Isaac ducked just in time, pressing his back against the stairs to stay hidden. His glasses slipped slightly tilted as he waited, every muscle tense, until the footsteps finally faded away.
'I-I almost got caught. Is he still there?' Isaac thought, his heart still racing.
He quickly raised his blade slightly while lying on the rough staircase, tilting it upward and then downward to catch a reflection, checking if anyone was still there. He kept doing this for thirty seconds before finally deciding to check for himself with his head slightly above the staircase.
'Looks like he's gone. At least now I know people are actually in this building,' Isaac thought, adjusting his glasses before putting his finger to his ear.
"H-hello?" Isaac said, his voice barely above a whisper.
"What is it now?" Ena replied, her tone curt.
"There's p-people in the building," Isaac said, his voice shaky.
"Well, no shit, Sherlock. It's their checkpoint. What did you expect?" Ena answered, her tone sharp.
"Other than that is there anything you needed to tell me?" She added.
"Y-yes, actually. Throughout the entire time I was here, I've been spreading the blood of the earpiece in every corner on the first floor using my finger, the same one I used on the earpiece. C-can you tell me if anyone entered the building?" Isaac said, his voice trembling.
"Smart move, I'll give you that. But since you're pretty far, I doubt I'll be able to help much. I'll see what I can do," Ena said before cutting off.
'That's just going to make me even more scared! Can't you be a little comforting at least? But I guess I don't have to worry about anyone trailing me now. Probably,' Isaac thought before making a move.
He began to explore the second floor, using the same careful technique as on the first. This time, instead of peeking directly with his head, he used the reflection of his blade to scan the area, just as he had done earlier.
He ventured into every room, finding no orbs or participants in sight—just an empty floor with nothing noteworthy to offer. It wasn't long before he finished searching the entire second floor.
'Nothing special on this floor either. But where was that person? He couldn't be trailing me—I've been spreading blood everywhere, and Ena would have informed me if someone was following me without my knowledge,' Isaac thought, a shiver running down his spine.
'That person must be on the upper floors then. I can't afford to let my guard down now, knowing there's a participant,' Isaac thought. A single droplet of water splashed into a nearby puddle, making him jump slightly.
'This is making me so anxious!'
Isaac made his way to the stairs, holding his short blade in front of him as he cautiously ascended. When he reached the third floor, he noticed something different from the previous two—signs of human interaction.
'Mana traces are everywhere on the walls, along with blade marks. Someone used a skill here. And not just that—there's blood,' Isaac observed, his eyes narrowing as he took in the chaotic scene.
Tiny portions of blood dotted the ground, and blade marks marred the walls, some cut slightly deep. Most wouldn't have noticed these subtle signs, but Isaac and a select few were exceptions. He placed his left hand on the handle of his katana and began to walk slowly, each step deliberate and cautious.
'Was this the cause of the person i saw earlier? Or was it someone els-' As he was thinking a blade behind him was sent behind him.
Luckily, he managed to dodge by lowering his upper body just in time. A figure appeared before him, barely visible in the darkness.
Before he could catch his breath, the figure rushed at him with incredible speed. Reacting instantly, Isaac activated his skill, narrowly dodging the swift attack that followed.
Isaac lunged at the figure with his short blade, but she leaped over him with ease, delivering a sharp kick that sent him sprawling to the ground. He gasped for air, the impact knocking the wind out of him. As he looked up, he saw the figure's blade descending toward him.
He rolled to the side just in time and pushed himself up, hand gripping his waist for balance. Their blades clashed with a sharp ring, sparks flying as they met. Without wasting a moment, Isaac sprinted past the figure, weaving through the hallways as the pursuer shadowed him, each step echoing in the narrow space.
Isaac found himself at a dead end, the only escape a window in front of him. He paused for a second, weighing his options, before glancing back. In that split moment, the figure kicked him hard, sending him crashing through the window and into the open air.
He landed safely on a platform, the roof of the bridge connecting the two buildings. Gasping for air, he took a quick glance at his opponent, who was already poised for the next move.
It was a girl, Isaac then stood on his feet before looking at her features.
'Short hair, brownish blonde, blue eyes, and the emblem Haruo described. It's the MVP's sister,' Isaac thought, recognizing the details instantly.
'That guy's teammates was them!? I have to inform them!' Isaac thought ready to press his ear but tatiana didn't let him as she swinged her blade to his waist.
Isaac reacted swiftly, partially unsheathing his katana to block her strike. Tatiana left herself open, and Isaac seized the opportunity, using his short blade to strike at her opening. However, his attack was abruptly deflected by a surprising kick from her, knocking him off balance.
'What!? Where did that kick come from!?' Isaac thought.
Tatiana quickly retracted her blade and swung the handle of her sword toward Isaac's face with lightning speed. He barely had time to react, the impact sending him stumbling back, his vision momentarily blurred.
Tatiana stepped back, preparing to jump at him again, this time with deadly intent. But as she closed the distance, she froze. Isaac's eyes had changed—his pupils were gone, replaced by an eerie outline of a pupil, an unsettling shift that caught her off guard.
Isaac unsheathed his blade, clashing with hers once again. But this time, he was faster and stronger than before, his movements a blur.
Both of his eyes glowed with an intense light, and as the battle raged on, his pupils changed once more. The outline remained, but now his pupils had taken on the shape of a goat's eye, deep and unnerving.
The force of the clash sent them both flying back a fair distance, landing with a thud. Isaac gritted his teeth in pain, his hand instinctively pressing against his left eye. As he steadied himself, his left eye shifted back to its normal appearance, but his right eye remained unchanged, the eerie goat-like pupil still glowing.
