[KATXU'S POV]
We position ourselves in a defensive stance, standing back-to-back as the countdown looms over us. Ren remains asleep, curled up in the center of our formation, his teddy bear Grimm lying still beside him.
I glance at him. Still unconscious.
I don't know why he hasn't woken up yet, but right now, I don't have time to think about it.
We have to survive.
The exam rules put me at a massive disadvantage.
No magic. No talismans. No tricks.
Everyone else? They have their AE weapons, unique and powerful, each one tailored to their own fighting style.
And me? I have nothing.
I feel naked without my talismans. I can't summon barriers, redirect attacks, or manipulate the battlefield. I can only dodge, catch, or throw.
"Tch… This sucks," I mutter, gripping the dodgeballs in my hands.
Danryu, standing to my right, notices my frustration. "What? Scared because you're a Normal?"
I scowl. "Shut up."
Poco adjusts his stance beside me, holding his stone pillar across his shoulder. "Katxu does have a point. Without magic, he's at a disadvantage. The rest of us can use our AE as shields or even weapons."
Danryu shrugs. "That's not our problem."
Kelly gives a nervous glance at Ren. "We have to protect Ren. He's still unconscious."
I tighten my grip. "Exactly. If we have to fight, we stick together."
Danryu exhales sharply. "Fine. But if you get eliminated, I'm not carrying your ass."
5 minutes before the game starts.
We spread out slightly, keeping a tight formation with Ren at the center. Other examinees scatter across the battlefield, choosing their starting positions.
Some go solo, standing alone with confidence. Others immediately group up, likely planning temporary alliances.
I glance around, but I don't recognize most of the remaining examinees.
What I do know is they all look experienced.
There are no rookies or weaklings left.
Every single person here had fought their way through the brutal Timeball match and survived, meaning they were fast, strong, and intelligent enough to make it to this stage.
This isn't some random game. This is a battle of the best.
The eliminations won't come quickly.
Each person here knows how to fight, dodge, and adapt.
This is going to take time.
3 minutes before the game starts.
Danryu adjusts his stance, gripping a dodgeball in one hand, his Needles in the other. "So, what's the plan?"
Poco shifts slightly, cracking his neck. "For now, we play defensively. Let the others wipe each other out."
Danryu clicks his tongue. "Coward's strategy."
I exhale. "No. It's smart. We don't waste energy too soon."
Danryu rolls his eyes but doesn't argue.
1 minute before the game starts.
The arena is dead silent. Everyone is tense, waiting.
I adjust my stance, dodging in place slightly to loosen my legs. My only hope in this game is speed and reflexes.
I can't block attacks.
I can't use magic.
I can't counter with an AE.
I can only move.
The horn blares.
The game begins.
Immediately, chaos erupts.
Dodgeballs soar through the air, some moving at impossible speeds.
A player on the far left is eliminated in an instant, failing to catch a ball launched by a brute with an AE war hammer.
One examinee deflects a ball using his AE, redirecting it toward an unsuspecting player.
Two fighters engage in a high-speed exchange, both dodging at inhuman speeds, neither willing to be the first to be hit.
But most players aren't eliminated immediately.
Unlike Timeball, where some teams were wiped out fast, this time, everyone knows what's at stake.
Each examinee is skilled enough to dodge, counter, or catch incoming attacks.
The game isn't just about throwing the ball—it's about reading your opponent, knowing their reaction time, and understanding when they'll slip up.
The first eliminations flash across the scoreboard.
"52 players remaining."
I barely dodge as a dodgeball whizzes past my ear.
Danryu reacts instantly, using his Needles to deflect another ball mid-air. "Damn. They aren't holding back."
Poco swings his stone pillar, smacking a ball away with ridiculous force. The deflected ball slams into an examinee, eliminating them instantly.
"49 players remaining."
I grit my teeth.
I have to focus.
A ball hurtles toward me. I have no AE to block it.
My only option—I have to catch it.
I brace myself, positioning my arms just right—
The ball slams into my palms, the impact stinging my skin.
My knees buckle slightly, but I hold firm.
I caught it.
I barely have a second to breathe before another ball comes straight for my head.
I duck. It whizzes past me, slamming into another player behind me.
"48 players remaining."
We're already almost at the cutoff.
Danryu mutters, "Tch. We should be attacking more."
