14

Dai and Narco made their way to the arena. They were both determined to win the second chance match to advance to the next stage of the Agency’s Exam.

As they approached the entrance, the sound of the cheering crowd grew louder, reverberating through their bones. Dai took a deep breath and closed his eyes, trying to calm his nerves. Narco placed a hand on his shoulder, her touch sending a warm wave of reassurance through him.

"Ready?" she asked, her voice filled with determination.

Dai nodded, his eyes locked onto the arena. Together, they stepped forward into the bright lights, ready to face their opponents.

The crowd erupted into cheers and applause as they made their way down the ramp towards the center of the arena. Dai and Narco could feel the energy of the crowd, and it gave them a rush of adrenaline. It was as if the crowd was a fuel that ignited their inner fire.

As they neared the center of the arena, they saw their two opponents walk into the arena in front of them. Two muscular men who seemed relaxed and confident they would win. They looked disappointed when they realized they were up against a pair of teenagers.

“That’s Tank and Titan,” Dai explained. “Two brothers who entered the Agency’s exam together. Their strength is unrivaled, but they're pretty dumb.”

Narco nodded. “Yeah, I know. They lost their previous round because the game they had to play was a pop quiz. They surrendered, saying they wanted to pass the exam by using their strength.”

“We could be in deep trouble depending on what game we have to play this round,” Dai answered, his voice filled with concern.

Despite the potential challenge ahead, Dai and Narco kept walking confidently. And they approached Tank and Titan.

“We’re up against kids?” Tank sulked, his tone dripping with arrogance.

Narco shot him a confident grin. “Why so disappointed, have you never lost against kids before?”

Tank’s brother, Titan answered, his voice oozing with disdain. “Nope. We never have and we never will.”

Dai couldn't resist muttering under his breath, "That's nothing to brag about."

Tank clicked his tongue, giving Dai a mean stare. Dai knew that he had pushed his buttons. "Ah, he heard that," Dai thought to himself, a smile creeping up his face.

Suddenly, Astolfo's voice boomed over the speakers. "For this round, you will play “tug-of-war: aerial edition”. Can both teams please move to the platforms on their side of the arena?"

Dai’s eyes widened in concern, and Narco clicked his tongue. “That’s the perfect game for two brothers who’ve got muscles for brains to play,” Narco said under his breath.

Dai, Narco, and the two brothers did as Astolfo said, and moved to the small circular platform on their sides of the arena. As both teams stood on their platforms, Astolfo continued to explain the rules. "Now grab your ends of the rope, but don’t start pulling yet."

As they followed Astolfo's instructions, they heard a contraption move, and the platform started to rise. Dai and Narco's eyes widened as they looked around, taking in their surroundings. The platforms continued to rise until they reached a height of ten meters above the ground.

"You are now ten meters above the ground," Astolfo announced, his voice echoing through the arena. "The losers will fall, and depending on your fall, it could be fatal."

Dai and Narco exchanged a determined look. They tightened their grip on the rope and locked their eyes on their opponents. They braced themselves for the ultimate showdown.

“Oh, I almost forgot. There is only one rule: if both members of a team either fall off the platform or let go of the rope, they lose,” Astolfo added before signaling the to start.

It didn't take long for Dai and Narco to notice the difference in strength between them and their opponents. “T-they’re too strong!” Dai said.

“Just don’t let go!” Narco answered.

But Dai knew better. He could feel the rope slipping away from him, and his feet were edging closer and closer to the precipice. "This won't do… Narco, I have a plan," he said in a low, intense voice.

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Narco's groan was all the response he got. "How long will you be able to last against them without me?" Dai asked, his voice hardening with determination.

Narco's eyes widened in shock, and he shook his head as if to clear it. "You're going to let go?" he said incredulously.

"How long?" Dai repeated, cutting through Narco's disbelief with a razor-sharp focus.

"15 seconds," Narco answered, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Okay listen. Just keep pulling. And whatever you do, don't let go!" Dai instructed, his eyes never leaving Tank and Titan, who were smirking at them with a cocky arrogance that made Dai's blood boil.

"What are you planning to do?" Narco said, his voice tinged with worry.

Dai didn't answer. He didn't have time to explain himself, as he already let go of the rope and leaped onto it. His feet landed with a soft thud, and he felt the rope sway beneath him. His heart thundered in his chest as he inched forward. He was extremely concentrated and had perfect balance, keeping himself from falling.

Tank and Titan’s expressions turned to disbelief as they watched Dai walk towards them, with a grace and fluidity that defied belief. "What is he doing?" Titan said, his voice tinged with a hint of fear.

