[KATXU'S POV]
It's the second day of our recovery. The examiners gave us three days to prepare before the third exam, and honestly, I've never been more grateful for a break.
Ren's doing better now. He's still a bit sluggish, but Danryu and Kelly have been helping him recover. Their mana and stamina are back to normal, which is more than I can say for myself. I still feel a little off, but I chalk it up to exhaustion. Poco, on the other hand, has been running around outside, gathering intel on the next exam. That guy never stops planning.
After two consecutive matches back-to-back, our bodies were wrecked. It wasn't just the wounds—it was the complete drain of stamina and mana. The sealing magic from the previous fight still lingers like an annoying itch under my skin. My body isn't reacting as quickly as it should, and my thoughts feel slower, like they're wading through mud.
***
And just when I thought I'd get some peace, Poco and Danryu decide to confront me.
I'm leaning against the window, chewing on a piece of dried meat, when Danryu suddenly slams his hands on the table.
"Alright, talk."
I blink at him, feigning confusion. "Huh? About what? My secret recipe for glowing cheeks?"
"Don't be an idiot," Poco sighs, adjusting his glasses. "You know what we're talking about."
Kelly nods from the couch, holding a warm cup of tea. "Katxu... how did you wield Poco's AE?"
I hesitate. I expected this conversation, but not this soon. "Uh... well, funny story—"
Danryu immediately cuts me off. "Don't give me that! That was NOT normal! No one, and I mean NO ONE, can wield another person's AE. That's the golden rule."
Poco narrows his eyes. "Except you."
I rub the back of my head. "Okay, but, like... it's just a rock pillar, right? Maybe it's a common weapon?"
Poco glares. "Katxu. My AE is literally a part of me. It's an extension of my soul. You shouldn't even be able to touch it, let alone swing it like it was yours."
He pauses, then mutters, "...Though now that I think about it... I swear I saw you do it once before."
Danryu snaps, crossing his arms. "What?! And you're only bringing that up now?!"
I whip my head toward him. "Wait, what?"
Poco sighs and leans back, rubbing his temples. "Yeah. But it was during a fight. Everything was chaotic—I honestly thought I imagined it or it was some weird fluke."
I cross my arms. "So what? Maybe I'm just special."
Danryu snorts. "Oh yeah. Specially annoying."
"Damn, Danryu, your words cut deeper than your pathetic little vine attacks."
Danryu's eye twitches. "Say that again, NORMAL."
"Ohhh, hitting me with the classics? That's lazy, Back Princess."
Danryu immediately throws a pillow at me, but I duck, grinning. "Wow, your aim's gotten worse. You good?"
Poco clears his throat. "Alright, enough. Jokes aside, we need to figure this out. Katxu, has this ever happened before?"
I shake my head. "Not that I remember. But honestly, I never tried grabbing someone else's AE before. I didn't even know it was a thing. That rule you mentioned? Never heard of it."
Danryu scoffs. "Tch. Of course you haven't. You did say you never left the inner temple grounds before. Of course you'd miss the basics."
Kelly frowns. "Maybe... maybe it has something to do with the talismans you use?"
Poco shakes his head. "No, talismans enhance elemental magic. They don't interfere with AE."
Danryu groans, rubbing his forehead. "Okay, so, Katxu's just some weirdo who breaks the laws of Awakening. Got it."
I grin. "Finally, you understand."
Danryu throws another pillow at me.
As the conversation winds down, I notice something strange about Ren. He's been quiet—not just normal Ren-quiet, but unsettlingly still.
"Oi, Ren?" I wave a hand in front of his face.
His dark eyes flicker toward me, unfocused. It takes him a second too long to react, like he's waking from a dream. "...Huh?"
Kelly looks worried. "Ren... are you feeling okay?"
He tilts his head slightly, blinking. Then, without warning, he reaches for Grimm, hugging the teddy bear tighter. "...Still tired."
Something about his voice sounds off. Not just exhaustion—something deeper. I glance at Danryu, who also seems to have noticed.
"You sure you're alright, kid?" I ask, crouching beside him.
Ren doesn't answer. His grip on Grimm tightens, and his eyes darken for a split second before returning to normal.
