[KATXU'S POV]
We are still exhausted from the fight with the sealing magic user's team. We drained a lot of energy and stamina in that battle. None of us can stand properly—Danryu is unconscious right now, the side effect of the healing magic he gave to us.
It's only 46 minutes until the exam ends. Our score stops at 109 points. We are two teams behind the top 10. I can see other examinees getting eliminated as time goes by. Only 112 players left. Can we clutch this? We need to move fast, but my stamina is still not recovering. It's the side effect of the sealing magic that was used against us.
39 minutes left. I have to move quickly.
As I am the only one who was not entirely paralyzed by the sealing magic's side effect, I force myself to move. My legs feel like they're tied down with chains, but I push forward. I need to find another Timeball.
The battlefield is littered with broken barriers, discarded weapons, and examinees who have collapsed, eliminated by exhaustion or enemy attacks. Every breath feels like fire in my lungs, but I can't stop now.
I spot a team ahead—three fighters left standing. They're battered, covered in dirt and sweat, but one of them is gripping a Timeball tightly.
I take a deep breath, adjusting my stance.
"Alright," I mutter to myself, "one last fight."
I charge in, activating a talisman mid-run.
"Earth Pillar!"
A stone spike erupts from the ground, forcing them to scatter. I use that moment to lunge forward, reaching for the ball—but their fastest member reacts first, swinging a staff toward my side. I barely dodge, pivoting on my heel and striking with a counter-punch to their ribs.
They grunt, stumbling back, but another opponent steps in, launching a burst of wind magic that sends me skidding across the dirt. My arms feel like lead as I struggle to rise.
The third one doesn't hesitate. A kick to my stomach sends me crashing onto my back. I choke on air, coughing violently as I watch the Timeball glow above me.
I reach for it.
A hand slams down on my wrist, pinning me to the ground.
"You're done," the leader of the team says coldly.
They don't even bother finishing me off. They just take their ball and run, leaving me lying there, staring at the sky.
28 minutes left.
I failed.
I drag myself back to our base, every step heavier than the last. My legs are shaking, my arms barely respond, and my vision is blurring. I stumble through the broken remains of our defenses and collapse onto my knees.
I failed.
We are now four teams behind the top 10.
Poco and Kelly look at me, their faces pale with exhaustion. Kelly is crying in Poco's arms. Danryu is still unconscious.
26 minutes left.
Then, suddenly, our score increases.
My breath catches.
What?
We're gaining points. But we don't have a ball.
"It's Dairon, isn't it?" Poco mutters, his voice hoarse but filled with something we had almost lost.
Hope.
I look at Poco, then at Kelly, whose tears have slowed, her eyes wide with realization.
"But I thought he left us…" I whisper, my throat dry.
"Maybe he didn't," Poco says. He lets out a weak chuckle, shaking his head. "Maybe that bastard just doesn't like saying things out loud."
Our rank starts to rise. 12th. 11th. 10th.
Hope ignites in our tired bodies. If Dairon is fighting out there, we still have a chance.
Danryu stirs beside us, groaning. His eyes flutter open, dazed but alive. "What… the hell… happened?"
Before I can answer, I see him.
Dairon.
Dashing toward us.
His black coat billows behind him, his golden eyes sharp, locked onto us. In his grip, the Timeball pulses with energy, proof of his battle.
He reaches our base, his face expressionless as always, his body moving with controlled precision despite the exhaustion radiating from him.
The second he sees me, his eyes flick to the Timeball in his hand. Without a word Dairon tosses me the ball, and I barely manage to catch it. His movements are sharp, controlled—but I can see it. The exhaustion in his body.
His breathing is steady, but his arms tremble slightly as he lets go. The side effect of carrying the Timeball has caught up to him. Even he isn't immune to its draining effect.
"Tch. Took you long enough," Danryu mutters, still groggy from just waking up.
I stare at Dairon. My emotions are all over the place—anger, worry, relief, frustration. I want to yell at him, punch him for leaving us, thank him for saving us, ask him why the hell he clutched for us when he seemed to not care at all.
But he just sits down, leaning against a broken stone wall, resting like nothing happened. His golden eyes flicker toward me briefly, then shift away like I'm not worth his attention.
I grit my teeth. "You left us."
No response.
"You just walked off without a word while we were getting wrecked out here."
Nothing.
"And now you come back at the last second acting like you didn't do anything?!" My voice rises slightly, frustration leaking out.
Dairon exhales through his nose, finally looking up at me with a flat expression. His golden eyes are unreadable, like he's bored of this conversation already. "Well. You survived."
That's it. That's all he says.
