Rio's vision blurred.
The ruins faded.
His body finally gave in.
He fell—
And everything went dark.
…
What he didn't know—
What none of the candidates were told—
Was that the entire entrance exam was being broadcast.
Across the Federation.
Across noble estates.
Guild headquarters.
Even to the general public.
And at the center of it all—
A control chamber.
A vast, dimly lit room filled with layered screens, each displaying a different part of the examination field. Professors and assistants sat in rows, eyes fixed on the ongoing battles, data streams flickering across their tablets.
A woman with sharp features and neatly tied purple hair spoke first, her tone composed.
"I suppose this year's apex will be Silver Ryker."
A man beside her—broad-shouldered, posture straight like a trained swordsman—let out a quiet scoff.
"Elise… you might want to get your eyes checked."
She turned slightly, unimpressed.
"And what exactly are you implying, Ron?"
He didn't hesitate.
"Samuel of the Abyss Guild."
A faint smirk.
"He's far more consistent."
Murmurs spread across the room.
Some nodded.
Others leaned toward Silver.
The debate was familiar.
Silver.
Samuel.
Who would stand at the top.
Then—
A screen flickered.
One among many.
But something about it—
Drew attention.
Ron's eyes shifted first.
"…Hm?"
He leaned forward slightly.
"Who's that?"
One of the assistants quickly checked their tablet.
Her fingers moved—
Then paused.
"He is—"
She stopped.
The room fell quiet.
On the screen—
A boy with silver hair moved through the forest.
His uniform stained.
Black.
Red.
The remnants of Void-Borns dissolving around him.
And yet—
He was smiling.
Ron's eyes widened slightly.
"…He killed a Vel'Nithra?"
His gaze sharpened.
"That thing should be around C-rank… at least high D."
A beat.
"And it died that easily?"
Elise's expression shifted as she checked the data again.
"…Noctis."
A pause.
"Guild affiliation—Saviant."
Her eyes narrowed just slightly.
"…So this is the 'hidden prodigy' they mentioned."
Ron leaned back, still watching.
"…Where's he going?"
Another voice spoke—calm, measured.
Emma Hawthorne.
"We placed relic ruins throughout the exam field," she explained, her gaze steady on the screen.
"They contain remnants of fighters from the past. Simulations… or something close to it."
Ron raised a brow.
"…That's new."
A faint smirk.
"Interesting."
They watched as Rio entered the ruins.
The atmosphere in the room shifted slightly.
More focused now.
Then—
A figure appeared before him.
Emma's voice came again, quieter this time.
"…Unfortunate."
A few glanced at her.
"He found the First Hero's ruin."
A pause.
"That one isn't meant to be cleared by normal candidates."
But no one responded.
Their attention stayed locked on the screen.
The fight began.
And as it continued—
Expressions changed.
"…His control over multiple elements…" one of the professors muttered.
"…That's not normal."
"Switching between ice and lightning that smoothly…"
"…And that swordsmanship…"
The room grew quieter with each passing moment.
Then—
A voice.
Cold.
Clear.
"…He's smiling?"
Every head turned.
Standing near the back—
Aurelia Lioren.
No one had noticed her enter.
The room instantly stilled.
Several professors straightened.
Others lowered their heads slightly.
Silence settled.
Aurelia didn't look at them.
Her gaze remained fixed on the screen.
Watching.
Carefully.
Then—
She spoke again.
Softly.
But this time—
There was something beneath it.
"…Ethan is smiling?"
——
[Elsewhere in the forest]
The clearing no longer resembled a forest.
It looked like something had descended from the sky and burned its way through the land without pause. Trees hadn't just been scorched—they were split open, hollowed from within, some reduced to blackened pillars that still stood only because they hadn't yet realized they were supposed to fall. The ground itself had sunk in places, layers of soil fused into brittle glass where the heat had peaked.
Even now, faint embers pulsed beneath the surface, breathing out waves of heat that distorted the air.
At the center of it—
Reina Emberheart stood in silence.
A thin trail of smoke rose from her fingertips before fading. The last Void-Born she had incinerated didn't even leave a body behind—only a brief flicker of resistance before it was consumed entirely.
She didn't look at the aftermath.
She had already moved past it.
A screen hovered faintly before her.
[Student Rankings]
#1 Noctis — 8400
#2 Samuel — 7800
#3 Silver Ryker — 7500
Her eyes rested on the first name.
Noctis.
Her expression didn't change much, but there was a subtle tightening at the edges—something colder than annoyance, sharper than curiosity.
She didn't recognize the name.
Not from any major guild.
Not from any of the great families.
Not from anywhere that mattered.
And yet—
He was above all of them.
A quiet scoff left her.
"…So this is what it's come to."
"Strange, isn't it?"
The voice came from behind her, light, almost conversational—as though they were discussing something trivial.
Reina didn't turn immediately.
She didn't need to.
"…You again."
Reinheart stepped into the clearing, unbothered by the heat that lingered in the air. His boots pressed against ground that still glowed faintly beneath the surface, yet his pace didn't change.
That same faint smile rested on his face.
It didn't look forced.
It didn't look amused either.
It was simply there—constant, unmoving, like it belonged to him more than any expression should.
"I thought I might find you here," he said, glancing briefly at the surrounding destruction. "You've been thorough."
Reina finally looked at him.
Her eyes were calm, but there was a clear edge to them now.
"…If you came here to comment on my work, you can leave."
Reinheart's smile didn't shift.
"I wouldn't waste the trip."
He stepped a little closer, stopping just at the edge of where the ground had melted into a hardened, glass-like surface.
His gaze drifted toward the ranking screen.
"…That name," he said quietly. "You don't know it either."
Reina didn't answer right away.
Her eyes flicked back to the screen.
"…No."
There was no hesitation in her voice.
Just certainty.
"If he was worth remembering, I would have."
Reinheart let out a soft breath that almost sounded like a laugh.
"…That's what makes it interesting."
Reina's gaze sharpened slightly.
"…Don't speak in circles."
He tilted his head a little, still smiling.
"He's ahead of all of us," he said simply. "And none of us saw it coming."
Reina folded her arms, the faintest trace of heat rising again around her.
"…Then he got lucky."
"Do you believe that?"
She didn't respond.
That was answer enough.
Reinheart's eyes shifted toward the deeper forest.
"…Points like that don't come from wandering around aimlessly."
A pause.
"They come from something… deliberate."
Reina followed his line of sight.
The thought came naturally.
"…The ruins."
Reinheart nodded.
"…Most likely."
Silence settled for a moment.
The air between them felt heavier now—not from tension, but from understanding.
Reina looked back at him.
"…So you want to go."
"I already am."
A brief pause.
Then, almost as an afterthought—
"It's more efficient with two."
Her expression cooled further.
"…Don't mistake this for cooperation."
Reinheart's smile remained unchanged.
"I wouldn't."
Reina turned away, her gaze fixed ahead.
"…If he's there, I'll deal with him myself."
"Of course."
There was no challenge in his tone.
No argument.
Which, again, made it harder to read.
Reina stepped forward, the heat around her rising slightly as the ground beneath her feet darkened further.
"…Try not to slow me down."
Reinheart fell into step beside her.
"…I'll do my best."
And just like that—
The two of them moved deeper into the forest.
One leaving destruction in her wake.
The other walking through it—
Still smiling.