***
Later that night, while everyone else is resting, Poco returns from his information gathering. He looks more serious than usual—which is saying something.
"I got some intel," he says, tossing a folded parchment onto the table. "The next exam... it's not like the last two."
Danryu squints at the paper. "What's with this layout? These names aren't grouped."
Poco taps the page. "Spacing's off. No team headers, no zones. Everyone's listed separately... and the order doesn't follow rank or squads."
I lean in. "...Could be one-on-one matchups?"
Danryu raises an eyebrow. "Or maybe we're being split into random placements? Like a rotation system?"
Poco shrugs. "I don't know. But one of the staff mentioned 'personal judgment under stress' and 'tracking isolated decision points.' That doesn't sound like team play to me."
Danryu frowns. "So... solo trials? Secret challenges? Or..."
He trails off.
None of us finish the thought.
The parchment stays quiet.
I sit back slowly. "Feels like they're setting something up. Something that pulls us apart."
Poco adjusts his glasses, tone unusually dry. "Maybe the real test isn't how we work together this time... but what we do when no one's watching."
A silence falls over the room.
We still don't know what the exam is.
But one thing's clear:
We won't be facing it the same way we did before.
***
The night was quiet except for the steady crackling of the campfire. The flames flickered, casting long shadows on the ground, while the cool night breeze rustled through the trees. The exhaustion of the past days still clung to our bodies, but for once, there were no fights, no exams, no rushing—just warmth, food, and the kind of stupid conversations that come when no one wants to go to sleep yet.
I stretched out lazily, hands behind my head as I leaned against a log, staring up at the stars. "Alright, I got a question."
Danryu, who was carving something out of a small wooden branch with one of his sharp vines, didn't even look up. "If it's another dumb question, I don't wanna hear it."
Poco, sitting cross-legged on a rock, smirked as he tossed a small pebble at Danryu. "Which means we absolutely have to hear it."
I grinned. "What's the dumbest thing you've ever done in a fight?"
Danryu groaned. "I hate this already."
Kelly, sipping tea beside Ren—who was half-asleep curled up against Grimm—tilted her head in thought. Then, hesitantly, she raised her hand. "Uhm... does getting lost in my own house count?"
Danryu finally looked up. "What."
Kelly fidgeted, her face slightly pink. "I-I was small! And my house is... really big. One time, I was looking for the kitchen, and I... uh... got stuck in the pantry for a few hours because I thought it was another room."
Silence.
Then, Poco doubled over laughing.
Danryu just stared at her. "You locked yourself... in a pantry?"
Kelly nodded, pouting. "It was confusing! There were shelves everywhere! I got lost in them!"
I held up a hand, struggling to breathe from laughing. "Wait, wait, wait—hold on. You're telling me, instead of realizing it was a pantry, you just... lived in there for hours?!"
Kelly turned even redder. "I panicked!"
Poco wheezed, wiping fake tears from his eyes. "You know what? That's amazing. I needed that. Thank you, Kelly. That's beautiful."
Danryu, still staring, muttered, "I'm never letting you navigate us again."
I was still recovering from the mental image of tiny Kelly wandering through shelves of flour and canned goods when Danryu exhaled sharply, clearly giving in to the ridiculousness of it all. "Alright, fine. My turn. Dumbest thing I did? I drank a potion I didn't label."
Poco immediately sat up straighter. "Oh no."
Kelly gasped. "What kind of potion?"
Danryu rubbed his temples, already regretting telling the story. "I thought it was a mana recovery potion. Turned out it was an experimental paralysis draft."
I lost it.
Poco clapped. "Oh my gods, Danryu—how long?!"
Danryu scowled deeply. "Twenty-four. Hours. Fully conscious. Couldn't move a damn muscle."
I fell over laughing.
Poco was wheezing. "HOW DID YOU SURVIVE?!"
Danryu groaned. "My little brother found me lying on the floor and assumed I was dead. He held a funeral before I could move again."
That was it. I was gone. Rolling on the dirt, struggling to breathe.
Poco gasped between laughs. "DID YOU—did you just have to lie there and accept it?!"
Danryu nodded miserably. "Couldn't do a damn thing. He even gave a speech."
I wiped fake tears from my eyes. "Oh, this is the best night of my life."
