They Hated Me in My First Life, But Now I Have the Love System

Chapter 536: He Had Never Looked at Her Like That

Stephanie’s eyes did not leave it.

"You better hope we don’t cross paths."

Beside her, Nicholas sat quietly, rehydrating. She leaned in and whispered without looking at him.

"If you draw Nnenna next, don’t hold back," she said.

Nicholas gave a subtle nod.

"No mercy," she added flatly.

And he understood.

The six finalists stood tall on the arena floor, their names glowing across the giant scoreboard above.

They had all secured solid A’s.

Now, the only task left... was to keep it.

They didn’t need to win these final rounds, only to hold their ground and avoid slipping up. But pressure hung thick in the air, because holding ground against people this skilled wasn’t easy.

Stephanie and Nicholas weren’t the only ones rattled by Nnenna’s surprising climb.

Adam, Chang, and Keanu had all quietly adjusted their stance on her. The tiny girl they had barely noticed at the start of the day had become a threat they could no longer ignore.

She had earned her place here.

Now they had to take her seriously... or lose to her.

The referee raised a box.

"Draw lots for your next match," he announced.

One by one, they stepped forward and picked their folded slips.

Nnenna unfolded hers.

Adam.

She blinked once, then lowered the paper, already flipping through her mental archive. His footwork, stance, the speed of his first two takedowns... she had watched everything carefully. She had already made notes. Already adjusted.

A calm breath left her lips.

Alright. Let’s go.

and Adam’s were announced, she stepped forward toward

the judges’ table,

match would

If Nnenna wasn’t sharp from the start, he could overwhelm her quickly. But Arthur had

She will win.

He believed she would.

whose eyes were either on Nnenna or Arthur, noticed the flicker of intensity

he was watching

shift of his fingers

the inside of her cheek,

That expression.

That attention.

had never once looked at

to each other, the tension shifted. The crowd, once chatty and buzzing, fell quiet again, something

movement would be seen. Every mistake

Adam struck first.

Nnenna’s balance, but she was already gone, pivoting just in time, landing soft on her toes like a feather, then firing

blocked it, but

crowd,

No wasted

we sure she hasn’t been practicing

wild. She’s really holding her

adjusting his

had expected this

and precise, read his shifting posture. She didn’t rush, she waited for

He did. And again.

that cracked the air

blocked. But the impact

two steps,

standing," murmured Master Tayo, watching with folded arms.

him, Commander Olivia tilted her head. "She’s not fighting

said Madam Wolke. "This one... this

faintly and scribbled something on his score sheet. "Sharp.

minutes... then twelve... fifteen. Neither side backing

she would escape. He would counter, she would re counter. It wasn’t brute force,

And then

She saw it.

left leg. His weight slightly off.

Now.