Chapter 20: Chapter 19
Sean pulled a wrinkled yellow flag out of his pocket.
"Then I'd bet the match will be done in one and a half minutes!"
Bids on how quick the fight will end began on their side, betting differently as they gathered the flags in one place. Honestly, I have no idea if I will even last thirty seconds against Allen now that the voice inside my head revealed why he was encouraging me to fight.
"So, do we set rules or not?"
"I just have one request," I spoke, unsure of my sudden decision in life.
He asked, "what is it?"
"We fight in the dark."
"Huh? Do you mean you don't want the flashlight on? I know, I know, I know. Okay, boys, put your flashlight down on the ground!"
I wonder what it feels like to be a leader of a group of thugs, ordering people around and doing whatever you want. Hmm, maybe I should ask Allen about it some other time.
"Is that good enough for you?"
Gloomy it is, I would say... Through the dimly lit forest, I could barely see everyone. With all the tall trees covering the ground from the moon, its light scarcely penetrates through the aperture in the leaves, giving little brightness to our eyes.
"Everyone stood where we could see you!"
And so they did, standing below the tiny gaps in branches and leaves, whispering to each other and giggling at the slightest touch of their breath on their ears.
"Are you satisfied now, wimp?"
"Yeah," I said shortly.
"Then it is my turn to suggest a rule, right?"
"It's fine as long as it does not put anyone at a disadvantage."
"It is simple! Both of us can't surrender! The only way to win is to knock your enemy out!"
The two of us disappeared into the shadows, but his reverberating voice made me imagine the current expression on his face. His eyes were bloodshot, veins bulging on his forehead as he angrily bit on his tongue, and his clenched-tight fist shaking in rage.
"Terms accepted."
"Hoho, it is finally starting, huh?"
[Twenty minutes had passed since the special exam started! Students of the UNP, are you having fun? Is this exam exciting enough for everyone? I know that some of you are against this, but you ought to abide by the rules!]
"Hell yeah! This exam sure is amazing! It would be extremely great if we could beat the shit out of everyone!"
This is thrilling, exhilarating, exciting, everything related to those words, and it's extremely frightening at the same time. It is Allen we are talking about here. He has the strength to knock the shit out of me in mere seconds if I become overconfident in myself just because I defeated some students.
I can't let those small feats get over my head and become arrogant. Always keep a cool head, think straight, and don't falter when executing your plan.
Allen may be a bully, he might like looking down on people he deemed inferior to him, but I know de facto that, just by looking at him, he will fight fair and square. I've seen people like him in the past, and they were all mercilessly crushed by others who play it dirty. So to win against him,
I should act as the cunning bastard and beat him at any cost, even if I have to use underhanded methods.
"If I win, you won't hold a grudge against me, right, Allen?"
"Oh, no, I'm a man of my words! I won't unless you do something I don't like."
In the end, I ended up coming with Ms. Cristina and Austin, but I think it was them who decided to come to follow me. Since I am on a mission to find Clause, whom I lost earlier when a bunch of students ran after us, I took the lead and headed back up to west where I reckon Clause would be.
Together, we trotted on the flat surface of the ground while we reserved as much energy as we could on our way to meet with Clause.
"Do the two of you encounter other students yet?"
The silence between us was starting to get through in my head, so I had to break the ice with a question I have been meaning to ask.
Austin seemed to be matching Ms. Cristina's pace behind me. I am just glad that the two of them agreed not to use their flashlight. Using them to illuminate our path when the moonlight is enough source of brightness will only attract other students.
Desperation from students whose flags had been stolen surely will cloud their judgment. Their ability to think straight will be rendered useless. Therefore, it is possible that injuries among students, the majority, will be the result of this special exam.
Kudaranai! Fuck the special exam's rules because I am guessing that even right now students are breaking them to an extent.
"We have encountered students earlier, and the two of us even managed to capture three flags."
Austin answered smilingly.
The goddess, Ms. Cristina, while briskly walking, added, "if you had seen Austin earlier, Ira, you would be amazed!"
For some reason, the genuine smile on her face, which I could barely see was something I wanted to see, not because she was happy about someone or something but because of me.
I know that I'm being a total simp, sometimes ogling at ladies and often idolizing pretty women like Ms. Cristina, but I can't help it. After all, I am just a lonely man who wanted even the tiniest bit of attention from them. I've always sought a female companion in my life because I know, for a fact, that it is one thing I am missing in my life. Growing up without a mother and an abusive father turned out to be something I would not wish my children experience.
Every time I hear elder people talking, I would always hear from them that 'what children do to their parents, your children will do so too to you. Be it good or bad.'
"I see. That is good to hear."
Our trip to the west side of the forest, even if we are cautiously trotting, is bound to have an encounter with other students.
"Well, well, what a beautiful encounter we have here!"
"Kuku, it definitely is!"
~
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone