formal approval of the Headmaster and the Council of Deans..."

"Unless," the female teacher interrupted, playfully chuckling as she swayed her body from side to side like a viper preparing to strike, "the students involved in both clubs agree to the terms voluntarily. My club students have already approved. And I’m quite certain your club students will find the motivation to do the same."

"What gives you such confidence, Mark?"

John spoke for the first time since exposing her. He didn’t even ask for her name, as he already knew the true entity controlling this lady. In his eyes, he didn’t see a woman or a teacher; he saw a cyborg. And he was certain, she was the same cyborg who led him into a trap, used mind control and illusions on him, and infected Cissel with the black fog.

The woman laughed, a sharp, metallic sound that grated on the ears. "It’s because you have a choice, John. Either you agree to the Club War right here on the spot, or my mole will finish what I started. Your girl... Cissel, isn’t it? She’s currently in a very deep sleep. It would be such a waste if she died so early, at such a young age, hehehe!"

Hearing Mark use Cissel as a bargaining chip drove John into a fit of madness. It wasn’t just him; Ricky, Luke, and Elena were visibly vibrating with a fury that threatened to boil over into an immediate assault. The air atop the wall grew heavy with the growing killing intent of the RBM Club’s core members.