Eto, the staff-wielder, seized the opportunity. He turned to Karna with a vicious sneer. "Oi, Twilight! You hear that? You need a team. Who would ever partner with worthless trash like you? You're already disqualified. Here, let me show you the exit.". He grabbed Karna's wrist roughly—but in a blur of motion, Hatake appeared, his hand clamping down on Eto's arm like a vice. Eto cried out, his knees buckling as he was forced down into the dust.

"Where did he come from?!" Eto gasped, his face white with pain and shock. "His grip… it’s so strong!"

"And one more thing," Hatake said, his voice dangerously calm. "There will be no fighting before the test begins." He released Eto and walked away, though his gaze lingered on Karna for a heartbeat longer than anyone else.

*So the rumors were true,* the examiner thought. *The Twilight is here. This will please HIM.*

Eto took a ragged breath, muttering "I thought my arm was going to snap," but Karna was already walking away without a single word.

Across the grounds, those without teams began frantically searching for teammates. Goro stalked toward the two boys he had beaten earlier.

"You weaklings won't last a day in there!" he barked. "Join me and you might live."

The broader youth glared back, his anger overcoming his fear. "How dare you ask us to join you. We'd rather fail than follow you!"

Goro's fist drove into the boy's stomach without a hint of warning. The boy crumpled to the ground, gasping for air.

"Ugh! My bad," Goro said, his voice dripping with false sympathy. "You were saying something? I couldn't hear you."

Through gritted teeth, the boy on the ground forced out the words: "We'll... join your team!"

Meanwhile, Kenta surveyed their group with a deep frown. "We're one member short. We need to find one more person."

A sudden, dramatic change came over Karna. His previously hollow eyes lit up with radiant joy and excitement. "In that case," he declared, his voice suddenly vibrant, "let's ask a girl to join us! My destiny awaits!" His gaze swept across the starting area, and with a joyful leap, he dashed into the gathering of candidates.

Kenta sighed in deep exasperation. "He's at it again... Oh my god."

They watched as Karna bounded from group to group, a charming smile fixed on his face as he asked girls to join their team. Each time, the response was the same: a look of disgust and a harsh rejection.

"Why would we want to be on the same team as a Twilight?" one girl said, her face twisted in contempt as she turned her back on him.

Dejected, Karna trudged back to his friends, his entire being radiating despair. "I've lost all hope in life," he muttered, sinking to his knees. "My romantic dreams are ashes. There's no more reason to live."

Just then, a gentle, slightly uncertain voice spoke up. "Um... excuse me?"

All heads turned to the speaker. A girl stood there, looking curiously at Karna on the ground. She was undeniably cute, dressed in a modest yet distinctly styled blue and white dress, with white leggings that extended into soft, low-heeled boots and a white bag. The dress itself had a simple, clean cut, reminiscent of the functional attire worn by some mages, but its fabric possessed an almost luminescent quality and a smoothness that was subtly alien to the hand-woven textiles common on this continent. The silver embroidery along its hem and cuffs was intricate, a fusion of delicate artistry and precise, almost mechanical patterns. Her sky-blue eyes were wide with a mixture of innocence and confusion, and she seemed completely oblivious to the tension she had just walked into.

"If you don't mind," she began again, softly. "Could I... maybe join your team?"

Karna slowly raised his head. His eyes met her sky-blue ones.

For him, the world seemed to stop. The noise of the crowd vanished, the background fading into a soft, pure white. Only this angelic girl existed.

"Are you alright?" she asked, tilting her head.

In Karna's imagination, a glowing cupid's arrow shot from her eyes and struck him directly in the heart. He fell backward onto the ground, a blissful, serene smile on his face and his eyes closed. "Kami-sama," he whispered to the heavens. "I am ready to come to you now. My life is finally fulfilled."

Reiko's foot suddenly landed on Karna's stomach with a thud. "Will you cut it out?!" she snapped.