I feel my eyebrow twitch. "That's all you have to say?! Are you serious right now?!"
He doesn't respond. Instead, he closes his eyes, tilting his head back, resting.
This bastard.
He carried us back into the game, but he won't even acknowledge it.
I stomp closer, ready to demand an explanation, but then I hesitate—because his scent hits me first.
That same cold yet intoxicating feeling from before. My mind flashes back to the moment he bit me. My hand instinctively moves to my neck, where the mark is still hidden under my collar. I freeze for a second.
Dairon notices. His lips barely twitch into the smallest of smirks, like he knows exactly what's on my mind.
I scowl and look away fast. Damn vampire.
Poco, still catching his breath, chuckles weakly. "At least… at least he came back, right?"
Kelly, wiping her tears, nods. "Y-Yeah. We… we made it."
My anger softens just a bit. I sigh, rubbing my face. "Yeah… we did."
I collapse onto the ground beside them, stretching my legs out. "We actually survived this crap."
Poco leans back, laughing. "Barely. If he hadn't come back, we'd be packing our bags right now."
Kelly nods quickly. "Dairon saved us."
I glance at the vampire again. He's just sitting there, silent, barely paying attention, like none of this matters. I click my tongue. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever."
A brief silence falls over us.
Ren is still asleep, curled up against Grimm. His breathing is soft, peaceful. Seeing him like that, after everything we just went through, makes me smile a little.
"That kid's got it easy," I mutter, shaking my head. "Sleeps through all the drama."
Poco smirks. "I'd switch places with him in a heartbeat."
I sigh, stretching my arms behind my head. "We should rest while we can. We made it, but it's not over yet."
Poco nods, glancing at the floating scoreboard. "One more update left."
9th place… 8th place…
The numbers tick upward.
And then—
"Time's up!," the announcement booms across the battlefield.
We froze.
Then, all at once, the realization hit.
We actually did it.
We weren't just barely passing. We had climbed our way back into the top 10.
I laugh, exhausted but relieved. "No way."
Poco throws his arms up weakly. "We're still alive!"
Kelly claps her hands together, smiling through her remaining tears. "We're going to the next round!"
Danryu, who has been silently watching, groans and stretches. "Damn… guess we're not out yet."
I smirk at him. "Aw, you sound disappointed, Back Princess."
Danryu glares immediately. "Don't call me that, Normal."
"Or what?" I grin. "Gonna pass out again? Need me to carry you some more?"
Danryu kicks a small rock at me. "I swear to the gods—"
"You should thank me, honestly," I interrupt, dodging the rock easily. "If I didn't catch you last time, you'd have been eliminated and crying about it."
Danryu's face twitches, and I know I got him.
"Katxu," he says slowly, his voice dangerous, "I am going to strangle you."
I laugh. "If you can stand up, sure."
He lunges at me but immediately collapses onto Poco, who yelps.
"HEY! GET YOUR HEAVY ASS OFF ME!" Poco shoves him weakly.
"Tch. Damn it," Danryu mutters, too tired to fight back.
Kelly giggles, finally breaking into a genuine smile. "I-I'm glad we're still together."
The tension melts away, replaced by something lighter—relief, warmth, exhaustion, but also, for the first time since this exam started… peace.
Even Dairon, who hasn't moved much, cracks one eye open, watching us. His face remains unreadable, but he doesn't look as cold as before.
Maybe, just maybe, he doesn't hate being here as much as he pretends to.
The scoreboard glows above us, finalizing our standing.
8th place.
We're going to the next level.
And for the first time in a long time, I let myself relax.
We made it.
***
Suddenly, a shockwave ripples across the battlefield. The ground trembles beneath us, and before any of us can react—
The entire dome collapses.
The ruined battlefield disappears, the cracked terrain and broken structures fading into light. Gravity shifts, and we are free-falling.
"Shit—!" I barely have time to react before we crash down—
—onto something soft.
Ren's teddy bear, Grimm, had expanded into its giant form, cushioning our fall. We all land on its stomach, bouncing slightly before it deflates back to its normal size.
Ren, still unconscious, lies motionless on the ground. His eyes are half-open, unfocused, yet… he's still breathing.
I stare down at him. "Oi, Ren…?" No response.
Kelly kneels beside him, gently placing a hand on his forehead. "He's… not waking up, but he's still here."
Danryu, still groggy, grumbles as he forces himself up. "Tch. Kid's tougher than he looks. Let him rest."
I sigh and get to my feet, my entire body aching. The rest of the arena stabilizes, returning to its original massive stadium-like form. The massive floating screens light up above us, displaying the final rankings of the first exam.
