Eviliana's POV
"Lia, let's go!" Avy exclaimed excitedly. She's my one and only friend in the Fox Kingdom. Her real name is Aviel, but I call her Avy.
We're on our way to Campbell Academy, the largest academy in all of the Fairy Kingdom, to take the entrance exam. I really hope we pass.
"Mother, we're heading out now," I said to my mother, Queen Sienna, the ruler of the foxes.
She nodded. "Take care, both of you."
"Yes, Mother."
Avy also said goodbye to her parents.
The portal was already open, so we stepped through it together. As soon as we entered, we found ourselves in a forest—likely one within the Fairy Kingdom. The academy was still quite far from here.
Avy decided to shift forms and just run the rest of the way. As for me, I rode on her back while carrying our belongings.
We arrived at Campbell Academy in no time, thanks to Avy's incredible speed. For your information, Avy is a highly competitive fox. She constantly competes with others to prove who's the fastest—and unsurprisingly, she always wins. But from what I've heard, there's one fox she's never been able to beat.
Various magical beings were gathered here. From what I could see, I was the only one who looked different. It was strange and a bit overwhelming to witness so many diverse beings outside the Fox Kingdom.
"Good morning, everyone. Our entrance exam will begin in 10 minutes," announced a male fairy on stage—he was probably the host for today's exam.
"Sigh… Ten more minutes? That's forever," Avy grumbled, clearly bored. She walked over and rested her head on my shoulder.
"You're too excited. Just wait a little longer," I replied with a smile.
Her ears twitched and her tail wagged. "Hehe! Okay," she smiled back.
"Looking for a strong opponent again, hmm?" I teased.
"Yes, hehe!" As expected.
We stayed like that for a few more minutes.
After ten minutes, the male fairy returned to the stage. "Ahem! Before the exam begins, Headmaster Kirino has a message for all of you. Please listen carefully," he said as another fairy—clearly the Headmaster—suddenly appeared behind him.
"Good day, everyone. Before we begin, I'd like to ask all those who possess the ability to see the past and future to proceed backstage. You will have a different kind of examination," Headmaster Kirino announced. "I'll repeat: those who have the ability to see the past or future, please go backstage. Your test will be different. That's all—thank you, and good luck!" With that, he vanished.
The male fairy returned and spoke again. "We'll now begin the entrance exam for Campbell Academy," he declared. "This year's entrance test is called 'The Race.' You're allowed to use your powers to reach the finish line faster. However, be prepared to face artificial monsters that will try to stop you. The exam consists of three rounds: Easy, Average, and Difficult."
A smile crept onto my face. That doesn't sound too hard… I think? The important thing is to avoid the monsters and reach the finish line.
"You have only five minutes to reach the finish line. Only those who make it within that time will be accepted into the academy."
The smile faded. Huh? Five minutes? Can I really make it in five minutes? I'm not exactly a fast runner… No! What if I fail?
"Don't worry too much about injuries caused by the artificial monsters. You'll be inside a hologram, so those injuries will disappear after the test. But! If you're injured by another examinee, those injuries will remain. Don't worry, though—our Healing Team will be ready to assist," the fairy added.
"Avy… do you think I'll pass?" I asked nervously. Avy was fast, so I was confident she would. But me? I was slow.
She stood confidently. "Of course we will. Just trust me," she said and winked.
Her words eased my nerves, and I smiled. I guess I'll need her help again.
"Your section placement will depend on how fast you reach the finish line," the fairy continued. "Any questions?" he asked, scanning the crowd.
Even though I was a bit embarrassed, I raised my hand. Avy gave me a curious look, but I just smiled at her.
"Yes, what's your question?" he asked.
"Umm… where do we put our stuff?" I asked shyly. Everyone's attention suddenly turned to me.
"Just leave them here. You can retrieve them after the exam," he answered.
Oh…
"Any more questions?" he asked again. No one spoke. "I guess that's it, then. Everyone, get ready."
