In a moment of stillness, they both instantaneously lowered their gaze below them.
Ena, who was supporting herself with her arm, clawed at the crack in the wall and saw a string of humanoid onyx creatures climbing their way up the tower. Their features were rather uncanny for a normal monster, being clumped together like a pile of live flesh while they made shrieking roars.
She felt rather disgusted at the sight.
The monsters—or 'Monster'—were chewing on themselves while they dragged their sorry bodies along the edges of the walls.
SHRIEEEEEK!
'Ugh… why do they look like that?'
A sour face had made its way to Ena's face as she got a clear view of the monster from above.
Ena, after inspecting the fleshy creature from below, finally raised her head to see Ren's silhouette missing from his original position. Her eyes, in a hurry, shot upward to see that her enemy was much closer than she had thought.
His foot was already making its way to Ena's abdomen, and soon after that, the force had already begun plunging her down a hundred meters away from her original position.
"That bastard…!"
She clicked her tongue in frustration before turning her head to her shoulder to see her progress down. And as she expected, the monster slowly grew closer by the second; their contact was nearing. Swiftly, she summoned one of her emperor blades before attaching a rope of blood to the handle.
With no time to spare, she shot her blade at the nearest platform.
'There's no way I'd let you win like this!'
Fortunately for her, her blade had successfully hooked itself onto the stone platform, which halted her fast descent.
GRIKKKK!!
She was inches away from one of the humanoids' maws. And being the germaphobe she is—well, at least in this situation—she tugged the rope with all her might, combined with her ability to control the rope, to send her flying past many debris and birds that crossed her path.
'I swear, I'll make sure you get eaten by that disgusting thing!'
Along her way, she had collected as many birds as she possibly could.
[+100 points have been added to your points!]
[+70 points have been added to your points!]
[Current scoreboard:
PARTICIPANT REN: 487 meters.
PARTICIPANT ENA: 256 meters.]
With much force, she shot her blade forward once again, leaping through dozens of meters each time she pulled on the rope. It wasn't long before Ren discovered her explosive jumps by viewing the scoreboard.
But before he could set his gaze on Ena, his own ascent was stopped mid-leap.
"What…?"
An indescribable force pulled Ren down his trail, and to his side, he saw the familiar silhouette of the semi-pure passing by him with an unfamiliar rope-like object in her hand.
Only then did he realize the rope Ena had in her hand was the thing pulling him down at an extensive speed.
Ren's lips pressed into a thin line as he understood that the opponent he was facing was of a similar rank to him. With that thought in mind, he pressed his hand with all his might onto the rope of blood that held him tight, crushing it back into a thick liquid.
"I'm not done with you yet," said Ena.
And with no warning, the splattered blood on his hand transformed into a solid rope. The sudden reattachment of the rope surprised Ren as he saw the silhouette of the semi-pure looming over a rock, not far away from him.
"What is—!?"
BOOM!
Ren's vision blurred into a dozen small lights. Confused by the sudden shift, when he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was the grey stone walls of the tower.
'Huh??!'
Then, at that moment, his vision faltered once again, and like last time, he saw the wall again, but from a different angle.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! CLAK!
After experiencing the same thing six times, Ren finally figured out that he was being slammed into a wall like a doll wrapped in string.
And with this enlightenment, he clung to his wrapped hands on the rope before sticking himself to the wall.
His brown hazel eyes flickered with a slight glow before the entire rope dispersed into many debris and the wall itself. Ena's hands—that had held the rope—recoiled gently apart from the force that Ren had used.
'He's finally going to use his ability—?'
Whoooosh!
In a mere second, Ren had shot up into the sky. Ena's long hair swayed in the wind of his sudden ascent.
'He can fly…???'
Ren soared through the endless debris, swiftly making his way up the tower while Ena remained stunned on the same platform she had used to rag-doll him from afar.
[Current scoreboard:
PARTICIPANT REN: 1000 meters
PARTICIPANT ENA: 654 meters]
[Ren Silvan was the first to reach 1000 meters. For this achievement, he will be rewarded with 1500 points.]
After a good short while, Ena awoke from her dazed state as she realized the score between them was growing wider by the second, while the monster below her was about to reach the 500th meter mark.
Finally, after marking her resolve, she had come to terms with herself.
'… Should I just kill him?'
Ena was no longer belittling Ren as someone incompetent. She was going to make sure she killed him.
And understanding that resolve, she sprinted from one debris to another, platform to platform. And occasionally, she would pick up many of the colored birds, using them as an additional way to receive her points.
Because while she focused on subduing Ren, her primary goal from the start was to win and pass the test.
It's true that she indeed wanted to kill Ren currently to secure her position as number one; the gap between their points was too massive to ignore. If she only tries to kill Ren while she is rising, it would be her inevitable loss.
Not to mention the height advantage Ren held was slowly passing to the next point mark: 1500 meters.
[+50 points have been added to your points!]
[+100 points have been added to your points!]
[+70 points have been added to your points!]
[+60 points have been added to your points!]
Her mind was strict about only winning. Any other thoughts to her were nothing more than distractions.
