Martian Archer

Hugo crouched on a rocky ledge, overlooking the battlefield below. His sharp eyes tracked every movement—Leon and Rei had taken out an enemy team and armed themselves, but his real focus was elsewhere.

Klein.

The so-called "combat trainer" was slinking away from the chaos, moving toward the treeline like a rat escaping a sinking ship.

Hugo's grip on his spear tightened.

"Coward."

He'd suspected Klein from the start, but now there was no doubt. Goro's death, the sabotaged weapons, the ambush Klein was behind it all.

And now he was trying to run.

Hugo exhaled, adjusted his stance then threw.

The spear whistled through the air like a bullet, cutting through the wind.

At the last second, Klein twisted his body, narrowly avoiding a fatal hit. But the spear still grazed his arm, cutting deep and pinning his coat to a tree.

Klein stumbled but quickly recovered, yanking himself free. He turned slowly, his usual smirk returning.

"Took you long enough."

Hugo leapt down from his perch, landing with a soft thud. He rolled his shoulders, unfazed.

"Running away already? That's pathetic."

Klein chuckled, wiping the blood off his arm.

"This game is bigger than you, old man. You wouldn't understand."

Then, in a swift motion, he pulled out a concealed firearm.

Hugo's instincts screamed at him. move!

A gunshot rang out.

Hugo ducked, twisting to the side. The bullet grazed his shoulder, but he didn't slow down.

Close the gap.

That was his only chance.

Klein fired again, but Hugo was already in motion. He zigzagged, avoiding the shots, before launching himself forward.

His spear flashed

CLANG!

Klein barely blocked with a hidden dagger, but Hugo pressed forward, forcing him back.

"You talk too much," Hugo muttered.

Klein grinned, deflecting the next strike.

"And you think too little."

They clashed spear against dagger Klein moving with unexpected agility. He wasn't just a trainer.

He was a killer.

Far above the battlefield, the academy's jury observed everything through their screens.

One of the officials adjusted his microphone, then spoke in a calm, detached voice:

"Ignore the explosions. Continue the exam."

His words echoed across the battlefield.

Every participant who heard it froze for a moment.

Leon, hiding with Rei, felt his stomach drop.

"What…?"

Rei narrowed her eyes.

"They're covering it up."

Leon clenched his fists.

The academy knew something was wrong. They saw the explosions, the sabotage, the deaths

And they were ignoring it.

Letting it happen.

Leon's blood ran cold.

This wasn't just an exam anymore.

This was a battlefield.