Chapter 24: The Upcoming Trial
Bokuro slowly opened his eyes. The warm sunlight seeped into his room, and along with it, he could hear the voices of students outside — laughing, shouting, and full of joy. It felt strange. As he blinked and adjusted to the light, he noticed Kitsui and Nensudo sitting in his room.
Bokuro's heart suddenly raced. He quickly sat up and asked in a panicked voice,
"Where is that man… Takiyu?!"
Nensudo frowned and replied bluntly,
"Shut up, Bokuro. He died. It's been a day now. You've been asleep for the entire day."
Bokuro froze. His body stiffened as the memory slowly returned — the battle, Takiyu's words, and then darkness. He struggled to believe it, but Nensudo's serious face told him it was true.
Trying to shift his mind, Bokuro asked,
"What's going on now? What was that exam they were talking about?"
Nensudo shrugged.
"I don't know the full details. I just heard it's some big B-Level Scriptor Exam."
Before Bokuro could ask further, Kitsui, with her usual calm but slightly irritated tone, said,
"In the DX Kingdom… the king executed 128 B-Level Scriptors. That's why they're now holding this exam to recruit new ones."
Nensudo groaned and said lazily,
"Yeah, yeah, but tell us the main thing. I'm not interested in history lessons."
Kitsui shot him a sharp glare, clearly annoyed, before continuing,
"The exam is divided into three phases. And listen carefully — if 100 students take the exam, only about 10 will pass and become B-Level Scriptors."
Bokuro and Nensudo both leaned in, now fully focused.
Kitsui continued,
"In the first phase, every student has to display their unique power… or a new technique in their script. Something special that no one else has done before. After that, they are sent into the jungle, where they must live alone and master this unique script. This is called creating their 'Anthem.'"
Bokuro's eyes widened. That word… Anthem. He suddenly remembered Takiyu mentioning something similar. His chest tightened with emotion.
Kitsui carried on,
"They are given 50 days in the jungle to master their Anthem. If they succeed and the judges approve, then they move on to the second phase."
Nensudo interrupted,
"Okay, but what's the second phase about? Make it short, no more history."
Kitsui shot him another annoyed look but explained,
"In phase two, they divide the students into teams. Then, they are sent to an island. The goal there is to collect 90 points. Points are given based on their performance, teamwork, and the strength of their Anthem. Over the past 100 years, only 15 teams have managed to reach this phase each year."
She paused before continuing,
"The teams are given various tasks — like helping creatures, surviving harsh conditions, and so on — to earn points. Only the first five teams who collect the full points are selected."
Bokuro and Nensudo listened closely.
"Then comes phase three," Kitsui said seriously.
"The final test — fights. The selected teams must fight in an organized battle. Out of 20 fighters, only 10 will win and officially become B-Level Scriptors. After that, their script book is sent for a verification test, and within a few days, they receive their book back — now dyed blue in color, marking their new rank."
Bokuro clenched his fists, excitement and determination surging through him.
But Kitsui wasn't done yet. She then explained the ranking system:
"There are a total of 11 levels among Scriptors. It starts from the lowest — E level. Then D, C, B, A, S, Z, Kai, Mia, Alpha… and the highest level of all, which only two people in history have reached — Satoryo and Kazan Kaga."
Hearing these legendary names, both Nensudo and Bokuro couldn't hide their excitement. Their journey was only beginning… and the path ahead was about to test everything they had.