Kelly, horrified, put a hand over her mouth. "Your poor brother must have been so scared!"
Danryu scoffed. "No, he was THRILLED. The little bastard started dividing up my stuff before the funeral ended."
Poco fell off the rock he was sitting on. "HE DID WHAT?!"
Danryu pointed at me. "He gave my favorite coat to a chicken."
I was gasping for air. "A CHICKEN?!"
Danryu's face was pure bitterness. "A CHICKEN."
I couldn't handle it. "DID THE CHICKEN ACCEPT IT?!"
Danryu nodded gravely. "With dignity."
I had to lean against a tree to stop myself from collapsing. Poco was wheezing so hard I thought he'd pass out. Kelly had gone from shocked to outright laughing, her shoulders shaking as she tried (and failed) to keep it together. Even Ren, half-asleep, made a small amused noise.
When I finally regained enough strength to talk, I wiped a tear and sat up straight. "Alright, my turn—"
Danryu immediately pointed at me. "You. ARE. The dumbest thing you've ever done."
"EXCUSE ME?!"
Poco, recovering, snorted. "Nah, he's got a point."
I crossed my arms. "That is pure slander! I have never done anything stupid in battle!"
Danryu and Poco slowly turned to me, their expressions saying otherwise.
Kelly, still giggling, tilted her head. "What about the time you tried to fight a giant flaming boar with a bucket?"
Silence.
I narrowed my eyes. "Who told you that?"
Poco grinned. "That's a confession right there."
Danryu smirked. "Explain, Katxu. Explain the bucket."
I threw my hands up. "Look, it was a big flaming boar, alright? I panicked, and the only thing nearby was a bucket of water. It made sense at the time!"
Danryu was unimpressed. "Did it?"
Poco was holding back another fit of laughter. "Let me guess. You missed."
I glared. "No. I hit it perfectly."
Danryu raised an eyebrow. "And?"
I sighed. "It was oil."
Silence.
Then, Poco lost it. Again.
Kelly covered her mouth, but she was trembling from holding back laughter.
Danryu blinked at me, then slowly nodded. "So you... threw oil at a flaming boar?"
"...yes."
Poco wheezed. "AND THEN?!"
I sighed deeply. "I set half the forest on fire, okay?!"
Poco collapsed.
Danryu ran a hand down his face. "You... absolute disaster."
I sighed dramatically. "Look, we all make mistakes."
Poco pointed at me. "Yours are just... legendary."
Kelly, still giggling, nodded. "B-But... I'm sure you learned from it?"
I shrugged. "Of course. Next time, I'd throw the bucket first to see what's inside."
Danryu looked directly at me. "That's your takeaway?!"
Poco, wiping tears, finally stood up. "Alright. I have decided that we should all go to bed before Katxu says something even dumber."
Danryu grumbled. "For once, I agree."
I smirked. "You love me, Danryu."
Danryu stood up and immediately threw a pillow at me.
I dodged, laughing.
That was a good night.
***
After our campfire storytelling session, we were all wiped out from laughing so hard. Poco stretched, letting out a groan, then stood up.
"Well, I'm calling it a night," he said, rubbing his temples. "If I keep listening to Katxu, I'm going to lose brain cells."
Danryu yawned but waved him off. "You don't have many left anyway."
Poco threw a small rock at him. Danryu dodged without even looking.
Kelly stood up too, stifling a giggle as she dusted off her skirt. "I think I'll go to sleep as well. That was... fun."
I smirked. "Fun? Kelly, we just emotionally destroyed each other for an hour. That was beautiful."
She shook her head, smiling, before gently nudging Ren, who had completely fallen asleep against Grimm. "Ren? Do you want to go inside?"
Ren blinked slowly, his expression still half-asleep. "...Mmm."
Kelly giggled softly, patting his head before leading him inside. Grimm followed, the giant teddy bear shrinking back to its small plush size, resting against Ren's arm as he disappeared into our apartment.
Soon, it was just me and Danryu.
Danryu groaned, stretching his arms. "Tch. Can't believe we just sat around roasting each other instead of sleeping."
I grinned, picking up a random stick and twirling it. "And yet, it was time well spent."
