Upon the daylight, sunrise rose from where Agnes City stands. The flare touched the sky, the wind blowing the clouds away. It was a wonderful day for another trial—one meant to show that the gems of the nation could truly stand out and reveal their real strength.
Far from sight stood a building where ancient people once fought. The glimmering blood of warriors who had lost their souls seemed to linger there. That historical structure stood far… far away from the peaceful lives of ordinary citizens.
The Colosseum—where warriors draw their blades.
We are now inside the office where the President usually works. Piles of colliding paperwork, uncountable data, and secrets far beyond reality and understanding filled the room. Specter knocked on the door and entered the overwhelming office, which looked like a forest made of papers.
He continued walking forward and stopped before the President himself—Grove Gravel—though his face could not be seen clearly from this angle. The two discussed preparations for the next trial, one that would soon fall upon the new heroes.
"Should we do that thing?" Specter asked, smirking.
"Yeah, why not?" Grove replied confidently, his tone filled with excitement. "Let's see what our newcomers can do."
Specter answered simply, "Alright then."
The situation was filled with curiosity.
What were they talking about?
What kind of trial were they about to execute to test these heroes?
The sun was finally up. The breeze of the fresh morning air felt refreshing.
Raven had managed to rent an apartment for the rest of his stay in the beautiful capital city of Agnes. The place was perfect for him—the streets were rarely used, and the air felt fresher and lighter than the main capital. It was ideal for someone like him.
He woke up and went through his daily routine: brushing his teeth, showering, and preparing for the day. He opened his icy fridge and took out a carton of milk from the cold freezer corner.
On the dining table were simple decorations—flower pots and a few other ornaments. A box of fruity cereal sat there, popular among those who preferred an easy breakfast without cooking. He poured the cereal and milk into a bowl, eating spoon after spoon.
After finishing, he went straight to the sink in front of the dining table and washed the dishes. Once done, he dressed himself in neatly ironed clothes and prepared to head out for the second exam—and the results of yesterday's test.
The Academy's training ground was a two-hour walk from Raven's place. As he walked along the well-built and beautifully designed streets of Agnes City, something interrupted his thoughts.
"Raven! Hey! … Raven!"
Someone was calling him from behind. Raven turned around immediately.
Standing there was the pink-haired girl—beautiful beyond the horizon.
The one and only Vibra.
"Where are you going?" Vibra asked.
"Where else? The training ground, of course. Why?" Raven replied.
Vibra looked confused for a moment, then laughed lightly.
"W-what? The training ground? Hihihi."
Raven frowned slightly. "What?"
"Silly you," Vibra said. "We're going to the Colosseum, not the training ground."
Raven blinked. "Oh… yeah. I forgot."
"Are you sure you forgot?" Vibra teased. "Or did you really not know?"
Raven answered awkwardly, ending with a small laugh.
"Y-yeah… I just… forgot… ahaha… haha…"
"It's okay," Vibra said warmly. "Well, since we're here, how about we walk together?"
"Uh… okay…" Raven replied.
They began walking side by side toward the Colosseum.
"So… Raven," Vibra said.
"Yeah?" he replied.
"What do you think the results will be when we arrive?" she asked politely.
"I don't know… maybe I'll pass?" Raven answered unsurely.
"Of course you'll pass!" Vibra said proudly, her voice rising slightly. "You scored the highest out of everyone."
"Maybe…" Raven replied.
Eventually, they arrived at their destination—the Colosseum.
"Looks like we've arrived. There's already a bunch of people," Vibra said.
"Yeah… hey… don't you think a lot of people are looking at us?" Raven said, feeling uneasy.
"Oh, don't mind them," Vibra reassured him. "Maybe they've realized how strong you are."
"I think I should've held back a bit more," Raven muttered.
Vibra looked at him, then lowered her gaze, smiling softly as she whispered,
"No… you shouldn't have held back in the first place."
Raven caught a glimpse of her words. "What? Did you say something?"
"A-ah—no! It's nothing," Vibra replied quickly.
Raven didn't think much about it and let it go.
In front of them was a sea of people gathered around a large board—most likely displaying the results of yesterday's test.
"Hey, Raven, look! There are so many people there," Vibra said.
"Oh yeah… maybe that's the result board," Raven replied.
"Well, what are we waiting for?" Vibra said cheerfully. "Let's go!"
She suddenly grabbed Raven's hand and ran toward the board.
"H-hey! Don't force me to—woah!" Raven exclaimed in shock as Vibra pulled him along.
"Raven! Your name's there! You're the top one!" Vibra said in a high voice.
Raven looked at the board and replied, "Oh yeah! Look, you're second, Vibra."
"Hehe—of course, it's because of—" Vibra suddenly stopped midway, as if she didn't want Raven to know.
Raven felt something was off and asked, "What were you going to say? Because of…?"
Vibra replied nervously, "N-n-no, hehe… it's nothing."
"Hey!"
A boy's voice called out to them. It was Hikari, standing nearby with his Magic Spirit beside him.
"You there!" Hikari said, pointing straight at Raven.
"Me?" Raven asked.
"Yeah, you. The super strong guy," Hikari said confidently. "Fight me!"
Both Raven and Vibra reacted at the same time.
"Huh… what?!"
The situation suddenly became silent and awkward.
Vibra raised her voice angrily. "What?! Fight him? You can't fight others when we're not in the competition!"
"Oh… is that how it works?" Hikari said, clearly not knowing the rules.
Raven spoke calmly. "Yeah. If you want to fight, then wait until you meet me in the Colosseum test. Also, Vibra, you don't really need to mind it."
"O-oh… okay…" Vibra said, lowering her voice.
"Anyway," Hikari continued, trying to change the topic, "did you know why people were staring at you?"
"I don't know… why?" Raven asked.
"Well, I don't know if it's true," Hikari said, "but I heard they were talking about you two."
"Us?" Vibra said.
"Is it because of yesterday's test?" Raven added.
"You guys really didn't realize it, huh?" Hikari said, looking at them. Raven and Vibra were confused by his words.
"I heard someone saying that you two are close," Hikari continued. "Like just now, you walked in together."
"Ah, no… it's not like that," Raven replied calmly.
Vibra tried to support Raven's words, but she couldn't say it properly, as if something was bothering her.
"Y-ye-yeah… we—we totally are not like that."
Hikari laughed. "Hahaha, of course, right? Why would you two be together?"
He continued, "Well, you know why people are talking like that, right? Vibra is beautiful and popular among everyone here, even in the city. Meanwhile, Raven looks mysterious and is always alone."
"So…" Hikari leaned forward slightly. "Are you guys really not a—"
Before he could finish, Raven immediately interrupted.
"No… we're not."
"Oh, okay then," Hikari said. "I thought you two might be drawing a lot of attention."
"Yeah…" Raven replied.
Vibra, however, didn't look satisfied. She looked down slightly and whispered,
"I… don't mind if it were true though…"
While the three of them were still talking, Specter finally arrived.
"Okay, everyone. Sorry I'm late—I had something to attend to," Specter said. "Anyway, let's start the exam immediately. Before that, I'll explain the rules."
As Specter was about to continue, someone was watching them from the background. The figure appeared to have cat ears—then suddenly disappeared.
Specter noticed it, but only smiled before continuing.
"This test is simple," Specter announced. "All you need to do is fight each other until someone is unconscious or retreats. Matches will be decided randomly."
He continued, "The rules are: you are not allowed to seriously injure your opponent or use skills that could cause severe harm. Anyone who breaks this rule will be disqualified."