Hunter Academy: Revenge of the Weakest novel Chapter 971

Chapter 971 225.1 - Swordsgirl

As if sensing her growing anticipation, Astron turned his head slightly from where he stood, his gaze sliding toward her. Their eyes met.

Not for long.

Just long enough.

"Don't let out your intent too much," he said quietly, his tone flat and unbothered-as if commenting on the weather.

Julia blinked.

Then she laughed, loud and amused. "Wow. You could just say you're scared." freeweɓnøvel.com

Astron didn't flinch. "I'm not."

She tilted her head, that grin still playing across her lips. "No? Could've fooled me. You're reading my intent like a book already. Nervous, huh?"

"No," he said again, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly-just short of a smirk. "I just prefer when my opponent doesn't broadcast every thought like a marching band."

Julia snorted. "Come on, admit it. You like the attention."

Astron gave her a glance that was all dry neutrality. "I've had enough attention to know it's overrated."

Julia raised an eyebrow. "That's such a dramatic answer, wow. You gonna monologue next?"

Astron blinked, then turned away slightly, adjusting his stance. "Only if you stop interrupting it with flirting."

Julia's mouth opened.

Then closed.

She squinted. "That's not flirting."

He didn't even look back. "Isn't it?"

"...No."

Astron, still not facing her, let out a breath-not quite a sigh, more like an exhale of subtle judgment. "If that isn't your version of flirting," he said evenly, "then your casual way of speaking is quite far off."

Julia raised a brow, arms crossing. "Far off from what, exactly?"

"Far off from how a lady usually behaves."

"Oh?" She leaned in slightly, a glint in her eyes. "So now you want me to have womanly charm?"

"A basic human decency would suffice."

Julia gasped, mock-offended. "Wow. And here I thought you liked my attitude.

"I didn't say that."

"Then why do you care?"

Astron finally turned his head again, his violet eyes flat but undeniably sharp. "Why? Because your attitude is often directed at me."

"So you're saying you're annoyed?"

"No," he said immediately.

Julia tilted her head. "Then why do you care?"

"Because it affects me."

"Ohhh." She gave him a knowing grin. "So it affects you by... annoying you?"

Astron stared at her for a beat. Then, deadpan:

"It affects me by making me cringe."

Julia blinked once. Twice.

Then burst out laughing. "Pff-Cringe? You cringe? That's amazing."

Astron didn't respond.

Julia's laughter didn't die down-in fact, it only seemed to pick up as Astron's silence dragged on. Most people might've backed off by now, but not her. Julia wasn't most. people. And subtle jabs? They were practically a love language to her.

"Oh man," she said, wiping a nonexistent tear from her eye. "I'm keeping that one. 'You make me cringe. Gonna quote you on that forever."

Astron gave her a look-flat, unimpressed, but also vaguely resigned. "You'd quote your own arrest warrant if it had enough sarcasm."

"I mean, if the wording's dramatic enough, sure."

He turned away again, muttering, "Unbelievable"

Julia leaned a little closer, grinning. "You know what's really unbelievable? That you keep talking back. You could've walked away five minutes ago."

"I could've," Astron replied evenly, "but then you'd assume you won."

"Well, you are still here, so..."

Before the banter could escalate any further, another voice joined in, calm and cool.

"Do I even want to know what this argument started from?"

Lilia had strolled over, a slight sheen of sweat still on her brow from her duel, a towel draped around her neck. She eyed both of them with an expression somewhere between amusement and tired resignation.

Julia perked up. "Oh, you know. Astron's delicate pride got wounded by my 'lack of ladylike charm."

"That's not what I said," Astron replied automatically.

Lilia raised a brow at him. "But... you kind of did."

"I did not."

Lilia gave a long-suffering sigh and turned away-only to pause when footsteps

echoed down the corridor.

Ethan stepped into view, fresh from the locker room, towel around his shoulders, his damp hair slightly disheveled. His expression was quiet-not downcast, but

contemplative. The mark of someone still processing something.

All three turned toward him, conversation stalling for just a breath.

Julia's grin softened slightly. "Hey, Mountain Boy."

Ethan glanced over. "You're still antagonizing people, I see."

"Hey, I'm being delightful," she said with mock offense.

"Delightful's not the word I'd use," Astron offered without looking at her.

focused steps.

Julia followed a moment later, her stride loose but eyes sharp, that grin still hanging on-only now, it was sharpened into something less playful.

Something personal.

****

Julia followed Astron across the training hall, boots tapping lightly against the

polished stone floor. Her posture was as relaxed as ever-shoulders loose, arms

swinging slightly-but her face twitched.

Just once.

A tiny muscle near her jaw clenched. Her smile remained in place, but a sharpness had

crept into her eyes.

Lack of ladylike charm.

She clicked her tongue softly, barely audible over the ambient noise of other sparring

matches. She told herself it was nothing, that Astron had just been throwing a line back at her the way she threw a dozen at him. Just another jab in their constant game

of one-upmanship.

But...

Why did that one stick?

Why that phrase?

She'd heard worse, for sure. Been called worse by instructors, rivals, even passing

gossipers. Julia Middleton was a storm in boots-no one expected silk gloves from her.

She fought like a brawler, laughed like a delinquent, and made no apologies for it.

So why did it grate?

Because it was him, her thoughts whispered, traitorous and precise. Because it was

Astron saying it, and because he didn't say it to cut-he said it like an observation.

Like she was lacking something obvious.

And that... that made something crawl under her skin.

Julia's hands twitched once at her sides, but she forced her fingers still. Her

expression didn't break, not outwardly, but her grin now had teeth in it-not the flirtatious kind.

This wasn't just a fight now.

It wasn't just a rematch either.

It was a correction.