The tension at Eminence Arcane Academy was thick enough to spread on toast.
Our teacher, Suzuki Yasara, stood at the front like a general preparing her troops for war. "The First-Year Entrance Test will begin with 'The Masked Gambit.' The top team will receive bonus credits and the privilege of advanced resource access."
The entire test was held in a grand, enclosed arena, its walls lined with observation panels and cameras. Teachers sat in a monitoring room, watching every move of the participants. Every word, every interaction, and every betrayal would be witnessed.
Test Explanation by the Teachers:
"Welcome to 'The Masked Gambit,'" announced Professor Aelric, his deep voice echoing through the hall. "Each team consists of three members. You will each receive a card that determines your role: two individuals and one mole. Your goal? To work together to complete the three sections of this test-unless, of course, you are the mole."
Professor Celia continued, "The mole's role is simple: create obstacles without getting caught. If you succeed in sabotaging your team, you gain extra points and automatically pass the test. However, if the mole is identified by the team, the mole will fail the test, regardless of whether their team passes. On the other hand, if your team overcomes the sabotage, the best-performing members will gain extra points. Choose your actions wisely."
Another teacher elaborated, "This test includes three phases. First, an academic quiz that measures intelligence and teamwork. Second, a one-on-one combat round against a randomly assigned competitor. Lastly, a relay race where all members must perform as a team. The results of the entire test will be provided tomorrow on your cellphones as well as on the notice board. The points earned will be added at the end of your semester."
Aezel held her breath. She had seen this in the anime, but experiencing it firsthand was different. Her heart pounded as she exchanged glances with Reina and their third teammate, a short green-haired girl, Sylvia. In Reina's team, Aeron stood emotionless, while Ren leaned in to whisper something to Reina, a supportive presence.
There were twelve teams, each with three members, making a total of 36 first-year students taking the test. Among them, Aezel had to keep an eye on Team 2 and Team 3.
Team 2:
Kai Shiyas (A walking meme, always saying dumb things at the wrong time)
Milo Nael (A genius but socially clueless, accidentally roasting his own teammates)
Tina Ravest (Loves drama, treats this like reality TV)
Team 3 (The Strategists – Aezel's Rivals):
Elias Cleasta (Aezel's critic, thinks she's untrustworthy)
Sylvia Meraka (Cunning, possibly the mole)
Darren Haruta (Silent but observant, respects Aeron)
These two teams would form an alliance and target Reina in the battle, attempting to harm her. Aezel had to keep her eyes on them at all times.
The cards were distributed. Aezel flipped hers over.
[INDIVIDUAL]
She sighed in relief but quickly masked it. The mole could lie. No one could be trusted.
---
Phase 1: The Academic Quiz
Each team sat at their respective stations. A screen flashed with rapid-fire questions, and the team had to answer collaboratively.
Scene 1 – First Question
"First question: Which law explains why an airplane stays in the air?"
Options: (a) Newton's Third Law (b) Bernoulli's Principle (c) Pascal's Law (d) Boyle's Law
Kai (Team Tricksters) slammed the buzzer immediately.
Kai: "I GOT IT! It's Newton's Third Law! Because when the plane flies up, the air pushes down!"
Milo (facepalms): "Dude, you just explained gravity."
Teacher: "Incorrect. Minus 10 points."
Tina (dramatically gasps): "BETRAYAL! I trusted you!"
The entire school burst into laughter.
Across the hall, Reina's team was doing better, with Ren's calm explanations guiding them. Aeron, however, remained oddly passive, arms crossed. Was he just uninterested, or was something more at play?
Aezel's team started strong, but small disruptions arose. Asuka hesitated over obvious answers, and Aezel's instincts screamed-was Asuka the mole?
Then the last two questions of the quiz were asked to Aezel's team, and they had to write their answers and submit them to the examiner.
QA: A man is found dead in a locked room with only a puddle of water around him. How did he die?
(a) He was poisoned (b) He was stabbed (c) He stood on an ice block and hanged himself (d) He drowned
QB: A father and son get into a car accident. The father dies, but the son is taken to the hospital. The doctor looks at him and says, "I can't operate on him, he is my son." Who is the doctor?
(a) His stepfather (b) His mother (c) His godfather (d) His uncle
As the quiz neared its end, Aezel made a calculated move. She wrote the answer to QA ('c') on a red card and gave it to Asuka, saying it was the answer to QB. Then, she wrote the answer to QB ('b') on a different-colored card and told Asuka it was for QA. If Asuka was the mole, she would switch the answers to make them fail.
Then, she did. She confidently submitted the wrong answer.
Aezel smirked. Got you.
But even after confirming the mole, Aezel didn't reveal Asuka's identity immediately. Before the second test, Aezel took Asuka aside, lying that she needed to go to the washroom. She then confronted Asuka and gave her two choices: continue sabotaging and be exposed, or take the test seriously and win without revealing anything.
Asuka hesitated before saying, "I'll take the test seriously."
Aezel thought, Now I've made an important alliance. Turning rivals into allies will be crucial in my plan to create a happy ending for Reina.
They returned to the test area.
"Kenshin, where were you both? The test is about to start," he asked.
Aezel replied casually, "Don't worry, we were just resting a little. Right, Asuka?"
Asuka didn't say anything and just nodded her head. Seeing this, Kenshin was a little confused, but he decided to ignore it and focus on the test.
Meanwhile, Teams 2 and 3 gathered in one place, forming a plan to eliminate any potential teams that could become obstacles to their success. They wanted to ensure that only their teams remained at the top. Sylvia suggested targeting Reina's team, as she had always disliked Reina's attitude, considering her arrogant from the start.
Their plan was to lure Reina into a room and lock her inside, preventing her from participating in the test. To make this possible, they decided to use a certain someone's identity.
