Meanwhile, on the mountainside, Sig watched the scene with an almost devouring focus. His sharp gaze missed nothing. The three arenas were silent battlegrounds, and he could almost feel the tension emanating from them.

"A little over five minutes left," he thought, scanning the participants. "I think he’ll act soon."

In the arena where Ikku stood, one man hadn’t moved since the trial began. He remained in a corner, arms crossed, like a predator in slumber. Tall and slender, his long white hair shimmered with bluish highlights, cascading to his lower back. His face, delicate and almost too refined for a man, added an air of strangeness to his presence. But it was his eyes that struck the most, a deep blue, as cold and tempestuous as the ocean during a storm.

Two men finally noticed him, their nervous tension erupting into anger.

"Hey, you over there!" one of them shouted, his voice rough and impatient. "What do you think you’re doing just standing there?!"

"Yeah! We’ll throw you out of here right now!" the second added, his tone full of challenge.

Without waiting, they charged at him, aiming to attack. Yet the man dodged every strike with an unsettling ease, his arms remaining crossed. His movements were so fast they were almost invisible. Frustration grew as the two attackers continued their futile attempts.

"How... how is he doing this?" one of them muttered, panting, exhaustion beginning to take its toll.

The white-haired man cast a brief glance around. His gaze seemed to evaluate every candidate and every movement. He sighed softly, almost imperceptibly, as if deeply annoyed. Slowly, he uncrossed his arms and took a calm step toward his two adversaries.

"Enough," he said, his voice icy and devoid of emotion. Before the two men could react, he vanished from their sight.

The first candidate didn’t even have time to process what was happening before he was hurled out of the arena with a muffled scream. The second met the same fate, his cry fading into the air as he disappeared. In an instant, the arena was cleared, every candidate eliminated without understanding what had just happened.

Ikku, meanwhile, felt a dangerous presence approach. A wave of instinct made him react just in time. He dodged, barely, his body skidding violently across the ground, half-struck by an attack he hadn’t even seen. Struggling to his feet, his heart pounded wildly, cold sweat dripping down his forehead.

"What... what just happened?" Ikku thought, his breath ragged. He turned his head and saw Carla sprawled on the ground, also struggling to get up.

But what frightened him most was the arena. It was empty... completely empty. Every other candidate had vanished.

"Where... where are the others?" he stammered, unable to comprehend what he was seeing.

The mysterious man with blue eyes slowly approached, his calm and detached gaze falling on Ikku and Carla.

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"You two," he said in an oddly soothing voice. "You dodged my attack... without even seeing it. You’re promising."

Ikku felt a chill run down his spine.

"Was it... him who did this?" he thought, his throat tightening. "I don’t stand a chance against him."

Yet the man simply turned away and walked off without another word. The alarm signaling the end of the trial suddenly blared, breaking the oppressive silence of the arena. A voice echoed through the loudspeakers:

"End of the trial! The qualifiers from Arena #3 are 456, 267, and 77. The qualifiers from Arena #2 are 454 and 310. The qualifier from Arena #1 is 455. You may now report to your examiner."

"Snap out of it, Ikku!" Carla said, grabbing his arm. She was still regaining her strength, but a smile slowly formed on her lips. "We made it..."

Ikku stood frozen for a moment, still in shock.

"We did it?" he asked, his voice trembling.

"Yes! We did it!" Carla replied, her smile lighting up her face.

In a burst of relief, Ikku hugged her, almost without realizing it. Carla didn’t move or pull away. Instead, she let out a smile of her own, grateful to still be there.

Ikku, suddenly aware of what he was doing, stepped back quickly, his face flushing red with embarrassment.

"I... I’m really sorry," he stammered, unable to meet her gaze.

"Don’t worry," she replied, amused. "Let’s go. The examiner is waiting for us."

Without hesitation, she took his hand and led him forward at a run. Ikku, his heart still pounding from the trial, cast one last glance at the empty arena, his thoughts still swirling.

"I hope the others made it," he thought.

Ikku spotted Kenny and Yumé waiting near the examiner. His heart swelled with joy, and without thinking, he sprinted toward them.

"Kenny! Yumé! You made it!" he shouted, leaping onto them and wrapping them in a bear hug with boundless energy.

"Hey! Get off me, Ikku!" Kenny grumbled, trying unsuccessfully to wriggle free. But Yumé smiled gently and said, "Let him be, Kenny... I’m just as relieved it’s finally over."

From a distance, Carla watched them. A tender smile spread across her lips as she saw them share such a moment of joy in such a harsh environment.

Yumé, noticing Carla, pointed her out and asked, "Ikku, who’s that?"

Ikku turned toward Carla. "Oh, her? That’s Carla. We made it through the trial together."

Yumé smiled and waved enthusiastically at her. "Hi, Carla! Don’t stay there alone. Come join us!"

"M...me?" Carla stammered, clearly caught off guard and a bit shy. "But I..."

"Come on, don’t be shy!" Kenny chimed in with a genuine smile. "Ikku’s friends are our friends!"

"Friends?" Carla murmured, touched and slightly surprised. A glimmer of happiness sparkled in her eyes, and a sincere smile lit up her face. She finally joined them, her heart lighter.

"Nice to meet you, Carla. I’m Yumé, and this is Kenny," Yumé said with a big smile, his golden eyes gleaming brilliantly.

"Wow..." Carla replied, fascinated. "Your eyes are beautiful!"

"Thanks!" Yumé said with a laugh.

Suddenly, a deep voice cut through the air, grabbing their attention. Sig stood tall beside the other two examiners.

"Your attention, please," he said in a commanding tone. "Congratulations on your victory and qualification. Through these trials, you have demonstrated ingenuity, courage, and unwavering determination. These are the qualities we seek at Nexus."

He paused, letting his words resonate.

"The examination is now officially over. The six candidates present have passed. Congratulations!"

Sig continued:

"The ship will return the unsuccessful candidates home. As for you, the qualifiers, we will take a special plane to Kul-Elna. There, you will be briefed on everything you need to know."

Ikku’s heart swelled with emotion. Tears glistened in his eyes as he struggled to contain his feelings.

"We did it, Yumé! Kenny! Carla!" he exclaimed, his voice trembling with joy.

"To Kul-Elna!" he added with newfound energy, raising his fist triumphantly.

"Yes!" they all shouted in unison, brimming with enthusiasm. Together, they headed toward the plane, ready for the next chapter of their journey.