Mina, our examiner, steps forward, her voice booming.
"Congratulations, passers of the first level! Ten teams remain."
As she speaks, the rankings appear in the air, glowing in bright golden text.
I clench my fists when I see the Sealing Magic User's Team at the top.
"Tch. That bastard…" I grit my teeth. "He's dangerous. I need to keep my eyes on him."
The other teams don't look weak either. Some of them… I've barely even seen fight. That means they're either hiding their power, or they're just that damn good.
Then Mina continues.
"58 players remain."
A heavy silence falls over the arena.
Wait… 58?
It should be 69 if ten teams survived. One missing because we were only six.
Danryu furrows his brows. "Wait a damn second—"
That means… some teams were wiped out entirely.
During the Timeball game, examinees were also eliminating each other.
I feel a cold chill crawl up my spine. This wasn't just a game. This was a war.
Before I can even process it—
BOOM.
Examinees who didn't make it into the top 10 vanish instantly.
A reminder of what's at stake.
No second chances. No sympathy. If you fail, you're out.
Before we can react, Mina moves again, placing her palm on the ground.
The arena trembles.
A new dome rises from the earth, forming a completely new battlefield. This one is different. No ruins. No forests. Just a massive, flat, open space.
Mina grins, standing at the center. "Welcome to the next level of your exam."
"The Deathmatch Dodgeball."
The words hit like a punch.
"What?! Immediately?! We haven't even recovered yet!" someone yells.
More murmurs rise from the examinees.
Mina laughs. "Oh, come on. You're all still standing, aren't you?"
I groan, "This lady is insane."
Mina continues, completely unfazed.
"Simple game. No twists, no gimmicks like before. This is a normal dodgeball match.
If you get hit, you must catch the ball. If you fail, you're eliminated.
The battlefield can be used strategically.
The game stops when only 40 examinees remain.
"No teams this time. You are all alone. Even your former teammates can eliminate you."
My stomach tightens at those words.
I glance at Poco, Kelly, Danryu—even Dairon, who remains silent and unreadable.
We have to fight each other?
The other examinees murmur in frustration, but Mina isn't done yet.
"You have 5 minutes to scatter. Everyone starts with 5 balls. There is no time limit—only elimination matters."
Then, her eyes narrow, and her tone shifts.
"Another thing. Only AE and physical strength can be used. No Fin. No magic."
A heavy silence follows.
I blink. "AE?"
Poco sighs, shaking his head. "Are you stupid? Oh, right. I forgot. You're a Normal."
Danryu snickers. "Tch, such a Normal."
I scowl. "Would someone just explain already?!"
Poco shrugs and summons his pillar beside him. "AE is our weapon."
As soon as he says that—a wave of energy bursts across the battlefield.
One by one, examinees summon their AE weapons.
Some massive. Some small. Some outright terrifying.
Danryu's needles materialize at his fingertips.
Kelly grips her bamboo stick tightly.
Dairon's katana gleams coldly, humming with restrained power.
I stare at my hands.
Nothing.
"Wait, don't I have one?" I ask.
Kelly tilts her head. "I… don't think so?"
Danryu snorts. "Of course you don't, idiot. You're a Normal."
Poco nods. "AE isn't just a weapon. It's a piece of who we are. Unique to every Awakener—like a fingerprint made of soul and intent. You don't choose it. It chooses you. That's why no one else can use it... at least, not without consequences."
I furrow my brows. "…Then what the hell have I been using?"
"Your talismans," Poco says simply. "But those aren't unique to you. The monks use them too, right? They're tools, not Ae."
The realization hits.
Everyone here has a weapon that's part of them.
Me? I just have paper and tricks.
The horn blares.
Mina grins. "Shall we begin?"
I exhale. This is gonna be brutal.
Poco speaks up. "Are you guys up for teaming up again?" He glances at each of us. "Even if this is an individual round, we can help each other survive until the final 40."
"That's a good idea," I admit. "We're still exhausted. We'll last longer if we work together."
Danryu clicks his tongue but nods. "Fine."
Kelly nods quickly. "I don't want to fight you guys yet…"
But then—
Dairon dashes away without a word.
We all stare after him.
Poco sighs. "Well, that answers that."
Danryu crosses his arms. "He never wanted to be on our team in the first place."
I watch Dairon's figure disappear into the battlefield.
Somehow… I don't feel angry.
Because for one moment—just one second before he left—
I saw it.
The way he glanced back.
Like he was debating something.
Then he was gone.
I exhale. "Alright, then. Let's survive this together."
The game begins.