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I opened my eyes and found myself back in the exam hall.

‘I won.’

The feelings that surged through me after the exam ended were pure and exhilarating.

My emotions were saturated with the thrill of victory.

As I scanned my surroundings, the shock of remembering that I had died lingered.

I could see the other examinees, dazed and lost in their thoughts.

“Nova!”

Turning towards the sound, I saw Shia rushing towards me and throwing her arms around me.

“That was amazing! How did you do that just now?”

“Huh? Oh, I’m not really…”

“Did you just imitate the supervisor’s movements? They were incredibly fast!”

“…I get it, so could you let go of me?”

“Ah… ahem, my apologies!”

Embarrassed by her own actions, Shia immediately let go of me.

“What will happen to the exam results now? The only one who landed a proper hit was you, Nova, so I…”

“No, I think you don’t need to worry too much about it.”

At that moment, Amelia shouted from the center of the hall.

“Everyone, attention please! I will now announce the exam results!”

Amelia began calling out numbers one by one, announcing the passers.

“…Candidate number 306, pass.”

“Ah! I passed too!”

Of course, it was to be expected.

The main characters wouldn’t fail here, and naturally, I would too.

“Candidate number 321, pass.”

More names followed, more people advancing.

This exam was meant to assess how well one could coordinate with comrades when facing adversaries.

Our group exhibited more than enough coordination during this exam.

It was no surprise that many passed.

“Looks like only making valid hits wasn’t the pass criterion after all.”

“Had the supervisor shown their true skills, valid hits would have been the least of our worries; they could have wiped us out instantly.”

The supervisor had intentionally shown some gaps. Had they been serious, they could have crushed my body just like that.

Yet, they chose to approach me without their weapon; was it a test for me? Honestly, had I not seen Amelia’s movements before the combat began, I likely would have been taken down.

‘To discard one’s weapon and approach the opponent.’

In a scenario where lives are on the line, discarding a weapon that is akin to one’s lifeline isn’t an easy choice.

Just throwing it away doesn’t guarantee a win, and in most cases, it’s tantamount to suicide.

However, if used wisely at the right moment, one could induce gaps in the opponent’s defenses.

“I’ve gained some valuable experience.”

As I smiled, seemingly enjoying myself, Shia remarked as if she had just regained her bearings, “Nova, you seem a bit mad…”

“Huh? Not really like that?”

“…That concludes the announcement of the passers. The successful candidates will receive their class assignment notifications in two days, so please register your addresses at the reception and return. Thank you for your hard work during the exam, everyone disperse!”

“No way, it can’t end like this!”

“Damn it! I could have done better!”

“Just once more! Please give me another chance!”

Those whose names weren’t called were all in despair.

“Well then, shall we go?”

“Yeah… let’s head out.”

Just as we were about to leave the exam hall, my eyes met Amelia’s.

She gazed at me and gave a little wink while mouthing something.

My eyes are a bit special compared to others.

Just by reading her lips, I could understand what she meant immediately.

‘See you next time?’

…Not that I particularly wanted to see her again; she looked mature when not in combat, but the madness I felt during the fight was pure terror.

I’d rather not encounter her again if I could help it.

*

“That was fun!”

After the exam, Amelia arrived at the staff lounge, stretching as she sat down.

“Hey, senpai. How were the candidates this time?”

“Oh? Darwin, they all showed a lot of promise, really.”

“Indeed, the Academy must have put considerable effort into the selection this time. Were there any candidates that stood out?”

“Of course! There’s one exceptional talent.”

“If they caught your eye, they must be quite remarkable!”

Amelia thought back to the black-haired boy who fought her until the very end.

‘That kid definitely mimicked my movements.’

The swift straight stab like a flash of light, the aerial attack that avoided the eyes of the opponent—

He imitated techniques she had honed over years of battle, merely after seeing them once.

Not only that, but it felt as if he had anticipated her attacks, altering his trajectories predictively.

“That kind of movement isn’t something just anyone can pull off.”

To replicate what others have painstakingly built just by observing them with one’s eyes?

