Chapter 29: The Cost of Weakness
The air in the training hall was tense.
The classroom had transformed into a combat arena, where each student would face an AI opponent designed to test their limits.
📜 Combat Evaluation – Survival Test✔ Objective: Survive 3 minutes against an AI Combat Unit.✔ Failing Condition: Knockout or Inability to Continue.✔ AI Difficulty: Adaptive, adjusting based on opponent's skill.
Graves (calmly): "Your intelligence means nothing if you can't survive a fight. Let's see who deserves to stay in Class 1-A."
One by one, students stepped forward.
The Strongest Shine – The First Matches Begin
The first few fights were brutal.
💥 **Elias Krow stood still, letting the AI attack him—**he didn't even flinch.⚔️ **Daigo Shiranui's sword was too fast—**his AI opponent was down in seconds.🏹 Mika Fujiwara disabled her opponent from long range, never letting it get close.
And then—Souta's turn.
Souta (grinning): "Let's see how fast this thing is!"
The moment the AI lunged—Souta vanished.
💨 DODGE. COUNTER. STRIKE.
The bot couldn't even touch him.
Souta (smirking): "That's it? Too slow!"
✔ Souta PASSED.
Akari (calmly, stepping up next): "Hmph. My turn."
Her fight was effortless.
💥 Every attack the AI threw—she dodged at the last second.
In three minutes, she was still untouched.
✔ Akari PASSED.
One by one, the strongest students cleared the test.
Graves (nodding slightly): "Expected results. Some of you may actually belong here."
And then—
It was Rei's turn.
Rei's Turn – The Crushing Reality
Rei stepped into the arena.
The AI scanned him.
AI Unit (cold mechanical voice): "Threat Level: Minimal. Engaging."
Rei immediately analyzed its movements.
He saw the attack before it even started.
He understood the pattern, the timing, the weakness.
But—
His body couldn't keep up.
💥 The AI struck him within seconds.
Rei barely dodged, stumbling backwards.
Another strike—his arms went numb from blocking.
Another—his legs shook under the pressure.
Rei (thinking, desperate): I see everything… but I can't do anything!
💥 A final blow sent him crashing to the ground.
❌ Rei FAILED.
The training hall fell silent.
Even Souta and Akari looked stunned.
Student 1 (whispering): "…Did he seriously just lose in under a minute?"
Student 2: "How the hell did he even survive the entrance exam?"
Kozuki watched without reaction.
Kozuki (calmly): "As expected."
Rei gritted his teeth.
He wasn't just weak.
He was pathetic.
Professor Graves Decides – A Single Exception
Graves approached, looking down at Rei.
Graves: "Stand up."
Rei forced himself to his feet, legs shaking.
Graves (sighing): "Your performance was disgraceful. You didn't even last one minute."
The class watched in silence.
Rei braced himself for the worst—he was going to be demoted.
But then—
Graves smirked.
Graves: "That said… Kurogane, I'll make an exception for you."
The students murmured in shock.
Lina (frowning): "Wait, what? Why? He failed!"
Graves turned back to the holo-screen.
📜 Written Exam – Special Tactical Questions✔ Five questions that no one else attempted.✔ Advanced combat theory and battlefield manipulation.✔ Perfect answers—Rei Kurogane, 100%.
Graves (calmly): "This exam wasn't just about fighting."Graves: "You were the only student who solved every high-level tactical question correctly."
The room stiffened.
Even Mika Fujiwara, the strategist, looked surprised.
Graves: "I don't care if you're weak, Kurogane. I care if you're useful."
Rei held his breath.
Graves: "And you? You might be the most useful mind in this class."
For the first time—Kozuki actually looked at him.
Kozuki (thinking): So that's why he was let in… Interesting.
Graves turned away.
Graves: "That said—don't think this will work every time."Graves: "You will need to improve physically, or next time, I won't be so lenient."
Rei nodded, fists clenched.
He had barely survived.
But he survived.
And now—he had to get stronger.