Exam III

[Alan PoV.]

The second day of the exam.

Like the first day, nothing out of the ordinary,

The first day I had dedicated myself to observing from afar the fights of the examinees, looking for possible alliances and the strongest ones.

I didn't talk much with my father, but before the exam, he had asked me to look for the most talented people and he had entrusted me, if he saw it necessary, to protect them.

So I did what he told me to do and searched, but I hadn't found anything interesting.

I had become bored with just observing and decided to have some fun, so I left the village of eternal winter and headed for the forest on the mountainside.

I had lived all my life on Aute Mountain, so I knew the surrounding area like the back of my hand.

It didn't take long to find my first victim.

It was a boy walking with his guard up, I followed the footprints in the snow, and when I decided it was time to attack I tensed my arms and moved my hand to the hilt of my sword.

-Ziiiiiiing~.

The comforting sound of my sword being drawn was the only thing that reached my ears.

-THUD.

Then that sound was replaced by the sound of something hitting the snow in a dry and resounding manner.

It was the head of the boy walking through the thick layer of snow.

My eyes were fixed on the boy's head, his expression did not reveal pain, anxiety, or fear, but one of total concentration.

-Blaaaaagh!

As I watched the head bleed out and become stained with his own my stomach churned to such a degree that I couldn't contain my vomit.

-Argh.

The sour taste of vomit flooded my mouth and I had to shovel snow in my mouth to get it out.

After about 10 minutes, which I used to calm my sobs, breathing, and stomach, I got up from the ground.

Although I had trained in the use of the sword for as long as I can remember, it was the first time I had taken a life, I had been trained and prepared for this, but no training can turn the mint into an impregnable wall.

Without turning to the body again, I walked through the thick snow in search of new victims.

I knew that this would only be the first of thousands of deaths I had to achieve to become the best King of the sword ever born in this world.

I am strong, I have Dawnwinter blood running through my veins, I had to prove my worth as heir to the title once held by my grandfather and now held by my father.

My monologue gave me the strength and courage to keep going, running even faster as I searched for the number two member on my kill list.

It wasn't long before I found him.

Perhaps due to my adrenaline being at its peak, I didn't stop to analyze my opponent and kept running while unsheathing my sword.

The boy noticed me and raised his sword in fear and surprise.

But his weak response was not enough to stop me, instead, it only made me put more mana around my sword.

A translucent golden Aura enveloped the blade of my sword and a spot of light came out of my hand.

-Spurt.

I felt my sword pierce the boy's hand, but I didn't settle for that damage as I dragged my right foot across the snow.

I made a small turn and firmly supported my dragging foot, the momentum allowed me to exert more force to my thrust.

My sword pierced the boy's body, his body filled with spasms that made it difficult to pull my sword out.

When I managed to pull it out he swung sharply towards the boy's neck, but I did not exert as much force in my strike, allowing my sword to get stuck in his neck.

The blood in my eyes woke me up from my stupor and made me realize my deeds.

My breathing became heavy and elongated as I realized the boy's condition, pain flooded me with every gesture and the blood had already caused the snow beneath us to melt.

I slowly withdrew my sword and at an acceptable distance and swung it towards his head, killing him and freeing him from all pain.

-Haaa...

I let out a breath that forced me to calm down and resumed my run.

I repeated the same tactic with each person I encountered, adding 8 kills to my counter by the end of the day.

I decided to take a nap in a treetop, where I replenished my mana and strength.

* * * * * *

-Hoooooooowl!

The sound generated by the howl of a wolf echoed and reached me.

My drowsy consciousness was fully awakened and almost by reflex, I brought my hand to my sword.

I scanned my surroundings but failed to find any sign of footprints, let alone the wolf.

-Hooooooow!

Once again the howl echoed and I was able to distinguish the place where the sound originated.

With quick and steady steps I approached the source, dodged some trees, and at a safe distance climbed a tall pine tree.

When I finished climbing up the cup I could see the wolf, who was not alone but was accompanied by a human with platinum blue hair, with whom he was fighting.

It didn't take me long to recognize the boy swinging his sword.

It was the one I had talked to before the beginning of the exam, the one who had been brought by Uncle Bull.

Knowing this, my consciousness was fully focused on the battle that was going on between him and the wolf.

The battle was close, the wolf was rated as an E Rank and the boy seemed to be about to break towards the same Rank.

The swings of the sword the boy carried were quick and accurate, but each one revealed a visible lack of training.

-Traka.

Before the wolf and I realized it a silver bolt flew through the snow and pierced both of the wolf's legs, knocking him to the ground.

