Blackmoor's POV
After we finished choosing our weapons, the whole class was brought into an arena. There, the final stage of the Weapon and Blood Ceremony awaited us.
"So class, now that you are done picking your weapon of choice, it is time for the Blood in the Weapon and Blood Ceremony—where you must prove that you have the right to wield your chosen weapon… or in some cases, weapons," our adviser said, her gaze briefly landing on me.
"You will prove your worth by using your chosen weapon in a duel against other students—and winning."
She continued, "The duels will follow a king of the hill format. One person, the 'king,' must stay in the arena and fight different opponents one after another until they either lose or willingly give up their position."
"If the king loses, the one who defeated them becomes the new king. If the king yields, they may challenge the next king again after recovering. You may challenge the king as many times as you want, but you must wait in line—unless you were a former king who yielded."
Her tone sharpened slightly.
"To successfully complete this ceremony, you must become king of the hill at least once. If you fail to win even a single duel using your weapon… you fail the Weapon and Blood Ceremony. And trust me—you do not want to know what happens to those who fail."
A brief silence spread across the arena.
"On the other hand, the top performer will receive special privileges, including an item reward. The ranking is determined by time—specifically, how long you remain as king of the hill overall."
She pointed toward the large screen above the arena.
"The audience and those waiting in queue will be able to see the accumulated time. However, the current king will not. Also, intentionally prolonging fights will not be tolerated. The faculty and I will know if you attempt to do so."
She paused, letting everything sink in.
"So with that… let us begin."
Her eyes moved toward the front.
"Class President and Vice President, please step forward and begin. Decide who among you will be the first king of the hill."
With that, the class president and vice president began their duel. In the end, the class president, Isabel Cyronis, claimed victory, her spear proving too much to handle.
Afterward, she faced both the class secretary and treasurer in consecutive matches. However, rather than pushing her limits too far, she wisely chose to yield her position as king of the hill—ensuring she could recover and return later at full strength.
With Isabel stepping down, Jessica Thornhook, our information officer, took her place as the new king of the hill. She fought bravely against Mikel, but in the end, his unorthodox techniques caught her off guard, and he managed to secure the win.
And just like that, Mikel became the king of the hill.
Then… it was my turn.
I stepped into the arena, preparing myself. Mikel had already gone through a fight, so his stamina was slightly lower than mine—but not by much. He still looked more than ready.
"Caelum!!" he called out excitedly. "Sorry, but I won't be going easy on you," he added, his smile turning sharper… more dangerous.
"Then let us begin."
The moment the fight started, I moved.
I immediately drew my pistol while unsheathing my wakizashi, firing as I advanced. Mikel reacted quickly—dodging the bullets while using his longsword to deflect the ones he couldn't avoid.
Click.
Out of bullets.
Seeing his opening, Mikel pushed forward. But before he could fully commit, I threw a bo-shuriken, forcing him to halt and block. At the same time, I unsheathed my jian and rushed in.
He swung from the right.
I dodged, but the reach of his longsword forced me to halt my own attack. Again and again, he used that range advantage to keep me at bay. Every time I tried to push forward, I was driven back.
Failed attempt after failed attempt.
And with each one… my stamina drained faster.
So I changed tactics.
I stepped back—once, twice, several times—creating distance, baiting him into attacking.
He took it.
Mikel lunged forward with a powerful vertical slash. I stepped back, narrowly avoiding the strike…
—but midway through his swing, he forcefully stopped and shifted into a stab aimed straight at my abdomen.
The sudden change caught me off guard.
END OF CHAPTER