One Last System

Mia closed her eyes for a moment.

She took a deep breath, allowing the process of breathing to gradually calm her agitation down.

And then, she raised her eyelids and looked at Jenne, roughly twenty meters away from her.

'So close... yet so far,' Mia thought.

She couldn't attack him. Not just yet. Not until he attempts to draw the first blood.

'Still, that was unexpected,' Mia thought, raising her chin and pushing ahead. 'But it works for me,' she nearly giggled.

The one reason why she was in this place instead of looking for more news about Arthur was to cause a distraction. And how else could she attract Sangakarts attention if not by being called out for what seemed to be a fight?

Jenne's figure was domineering as if he hoped he could own the place with just his determination alone. But in terms of aura proper, he likely barely reached the sixth stage.

Mia cast a look of pity at the naive man.

'You will serve as my bait,' Mia thought, ready to use this man in every way she could.

And then Mia stopped. Still, roughly ten steps away from Jenne, she was close enough for someone called out.

For but a moment, the two of them seized the other up, waiting for the other party to take the initiative. But now that Mia responded, it was on Jenne to continue.

And so, Jenne bowed.

His head and entire torso turned parallel to the ground. The man didn't hold back on his bow.

"I came here to participate in this tournament, for one reason and one reason only," Jenne shouted out his words in a disciplined manner, proving he had long prepared himself for this moment.

Jenne then raised his head, threw Mia a quick glance, and then bit his lips, lowering his face even deeper than before.

"I did it all just to be able to apologize," he stated out loud, allowing every and last person in the plaza to hear his words.

'What the hell?' Mia nearly jumped when the reveal started.

She was at a loss for words, unable to react to Jenne's confession at all.

'Huh? What should I... What?' a flurry of thoughts flashed through the girl's head as she simply stood her ground, too shocked to offer any reaction.

'Is this a trap? Is this some flanking maneuver aimed to take me by surprise?' Mia attempted to calmly analyze the situation after taking a moment to tune her agitation down.

"I picked this public form of apology to let it be known to everybody," Jenne bit his lips to the point they started to bleed before raising his voice again. "I sinned against this former fellow disciple of mine greatly," Jenne continued his confession.

"Only this public repentance can quell my desire for punishment," Jenne shouted, falling down on his knees and striking his forehead before Mia's feet.

'Well, whatever is the case with this guy, it works pretty damn well for a distraction,' Mia thought, already calmed down and at her finest.

She looked down at the kneeling man, still processing the situation.

In a moment like this, a hasty decision would likely prove to be a great mistake.

"I will accept whatever punishment you deem fitting," Jenne didn't stop in his act. "I just hope to be privy to a few moments of your time, as there are details of this matter that I cannot reveal to the public," Jenne added, raising his head and finally establishing eye contact.

'He seems... different,' Mia thought, finally taking a moment to look at this man as another person rather than an established enemy.

Still, a potential fake change of heart wouldn't sway Mia's opinion of the man.

"You will accept any and all punishment, is that it?" Mia muttered, raising her hand and slowly rubbing her chin. She squinted her eyes before casting a long glance at Jenne's back.

"..." Instead of voicing his answer, the young man lowered in his bow, showcasing that he was ready to take whatever Mia had in her mind on.

'Well, he helped me to create this distraction,' Mia thought, a kind part of her soul trying to show the situation from another perspective.

And then, she froze.

'Wait, what if this is all part of their plot?' Mia asked herself, shocked by the possibility that she was blind to for so long.

It would all make sense. The day everything went to shit, Arthur was also sure that he could handle anything that Jenne prepared for him!

Yet, no matter how hard the girl looked, she couldn't find any trap in the act of the man.

"That's enough!" a powerful voice suddenly filled the air.

Mia turned her head to the side, instantly recognizing how inferior she was in the face of the power wielded by the owner of the voice.

And just as expected, it was the Elder leading the Oloan sect group.

"This is your personal problem, not a spectacle for everyone to enjoy!" the middle-aged man announced through his gritted teeth.

It was clear that Jenne's action wasn't part of the plan he had for the day. And by announcing his guilt publicly, Jenne just implicated his entire guild in his own private mess.

It was obvious the Elder wouldn't allow such folly.

"That's right!" the Elder of Mia's own sect hurried to enter the scene. "Mia, as great of a disciple, are you, don't bring your personal problems to shame our Oloan friends!" the Elder commanded, sending a furious gaze at the girl's face.

'But I didn't do anything!' Mia thought in a protest, well aware that voicing it out would achieve nothing.

"Yes, Elder," Mia nodded her head, turning around in an attempt to leave the scene.

The distraction was big enough. Not it was time to ditch the scene.

'Or maybe I should take that guy's offer?' Mia thought, almost freezing on the spot.

On the off chance that this wasn't a plan aimed against her... There had to be a reason why this man was so desperate to meet and talk with her!

'Damn, what should I do?!' Mia despaired, unable to make a decision in the spur of a moment.

"We will accompany her," Veila suddenly stood up and took a step forward. "You want to have a talk in a private place, don't you?" she added, leaning her head to the side.

Jenne looked at Veila's face. When his eyes fell upon the girl's figure, his body froze. He then shook his head and then lowered his face again.

"That's right," he nodded. "I'm sorry for pushing the elders on you," Jenne added before shaking his head. "I'm perfectly fine with a public spot if you are wary of me... But some things I really can't spread around," he added in a hushed voice.

"Then you need to be prepared to share it with all five of us," Sander replied, following Veila's example and stepping forward.. "Now then, our elders are ready to burn us alive because of your little skit," he pointed out before looking at Jenne with irony filling his eyes. "Don't you think you brought us enough problems? Let's go!"