Aurora was clearly caught off guard by Kaito's sudden, smooth flattery.
Her eyes widened slightly, and she instinctively took a step back.
"What... what did you just mean by that?" she stammered, a faint blush dusting her cheeks.
She quickly turned her head away, seemingly to check on the recovering students, but more so to compose herself as she noticed the other students beginning to surge forward.
Catherina, Gwen, Eric, and Darius were among the first, quickly followed by the rest of the curious, murmuring crowd, all eager to get a closer look at the victor.
Aurora cleared her throat, forcing her voice to steady.
Taking a deep breath, she turned back to the arena and, with a powerful voice that cut through the rising chatter, announced;
"The duel has concluded! The victor, Kaito Kuromaku!"
---
While Aurora was already assisting the healers and medics with the transfer of the three unconscious students, Kaito sat near the edge of the stage, a picture of calm.
Catherina and the others, however, didn't approach him immediately.
Instead, they stood a distance away, simply staring.
Gwen was the first to break the silence, her eyes wide with lingering awe.
"Did you see how he defeated those three earlier?" she breathed, turning to Eric and Darius.
"I couldn't see most of it well, but I'm sure he dodged those arrows flying at him."
Darius scoffed, a grudging respect in his tone despite himself.
"That's not the only thing he did."
"He dismantled their group and coordination one by one, beating them each without showing an opening."
Eric, ever the voice of caution, added, "But he didn't have to hit them that hard, you know."
"That archer was surrendering already, but he still hit him twice."
Gwen quickly jumped to Kaito's defense.
"Come on now, Eric! Those three are the ones who started it!"
"They were basically bullying him about his choice of weapons and to give up his spot as Catherina's partner."
"But still," Eric insisted with a slight shrug, "I think it was a bit too much."
Gwen then turned her attention to Catherina, who remained quiet, her gaze fixed on Kaito.
Gwen nudged Catherina's shoulder, a mischievous smile playing on her lips.
"Hey, why haven't you approached your partner yet?" she teased.
"He basically won against three people to stay by your side!"
Catherina jumped, visibly surprised by the sudden attention.
"What are you saying!" she stammered, a blush creeping up her neck.
Gwen laughed, clearly enjoying Catherina's reaction.
"I guess we'll leave you two to it!" she declared.
"Eric and I have to start training for the exam anyway."
She then grabbed Eric's arm and began dragging him away.
"Wait, are you sure about this?" Eric protested, casting a worried glance back at Catherina.
"Leaving him as her partner?"
"What?" Gwen retorted, feigning indignation.
"Do you want to be her partner, Eric? Are you trying to leave me alone, huh?"
Eric sighed in defeat, throwing his hands up.
"What, of course not! Alright then, you win."
Darius, who was also being pulled along by Gwen, grumbled, "Why am I being dragged away too?!"
While Kaito was still grinning happily at his Player Status, savoring the sight of his bolstered coins and available stat points, a soft rustle beside him broke his reverie.
He quickly glanced over to find Catherina sitting down next to him, her gaze fixed on his beaming face.
Seeing him so openly delighted, a hint of curiosity in her voice, Catherina asked.
"Why are you always doing that?"
Kaito, startled by her sudden presence, blinked.
"Wha—doing what?" he asked, genuinely surprised.
Catherina didn't look at him directly.
Instead, she tilted her head back, staring at the ceiling of the training hall, a faint, almost amused smile playing on her lips.
"Looking at the ceiling, giggling, laughing by yourself... Don't you think that's creepy?"
"That's why those three were messing with you, you know."
Her tone was light, but there was an underlying observation in her words.
Kaito's smile softened, a touch of genuine amusement now in his eyes.
"Is it?" he mused, looking back up at the ceiling briefly before turning his gaze to her.
"I just can't help it, you know."
"Getting stronger is my ultimate goal. And winning against three people just now..."
"It made me feel that my efforts aren't wasted, but truly rewarded."
