Serve To Survive

Isaac pushed himself up slowly, every movement heavy with strain. His clothes hung in tatters, barely clinging to his frame, and his wounds remained open, streaked with blood both fresh and dried. Drawing a deep breath, he steadied himself and walked to Haruo's side.

For a moment, he closed his eyes, as if gathering his strength, before opening them again. A faint glow ignited in his right eye, signaling the activation of his ability. Gripping his katana with both hands, he eased into a firm stance, the blade angled and ready for whatever came next.

Isaac's body trembled from strain, prompting Haruo to act quickly. With a controlled gesture, he froze Isaac's muscles slightly—not enough to restrict movement, but enough to numb the pain and partially stem the bleeding.

'Wow, his precision with his ability is incredible. It's so effective... is it really F-rank?' Isaac thought, glancing at Haruo before turning his attention back to the opponents.

The siblings stood quietly, waiting for their opponents to make a move. They watched closely, not rushing, but attentive to every shift in the enemy's stance from a distance.

Theodor and Haruo locked eyes, clearing every distraction from their minds as they focused solely on each other. In a swift motion, Haruo raised his Monarch-13 and fired a bullet, catching Theodor off guard.

Theodor swayed to the left, narrowly dodging the bullet, his eyes widening as it whizzed past. The projectile struck the building behind him, detonating with a deafening roar.

The blast ripped through the structure, obliterating everything from the first to the fourth floors. The building teetered for a breathless moment before crumbling, its collapse shaking the ground beneath them.

Tatiana, Theodor, and even Isaac stared in stunned disbelief, unable to hide their shock at the sheer destructive power unleashed before them.

'What's with that gun!? How did I not realize how dangerous it was when he fought Leo?!' Tatiana thought, staring at the collapsing building as it toppled into another.

She shifted her gaze back to Isaac and Haruo, trying to refocus, but her view was suddenly obstructed by Haruo's blade, now hovering just inches from her face.

But before the blade could make contact with Tatiana, it was intercepted by Theodor's, the clash sending Haruo slightly airborne from the force. Theodor didn't waste a second, closing the distance between them before Haruo could even touch the ground.

Theodor thrust his spear toward Haruo, but Haruo's hand darted out, catching the handle and redirecting the attack, leaving Theodor's left side exposed. Still airborne, Haruo raised his gun, aiming it directly at Theodor's face.

Haruo pressed on the trigger, and Theodor instinctively let go of his spear, sidestepping to evade the imminent shot. But nothing happened.

The Monarch-13 remained eerily silent, the barrel still locked on Theodor as if mocking his caution. Haruo hadn't fired—he'd only applied the faintest pressure, just enough to force a reaction.

Haruo finally took the shot, and this time, Theodor wasn't fast enough to react. The bullet struck his left bicep, sending a jolt of pain through his body as he staggered back, his face twisting in pain.

Tatiana appeared behind Haruo, her presence catching him off guard and making him grit his teeth for a brief moment. She swiftly swung a slice at him, but before it could connect, Isaac intervened, blocking her attack with his own blade.

Haruo, now wielding Theodor's spear, thrust it backward, using the handle to strike Tatiana sharply in the kidney. He glanced over his shoulder, only to find Theodor already at his side, gripping the spear and attempting to wrest it from his grasp.

Haruo attempted to raise his gun again, but Theodor, having learned from his earlier mistake, swiftly kicked Haruo's hand, interrupting the motion.

Without missing a beat, Theodor shifted the trajectory of his kick, aiming for Haruo's neck. The impact forced a strained groan from Haruo, making him release his grip on the spear.

Theodor adjusted his grip on the spear, now firmly pointed at Haruo. His movements were fluid and precise as he charged forward without hesitation.

The blade gleamed with sword qi, faint crackles of energy dancing along its edge as he aimed a decisive thrust.

While Theodor charged with sword qi coursing through the spear, Isaac struggled to keep Tatiana's blade away from Haruo's back. Haruo, sensing the situation, discarded the Monarch-13 with a swift motion, his hand darting to Isaac's belt to snatch the short blade.

Haruo used the short blade to deflect Theodor's thrust with a sharp clang. He hurled the blade toward Tatiana, forcing her to retreat and easing pressure on Isaac. Freed, Isaac surged forward, positioning himself behind Theodor with his katana's tip inches away.

Both charged and swung their blades toward Theodor, but just as they were about to make contact, he swiftly hopped back. The force of their strikes caused both blades to clash and cancel each other out.

Tatiana then suddenly teleported behind Isaac which he didn't know but Haruo did. He tried to reach his hand and try to get him away but it was too late.

A kick landed squarely on his face, sending him bouncing off the ground like a loose basketball. He gasped, blood spilling from his mouth, before crashing into the wall behind him.

As Isaac tried to get up, Theodor was already in front of him, thrusting his spear toward Isaac's face. Luckily, Isaac managed to accelerate away from the attack, but he found himself slightly cornered by Theodor.

Before Theodor could attack again, Haruo grabbed his collar from behind and threw him in the sky in fast speeds.

Haruo glanced at Isaac, his expression unreadable, before grabbing him by the collar and, with a swift motion, throwing him toward Theodor with the same force he had used on the previous throw.

Isaac's glasses flew off as he was launched toward Theodor. Despite the surprise, he quickly understood Haruo's intent. His eyes shifted once more, a cold determination filling them, as he drew his katana, ready to slash him.