Poco counters, "No. Look at them. Let them destroy each other first."
I watch as the strongest players focus on eliminating others.
Some examinees have barely moved, watching from a distance, waiting for the right moment to strike.
Others are playing defensively, catching and dodging, not risking early elimination.
This is just the beginning.
And I refuse to be eliminated.
"47 players remaining."
The game has only just begun, and already, the numbers are dropping fast.
But for us, this isn't just about elimination.
We have a bigger problem.
Ren.
He's still unconscious, curled up in the center of our formation, completely vulnerable. His breathing is steady, but he's not moving—not reacting to the chaos around us.
And now?
People are starting to notice.
I see it—the way some of the examinees glance at Ren, whispering among themselves.
"Easy target."
"He hasn't moved since the game started."
"If we eliminate him, that's one less player to worry about."
I grit my teeth. "Shit. They're coming for him."
Danryu clicks his tongue, immediately tightening his grip on a dodgeball. "Tch. Figures."
Poco exhales, lifting his pillar into position. "We're protecting him, right?"
Kelly nods firmly, standing closer to Ren. "Of course we are."
Then it begins.
A group of three examinees rush toward us, launching dodgeballs straight at Ren.
"NOT HAPPENING!" I shouted, diving in front of Ren. I hooked my arm under his and yanked him sideways—just in time for the Timeball to crash into the ground where he'd been.
Danryu deflects another ball with his Needles, sending it spiraling off course.
Poco swings his pillar, knocking away the last one like it's nothing. "Try again."
The attackers hesitate, realizing we aren't letting them through.
One of them grins. "Fine. We'll just take you guys out first."
More dodgeballs fly.
I barely dodge two of them, twisting my body at the last second.
Poco blocks one with his pillar, but another ball bounces off the ground and rebounds straight toward Ren.
Kelly gasps.
I react instantly.
I lunge toward Ren, twisting mid-air, grabbing the ball before it can hit him.
The impact stings, but I hold on.
I exhale sharply, glancing back at Ren. Still asleep.
Kelly kneels beside him, her face filled with worry. "Ren… Please wake up…"
I turn back to the attackers, my jaw tightening. "You're not touching him."
The lead attacker snickers. "Oh? Let's see how long you can keep that up."
More players join in.
The battle shifts.
Suddenly, we're not just protecting Ren.
We're getting ganged up on.
I lose track of how many dodgeballs are flying at us.
One moment, I'm ducking and weaving, barely avoiding a hit—
The next, I see Poco struggling to block three balls at once.
Kelly throws a ball, knocking out an enemy—but another ball is already heading toward her.
Danryu catches a ball mid-air, countering with a powerful throw—but he doesn't see the second ball coming from behind.
"Danryu, MOVE!" I shout.
Too late.
The ball slams into his shoulder.
He curses, staggering back. He catches it just in time—but his reaction is getting slower.
We're all getting tired.
And the enemy knows it.
I exhale sharply. "Poco, we need to make a move!"
Poco nods. "We're getting cornered. We have to push back!"
I spot a chance—one of the attackers is distracted.
I throw a dodgeball with all my strength—
It slams into his chest.
"46 players remaining."
One down.
But just as I turn—
A dodgeball is already flying straight at my face.
I don't have time to move.
A blur of movement.
Something grabs my collar, yanking me backward.
The dodgeball whizzes past my nose, missing me by inches.
I stumble, my breath caught in my throat.
Dairon is standing beside me.
His golden eyes glare down at me, irritated.
"Watch out, moron. Not your time yet to die."
I stare at him. "Dairon…?"
He clicks his tongue, crossing his arms. "If you're gonna get eliminated, at least don't make it embarrassing."
I scowl. "I HAD it under control!"
He doesn't answer. Just keeps looking at me, like I'm the biggest idiot in the world.
Then, without another word, he dashes off, already back in the fight.
I exhale, shaking my head. "Tch. Show-off."
But I can't lie.
If he hadn't pulled me back…
I would've been eliminated.
The Final Two Eliminations
The battlefield is getting emptier.
People are dropping one by one.
Then—only two more eliminations are needed.
"42 players remaining."
I hear Poco curse. "We have a problem."
I follow his gaze—
At least six players are rushing straight toward us.
We're about to be wiped out.