Danryu snorted. "Sure, whatever, Normal."
I rolled my eyes. "You're still salty from the potion story, huh?"
Danryu narrowed his eyes. "You literally set a forest on fire by accident. I have no reason to be embarrassed."
I shrugged. "Fine, fair. But what's a little chaos without food?"
Danryu froze.
"...What do you mean?"
I clapped my hands together. "Kelly went to sleep, which means—we are now in charge of food."
Danryu immediately turned toward the apartment. "Nope. Nope. Not happening. Kelly left for a reason—"
I grabbed his sleeve. "Danryu."
"No."
I looked at him, serious. "We have a responsibility."
Danryu's expression twisted in absolute distrust. "The last time you said that, we almost failed an exam."
I gasped. "How dare you. That was one time."
Danryu squinted. "One time is already too much."
I grinned wider. "Come on. What's the worst that could happen?"
Danryu sighed heavily. "We die."
I grabbed his wrist and dragged him inside. "Good thing we have a healer then!"
Five minutes later.
Danryu was standing in front of a pot of boiling water, holding a spoon like it was a weapon, while I rummaged through our extremely questionable food supplies.
Poco had already refused to help, saying something about "not wanting to be an accomplice."
"Alright," I clapped my hands, looking over the ingredients. "Step one: We make food. Step two: We survive eating it."
Danryu scowled. "Step one should be 'Don't let Katxu touch anything.'"
I waved him off, pulling out random ingredients. "Relax, Back Princess. Cooking is just combat with extra steps."
Danryu gave me a long, exhausted look. "You do realize that doesn't make sense, right?"
I ignored him, picking up a dried root. "What's this?"
Danryu leaned forward, squinting. "That's an energizing herb. Helps restore stamina."
I immediately tossed it into the pot.
Danryu grabbed me by the collar. "STOP THROWING RANDOM STUFF IN."
I gasped dramatically. "Are you stopping me from expressing myself through food?"
Danryu exhaled sharply through his nose. "Yes."
I huffed. "Fine, fine. You be in charge, then."
Danryu muttered something about "keeping idiots away from fire" and started stirring the pot.
I watched him for exactly five seconds before saying, "You're stirring it wrong."
Danryu turned slowly, eyes narrowing. "I'm stirring it wrong?"
"Yeah, you have to do it counterclockwise first to infuse the flavors."
Danryu stared at me.
Poco, who had just been walking by the kitchen, paused. "Wait... is that true?"
Danryu looked at me, suspicious. "...Is it?"
I grinned. "Oh, totally."
Danryu, fueled by pure spite, started stirring counterclockwise.
Poco squinted. "That better not be a lie."
I smiled. "Oh, it totally is."
Danryu flung a ladle at me.
Eventually, we got... something resembling food into bowls.
Danryu took a cautious sniff.
Poco sat across from us, watching like he was about to witness a historic tragedy.
Danryu frowned. "Smells... weird."
I nodded. "That means it's working."
Danryu glared. "THAT IS NOT HOW FOOD WORKS."
Ignoring him, I grabbed a spoonful and took a bite.
Poco and Danryu watched me closely.
I chewed.
I swallowed.
I blinked.
Then I grabbed a second spoonful.
Danryu looked shocked. "It's... edible?"
I nodded. "Yeah, it's actually—"
My stomach immediately made a sound I did not know was possible.
Danryu and Poco froze.
I slowly put the spoon down.
Poco pointed. "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT SOUND?!"
Danryu took a step back. "Oh no."
I held my stomach. "I think it's—uh—reacting with something?"
Poco stared at the pot. "Didn't you put in some weird root?"
Danryu snapped his fingers. "Oh. Right. That's the 'fast metabolism' herb."
Poco blinked. "What does that do?"
Danryu sighed. "Doubles digestion speed. Which means..."
Poco and Danryu both turned to me.
I suddenly felt very, very warm.
"Oh."
Danryu smirked. "Oh, this is gonna be good."
Ten Minutes Later...
Kelly woke up to me running outside at full speed.
Danryu and Poco were crying laughing in the doorway.
Kelly looked around, confused. "W-What's happening?"
Poco, barely able to breathe, wiped a tear from his eye. "Katxu accidentally made the strongest digestive potion known to mankind."