Of course, differences in physical ability exist, but this talent clearly belongs to the realm of genius.

“I won’t let him slip away.”

Saying this, Amelia began changing her clothes, preparing to leave.

Just as she opened the door to exit the staff lounge, Darwin spoke up.

“Oh? Senpai, where are you going?”

“I have something very important to discuss with the Chairman.”

At Amelia’s words, Darwin flinched, looking uneasy.

“The Chairman’s office? Senpai… you wouldn’t intend to, right?”

“Don’t worry, I won’t cause a ruckus this time.”

“Who would believe you, senpai! I’m begging you, just stay put!”

Darwin clung to Amelia’s pant leg, pleading.

“Ah! If you just listen to me, nothing will happen!”

“Don’t refer to him as ‘that guy’! It’ll be trouble if anyone hears you!”

“If you cause a scene, I’ll be the one cleaning up the mess, you know?”

“Ugh… you’re such a hassle. I just want to ask for a shift in class.”

“Hah… fine, but I swear, if you cause any chaos, you absolutely can’t go around stirring trouble afterward!”

“Okay, okay! I got it! Do you think I’m that childish?”

With great effort, Amelia pried Darwin off her.

She retorted, “Honestly, a child would be more reliable. They’d just rampage without thinking, like a gorilla…”

“Oh, so you’ve been getting off easy lately, huh?”

Crack!

As Amelia approached while cracking her knuckles, Darwin suddenly found himself by the door.

“Then, have a nice visit to the Chairman’s office! I need to go organize the admission list, so I’m off!”

Bang!

The door slammed shut behind him, leaving Amelia all alone in the lounge.

“I can’t believe this! How much trouble could I have possibly caused?”

The only thing that sprang to mind was when she had dealt with the corrupt staff member, leaving him with a six-week recovery, or when she had demolished an entire block while battling the Akandis organization.

“Hmm… I really did nothing wrong.”

*

“Finally, the exams are over!”

After the exam ended, Shia exclaimed with a sense of relief.

“Yeah, thanks for your help, I really appreciate it.”

“Hehe, I didn’t do much. Nova, you were the real star. It’s fate, why not have dinner together?”

“I’d love to, but I still haven’t found a place to stay, so I need to sort that out first.”

Shia looked a bit disappointed at my words.

“Is that so? Then, it’s unfortunate, but I guess we’ll part ways here.”

“Oh, then let’s meet again at the entrance ceremony in a week.”

As Shia bowed to me, I waved my hand lightly in farewell and turned to leave.

“…I hope those guys are still around.”

Even though I had cut off their Achilles’ heel, it had already been four hours.

There’s a high chance they’ve been moved by my comrades.

But then again, you can never be too sure, so I hurried towards the alley where we previously fought.

*

“Hmm~ hmmm~”

After parting ways with Nova, Shia strolled down the bustling market street.

“I’m really glad I passed the entrance exam!”

Having fought hard in a foreign country with no one she knew, solely for her homeland’s future, Shia had always struggled under the pressure.

‘I feel like I’ve made a good friend, so I’m really happy.’

Nova.

A handsome boy with black hair and eyes.

At first, she assumed he was from the same East as her.

Perhaps that’s why she felt a stronger sense of familiarity with him than with others, and given his slender frame, she felt a strange urge to protect him.

However, reality was quite different.

In the face of overwhelming opposition, he displayed unflinching courage,

A surprising toughness emanating from that thin frame,

And an impressive sense of combat and judgment.

“I hope we can meet again.”

She wandered for a while until suddenly, a puppet stood still in her path.

As Shia passed through the streets, it unexpectedly stopped in front of her, blocking her way.

“Huh? Who are you?”

“….”

Before her stood a girl with purple hair, shoulder-length hair and a petite frame—a stunning beauty you’d never forget after seeing once, with sparkling aquamarine eyes.

“…”

However, those eyes seemed devoid of life.

It was as if her gaze could freeze a person to death.

Yet Shia didn’t feel this and merely thought,

‘What a beautiful person.’

So they stood there for a while, gazing at one another, until the purple-haired girl broke the silence.

“…You…”

 

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