Tatiana suddenly appeared above Isaac, landing an elbow to his back, forcing him down. In one swift motion, she grabbed her brother by the arm and repositioned themselves, soaring above Isaac as he descended toward the city below.

Theodor attempted to copy Haruo's move and launched Tatiana toward Isaac, but just as he was about to throw her, his hands suddenly froze, locking in place. Ice spread up his arms, halting his movements completely.

"Hey, why aren't you throwing me? He's getting away!" Tatiana shouted, glancing back.

"I can't! My hands are frozen—I can't move them!" Theodor exclaimed.

"Use your ability!" Theodor shouted.

Haruo lunged forward, his blade finding its mark on Theodor, though the strike wasn't deep enough for a critical blow. Theodor and Tatiana barely managed to evade, but their relief was short-lived—Isaac was already at their backs, his stance steadier and his focus sharper this time.

With a swift motion, Isaac's blade sliced through both Theodor and Tatiana's chests. After the slice all of them collapsed to the ground, heavily injured.

After the air battle, no one landed on the ground without a wound or blood staining their clothes. Haruo, though still injured, had fared better than the others, his wounds less severe compared to the deep cuts and bruises marking Theodor and Tatiana.

The buildings around them crumbled slowly, torn apart piece by piece. Dust choked the air, adding to the already dire atmosphere. Holes and scattered debris marked the destruction, the abandoned city bearing the scars of the brutal fight it had just endured.

Isaac, barely able to stand after expending all his energy, used his sword to steady himself. Haruo took a deep breath, then began walking toward the twins. Isaac's gaze followed him, his eyes tracking every step Haruo took.

'How can Haruo still stand straight like that? Can I ever be like him one day?' Isaac thought, his gaze fixed on Haruo's back, a mix of awe and frustration swirling within him.

Theodor pushed himself up, gripping his spear tightly as he turned toward Haruo. Both readied themselves for another clash. But before either could make a move, a loud buzz suddenly echoed through the skies, halting them in their tracks.

"Attention all participants, the test is over." The council announced.

All of them widened their eyes at the news, confusion spreading across their faces. Their attention immediately shifted to the sky as they strained to listen, eager to understand what was happening.

'What!? Already? It's barely been 2 hours! The test shouldn't be over until it hits 6!' Isaac thought, his eyes darting toward the sky in confusion.

"Two people have used 2 out of the 3 Decrease Stones scattered throughout the map, causing the time to be cut in half," the council announced.

'So the Decrease Stone doesn't just halve the user's points, it can also halve other things like time,' Haruo thought, lowering his weapon as the realization set in.

Haruo opened his mana storage in front of him, searching for the Decrease Stone, but it was nowhere to be found.

'So she must've used it. She probably thought it was valuable and used it. Though I was sure I put it in my storage, how did she get it?' Haruo thought, his mind racing as he tried to piece together what had happened.

'Oh well, it's useless trying to solve it now.'

"I repeat, the test is now over. The test lasted for 2 hours and 6 minutes. Please wait as you will be returning to the lobby," the council announced.

Tatiana staggered toward Theodor, her blood dripping with each step.

"Looks like we got lucky," Tatiana said to Theodor, her voice strained as she reached him.

"We aren't the lucky ones," Theodor said, his tone firm. Tatiana looked at him, confusion crossing her face.

"What do you mean? How?"

"People have limits, and once they reach them, strain will overcome them," Theodor said, his eyes narrowing. Just then, a loud thud echoed in Haruo's direction.

Tatiana's eyes widened in shock as she saw Haruo lying on the floor, motionless. The sight struck her like a cold wave, the last person she expected to be down now incapacitated.

"I knew from the start that he was exhausted, so I decided to tire him out until he finally collapsed. But I guess all my efforts were for nothing," Theodor sighed, watching Haruo's unmoving form.

Isaac ran to Haruo's side, but as he moved, he tripped, losing balance from the weight of his sword. He stumbled but quickly recovered, making his way to Haruo. Gently, he tugged at Haruo, checking for any wounds with urgency.

'He still hasn't realized it was fatigue that brought him down. But even so, I can't believe someone like him endured this much and still kept up with me,' Theodor thought.

'For a moment, if he weren't so tired, would I still be able to win, even with my ability?' Theodor wondered.

A blue aura then covered all the participants as they slowly vanished and returned from the lobby. A static then buzzed on Isaac's ears.

"What's the current status right now? And where are you guys?" Ena asked through the line.

"Haruo is unconscious right now!" Isaac shouted, his voice filled with urgency.

"What!? Tell me where you guys are now!" Ena replied, her voice urgent.

Before Isaac could even respond, their party was suddenly transported to the lobby. The moment they arrived, all of their injuries were healed, but Haruo remained unconscious, unaffected by the healing that restored the others.

Ena looked over and saw Haruo, quickly dropping to her knees to check on him. After a moment, she let out a sigh of relief, though a hint of concern still lingered.

"Well is he alright!?" Isaac exclaimed.

"Yeah, he's alright. It's just fatigue, like me, but somehow more overworked. He should wake up in a day or two," Ena said, her voice calm.

"Looks like you guys are having trouble. Need some help?" a voice Ena immediately recognized—Kilian's. Mostly his tone and how he said it.

"Do I have to say 'Duh' or what? Just do it," Ena said, her expression clearly annoyed.

"Alrighty" Kilian said smirking.