The coliseum runes flared to life, erasing the remnant blood and debris that were left on the combat arenas after the end of round 2.
The survivors dragged themselves off the platforms, some of them battered, limping, and bleeding. But one similarity between all of them was that their eyes blazed with determination still.
The holographic counter ticked down.
[135 applicants remaining=]
The crowd roared in excitement, cheering on the survivors but inside the arena, the enthusiasm of the earlier rounds was long gone. The survivors, they knew it would only get worse from here.
It was no longer a thing of pride, now it was all about survival.
'Survive by all means'. That was the single truth remaining.
They were very close to their wit's end already after two rounds, but it started even before that. First was Major Pain intimidating them yesterday to shake their conviction, weeding the week candidates out, and then there was the massacre at night.
No matter how much they tried to mask it, the massacre affected them.
None of them caught a whiff of sleep all through the night, and since then, they didn't get a moment to rest or even recover as Major Pain pushed them directly into the combat phase.
They were plunged straight into the combat phase, fighting one battle after another. Watching applicants like them die every round, this no longer felt like a tournament to get a scholarship, but it rather felt like a meatgrinder of death.
It was a crucible.
It was a baptism of blood and fire, and only the best among the best of the best would make it to the end.
The one question every one of them had was… would they make it?
Kairo breathe heavily, wiping sweat. His ribs were aching, his muscles hurt, and his stomach grumbled for food, but his eyes burned with renewed vigor. "One round at a time". He repeated to himself.
Mira leaned on her dagger as a crutch, still standing but clearly worn down. To be honest, Kairo was surprised that she lasted this long. Maybe her mentality was not as weak as he thought.
They were all exhausted, but none of them entertained the thought of quitting because the combat phase would not stop. Major Pain made that clear.
If you couldn't continue, it was automatic disqualification.
The baptism of blood is not always about fighting against other applicants in a brutal struggle for survival, it also involved luck.
Like Major Pain said, luck was an important factor in life.
Round 2 of the combat phase came to an end and out of 268 applicants, 134 progressed to Round 3. This time, many of them suffered even more severe injuries, some severe enough to be labeled as crippling injuries.
But no one withdrew, so with the lucky applicant from Round 2, there were 135 applicants remaining. The number was odd, which meant another lucky draw.
Major Pain addressed them again from the floating platform where he was.
His expression was unreadable as he reminded them. "Strength alone isn't enough. In war, luck is just as cruel as any weapon".
"In this round, one unlucky applicant will be randomly eliminated by the A.I even before the next round of battles start".
"If you're the unlucky applicant, blame no one but your luck".
With that, the holographic board lighted up again as the 135 applicant names and images spun rapidly like a roulette.
Watching it, Kairo felt his heart thud heavily against his chest.
BA…DUMP!
What if he was the unlucky candidate?
As a slumrat, did he even have any luck to start with? If he was lucky, he wouldn't have lost his parents and his only sister at such a young age, right?
If he was lucky, he would have been born a noble, right?
The tension was thick and palpable in the air, even the spectators felt it and were silent. The coliseum was silent except for the pulsing spin of the hologram.
'What if it's me?' Kairo thought, gritting his teeth. 'After everything I fought for… what if luck just decides I'm out?'
At this moment, Kairo hated the fact that the system didn't have a luck stat. But before his thoughts could turn even darker, he was interrupted.
The roulette halted, and then, a single name appeared in crimson.
[Disqualified: Marcus Lyle]
Gasps rippled through the survivors. Many heaved sighs of relief, some releasing the breath they never realized they were holding.
Marcus stumbled forward, shaking his head in disbelief. He was one of the heavily injured applicants.
Of course, he didn't take the decision kindly. He protested furiously. "No! This isn't fair! I bled for this! You can't just throw me out!"
High up in the floating platform, Major Pain didn't even flinch.
He simply said coldly. "Fair?" His voice was as thick as lead. "Fairness died the moment you walked through those gates".
"You either make it, or you don't".
"B-but… it's not fair!" Marcus stayed adamant.
And that… got the Major angry.
BZZZZ!
Major Pain unleashed just a fraction of his aura for the first time, and for the first time, Kairo felt the cold, primal sensation of fear grip him like he was standing in front of a Wolf, a predator that could devour him in a heartbeat.
And he was not even the one this was directed at.
A crushing wave of power slammed Marcus to the ground, pinning him like an insect under glass. Marcus soiled his pants instantly.
The coliseum trembled under the pressure as weaker applicants collapsed to their knees, gasping for breath. And in that moment, they were reminded of who this was… Major Pain, the Eye of Pain.
Major Pain's voice boomed like thunder. "If you can't even endure misfortune, you were never meant for Nexus Academy".
"Be gone!"
Marcus fainted, and instructors had to drag him out of the coliseum, leaving a still silent in his wake.
The survivors exchanged fearful glances. They now understood, no matter how powerful or talented you were… no one was safe from the crazy rules that were imposed by the Major, not even the strongest.
If luck turned against them…
Kairo's fists tightened. "If luck ever comes for me, I'll defy it," his eyes burned with fire even after feeling the weight of Major Pain's aura. "I'll defy it even if I have to break the system itself!"
Major Pain continued.
"The third round begins now. Those of you left… fight like this is the last time you'll ever draw breath. Because for most of you… it is".
The third round started.