VILLAIN'S RISING

-Boom!

-Swoosh!

In an otherwise normal forest, two people were fighting with the intention to suppress their opponent.

One was a girl. Blue hair, full figure, tall, and from the looks of it, very well versed in the art of hand-to-hand combat.

Another was a boy. Mud brown hair, slim yet fit figure, tall, and quite an expert in martial arts.

They both were fighting at close range near the river. It wouldn’t take a genius to figure out they both had similar abilities. The ability to enhance their bodies.

“Huff! Huff!” The boy panted for air.

His stamina was rushing out. On the other hand, the girl still had to break a sweat.

“You’re strong, Monica.” The boy spoke with his lips curled back into a smirk.

“And you’re going to lose, Ezekiel.” Monica replied with a similar smirk.

Before the boy could retort to her mocking, the girl focused all her strength on her legs and dashed forward.

Ezekiel, seeing her rival charging at her with all her might, decided to go on the defensive and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

Monica didn’t stop and pulled back her arm while clenching her fist, ready to throw her best punch.

-Boom!

A small shockwave occurred when Monica’s punch hit Ezekiel’s crossed arms, sending the latter a few meters back.

Ezekiel, however, didn’t lose his footing. With his arms still crossed he put all his weight to his front and maintained his center of gravity and managed to stay on his feet._.

That didn’t mean Monica’s assault was over, however. She dashed once more, this time even at a greater speed than the last time.

As soon as she stepped into striking range, Monica pulled back her arm again. Without a delay she threw another punch, intending to end the fight this time.

But this time Ezekiel reacted quickly. Before Monica’s punch could gain any momentum he blocked her strike with his head.

Monica, shocked at her opponent’s unpredictable move, decided to create a distance and jump back a few steps.

Before she could do that, however, Ezekiel tightly hugged her and fell backward on his back before releasing her body mid-way, performing a quick belly-to-belly suplex in short.

The poor girl’s body was sent flying to the river like a rag doll but without worrying about her, Ezekiel quickly got back to his feet.

-Shrill!

“Arghhh…” groaning in pain, Monica got herself up as fast as she could. Drenched from head to toe in river water, she lifted her head only to find the boy nowhere in sight.

“What?!” On full alert, she surveyed her surroundings but Ezekiel was nowhere to be seen. “Oye! Did you run?!”

Although she did ask that, Monica knew better than everyone that Ezekiel is not the one who would run from a fight just because he was losing.

So… where did he go? He couldn’t just disappear! And his agility is not high enough for him to change positions so quickly!

-Thud

Shaking her out of her thoughts was a low thud sound. When Monica looked at the source of the voice, she found a body lying on the ground.

It fell from the tree above it.

Frowning in confusion, Monica squinted her eyes to clearly see the body that had fallen only to find it to be Ezekiel’s!

“Ezekiel!” She shouted before rushing toward the brown-haired boy.

-Shrill!

But before she could take even a step further in his direction, a shrill sound like that of an electric current running resounded throughout the area and her body started convulsing like she was being electrocuted.

Not even a screech could escape her mouth before her vision went dark and she lost consciousness.

Although before her body could fall back into the river again a hand grabbed her by her T-shirt.

It was Sam. His eyes were gleaming and his lips were widespread in a grin.

“GG EZ bitch!”

(Wow, that was a perfect execution of your ability!)

“It was, wasn’t it?”

(Yes, it was also a waste of our time)

“…”

(You could’ve just mind-controlled them into giving you their bracelets…)

“Shut up dumbass.”

(Bruh! If I’m dumbass then so are you!)

It had been 3 days since the special exam started. Sam took it easy and just hunted 2 people a day.

Taking the win he acquired just now into account, Sam has already obtained 6 bracelets by now, making his point total 56 points.

Although he did come across a few of his classmates, he couldn’t find anyone he knew.

“Should I just get the remaining points today?” Touching his chin, Sam pondered. “Or should I just give up on this exam?”

Honestly, camping every day out at night wasn’t suiting him. He could just very well give up on the special exam.

It’s not like he cared about his grades, he wouldn’t even be spending a whole year in this Academy anymore.