Danryu, still laughing, waved after me. "Good luck, idiot!"
Kelly blinked. "...Should I heal him?"
Poco grinned. "Let him suffer first."
Kelly, flustered, nodded. "O-Okay..."
And thus, I learned never to trust Danryu's ingredients.
But did that stop me from cooking again?
No. No, it did not.
***
The next morning, I woke up with regret.
Not the normal kind of regret. No, this was the kind of regret that sat in your stomach like a brick, reminding you of every bad decision you made the night before.
And I made a lot.
Danryu had a permanent smirk on his face as he leaned against the doorframe, watching me suffer. "How's the stomach, Master Chef?"
I groaned, burying my face in my arms. "Don't talk to me."
Poco, sitting across the room, grinned as he casually ate a snack. "I'd say you learned your lesson, but I know you didn't."
Kelly, ever the kind soul, offered me a small cup of herbal tea. "This will help..."
I peeked out from my arms. "Kelly, you're an angel. I knew I could count on you."
Danryu snorted. "Says the guy who set a forest on fire."
I glared at him. "It was one time."
Poco smirked. "One time too many."
I groaned dramatically, finally sitting up. "Okay, okay, enough about my 'bad life choices' or whatever. Let's talk about something more important."
Danryu squinted. "If you say food, I'm throwing you out the window."
I waved a hand. "No, no. We should place bets on who's getting eliminated first in the next exam."
Poco immediately perked up. "Oh, now this is interesting."
Danryu sighed, but I could already see his brain working on insults.
Kelly, meanwhile, hesitated. "W-We shouldn't talk about elimination yet, right? We don't even know what the exam is..."
I grinned, pointing at Poco. "Which is why Poco is gonna make wild guesses based on his 'intel.'"
Poco smirked, pushing up his glasses. "I do like making people paranoid, so... I accept this responsibility."
Danryu crossed his arms. "Alright, let's hear it, genius. What do you think is gonna happen?"
Poco leaned back, looking way too smug. "Alright. Based on what I heard, the next exam will involve 'one-on-one performance evaluations.'"
I blinked. "That... sounds a lot like—"
Poco nodded. "A duel."
Danryu groaned. "Oh, great. We get to beat each other up for fun."
I smirked. "You sound nervous, Back Princess."
Danryu rolled his eyes. "Tch. I'm just saying, some people in this competition could actually kill us."
Poco shrugged. "Which is why we bet on who gets eliminated first."
Kelly gasped. "P-Poco!"
Poco held up a hand. "Relax, it's just a game. Loser has to do something embarrassing."
Danryu immediately pointed at me. "Katxu. 100%."
I gasped. "EXCUSE ME?!"
Poco laughed. "That was fast."
Danryu nodded. "He's reckless, cocky, and—most importantly—he has no actual Fin ability."
I narrowed my eyes. "You just called me Normal in a very fancy way."
Danryu smirked. "I did. And you are."
I leaned toward Poco. "Can I change my bet to Danryu's immediate downfall?"
Poco grinned. "Oh, absolutely."
Danryu rolled his eyes. "You're just mad because you know I'm right."
I scoffed. "Danryu, let's be real. You are one bad healing potion away from taking yourself out."
Danryu opened his mouth to argue. Then closed it. Then scowled.
Poco whistled. "Damn. He can't even deny it."
Kelly, still looking unsure, shifted in her seat. "W-What happens to the loser?"
Poco smirked. "They have to say something nice about the winner."
Danryu's entire soul left his body.
I leaned in, grinning like a devil. "Ohhh. So if I survive longer than you, you have to say something NICE about me, Danryu?"
Danryu was already reconsidering life itself.
Kelly, still trying to be the voice of reason, shook her head. "M-Maybe we shouldn't—"
Poco smirked. "Nah, it's too late. It's happening."
Danryu groaned. "Fine. But when you lose, you better call me 'Great Master Danryu.'"
I shook his hand. "Deal."
Danryu muttered under his breath, "I hate this already."
Poco grinned. "Well, this just got way more interesting."
Kelly sighed. "This feels mean..."
I shrugged. "It's only mean if Danryu loses."
