The Aesthetic Of Darkness... So Cool!

"Next, Number 08."

This time, a girl stood up.

She wore a crop top, and her long skirt gave her a demure, pretty look. Her blond hair looked stunning to Matt, and the way she smiled also captivated him.

He could sense an aura emanating from her, further piquing his curiosity.

Number 08 elegantly walked to the stage, a wand in her right hand. She had on nice shoes too, a total contrast to the ruffian from earlier, Matt thought she made a pretty good impression.

Speaking of Number 04, though, he was carried off-stage by someone who simply appeared out of nowhere. It made Matt realize that there were actually special medics around, just in case anyone got injured.

That was probably why Rose went crazy on him during their fight, right? On second thought, Matt wasn't so sure that was the only reason she did that.

Back to the girl who caught Matt's attention, she was actually graded pretty well for her appearance. The only thing that stood out in her appearance was the stick she held in her hand—and that was due to the star on its end.

'The wand is most likely related to her magical powers, so it's acceptable.'

As the blonde stepped onto the stage, the strange door opened once more to reveal her opponent.

"Shadow, you may step out."

'What? It's Shadow now?' Matt was shocked by the way the coincidences seemed to pile up. What were the chances that after Bee showed up, it was Shadow's turn?

Shadow, dressed in their usual attire, stepped out of the darkness. Both their gloved hands were in their pockets as they slowly stepped forward.

No one could tell what was under the hood, or what exactly this strange person was supposed to be. As Shadow walked in, the audience began whispering excitedly, but Matt was too far away to tell what they were chattering about.

Unlike the spectators, his fellow examinees didn't say anything. They simply watched in silence. He took a quick glance at Violet, and she was completely focused on the match about to begin.

'I should do the same.' Matt resolved, now keenly watching the two who stood in the center of the stage.

The System Panel above them gave the countdown, and both fighters readied themselves—well, Shadow stood still without moving a muscle.

"You'd think the dude was a statu—"

[YOU MAY BEGIN!]

As soon as the match started, the girl twirled, raising her staff high into the air. The moment she did this, sparkles appeared all over her, and she began to fly.

'Ohhhh! Is she supposed to be a fairy?' Matt wondered curiously the moment he saw this.

He had no idea when it happened, but he was already so immersed in this whole thing that he found that he was enjoying himself.

Number 08, levitating in the air, darted towards the motionless Shadow, pointing her wand in the direction of her target.

However…

The moment she got within a five-meter range, numerous sharp rods suddenly erupted from the ground.

"E-eh…?" The smile on her face vanished as soon as she realized they were headed straight for her, and she couldn't halt her momentum.

Twisting her body in the air, she attempted to avoid them, but she was no match for their overwhelming number. Within moments of her struggle—

"GARRRHHHHHH!!!"

—She was pierced on the very hand that held her wand, forcing her to let go of it.

The moment the wand slipped from her hand, the glitter all over her body vanished, and she collapsed to the ground.

Fortunately, the spikes around her transformed into a cushion and caught her right before she crash-landed on the hard pavement. It was a quick save, one that ensured she would suffer no further injury but her bleeding arm.

However, once the cushion caught the girl, the shadowy structure wrapped itself around her—immobilizing her instantly.

No one needed an announcement to know the outcome, but…

"NUMBER 08… FAIL!"

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"Damnit! I really wanted her to win." Matt murmured in dissatisfaction, and it certainly wasn't because the girl was pretty or anything.

Okay, to be honest, Matt simply felt like she was the only relatively 'normal' person among everyone else—just like him. They would have gotten along so well.

But now, it was too late.

'What a waste!' He could do nothing but sigh in dismay.

Number 08 was taken away by yet another officer that just appeared out of thin air. At this point, Matt had grown desensitized to it so he didn't care.

"Still, that Shadow…" He murmured as he watched the hooded person return to the door they came from.

Shadow remained a mystery to Matt, but their powers were something else entirely.

'They can control shadows and turn them into whatever? Damn, that's OP!' Matt was already jealous of that ability.

Not only was it so versatile, but the aesthetic was pretty cool. Compared to the destructive nature of dark flames—which was still plenty cool—Shadow's abilities definitely took things up a notch.

'And I can tell they were going easy on that girl. If Shadow really wanted to…' Matt gulped nervously.

Once again, he could not begin to fathom how powerful Shadow would be if they weren't restricted by the rules of the exam.

'If these are the E Rank Noobs, then just how powerful are the other higher-ranked people supposed to be?' Matt felt like his 'Challenger' title was most definitely a fluke.

He couldn't dream of using his abilities the way Shadow could. Also, he still had no idea how they really worked.

"Rose's proteges are always something else."

"Hahaha! Poor examinees never stand a chance."

"We can only hope for the best towards the other examinees now that these ones are out of the picture."

"Hey, I heard another protege of hers is having her exams today."

"Hehe. Guess we'll have the chance to see another dark horse in this contest."

"Personally, I can't wait for the genius to take the stage."

"Hahaha! There's that too. Oh, this exam is filled with such treats."

"That's right! We're feasting well this month."

"Can the others keep up? I wonder, hehehe…"

Now hearing the loud comments of the spectators, Matt couldn't help but look in Violet's direction once more.

'First Bee, then Shadow, and now, you. How will you fare?' The image of how battered up she had been, back when he saw her in the Dungeon, suddenly flashed in his mind.

He couldn't help but feel a little worried.

'I should keep watching. Violet, I wish you the best!'