The Author's POV

"Ah! Here he is, the contestant that got first place in his group. Ren Dover"

"Hm?"

A reporter suddenly approached me. With a tablet in his hand, the reporter shoved a microphone to my face.

"If you would spare us a minute, would you mind telling us what you were feeling during the match, and how will you continue moving forward?"

"W-well, I'm naturally happy about my result..."

Caught off guard by the reporter, I became slightly flustered.

Though I had expected such a situation to happen, I was still recovering from my previous stunt.

Before I could even calm down, I was thrown into another troublesome situation.

"Is that so, then what are your predictions for the games? Do you think you will make it to the top fifty, or is that a bit too high at the moment?"

"Top fifty?"

My brow raised. My nervousness instantly vanished. What did he just say?

"Yes, although hard, given your qualifications, it should be possible. Given some of the other contestant's scores, although your score is quite high, enough to get you first in the group, there are over a hundred other scores that are higher than yours. Do you think you can beat them?"

"Ha."

The edges of my lips pulled upwards, and a small chuckle escaped from my lips.

'To think that I am being looked down upon this much...'

They probably assumed that my timing was the best I could achieve. That I went all out.

"I might regret saying this, but..."

"Excuse me, is there something fu'”"

"Win"

A soft yet audible voice escaped from my mouth.

"Excuse me?"

"I'm going to win, no'”", I shook my head. This didn't sound right, "let me rephrase my words..."

Lifting my head, I looked straight into the cameras pointing at me.

"...I will win the dummy massacre games and crush every competitor that stands in my way"

Without waiting for the reporters to ask any more questions, I turned around and left. Behind me, the sound of intense scribbling rang out.

Although it was mainly my fault. I was tired of people looking down on me.

Now that I no longer needed to hide as much as before, it was about time I showed the world a little bit of what I could do.

This was my statement.

***

[...I will win the dummy massacre games and crush every competitor that stands in my way]

Inside a waiting room, a male's voice echoed from the speakers of a TV screen. On the opposite side of the TV screen was a large black sofa where a platinum-haired youth sat.

'”Click!

Raising his hand, the platinumed hair youth turned off the TV. A faint smile appeared on his lips.

"Who would've thought he was like that?"

Turning his head to the right, a beautiful platinum hair girl appeared by his side. A solemn expression appeared on her face.

the male and female students had. Had it not been for their different gender, they would've

do you think your

"I'm not sure"

Aerin, shook her

was participating in the dummy massacre games. In fact, she had just returned from her game, and this was what

hand on his chin, Nicholas, Aerin's brother, crossed his legs and fell into deep

need to get first place here...", musing

It's

and forty-two

the scoreboard and checked the

one second, that's a lot

didn't go

her eyes away from

Ren had gone all out. She too didn't go all out in the

really matter right now since the difficulty increased which

not the best representation of the final

share the same

"Well, we are twins..."

slight smile

most of their life together. It wasn't

know that he didn't go all out. Then are you confident in

"Yes, no problem"

the TV

couldn't be masked as she touched the grip of

"That's my sister"

stood up and lightly ruffled Aerin's

that you will

can count on

a blossoming smile appeared on Aerin's face. Now, more than ever, she swore

***

At the same time.

"What a peculiar child..."

elderly man muttered as he sat behind a

words [Douglas R.

an office space. On the opposite side of the wooden desk was a white leather sofa and a

indeed

had been standing in front of the elderly

of reminiscence appeared on the headmaster's

reminds of me the Keiki style. Ah, the last time I saw it was around five decades ago when Grandmaster Keiki fought against one of the top executives of the Monolith. Those days were

took humanity nearly seventy years to establish a proper

the world was in total chaos. Demon and beast attacks were a common sight, and skirmishes amongst fellow humans appeared far more often than now. At least on the

already built, it was

far more dangerous. The security measures weren't as advanced as

there were humans that

in. If not for them, humanity would've taken

Keiki was one

still far from reaching his level back then, everything just sort of felt

back on his chair,

bare of hundreds of demons and villains without even moving. To this day, I have never forgotten that

the headmaster's words. To her,

from him were something that she would deeply engrave into her

how

hands in front of him. If only looked closely, they'd be able to notice that the hands were becoming

of a safe location so I don't have to worry about

about the students that you have been

"As you wish"

slightly and shared everything with the headmaster. She talked about Kevin, Ren, Amanda and everyone that she thought were

from her statement. Like

she held enormous amounts of respect for the person before her, she had

such, unless she got their explicit

***

[Lock private waiting area]

11 A.M.

out in the