The Queen Who Fights Back (by Lily Hastings) novel Chapter 45

Chapter 45

The tall figure soared through the air, fully exposed to the entire school’s gaze, before crashing down with a heavy thud onto the ground.

Zane—the dazzling prom king, known for his aloof charm, striking looks, and exceptional talent—had long been the dream guy for countless girls. Even many of the female teachers at SLRA admired him. He was, without a doubt, the prince charming in their eyes.

Yet just moments ago, a girl had forcefully kicked him off the stage.

An eerie silence descended over the crowd; even the faint clatter of pens dropping from the hands of a few front-row judges could be heard in the stillness.

Every student—from Nova’s classmates to freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors—watched in stunned silence, their eyes wide with disbelief. For a long moment, no one could utter a word.

“No… this can’t be! How could she possibly defeat Zane?” Claire gasped, her voice trembling as she sank to the floor, eyes wide with panic and shock. She had been hoping to see Nova humiliated, but the opposite had happened.

Hannah, standing nearby, was equally shaken. She stammered, “Max… she… she actually won. Nova won!”

Maxwell’s face remained composed, but the tight grip he held on the railing betrayed his inner shock, matching Hannah’s disbelief.

Julian, Caleb, Laura, and the rest of the Free Combat Club members looked utterly stunned. Their expressions went blank, as if their minds struggled to process what had just unfolded.

“Holy crap!” Caleb finally burst out, unable to contain his astonishment any longer.

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

The Free Combat Club had emerged victorious. What an earth-shattering upset! The match they had expected to lose was completely overturned by a single, decisive move from Nova.

Meanwhile, some club members hung their heads in shame, recalling how they had dragged the club down in the earlier individual rounds.

The girls who had mocked Nova before now looked as if they’d been slapped across the face. Their cheeks burned crimson with embarrassment.

Zane, still lying where he had fallen off the stage, finally regained consciousness.

He thought bitterly, *I lost… to a girl I looked down on, someone I assumed was just playing hard to get. No, maybe Nova never toyed with me at all. She simply didn’t think I was worth her attention.*

That realization hit him like a crushing blow. But the moment didn’t allow him time to dwell on it.

The boys who had long disliked Zane were the first to cheer for Nova. “Wow, Nova actually beat Zane! A new legend is born!”

“Go, Nova!”

“From now on, she’s our role model!”

Their cheers spread like wildfire, igniting the crowd’s enthusiasm. Applause thundered through the gymnasium.

With a trembling hand, the referee added 50 points to the Free Combat Club’s blue scoreboard, pushing the score to an impressive

60-40.

“I officially declare the Free Combat Club the winner. This year’s Duel Tournament champion club!” the referee announced, his voice brimming with excitement.

Amid the roaring applause, Nova walked calmly past Zane, who still lay sprawled on the ground, her hands casually tucked into her pockets as she stepped off the stage.

Immediately, the Free Combat Club members swarmed around her.

“You’re incredible, Nova! Sorry we ever doubted you!” Caleb shouted enthusiastically.

“Oh, it’s you,” Nova said, a faint smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

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

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

“Retired special forces from Sector X18? What’s your name?” Nova asked directly, turning to face him.

Jordan was startled. He thought she might have heard of him, but he never expected her to know his former sector code.

His expression shifted dramatically. “How do you know I’m retired special forces?” he demanded, his voice edged with disbelief. “No, how could you possibly know my sector code?”

Jordan thought bitterly, *She doesn’t know me at all. How could she know this? Even the Taekwondo Club students didn’t.*

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

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

Jordan was stunned. *That’s my discharge certificate. I hid it in my pants pocket. When did she take it?*

His face drained of color as fear crept in. He snatched the certificate back, forcing himself to stay composed. “Uh, I… I’m Jordan Cox.”

As his shock began to fade, he was about to greet Nova properly when her next words—directly referencing his commanding officer—left him utterly speechless.

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