Yahhh! 

Zhang Shu shouted and charged forward, gripping his weapon tight. 

His eyes were full of resolve, flickering with something Sen Ya couldn’t quite read. 

All she could do was raise a protective shield to defend herself, then counterattack with the gun in her hand. 

Bang! Bang! Bang! 

No one knew how long the battle dragged on — both fighters were completely exhausted. 

This was the longest match Sen Ya had ever fought. Her stamina was wearing thin. 

But honestly, Zhang Shu wasn’t doing any better. He was getting older, and his body just couldn’t keep up like it used to. Gone were the days when he could fight match after match without breaking a sweat. 

What hadn’t changed, though, was the way he looked at her. 

There was something in his eyes that made Sen Ya uneasy. 

Based on pre-match analysis, she should’ve had a 65% chance of winning against Zhang Shu. 

But now that she was actually facing him, all that confidence had vanished. 

After trading blows for a while, both of them had a rough idea of each other’s strength. 

They were evenly matched, but Sen Ya had a certain spark—an intuition, a fluidity—that gave her the edge. 

Just as predicted before the match, Sen Ya was likely to take the win. 

“Huff… huff… Unlock.” 

Zhang Shu, battered and bloodied, gasped for breath. 

His spiritual strength was nearly depleted, but he still managed to pull out a new card from the Star Moon Stone belt at his waist. 

“Looks like Zhang Shu isn’t ready to give up just yet! He’s drawn a B-level card and is launching a counterattack! Could this be the move that finally breaks the stalemate?” 

“He’s been a regular on this stage for years — I’ve been commentating since the start, and he’s always been there. Honestly, I admire him. The guy deserves one last glorious win!” 

The commentator had watched Zhang Shu for years. He wasn’t flashy or famous, but his unwavering spirit had left a deep impression. 

They had seen him in match after match, always standing until the final second. 

Zhang Shu loved this arena. 

And people like that will always deserve respect. 

Now, on the battlefield, he was barely holding on. He gripped a lightblade, trying desperately to fend off the attacks from Sen Ya’s A-level card. 

To the audience, it looked like a hopeless struggle. 

But he didn’t care about the cuts and bruises. He stood his ground with a stubbornness that bordered on obsession. 

Yahhh—!

His lightblade was already worn and damaged, but Zhang Shu let out another roar and charged forward with all the strength he had left. 

BANG! 

A deafening clash echoed through the arena. 

Sen Ya was thrown back by the sheer force of the impact. Her hands trembled as she gripped her weapon. 

Terrifying. 

Her heart raced — not just from the power of the hit, but from the way Zhang Shu had charged straight through her laser blasts like a man with nothing to lose. 

He made it through… but then he fell. 

Sen Ya, though injured, managed to stay on her feet. 

“Ten… nine… eight… seven… six…” 

Everyone already saw how this battle would end. All that remained was for the judge to count down and announce the result. 

But in those final seconds, Zhang Shu—who was lying on the ground—moved. 

He slowly raised his head. His face, bloodied and bruised, filled the livestream screen. 

He squinted hard, trying to focus on the world in front of him. 

No… he couldn’t lose. Not yet. 

Maybe no one knew. Maybe no one cared… 

But this might be his last card battle. 

He was getting older, and his body just couldn’t keep up. In all these years spent diving headfirst into competition, he’d hardly made any close friends. There wasn’t even a confidant by his side. 

People often asked how he kept going. He would just smile and shake his head. 

But deep down, he knew the truth — he couldn’t let go. 

He needed to prove something. He couldn’t accept that after pouring in so much, he was still just another nameless, ordinary card master. 

He loved this game. He had poured everything into it… 

But reality was cruel. What he fought for… was something others had from the very start. 

He should’ve known that. 

His body had accumulated all kinds of injuries over the years. The doctors told him to stop competing and focus on recovery. 

He never used to believe in fate. But now, he was starting to. 

He couldn’t keep going anymore. 

Zhang Shu closed his eyes and swallowed the blood in his mouth. 

Alright, then. Let this be the last match. 

After this, maybe it was time to accept things as they were. 

With a long, shaky breath, Zhang Shu forced himself to stand. 

This could be the final match of his life. After all those years of fighting, maybe he could at least give himself a proper ending. 

Yes—he stood up. In the final second. 

The whole crowd gasped, and a wave of respect swept through the arena. 

“You got this!” someone shouted. 

No one knew who started it, but someone suddenly shouted, and the cheers from the crowd exploded, even louder than before. 

The energy of the match reignited — they were lucky to witness such an incredible showdown. 

Zhang Shu wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, completely ignoring the festering wounds on his body, and pulled out another card. 

