On one side of the battlefield, bodies lay piled atop one another.
At the summit of that grotesque mound stood a young woman with golden hair, no older than eighteen. A bow rested loosely in her hand. Her gaze was cold. Detached.
Two figures approached—another young woman and a young man, both sharing the same golden hair.
« Alice… you didn't have to kill them like that, » Lili said uneasily. « We could've hidden and bought some time. »
Alice didn't even look at her.
« Shut up. If we hesitate, we draw attention. » Her voice was sharp. « Several major factions are watching this exam because of that Sora kid. If people start talking about us… »
Her grip tightened around her bow.
« Maybe Father and Mother will regret abandoning us. Maybe they'll finally come back. »
Lili's expression faltered.
« If they rejected us, they must've had their reasons… »
The young man placed a firm hand on her shoulder.
« That's enough, Lili. Don't push her. »
Alice turned away, eyes scanning for her next prey.
⸻
Meanwhile, the battle between Akarui and Kyofu continued.
Kyofu suddenly leapt back, lowering his axe.
« Wait! What if we team up instead? » he shouted. « You're strong. I'm strong. Together, we'll breeze through this test! »
Akarui kept his guard raised.
« And what do I gain from that? »
Kyofu grinned.
« Nothing. But you don't seriously think everyone else will fight alone, right? You can betray me later if you want—I don't care. I'm building my own faction someday. I want strong people. »
His eyes gleamed.
« I want you in it. »
Akarui studied him for a long moment.
« …Fine. We'll form an alliance. But your faction? We'll see. »
Kyofu burst into laughter.
« Haha! You'll change your mind! So, boss—what's the plan? »
Akarui glanced around. His gaze fixed on a towering mountain rising above the plain.
« We head up there. The weak will assume no one's crazy enough to climb it. »
Kyofu's eyes widened.
« I knew you were the brains! I'm just muscle. Lead the way, partner! »
As they advanced, they eliminated several opponents—some alone, others in groups. The number of candidates steadily decreased.
Halfway up the mountain, they stopped.
Dismembered corpses littered the slope.
Akarui narrowed his eyes.
« Looks like someone had the same idea. »
Kyofu grinned.
« Good. I was getting bored. Everyone so far's been weak. »
He paused.
« By the way… have you seen that guy from the Tatemono? The one who wants you dead? »
« I saw him before we were teleported. Not since. »
They resumed climbing.
⸻
Elsewhere on the battlefield—
Supido dashed across the rocky terrain like a bolt of lightning.
He spotted three candidates ahead.
« Hey! Have you seen a white-haired guy? From the Sora family? »
One of them scoffed.
« Even if we had, you wouldn't reach him. It's over for you, idiot. »
Lightning flashed.
The man's arm hit the ground before he could scream.
« You're useless to me, » Supido muttered coldly. « You'll end up like him. »
Moments later, all three lay dead.
Silence returned.
Then—
« You think you can hide? » Supido called out. « Come out before I drag you out. »
A trembling figure stepped from behind a rock.
« I—I wasn't going to attack! I can help you find him! »
Supido's eyes narrowed.
« Name. »
« N-Nagi! Nagi Vechiato! »
A pause.
« You're lucky you didn't ambush me. » Supido turned away. « You're with me until I find him. »
His voice dropped.
« After that… you're expendable. »
« I'm Supido Furasshu. »
Nagi swallowed.
⸻
At the summit of the mountain—
Akarui and Kyofu finally reached the top.
Corpses were scattered everywhere.
A lone man sat with his back to them.
« You've got guts climbing up here after seeing all that, » he said calmly. « Either you're strong… or completely reckless. »
He rose to his feet and turned around.
« I don't have time to waste. Come. »
« Let's go! » Kyofu roared, charging.
The man dropped to all fours—
—and moved.
Fast. Wild.
« Careful! » Akarui shouted. « He moves like an animal! »
Too late.
A clawed swipe sent Akarui flying. He barely blocked it with his sword before crashing against the rocks.
The beast-like fighter lunged at Kyofu. Axe met claw in a shower of sparks.
The clash was brutal.
Kyofu pushed back—but the man twisted mid-air and slashed his cheek, drawing blood.
Akarui dashed in for a surprise strike.
The werewolf leapt aside and countered instantly.
Steel rang.
Akarui slid back, barely holding his ground.
His eyes sharpened.
« …We'll have to get serious against this mutt. »
The wind howled across the summit.
The real fight had begun.
⸻
— End of Chapter 1 —