As Karna curled into a groaning ball, he snapped back to reality. The new girl—Fumiko—looked on with deep concern. "Is he going to be alright?"

"Don't worry about him," Reiko said, her angry tone vanishing in a practiced, friendly smile. "This is a regular occurrence. I'm Reiko. This is Kenta, that's Gyoda, and the dramatic one on the ground is Karna."

Fumiko offered a small, polite bow. "Hello! My name is Fumiko. It's a pleasure to meet you all."

Kenta studied her, his expression calm but his eyes sharp with suspicion. "Hello, Fumiko. So... you want to join our team?" he asked, gesturing to their ragged group.

In the background, Karna continued to roll on the ground while Gyoda squatted beside him.

Fumiko nodded, fiddling with the hem of her dress nervously. "Umm... yes! I'm all alone, and your group seems one person short. I thought... Perhaps we could help each other?"

Kenta's gaze didn't waver, his voice even but direct. "I have to ask. Why would you want to join this team? You know that he's a Twilight, right?" He gestured to Karna.

Fumiko tilted her head, her sky-blue eyes wide with genuine, unforced curiosity. "Umm... well, I don't really know what 'Twilight' means? Is it a bad thing?"

Kenta's sharp blue eyes narrowed slightly. The suspicion on his face was tempered by genuine surprise. "You... don't know? That's... strange. Everyone on this continent knows that word."

"I'm not from here," Fumiko explained softly, offering a small, polite bow of her head. "I come from Lycia."

The name of the western continent landed with palpable weight. Kenta's eyebrows raised in genuine astonishment. "Lycia? The Continent of Peace? I've heard stories. A land without magic, where they built kingdoms on technology instead. No wonder your attire looks different. But... you don't have any magical equipment. Don't Lycians rely on that?"

Fumiko offered a small, shy smile. "Most Lycians do, yes. But I'm a bit of an anomaly. I was actually born with a natural affinity for magic, which is very rare in my homeland."

Reiko's face lit up with sudden understanding. "Ohhh! That explains it! The Council only opened the borders to Lycia three years ago after that big treaty. No wonder you haven't heard about it."

Just then, a pained groan drew everyone's attention. Karna was still rolling on the ground dramatically, with Gyoda poking him and asking, "You alive in there, buddy?"

Fumiko's gaze shifted to the commotion, her expression one of innocent concern as she watched the strange spectacle.

At that moment, while Fumiko was distracted, Kenta and Reiko shared a look. It was a rapid, silent conversation held entirely in their eyes. Kenta's glance was a question, sharp and cautious: "Do we trust this?" Reiko's answer, a pragmatic roll of her eyes followed by a firm nod: "We don't have a choice. She's our only shot."

Kenta gave an almost imperceptible sigh of resignation and nodded back. The decision was made. As Fumiko turned her attention back to them, Kenta spoke, his tone formal but noticeably warmer than before.

"Fumiko," he said. "We’ll take you in."

Fumiko's entire face illuminated with a radiant, relieved smile, all traces of her earlier nervousness vanishing. "Really? Thank you! I promise I will not hold you back!"

Kenta gave a single, firm nod. "We'll be counting on you."

Karna stood in the registration queue, a stark contrast to his usual brooding self. An almost ridiculous grin was plastered on his face, his eyes sparkling with unrestrained excitement. He practically vibrated with energy, looking less like a condemned Twilight and more like a kid on the morning of a festival. The rest of his team—Kenta, Reiko, Gyoda, and their new member, Fumiko—stood with him, a mixture of resolve and anxiety on their faces.

Not far away, Goro's team was also registering. The two boys he had strong-armed into joining him stood sullenly at the back of the group, their expressions a mixture of anger and resignation as they submitted their application.

After a tense wait, the rules flickered to life on the large board, drawing a collective gasp from the crowd.

TEST RULES: THE TEAM ELIMINATION PHASE

• Duration: 4 Days

• Objective: Your team must collect a combined total of 100,000 points to qualify for the next round.

