[Ariel PoV]
Ughhh... My head is spinning.
I woke up, and the last thing I remember was Raul catching me during our fight. I looked around; it seemed I was in a cave. What happened to the battle? Did he bring me here?
Ah, that's right... Raul took me as a hostage during the fight, making it difficult for Brian and the others to attack him. Remembering that makes me feel depressed.
I was nothing but a burden to them during that fight... Truly, I haven't changed since the monster attack. All I can do is wait for others to save me when I'm in trouble. It's happening again now.
If Raul weren't near me, they surely wouldn't have hesitated to strike him. If only I had more power—a strength that could stop someone without hurting them...
— Tap... Tap... Tap...
I heard footsteps from the front. A man walked toward me carrying a rabbit that had been cleaned and skinned, along with some firewood.
"You're awake, Ariel," Raul said, speaking to me casually.
I stared at his face without answering. His black hair was as dark as this cave. His indifferent gaze made it seem like his life was one where he never considered the feelings of others.
Raul then began to start a campfire using coconut husks. It looked like he was going to cook the rabbit.
"Why didn't you eliminate me, Raul?"
I didn't understand. Why did he have to go through the trouble of kidnapping me?
Hearing my question, Raul stopped what he was doing and looked me in the eye with those black irises of his. "You're useful to me as a hostage, to make Brian and the others hesitate to attack."
Hearing this, my heart felt heavy again. It was true—I'm just a burden to my friends right now. Raul is only using me to make it harder for the others to fight him.
I noticed a large rock with a sharp edge not far from here.
After successfully lighting the fire, Raul tied the rabbit to a wooden spit with tree roots and placed it over the campfire. He then left, carrying two coconut shells, leaving me alone.
Once Raul was out of sight, I hurried toward the rock. I was a bit scared to try it, but this was for my comrades. I didn't want to be a burden to those who were still fighting.
— Bam!
Ughhh... That hurt so much... Why am I still conscious after hitting my head that hard?
— Bam!
Ouch... I think my forehead is starting to bleed...
Alright, one more time... I'll surely be eliminated if this fractures my skull. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. This time, I'll hit it as hard as I can.
— Bam!
But when I tried to slam my head down for the final time, I felt a strange sensation on my forehead. It wasn't a sharp rock my head struck. Slowly opening my eyes, I saw a hand touching my forehead. A hand that felt warm, like the warmth of my late mother's affection.
"Raul... what are you doing?" I asked the black-haired man who had suddenly appeared. He seemed to have returned.
Hearing my question, Raul smiled. I didn't know he could smile like that.
"That should be my question, Ariel," Raul said. "What are you doing?"
I could only look down at his question.
I didn't want to be a burden to my team, I didn't want to hinder them from winning.
I... didn't want to be a useless woman.
My vision began to blur; I suppose it was because I hit my head against the rock quite hard.
"I want to be strong..."
After saying that, I began to lose consciousness.
"Yes... in the future, you will become the most amazing Saint in this world, Ariel."
I faintly heard him say that.
Me? A Saint? I must have hit my head really hard to hear Raul believe in me that much.
***
[3rd PoV]
That evening, the Eagle and Griffon Clans gathered at the Eagle Clan's basecamp to evaluate what had happened during the hunt for Raul.
Thanks to Raul's tactics, a total of 8 members from the Eagle Clan were eliminated, while the Griffon Clan lost 13—nearly half of their remaining numbers.
"We fell into his trap again," Valeria said, looking frustrated. "He anticipated our arrival and lured those giant birds by kidnapping their chick."
Hearing Valeria's explanation, everyone present looked resentful.
"He knows the layout of this island too well," Elena remarked, having returned after fighting one of the Nazarith birds. "How can he know the ins and outs of this place? Didn't we all start the exam on the same day?" Elena was completely baffled by Raul's inexplicable knowledge.
"We can talk about this and that later," Brian said in a cold tone. "He kidnapped Ariel! We don't know what horrible things he might do to her! We have to go right now!" Brian commanded in a rush.
Seeing Brian's rage, the members could understand. They knew the two were very close at the academy. Some even believed they were already a couple.
"Our scouts found the pervert entering an abandoned underground mine while carrying Ariel," Valeria revealed.
"Let's move now!" Brian urged, unable to stand the thought of Ariel being alone with Raul.
"We can't be hasty, Brian," Valeria warned. "Or do you want us to walk right back into another trap?"
Brian clenched his fists. They had already fallen for Raul's traps twice.
"I can't believe the four of you were defeated by Raul," Elena said.
At her words, the faces of Valeria, Brian, and Geralt flushed with shame at the memory of that embarrassing defeat.
"He did it in a sneaky, cowardly way!" Brian shouted emotionally. "If he hadn't taken Ariel hostage, I might have finished him with my technique!"
Elena looked slightly disappointed at Brian's excuse. "Regardless of the reason, a loss is a loss. We can't change the situation by just blaming the methods the enemy uses to fight us."
Elena then stepped into the center of the crowd to draw everyone's attention.
"In our hunt for Raul, unfortunately, time is not on our side. Tomorrow, only two days remain in this first stage of the exam. We must eliminate Raul before the exam ends, or the efforts of everyone here—and those who have already fallen—will be in vain."
Hearing Elena's words, the members seemed to regain their spirit. Not just because they wanted to pass the exam, but for the sake of revenge against Raul.
"Tomorrow morning, we head to that mine and defeat him, no matter the risk!" Elena cried, raising her fist.
"Ouh!"
"Ouh!"
This time, the two Clans solidified their resolve to face the one man who had made their lives miserable during this first stage of the exam.
***
[Raul PoV]
I am at one of the entrances to the mine. As just one person, it's impossible for me to set traps throughout such a vast place in a short amount of time.
What I need is just one trap that hits them hard. If it works, they'll surely hesitate to enter this place a second time. They'll think I've prepared traps everywhere else, which will make them less aggressive tomorrow.
To that end, I have to set a trap at a point they are guaranteed to pass: a tunnel connecting the western entrance to the inner part of the mine which is the nearest from their location.
— Crash!
I destroyed several support beams in the tunnel. When they enter, I'll sabotage it just enough to cause a collapse that the structure can no longer support.
Once finished, I returned to the inner mine where Ariel was. She was sleeping...
Earlier, she had hit her head against a rock simply because she didn't want to be a burden and tried to eliminate herself. I looked at the wound on her forehead.
This is the evidence of the resolve Ariel will need later to awaken her Blessing: The Goddess's Voice. This is the power that gives the Demon King the most trouble in winning major battles against humanity.
I looked at her face...
Ariel is indeed still naive for now and not yet mature enough to be a Saint. The same goes for all the characters at this academy. They need to practice a lot, learn from experience, and become wiser in controlling their emotions.
However, that's not a problem. In this world, no human is perfect—knowing everything, always making the right decisions, never losing, and never experiencing failure. Perfect characters only exist in human fantasy.
Yes... Ariel and the others will become stronger, more mature, and more experienced when the time comes. And I will make sure they gain valuable experience fighting me in this first stage of the exam.
Because they are the heroes destined to save this world.