Chapter 26
Charlotte's voice cut through the tense air like a blade.
"STOP."
The sound echoed across the grand hall, making every single participant flinch. Pens clattered onto desks, ink splattering, as the weary students lifted their heads—some in relief, others in sheer dread.
Without wasting a second, Charlotte strode forward, her movements sharp and efficient. With a flick of her wrist, a glowing aura surrounded the stack of answer sheets, lifting them into the air. Her marking spell activated instantly, scanning each page with frightening speed. Red X's and green O's flashed in the air, rapidly determining the fate of each participant.
The students held their breath. Some prayed. Others closed their eyes, unable to watch their impending doom unfold before them.
Then, Charlotte turned back to face them. Her expression remained unreadable.
"All those who failed, step forward and leave immediately."
Silence.
Then, the list of names rolled off her tongue like a death sentence.
One by one, the students who had not managed to cheat effectively—or had simply been too honest—lowered their heads in defeat. Their arms hung limply at their sides as they shuffled out of the room, their spirits utterly crushed.
Some cursed under their breath. Others simply sighed.
"Unbelievable," a red-haired student muttered as he passed by. "Survive a death trial, only to get wiped out by a stupid exam."
The remaining participants, those who had somehow passed, slowly lifted their heads. Relief washed over them, their earlier despair replaced by cautious optimism.
But something was… wrong.
A few students noticed it first.
Then more.
And finally, Blaze, Lucas, and Kaito realized it as well.
Their names… had not been called.
They hadn't been called among those who failed.
Nor had they been called among those who passed.
A cold chill ran down their spines as they turned to look at Charlotte.
Kaito, ever the loud one, was the first to speak.
"Oi, oi, oi. Miss Charlotte, what's going on here?" he said, waving his hand dramatically. "Why didn't you call our names?"
Charlotte folded her arms, her piercing gaze locking onto them.
"Because you three are totally suspicious."
Lucas tensed. Blaze remained silent. Kaito, however, gulped audibly.
Charlotte's expression didn't waver.
"I checked the answers thoroughly," she said. "Even among the students who managed to cheat, most of them got some things wrong. Some tried too hard and exposed their tricks. Others played it safe and wrote just enough to scrape by."
She leaned in slightly, her eyes narrowing.
"But you three…" She let the words hang in the air. "…got every single answer correct."
A heavy silence fell over the room.
The remaining students turned to look at the trio, eyes widening in shock. Even those who cheated thought it was impossible to have answered everything perfectly.
The color drained from Kaito's face. "We're dead," he whispered.
Lucas sighed. "Yeah. We're dead."
Blaze, on the other hand, remained composed.
Charlotte crossed her arms. "Not even a third-year student could answer this entire test perfectly. And yet, you three, somehow managed to do it?"
The pressure in the room was suffocating.
"Unless you can provide a logical explanation for how you knew the answers, all three of you will be disqualified immediately."
Lucas and Kaito immediately turned to Blaze.
"Well?" Lucas whispered harshly. "What's your genius excuse?"
Blaze took a deep breath. He couldn't exactly say, Oh, I have a magical system in my head that gave me all the answers.
No, that would get him executed, not just disqualified.
So, he did the only thing he could do.
He lied.
"I read a lot of books during my time at My city," he said calmly. "Some of them covered advanced topics related to these questions. When I saw the exam, I just… pieced the information together."
The room went silent.
Charlotte squinted at him, eyes scanning for any trace of deceit. Blaze held her gaze, unwavering.
Kaito, meanwhile, was shaking. "Blaze, you idiot," he thought. "That's the dumbest excuse I've ever heard—"
Charlotte remained quiet for a few moments.
Then, just as Kaito and Lucas were about to accept their doom, a new voice cut in.
"I believe him."
Everyone turned toward the speaker.
It was Hannah, the green-haired master of the Green Department.
She stepped forward, placing a hand on her hip as she smirked at Charlotte.
"You're being too hard on them," she said. "I mean, sure, it's suspicious, but it's not impossible. Some people just have a knack for remembering obscure things. And besides…"
Her green eyes sparkled mischievously.
"This trial was a test of deception, wasn't it? Everyone who passed, did so because they cheated."
She turned to the remaining students. "Be honest, how many of you actually answered the questions legitimately?"
Silence.
Then, a silver-haired boy named Gold chuckled.
"Yeah, she's right," he admitted. "We all just cheated in different ways."
Murmurs of agreement spread through the room.
Charlotte sighed. "Tch. I suppose that's true." She turned back to Blaze, Lucas, and Kaito. "Fine. You pass."
The three boys felt their knees buckle in sheer relief.
Kaito literally collapsed onto the floor, sobbing dramatically. "Oh, thank the heavens—"
Lucas shook his head. "I swear, we barely survived that."
Blaze let out a small chuckle. "Well… at least we made it."
And with that, the third trial had finally ended.
---
Just as everyone was starting to relax, the doors to the hall slammed open.
BANG.
A rough-looking man stepped inside.
He had spiky, combed-back black hair, a sharp jawline, and a presence that immediately made the room ten times heavier. He wore a simple black jacket, a sea-green sash wrapped around his torso, and dark combat trousers. His boots clicked against the marble floor as he strode forward.
The students instinctively straightened their backs.
There was no doubt about who this man was.
Charlotte turned toward him. "Kami."
The man tilted his head slightly, adjusting his sunglasses.
"Yo," he greeted lazily. "Looks like you guys had fun."
A shiver ran down the spines of the students.
This man was Kami, the Leader of the Black Department—one of the deadliest, most feared figures in the Wizard Knight Academy.
He casually scanned the room, his sharp gaze flickering across the students who remained. Then, he smirked.
"Alright, kids. Enough playing around."
His grin widened.
"Get ready for the next trial."
The room froze.
Kaito paled. "W-Wait… next trial?"
Lucas gulped. "Don't tell me…"
Blaze narrowed his eyes.
Kami crossed his arms. "The fourth trial begins now."
---
And thus, the nightmare was not over.
To be continued…