Who was the true mastermind behind all of this?
What should he do now?
If he wanted to stand against beings like gods—Moon Gods, Sun Gods, divine entities who looked down on mortals—then how could he possibly become strong enough? Strong enough to fight them without fear… strong enough to survive?
These thoughts swirled inside his mind.
"Ha… I can't believe you actually managed to do all that."
Ayal slowly turned his eyes—and froze.
Kazuki was standing there.
His body was covered in wounds. From a single glance, anyone could tell he hadn't fully recovered yet. Even so, he stood straight, enduring the pain.
"I knew you were good with a sword," Kazuki continued, his voice calm but heavy. "But I never imagined you were this good."
Hearing that, Ayal couldn't understand what he truly meant.
"Well… I just came to see you," Kazuki said casually. "You made me fight in a way that went beyond my imagination. I've fought many people before… but this is the first time someone has pushed me for hours like that."
Ayal remained silent, confused.
"Now I understand," Kazuki said slowly. "Someone—Professor Sun God—told me to fight you. That's why he suggested the sword duo."
Ayal frowned.
"Professor Sun God…?"
"Yes. He told me to do a sword duo with you."
Ayal couldn't make sense of it. Why would Professor Sun God arrange such a thing?
Kazuki looked at him seriously.
"I know there's something inside you. Something special. This was the first time my body was injured this badly… and that's because of you."
He paused, then gave a faint smile.
"This is good news for you. You're going to become popular in the academy."
Ayal's eyes widened slightly.
"You defeated someone who's in the Academy Top 10. Of course you'll become famous."
But then Kazuki's expression darkened.
"However… that popularity will come with a price."
Ayal silently stared at him.
"You fought me like that in front of everyone. Now there will be many people who want to challenge you… or even eliminate you."
The air in the room felt heavier.
"Your life was going smoothly until now. But from this moment on… it might become very difficult."
Ayal was speechless. He simply stared at Kazuki, unable to process everything.
"What's wrong?" Kazuki asked. "Why are you looking at me like that? I'm just telling you the truth."
Still, Ayal said nothing.
"You need to recover quickly," Kazuki continued. "Your exams are coming."
He turned toward the door.
"If I'm right, this exam won't be easy for you. What you've done… it's brought you closer to the line between life and death."
Ayal's heart trembled.
"That exam won't be something ordinary. It will measure your true ability. Remember how we fought? During the exam, you'll need to go even beyond that."
Kazuki placed his hand on the door.
"I just came to tell you this. Take care of yourself."
With those final words, he left the room.
The door closed softly.
Inside, Ayal sat there in silence.
He didn't understand what was happening to his life anymore.
Outside, Kazuki stood alone in the corridor.
"What will happen to him now…?" he muttered quietly.
Only the author knew what fate awaited Ayal