Rin and Jin sat beneath the shade of a large tree, silence stretching between them until a voice broke it.
"Wow," Ella said, her voice echoing in Rin's mind. "Didn't think you'd open up about all that stuff, especially not to him."
Yeah... Rin thought back. I didn't think I would either. Kinda just... spilled out. Hope he doesn't think I'm weird.
The moment lingered, quiet and thoughtful, until the distant sound of rustling caught their attention—footsteps approaching.
Rin stood instinctively. Jin caught his wrist. "Don't bother," he muttered. "If they're here to fight, the shield will protect us."
"The shield?" Rin blinked. "I don't see anything."
"Yeah, me neither," Jin said, standing. "Which is the problem. I don't think it's activated yet... Stay on guard."
Just then, two figures leapt down from above, landing nearby with practiced ease.
"If you're looking for a fight," Jin said sharply, "we're already out. Get lost."
One of the figures chuckled. "You're Jin, right?"
"Taro?" Rin blinked. "What are you doing here?"
Kaela stepped forward with him. "We heard you two were eliminated. What happened?"
"We got ambushed," Rin said with a shrug. "Lost the fight, I guess."
"Who were they?" Taro asked.
Jin narrowed his eyes. "None of your business."
"Why are you always like this?" Taro frowned. "Calm down."
Rin sighed. "Yeah, sorry. We can't really talk about it. If you're aiming for the top, we shouldn't be handing out info, right?"
Kaela nodded. "Fair point... But I didn't think you'd get eliminated in the first hour. Seriously? Not even an hour?"
Taro raised a brow. "So... how many points did you get?"
Rin looked away. "Zero."
"Z-ZERO?!" both Taro and Kaela said in unison.
Jin huffed. "We didn't find a single monster, and our opponent was like... a damn commander."
"So what now?" Taro asked. "You passed the written exam, but failed this. I guess that means hard training?"
"Ah... about that," Rin scratched the back of his neck. "I failed the written exam too."
"Me too," Jin added quietly.
"What?" Kaela stared at them. "Didn't you say you had a plan? What happened to all of that?"
Rin let out a weak laugh. "Guess the plan failed."
Taro frowned. "If you failed both, doesn't that mean... you'll be demoted to the intermediate class?"
"Yeah," Rin said. "Same for Jin."
"Well, don't let that stop you," Rin said. "If your goal is still the top, keep going."
"I don't care what class I graduate in," Rin said with a shrug.
"Same," Jin added.
Kaela smirked. "Who said we were gonna hold back for you anyway? Let's go, Taro."
"Y-Yeah... sure," Taro muttered, glancing back once as they walked.
As they made their way through the forest, Kaela looked at him. "Why're you so quiet? Don't let that guy get to you."
"It's not that," Taro said. "I just... don't get it. Why was he smiling?"
"Huh?"
"He kept talking about entering this academy like it was everything to him. Said it was his mother's last wish. And now, it's like... all that fire's gone. Like he doesn't care anymore."
Kaela's eyes softened. "Wait... his mother's dead?"
Taro nodded. "And his father? He never even saw him."
He looked up at the sky. "He's really changed. It's like... he doesn't care about himself anymore."
Kaela paused, then said, "Stop worrying. He probably does have a plan. If it was his mother's last wish, I doubt he'd give up that easily. Focus on what's ahead."
"You're right," Taro said, trying to shake the feeling.
Kaela crossed her arms. "So. We need food and a base. We have to last a week out here and take down at least four or five teams."
"For food, we can eat monster meat or whatever we find. Water—there should be a river nearby. And if we run into any teams, we strike."
"Sounds good. Let's head toward the center of the island."
---
Meanwhile, Rin and Jin waited under the tree, the tension between them heavy.
"Where the hell are they?" Jin muttered.
"Just give it like five more minutes," Rin replied.
Right then, a portal shimmered open in front of them. A man stepped out, wearing a sleek black suit and a mask that obscured his face.
"Are you Rin Takashima and Jin Ferrin?" he asked.
They nodded.
"Come."
They stepped through the portal and emerged in front of a familiar door—the headmaster's office.
"Both are here," the masked man said before vanishing.
Here we go again, Rin thought. Back into the pit of hell.
They entered the office. The headmaster didn't waste time.
"Why did you both surrender?"
"Our opponent had too much of an advantage," Jin said. "It was a gap we couldn't close."
"And?" the headmaster asked, tone sharp. "If this were a real battle, would you surrender like that?"
Jin stayed silent. Rin clenched his jaw.
Ella, he thought. Can you check what this guy's attributes are?
"Oh, now you want me to work again?" she grumbled. Her voice was playful—but then her tone shifted. "W-What...?"
What is it?
"I... I can't see them," she said, stunned. "I can't see his attributes. At all."
That's possible...?
The headmaster stood. "So you have no answer."
Jin finally spoke. "No, sir."
"You failed the written exam. Then you failed this one. And you think demotion is all that's coming?"
Rin blinked. "Wait—what do you mean?"
"I mean," the headmaster said coldly, "you're being expelled. You will not be admitted into this academy again. Am I clear?"
"What?!" Jin stepped forward. "Why?! We didn't do anything wrong!"
"You surrendered in the first hour. What did you expect?"
"We didn't have a choice!" Rin said. "We couldn't use magic. We were trapped in some kind of loop. We would've lost regardless."
"Yeah!" Jin added. "It was a hopeless fight!"
The headmaster's eyes narrowed. "And? You think that excuses it? If you can't use magic, use your fists. If you're trapped in a loop—break it. Being defeated with pride is better than surrendering without a fight."
"But—" Rin tried.
"No more excuses," the headmaster snapped. "You're expelled. Dismissed."
---
Outside the office, the air felt heavy.
"I'm sorry, Rin," Jin said quietly. "This... all of this was my fault. I froze. I didn't know what to do."
"Man, stop," Rin said. "Don't act like that."
"You're a commoner, right? So how are you gonna make money now?"
"I'll figure it out," Rin said. "Quests, a job... something."
"But I—"
"Jin." Rin looked at him. "We could've won, sure. If we knew their abilities. We're stronger than this. Don't let this stop you. Even if it feels like your whole world's falling apart—build it back, brick by brick. That's what I've done my whole life. Honestly, if it weren't for those words... I would've ended it a long time ago."
Jin was quiet for a long time.
Then he nodded. "...Thanks. Really."
---
To be continued...