Act 1: The Battle of Wits
Adam's unexpected victory in the chess match had set the stage for a thrilling competition in the subsequent games. The spotlight now shifted to Beatrix Evarhartz, the esteemed class leader of Class Planck, affectionately known as the "damselette." She was preparing to face her first opponent in the inaugural game of mental arithmetic.
Her adversary was none other than Chiari Sterling, the shining ace of Year 1-Class Hubble. Chiari was a striking figure, her beauty and intelligence setting her apart from her peers. Her hair flowed like liquid silk, shimmering in the light, and her eyes shone as brightly as the midday sun. Her figure was a sight that captivated the hearts of many, regardless of gender. It was no exaggeration to say that she was one of the most beautiful young women on campus, rivaling the other campus beauties, including Beatrix herself.
As they met, Chiari greeted Beatrix warmly, her smile as radiant as a thousand suns. "Nice to meet you, Miss Evarhartz. I've heard many rumors of your excellence. People weren't lying about your beauty."
Beatrix, not one to be outdone, responded with a poised and gracious, "I could say the same to you, Sterling." A genuine smile graced her lips.
Their conversation was abruptly cut short by the announcement over the speakers. The voice echoed through the room: "The first game will start in a few minutes. Beatrix Evarhartz and Chiari Sterling, please head to your seats."
Beatrix, with a hint of excitement in her voice, remarked, "Seems like it's about to begin."
Chiari's expression hardened as she responded, "May the best win."
The tension in the air grew as Beatrix and Chiari locked eyes, a silent exchange of competitive fire passing between them.
After a few minutes, they found themselves seated in a stark white room, positioned two meters apart, with a flat-screen TV before them. Each competitor had a desk equipped with a tablet and a stylus, ready to embark on the mental arithmetic challenge.
The screen illuminated, displaying a concise summary of the three games that awaited them. The first game was number pattern recognition, where they would need to identify and decipher complex numerical sequences. The second game tested their verbal and mental arithmetic skills, requiring quick calculations based on spoken prompts. Lastly, the third game, flash mental arithmetic, demanded rapid-fire calculations in response to visual stimuli.
"There are a total of three games, each consisting of ten questions," the screen announced. "The player with the most correct answers will emerge as the victor."
As everything was about to start, Chiari turned to face Beatrix, a glimmer of exhilaration in her eyes. "This is getting exciting, don't you think?" she remarked.
Beatrix met her gaze, a determined expression on her face. "It is indeed," she replied, her voice laced with confidence.
With their minds sharp and fierce spirits ignited, Beatrix and Chiari prepared themselves for the battle in which they would compete.
The room was filled with anticipation as the screen flickered to life, illuminating a mysterious countdown timer of ten seconds. Beatrix's voice resonated through the air: "I wish you good luck." Chiari's reply was barely a whisper: "You as well."
In the dwindling moments, the numbers on the screen dwindled, until finally, it displayed a cryptic message: "Zero."
The enigma deepened as a sequence of numbers emerged: 5, 10, 15, 20. The challenge was clear, yet obscured by an intricate veil of complexity. What secrets did these numbers hold? And what awaited them at the end?
Beatrix and Chiari, masters of their craft, locked their minds in a battle of wits. They delved into the depths of their knowledge, seeking patterns and unraveling mysteries. Each number, each gap, whispered the secrets of a hidden code.
Time seemed to stretch as they deciphered the enigmatic sequence. The room was shrouded in an aura of intense concentration, where every second held the weight of a thousand thoughts. The answer lay just beyond their grasp, waiting to be unveiled.
And then, in a moment of revelation, the screen went blank. The five-second clock elapsed, leaving behind a lingering sense that felt compelling. It was time to uncover the truth, to reveal the 2,457th term in the sequence.
With bated breath, Beatrix and Chiari awaited the screen's verdict. And as the cryptic message materialized, they were both greeted with a resounding affirmation. Their solutions aligned, and their minds were in perfect harmony.
15,098,265. The answer was revealed, a testament to their exceptional abilities. It was an expected outcome, yet its significance was not diminished.
In this moment, a delicate equilibrium was achieved. Two equals in their intellectual ability stood side by side. Their paths had converged, their minds intertwined in a dance of genius.
The cryptic challenge had been conquered, but the journey of discovery continued. Beatrix and Chiari, forever seekers of knowledge, would forge ahead, their thirst for wisdom unquenchable. In the end, the question was of no difficulty in front of these two pillars of intelligence.
With each passing question, Beatrix and Chiari displayed an unwavering commitment to perfection. Their objective was clear: to conquer every challenge that lay before them. The first game had concluded, and now they embarked on the next phase of their battle.
Verbal mental arithmetic became their new battlefield. They listened intently to the voice of numbers, their minds racing to find the answers within the depths of their intellect. The questions came one after another, each one a test of their mental agility and accuracy.
But in this relentless pursuit of perfection, neither Beatrix nor Chiari faltered. Question after question, their responses were flawless, and their calculations were precise. The room reverberated with the sound of their synchronized thoughts as they effortlessly solved each problem.
Yet, amidst their remarkable performance, a realization dawned upon them. It was not merely a competition to see who could accumulate more correct answers. Instead, it was a battle of endurance, a test of resilience. The true measure of their abilities lay in who would stumble first and who would succumb to a single mistake.
They pushed themselves to the limit, determined to remain flawless and outlast their opponent.