Danryu glared. "I am going to eliminate you myself."
Poco clapped his hands. "Good, good. Now, let's move on to step two."
I blinked. "There's a step two?"
Poco grinned. "We mess with you for the rest of the day."
I frowned. "Wait. That wasn't part of the deal."
Danryu smirked. "It is now."
I suddenly realized I had made a terrible mistake.
***
I couldn't sleep.
Even with everything that had happened—the chaos of the last two exams, the exhaustion settling into my bones, the teasing from Danryu still ringing in my ears—I just couldn't.
My thoughts were racing. The next exam was coming, and we all knew it was going to be different. One-on-one battles. No team to cover me, no allies to watch my back. Just me and an opponent.
For once, I wasn't sure if I was excited or terrified.
I sighed, pushing myself off my bed. The apartment was silent, everyone asleep, even Ren. Poco had passed out first, Kelly had curled up near Grimm, and Danryu... well, he'd probably punch me if I woke him up for no reason.
I needed air.
Sliding on my boots, I quietly left the apartment, stepping into the cool night breeze. The academy grounds were eerily peaceful at this hour, the usual clamor and energy replaced with the occasional rustle of leaves or distant footsteps.
I wandered into the park, my hands stuffed into my pockets. The lanterns flickered softly, casting faint golden hues on the stone paths. I passed a small pond, my reflection staring back at me—messy white hair, eyes slightly shadowed from lack of sleep.
I sighed. "This is stupid. I should be asleep."
But my body refused to rest.
I sat down on one of the empty benches, leaning back, staring up at the moonlight cutting through the leaves.
Tomorrow, I'd be fighting alone.
For the first time, I had to prove myself—not as a Normal. Not as the guy who throws jokes around to cover up his weaknesses. But as someone who belonged here.
The thought sent a strange mix of excitement and dread crawling up my spine.
Then, in an instant—everything changed.
A sharp, cold pressure hit my neck.
Before I could even react, my vision blurred, my body numbing instantly. I barely had time to suck in a breath before the world spun violently.
Darkness.
My limbs refused to move.
I was falling—no, being dragged.
Then, silence.
***
A faint, damp drip-drip-drip pulled me out of unconsciousness.
My head felt like it had been split open, my body aching in places I didn't even know could ache. I tried to move, but my arms—I couldn't move them.
A cold realization settled in my stomach.
I was bound.
I groggily blinked, my vision adjusting to the dim, flickering light of torches. The air was thick with moisture, the faint scent of metal—blood—clinging to it.
My arms were stretched above me, bound tightly by thick, enchanted chains that extended across the rough stone walls. My legs were folded underneath me, my body forced into a kneeling position.
A deep chill ran down my spine.
This wasn't just some random abduction.
This was planned.
I took a slow, shaky breath. "...Shit."
My vision cleared enough to take in more details. The cave was wide, deep, carved by time itself. But what caught my attention was what was directly beneath me.
A circle.
A massive one.
Dried blood had been painted into complex symbols, stretching from beneath my knees to the walls themselves. Intricate patterns, spiraling shapes, and unrecognizable glyphs.
A ritual.
And I was at the center of it.
A heavy, suffocating feeling coiled around my gut, something deeply wrong about all of this.
Before I could process anything further, the sound of footsteps echoed in the cave.
I tensed.
Out of the shadows, three figures stepped forward.
They weren't examinees. I could feel it.
Draped in dark cloaks, their faces hidden behind smooth, eerie masks, they moved with a calm, measured precision. Not like people who happened upon this place—but like people who owned it.
One of them stopped just a few feet from me.
A low, smooth voice filled the space. "Awake already? Impressive."
I took a deep breath, masking the instinctive fear crawling up my throat. "Yeah, well. Sleeping tied up isn't exactly comfortable. You should try it sometime."
The masked figure in the center let out a small, amused chuckle. "Still joking, even now?"
I smirked. "Well, it's either that or start screaming."
The second masked figure, whose voice was lower, colder, finally spoke. "Screaming is inevitable."
Okay. Bad vibes.
I forced myself to stay casual. "Look, I'm flattered. But if you wanted my attention, there are less creepy ways to ask for it."
