Chapter 112: The Final Exam

“Friends, honored guests. Welcome!!”

Raidis held out his hands to the crowd in a gesture of good-natured showmanship. One could almost think he was running a circus rather than a prestigious military academy.

“It truly brings me joy to see that so many of you have turned out for our advancement exams this year. As always, we will begin with the first years.

Even though this class is not yet eligible for selection, I encourage you to keep an eye on them… They are shaping up to be our most promising class yet!”

The metal gate protecting the cadets was wrenched open.

Solomon stepped back as Abel entered the damp chamber. Sober and seemingly bored out of his mind.

“Right then… up you get, kiddies. Time for our final dog and pony show of the year…”

Abel shrugged his stiff shoulders. His drinking had started to get really out of hand lately. A few nights ago, he dreamed he was trying to discipline some magma monster out in the wild lands.

“What is the meaning of this farce?!”

Nila got up from the ground quickly after waking up. Her fangs were bared, and her scowl could have made even stone shrink back in fear.

Abel, however, only blinked without a care in the world. It was as if Nila were a very small dog to him.

“This is the culmination of your training, Cadet Greenfoot. You want to prove that you deserve to advance? You have to best one of your seniors in single contest first.”

The faces of the cadets hardened.

“Untwist your funny bits, you group of nervous nellies.” Abel swatted the air with his cane. “You’re restricted to the level of aura or magic that you can use when-”

“By the leaves of Muria! Fuck restrictions! Fuck advancement! All that I desire is for BLOOD TO SOAK MY FISTS!!”

Nila roared with her entire chest as she shoved past her instructor and walked out to the platform.

Abel rubbed his shoulder with a frown. “What in the blazes has gotten into her..?”

Solomon, Dakota, and Everett all wore the exact same expression of fear. They had only ever seen Nila like this exactly once before, and they never wanted to see it again.

“””She’s… Sleep deprived.”””

–

Nila could feel her blood boil as the sun rose.

The sound of her own heartbeat filled her ears as she stepped onto the stage.

The Dean was still chatting with the crowd when Nila made her appearance. Her anger soared at the sight of him.

That smile.

That damned, innocent smile he always wore as if he’d never done a thing wrong in his life.

Nila hated it. She hated him. If not for Solomon and Jiaoying’s strenuous warnings, she might have already done something irreparable.

“No more talk! I will have blood and bone underneath my heel this instant!!”

Her bravado seemed to go over well with the crowd. Some laughed while others leaned forward in their seats, intrigued.

Raidis, never noticing anything amiss, smiled proudly, enthralled by the girl’s gusto.

“The young cadet is correct! Why stand around talking about how exemplary this year’s recruits are when we can simply show you??”

Another gate opened on the other side of the stage.

The man who exited the stage opposite Nila looked nothing like her. It was an older titan-blood, with a single horn coming out of his head to match his one giant eye.

He was the only person Nila had seen at the school so far who was as large and muscular as Solomon. His grin was lined with a row of small, pointy teeth that were impossibly white.

At the very moment he stepped onto the stage with her, Nila considered the match to be underway.

Roaring, she lunged forward with her eyes ablaze and her fists clenched.

The older cadet seemed a bit surprised by her zeal, but nevertheless, he raised his fist to meet her, thrilled at what promised to be an easy victory.

Planting his feet and squaring his shoulders, he began concentrating aura into his fist, intent on finishing the match in just a single blow.

As soon as the elf came within striking distance, he threw out a devastating punch that cracked the air with it’s force. But Nila was not as foolishly brazen as her actions suggested.

Using the momentum from the run, Nila dropped her center of gravity and slid underneath the larger cadet’s body. She fit almost perfectly between the gap in his legs.

Time seemed to slow down for her as her body glided across the smooth surface. Before she was clear of her opponent, she clenched her fist and summoned her own aura.

With a mighty war cry, she struck her opponent on the inside of his right knee. A wet pop cut through the air to reach the ears of the crowd. It was followed immediately by a howl of anguish.

The one-eyed giant fell to one knee, holding his leg.

Nila’s punch had caused his right knee to shatter like glass. He couldn’t have stood on it even if he wanted to.

After sliding clear, Nila quickly recovered by springing to her feet once again and rushing her opponent from behind.

She leapt atop his shoulders as he screamed, catching him by surprise.

“Y-You bitch, I’ll kill-”

In an act of gruesome ferocity, Nila plunged her fist into the titan-blood’s eye and took hold of it.

As she ripped the fleshy orb free, the crowd, not prepared for such barbarity, stood up on their feet almost instantly.

The wailing of the older cadet reached a fever pitch as steaming hot blood spurted from his open wound like a fountain.

Nila gritted her teeth in disgust. “You dishonor yourself…”

Reaching down, she grabbed her opponent by his head and twisted hard. There was a second loud crack, and suddenly, the screaming came to an abrupt halt.

As the body crumpled to the ground, Nila got back onto her feet.

She turned to her opponent one final time, reaching down to snap off his horn and claim it as a prize for her victory. Nila turned to the crowd, victorious, and raised her souvenir as if demanding they shower her with applause.

Usually, no one clapped. But Yari, Jiaoying, and Raizel gave her such a fervent standing ovation that everyone else felt compelled to join in as well.

Gradually, Nila’s fearsome demeanor faded as she met the gaze of her aunt. She smiled at her aunt like a giddy child, uncaring of the blood that was still running down her forearm.

But her smile slowly faded when she laid eyes on a strange figure standing behind her aunt.

They were some kind of androgynous entity, with obscenely long horns and a red gem in the center of their face.

They smiled at Nila beautifully, even going as far as to blow her a small kiss.

But as soon as she blinked, the entity vanished as if they never existed.

–

“…”

Abel slowly turned around to face the trio, who looked completely unsurprised by this result.

“So… You said it was sleep deprivation then?”

“””Yes.”””

“…I see. I’ll try to make a note of that next year.”

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