Avy grinned widely when she heard that. She was really excited about this.
The scenery suddenly changed. The area became even more expansive than before.
Everyone began preparing for the exam. Most of them shifted forms, including Avy.
"On your marks…"
"Lia, get on," Avy said.
"Okay," I replied simply and hopped onto her back.
"Get set…"
"Don't worry, Lia. We'll pass this exam together."
"Yes!" I answered confidently. I believed we would make it, and our journey here wouldn't be in vain.
"Go!"
Avy dashed off, and so did the others. Many were fast, but no one could match Avy's speed. We were leading the race.
"I'll take care of the artificial monsters. You just focus on running," I told her. I grabbed one of my necklaces, which transformed into a sword. I call this blade Ōrukattosōdo, because it can cut through anything.
"Alright!" she shouted back and ran even faster.
The artificial monsters started appearing, so I swung Ōrukattosōdo to defeat them. The monsters in the Easy Round were about our size and used weapons like swords. They weren't too difficult, so we cleared the round easily.
We were still in the lead. Behind us was a female fairy who, despite not using any visible powers, was incredibly fast. In third place was a female wolf.
When we reached the Average Round, we were immediately swarmed by larger monsters—three times bigger than the ones before. They didn't carry weapons, but their strength was overwhelming. One punch from them could probably send you flying.
Thankfully, I managed to dodge their attacks. Without my sword, we might have struggled.
We were halfway through the Average Round when a horde of artificial monsters suddenly burst through the trees—massive, hulking beasts that towered over us. Their bodies looked like they were stitched together from shadows and steel, with glowing red eyes and snarling jaws that dripped with what looked like digital poison. One of them lunged at us, swinging its arm like a wrecking ball.
"Hang on!" I yelled.
Avy twisted mid-run, her reflexes razor-sharp, and narrowly dodged the attack. The beast's arm slammed into the ground where we'd been seconds before, leaving a crater in its wake.
I didn't waste a second. I raised Ōrukattosōdo—my enchanted blade that could slice through nearly anything—and slashed downward with all my strength.
CRACK!
The creature howled as my blade tore through its shoulder, sparks and pixels flying in every direction. But it didn't fall. It charged again, angrier.
"Lia, behind you!" Avy shouted.
Another monster was coming from our flank. I spun just in time, ducking a claw swipe and retaliating with a sweeping arc of my sword. I aimed for the legs, severing them clean. It collapsed and disintegrated into smoke and light.
These monsters weren't just strong—they were relentless. For every one I cut down, two more tried to ambush us from the shadows.
Avy kept dodging and weaving, while I defended us from every angle—slashing, spinning, and blocking.
"I'm detecting five more up ahead," she said through gritted teeth.
"Then let's clear them all," I said, tightening my grip on the sword. My magic surged, and a faint glow enveloped the blade.
The next monster leapt at us, jaws wide. I channeled a bit more of my energy into Ōrukattosōdo, then struck upward in a flash.
BOOM!
The impact sent the creature flying backward—straight into a tree, which exploded on contact.
Avy whistled. "Remind me never to spar with you when you're serious."
I smirked. "You wouldn't last five seconds."
We finally pushed past the last of the beasts and almost exited the Average Round when Avy spoke again.
"Lia, hold on tight. There are traps here. You might fall," she said seriously.
One of Avy's skills is detecting traps in her surroundings—she's very sensitive to them.
Just as she warned, I gripped tightly.
Then she suddenly leaped into the air, startling me so much I almost fell.
"Are you okay?" she asked worriedly.
"Yes, I was just surprised," I answered. "What kind of trap was that?"
"Invisible thorns," she replied.
"Oh…" I murmured.
From what I've read, invisible thorns only become visible once you touch or step on them.
"I forgot to mention," the fairy's voice echoed again, "there are traps scattered throughout the area, so be careful."
-_-