"Aah… it hurts too much, man…" Rudra muttered, wincing as he pushed himself upright.
Morning light filtered through the trees, and when he checked his watch, his heart sank—only two hours remained before the exam ended.
"No… no, no, no… why me…" he groaned, nearly on the verge of tears.
After wasting what little energy he had left on complaining, Rudra forced himself to think. His body still ached from the beating Ron had given him, and he knew he wasn't in any condition for a prolonged fight. With time slipping away and the distant echoes of explosions growing louder, he realized he had to be strategic. If he wanted to survive—let alone pass—he needed to choose the right moment to strike.
---
Rudra's POV
I decided to move slowly but steadily toward the center of the forest. That's where the final clash would happen. Everyone would be targeting the remaining Asuras for points, and if I played it smart, I could defeat the exhausted survivors and climb the rankings.
As I walked, I mentally listed the people I might have to face. The obvious names came to mind: Amanda Hart… and Sammy—my best friend.
Just my luck. And to top it off, I still had no idea why I wasn't blessed with any divine ability like the others. Cursing under my breath, I continued toward the heart of the jungle.
The sounds of battle grew louder—shouts, explosions, steel clashing. The end of the test was near.
When I finally reached the clearing, I hid behind a thick bush and peeked through the leaves. What I saw made my stomach drop.
Amanda stood in the center, surrounded by eight students forming a tight circle around her. She was bruised, bleeding, and barely standing. The moment they lunged toward her, I couldn't stop myself.
"STOP!"
The entire clearing froze.
"What the hell are you all doing? Why are you ganging up on her?" I demanded, stepping out with anger simmering in my voice.
"We're trying to win," Sammy replied with a twisted smile. "And the best way is to take down the strongest candidate of the year."
"Oh? And you thought eight-on-one was the answer?"
"Back off, Rudra. This has nothing to do with you."
"Oh, it definitely has something to do with me."
"Don't make this harder than it already is. You won't like how it ends."
"Come on then, dog. Let's see what you've got."
They began closing in, but before I could step forward, Amanda grabbed my arm.
"It's okay. I can handle this," she said weakly.
"Or," I replied with a grin, "we handle it together. What do you say?"
She exhaled, half annoyed, half relieved. "Fine… let's do it."
As Amanda and I took our stance side by side, the others regrouped and whispered among themselves, forming a plan of their own.
And just like that, the final battle began.