Chapter 89: Chapter 89 Mock Battle Part 01.
The atmosphere around the room was palpable, so heavy it created a subtle air that seemed to choke Soma's surroundings. But he ignored that with his steel nerves.
Soma gazes straight at the timid boy before him while extending his right hand. The boy hesitated before he grabbed Soma's hands and squeezed them tight.
"My name is Furukawa Eiji, and this is".
The boy named Eiji turned his gaze at the flashy girl with blonde hair beside him.
"I am Shiina Eri. Pleased to meet you".
Looking closer, Furukawa Eiji had the distinctive face of a pretty boy who covered it using long bangs and round glass to hide his cute round eyes. His pupils were black, the same as his hair, that felt lustrous to touch. He stood on the short side, 165 cm tall, the same as Hina. He wears a black Gakuran uniform and a pair of white shoes.
The flashy girl, or Eri, was what people call a gyaru in Japanese society. She had a cute face, but her eyes were sharp and radiated her strong-willed personality. Her wavy hair was painted blond and reached her back. She was the same height as Eiji and wore a black sailor uniform and long skirts that reached her knees. Wearing a pair of white shoes.
Hina, who stood behind Soma, hesitated at first, but she grabbed Soma's sleeves and took a step forward, then opened her mouth.
"...Akabane Hina, pleased to meet you all".
The four of them began to create a small group and separated themselves from the other candidates while having a small conversation. The intensity of the gaze from the other was still not dwindled down. So, Soma keeps trying to stir a conversation to distract Eiji and Eri's thoughts.
Even though there was some small commotion, the test kept progressing until Mary and the other senior stood in the middle of the field, facing the candidates.
"... Everyone, I want to express my gratitude for following my instructions in this examination. I hope you guys can succeed in your next test and enter our prestigious academy".
Mary, along with the other senior who wears the same robe, line up neatly in the middle of the fields while saying their pieces of gratitude words and their blessing for the candidates in their journey from here on out.
Every male candidate who felt that this was their last time seeing her figure had a downcast gaze at the floor. Mary, who witnesses that, chuckled but cannot change the rule that has been applied.
"For your next exam, you just need to pass the curtain over there, and you will be guided by another senior who will lead you to the next final exam. Everyone, I pray for your success and good luck in your next exam".
With trained moves, every senior who faced the candidates bent their body ninety degrees, stirring every candidate's heart and making them dumbfounded.
Soma, with serene eyes, turned his back and walked away from the place, followed by Hina behind him. Then, Eiji and Eri raised their feet and followed behind. Seeing Soma's group leave the field early, one after another, candidates leave the field and eventually leave the sixteen people who are still bowing their heads.
A thick black cloth that separated his space from the outside stood before him. Soma, who led in front, slid aside the curtain and was welcomed by a bright light that came from the lightning in the room. Flashed before his eyes blindsight his view for a moment before it recovered back as he closed his eyes.
In front of him stood a single male senior who wore the academy uniform. On his left hip, there strapped a single long sword that felt real for Soma to see because it was crafted from some metal.
"Welcome, candidates. From this moment onward, you will be conducting your final exam, and that was a mock battle to test your fighting capabilities and your technique in battle. …Come, follow me".
Despite being told earlier, many candidates still had dumbfounded faces, hearing the senior clear and deep voices reverberating in every candidate's ears, bringing their attention toward him. His appearance was an ordinary Asian boy, but somehow, he exudes a faint charm that could attract people to gather around him.
Rather than that, Soma recognized that face and sound. However, the person in front of him seems oblivious upon seeing him. It seems he was already forgetting the encounter they had at that time. Well, not that Soma minds those.
"What is the matter, Soma?".
Hina, who noticed Soma stopped in his tracks, stood by his side and opened her mouth. Soma shook his head to the side and replied.
"Nothing, let's go".
Soma shifted the gear in his mind as he proceeded to the next exam place, following the man who led in front.
