he second part of the entrance exam began not with an announcement, but a sudden shift. The air thickened. Light flickered. The platform beneath their feet shattered, and students were launched in all directions, scattered across multiple zones.
*Team Chris* — now joined with Dice and his crew. now known as *Team Nightveil*— landed in what appeared to be an endless forest. Strange trees with glowing bark stretched into the sky, and ethereal creatures blinked between branches. A thick mist hugged the forest floor, dulling all sound beneath its veil.
Kira knelt, eyes scanning. "We got split again. This forest is a maze."
Chris exhaled. "We need to split further. If this is about points, small groups move faster."
Dice grinned. "Perfect. I like a bit of chaos."
The group divided:
* *Chris and Raya* headed east.
* *Kira and Lina* went south.
* *Dice and Sennya* faded into the west.
* *Marin and Korran* marched north.
*Back to Chris and Raya*
The forest thinned into a moonlit clearing. Chris tapped his band. "Only a few points earned."
Raya nodded. "We've barely scratched the surface."
A strange breeze swirled.
And then he appeared.
A boy with long, dark hair and crimson eyes stepped from the shadows. His presence was calm—but his aura screamed danger.
"You're Chris, right?" he asked.
Chris stepped forward. "Who are you?"
The boy smiled faintly. "Jayze."
Raya tensed. "The Blood Echo... I've heard of him."
Jayze tilted his head. "Just here to test something."
Without warning, the air shimmered and collapsed inward. Jayze blurred forward, his clone splitting mid-dash. The clone went left, the real one right.
Chris spun, narrowly blocking the real Jayze's scythe made of hardened blood. Sparks erupted from the clash.
Chris slid back, boots digging into the dirt. "Blood manipulation and clones... nice combo."
Jayze smirked. "It gets better."
The clone snapped its fingers—dozens of blood needles hovered in the air, all aimed at Chris.
Shunk! Shunk!
They launched at once.
Chris's arm glowed blue. A hexagonal shield flared into existence, deflecting the projectiles like hail on metal.
"Raya, stay back!" he shouted.
Raya nodded, beginning to chant support magic just in case.
Jayze vanished into mist. Chris turned quickly—but Jayze reappeared above him.
"Blood Lure!"
His shadow curved like liquid and latched to Chris's legs.
Chris grunted as he struggled to move, pinned.
Jayze dropped, aiming to impale him—
But Chris activated a pulse burst, shattering the shadow's grip with raw aura force. He leapt upward and met Jayze mid-air. Fist and blade collided.
Chris's fist cracked Jayze's scythe—the weapon splintered.
Jayze twisted, reforming the blade from his own blood mid-fall.
They landed opposite each other.
Chris drew a sword from thin air. "Let's stop playing."
Jayze nodded, smiling. "Fine by me."
Chris charged, blade trailing blue energy. Jayze met him head-on, his blood scythe vibrating with dark red power.
Each clash released shockwaves. Trees splintered. Ground ruptured. Chris ducked under a sweeping arc, pivoted, and slashed upward—only for Jayze to dissipate again.
"You're fast," Chris muttered.
Jayze emerged behind him, his palm against Chris's back.
"Blood Echo: Pulse Rebound!"
A pulse of blood energy blasted Chris forward—
Only for Chris to twist mid-air and hurl his sword.
THUNK!
The sword pinned Jayze by the arm into a tree.
Chris followed, landing with a second weapon drawn.
Jayze laughed even while stuck. "You're more than I expected."
He yanked himself free, blood sealing his wound.
"That's enough," he said. "You'll do just fine."
He vanished in a swirl of red mist.
Raya hurried to Chris. "Are you alright?"
Chris nodded. "He was toying with us. But I think that was his way of saying hello."
She shivered. "Creepy way to greet someone."
Chris stared into the trees, gripping his sword. "He's not the last monster we'll meet."
*Elsewhere: Kira and Lina*
Kira stood silently, the edge of his blade reflecting the eerie glow of the forest. Lina stepped beside him, her hand resting on the hilt of her dagger.
"We're surrounded," Kira said flatly.
Lina nodded. "I sense it too. Eight... no, ten signatures."
The trees shifted. Figures in gray cloaks emerged, silent and poised, weapons drawn. Their faces were hidden by bone masks.
Kira sighed. "Ambush squad. Professionals."
Without another word, Lina moved first. Her dagger gleamed, slicing the air. One attacker lunged, but she twisted under the blow, driving her blade upward through his abdomen. He fell without a sound.
Kira moved like a shadow, reappearing behind two enemies. One strike. Two bodies collapsed.
"They're quick," Lina muttered, parrying a curved blade.
"Not quicker than me," Kira replied. He vanished again, this time appearing midair, raining down with a spinning kick that shattered an enemy's mask.
An arrow whizzed toward Lina's heart. She sidestepped and hurled a needle. It pierced the archer's throat.
One masked warrior charged Kira with a heavy axe. Kira ducked, spun, and jammed his short blade under the attacker's chin.
Three remained.
They backed away slowly, reassessing.
"Smart," Kira murmured. "Now they think."
Lina flicked blood from her dagger. "Too late for that."
The two lunged forward in unison. Kira disarmed one with a precision flick, then jabbed an elbow into his jaw. Lina leapt above the last and drove her heel down, crushing his mask and his spirit in one strike.
Silence.
Breathing steady, the two stood among fallen enemies. The mist slowly receded.
"You're good," Kira said.
Lina smirked. "You sound surprised."
"A little."
They moved on without another word.