Along with it, she gained enough to realize that each bird had a corresponding number of points for each of them.
Red = 50 points
green = 60 points
yellow = 70 points
Purple = 80 points
Blue = 90 points
And finally: Orange, at the value of 100 points.
With a clearer understanding of the test, she couldn't help but redirect her attention to Ren, who prioritized the colors that had the highest value among the flock of birds. Only then did she truly realize how the gap between them would never close.
Then, before she could form a snicker in her mind, she had noticed something from Ren.
Strangely enough, as she traversed each platform with a new bird claimed, she saw Ren switch back to how he originally climbed, instead of using his flight advantage.
'Did he run out of stamina already? It's barely been 40 seconds.'
However, this was good news to someone like Ena. So she didn't question it any further.
Whether it be a restriction of his or just having really bad stamina, the outcome remained the same: she had the physicality and ability advantage.
Ena then created a sea of blood on her palm, before every single drop of the crimson liquid was formed into a spike of blood. The moment the spike had taken its fullest form, Ena sent it right toward the rising man.
Wshhhh…!!
Sensing the danger, Ren turned his head to look, and once again, he was met with Ena's blood abilities interrupting his climb. This time, rather than a rope that tied him down, it was a blood spike as big as an arm.
Unlike before, where he had no time to react, he pushed his hand through the air and destroyed it without even laying a hand on it.
About to turn his head away, another one appeared, a smaller one than the last. And this one, he had no time to react, only a slight step to the side that caused his bicep to be struck.
"!!…"
His whimpers were loud, but loud enough to confirm the semi-pure.
Ren was stunned by the pain when he had regained his composure. His legs fell to the platform with his head bowed as he took a quick breath. After a few short breaths, he found the strength to pick up his legs.
Huff… Huff…
With his hand clutched to his injury, he raised his head and saw Ena with her emperor blade locked onto the man.
"I didn't know you were this intolerant of pain. Mama must have never given you a beating, huh?"
Shooong!
Her blade whistled to his neck. But just before it could reach his neck, a strange force had halted her strike.
With that same power, he honed it to his legs and shot Ena flat into a wall.
Ena coughed up a handful of blood while she raised her head to see the glare of the man.
Without another word from him, he shot up from the sky with that same flying ability he had.
"Where are you going?"
"UUGH!"
Ren's eyes turned bloodshot as another rope of blood clung to his neck tightly, making him gasp for air subconsciously. Although he had the power to dissipate the rope, his mind was completely in a state of panic from the suffocating pain.
Then, a familiar force dragged him to Ena's position.
"Get… Lost!!"
Ren shouted at the top of his lungs, and simultaneously, the rope had diffused once again, giving him a chance to flee from her grasp.
"Why should I?!" exclaimed Ena.
She hooked her palm on this leg, not daring to disconnect whatsoever, going so far as to lodge one of her hidden knives and drive it into her own hand along with his leg altogether.
"You have both reached the 2000-meter mark. Two new categories of colored birds have been added."
Distracted by his words, Ren used his other leg to kick her in the face.
"You damn—!"
… Ena's eyes flickered with surprise.
Ren had cut off his own foot to let Ena fall. And so she did.
'Huh…?'
[+160 points have been added to your points!]
[+120 points have been added to your points!]
[+200 points have been added to your points!]
[-100 points have been deducted from your points!]
Amidst her fall, many birds crashed into her path. Points came rushing to her scoreboard.
'Well, fuck it!' Ena thought, her hand still lodged with both Ren's foot and dagger as she crushed both by clamping it into a fist.
"8000!!!"
Her words seemed to have pierced Ren during his flight. Stuck frozen in place as he saw the wheel beside him materialize.
Ena was wagering all her points to receive half of his.
'Some gambles are worth taking, especially to spite people like him. It's a risk I'm willing to take.'
With her resolve absolute, she spun the wheel beside her and closed her eyes as she continued to fall from the height. As she carefully listened to the sound of clicking, she also heard the shrieks of the monster below, growing louder by the second.
[You have won the gamble!]
[+8000 points have been added to your points!]
A faint smile appeared on her face. Through hearing that voice, her eyes showed a satisfied glint, as she quickly bolted from one place to another. Taking one of her hidden knives from her sleeve, she threw it at a cracked part of the wall, locked in between its crevices.
[+200 points have been added to your points!]
[- 50 points have been deducted from your points!]
'…!'
New types of birds flew everywhere in the tower, most of them ranging from black-striped birds to white-striped birds. Corresponding to each color, black, striped blue doubled in value. While white, striped blue gave half of its original points.
Arithmetic was integrated into the point system.
An idea formed in Ena's mind: 'If this exists, then…!'
Ena's eyes darted everywhere, from one bird to another, searching for a particular bird that met her theory. And sure enough, there it was,
A fully colored black bird!
'If I'm right, that thing can double my overall score!'
The only thing stopping her from catching that bird was that she had descended too far from the required height. It was at least 1000 meters up the place. However, after inspecting the bird, her eyes darted to the Ren miniature figure because of the perspective.
Despite that, she could tell that she wasn't the only one who saw the bird.