Beatrix and Chiari knew that the road ahead was treacherous. The path to perfection was paved with challenges, and the margin for error grew narrower with each passing question.
The quest for perfection drove them forward, as they sought to emerge victorious, unscathed by the weight of a single mistake.
The TV spoke, and the last question for the second game was a 5-digit number in 20 rounds in exactly 10 seconds.
Not only did they have to calculate and remember all the questions, but they also had to clearly understand the sped-up audio of the numbers that were presented to them in quick succession.
"This would not be as stressful as it is now if you had made one mistake, and I wish you did answer wrong this time," Beatrix said in hidden frustration, masked by a now nonchalant tone.
"I wished the same," Chiari admitted, no filter, no pretense, not hiding any true emotions she felt at the moment.
The screen then flashed and announced that both me and Sterling were...
"Both participants are correct. The overall score is still equal. The answer is 8,751."
Act 2: Shadows of War
We find Shiki and Nine talking on the condo balcony, discussing matters only a few can know. They just looked below the city streets while conversing. Shiki's arms crossed while Nine was leaning on the handrail.
"Shiki, the Central Continental Empire (CCE), Union of the Polar Circle (UPC), Order of Oceanic Nations (OON), and many others are in a heated situation. Worst-case scenario, the fourth world war is guaranteed. And did I forget to mention Alteria?" Nine exclaimed, looking at Shiki, then glanced back at the scenery.
"Currently, the UN is trying to strengthen relations and avoid conflict as much as possible, but peace treaties can only go so far," Nine added, his head now low and his voice only louder than a whisper.
"War this, war that. Why can't they find peace? Ever since the crown was dethroned, concerns of a broken world order have been rampant among the masses. Also, the same year of the virus outbreak, straining trust due to speculations that the virus was all planned," Shiki sighed, his tone serious yet soft.
"Are they seriously going to engage in warfare? The world is still recuperating from the pandemic, and they want more unnecessary suffering?" he questioned in a disappointed tone.
"Have you talked with the 'assembly' yet?" Nine asked Shiki.
"I met the Crescent Emperor of the Elves about three months ago when I visited Astralis, the eastern continent. He said that he did not wish for war, but of course he will have to fight those who attack his empire. The Dwarven Overlord said something similar. The Angelic Order, Rex Farin, and Empress Marina had the same ambitions, believe it or not. However, I haven't spoken with the other assembly members beside the ones I spoke of," he revealed.
"You haven't met with the others yet? I'll come with you the next time you visit one of the assemblies," Nine offered to Shiki.
"That'd be great," he replied, his tone now calm and less tense.
Act 3: The Flash of Genius
Following the events in school, a final challenge appears before the two geniuses.
Words that I did not want to hear but have now heard. The decisive factor in it all is now in the hands of the last game. Flash mental arithmetic, which many regarded as "flashing lights of mathematical seizures," or so they said. The average person always says that as a sign of their lack of understanding, or even those with high mathematical knowledge know that it's not the complexity of the numbers themselves. It was the remembrance of the fleeting numbers. I, for one, have been praised in many fields since I was a child. In science, mathematics, linguistics, sports, and even e-sports, I was always regarded as a genius among geniuses. But there is one thing I am best at. It is the ability to process anything and everything in even the smallest possible unit of time, Kaiser's time. So I wish she was not the same, not the same level of genius as me.
Emotions erupted, and anticipation was at its peak, waiting to burst forth. It was a timeless game of sorts. After which, Beatrix spoke.
"I know you'll do your hardest; I know you'll go above and beyond; I know you'll surpass your limits; I know all that, but my will is stronger; I am stronger than you, Chiari. I will prevail no matter what."
"Yes, that is explicitly right, but there is something wrong with your statement."
"Tell me..."
The room was silent for a few seconds. There was no sound, no interaction, and no occurrence in those few seconds of silence. Yet, then she spoke.
"Words do not dictate the future as they are spoken. So I believe that you will not win. You are not stronger. Those are your words, things that can be false, that can be untrue, that can be lies. I believe—no, I will win." she proclaimed.
The screen flashed once more, explaining the last game and the progression of difficulty between the set of questions. It was indeed tedious for them.
Beatrix shuffled her hair a bit, anxious for what's to come. Chiari was the same, anxious with a fear of losing. The screen gave them a warning; it was about to begin.
3...
Sweat dropped from Beatrix's forehead.
2...
Chiari has her arms crossed and is shaking slightly.
1...
Their eyes were wide open, ready to perfect every single one.
[4 minutes later]
It was finally the last question of their match; both were still on edge and very pressured for the final one. Both stayed quiet; none of them talked to each other. Missing the last question due to careless conversation would be very embarrassing and could badly harm their reputation and social status.
The screen flashed. "Rapid Fire!!!" it displayed. Rapid fire it was.
One thousand five-digit numbers overflowed their vision, and not even a moment later, it was all gone. Vanished.
Beatrix sighed, waiting for the results.
"You are the winner."
"It seems I lost," She acknowledged, tears dropping from her eyes, accepting defeat valiantly.
"BEATRIX EVARHARTZ!!!, with a perfect score of 30!!" a voice from the screen announced.
"I lost by one point; how interesting," she stated, and even more tears flowed from her eyes.
Beatrix hugged her, giving warmth that her cold tears distinguished.
"C'mon, this is only the first match; you have more chances to win," Beatrix explained calmly.
"Yes, there are other opportunities...", seldom wiping her tears.
Chiari returned Beatrix's hug with the same warmth.