"Surely there should be a more serious reason. This is a joke." The girl protests.

  "Just now, do you know the look you had?"

  The girl stiffens.

  "Just now you looked at me with murderous intent. Maybe it was fear, but when I go back to sleep, I prefer waking up the next day rather than getting stabbed by a subordinate who's unable to follow orders."

  "Damn you." The girl's face contorts. Her teeth look like they're about to break.

  Mylo continues. "Now let me see. We have fifty participants left."

  We went down from three hundred people?

  I fall to my knees. This is terrifying.

  "Defeated already?" Melissa comments. "Didn't I tell you? Tensing too much over this won't help in any way."

  "I fail to see how this is going to be a story we can laugh about."

  "You have a point." She doesn't insist.

  My heart slowly steadies. I'm working on the edge here.

  Maybe it's luck that saved me today, but if I use all my luck now, then I can't pass the final trial. The thing is, recently I haven't been able to see the dragon again. Is this what it meant by a harder tutorial? I'm relying on these performances to win, but with this guy, it's almost impossible to think rationally.

  I get back up and observe the remaining participants.

  Number 202. He was the first to run after the order was given. He probably earned some points.

  I stare at his back. His hair is black and short. His build is about the same as mine. Are we the same age?

  "Are you interested in him?" Melissa nudges me.

  "Not interested, more like intrigued."

  "It's the same thing."

  "If you say so. I don't understand how he was so sharp at the beginning. It probably earned him some points."

  She taps my back. "You're not eliminated yet, and I'm pretty sure you can do better than this. You're having dreams, after all."

  I nod. This girl is kinder than she shows. She looks after me even though we're only strangers.

  Clank!

  The doors below the podium open. Soldiers wheel out a large box.

  A soldier opens it. Inside are wooden swords. Each sword is distributed among the different participants.

  When I receive mine, I test its hardness, flexing it slightly. If I have a power boost, there's no reason the others don't. In that case, it's better to have a somewhat sturdy sword, or they're going to break before being used, and there'll be no sword fight at all.

  Mylo steps forward again. "For the next two steps, you're going to fight against each other. First with swords, then hand to hand. Sorry for the lack of originality. I just want to get this done with. So let's match you up."

  And so the matching begins. Like with the elimination session, he chooses the matches by hovering his finger over the participants. Soon enough, Melissa and I are pointed out.

  My match is number 184. Melissa goes against number 53, and finally, number 202 faces number 79.

  I wish I could face 202 right away, but I first have to deal with my opponent.

  "The conditions to win are simple. You can either push your opponent out of the circle, disarm them, or even better, force them to forfeit. Any fights exceeding five minutes will be declared a draw. So now, fellas, begin the fights." He sits back down.

  The soldiers begin drawing circles around five meters wide across the stadium floor. Ten in total.

  I step into my circle first. Number 184. I remember him. He's the one who pushed me earlier.

  He enters the circle, staring at me. A look of surprise or relief spreads across his face. "I really got lucky on this one, didn't I?"

  His gaze intensifies, trying to intimidate me.

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  "Let's see if you're right." I advance to the middle at the soldier monitor's signal.

  He advances too. "He didn't say nothing about killing your opponent." He grins.

  "Begin." The soldier gives the signal.

  A swing strikes toward my right. I block it, but the sheer power pushes me back. I feel the shock spreading through my bones, rattling my joints. I stop myself from stepping out of the circle, but he doesn't give me time to rest. Another swing comes from the right. I'm already standing on defense, but the impact is heavier than before. I'm pushed again, my position forcing me to circle as I get pushed while he keeps attacking from the right.

  This guy is unreal. My bones are already giving in. Who the hell is he?

  He launches this time, swinging from the left. I duck. But he relentlessly attacks from every side. I block what I can, but when I'm close to the line, I duck again.

  If I keep playing defense, I'll never make any progress. At this rate, we're going to get a draw.

  "Getting a draw, you thought, huh?" He places his hand on his face. "Too bad for you. I'm not going to let that happen. You've been defending yourself pretty well, kid, but I was merely testing your abilities. You sure can take a lot. Tell me, what's your spirit?"

  "Why are you asking me that? Don't you have to eliminate me?"

  "I find no pleasure in fighting kids. I like breaking them, but when I saw you, I thought, 'Hey, this kid has potential. He's doing so much to survive.' And that look you give me. It's the look of someone having a lot of hope. I'll be honest, I'm participating to be recruited, but also to kill those I can, because you know…"

  I launch a direct strike at his face. He ducks.

  "That was pretty close. Are you intending to kill me?"