Across from him, Sen Ya was still recovering from the sudden turn of events. Caught off guard by Zhang Shu’s wild and unpredictable attacks, she quickly found herself at a disadvantage. 

Clang! Clang! Clang! 

The sound of clashing weapons echoed nonstop. After all, Sen Ya was just a freshman in high school—facing someone who fought like they had nothing to lose was overwhelming. 

In her flustered counterattack, her sword accidentally pierced Zhang Shu’s shoulder. Bright red blood gushed out along the blade, and Sen Ya instinctively stumbled back a few steps, shocked. 

“Are… are you okay?” she asked without thinking. 

Zhang Shu paused for just a second, pressed a hand against his wound, and the sight of that intense red seemed to sharpen his focus. 

Some in the crowd turned away, unable to watch any longer. But others, completely caught up in the intensity, shouted louder, their blood pumping with excitement. 

Su Liqian and Ye Zilan didn’t say a word. They just quietly watched from the sidelines. 

Zhang Shu had run out of spiritual strength. His body was on the brink. He couldn’t take another hit. If Sen Ya found the right opening, she could finish it with one strike. 

But Su Liqian knew—Sen Ya was going to lose. 

She had already lost the will to keep fighting. 

Still, maybe losing this match wasn’t a bad thing for her. She needed to grow. She needed to understand the true meaning of competition. 

“She’s lost,” Su Liqian said quietly. 

Ye Zilan frowned slightly, starting to consider what this meant for Sen Ya’s chances to advance. 

“It’s going to be tough,” he said. 

“Yeah, but there’s still a sliver of hope.” 

Ye Zilan caught the deeper meaning behind Su Liqian’s words. “Still, her next opponent…” 

That opponent had three wins and one loss — strong, experienced, and clearly not someone Sen Ya could beat easily. 

Things weren’t looking good… 

They turned back to the center of the arena. 

The judge had already announced the result. Sen Ya just stood there in a daze, staring at Zhang Shu, unable to snap out of it. 

The wounds all over his body were shocking. His face was bruised black and red, like a soldier who had just survived a brutal battlefield. 

Why…? 

Why was he so determined to win this match? 

Was it really worth putting his life on the line? 

Why? 

Sen Ya had grown up in a protected, comfortable world. Her parents had always tried to give her the very best of everything. 

She was talented, came from a good family, and everything in life had gone smoothly for her. From the top elementary school in the district to middle school, and now into the elite Special class at Lanxi High School, she’d never faced a real challenge. Along the way, she made great friends too. 

Her life had been so smooth, it was like she never had to struggle or fight hard for anything. 

To Zhang Shu, what she had effortlessly was a dream. 

Reality is harsh like that. 

And when two people from such completely different worlds collided in this match, Sen Ya felt something from Zhang Shu that shook her—a desperate hunger to win. 

As he walked toward her, covered in blood, her mind just… went blank. 

She was still too young. She hadn’t really seen the world yet. 

And something about Zhang Shu’s determination—it didn’t just scare her, it moved her. 

She lost. 

It wasn’t unexpected. But somehow, it still surprised her. 

“Thanks,” Zhang Shu said softly, but clearly enough for her to hear. 

“…Why are you thanking me?” she asked, confused. 

Zhang Shu smiled gently at her puzzled expression. “Thanks for giving me such a thrilling fight. That feeling…” 

He looked up suddenly, like he was recalling a long-lost memory. 

“…I haven’t felt that in years.” 

Sen Ya didn’t know what to say. But Zhang Shu just gave her a knowing smile. 

“You’re still young, and you’ve got real talent. Don’t waste it, okay? Keep going. You’ll go way farther than I ever could.” 

As he spoke, his eyes shimmered with complicated emotions—maybe envy, maybe acceptance, maybe regret. 

And with those parting words, Zhang Shu let out a long breath, then left the arena with the help of the medics. All that was left for Sen Ya was the sight of his back—tired, wounded, and just a little lonely. 

Sen Ya didn’t fully understand the meaning behind his words yet, but something heavy settled in her chest. She could feel something had changed—something inside her wasn’t the same anymore. 

Even after the match, when she reunited with Su Liqian and Ye Zilan, she still seemed a little out of it. 

“What’s wrong? You haven’t been yourself since the match ended,” Su Liqian asked gently. 

“It’s nothing,” Sen Ya replied, flashing a smile like she always did. 

“It’s okay to lose a match,” Ye Zilan said, doing his best to sound reassuring. “Just focus on the next one—you still have a chance to advance.” 

“Mm, I know.” 

Sen Ya nodded, pretending not to care. But after parting ways with them, she went back to her room and sat there alone for the rest of the night. 

And that night… She thought about a lot of things.  

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