The third masked figure tilted their head slightly, considering me. "It's fascinating how you can still talk."
My smirk twitched slightly. "Yeah, I get that a lot."
The first figure stepped closer. "We don't have much time. Let's begin."
Begin what?
My instincts screamed that whatever this was, I didn't want to find out.
I pulled against my chains, testing the bindings. Solid. Enchanted. No use.
I exhaled sharply. "Alright. Since I'm apparently the main event, how about you tell me what this little show is about?"
The first masked figure crouched slightly, tilting their head at me. "You should already know."
I blinked. "Yeah, gonna be honest, I have no idea what you're talking about."
The second figure hummed thoughtfully. "Perhaps he truly doesn't know."
The third one sighed. "Then let's teach him."
Before I could respond, the first figure raised a hand.
The symbols in the blood circle ignited, glowing deep crimson, and suddenly—
Pain.
A searing force tore through me, like something was being dragged from my very core.
My veins burned, my body convulsing violently against the restraints. A deep, foreign pressure crushed my chest, like an invisible force was reaching inside me, trying to take something.
I gasped, choking back a scream.
I didn't know what was happening, but I knew it wasn't normal.
The second masked figure murmured, "He's resisting."
The first one tilted their head. "Not him."
A surge of black energy erupted from my body.
Dark veins cracked along my skin, spreading from my neck to my arms. My breath hitched, my vision flickering between light and shadow.
Then, for a brief moment—
I saw something.
A glimpse into the depths of my being.
Chains. Seals.
Something buried deep inside me.
Something that did not want to be touched.
And then—it fought back.
I screamed, my voice shattering the silence of the cave.
A violent shockwave exploded from my body.
The masked figures staggered back, barely dodging the recoil of energy that blasted through the cave.
The first figure's voice was tense, controlled. "Something blocked it."
The second nodded. "No... something is guarding him."
My body slumped, gasping for air. My vision blurred, but I could still see the masked figures standing before me, calculating, considering.
The third one stepped forward, raising their hand again. "We should try once more."
The first figure hesitated. "We're running out of time."
Then, suddenly—
A presence entered the cave.
It was fast. Heavy. Cold.
A deep, lethal voice cut through the space.
"Let him go."
The masked figures immediately reacted, their posture tensing.
I could barely focus, my breath ragged, but I knew that voice.
Dairon.
The second masked figure tilted their head slightly, intrigued.
The first sighed. "Next time, then."
And just like that—they vanished.
I felt my body finally release its tension, exhaustion crashing over me like a wave.
My vision swam, my mind barely holding onto consciousness.
But I felt it—the shift in the air, the cold presence stepping closer.
Boots scraped against the stone.
I forced my eyes open, barely able to lift my head.
Dairon stood there.
His golden eyes locked onto me, sharp, unreadable.
My voice was hoarse, barely above a whisper. "...Took you long enough."
Dairon exhaled sharply. "Damn idiot."
I barely registered the sound of his sword unsheathing.
A sharp slash—
The chains shattered.
And then—darkness took me again.
***
[DAIRON'S POV]
Tracking them had been a mistake.
I had been watching them since the second exam ended—the masked figures.
They were too perfect, too calculated, too inhumanly efficient in their movements. They weren't just examinees playing by the same rules as the rest of us.
And I knew that better than anyone.
They weren't fighting to win. They were hunting.
So I followed them. Watched them. Waited.
At first, it was subtle.
They never spoke to anyone outside their own circle. Never engaged in unnecessary fights. Never revealed too much power.
But they were always there.
Watching. Waiting.
And then last night, they did something different.
They vanished.
Not through teleportation. Not through normal movement.
One second, I had their presence locked—traced through faint shifts in energy, footfalls barely detectable against stone.
Then the next... they were gone.
Completely.
It wasn't a normal disappearance.
It was as if they had stepped out of existence itself.
And I knew only a few things in this world that could do that.
So I did what I always did—I followed the faintest trace of where they had been.
And it led me here.
A cave.
And inside...
Katxu.
I stepped into the dim torchlight, my boots silent against the cold, damp stone.
The air stank of old blood.
It took me less than a second to assess the situation.
A ritual circle. Blood-drawn symbols. Enchanted bindings.
