Bright red light covered the sky.

It was no sunset. The color was far deeper than a sunset, and sickening. The moment the crystal's light changed completely from white to bloodred, the sky of the virtual space turned the same bloody hue.

"What is this?"

Yuto stood up. The event was over. Calipha's analysis had indicated there would be a "next" event, but she hadn't deciphered all its details.

"Th-this is... strange. There should be a break before the next event..."

Calipha stammered. Of course, it was all lies and acting. She knew about the coming event, and she knew it would begin immediately after the first.

But that knowledge was hers alone. Unless she told him, Yuto would never know.

[The second event will now begin.]

The same voice as before came from the bloodred crystal. It wasn't the headmaster's voice, but a mechanical, playful one.

"Doesn't look like they intend to give us a break."

"B-but when I analyzed it earlier..."

"They must have changed the rules. It's not your fault."

Yuto's voice was calm. It wasn't that he wasn't surprised, but in an exam with constellations involved, unilateral changes to the rules were entirely foreseeable.

'Or perhaps Calipha lied.'

Since Yuto suspected Calipha, he didn't trust everything she said. But he had no intention of openly questioning her or displaying his distrust. If she was connected to Shiro, that was all the more reason to hide his true feelings and act as though he trusted her.

[There are currently 383 survivors in total. You've all worked so hard and killed so many!]

The voice was cheerful.

[Your actions have been recorded as points. We will now reveal the ten highest scorers, in descending order.]

As the playful voice spoke, letters began appearing in the red sky, large enough to be seen from anywhere in the virtual space.

1st. Yuto—107 points.

2nd. Aizen Carte—64 points.

3rd. Shiro Ristal—52 points.

The names in second and third place were just as he had expected. Aizen Carte was the legitimate son of House Carte, a marquess's house renowned for its martial prowess for three generations. With 64 points, he must have killed more than ten students, even by a conservative estimate.

'Shiro has 52 points... Knowing him, he wouldn't have actively gone out hunting. He'd have waited somewhere students would naturally gather. Looking defenseless.'

From fourth place down, most of the names were students he didn't know, and most had scores in the twenties or thirties.

"You're in first place, Yuto..."

Calipha spoke in a trembling voice. It was obvious, but that obvious fact now carried a different weight. All 383 remaining students were looking at this sky.

[An additional rule will now apply.]

The voice from the crystal continued.

[Any student who reaches 200 points will pass and leave the virtual space before the number of survivors falls to one hundred.]

Since points existed alongside the requirement to survive until only a hundred remained, Yuto had expected a reward for high scorers. He had been right. The target was 200 points. He needed another 93.

[Any student who defeats one of the high scorers just revealed will receive half that student's points.]

Yuto's eyes narrowed further. In other words, anyone who killed him would gain 53 points in an instant. Even a low-ranking student could leap straight into the upper ranks.

'Revealing our scores. Adding a rule that lets us pass with 200 points. They're pushing us to kill even more blatantly.'

With these conditions in place, even students reluctant to fight would have little choice but to join in actively. In particular, there would be a growing push to hunt the high scorers. Yuto could easily picture it.

Until now, every student except one's partner had been an enemy. Now, names they could treat as common enemies were written across the sky. The lower-ranking students would band together to hunt those at the top.

[Of course, knowing someone's name isn't enough to hunt them. Our apologies to the high scorers, but we'd like to give the far more numerous other students a chance as well.]

The amusement in the voice grew stronger. Soon, the red light filling the sky rippled and began to change. The bloodred color parted as though being swept aside, revealing a projection of the entire virtual landscape beyond it.

Forests, plains, rivers, cliffs, hills. The sky itself had become a gigantic map. Then the ten high scorers' displayed names turned into lights of different colors and settled onto it.

Yuto looked overhead through narrowed eyes. The blue dot that had been his name was fixed in the sky directly above him.

"Hah."

He laughed despite himself. Revealing their names and handing over half their points wasn't enough; now their locations would be broadcast in real time as well. This was an open push for the lower-ranking students to form groups and hunt the high scorers.

"Y-Yuto."

Calipha caught his arm. Her hand was shaking. This time, it was half acting and half excitement.

"E-everyone knows where you are. And killing you will give them 53 points. Right now, you're... th-the biggest prey in this exam."

Yuto looked at the map in the sky. Shiro's name had become a pure-white dot, and Aizen's a purple one. All the dots, including those two, began to move.

Hiding was pointless. How would each of them handle the situation? Watching where the pure-white dot was headed, Yuto spoke.

"This is actually better."

"W-what?"

"The lower-ranking students know perfectly well they can't kill me alone. So anyone coming for me will cooperate with the others. They'll form groups and try to kill me."

"I-I suppose so?"

"It saves me the trouble of looking for them. They'll come to me in droves."

Yuto smiled as he spoke and looked up at the sky. He could see the purple dot, Aizen Carte, moving. There was something unusual about its movement. It was traveling at high speed, ignoring the terrain depicted in the sky.

'He's coming this way.'

