Liber said, "Alright, Giurmes. We need to go. Still 79 kilometers away."
Giurmes smiled. "Good luck."
---
Emperor City
Rylan, ranked #2 in the Liber organization, stretched lazily. "This is the life, isn't it? Just relaxing."
Izan, the #1 ranked member, shrugged. "It's... alright, I guess."
They walked through the streets, but suddenly passed someone who made them both pause.
The stranger muttered to himself, "Feel like I recognize them... but maybe it's just me."
Rylan whispered to Izan, "Who is that?"
Izan frowned. "How should I know?"
As they turned toward their apartment building, Rylan unexpectedly veered into an alley.
Izan stopped, annoyed. "Where are you going? Our apartment is left. Why are you going into the alley?"
Rylan waved it off. "Just taking a slight detour."
Izan's eye twitched. "Your 'slight detour' is going to get us—"
WHAM!
A fist slammed into Rylan's stomach, doubling him over.
"Hello there," a voice said smoothly. "First time meeting. Might be the last, too."
Rylan gasped for air. "Who... who are you?!"
The stranger smiled, his blue eyes gleaming beneath yellow hair. "You don't recognize the number one most wanted fugitive?"
Rylan's eyes widened. "Vis Gaka!"
He drew his sword instantly. Vis Gaka stepped forward, blocking the strike with his own weapon—a massive scythe he'd been concealing under his cloak. Steel clashed against steel. Izan tried to circle around for a sneak attack, but Vis Gaka kicked him away without missing a beat.
Panicking, Rylan threw a knife. Vis Gaka casually deflected it with the shaft of his scythe. Another kick sent Rylan stumbling back. Before he could recover, Vis Gaka lunged forward and drove the blade of his scythe into Rylan's stomach, then flung him aside like garbage.
Izan charged from behind.
---
Elsewhere
Liber urged Varkas, "Hurry up, Varkas. This is serious."
Varkas kept his cool. "Patience."
21 kilometers remaining.
---
Back to the Fight
Vis Gaka met Izan's charge with a brutal punch that made him crumple in pain. From the ground, Rylan—bleeding heavily—raised his gun to shoot. Vis Gaka grabbed Izan and held him like a human shield. Rylan lowered his weapon instantly.
With cold efficiency, Vis Gaka stabbed Izan in the chest—then threw his body at Rylan, sending both crashing together.
A shadow descended from above.
Vis Gaka, annoyed, tried to fight back, but the newcomer matched him blow for blow. A knife suddenly pierced Vis Gaka's hand. He grimaced in pain and fled into the darkness.
The stranger turned to the fallen pair. "Are you two alright?"
Izan coughed blood. "We're... alive."
"What are your names?"
"Izan... and Rylan."
In an instant, the stranger's knife sank into Izan's hand. "Izan and Rylan. Liber's men, aren't you?"
Izan gasped in shock. "How do you know that?!"
The stranger's voice was calm. "I know your boss well."
Izan, bewildered and in pain, asked, "Who are you? Why did you help us... and then attack us?"
The stranger stood, his silhouette ominous. "I have no name. I am no one. But an organization has given me a title... 'The Terror.'"
---
19 Minutes Later
Liber and Varkas arrived at the scene. Izan was soaked in his own blood. Rylan lay unconscious nearby.
Two Days Later - After 39 Hours in Liber's Private Hospital
Rylan was dead. Three organs had failed.
Izan had a 68.2% chance of survival.
---
International Waters - Sikharns Academy - Conference Room
Gis asked Eshar, "Why can't we reach Vis Gaka?"
Eshar replied calmly, "Reports say he's being hunted by someone calling himself 'The Terror.'"
Gis frowned. "'The Terror'... sounds familiar. But he's supposed to be dead. Impossible. Anyway, what do you recommend for the final exam, Eshar?"
Eshar folded his hands. "Not my recommendation—Vis Gaka's. A 2v2 battle royal. The last 13 teams standing win."
Gis considered it. "Interesting. I'll think about it. You're dismissed. Two days remain."
Eshar nodded. "Understood."
---
Academy Grounds - Chicken Shop
Riju argued with Zavian. "Chicken is better than beef. No contest."
Zavian shook his head. "Beef is superior in every way."
Minutes passed in comfortable silence.
Finally, Zavian stood. "I'm going to buy some bread. Want any?"
Riju nodded. "Get two."
Zavian walked through a narrow alley, glancing around before pulling out his communicator.
"Hey. You still alive?"
A few minutes later, he ended the call and continued to the bakery.
"How much for these?" Zavian asked, pointing at some pastries.
The shopkeeper replied, "3.1 Pins each."
