"Behold, the ultimate trial had unveiled its unforeseen conclusion, a chapter where all hope for Tatsuki's survival appeared extinguished. Yet, like a specter of unyielding determination, he emerged.
The announcer declared, 'He has achieved the improbable, conquering the unruly beast that once mocked his grandiloquent boasts. People, he has prevailed over the formidable Unihorn Lily!'
Descending, bloodied and with faltering limbs, he pressed on, entering a resolute battle and cleaving Lily's tail. Yet, when even that proved insufficient, he thrust his spear entirely through the beast's midsection.
It was a magnificent display, a spectacle destined for the annals of time. Who among us shall now dare to question his prowess? Let us, in unity, offer our respect and, with resounding cheers, welcome him warmly. Spectators, join me in celebration!"
The announcer bellowed with fervor, "The unruly beast... The unruly beast!"
Spectators, in unison, roared with passion, crying out, "The unruly beast... The unruly beast..."
Bao Chi cheered with joy, joining in, "The unruly beast... The unruly beast... The unruly beast."
Shinji Amora chuckled softly to himself, murmuring, "Yes, truly the unruly beast, hehe."
As the chant persisted, a slow murmur rippled through the crowd. Some spoke, "He..." while others murmured, "Hey, look at that." It was enough to catch the announcer's attention, and he turned toward the mana orb.
He shouted, "Dear spectators, look at what is happening. Even after that brutal battle, our unruly beast has regained consciousness. Witness his valiant struggle to stand, to return."
Tatsuki's whole body trembled; his left hand clung to the most. Slowly, he rose, moving with a hunched back, as if he might topple at any moment.
The announcer proclaimed, "Ladies and gentlemen, the beast draws near us, hahaha... Indeed..."
The announcer's voice quivered as he continued, "But why, why does it deviate from its path? Instead of seeking an escape from the mana field, what mysteries dwell in the depths of his mind? Esteemed spectators, it seems there is more yet to be revealed."
After several labored breaths and countless steps taken through immense hardship, Tatsuki came to a halt. He stood there, gazing at the ground as though he were peering into an abyss. Suddenly, he drove his hand deep into the snow, then began to scoop the frozen powder. With a determined motion, he raised his hand, revealing the severed tail of Lily clasped within.
Tatsuki turned toward Lily and advanced, dragging the lily's tail across the ground, etching a mark as deep as a small tree.
Bao Chi whispered, "What are you doing, brother? What thoughts occupy your mind that keep you so silent as you are now?"
Tatsuki abruptly stopped in close proximity to Lily's lifeless form. A solemn silence enveloped the entire mana field. In a decisive moment, Tatsuki raised his hand once more, swinging Lily's tail through the air.
Spectators were thrown into a frenzy in their seats, whispering, "What is he doing now? Is this some sort of victory ritual?" Another voice chimed in, "He must have gone mad from the injury, I tell you, hahahahaha."
The unending succession of loud, relentless whipping sounds echoed through the examination place, like a series of rapid cracks, accompanied by the frightening roars of, "Hyeahhhh, hyeahhhh."
The announcer, his demeanor filled with horror, addressed the spectators, saying, "It seems that the anger of our competitors has not yet subsided. He has chosen to employ the lifeless body of Lily to deliver his own punitive whippings, using the very tail of the beast itself."
Tatsuki displayed no sign of halting his relentless act of taming the undead Lily. Over time, unease began to spread through the crowd, murmurs arose. "Isn't he taking it too far now?" one voice chimed in, and another replied, "Yes, he doesn't appear to be sane anymore." With that, the mana field began to dissipate bit by bit, the barrier showing visible cracks.
The entire dome resounded with the deafening noise of spectators, who released a flurry of questions. "Hey, what's happening there?" one cried out. Another demanded, "Why did the mana field suddenly disappear, and why are the orbs shutting down? Tell us what's going on!" Chaos had gripped the entire dome, and the judges sat uselessly, still recovering from Tatsuki's astonishing victory. The announcer, in a state of panic, struggled to manage the unruly crowd, even pulling on his hair in frustration.
The announcer whispered, "Why isn't he here yet? The mana field and barrier have returned to their natural state of mana, as they should, but he was supposed to return here after that. So where did he go?"
A deep voice reached the announcer's ears from behind, inquiring, "What is going on here? Why is the crowd in such an uproar?"
Before he could even look in the direction of the voice, the announcer shouted, "Which idiot is so oblivious to their surroundings that they don't even know what happened here?" He then turned toward the source of the voice.
The moment the announcer saw the face behind the voice, he trembled in fear, unable to think clearly. He instinctively bowed his head, begging for forgiveness, and stammered, "Mayor Ken, this servant pleads for mercy. I did not intend to insult you, but the dire situation has clouded my thoughts."
The announcer touched the ground with his forehead, and suddenly, Aiko's voice echoed from above.
Aiko's voice rang out, "Enough with this drama. You may stand now. I do not have all day, and we came here solely to honor the competitors who passed the trial. Right now, you're getting in the way."
With those words, Aiko materialized on the stage seemingly out of thin air. She turned towards Sai Ken, who had taken a domineering stance.
Aiko addressed him, "Grandpa, you wouldn't want to delay my time outside, would you? So, stop pressing the poor soul down there and let's proceed with these trials." Then, she turned her attention to the announcer, saying, "And you, the one on the ground, can cease apologizing to him now."
The announcer quickly regained his feet, a visible expression of relief on his face.
He spoke, "Hehehe... Oh, goddesses, you are just as generous as our mayor. You truly are his blood."
