Chapter 54: End of the Entrance exam (6)

Chapter 54: Chapter 54: End of the Entrance exam (6) [Flashback – Alex’s POV] Some time ago... "Damn it." Alex crouched behind a moss-covered boulder, peeking through the lush canopy of Eastwood Waterfalls. He watched as Ethan Williams and Alden von Crestvale stepped into the clearing where the monster had just begun to emerge. He let out a soft sigh, one hand gripping the hilt of his sword while the other rubbed his temple. "This wasn’t supposed to happen," he muttered. Originally, the plan had been simple. Elegant. Flawless, even. He remembered the strategy—now backfired. It had been meticulous. Calculated. Charlotte, Seraphina, and Lilith were expected to arrive. That was the scenario he’d planned for. He’d trigger the awakening of the monster sleeping beneath the waterfall—Ossirath, a monstrous peak Advance-rank creature with scales harder than enchanted steel and an appetite for chaos. Charlotte, Seraphina, and Lilith were all strong—but not strong enough to defeat Ossirath head-on. He’d imagined the underlings of Charlotte and Lilith being wiped out in Ossirath’s initial rage. With their forces depleted and the three girls unable to handle the beast, they’d be forced to retreat. A clean extraction. Alex would remain hidden, letting the monster do his dirty work. He would’ve kept his rank intact, biding his time until only 2,000 candidates remained. But then... they arrived. Two walking anomalies. Powerhouses. Maniacs. Ethan Williams. Alden von Crestvale. And just like that, his plan turned to smoke. The protagonist and the high noble. With them here, Ossirath’s defeat was already imminent. They crashed the scene like a hurricane at a tea party. Alex sighed, eyes shifting toward the battlefield where Charlotte and Lilith’s forces scrambled. "Looks like I’ll have to improvise my plan." A devilish smile adorned his face. --- Present. Ethan stood across from him, arms crossed, a faint smirk playing on his lips. Alden, meanwhile, was laughing like a cartoon villain from an old anime. Likely because Alex, at the last moment, had landed a small but flashy blow on the monster. It had earned him a few contribution points. "A little contribution never hurt anybody," Alex muttered shamelessly. "Free points are free points." Ethan’s eyebrow twitched. Alden’s smirk widened. Alex glanced toward the trio—Charlotte, Seraphina, and Lilith. A bead of sweat rolled down his temple. "Why do I feel like I just stepped on a landmine ?" he whispered. Even Ethan’s gaze said it: Shameless. Alex’s eyes flicked sideways again—and immediately regretted it. Charlotte. Seraphina. Lilith. The three stood united in a death-glare formation, each one glaring at him like they’d all proposed to him at once, and he rejected them all at once just for fun. "...This is gonna get rough," Alex whispered. Then added, "Not that kind of rough, if you know what I mean." And then he smiled. A wicked smile. "Oh well," he whispered. "Time to make things worse." He stepped forward and clapped dramatically. "Bravo!" he said mockingly. "That was beautiful. Entertaining, even. But... you all look so drained. So tired." Ethan raised an eyebrow. A dagger suddenly appeared in Alex’s left hand. His sword gleamed in his right. "So..." he grinned. "Shall we get started?" Ethan laughed. "You sneaky bastard! Finally ready to fight?" "I had my reasons for disappearing," Alex replied, smirking. Ethan glanced at the three furious girls. "Dude, what the hell did you do to get three of the most powerful and beautiful girls this pissed at you?" Alden added snidely, "What’d you do? Steal their jewelry, mock their makeup, and kick their dogs on the balls?" Alex raised both hands in mock innocence. "Guys, I assure you, I have been a complete gentleman. The only crime I committed was being too good-looking. It’s not my fault girls chase me. They just won’t give up. It’s a curse, really. I’m but a victim of fate." Seraphina’s jaw dropped. Charlotte’s smirk twitched violently. Lilith’s red eyes flared dangerously. The three of them looked at Alex like he was that guy who gets rejected and then goes around telling everyone he dumped her. "Unbelievable," Seraphina muttered. Charlotte’s fingers twitched like she was resisting the urge to draw her weapon. Lilith’s voice was icy. "You... insufferable insect." The tension spiked. The wind grew heavier. Even Ethan tensed. Alden gave a low whistle. "Dude. You do realize you’ll be attending the same academy as them after this exam, right?" Ethan nodded quickly. "There’s no escape. This isn’t a one-time encounter. It’s your future." Sweat beaded on Alex’s forehead. He gulped. "...Guys," he said slowly, "if I die in the future... promise me... send flowers to my grave. And visit often." Ethan and Alden, placing hands on their chests, replied solemnly, "Of course, brother. We’ll bring candles too." Alden nodded. "You’ll be remembered. As the brave idiot who played with fire and got burned." The moment ended when Charlotte stepped forward. "Enough!" she growled. "Hand over the silver-haired bastard. Now." As