As my mind processed what happened I went into total shock.

A bolt of lightning.

Despite the platinum blue-haired boy who had made use of them before, this time it was different.

It was the lightning that only a wizard could conjure.

And that meant only one thing.

"Son of the Mana."

The words escaped my mouth involuntarily as I watched the conclusion of the battle.

-Boooom!

A roar echoed throughout the forest and the expanding ripple of silver lightning and green void reached me.

I took a big leap down, running away from the tree I was watching, which was breaking into pieces.

As soon as I fell, I tried to find the boy with platinum blue hair, but the rising snow prevented me from doing so.

At last, the snow spread, and I managed to see the boy.

His breathing was heavy, a sign of his tiredness and he was only on his knees thanks to his sword that he used as a support.

-Tap.

With slow steps, I approached the boy.

It was the first time I had seen one, a child of mana and I could only say that his power was worthy of what was told in books and stories.

I had thought he was nothing more than a handsome boy with money, but I couldn't have been more wrong.

My father will probably be happy too when I tell him what I saw.

-Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!

A horrible scream echoed.

My eyes widened in surprise and I set out to scrutinize what had happened instantly.

I soon found the answer, which lay in the form of four boys trying to pull out and silence another who had a large tree trunk over him.

I instantly recognized them, they were figures I knew from my childhood.

The sons of the Dawnwinter art disciples.

"Well, what have we here! - I said as I unsheathed my sword, - It's not the five rats of Dawnwinter."

My voice snapped the five boys out of their daze, who unsheathed and raised their swords at me - except for Tomas, who was shrieking in pain and trying to pull his foot out of the trunk that fell on him -, slowly they dispersed and surrounded me.

"You have no right to call us that - said Cristian, the leader of the group as they finished surrounding me by the four cardinal points -, you are not very different from us, aren't you."

A smile blossomed on my face as I heard such words. "I guess not, we were all watching the effeminate boy behind me - I said as I looked at the boy, who seemed to be slowly coming back to himself -, but it seems that you guys don't plan to just watch. don't you?"

"Cristian, Sashes, Dun, Daniel," I said, pausing my words, which I used to observe Tomas who was still struggling to get out, "And Tomas, I suppose?".

My words made the bodies of the four of them tense up and their guard went up even higher.

"No use saying our names," said Daniel, as a translucent green Aura surrounded his sword, "we've never gotten along very well."

-Tap.

The sound of perfectly matched footsteps echoed, the result of a coordinated movement of the four of them towards me.

I responded by swinging my sword, causing golden light to spill forth and momentarily blind the four.

This was my derived element, Light.

My first step was to the east, where Daniel was.

In an instant I appeared in front of him and kicked towards his rib, my attack was cushioned with an Air spell that enveloped his body and helped him fall firmly.

As soon as he fell I took a quick step towards me and at an acceptable distance, he swung his sword.

-Clank!

The swords clashed and generated sparks, Daniel put pressure on and reinforced it with an air spell around his arms.

I moved my sword slightly, destabilizing the weight, and jumped back as a bullet of light escaped from the blade of my sword.

Daniel deflected it with a swing and began a swift run to my left.

I tried to follow him, but I had to stop thanks to Cristian who came towards me with a swing.

Our swords clashed a couple of times and in the middle of the battle I took a step back, a jump to the left, and in the air, I conjured a bullet of light, which momentarily blocked my movement from Cristian's gaze.

My sword passed grazing Cristian's side and although I didn't do mortal damage the blood already stained the sweater I had due to a big cut.

I tried to give my sword a thrust, but I had to stop when the other three approached me.

"You should surrender," Cristian said as his sword was surrounded by a brown Aura and they started rubbing pieces of Earth around it, "You alone can't against the five of us."

A smile that puzzled everyone bloomed on my lips.

"You thought I would be the same - at the sound of my words a white, almost holy light escaped from my sword and body -. But you couldn't be more wrong."

The light grew smaller and smaller and brighter, it wriggled like a worm until it stopped, the light ceased to be one that was impossible to look at and became a white light like that of the lamps.

"This is my new ability," I said as the light took the final form of five swords that surrounded my sword, "White Dawn."

-Traaka.

A low rattling sound echoed behind me and at the same time, a shiver slowly ran down my spine.

I stood static watching the lightning streak across the snowfield until a silver light filled my eyes.

When I opened them again the snow turned red and I could see the silver-blue-haired boy cut off the head of Tomas who had just joined us.

-Thud.

The head slowly rolled a few feet and stopped at Cristian's foot, which exploded into a look of hatred.