Brushing myself off, I staggered to the edge of the alley and headed in the direction of the combat zone.
This was my novel, so I had a general idea of the layout.
Squeezing myself into any space that was formed between the other applicants, I moved along the coal-tarred road.
Towering skyscrapers and smaller buildings, likely lodges for parents and applicants since Noctis Academy didn't allow anyone past the entrance unless admitted, stood on either side of me.
While a massive crystalline stadium loomed just meters ahead, with towering metal gates behind it, stretching as far as the eye could see.
I wasn't entirely sure how transmigration worked, but that didn't mean I could afford to idle around and get myself killed.
If by some unlikely chance this was truly inside my own story, then I had the chance to see it through and fix the plot that had been mangled by the editors.
At the very least, the body—Kaiser Vanguard was attractive enough to earn the nickname Alabaster, even from the bullies. Even passing examiners couldn't help but steal glances.
Stepping into the stadium that resembled a modern colosseum, my eyes ran through the entire infrastructure, from the tiered seats down to the main stage that lay at the end of the sloping stairs.
Seeing the scene before me, I couldn't help but notice how my story's details and world-building couldn't hold a candle to the majesty of only the entrance area of Noctis Academy.
"Let's find a place to sit," I muttered, settling into an empty chair six rows above the stage.
Not knowing when my match would be scheduled, all I could do was hope it wouldn't be anytime soon.
A man with spiked blond hair and an outfit that screamed rock and roll—or whatever it was called—stepped into the center of the arena.
"WELCOME, APPLICANTS AND PARENTS, TO THE NOCTIS ACADEMY ENTRANCE EXAM!"
Drones hovered in the air, showering flower petals over the audience, mixing with the scattered cherry blossoms to create a stunning scene. Gigantic floating screens displayed various camera angles of both the crowd and the main stage.
My eyes caught a screen showing my face: an alabaster-skinned boy with light purple hair and lavender eyes with a small wide star at the center of my pupil, I was stunning, to say the least.
The fact that I couldn't even recognize my own body sent chills down my spine. That feeling only deepened when I heard my name or rather, the name of the original body called across the arena.
"No way, right?" I murmured, still trying to grasp the reality of being summoned first for combat.
I tried to hide amidst the crowd, hoping to avoid the match. But my image was soon plastered across the massive screen.
APPLICANT NUMBER 49 OF 50: KAISER VANGUARD.
Swallowing hard as the crowd's attention focused on me, I cursed inwardly, sluggishly rising and attempting to steady my trembling legs.
'Why am I scared?' my mind questioned.
'Haah... Who am I kidding? I might be older than them by a year or two, but they actually know how to use magic—freaking magic.'
Forcing myself forward, I descended the immaculate white stairs into the arena below.
The moment my opponent sneered at me with contempt, I couldn't help but curse my luck.
'How the hell did I get matched against my bully?'
He was the first guy from the group who had assaulted me or rather, the original Kaiser Vanguard prior to my transmigration.
"NOW, THE RULES ARE SIMPLE. MAKE YOUR OPPONENT ADMIT DEFEAT, PUSH THEM OUT OF THE RING, OR KNOCK THEM UNCONSCIOUS!"
Jacob, whose name had been called alongside mine smirked arrogantly as he widened the distance between us.
The examiner stepped back like a referee and signaled for the match to begin.
"Why don't you just quit, alabaster cockroach?" Joshua said, raising his chin.
'Hah, like hell. It's either win this… or never gain entry into the academy.'
Not participating wasn't an option since most of the story was going to take place in the academy and my goals couldn't be achieved from outside the main story route.
Trying to assess my surroundings, my brain momentarily paused as a leg whipped into my gut like a lash.
'Argh.'
Spewing a large volume of blood, I collapsed, tumbling toward the edge of the ring.
I knew with my measly stats it was almost impossible to regain my balance.
'Let's use our talent for now; it says high activation heat equals high ice output, right?'
[YOU HAVE ACTIVATED THE TALENT: ALABASTER ICE.]
A chilling sensation wrapped around me, it wasn't sharp enough to draw attention, but for someone like me, who came from Earth, it felt like stepping out into a winter evening.
The amount of ice I could generate was negligible due to my stats, but the friction created as my fingers scraped along the ground allowed me to channel just enough ice mana to stop my slide.
Tiny crystals of frost bloomed around my fingers, forming a faint, glassy coating. Even the ground where I crouched shimmered with a subtle layer of ice.