(You should) the voice inside his head agreed with Sam’s second opinion.

“But it wouldn’t suit a God to fail this sorry excuse of an exam.” Sam shook his head and began moving to his next location.

The rule to survive in this kind of outdoor battle royale is to keep on moving.

Although he didn’t have to worry about his survival since he could defeat almost everyone participating in this exam, the emphasis lies on ‘almost’.

He doesn’t want to have an unfortunate encounter with Rebekah or Anthony. And to be perfectly honest, Sam was more cautious of Rebekah than Anthony.

-Fwoosh!

With one single high jump, Sam got on top of a tall tree and began jumping from branch to branch from there. He was like a ninja moving while creating no noise whatsoever.

(Let me get this clear, you won’t give up on this stupid exam coz of your God complex?)

“I wonder why people call it a God ‘complex’? God complex is a belief of one that lets him believe he is a God or worthy to be a God. I, on the other hand, already am a God!” Sam shook his head while still moving from tree to tree.

(…You are incurable!)

“You sound like my ex.”

(You never had an ex!)

While Sam was more or less communicating with his inner voice, through his peripheral vision he saw a yellow flash.

A flash that grew closer to him in an instant.

Before he could react at all, the flash blue flash hit him and sent him crashing down from the tree branch he was on to the ground.

“Cough! Cough!” A few violent coughs along with a little blood escaped Sam’s lips as he tried getting himself up.

Who dared attack him? And like a coward no less?!

“Arghh!” angrily groaning, Sam got up to his feet to find the person who hit him.

In front of him, he saw a girl, a little shorter than him but standing strong. She had golden-brown hair and deep red eyes.

Seeing her, Sam couldn’t help but arch his eyebrows. He knew who the girl was. How? Well, the first person he killed in the Academy City was actually her mother.

She was the daughter of Tanya Fireforged, the woman from whom Sam stole his [Concealment] ability, Liz Fireforged.

“Ahh, so you are the one who attacked me, Liz Fireforged?” Sam smirked.

“D-Do I know you?” Liz frowned at the familiarity Sam was showing to her.

“No, but you are quite famous. Your mother did die an unfortunate death after all.” Sam’s smirk only grew wider as he said that.

However, Liz didn’t enjoy her dead mother being mentioned in such a way. Without uttering a single word, she activated her ability, and two energy gloves formed around her clenched fists.

“Now now, don’t be too hasty, love.” Sam playfully raised his hands. “You don’t want yourself out of the exam this soon.”

Liz still kept her silence and rushed at the black-haired boy. As soon as she got close enough, Liz unleashed a barrage of punches at Sam.

But Sam had already activated his speed move, [Goodspeed]. So every punch that Liz threw at Sam met nothing bet air.

Skillfully dodging every single one of the strikes aimed at him, Sam manifested a lightning claw before swinging it at the Fireforged girl.

Liz, who had already seen the attack coming, ducked to avoid the incoming slice. Now with her body positioned lower than her opponent, Liz used her leg and tried to sweep Sam off the ground.

Sam, who had predicted it beforehand, jumped and avoided the leg sweep of the brown-haired girl with ease.

However, that was a mistake. Sam had gravely underestimated Liz’s agility.

Liz was already on her feet and her hand was glowing in a blinding golden light.

Before Sam’s jump could end and his feet could touch the ground, Liz struck his unguarded abdomen with all her might.

-BOOM!

The force of the strike sent Sam’s body gracefully flying a few meters back before he skidded on the ground like a flat stone to a lake and came to a stop.

A muddy trail followed where Sam’s body was lying on the ground, unwavering and seemingly unconscious.

“Last one…” Liz muttered before heading toward the boy lying defeated in front of her.

However, in the next moment, her feet stopped as she saw the boy, who was supposed to be unconscious, move his body.

“Arghahaha!” laughing in pain like a maniac, Sam got up to his feet again. On his face, he still had a grin and although his breathing was a little off, he didn’t seem to have taken any damage.

Seeing him like this, Liz couldn’t help but wonder: ‘How high is his endurance?’

She was shaken out of her daze when in the next moment Sam opened his mouth to speak.

“You’re a tough one aren’t you, love?”