'Every time I use my ability, my entire body gets stiff. My body is too weak to handle both at once. I'll only use one for now,' Isaac thought, pushing through the discomfort as he focused on regaining his balance.
A barrage of debris hurtled toward him at high speeds—rocks, glass, and shattered fragments. Isaac weaved through the storm, dodging most of it, but a few pieces were too fast to avoid.
Isaac quickly scanned the area, glancing left, right, and up, but she was nowhere to be seen. Suddenly, the ground beneath him cracked and shattered, sending him plummeting down. As he fell, he looked up—and there she was, standing in front of him, blade raised and ready to strike.
Isaac reacted instantly, grabbing her wrist with a vice-like grip and twisting it, disarming her with a swift motion. Without hesitation, he followed up with a powerful punch to her kidney, forcing her to stumble back in pain.
Isaac grabbed her blade and threw it at her. She tilted her head to dodge, but he was already on top of her. She snatched the blade mid-air just before it flew too far, and their blades clashed with a sharp clang.
Isaac accelerated, appearing behind her in an instant. He slowed back to his normal pace and swiftly sliced across her back with his one-sided blade. However, the cut was too shallow, and before he could react, she stepped back, driving her elbow into his face with precise force.
She quickly adjusted her stance, facing him, and grabbed his neck and short blade, thrusting it toward him. Isaac reacted fast, grabbing her hand before the blade could reach him and delivering a swift kick to her stomach, forcing her back for some distance.
The kick sent her crashing to the ground, gasping for air. Both of them were covered in bruises and blood, but they quickly rose to their feet, their blades now held at opposite sides, ready for the next move.
They grabbed each other's weapons and used them against one another. She swung a slash, slower than usual, and Isaac responded with another kick to her abdomen. This time, she was prepared—she grabbed his leg, launched him into the wall, and kicked him in the abdomen, returning the favor.
The wall behind Isaac crumbled, sending him to the ground. She tossed his katana lightly into the air, then jumped toward it, kicking the handle and sending it flying directly toward Isaac.
Isaac used his short blade to block the katana, then quickly grabbed its handle. With a swift movement, he jumped a large distance, landing with a heavy thud. Tatiana, however, landed lightly on the ground, her toes barely making a sound.
'I get his ability now. He can slow down or accelerate anything at will, but the way he's using it means it's limited,' Tatiana thought, wiping the blood dripping from her mouth.
Tatiana was surrounded by a dark aura, which then gathered into one spot around her head, forming a black horn. Her eyes glowed, signaling the activation of her ability.
Tatiana lifted her blade and made a shallow cut across her palm, letting the blood drip. Before she could proceed, Isaac charged at her, blade poised and ready to strike, to stop whatever she was planning.
Just as his blade sliced through, she vanished into thin air. Her presence became invisible, her image fading away, leaving Isaac scanning the area with no trace of her to be found.
'What!? Where did she go!' Isaac thought, panic setting in as he tightened his grip on his katana.
He glanced around frantically, switching his gaze every second—up, down, left, right. Every corner and shadow came up empty; she was nowhere in sight.
Without Isaac's knowledge, she appeared behind him, her blade poised at his neck. A swift slice aimed for his throat missed as he ducked just in time, avoiding the strike before it could graze his skin.
'Thank god I activated my skill. Slowing down the timer when I activated it took almost half my stamina!' Isaac thought as he slid his feet across the ground, aiming to sweep her legs and make her stumble.
Isaac's skill, Momentary Precision, only lasted for 11 seconds and provided a 15% chance of automatically dodging an attack. When she attacked, it was past the 11-second mark, so to counter this, he slowed down the timer using his ability, which caused significant stamina loss.
Again, she disappeared, but this time it was only for a moment before reappearing in front of him. She launched a swift kick to his face, sending him flying back. He didn't take the hit passively—grabbing her leg mid-strike, he forcefully hurled her to the ground.
But again, she vanished, reappearing at his side. This time, he was ready; he accelerated himself momentarily to her flank, turning the tables. He sent a powerful kick to her knee, aiming to destabilize her stance.
Isaac sent a vertical slash toward her as she remained on the ground. Tatiana blocked it with her blade, and the force caused the ground beneath them to crumble. She held his strike, her grip firm as he continued to apply pressure.
Both their hands trembled, each trying to overpower the other, but neither gained the upper hand. In a desperate effort, Isaac's other eye changed, mirroring his right. Both eyes now glowed, signaling the full extent of his ability.
He accelerated, blood trickling from his nose and mouth as the pressure mounted. Tatiana was slowly getting overwhelmed by his speed and force. But just as victory seemed within reach, a swift kick struck him, sending him crashing into the wall.
The building's wall crumbled around him, dust and debris filling the air. Fog obscured his vision, but Isaac remained conscious, though heavily injured. His body ached, and the pain was almost unbearable. He knew that if he was knocked unconscious or received a fatal blow, it would mean disqualification.
'I need to stand up... I need to pass the test...' Isaac thought, gripping the debris for support. His body ached, but he forced himself to rise.
He heard cracks above him and looked up— the building was about to collapse. He struggled to stand, but each attempt only sent him crashing back down, worsening his injuries.
The building collapsed.
He closed his eyes, bracing for the worst, but when he opened them, he found himself fine. Haruo was carrying him, his gaze fixed on Tatiana and Theodor. Haruo paused for a moment before gently setting Isaac down.
"Y'know, running would be good right now, but it wouldn't do much," Haruo said to Isaac. "Now that I know Tatiana's ability, running away from them is impossible."
Haruo grabbed his Monarch-13 and altered it back to its default setting, the loud click echoing through the tense air.
"be ready."