Examination Chapter: ■■■ ■■■■■’s Analysis

Examination Chapter: ■■■ ■■■■■'s Analysis

Central arena, audience seating, ■■■ ■■■■■, ■■■■■■

"Lad, did you see that?! That kid's amazing!" the middle-aged tian man seated next to me cried.

"Y es, he truly is!" I enthused.

As I gave the appropriate response, I analyzed the broadcast. The moment it had appeared, I'd changed my thought process from personal to tactical. The Giga Professor, Mr. Franklin, had started the broadcast in order to make the kingdom's tians despair. However, the newbie young man called "Ray Starling" — a surname I knew very well, by the way — had turned it around and emerged victorious, bringing about the opposite of Franklin's intended result.

If he'd committed this act of terrorism just to make the kingdom lose faith in its Masters, it was safe to say that he'd failed, but Franklin still had some pawns on the board. Needless to say, he wasn't out of plans just yet.

began forming an image of the overall situation, starting with the numbers of pawns on both sides of Franklin's Game.

First, I went through Gideon's forces.

No. 1 in the duel rankings, "Endless Chain," was sealed. No. 4, "Black Raven," and no. 8, "Vagrant Golden Sea," were both bound by the barrier around the central arena.

No. 6, "Kamen Rider," and no. 7, "Raging Blaze," had been defeated in battle.

No. 2, "Monster Cat Mansion," no. 3, "Guillotine," and no. 5,

"Bone-Eater" were not present. No. 9 and below weren't all that relevant to the situation at hand.

The barrier's disappearance would release nos. 1, 4, and 8, which could greatly influence the flow of the battle. In fact, no. 1 was capable of killing Franklin all by his lonesome.

The non-ranking Masters outside the arena were gradually decreasing in number, but many of those incapacitated at the western gate were only bound by the Frozen debuff, meaning that they could re-join if it was removed.

There was also the person who I assumed to be the Superior Killer. I'd lost all trace of them, but I was absolutely certain that it was due to stealth abilities rather than death.

The newbies that had left the arena had lost half of their number, with only about twelve still alive. However, Ray Starling — the newbie who'd achieved the most — was badly injured, making it questionable whether he could continue fighting.

Then there was Franklin's battle potential. The Masters he'd hired were gradually being purged, and the same applied to the monsters released unto the city. However, it was glaringly obvious that he had more in store, making it entirely possible that the numbers on his side could increase.

The three characters thought to be his heavy-hitters had been taken care of.

Veldorbell, the one who'd killed "Kamen Rider," had in turn been killed by the Superior Killer. Hugo Lesseps, the one who'd sealed "Raging Blaze" and many other Masters, had been captured by the newbie called "Rook." And the Ray Starling Killer, the monster that had greatly damaged the Royal Guard, had, ironically, been killed by Ray Starling.

Though the number of pawns on the board clearly wasn't all that great, all the ones sealed within the barrier and the unknown

monsters Franklin still had in store made it hard to predict which side would win. And I wasn't even including the pawns that could destroy the board itself.

By that, I meant the joker Franklin had placed beneath this arena and the three abnormally powerful individuals sealed in here — myself included.

looked over the stage, eyeing the opposite side of the arena. By

straining my eyes a bit, I could see a woman with a porcupine on her knees. Her eyes were directed at the broadcast, and I couldn't tell whether she was amused or bored.

Suddenly she shifted her gaze towards me, causing our eyes to meet. Though her expression was devoid of any killing intent, I felt as if it came with the question, "Y ou wanna go?"

If I responded to the challenge and fought her, we would bring about far more death and destruction than all the battles so far combined.

Right now, I had no intention of becoming the cause of such a calamity, so I simply shook my head. With that, she seemed to lose all interest in me and returned her gaze back to the broadcast.

This is the first time we've met, but so far, she gives me the impression of a wild beast, I thought.

Anyway, with that curious exchange, it became obvious that she wouldn't make a move unless provoked.

Besides the two of us, there was one other abnormally powerful individual here. He would make his move as soon as whatever was holding him back was gone, meaning that the climax of this event was near.

can't wait until he enters the scene, I thought. He's probably even stronger than he was the last time we fought.

What was about to happen would be far more intense than tonight's Clash of the Superiors or Franklin's Game.

"It's your turn now... Shu," I murmured.

Those words escaped my mouth, confusing the tian man next to me. I lied my way out and began waiting for the time to come