"Interesting, you didn't fall," Joshua remarked as he leapt toward me.
"Bastard."
The crowd's cheers echoed in my ears, further cementing the reality—no one supported Kaiser.
'If they aren't on my side, then I'll simply have to alter their perception of me.'
I staggered forward, only for Joshua's foot to slam into my spine.
Spasms of pain radiated throughout my body, accompanied by a loud scream.
'Damn, that hurts.' Despite the tone, I was genuinely in agony. Blood pooled behind my eyes, slowly flowing into my head.
My knees gave out as he seized my head, gripping my light purple bangs in his hands.
"Oi, Alabaster. Do you want to die? Just give up already," Joshua said, feigning concern.
Grinning widely through my bloodstained teeth, I replied with conviction, "Never."
Joshua's expression contorted, as though something significant had just slipped away from him. "Why go this far, Kai? I'm doing this for your sake. But if this is what you want—then don't blame me for being ruthless."
He launched me into the air with a downward jab, but it gave me exactly the distance I needed. I had already played my cards, casting both myself and Joshua into clear roles for the audience:
I, the frail and tormented child. He, the aggressor.
'Fool didn't even use his talent to end it quickly.'
Raising my hand and the dagger now clenched in it, I brought it close to my neck, wearing an expression that could stir pity in anyone.
"Why?" I shouted. "Why do you take pleasure in tormenting me?" Joshua's eyes widened as the blade came within inches of my throat.
I bit my lip, not believing the line I was about to deliver.
'This is going to be so cringe.'
I stifled the urge to gag as my lips parted. "I just wanted to be a hero."
'Damn!!!! Just kill me already.'
But, as anticipated, the examiners' expressions subtly shifted. And I wasn't the only one who noticed—Joshua did too.
"But you all kept bullying me!" This wasn't the time to stop. I had to push forward with the momentum, pressing the dagger against my neck.
Droplets of blood stained my pale skin, the dagger pressing against my neck. "So just let me die!"
As the crowd reacted to what appeared to be a noble applicant on the verge of suicide, Joshua lunged to grab my hand.
But just as he was about to reach me, I dropped the dagger and seized his arm. It was only for a moment any longer and it would've gone back to being a one-sided beating.
I leaned in and bit into his neck, not caring about hygiene or being called a coward.
[User has shown extreme treachery... Some important figures are interested in you]
'Are you for real? Is that really what's important right now?'
[User... User...]
'Tch'
[YOU HAVE ACTIVATED THE TALENT: ALABASTER ICE.]
Channeling ice mana through the shallow wound left by my teeth, Joshua screamed as frostbite blossomed across his neck, forcing him to stumble back.
Joshua gripped his neck, his eyes widening as the skin beneath his fingers began to turn pale, shifting into the same icy blue that had coated my fingertips moments before.
His vision blurred and his consciousness wavered. Still clutching his hand, I yanked him toward the edge of the ring, planting my foot and hurling him down.
"Bastard!!" he screamed, trying to dispel the ice with his augmented fire talent.
In that instant, he snarled and lunged at me mid-air, ready to strike, the temperature itself soared like magma had been released in the stadium—but the examiner intervened with ease.
"APPLICANT NUMBER 42, YOU HAVE BEEN ELIMINATED. DO YOU WISH TO CONTINUE?"
"But Sir! He cheated. I was the one who won! Can't you see it?"
The examiner's gaze hardened, and he remained silent for a moment. Then his voice cut through the air, sharp and harsh. "ARE YOU CALLING ME A LIAR, APPLICANT?"
"No," Joshua spat, taking a step forward. "But you can see it! He's clearly weaker than me. We can't allow someone so devious to attend Noctis."
The examiner spared me a glance, his expression wavering for just a second before it solidified into something stern. "IF YOU CONTINUE THIS, APPLICANT, I WILL BE FORCED TO DISMISS YOU FROM THE ACADEMY. THAT MEANS YOU WON'T BE ALLOWED TO SIT FOR THE WRITTEN PORTION."
'Tch.'
Joshua withdrew his aggression, casting me a venomous glare. He knew that if he failed the written portion of the exam, he'd be completely finished.
'In your face, bastard,' I thought, raising my middle finger in my mind.
My vision began to fade. Only then did I comprehend how severe my condition truly was.
'Just this much, and I'm already passing out? Just great.'
I collapsed onto the cold floor as the roaring applause dissolved into silence.
KAISER VANGUARD – COMBAT EXAM RANK: 45 OF 50