He finished with a contented smile, his eyes shining with earnest ambition.
Kaito suppressed a triumphant chuckle, his inner monologue bubbling with uncontainable glee.
"But to tell you the truth, just look at all these rewards, hehehe."
"Oh, I wish I could brag about this to you."
He mentally shook his head, pushing his game-derived excitement down.
He then looked at Catherina, a knowing smile playing on his lips.
"But you know," he began, his voice dropping slightly, "it's not entirely true that they approached me just for my habit of laughing by myself."
He held her gaze. "They wanted to take you away from me, you know."
Catherina's eyes widened, her expression a mix of surprise and a dawning realization.
The words Kaito had uttered earlier, before the duel even began, "She is too perfect..." "You wouldn't be able to handle her..." echoed in her mind.
A light pink flush spread across her cheeks, and she quickly turned her head away, staring intently at the arena floor.
"I'm not perfect as you may think, you know," she mumbled, her voice barely audible.
Kaito blinked, genuinely surprised by her response.
"What are you talking about?" he thought, bewildered. "You're the female lead!"
He quickly recalibrated.
"Maybe," he replied smoothly, forcing his gaze away from her flustered face and back towards the now empty stage.
"But I like your fighting style. It's strong, and the rapier suits you best."
At that, Catherina slowly turned her head back to him, her eyes searching his for sincerity.
A small, genuine smile touched her lips.
"You really think so?" she asked, a softer tone in her voice.
"It's my mother's choice of weapon, too."
"Really?" Kaito feigned surprise, though a faint smile tugged at his lips.
"Well, that explains why you smiled when you picked up a rapier from the weapons stand earlier."
Catherina didn't answer.
Her smile faded slightly, and she immediately turned her head away again, her thoughts racing.
"What? How did he even notice that?" she wondered, a flicker of confusion mixed with surprise.
"I thought he doesn't care and always forget I'm next to him."
Kaito watched her, a knowing smirk in his thoughts.
"Well, I didn't really see it," he admitted to himself.
"But I know from the countless times I played this game from the protagonist's perspective."
"That she likes her sword because it helps her remember her mother, who is missing at this point of the game."
"But it's not yet time to think about that, at least not right now."
He decided it was time to shift the conversation.
"I think it's time," he said, drawing her attention back.
"We should probably plan our way to pass the exam."
Kaito's suggestion shifted the mood, and Catherina's attention immediately snapped to the practical.
"Right," she agreed, her voice firmer now, the earlier awkwardness fading.
"We should. It's only a week away."
They rose and walked towards a quieter corner of the arena, settling down to begin some light stretches.
As Kaito and Catherina began their stretches, Kaito's expression grew serious.
"This exam... it's not going to be as simple as they make it sound," Kaito stated, his voice low.
Catherina paused her arm stretches, raising an eyebrow.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"It's just a simulation exam to test our combat skills against real threat within a controlled environment, isn't it?"
"The beasts they put in there are always lower-ranked than us."
Kaito nodded, resuming his leg stretches.
"That's what they want us to think, and that's usually true."
"The strongest monster in there is usually only one or two ranks higher than an average student."
"They're challenges meant for a well-balanced group, not something a single student should try to beat."
"Even a duo like us would have a hard time if we fought one of those head-on."
Catherina finished her stretch, her brow furrowed.
"Yes, that's standard for this type of assessment. Why are you worried?"
Kaito met her gaze, a subtle, unreadable glint in his eyes.
He paused, considering his words carefully.
"Let's just say... I have a very strong intuition about these things."
"Sometimes, exams designed for groups don't account for, well, unforeseen circumstances."
"Things can get out of control quickly, even in a controlled environment."
"I've just heard whispers that this one might be more challenging than they're letting on, in ways that aren't typical."
Catherina studied him, a flicker of doubt and unease appearing on her face.
His vague answer didn't fully reassure her, but his conviction was unsettling.
The casual practice exam had just taken on a far more serious, and potentially dangerous situation.