if on cue, Lilith released a pulse of pressure that cracked the ground beneath her. "Who are you to give orders?" Lilith snapped. "Because of that insect, I’ve suffered substantial losses. He’s mine." The air itself shuddered under the weight of their hostility. Humans and vampires stood on the brink of another clash. --- Meanwhile, in a grand chamber within Zenith Academy... Seven massive chairs surrounded an obsidian round table. Alicia von Crestvale sat comfortably, sipping a honey drink. Her perk as Student Council President—and one of the Seven Shades—meant she could hear everything happening during the exam. Not just visuals. And right now, she was howling. Holding her stomach, she laughed as Alex’s voice echoed through the projection. "This guy... accusing two princesses and a high noble of chasing him because he’s too good-looking?! He’s a complete lunatic!" She wiped a tear from her eye. She had started watching Alex out of curiosity. Her brother Alden had spoken of him once. Now she was hooked. She turned to her left. A golden-haired girl stood there, arms folded, watching the projection with icy focus. Evelyn Williams. Ethan’s sister. "Your brother seems to be doing fine," Alicia teased. Evelyn didn’t even blink. Just stared. "...You’re no fun," Alicia chuckled. Then she leaned back. "This year’s freshmen are going to be so much fun." --- Back to Eastwood Waterfalls... Tension. Unbearable. You could cut the air with a butter knife—and it’d still struggle. Alden yawned. Loudly. "So... are you all going to just talk or fight?" Alex said. Everyone froze. Then Ethan grinned. "You’re right." He vanished. Reappeared beside Alex in a golden flash—blade drawn. "Let’s get started." Alex blocked with his sword, skidding back. Alden flared to life, mana surging from his legs as he shot forward. "OH HELL YEAH!" he yelled, diving at Ethan. Meanwhile— Lilith lunged at Charlotte. Seraphina’s icy wings flared wide, and she dove in, supporting Charlotte. Chaos. Vampires vs Humans. The battle reignited. Alden’s strikes were wild but powerful. Each swing carried roaring flame, yet remained perfectly controlled. Ethan countered with elegant light-imbued techniques, each block shining like polished silver. Alex darted between them like lightning. Slashes from Ethan, thrusts from Alden—he dodged, spun, redirected with pure skill. "Too slow!" Alex called, parrying Alden’s strike and using the momentum to flip over Ethan’s incoming arc. Ethan grinned. "Too flashy!" Their blades clashed. The sound echoed like thunder. Sweat flew. Sparks danced. Alden stomped, sending a wave of heat. Ethan sliced through it. Alex surfed the thermal wave, launching himself upward and landing a graze on Ethan’s arm. "First blood drawn, finally, Mr. Hero," Alex said smugly. Ethan narrowed his eyes—surprised inside, but masking it well. "Beginner’s luck." Ethan’s sword gleamed as he stepped in with sudden precision not giving alex a moment to dodge. Steel kissed skin—Alex hissed as a thin line of blood trailed down his cheek. "Now we’re even," Ethan said coolly, lowering his blade slightly. Alex touched the cut, then smirked. " This one was yours, golden boy." His right hand shifted his sword to a looser grip. But it was his left that moved with purpose—swift, fluid. A dagger slid free from his sleeve, catching the light as it twirled into his hand. Ethan’s gaze narrowed, instantly raising his guard. "So You can also use a dagger?" Alex rolled his shoulder. "You think I fight fair against monsters like you?" He lunged, the dagger aiming low with deceptive speed. Ethan deflected with the flat of his sword, sparks flying. The thrill in their eyes said it all—neither would stop now. Ethan swung with radiant speed, his blade like a ray of focused sunlight. Alex sidestepped, redirecting the slash with a flick of his dagger, then countered with a spin. Alden intercepted, his blade a streak of red. Alex parried, sparks flying. The three clashed in a symphony of steel. Ethan ducked a slice and struck upward. Alden blocked the attack with the flat of his blade and launched a fiery arc toward Alex. Alex twirled midair, deflecting the fire with his sword and flipping back to gain distance. Ethan pursued. Alex smirked, dragging the heel of his boot into the dirt, pivoting, and launching a lightning-fast slash that forced Ethan to block with both hands. Alden jumped into the fray with a roar. "I’m not letting you two have all the fun!" The clash continued. Each fighter predicting, reacting, and countering. Steel clanged. Ground shattered. Wind howled from the force of their blows. Then, as if by silent agreement— All three took a step back. And activated their trump cards. ’Resonance’ Ethan’s body glowed golden—Light Resonance surged through him. Alden ignited—Fire Resonance, red flames crackling wildly. Alex grinned—Lightning Resonance, electricity crackling from his skin. The waterfall behind them raged louder, answering the explosive surge of energy. They locked eyes. The real fight was about to begin. And they charged again—this time, more ferociously.