Mayor Ken, standing on the stage, gently placed his weighty hand on Aiko and addressed her with refined grace, "Dearest love, if you would be so gracious as to wait, I would first like to offer my assistance in this unfolding situation..."
Aiko blushed at her grandfather's words, but out of respect for him, she nodded her head in approval. Mayor Ken continued, smiling, "Well, since that's settled, why don't you..."
Mayor Ken turned toward the announcer, his eyes filled with intensity, as if flames themselves resided within them.
Mayor Ken demanded the truth from the announcer, who found his tongue tied, managing only gibberish in response.
The announcer stammered, "Aagh wale yaae..."
Mayor Ken, now filled with anger, retorted, "You dare mock me, using such a vile tone?"
The judges quickly rushed to the stage, attempting to calm Mayor Ken's anger. The first judge implored, "Please, stay your anger. There is no need to shed blood here."
Mayor Ken, still furious, responded, "Huh...? You think I care..."
Suddenly, a loud noise echoed as objects fell from the sky, striking the stage with force. This unexpected event forced everyone standing on the stage to jump back a considerable distance.
Panic swiftly spread among the spectators, who began to run toward the exit. In just a few minutes, only a handful of spectators remained, along with the participants, judges, Mayor Ken, and Aiko.
Among those who were pushed back from the stage, Mayor Ken was the first to recover, and the others followed his lead.
Mayor Ken laughed, "Holy mother, what the hell just went down?!"
The second judge, who was closest to Mayor Ken, spoke in confusion, "My lord?"
Aiko quickly rushed to the mayor's side and pinched his waist, causing him to wince in pain.
Mayor Ken glanced at Aiko, who stared at him with eyes filled with fury. He understood her message and turned towards the second judge, speaking elegantly, "Huh...? Mr. judge, I asked you what just happened here. I can't seem to recall...?"
The second judge thought, "My ears must be playing tricks on me. Yes, I must have misheard our elegant Mayoui's words."
Angrily, Aiko muttered in Mayor Ken's ear, "Grandpa, try not to embarrass us..."
So Mayor Ken crouched down and spoke slowly to Aiko, "Baby girl, it ain't my fault... Just looking at that whack stuff made my tongue go wild, you know."
Aiko sighed and said, "Well then, try harder, grandpa."
Mayor Ken, now speaking elegantly, replied, "Yes, my love. I have heard your request, and it shall be fulfilled."
Aiko, in an annoyed manner, responded, "Yes, Mayor Ken, your efforts are appreciated."
As the dust began to clear, the other participants tried to reach the broken stage, but Mayor Ken spoke up.
"Wait, children, you should stay back here. We have yet to discover if that was an enemy or not. You can't be reckless at a time like this..."
Despite Mayor Ken's warning, Aiko still moved toward the broken stage, and Mayor Ken continued to speak.
Mayor Ken, concerned, implored, "Love, what are you doing? I just said it's not safe."
Aiko didn't even bother to look back for a second as she moved forward confidently, remarking, "What could possibly happen with you around, grandpa."
Mayor Ken sighed and said, "She makes me doubt who the mayor is here..."
Carefully, Aiko and Mayor Ken moved between the broken stage to reach the place where the crash had occurred.
When they reached the scene and saw what was there, Aiko couldn't stomach it. Terrified, she tried to run off the stage, but her mind was weakened, and all she managed to do was vomit repeatedly.
"Puke... puke... puke..."
Mayor Ken mumbled with a shocked expression, "What a horrible sight it is..."
The judges from below the stage asked, the third judge in confusion, "Lord, what do you see there?"
Mayor Ken turned around, and his eyes were almost filled with tears. He spoke with audible sadness, "It's a... a... child covered completely in blood."
The people were shocked by the mayor's words, although some still wanted to see the truth for themselves. However, they couldn't get a clear view of the place due to the scattered fragments of the stage obstructing their vision.
Among them, Bao Chi chose to rush over to the scene. With uneasiness in his heart and a terrified expression on his face, he shouted, "Brother!"
Mayor Ken quickly understood the situation and decided to halt Bao Chi in his tracks. But Bao Chi was determined to reach his brother, so he jumped while running, clenching his fist to force his way through.
Bao Chi shouted in anger, "Get the hell out of my way..."
Bao Chi struck the mayor with a clear hit to the face, expecting to knock him down. However, Mayor Ken, with the willpower akin to a mountain, stood firm. Surprisingly, it was Bao Chi who fell to the ground.
Mayor Ken said, "You've got some nerve, brat, hitting your mayor like that. Your brother, or not, he's in such a condition that you would be traumatized if you saw him. So it's better if I tell you this... Your brother is dead."
Bao Chi argued against Mayor Ken, but tears welled up in his eyes the moment he heard the devastating news of his brother's death. Mayor Ken spoke with grief in his voice, "Yes, child, that's it. Don't hold it in, cry it all out."
Bao Chi, however, was determined to reach Tatsuki. He bickered with Mayor Ken, but a single punch to the gut was all it took to knock Bao Chi out, and he fell unconscious.
Mayor Ken spoke with empathy, "Ah, child, I know it's not easy to lose someone, but you can't let it drag you down like that."
Then, Mayor Ken turned toward the announcer and asked, "Hey, you, tell me, do you know who this child is?"
The announcer, still trembling, replied, "My lord, he is one of the participants who came for the entrance exam..."
Mayor Ken inquired further, "A participant? Then, how did this happen...?"
The judges came in front of the announcer, and the second judge offered, "Allow me to explain this situation to you, my lord..."