Yuto's eyes gleamed. Lower-ranking students weren't the only ones who could benefit from these points. If Aizen, with his 64 points, killed Yuto, his score would immediately become 107.

RUMBLE!

The distant sound of thunder drew close in an instant. Yuto raised his head and looked across the river. A dragon-shaped Evomon wreathed in purple lightning was approaching, with Aizen seated on its back.

Yuto gripped the sword at his waist and stared at him.

"Where's your partner?"

"I killed them," Aizen answered. Glaring at Yuto through narrowed eyes, he added, "They were no help at all."

"Bad luck. Mine's been very helpful."

Yuto gave Calipha a meaningful glance. Wearing a terrified expression, she backed away in hesitant steps. All the while, she considered the situation.

'Aizen Carte... His abilities are exceptional enough to defy normal standards, too.'

He was far too strong to be judged as an ordinary fifteen-year-old. What if Aizen intended to kill Yuto and take his points? Calipha considered that possibility.

'Lord Shiro wants Yuto to pass. Can Yuto beat Aizen?'

They would only know once they fought. But Yuto could not be allowed to lose, even by chance. If it came to that, Calipha would intervene. Her objective wasn't to gain admission herself, but to observe Yuto during this exam and ensure he passed.

"..."

Aizen glared at Yuto in silence. The aether surrounding him and his dragon turned into crackling electrical currents. Facing him, Yuto tightened his fingers around his sword. At the same time, Yuto's aether turned pitch-black and surged upward like flames.

"Want my head?" Yuto asked.

Aizen answered, "Honestly, it's tempting. Killing you would put me in first place."

"Then come and get it. Isn't that why you're here?"

Aizen frowned without answering. The aether pouring from Yuto, and the chilling air about him—none of it intimidated Aizen, but it did make him think more coolly.

'This won't be easy.'

The hunting so far had been easy. Killing students, killing Beasts—it had all been the same. But a fight with Yuto seemed unlikely to be easy. The boy didn't even have a constellation, yet that was Aizen's instinctive judgment.

'Even if I go all out... I can't be certain I'll win.'

After a moment's consideration, Aizen gave a small laugh. He slowly shook his head and withdrew his aether.

"Your points are tempting... but I think biting off more than I can chew would leave me sick. I'll pass."

Aizen wasn't a battle-crazed mad dog. He wanted to enter the academy, not prove he was the best. That was why he decided not to overreach against Yuto.

Even if he won, it would be a victory that left him covered in wounds. Nor did the fight look likely to end quickly. Their positions were already displayed in the sky, so plenty of students would be heading this way.

He had no intention of exhausting himself only to hand someone else the spoils. Looking down at Yuto, he asked,

"Everyone will be coming for you."

"They will."

"There's no need to stick with the partner the exam assigned you. I need points myself. Why not come with me and kill them together?"

"Sorry, but I'm happy with my current partner."

Aizen nodded without pressing the matter.

"Then there's nothing for it. See you at the academy."

CRASH!

With a thunderclap, the dragon carrying Aizen beat its wings. Watching Aizen rapidly recede into the distance, Yuto chuckled.

"Yes, see you at the academy."

He hadn't been particularly close to Aizen in his previous life, but perhaps this time would be different. Nodding, Yuto turned to Calipha.

"Y-Yutooo..."

Calipha was looking at him with a deeply moved expression.

"Calipha. Just cast your detection magic."

"Y-yes!"

Calipha spread her detection spell. Soon, her face turned pale.

"There are... a lot of them coming from the forest."

"How many?"

"Ten... No, the number's growing. Students are joining them from every direction."

They were grouping up. It was the obvious decision. Yuto grinned and turned to Flokiro.

"Flokiro."

Yuto reached toward Flokiro with an aether-wreathed hand. The instant that light passed to him, flames enveloped his small body.

The flames flared and scattered, revealing Flokiro's evolved form, Flokai. Calipha's eyes went wide.

"E-evolution? How..."

"My partner's a little special."

Now that they would be facing more than ten students at once, they needed preparations of their own. With his Void Skills, he could slaughter them without any difficulty, but he had no intention of using those skills at the academy.

He had decided to use only swordsmanship and Flokiro's power. Yuto drew his sword, stood beside Flokai, and looked at Calipha.

"Put up a defensive barrier and hide."

"A-are you sure that's all right?"

"You'd have to kill another forty people to reach 200 points, and you said you didn't want to do that, didn't you?"

Calipha hesitated, then nodded. The air around her shimmered, and a barrier formed. Inside it, she steadied her breathing and spoke to Yuto.

"I'll hide and watch for now... If you get into danger, I-I'll cast defensive magic."

"No need. Just worry about keeping yourself safe. We agreed we'd meet again at the academy, remember?"

Yuto strode forward.

"I'm going to the academy," Yuto whispered. "I'll go on ahead and wait for you."

Deep in the forest, he could see dozens of students heading their way. Yuto's smile vanished, and he drew his sword.

ROAR!

Pitch-black aether coiled around the blade.