The place was wider and had many square fields resembling an arena for martial arts sparring. Soma saw there are five arenas, and there is one arena in the middle that has a wide area compared to others. There stood four male individuals with five female individuals behind them, each female holding a terminal pod that would record the upcoming battle.
"Welcome, everyone. We meet again".
A bulky man the candidates met in the first exam welcomed them with his clear and hoarse voice; however, he now used so much force that his sound reverberated in the vast room.
The senior who led us joined the group and created a five-man formation like a certain ranger movie. The bulky man stepped up, crossed his hands on his chest, and scanned the candidates who showed a bit of tension in their faces.
He flashed his white teeth and leaked out his fighting intent that, made many candidates' feet turn soft. Some of the candidates had already lost their will to fight. The seniors seemed to notice the commotion the bulky man created. Despite that, they could do nothing but observe from the side.
They also thought that if they crumbled with just a mere smile, they couldn't survive in this academy whose place was not for a weak-hearted one.
One of the female seniors who held the terminal stood behind the man who led the candidates earlier. She opened her eyes wide as her gaze directed at a single black-haired boy she remembered well. She closed her distance from the male in front of her and, with a soft whisper, asked.
"..Hey, Tanaka. do you remember that boy?".
"Kaori? …Which is it?".
Kaori gestured with her chin. Tanaka followed her gaze, and soon, his gaze rested on Soma. He squinted his eyes for a bit and tried to search the history from his brain until, eventually, he opened his eyes wide and wanted to open his mouth when.
"From this moment, we five here will conduct the mock battle, and the female senior plus one teacher there will take turns with us to face you or to observe you guys' candidates. There are five arenas in here. You can pick however you want, and I was the one who was responsible in the middle…".
Upon receiving the information that feels like a revelation from heaven, many candidates' fighting spirits sprung back up, and they began to renew their fighting spirit.
The atmosphere shifted into a festive one where many murmurs escaped the candidate's mouth for the news the teacher leaked. The bulky man sneered and continued his explanation.
"...I will give you ten seconds to decide which arena you want to pick. If the arena is too packed, you can go to another arena as well. …Okay, then the choice is up to you guys. Let's start now!".
As the cue from the male teacher rang, every candidate behind Soma sprang back into action. With swift feet, they fled from the middle arena and entered the other four arenas. From a hundredth more candidates, only eight people were left in the middle arena.
The Only remaining ones stood in the middle arena were Soma groups, which consisted of four people, and the other four main characters that stood behind Soma.
The male teacher saw the unfolding event happen before his eyes and managed to spot eight candidates who still dared to stand in the middle arena. He flashed his white teeth, showing his sharp canines trying to intimidate the candidates before him.
"Let's start!"
However, contrary to his thought, only six of them alarmed and tensed their bodies, ready their respectives weapon and power to engage in battle anytime.
It was a different case with Soma and Hina, who stood side by side, undeterred with his act of showing his violent act. The two of them stood calmly and observed the teacher before them. The teacher's curiosity was roused as he observed the two more closely and managed to open his eyes wide.
From the other perspective, the two of them are probably a failure because they are too late to react to the heavy pressure and provocations. But, the teacher who faces them has the opposite thought with the other candidates.
He knows that in that calm stance. Soma, with his keen sight and reflexes, was ready to strike at any time. Hina, who stood beside him, was also already connected with the ring in her fingertips to summon her weapon, and on her other hand, she gathered another mana to unleash her magic.
They managed to hide it well, concealing the deathly ambush that could take him out in an instant if he let loose his guard in a moment, especially with Soma. That intrigued the teacher, and he felt a certain danger from him.
"Hah, Ahahahaha…".
The crack of laughter escaped the bulky teacher's mouth as he placed his right hand covering his face and his left hand was scratching his abdomen. He faced the eight candidates, who had dumbfounded expressions on their faces.
"You, boy. Step forward!".