Aezel, having watched the anime, already knew about this scheme.
During the interval, Sylvia and Milo were secretly spying on Reina without her noticing.
Aeron, standing at a distance, observed the entire plan unfold. He was aware of Sylvia and Milo's presence from the beginning. However, he chose not to intervene and simply watched as if he were an audience member in a grand hall.
Yet, there was one person who did take initiative-Aezel. She had been keeping an eye on those trailing Reina and quickly noticed Sylvia and Milo following Reina outside. However, since she was occupied with identifying the mole and warning Asuka, she lost sight of Reina.
Aezel thought to herself, Where are they? In the anime, they followed her to the washroom, but which side? I don't know... If I have to search all the washrooms, it will take at least 20 minutes, and the test starts in 10 minutes! Ugh, I want to cry... Where should I go first? Reina, I'm really sorry! Where are you?!
Just then, her phone vibrated. Phones were allowed for a certain time during the interval, so Aezel had one with her. However, she had been so focused that she hadn't checked her messages. The phone vibrated again-a call from an unknown number.
Aezel hesitated, confused and nervous. Who could be calling me? I haven't shared my number with anyone, and it's only been two days since I came into this world.
She nervously answered the call, but there was only silence. Then, a text message appeared on her screen:
"Want help? Go to the left side of the club room. Good luck."
Aezel felt suspicious. Who could it be? Is it a trap? But she had no other choice. She followed the instructions and soon found a locked washroom.
Inside, Reina had been caught off guard.
"After the academic quiz, I felt a little dizzy due to stress, so I went outside for fresh air and headed to the washroom. Just as I stepped out, Sylvia from Class A-someone I barely knew-suddenly appeared and started a conversation out of nowhere. I was confused at first."
"Reina, hi! How's the test going? I think your team might get first place... Oh, but your team has one weak member, right? What was his name... Aeron or something? He looks pretty average. So, do you think you'll win or not?"
Reina ignored her and started walking away.
"Hey! Where do you think you're going? Didn't you hear what I was saying? Hey, you! Who do you think you are?!" Sylvia snapped.
Before Reina could react, Sylvia forcefully shoved her back into the washroom. Reina, without a word, twisted Sylvia's hand, forcing her down to her knees.
Sylvia yelped in pain and cursed at Reina. Just then, Milo appeared and struck Reina with a heavy blow, causing her to fall back and sustain serious injuries. Struggling to resist, Reina was overpowered, locked inside the washroom, and had her phone smashed. She cried out for help, but the washrooms were soundproof. After completing their plan, Sylvia and Milo exited-only to be spotted by Aezel.
Seeing their disheveled appearance, Aezel immediately understood the situation and grew furious. However, instead of acting impulsively, she took out her phone and recorded them.
She then sent them an anonymous message: "I know what you did. If you don't want to be expelled, get out of there and leave the key. Now."
Sylvia and Milo's faces turned pale. They quickly replied: "Who are you?!"
Aezel smirked and sent another message: "Do you want me to send a video of you bullying Lily Smitia from your previous school? I have it right now. If you don't comply, I can send it to the whole school."
Sylvia's face turned white with fear. She looked around but saw no one. Trembling, she texted back: "Who are you? What do you want?"
Aezel's final message: "Do what I say. Get out now and leave the key. If you don't... you know what will happen."
Without hesitation, Sylvia grabbed Milo's hand and ran away, leaving the key behind. Milo, confused, asked what was happening, but Sylvia silenced him with a terrifying glare.
Inside the washroom, Reina sat alone, wounded and exhausted. Tears welled up in her eyes as she thought about everything that had happened since she arrived at the academy. From Aezel's persistent involvement to Ren's occasional kindness, and even Aeron's quiet presence-she felt overwhelmed.
Was I wrong to want independence? Was I wrong to reject Aezel's friendship? Was I wrong to work hard on my own?
For the first time, she felt lonely. And to her surprise, the only name in her mind was-Aezel.
"Why?" she whispered, confused by her own emotions.
At that moment, the washroom door burst open. Reina gasped, covering her mouth with her hand, tears still streaming down her face.
Seeing Reina crying, Aezel felt a sharp pain in her chest. She ran forward and hugged her tightly.
"It's alright now. I'm here," Aezel whispered.
Reina, upon hearing those reassuring words, cried even louder. But moments later, she pulled away, wiped her tears, and muttered, "Thank you."
Aezel simply smiled. "Let's go to the nurse's office. I'll take care of everything."
Reina, still dazed, nodded as Aezel helped her walk to the infirmary. After ensuring Reina's safety, Aezel went back to the test area, her heart burning with anger. She requested the examiners to let Reina's team go last due to her condition.
Meanwhile, Aeron, aware of everything, continued to observe. Ren, sensing something was wrong, checked on Reina. He noticed she seemed different+more vulnerable, more open. He couldn't pinpoint why, but he chose not to pry further. Instead, he simply told her to rest before returning to the test area.
Phase 2: The Combat Rounds
Each participant faced an opponent from another team.
Kenshin was the first to go, as Aezel had arranged for their team to compete first. His opponent was a strong-built fighter with a smug grin.
"Let's see if you're as good in battle as you are in games," the opponent taunted.
Kenshin dodged the first attack with ease. He wasn't the strongest, but he was strategic, athletic, and flexible. The crowd gasped as he flipped his opponent, using their strength against them. He won-but not without bruises.
Aezel, watching, thought, I really underestimated Kenshin.
Next up was Asuka, facing a ruthless fighter. She struggled at first, but Aezel called out, "Breathe, Asuka. You've got this."
Fueled by Aezel's words, Asuka steadied herself and narrowly won, despite getting injured.
Then, the next match was announced.
"Aezel vs. Sylvia!"