Seku paced through the long, silent corridors of the massive Nightfall Academy, uncertainty guiding him as he looked for the entrance exam.
Emma walked alongside him, the two of them equally confused as they struggled to navigate the enormous, winding hallway.
"You really think entering the entrance exams is a good idea? There will be people tougher than us," Emma said, worry threading her voice, even as a celestial, the thought made her uneasy.
"Yeah, I'm fine with it," Seku said without hesitation. "It's not like every group will be swarming, it should only be ten people per group, right?"
"Alright, but what if they suddenly change the rules? Everyone against everyone… I hope it doesn't come to that," Emma said with a small laugh, trying to hide the flutter of anxiety in her chest.
"Yeah, but even if they do, I'll still have you," Seku said with a light-hearted smile. "I trust we can keep each other safe through this."
As they moved down the corridor toward the exam room, Emma's cheeks-tinged pink.
"Where is it? I swear it was around here somewhere," Emma scoffed, convinced the room should have been nearby.
"You said you knew this place," Seku reminded her, recalling how confidently she'd claimed to know the halls like the back of her hand.
"Well, my older sibling went through these exams already," Emma said, scratching her head sheepishly. "I thought we might run into her."
While Seku and Emma moved through the halls, a sudden announcement crackled to life over the academy's main speakers.
"Attention, all residents participating in the entrance exams," the announcement echoed through the halls. "Proceed to Room 2-B to sign in."
Seku shook his head slowly. "I thought we'd already signed up," he said, sighing. "Never mind, let's go to Room 2-B."
Emma nodded in agreement, and the two of them continued toward Room 2-B to sign up.
Seku glanced at his status window once more, expecting to see all of his usual stats displayed. To his surprise, however, he noticed that the interface now showed only two stats, a sharp contrast to the full list he had been shown before. The status window displays:
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[ Status window ]
Blessings: Shadow king
Kills: 0
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Seku suddenly realized that this could be related to the upcoming exam, which meant that he might have to keep the information to himself. The thought made him hesitate, as he considered the possibility that he might not be able to tell Emma about it at all, no matter how much he wanted to.
Seku could feel the aura radiating from the people inside Room 2-B before he even touched the door. Emma sensed it as well, though she wasn't as intimidated, being a celestial, the pressure affected her less.
"Are you sure you want to take this exam? There are over thirty Celestials in there, and you're the only Aristocracy candidate."
"I'm fine," Seku said, a shaky smirk on his face despite the fear gripping him from head to toe. "I know what I came here for, and I'm not backing down."
"I'm proud of you for keeping your fear in check," Emma said, her voice gentle and calm. "Don't worry, Seku-Kun, I've got your back as your new friend."
"Wait… you just said my name with an honorific? Does that mean we're close now?" Seku said with a cheesy smirk, as if he hadn't already been told she was his new friend.
"I'm not saying it again, so come on," Emma said, her cheeks turning pink as she moved ahead.
Will Seku manage to find a way to overcome the gruelling challenge of the entrance exam and emerge victorious, proving his strength and cunning against the powerful Celestials? Or will he be completely overwhelmed by their immense power, succumbing to the trials and paying the ultimate price for daring to face them?