"Ahem… Sorry to interrupt, but just a quick reminder…"
They were perfectly between the blackbird and sensing each other's gaze. The world around them seemed to vanish, with their view consisting only of the blackbird and the opposing team.
"There is only going to be one blackbird."
With that one last sentence, something between them finally clicked, and they immediately understood what was going to happen next.
And in just a flash, they both vanished from their original positions and headed straight for the target between them. With their focus aligned, their competitiveness reached its peak, allowing them to focus solely on that target.
[Scoreboard:
PARTICIPANT REN: 2567… 62… 54… meters.
Total points accumulated: 8570.
PARTICIPANT ENA: 1640… 78… 89… meters.
Total points accumulated: 8240.]
Their speeds matched one another, their distance closing in. They knew this was a race, not only focused solely on the distance but also on the time. Because in that passing moment, there were only a few minutes left before the test ended.
Ena, with her ability, produced dozens of spherical bloods behind her and didn't hesitate to throw them all towards him.
Ren, caught between the limited space of the debris and the projectiles, had his movements restricted. Left with no other choice, he activated his flight once more, while swinging his hand around to send invisible blades to each projectile that came his way.
Ena clicked her tongue at that same ability once more, realizing it extended beyond just flight.
[… 1999 meters!]
[… 1999 meters!]
Both of their palms reached towards the blackbird, their hands just inches apart from it as they gritted their teeth.
Unbeknownst to the two participants, they had instantaneously claimed the bird.
Only then did the surrounding air freeze as if time had come to a halt.
[Both participants have reached for the same: {black bird}; the wheel will now decide which party will receive the reward!]
Neither of the two had expected this outcome, an outcome where they had to rely on their own luck to win it all.
Instantly, their faces had deteriorated to that of nervous confusion and worry as a wheel appeared at the center of it all.
Spun!
Trtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtr!!
Tr… Tr… Tr…
Tr…
Click!
[Draw.]
The faces of the two contorted at the outcome until a fresh voice appeared to break the silence.
"Only one minute remains. All birds have now converted to white. Only one can win."
[Both participants' points have been halved. White birds have replaced all birds as the last minute commences.]
Hearing the robotic voice, there was only one thing left to do.
Ena grabbed Ren by his wrist and his back to send a knee blow right to his abdomen. By her sudden attack, Ren corresponded by placing his palm in front of her strike to block the force completely.
With the Ren lowering himself to catch the black bird, height became a useless matter as there was only a minute left before the test ended. So the only option left was to kill the other opponent.
The semi-pure didn't stop her attack and instead pulled the man closer while sending a punch right at his face with her other hand.
This time, he could not stop it and had to take the impact head-on.
She pushed him away by using her other leg to send him into the wall.
[Your points have been halved.]
[Your points have been halved.]
Ren spews blood from his mouth before dodging the incoming blade directed at his face. And it looks like it wasn't the only one.
His eyes turned bloodshot at the many projectiles as he pulled up his hands and created a massive gust of wind to dismiss their flight entirely. With no more reason to cling to, he accelerated himself and shot himself toward Ena.
[Your points have been halved.]
They both fought relentlessly as the same phrase echoed through their ears.
He landed an uppercut to her liver, leaving her temporarily stunned. Blow after blow, he attacked her, but Ena fought back, elbowing his chin before delivering another strike to his back.
Their stamina was becoming increasingly insufficient as the fight continued.
Ren, as his last resort, placed his hands on Ena's abdomen and sent an attack that vibrated her entire body until parts of her organs were ruptured.
By that time, paralysis had affected Ena from head to toe, with the only functioning organ being her own mind, keeping her at the door between life and death.
Ena was stuck in a lying position. Her mouth was gushing out a pool of blood as she stared deeply into her opponent.
With a grin, she spoke:
"It's odd, really odd…"
Between her words, Ren crouched down to sit on her abdomen to place his hands on her neck.
"I thought you were just a lazy bum… But I guess you're better than I'd expected…"
Her face slowly turned ashen, with her airflow slowly disconnecting.
"Aren't you going to say anything…? You're really boring. However, it is over now…"
Her smile seemed to reach her eyes as she locked eyes with the man who had her in a chokehold.
"I… won!"
"…!"
With her ominous words, his hands began trembling excessively, steadily letting go of Ena's neck. His body disobeyed him, forcing him to stand up from Ena's abdomen.
Step… Step…
"WHAT?!" shouted Ren.
Ena laughed to herself, watching the man in front of her walk to the edge of the platform that held them both. Now he understood what was happening; Ena was controlling his own body to meet his own demise, and he had no way of stopping her control whatsoever.
And then he fell.
With the absurdity of it all, he saw Ena crawling her way to the edge with a gentle smirk playing on her face. Through haggard breathing, she forced herself to catch one last white bird that halved her points once again.
As the monster grew closer to Ren, he saw one last scene before his run at the test was over.
Ena, with her tongue stuck out, pressed her fingertip against her eyelid, with a middle finger directed at him. A look of disdain taunted the falling man into the monster's maw.
"I told you I won, you asshole."
"The winner of the test, Ena Hyakagure! Total points: 1."