"Ethan's pov*
The hour, bless its heart, had finally decided to inch toward its demise, the exam's conclusion now breathing down everyone's necks. Ethan, though, remained tragically unbothered. A yawn threatened to breach his stoic facade. He'd already swatted away approximately fifty contenders, each skirmish a profound letdown.
"How... expected," he sighed, his gaze sweeping the arena, still yearning, still ravenous for a worthy adversary.
He deigned to glance at the timer. Thirty minutes remained. A fleeting shadow of displeasure dared to cross his otherwise flawless features.
"Seriously?" he pondered, his eyes condescendingly surveying the shrinking battlefield. "Just the one vaguely interesting specimen?"
He consulted the leaderboard, his eyes narrowing with what one might mistake for intensity at the top two entries:
- 1. unknown kills????
- 2. unknown kills????
The question marks, how dare they, practically sneered at him.
Just as he was gracing the air with his profound musings, a rather gauche crackling sound erupted behind him.
Turning, he observed the space behind him convulsing with blue energy, and, to his utter lack of surprise, a person oozed forth from the disturbance.
"Oh, are you Prince Grimrose?" Ethan inquired.
He examined the person before him with a focused gaze.
The individual possessed white hair, white eyes, and an ethereal beauty.
"Just Grimrose; we're all equal here," Grimrose responded with a smile.
"Okay, Grimrose, are we the only ones left?" Ethan asked, returning the smile.
"Yes."
"So, Grimrose, let's determine who is stronger," Ethan stated as he prepared four distinct spells.
"Meteorite," he announced, and a large rock descended from the sky.
"Frostspear," he continued, conjuring a spear as large as the meteorite and shaped accordingly.
"Fire Wall," he declared, as a wall of fire encircled them.
"Hurricane," he finished, as wind began to swirl in his arm.
"you're attacking?, and you're smiling?" Grimrose asked with a playful squint.
"Hmm, that looks like it might sting a bit," Grimrose mused, glancing over at where the attack landed.
"Whoa!" Ethan exclaimed, jumping as Grimrose suddenly appeared beside him. "You scared me!"
"Oh, hey there! You know, you never did tell me your name," Grimrose said with a friendly grin.
"I'm Ethan Morningstar. It's... uh, nice to meet you, I suppose," Ethan replied, managing a slightly nervous smile.
"Sorry, Ethan, but I've really got my eye on that room, so I'm going to have to win this one," Grimrose said with a hint of apology, slowly drawing his sword.
~~~
*Grimrose pov*
Grimrose had eliminated about 100 students when he looked up, and only 30 minutes were left.
"Hmm, so 2 people are left: me and..." he stopped talking and opened the space.
As he came out from his instant teleportation, a person called him.
"Oh, are you Prince Grimrose?" said the individual who saw him.
"Just Grimrose; we're all equal here," Grimrose responded with a smile while hiding his happiness of finally meeting the protagonist of the world.
"Okay, Grimrose, are we the only ones left?" Ethan asked, returning the smile.
Yes, the individual's name is Ethan.
"Yes," Grimrose said as he looked at Ethan.
"So, Grimrose, let's determine who is stronger," Ethan stated as he prepared four distinct spells.
'Hmm, so he's preparing 4 spells,' Grimrose said as he was still smiling.
"Meteorite," he heard the 1st spell.
"Frostspear," as he heard the second spell.
"Fire Wall,"
"Hurricane,"
As Grimrose heard that, he immediately used blink.
"You're attacking, and you're smiling?" Grimrose asked with a playful squint.
"Hmm, that looks like it might sting a bit," Grimrose mused, glancing over at where the attack landed.
"Whoa!" Ethan exclaimed, jumping as Grimrose suddenly appeared beside him. "You scared me!"
"Oh, hey there! You know, you never did tell me your name," Grimrose said with a friendly grin.
"I'm Ethan Morningstar. It's... uh, nice to meet you, I suppose," Ethan replied, managing a slightly nervous smile.
"Sorry, Ethan, but I've really got my eye on that room, so I'm going to have to win this one," Grimrose said with a hint of apology, slowly drawing his sword.