The Queen Who Fights Back (by Lily Hastings) novel Chapter 22

Chapter 22

As Ronan readied himself to unleash yet another of his carefully crafted tactics against Nova, her patience finally snapped. She was done playing along with his endless maneuvers.

With a casual grace, she slipped one hand into her pocket and effortlessly stepped aside, narrowly avoiding Ronan’s powerful strike. In a fluid motion, she moved behind him and raised her leg, delivering a sharp, precise kick to the nerve just behind his knee—no flashy displays, just pure efficiency.

Ronan immediately felt his leg weaken under her strike. Before he could fully comprehend what had happened, both of his legs buckled like springs, and he collapsed to the floor.

The classroom fell silent except for the collective gasps of the students. Then, Nova’s voice broke through the tension—cold, sharp, and cutting, like an invisible slap across Ronan’s face.

“In short, your skills are lacking. Your moves are flashy but hollow. With your current level, you’re not qualified to teach me.”

Ronan, who had trained over a thousand students in his career, had never encountered anyone quite like Nova. For once, he was the one learning a harsh lesson—from a student no less—and she had done it with undeniable skill, leaving no room for argument.

A bitter smile tugged at the corners of Ronan’s mouth. After a long pause, he exhaled deeply and admitted, “I lost.”

The classroom erupted into chaos. The shock was palpable; no one had ever seen Ronan defeated like this before. Every student who had expected Nova to fail had completely abandoned those thoughts.

Cheers erupted, growing louder and more enthusiastic with each passing moment, as if no one wanted the victorious moment to end.

“She’s incredible. Nova’s the first person in our academy’s history to completely outmaneuver Mr. Vale.”

“I remember a few years back when the three school heartthrobs beat Ronan.”

“Hey, do you think with a martial genius like Nova in our class, she could eventually reach the same level as those three?”

“Possible. Totally possible.”

Sophia stood frozen, astonished. It took her a long moment to process what had just unfolded before her eyes. Finally, she rushed forward and grabbed Nova’s hand, her eyes practically shaped like crescent moons from smiling so widely.

“Nova, my god, you nearly scared me to death. You’re amazing. No wonder you’re so fearless—I really underestimated you.”

Nova allowed Sophia to hold her hand without resistance, remaining silent and focused on something ahead.

“Huh? Nova, what are you looking at?” Sophia followed her gaze and spotted a tall, handsome figure approaching.

“Oh? It’s Max.” The girls in the class stirred again at the sight of Maxwell.

His expression remained calm and unreadable as he walked directly up to Nova, drawing the curious eyes of every girl in the classroom.

Maxwell was exactly the gentle heartthrob everyone at Saint Laurel Royal Academy believed him to be. He offered Sophia a soft, reassuring smile and, when asking her to step aside, his voice stayed gentle and kind.

“Could I have a word with Nova, alone?”

“Oh? Okay.” Sophia nodded, still a bit dazed, and released Nova’s hand.

Outside, in the quiet school hallway beneath the shade of a sprawling plane tree, Nova raised an eyebrow at Maxwell.

“What is it?” she asked.

Though she wasn’t particularly close to Maxwell, the time they had spent together had taught her that he wouldn’t approach her without a reason. For him to come during class meant this was something important.

Sure enough, Maxwell spoke plainly: “I’m here to invite you to join the Free Combat Club.”

Nova’s lips curved into a calm smile, clearly unsurprised.

“And the reason?” she asked, tilting her head slightly.

Maxwell sighed softly. “After all, you’re my sister. I should be responsible for protecting you. Besides, joining the Free Combat Club would give you a better training environment.”

Nova clicked her tongue thoughtfully. “Not a bad reason.”

She paused, then added, “But if you do this, she won’t cause trouble?”

Maxwell immediately understood she meant Hannah.

“I’ll talk to Hannie,” he assured her.

“I have no objections,” Nova replied lightly.

And just like that, the matter was settled.

Nova agreed to join the Free Combat Club, likely out of curiosity—or perhaps because at Zane’s birthday party, Maxwell had made her feel, for the first time in her life, what it was like to be protected by an older brother.

Mentioning the duel competition shifted the atmosphere. Even Maxwell and Hannah’s expressions changed slightly.

The Saint Laurel Royal Academy duel competition was an annual event designed to test students’ comprehensive strength over the year.

For members of the Taekwondo Club and Free Combat Club, it was the stage for a public showdown between the two largest clubs.

The losing side wouldn’t just lose prestige—they’d also have fewer opportunities to recruit new members. It was a critical event for both clubs.

Moreover, at Zane’s birthday party, when Maxwell had protected Nova, Zane had publicly provoked him.

That incident had made the entire school eager to see the outcome of the upcoming duel.

“I’ve rested enough. I’ll compete in a month,” Maxwell said firmly.

“But your injury?” Julian and the others, including Hannah, looked worried.

Within the Free Combat Club, Maxwell was the only one with a real chance of beating Zane.

But he had been injured recently in a youth free combat tournament in Ravenerport and hadn’t fully recovered.

Facing Zane in his current condition would put him at a serious disadvantage even before the fight began.

That was the source of the club members’ concern.

“The duel starts in a month?” As everyone fell silent, a female voice spoke up.

All eyes turned to Nova, who had remained silent until now.

Julian and the others looked puzzled by her question, but one of them answered, “Yes, but Max is injured, and Hannie’s opponent will be another school heartthrob, Ethan. So we’re worried about Max facing Zane. It could be bad for him—”

Nova cut through the conversation with a cold, sharp voice.

“I can fight in Max’s place. Zane is no match.”