Zavian handed over 7 Pins. "Two, please."
The shopkeeper bagged them and gave change. "Here's your 0.8 Pins back."
Zavian returned to the dorm. After eating with Riju, they both slept.
---
The Next Morning
Eshar's voice boomed across the academy grounds. "No delays. The final exam begins now. Every three minutes, a building will be sealed. Anyone hiding inside becomes a statistic."
Panic erupted. Riju and Zavian moved quickly.
"What now?" Riju asked.
Zavian kept walking. "Just keep moving."
They entered a building and found weapons—a shotgun and an SMG. They grabbed them immediately.
Suddenly, attackers appeared. Riju fired the shotgun wildly, missing completely. While he struggled to reload, a bullet hit his hand. He screamed in pain.
Zavian lunged with the same knife from Arc 1, stabbing the first attacker, but the second one punched and slammed him to the ground. Zavian kicked the man's leg, regained his footing, and finished the first attacker with a single shot. The second tried to fight but was helpless—Riju, despite his injury, blew his head off with the shotgun.
Both collapsed, exhausted.
Zavian tore cloth from a corpse and wrapped Riju's wound tightly. Riju screamed.
In the distance—an explosion.
A grenade, pin already pulled, rolled toward them. Zavian reflexively jumped back but still caught shrapnel. Riju fired wildly in panic.
Casualties so far: 49.
Silhouettes appeared in the distance, opening fire. Riju and Zavian dove behind a wrecked car. Riju grabbed one of the alcohol bottles he'd saved from Arc 1 and asked Zavian for his lighter. He tore cloth from another corpse, lit it, and threw.
One attacker burned alive.
But another charged through, punching Zavian across the pavement, then firing at Riju—missing. Riju stayed calm until a kick sent him flying. The attacker shot Zavian near the shoulder.
Zavian staggered up and smashed the attacker's head with a vicious blow. The man froze for a moment, then collapsed—skull cracked. Zavian kept hitting, over and over, until Riju pulled him off, shocked at his friend's brutality. The attacker's head was unrecognizable.
---
Elsewhere in the Battlefield
A small figure with long hair—Yui—faced down a group of enemies.
Konoks sneered. "A girl in the middle of a warzone? How cute. You'll die fast."
Yui's expression didn't change. "Try it."
Konoks fired. Yui dodged effortlessly. In one fluid motion, she stabbed his shoulder with a knife, then kicked him. Konoks, shocked, punched her leg—she responded by slashing his hand, making him drop his weapon.
He ran. Yui shot his leg.
Konoks screamed, "Why?! How?! Women are physically weaker!"
Yui smirked. "Who said I'm a woman?" She executed him with a bullet.
Suddenly, a massive man—Doget—appeared and sent Yui flying into a stack of flour boxes. Her partner tried to attack but was slammed repeatedly until he coughed blood. Doget threw the dying man into a supermarket signpost.
Yui recovered quickly, kicking Doget and firing wildly—missing every shot. Doget casually knocked her hand aside. She pushed him back, spotted a parked motorcycle with keys still in it, and rammed him. He flew backward. She kept shooting.
Yui grabbed her partner's corpse—using it as a shield—then threw it at Doget. He kicked it away effortlessly.
---
Meanwhile
Zavian muttered, "What the hell is that thing?" as Doget's massive form came into view.
---
Back to Yui's Fight
She pushed Doget again, firing until a bullet grazed his ear. He punched her shoulder, but she kept pushing—right toward Riju and Zavian's position. All three tumbled into a pool building.
In the water, Yui's pistol was useless. She drew a blade and clashed with Doget underwater. She slashed his hand—just a graze. He tried to punch, but the water slowed him.
Poolside
Riju panicked. "Zavian! Help! I can't swim!"
Zavian rolled his eyes. "You can't swim?! Seriously?!" He dragged Riju out.
Riju gasped. "Are you going to help them or—"
Before he finished, Zavian pulled the pin on a grenade and tossed it into the pool.
Yui's eyes widened. "You've got to be kidding me!"
BOOM.
Water exploded everywhere. Doget emerged, body shredded and bleeding. Zavian calmly shot him in the head.
Riju noticed something—a reflection in broken glass from the door Yui had smashed through. He shoved Zavian just as a sniper round flew past.
But a figure appeared, throwing bulletproof glass that stopped the shot.
"Enough!" the figure announced. "Round 3 is over. You all pass. Anyone who keeps fighting will be disqualified—and executed. Five days of rest."
Riju, Zavian, and Yui lowered their weapons and walked away. Zavian collapsed halfway. Riju helped drag him to the infirmary.
---
VOLUME 3 - END
VOLUME 4 ? 3920 VIEWS