The Mercenary Queen Strikes Back (Lily Hastings) novel Chapter 45

Chapter 45

The tall figure flipped through the air in full view of the entire school, then crashed heavily to the ground.

Zane, the dazzling prom king–aloof, handsome, and outstanding–had been the dream lover and prince charming in countless girls‘ hearts. Even many female teachers at SLRA admired him.

Yet moments ago, he had been kicked off the stage by a girl.

A deathly stillness fell over the scene; even the sound of scoring pens dropping from the hands of a few front- row judges was faintly audible.

Every student–from Nova’s classmates to all freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors–watched this, eyes bulging, struck speechless for a long moment.

“No… Impossible! How could she defeat Zane? This can’t be!” Claire, who had been hoping to see Nova disfigured, collapsed to the ground in terror, eyes wide with panic and shock.

Hannah, though still standing, was equally horrified, stammering, “Max… She… She… Nova won!”

“Yeah.” Maxwell’s face remained calm, but his white–knuckled grip on the railing betrayed shock no less than Hannah’s.

Julian, Caleb, Laura, and others from the Free Combat Club were stunned. Their faces turned completely blank.

“Holy shit!” Caleb couldn’t contain himself any longer.

The Free Combat Club members couldn’t believe it. Nova had just kicked the so–called “battle ace” off the

stage.

The Free Combat Club had won. What an earth–shattering reversal! The match they thought was certain defeat had been overturned by Nova in one move.

Meanwhile, some club members hung their heads in shame. They had dragged the club down in the previous individual rounds.

After Nova’s victory, the girls who had mocked her felt as if they had been slapped hard across the face. Their faces went blazing crimson, burning with embarrassment.

Zane, lying where he’d fallen off the stage, finally came to his senses.

He thought, ‘I lost… to a girl I looked down on… to someone I thought was playing hard to get. No. Maybe Nova never played games with me at all. She just didn’t think I was worth her attention.

The realization nearly crushed him. But the scene gave him no time to dwell.

Boys who had long disliked Zane were the first to cheer for Nova. “Oh my! Nova actually beat Zane. The new legend has arrived!”

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Chapter 45

“You go, Nova!”

“From now on, Nova’s our role model!”

Their cheers ignited the crowd. Applause erupted like thunder.

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With a trembling hand, the referee added 50 points to the Free Combat Club’s blue scoreboard. The score now stood at 60-40.

“I declare the Free Combat Club the winner. This year’s Duel Tournament champion club!” the referee announced excitedly.

Amid the thunderous cheers, Nova walked straight past Zane–who lay on the ground–hands in pockets, and off the stage.

The Free Combat Club members immediately swarmed around Nova.

“You’re amazing, Nova. Sorry we misjudged you!” Caleb shouted.

Julian nodded. “You’re the real combat queen. You even beat Zane!”

Maxwell approached and said with a smile, “Well done.”

Nova gave a slight nod. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Hannah hesitating nearby.

Finally, as if steeling herself, Hannah shuffled awkwardly to Nova. “Sorry for underestimating you before. I won’t talk like that again. But I really hate people who show off without real skill.

“Still, you’d better be careful. The hidden masters here are on a whole different level from Zane. You beat him, but don’t provoke them.”

After speaking, Hannah didn’t dare meet Nova’s eyes and ran off.

“Wow, Hannah actually apologized!” Laura laughed, watching her run off.

Nova lowered her gaze then lifted her chin, a look of quiet release in her eyes.

The tournament continued, but the remaining matches were between ordinary students and no longer concerned Nova.

Thanks to her stunning performance, the Free Combat Club saw an explosive surge in new sign–ups within no time, nearly overwhelming.

Maxwell and the others were swamped with registration forms, too busy to enjoy the casual campus stroll Nova was taking.

Finally free from Ethan and Sophia’s enthusiastic following, Nova walked alone along the school path, soaking in the youthful campus atmosphere.

As she passed a secluded trail behind the cafeteria, a hard fist suddenly struck from behind.

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Chapter 45

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Nova’s reflexes kicked in. She tilted her head to avoid it, caught the attacker’s arm, and threw them over her shoulder in a clean, swift motion.

Jordan lay on the ground and coughed violently, staring wide–eyed in shock. He had only intended to test her skills, never expecting Nova to be this strong.

“Oh, it’s you,” Nova said, a faint smile curling her lips.

Her calm tone made Jordan wonder if she already knew him, though they had only exchanged a single glance during the tournament.

Jordan stood up, rubbing his forehead in confusion. “Uh, you know me?”

“Retired special forces from Sector X18? What’s your name?” Nova turned and asked directly.

Jordan thought she might have just heard of him, but he never imagined she would name his former sector code.

His identity exposed, his face changed drastically. “How do you know I’m retired special forces?” he demanded in shock. “No, how could you possibly know my sector code?”

Jordan thought, ‘She doesn’t know me at all. How could she possibly know this? Even the Taekwondo Club

students didn’t know that.’

Under Jordan’s horrified gaze, Nova smiled faintly and handed him his military discharge certificate.

With a playful smile, she said, “It’s written right here.”

Jordan was stunned, thinking, ‘It’s my discharge certificate. I hid it in my pants pocket. When did she take it?‘

His face paled in terror. He snatched back the certificate, forcing composure as he answered, “Uh, I… I’m Jordan Cox.”

As his shock subsided slightly, he was about to greet Nova properly when her next words, directly referencing his commanding officer, left him utterly stunned.

Nova said, coolly appraising him, “Jordan Cox? Special forces soldier from Sector X18? Not bad. If you get a chance to return, send my regards to your commander… and ask him how his left thumb is healing after it was broken, hmm?”

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