  "You're talking a lot, and five minutes goes by fast. Hurry, we don't have time to waste."

  "Haha, I like you, kid. Don't come crying."

  Snap!

  How? He was at the other end, but now he's in front of me.

  Ernest's notes: When fighting against a creature faster than you, the best move with a sword is to use a direct strike, as that's the fastest move you can do.

  That's right, but this guy…

  I duck extremely late. The wooden sword scratches across my armor, sending me rolling across the ground two meters away. I'm still inside the circle. I look at the monitor, but he says nothing.

  I'm still in.

  Smack!

  Suddenly my face stares at the blue sky. The kick sends me flying. I regain my balance, but my body isn't recovered yet.

  "Hey, you. This is a sword fight." The monitor speaks.

  "Sorry, sir. I promise to pay more attention next time."

  "Another thing like that and it's a loss."

  With that said, number 184 launches at me. My mind is still in a daze.

  Move. He's getting closer.

  An inch away from me, the hand holding the sword moves on its own. My body moves on its own.

  Splash!

  Red liquid rolls down the wooden sword.

  I regain control of my body.

  Number 184 moves slowly away from me, stepping out of the circle. His neck bleeds faintly.

  "Just now you... you tried killing me, didn't you?"

  Still confused, I look at my sword. It's undoubtedly his blood. This event grabs the attention of the participants waiting their turns.

  "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do that."

  "Fucker. How can you say that after trying to kill me?!" He looks at the examiner. "Aren't you going to say anything?"

  The examiner chuckles. "You're the one who said it was authorized. Perhaps you made that kid think that way too." He bursts out laughing.

  "Fuckers, this can't be real." Veins trace across his bald head. "I'm going to kill you." His body becomes surrounded by a red aura.

  A bull appears behind him, massive and snorting. The examiner tries stopping him by summoning his own spirit. A python with brown aura. But the brute force of the bull sends the python flying. The examiner's face gets punched, smashed hard against the ground.

  Blood drips everywhere. Did someone just die before me? Memories of the forest incident flash in my head after seeing so much blood pooling on the ground.

  After removing his hand from the examiner's face, he looks at me, signaling I'm next.

  I swallow hard, but a metallic taste forces its way up. I cover my mouth. Blood. I remember the kick.

  He begins approaching me, but no one comes to help. As he moves forward...

  Number 184's perspective:

  That kid. It's all his fault I got eliminated this early.

  I was just going to play along with him, but he tried killing me. With one murder, I'm surely going to be arrested now. My life is really done for. If I just kill him, I'll be satisfied.

  That guy Mylo isn't doing anything. I guess he's too scared or too lazy. I don't care.

  The kid isn't moving. He's clutching at the blood coming out of his mouth.

  Haha, I'm going to feel so good after crushing your head. My hand gets closer to his face. I liked you, kid.

  Things are turning upside down.

  Tock.

  I don't understand. Why is that kid's head up now? Why can't I feel my body?

  I look around to see my body still standing. Where is my head?

  Oh no. No, no, no, no, no.

  I didn't want it to end like this. I was prepared for prison, not for this.

  I look over at the kid.

  He looks terrified. It can't be him then. Who did it?

  Mylo? But he's just sitting up there, lazy as ever.

  Kid, it's all your fault...

  Everest's perspective:

  I just witnessed two people dying today.

  I look up. Mylo approaches to address the crowd.

  "These kinds of incidents might be an occurrence, but number 171, don't worry. You've won fair and square." He claps his hands. "Now dispose of the bodies. Whatever you do with them isn't my business. Let's proceed with the recruitment." He returns to his seat.

  After everything is taken care of, I go to watch Melissa's match, which she wins without much trouble. Her fighting style with a sword looks like it's been worked on for a long time. Unlike me, you can sense the dedication in her movements.

  "Have you been training for this all your life?"

  "No, just for recent times."

  "So you're a genius."

  "Don't say it like that. Also, you managed well. Sorry I didn't intervene. That man killed a veteran with a single punch. I was scared for my life."

  "It's all good." I force a small laugh. "I was scared too at that moment."

  "Say, why are you so calm? Someone just died."

  "I'm surprised. When I see you, I just think it's normal."

  "I have my reasons, but what about you?"

  "It's not the first time for me to see a dead body."

  Can I even call it common? The last time, all I saw was blood. Maybe something is wrong with me, but looking at Melissa, I can't help but think I might be overthinking.

  My eyes wander to a participant's sword falling in front of me.

  The opponent of number 202, number 79, lost by disarmament.