The Smiling Death

The domed-shaped barrier on forest had shrunk by a lot. Now it had become smaller. Many students had already been eliminated from the exam. Only a handful remained alive.

It was the last day of the exam. It would end at noon. The same time when it had started.

She glared at Amon with her one eye. They were glowing faintly. Her sword swung at Amon with her full strength.

Amon clenched his teeth. His sword blocked the blade, but his power was not enough to parry it. His body was pushed back dangerously. His body flew back through the air.

THUD!

He collided against the tree. His back hit the tree trunk.

"Aaarghhh!"

A painful groan escaped his mouth. He fell on the ground. His back leaned against the tree.

"Cough!" Blood dripped from his mouth. Eyes unfocused.

'Fuck, that hurt,' Amon thought. After all this, he still couldn't defeat this girl.

The shadow on Seraphina's body moved on the ground, returning to his feet.

She observed it.

Then she stepped forward. Her golden eyes looked at Amon. She stopped in front of him and looked down.

"You really surprised me, Amon. I barely avoided that attack. If it had hit me... I would have been eliminated." She couldn't help but be impressed by her friend and her training partner. Not only had he survived till now, but he also fought her head-on.

More than anything, when it came to survival, he was better than many students. Or say, when it came to running.

In the end, it didn't matter. Amon was defeated. In just one minute. His gaze went up at Seraphina.

'Shitt! Did I make a mistake by fighting her? Now if she attacks me… I will get eliminated. My points… all of them will be gone.'

Amon then smiled. It was a playful smile. "Well, it was a good fight... Damn, you are really amazing, Sera~"

Now there was only one way to keep his points. He continued to smile.

"Hehehe~ so should we end this exam?" His voice didn't match his battered state.

Seraphina didn't say anything. She just gave a small nod. Her sword raised, ready to give Amon a wound enough to get him eliminated.

There were only twenty seconds remaining for the exam to end.

At that time Amon summoned a knife from his storage ring. Yes. A knife, not a dagger. He always carried it with himself. Who knew when it would be needed.

He brought the knife with fast speed, to injure himself.

Seraphina's golden eyes widened. She swung her sword down.

But she was late.

"AHHH—!"

The blade punched into his stomach. Even though he aimed for a non-fatal spot, the shock of the impact tore a raw cry from his throat. Hot pain exploded through his abdomen. Sharp, burning, twisting. Every breath scraping like broken glass inside him.

His breathing became faster. For a moment, his vision blurred at the edges.

Amon gritted his teeth, forcing himself through the agony. A thin smile tugged at his lips. Small, strained, but unmistakably there.

Seraphina froze, trembling, unable to process what he had done. Her sword tip was near his chest. But she was not able to land a hit. Because before she could do it.

His bracelet started to blink in blue color. His whole body shimmered in blue light as his body vanished from the spot.

Leaving Seraphina alone. With a stunned expression.

She sighed. She remained standing there silently. She was confused and shocked why he had attacked himself. Eliminated himself. But instantly she understood why he did it. He did that so she could not gain his points.

It was a clever move. Not bad. She raised her lips in a small smile. She enjoyed the survival exam. It was amazing.

Then the time of the exam came to an end.

Her bracelet also blinked, and her body vanished from the forest.

Only silence remained in the forest.

For the whole last week, many of the poor monsters died for some idiotic exam of the Academy.

---

Outside the forest, near its edge.

Several massive tents stood in neat rows. Each serving a different purpose. In the open space beside them, a large magical circle was engraved into the ground. Suspended above it was a circular machine, held in place by three thick metal pillars positioned evenly around it.

Academy staff gathered around the device, adjusting runes and monitoring its systems.

The crystals embedded in the machine and pillars began to glow with a brilliant blue light. Even the complex mana circle beneath it pulsed with a rising radiance.

A faint silhouette formed within the circle.

Then,

THUD!

A body slammed onto the ground.

"Aargh! F-fuck!"

Amon lay there, groaning in pain.

His left hand clutched the wound he had inflicted on himself. The knife was still embedded in his abdomen, blood seeping out in steady, dark streams.

The moment he materialized, two academy staff standing near the teleportation device rushed forward, pushing a stretcher.

They carefully lifted Amon onto it.

"This boy's losing too much blood. Fast! Move, now!" one of them shouted, urgency sharp in his voice.

The other one nodded.

While Amon just let them do whatever they wanted.

'Just take me to heal!'

They took him to the tent where students were getting healed.

Just after they took Amon, the teleportation machine glowed. Another figure appeared.

She was Seraphina.

Her uniform was now dirty from so many fights. Hair, face. They were in no different state. She was tired but still remained standing.

"Oh, the winner came!" someone yelled from the staff members.

"Take her to the Healing Center," another one said.

A female staff member came forward.

The female staff supported Seraphina gently, guiding her toward the large white healing tent.

Seraphina's steps were steady, but her breaths were shallow. The exhaustion of the long exam was finally catching up to her. Her golden eyes dimmed slightly as she pushed aside the tent's cloth entrance and stepped inside.

The atmosphere inside was warm and filled with soft, glowing lights. Several healers moved between rows of beds, their hands coated with pale green or blue mana as they treated injured students.

Seraphina scanned the room.

Her eyes fell on the scene inside the tent.