One teacher stood frozen with a trembling clipboard 📋.
"W–We… we never wrote a rule about not blowing up the cave…"
Another instructor slammed his fist onto the desk.
"NEW RULE! Starting next tournament—❌ No uprooting swords❌ NO destroying stage lairs!"
The entire Academy erupted into chaos 💥.
Ben threw his head back and laughed, loud and booming.
"BROTHER AREN! YOU'RE A GENIUS! 😂"
King shook his head slowly, still stunned.
"You're insane," he said honestly."But we're going to win this."
Aren simply knelt and petted the tiny blue horse 🐎✨.
"Good boy."
The horse neighed happily, tail swishing.
🌙 End of Day One — Team Father
Team Father set up camp near the warm remnants of the destroyed cave.
Aren fed the horse dried fruit 🍎.Ben cleaned his bruises.King stared at Aren, replaying the explosion in his head again and again.
They slept beneath a shattered icy sky.
Day One was over.
Team Father was terrifying.And the world had only seen the beginning.
⚔️ Meanwhile — Team Rose
Elsewhere, ice cracked under heavy footsteps.
Prince Rose forced himself forward, sword dragging behind him, breath shaking.
"We… were able to make the lion leave its den…"
He lifted his head, eyes burning.
"For the Academy…For our honor…WE DO NOT FAIL!"
With one final, perfect coordination—
• Lyris' arrow pierced the lion's eye 🏹• Rose's sword sliced across its neck ⚔️• Princess Rias' spear-users drove steel into its ribs 🔱
The Ice Lion collapsed.
Team Rose fell around the corpse, panting, trembling, bloodied—but alive.
Stage One: Cleared.
👀 The Academy Watches
Silence followed.
Teachers whispered:
"That teamwork… astonishing.""They survived two lions…""This is discipline."
Students whispered back:
"They're monsters…""No wonder they're favorites…""Team Rose might actually win…"
Lyris wiped blood from her lip and stood tall.
Rose raised his sword weakly but proudly.Rias cleaned her spear in silence.
"Stage One…Clear."
The crowd roared 🌊🔥.
But beneath the cheers, people remembered:
Team Father cleared without bleeding.Without injuries.Without even fighting directly.
Two paths.Two teams.
Only one end.
🌅 Dawn — Stage Two Begins
Dawn broke quietly over the twin islands.
The tiny blue horse—now officially Team Father's guide—shook its glowing mane and trotted ahead happily 🐎✨.
Aren walked behind it, feeding dried fruit.Ben stretched his arms.King sharpened his weapon.
They reached the edge of a massive forest 🌲.
The horse pawed the ground twice and pointed its nose toward the trees.
Aren opened his book.
"Stage Two," he said calmly."Giant bees."
Ben frowned.
"…Like honey bees?"
Aren shook his head.
"These sting once.Then you meet the gods."
Ben turned pale 😨.King clicked his tongue.
"Lovely."
The horse snorted and hid behind Aren's leg.
⏳ Waiting Is Strategy
"We wait two days," Aren said.
King blinked.
"Wait? Why?"
Aren pointed at the forest.
"After a major explosion, the bees do not leave their hive for 48 hours.They are cautious creatures."
Ben nodded slowly.
"…That's smart."
King grinned.
"Of course Aren knows."
So Team Father waited.
For two days, Aren:
📖 Read bee legends✍️ Wrote notes🍓 Fed the horse🔥 Stopped King from burning the forest
Ben trained quietly.King complained loudly.The horse slept in Aren's lap.
The Academy watched everything.
Teachers whispered:
"They're not entering?""No… he's studying.""I hate how smart he is."
🐝 Team Rose — Brutal Advance
Team Rose entered immediately.
They marched together, weapons ready.
Then—
THRRRRRRRR—!!!
Wings thundered.Bodies as large as wolves.Stingers sharp enough to pierce steel.
The battle was vicious.
Rose cut down three bees ⚔️.Lyris used wind magic to clear venom 🌪️.Rias cast barrier after barrier until her mana shook 💠.
The audience gasped nonstop.
"LOOK AT THAT SPEED—!""THE PRINCESS IS COLLAPSING!""THE ELF IS BLEEDING—!"
Rias killed two bees with her spear.
By the time the Hive Queen fell, the forest went silent.
Team Rose stood victorious—
Barely.
Poisoned.Bleeding.Exhausted.
Medical teams rushed in.
A message appeared in the sky:
TEAM ROSEStage 2 ClearedStatus: CRITICAL CONDITION
Teachers whispered nervously.
"They can't continue…""They'll be forced to quit…"
Then—
Another announcement shook the Academy:
TEAM ROSE HAS NOT GIVEN UP.THEY WILL CONTINUE.
Chaos erupted.
🌲 Team Father — Correct Way
Ben stared at the screen.
"They're still going… after that!?"
King scoffed.
"Their problem. Aren—what now?"
Aren nodded calmly.
"We do it correctly."
He closed the book.
"Bees are color-blind to mud mixed with water.They cannot detect shapes coated in it."
Ben blinked.
"…So we paint ourselves brown?"
"Yes."
They went to the river.
Mud.Water.Paste.
They covered themselves.
Even the horse.
The horse looked like a dirty potato 🥔🐎.
Ben tried not to laugh.
🏹 Silent Slaughter
They entered the forest.
The buzzing grew louder.
But—
The bees flew past them.
Did not see them.Did not attack.
Ben whispered, "They can't see us…"
King's eyes widened.
"…This is terrifying."
They moved methodically.
Ben punched from behind 💥.King sliced wings cleanly ⚔️.Aren fired calmly, arrow after arrow 🎯.
Points rose on the ancient pillar.
Students were speechless.
"No injuries?!""Team Rose almost died!""This isn't magic—this is knowledge!"
The Queen rose.
Aren didn't retreat.
He attached a small explosive head.
Fired.
FWISH—BOOM! 💥
The Queen collapsed instantly.
The hive fell silent.
✅ Stage Two — Perfect Clear
The announcer screamed:
"TEAM FATHER CLEARS STAGE TWO!NO DAMAGE!NO WOUNDS!NO LOSSES!"
Teachers panicked.Students screamed.Staff dropped papers.
Team Father washed the mud off.
Aren fed the horse a carrot 🥕.Ben stretched.King sharpened his blade.
Aren opened his book again.
Calm.Prepared.
The Academy finally understood:
This wasn't luck.This wasn't power.This was domination by intelligence.