But before his brother could answer, Dai had already made it onto their platform. He turned to the two brothers with an expression that screamed bloodlust.

"I'm going to punch you," Dai said, his voice dripping with contempt, "Are you not going to let go?"

The two brothers exchanged a wary look, unsure of how to respond to Dai's bravado. Tank, the brawnier of the two, sneered at Dai. "You're just a kid, what makes you think you can beat us?"

Dai's smile was cold as ice. "I don't need to beat you," he said, "I only need you to let go."

The brothers glared at Dai, their muscles tensing with fury. But Dai didn't back down, he stood his ground with a fierce determination that made his opponents pause. His eyes burned with a ferocity that belied his small frame.

“You like to fight, right? Dai taunted, his voice dripping with contempt. "Come on then, show me what you've got!"

Without warning, he lunged at Tank with a lightning-fast strike. Dai caught him off-guard and landed several powerful punches on his stomach. Tank grunted with pain and stumbled backward, his face twisted in anger.

Tank, who was already angered by the punches he had received from Dai, couldn’t hold his anger any longer. “Titan, you keep your hands on that rope, I’ll deal with this kid,” Tank said, and his brother nodded.

“That’s one,” Dai said, further provoking the brothers. “That should make it a bit easier for Narco as well…” he thought.

Dai's movements were fluid and precise, as he dodged every one of Tank’s blows.

But Dai wasn't done yet. He spun around and faced Titan, his eyes glittering with a dangerous intensity. "One good push should do it," he thought. He knew that he had to act fast because Tank was growing increasingly frustrated. His attacks were also becoming more desperate and reckless.

But Dai remained calm and focused, his mind racing as he calculated the best angle of attack. He knew that he only had one shot at this, and he couldn't afford to miss.

As he circled around Tank, Dai felt a surge of adrenaline coursing through his veins. He could hear Narco cheering him on from the sidelines, his voice faint but encouraging.

"Come on, Dai! You got this!"

With a sudden burst of speed, Dai sprinted toward Titan, his legs pumping with raw power, Dai leaped off the ground. Dai's heart was pounding with adrenaline as he connected the brutal blow to Titan's chest, sending him reeling backward and letting go of the rope. It was a risky move, but he knew it was their only chance of passing the Agency's Exam's second stage. As Titan fell off the platform, Dai could hear Narco's loud cheer, and he started cheering along. The joy and excitement of their victory made him feel alive.

But Tank wasn't done yet. His fury finally made him lose control after he saw his brother fall off the platform, unsure if he was alive. Dai could see the rage building in Tank's eyes as he raised his fist, preparing a powerful punch for Dai. Dai knew he couldn't dodge it. He was too late, so he braced himself for the impact, hoping that it wouldn't knock him out.

But Tank wasn’t done yet, his fury finally made him lose control after he saw his brother writhing in pain. Tank raised his fist, preparing a powerful punch for Dai. As Tank's fist started speeding towards Dai, Dai turned around. “I can’t dodge!” He thought.

Just as Tank's fist was about to connect with Dai's chin, he turned around and saw Tank falling to his knees, and falling off the platform. Dai was able to catch a glimpse of a sleeping dart in Tank's neck before he fell. He looked around to see who had saved him but couldn't see anyone. "Was that one of the staff of the exam?" he thought to himself.

The platforms started going down again, and Dai and Narco were quickly pulled down. As they landed on the ground, they took a deep breath and exchanged a quick glance. They had passed the second stage of the exam, and they were one step closer to the end of the exam.

With adrenaline still pumping through their veins, Dai and Narco made their way toward each other. Their faces beamed with pride and excitement as they exchanged a high-five in celebration. Narco couldn't help but express his awe at Dai's incredible use of the rope during the last challenge.

"The way you used the rope to get to their platform was insane! How did you think of that?" Narco asked, still in disbelief at the feat he had just witnessed.

Dai chuckled, shrugging off the praise. "Astolfo said that we both had to let go of the rope to lose, so I just put some trust in you and used that rule to my advantage," he explained, feeling a sense of satisfaction as he relived the moment in his mind.

Suddenly, a hand landed on Dai's shoulder, causing him to turn around. It was Astolfo, the examiner for the second stage of the Agency's Exam. "That was very clever of you, being able to turn a bad situation into an opportunity. That was what this stage was about," Astolfo praised, his eyes gleaming with approval.

Dai and Narco nodded, grateful for the recognition of their efforts.

The crowd erupted into cheers as Astolfo announced Dai and Narco as the winners of the second chance round. The boys couldn't believe it—they had managed to overcome the odds and prove their worth in the Agency's Exam. The excitement and relief were palpable, and they couldn't wait to see what awaited them in the next challenge.