I grit my teeth. "No choice, then."
I grab Poco's pillar.
Poco freezes. "Katxu, what the hell are you—"
Before he can finish, the pillar glows in my hands.
I don't hesitate.
I swing it.
The ground cracks beneath me as the force of the swing sends shockwaves outward.
The attacking players are thrown backward.
The entire battlefield goes silent.
Every. Single. Examinee.
Stops and stares at me.
I blink. "Uh… What?"
Then I realize.
I'm holding Poco's AE.
Which should be impossible.
A golden rule of Awakening—No one can wield another's AE.
Yet here I am.
Holding Poco's stone pillar.
I glance around.
Some examinees look horrified.
Others look shocked.
Dairon?
His golden eyes widen slightly, like he didn't expect this at all.
My heart pounds.
The weight of the pillar feels natural in my hands.
I take a deep breath.
"Well… this is awkward."
Poco stares at me, jaw clenched. "Katxu… what the hell are you?"
I don't have an answer.
And now?
I'm not sure I want to know.
A heavy silence fills the battlefield.
All eyes are on me while I'm holding Poco's AE weapon.
Then, the tension snaps.
Because the remaining two players we need to eliminate to end the game?
They take advantage of our distraction.
I see them move.
Two fast players—one a speed-type, the other a powerhouse.
They're coming straight for us.
One hurls a dodgeball at full speed, aiming for me.
The other leaps into the air, preparing to spike a ball down at Ren, who's still unconscious.
Shit! They're going for Ren again!
I barely have time to think—
But I don't have to.
Because this time, we're ready.
The Final Combo Attack
"POCO!" I shout.
Poco reacts instantly.
He lets go of the pillar, letting me use it fully.
I swing it with all my strength.
The first incoming dodgeball SLAMS into the side of the pillar, deflecting into the air like a missile.
At the same time—
Danryu moves.
His Needles shoot out, snaring the airborne player mid-jump.
The enemy's body jerks, their balance breaking mid-air.
Kelly sees the opening.
She throws her dodgeball.
It slams into the airborne enemy's back.
"47 players remaining."
One down.
But the second enemy is still coming.
They rush straight for us, preparing a curve-shot attack.
The ball is glowing slightly—
They're about to put their full force into this throw.
But then—suddenly—
Ren moves.
His eyes snap open.
In one smooth, instinctual motion, he tilts his head just enough.
The dodgeball whistles past his cheek, missing by inches.
The entire battlefield freezes.
Ren sits up slowly, his teddy bear Grimm beside him, as if nothing happened.
He blinks sleepily.
"Nnn… What's happening?"
"REN, JUST MOVE!" Danryu shouts.
Ren, still half-asleep, tilts his head—then shrugs.
Instead of panicking, he calmly steps aside.
The ball bounces harmlessly past him, rolling toward me.
I don't think.
I react.
I catch it mid-air.
The second attacker sees what's happening—but it's too late.
With one final movement, I plant my feet, twist my body, and launch the dodgeball at full force.
The dodgeball ROCKETS across the battlefield—faster than any throw I've done before.
The second enemy's eyes widen in shock.
They try to dodge.
Too late.
The ball slams into their stomach with a loud THUMP.
They stagger backward—then fall.
"40 players remaining."
Game Over.
Silence. Then Chaos.
The arena goes still.
Then—
The horn blasts, signaling the end of the match.
We did it.
The final 40 are chosen.
We collapse, exhausted, barely processing what just happened.
Poco is still staring at me. "You… You wielded my AE."
Danryu scoffs. "Tch. We should talk about that later. Katxu, you have a lot of explaining to do..."
Kelly laughs weakly. "We won."
I blink.
We won.
We're moving to the final level of the exam.
As the crowd murmurs in shock, I glance up—
And my eyes meet Dairon's.
He's watching me, unreadable.
Then, for the first time, I see it.
A flicker of real interest.
A slight smirk.
Like he's saying, "You might not be a complete idiot after all."
But my eyes drift past him—
To the masked examinees.
They aren't just watching.
They're smiling.
Like they knew this was going to happen.
Like they've been waiting for me to do this.
A cold feeling creeps down my spine.
What the hell just happened?
Before I can process it—
The announcement blares.
"Congratulations, passers. You have survived the second level of the exam."
"40 players remain."
And just like that—