• Starting Points: Each participant begins with 100 points. If any member’s score falls to 0, they are immediately eliminated.

• Point Collection: Points spawn across the arena (values: 500 - 10,000). They can be shared among teammates.

• Team Radar: Your teammates will appear on your device's radar.

• Looting: To loot points or items from another team, place your device on theirs and clearly state, “Steal.”

• The Rabbit: On Days 2, 3, and 4, a magical rabbit will appear. Your device will blink when it spawns and periodically reveal its location. Day 2 Reward: 30,000 points Day 3 Reward: 50,000 points
  Day 4 Reward: 100,000 points

• The Store: Use your earned points to purchase provisions and weapons. High-level gear is available for a price.

• Bounty Hunt (Final 12 Hours): The top 3 teams will be marked as targets. Their locations and names will be broadcast to all. The store will be locked during this event.

A rough sketch of the arena map appeared. It showed a dense rainforest with towering trees, open barren lands under a harsh sun, and a network of winding canals with dark, slow-moving water. Each terrain presented its own dangers—ambushes in the forest, exposure in the barrens, and hidden risks in the water. Survival would mean navigating them all.

Near the board, a larger map lit up, displaying numbered starting points. Team names began flashing beside them.

A ripple of murmurs spread through the crowd, pulling attention away from the rules board. Another team was approaching the registration counter, and their appearance was unlike anything else in the arena.

They were from Lycia.

They moved with a confident swagger that was entirely foreign to the mages of the continent. Each member was impeccably dressed in a style that spoke of advanced design and impeccable tailoring. Instead of the practical robes and armor worn by the mages, they wore form-fitting suits of varying colors. There was a sleek navy suit, a rich forest green one, a striking golden one, and suits of pure white and solid maroon . Each outfit featured clean-cut shirts and neatly knotted cravats. Their jackets were sleek with subtle brass buttons, and their trousers were tucked into tall, gleaming leather boots. They were a vision of professional, understated elegance that felt wildly out of place amidst the crowd.

The crowd stared, not with hostility, but with open curiosity and awe. It had only been three years since the Council opened the borders, and a full team from the reclusive, technology-advanced continent was still a rare spectacle. They were treated like visiting celebrities from a strange, futuristic world.

The team’s leader, a tall figure with a calm demeanor, stepped up to the counter. The receptionist, looking slightly flustered, presented them with a case.

"Your equipment has been calibrated and tested," the receptionist announced, her voice carrying in the hushed atmosphere. "The Council has approved their use. The mana-conversion gems in your firearms have been stabilized to comply with arena regulations. Your elemental bracelets have also been cleared. You are good to go."

With a nod of thanks, the leader opened the case. Inside, their pistols and bracelets gleamed, now bearing small, official Council seals that shimmered with a faint magical energy. They retrieved their gear, the click of holsters and the faint hum of activating bracelets sounding unnaturally loud in the silence.

As they turned to leave, their eyes swept over the other teams with a cool, assessing gaze that was neither friendly nor hostile—merely analytical. They completely ignored the stares, their focus already on the arena ahead, a unit of calm, prepared professionals amidst a sea of anxious mages.

The display was a powerful reminder: the rules of this game were changing. Strength wouldn't just be measured in spells anymore.

Before they entered the gateway to the arena, each team was issued their devices. The radar was a fascinating piece of magic-tech: a palm-sized, smooth black stone set within a circular, dented bronze frame etched with glowing runes. It had a rugged, well-used look. When Karna tentatively pressed his thumb to its surface, the runes flared to life, and a shimmering, translucent hologram of the map projected into the air above it, displaying pulsing points of light and the faint outlines of his four teammates.

The reality of the test settled over them—a mix of danger and opportunity. It was no longer just a test; it was a battle for survival.

The five of them walked in a loose formation towards their designated starting point. Kenta led the way, his expression pensive, with Karna and Gyoda a few steps behind. Fumiko and Reiko brought up the rear.