And in the dead center of it—
Katxu.
Kneeling. Unconscious. Arms stretched painfully above his head, chained tightly against the rough stone walls. His breathing was uneven, his body trembling from whatever they had done to him.
My jaw clenched. Idiots.
I scanned the room for threats—no signs of a struggle, no leftover energy fluctuations. They had left without a fight.
Why?
If they had taken him, if they had gone through all this effort—why leave him behind?
I stepped forward, my shadow stretching against the torchlight.
Katxu's breathing hitched slightly at the sound of my boots against the stone. He was awake—barely.
His head tilted up just a fraction, his half-lidded eyes barely registering me. His voice was hoarse, broken.
"...Took you long enough."
I exhaled through my nose. "Damn idiot."
His condition was bad.
Sweat clung to his skin, but his veins—they were darker. Visible. Like whatever they did had left something behind.
I tightened my grip on my sword.
Whatever they had tried to take from him... they had failed.
But something told me—this wasn't over.
I lifted my blade.
A sharp slash—
The chains snapped.
Katxu collapsed forward, but I caught him by the arm before he hit the ground.
His body was weak, his breathing shallow. But he was alive.
I held him up for a second, letting him catch his breath.
Then, without hesitation, I tossed him over my shoulder.
"Ugh—" he groaned weakly, barely conscious.
I ignored him. "Shut up."
Katxu let out a half-hearted wheeze. "You're... carrying me? Thought you didn't—ugh—like team bonding."
I rolled my eyes. "I'll drop you if you keep talking."
Katxu, still half out of it, grinned weakly against my shoulder. "Nah, you won't."
I considered it.
For longer than I probably should have.
Then, I stepped forward, out of the ritual circle, out of the cave, into the cold night air.
The masked figures weren't here anymore.
***
The night air was cold, but Katxu's body was burning up.
Even unconscious, his breathing was uneven, his skin paler than usual except for the dark veins creeping along his neck and arms. Whatever those masked bastards did to him, it wasn't just physical.
I walked fast, silent, my steps measured. The academy grounds were dead quiet at this hour, only the occasional lantern flickering along the cobblestone paths.
When I reached the apartment, I didn't bother knocking. I kicked the door open.
BANG.
Danryu jolted awake, his messy hair sticking in all directions as he glared, half-conscious.
"What the—" His voice stopped mid-sentence the second he saw Katxu slumped over my shoulder. His expression shifted instantly.
I didn't explain. I walked past him and dumped Katxu onto the nearest couch.
Danryu was already out of bed, crouching beside him. "Oi—he looks like hell. What the hell did you—" His voice cut off again when he noticed the black veins.
His gaze flicked to me for an answer.
I didn't give him one.
Danryu muttered a curse under his breath before pressing his hand against Katxu's forehead, his Needles weaving around his body. The soft green glow pulsed along Katxu's skin, working to stabilize whatever the hell was wrong with him.
The room was silent, except for the faint hum of healing magic.
Danryu's scowl deepened. "Tch... his body's reacting to something. His mana's unstable, like it's trying to fight something off."
I already knew that.
Danryu exhaled through his nose, his shoulders relaxing just slightly. "He'll wake up."
I waited.
He frowned, still checking Katxu's pulse. "...But I don't know if whatever's inside him will stay quiet for long."
Neither do I.
I crossed my arms, watching Katxu closely. His breathing had evened out, but his fingers still twitched slightly, his face tense even in unconsciousness.
Whatever those masked bastards did... they didn't finish it.
Danryu leaned back onto his heels, rubbing a hand through his hair. "Seriously. What the hell happened?"
I didn't answer.
Danryu's glare sharpened, but when I said nothing, he scoffed and looked away. "Tch. Whatever."
He didn't care for long. His exhaustion hit first. He sighed, rubbing his temples. "I'm going back to sleep. If he starts convulsing or something, wake me up."
Danryu dragged himself back to his room, grumbling something under his breath, and within minutes, I heard his breathing slow into sleep.
I didn't move.
I pulled a chair near the couch and sat down.
The apartment was quiet again, but my eyes stayed on Katxu.
Waiting. Watching.
The masked ones said "Next time."
They weren't done.
I had a feeling neither was he.