[Elena PoV]
We won... somehow, I'm not entirely sure how, but we actually won.
"Brian!"
"Brian!"
Right now, the participants are tossing the blonde-haired man into the air, celebrating the victory brought about by his ultimate attack earlier.
I saw it—the massive amount of mana Brian released is something that shouldn't be possible for a human still in the academy.
It turns out it's true; he possesses the Codex of Pendragon. A Codex held only by chosen Heroes once every hundred years. I'll have to report my findings to Father after the exam.
I suspect the magic technique Brian used just now is one of his Profound Codices, much like my Almerio del Relampago.
With this, it's certain that Brian will become one of the most powerful Knights in the academy. I need to get back to training in my Soul Room if I don't want him to overtake me. I think it's been two months since I last spoke with the Guider who helps me develop my Profound Codex.
I noticed Valeria standing near the spot where the giant monster died from Brian's strike. She seemed to be investigating something.
I approached her.
"What are you doing, Valeria? Is something wrong?" I asked.
"Ah, Elena." Valeria shifted her attention to me. "I was just analyzing why Brian's attack could kill that monster while the others couldn't."
Hmm... hearing her say that made me reflect on the fight.
It's true; previously, none of our attacks had been fully successful in taking the monster down. Not with magic explosions, slicing vital parts, or even attacking from the inside. Yet, why did Brian's attack manage to finish it off?
"Let's think about this later, Valeria. We should hurry and leave this place to get back to the competition."
"You're right, let's get moving."
We walked back to meet the other participants. Tomorrow is the final day, and we need to head out as far as possible so we still have time to reach the finish line.
"By the way, Valeria." I suddenly remembered something. "Where is your teammate? Did they fail already?" I was a bit curious about who Valeria was taking this exam with.
"Ah, no. I believe he's still in it," Valeria answered casually. "We got separated during the chaos caused by that monster. He chose to leave the city area while I stayed to help the others fight."
"Is that so?" I muttered.
It sounded like Valeria had a selfish and rather useless partner. I'd bet that throughout this exam, Valeria has been the one carrying the team whenever they faced monsters.
"Sounds like it's been tough on you, huh?" I said, feeling a pang of sympathy.
At least my teammate Geralt is somewhat useful when we face monsters.
"Well... quite the opposite, actually. I think I've learned a lot from him," Valeria replied. The corners of her lips curled into a beautiful smile.
Huh? What's with Valeria? This is the first time I've seen her smile like that when talking about someone.
I wanted to know what caused this change in her. However, asking such personal questions didn't feel appropriate given that we aren't particularly close.
Maybe I'll ask her some other time.
***
[Ariel PoV]
Brian really is amazing. I saw his gallant figure as he swung his sword, enveloped in waves of magic, against that evil monster.
It feels like the gap in strength between the two of us has widened again. Just as I felt I was changing and leaving my old mindset behind, Brian keeps running further ahead, becoming stronger.
I... want to become stronger too, it seems.
"Hey, we've been here too long."
Suddenly, I heard a man's voice from behind. I turned around and saw my teammate walking toward me.
"How much longer are we going to wait here? We need to reach the finish line to get more points," the man said in a demanding tone.
"But I still have to heal several other participants after that battle with the monster." I rejected his suggestion. As a Priestess, leaving wounded people behind is the hardest thing to do.
"But we are in a competition right now!" the man shouted, stepping closer to me. "Everyone will be an enemy again soon enough!"
The man then grabbed my arm and tried to force me to follow him.
—Bam!
Suddenly, there was the sound of a heavy impact. The man's grip released my arm as his body went flying after a blonde man punched him squarely in the face.
"B-Brian?" I stammered, shocked by what just happened.
"Touch Ariel one more time, and your life at the academy is over," he said to the man in a chillingly cold tone.
The man scrambled up, clutching his bruised cheek. "What's it to you, Brian! She's my teammate! You have no right to tell us what to do!"
Hearing the man's words, Brian's face flushed with anger, and his hands began to glow with golden particles of light. As he was about to release his magic, I rushed to stop him, grabbing his arm.
"Stop it, Brian! Don't soil your hands over such a small matter!" I pleaded.
Everyone here is observing a ceasefire. I didn't want Brian to break it over something like this.
Hearing my plea, Brian looked at me. "Ariel, how about you spend the rest of this second stage exam with me?"
Huh? With Brian? Did he mean forming an alliance?
Hearing this offer, I looked over at Scarlett, who was standing nearby. The red-haired girl simply nodded, indicating she didn't mind if I joined them.
"Alright, Brian. Let's finish this exam together."
***
[Raul PoV]
In the afternoon, I was at a fairly large oasis. After refreshing myself with a bath, I sat leaning against a palm tree.
If we weren't in the middle of an exam, this place would be perfect for the participants to spend a vacation.
After this, we'll have to pass through an underground labyrinth before reaching the finish line and completing the second stage. Tomorrow is the final day; I expect we'll hit the finish line by nightfall after clearing the labyrinth. There will be some annoying monsters in there, but I doubt they'll be as bad as the Neracion we faced earlier.
I don't think I set any traps in there, if I remember correctly.
That reminded me of something.
I haven't activated my Blessing at all yet, nor have I checked the progress of the Profound Codex I can use. I think after this exam, I'll visit my Soul Room and see who my Guider will be.
Looking toward the horizon, I saw a green-haired woman waving her hand at me. It looks like Valeria has made it here.
I stood up as she approached.
"So, how was the fight in the city center?" I asked, even though I already knew the outcome.
Valeria smiled and replied, "Well... we managed to win that battle."
She then sat down against the palm tree to rest, her body drenched in sweat.
"Thanks to Brian defeating that monster with his powerful magic, we were able to survive," Valeria said, closing her eyes.
Brian? Has he already managed to use the Profound Codex he possesses? That means he's already visited his Soul Room and met his Guider, Pendragon.
"So, where's your uniform? Why are you just in your undershirt?" Valeria asked, starting to unbutton her own uniform jacket.
"My uniform was ruined by a monster attack while I was leaving the city area," I replied with a half-truth.
Valeria didn't push further. I handed her a pouch of water from the supplies we had secured earlier.
"Drink and rest, tomorrow is the final day," I told her.
Valeria caught the pouch and drank until it was empty. "Thanks. I'm going to wash up before resting. My body feels disgusting after four days without a soak in clean water, you know."
Tomorrow will be the decider for who moves on to the final stage. The stage where there are always fatalities among the participants as long as the exam lasts.