In the battle hall, Tomoa stood before the gathered examinees. His tone was calm, but carried weight.
"We'll take a short break," he announced. "The first part of the assassination exams will continue next week. Use the time wisely. The first people to be eliminated were deo and baraka. And if anyone here doesn't fight till the end of the first part of the exams, it's either... 1:You weren't registered. 2:You aren't allowed to fight because of your deadly fighting style and skills or 3:Your skills are recognised and you'll skip straight to the second part of the exams".
As the crowd began to disperse, Kinto walked beside Alex "Looks like I have a whole week to train." Kingo said to alex. Alex replied "I know, right? I'll just stay at home and do all the training I can." Kinto stretched "And I.... would be training with Levi sensei."
"So," Kinto asked, "you think this exam's gonna drag on long?"
Alex shrugged, hands in his pockets. "Doesn't matter. As long as I beat the crap out of whoever I face, I'll be fine."
Kinto let out a tired sigh. "Guess that's how you'll respond…"
He glanced ahead, his expression turning a bit more serious.
"Still, the pressure's only going to get worse once we hit the second part of the exam. The one where we would be watched by the whole damn city."
Alex raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"You forgot?" Kinto asked. "The second part is when everyone in the city comes to watch. It's a public spectacle."
Alex clicked his tongue and looked away. "Tch… not a fan of pressure. But it won't matter."
Kinto gave a small smile. "Wanna train at my place this weekend?"
Alex shook his head. "Nah. I've got a technique my grandpa was teaching me before he left on a mission. I wanna perfect it."
Kinto nodded, understanding. "Alright. Good luck then."
"Thanks. You too."
The two walked out each heading in opposite directions. As Alex walked home alone, he didn't notice the figure hidden in a dark alleyway. Shinki—one of the Dark Sign—watched him silently from the shadows.
Later, Alex arrived home, opened the fridge, and pulled out a chilled chocolate drink. He tossed himself onto the bed and flipped open a manga volume, relaxing after the serious event. "I'm currently at volume 4, I'll use now till evening to catch up to volume 6."
Later, Evening fell, and Alex made his way to the forest.
There, beneath the moonlight, he focused all his energy into his palm, trying to form the Blade of Death. Light flickered and gathered, but each time he nearly succeeded, the energy broke apart—unstable, wild, untamed.
Eventually, Alex collapsed to the ground, breathing heavily. "Damn it… I have to perfect this before Grandpa comes back…"
He forced himself to his feet. "No excuses… I need to head home tho. I came here 6PM, now it's just 8PM. I guess when training, time flies fast."
While alex was walking home on the city streets, he heard two guys talking
"I wonder who's gonna win the finals of the assassination exam," one said.
"My bet's on Mori," the other replied.
"Nah," the first guy countered. "I'm putting my money on Kazuki. The kid with the Purple hair. So far so good, that kid seems to be one of the city's skilled soldiers"
Alex's eye twitched slightly. He said nothing, walking past with a subtle straight face.
That night, he lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling. "I wonder what Grandpa's up to…"
Meanwhile…
On a hill under the glowing moon, Rambo stood beside Kojin. The wind carried the scent of distant forests.
"How've the missions been going since it started?" Kojin asked.
Ranpo crossed his arms. "They're going well. Just a random group of goons carrying giant as weapons and causing problems for other cities."
Kojin turned to him. "And how's Alex doing?"
Ranpo sighed, a funny expression on his face. "That kid's a handful. Teaching him is like trying to tame lightning."
Kojin laughed heartily. "Not surprised."
Still smiling, Ranpo added, "But for all his hard-headedness, he works hard. Never gives up, he's a good kid, but can be a handful"
"He's got the drive," Kojin nodded. "If he keeps it up, he'll be a lord one day. Or atleast, someone who'll surpass us. Nog just him, but the other kids as well"
Kojin gazed at the moon and asked, "Do you remember when we were teammates? Running missions together under fugaku's control"
Ranpo chuckled. "How could I forget? We were magnets for bad luck."
He paused, a nostalgic look in his eyes. "Those missions were death traps, but somehow… we always made it out."
Kojin fell silent, a soft memory flashing across his mind—him and Ranpo as teens laughing, sparring, dreaming big.
Ranpo's expression turned bittersweet. "Shame those days are long gone. I still wish Olivia was with us."
Kojin nodded. "Let's hope this new generation of soliders makes it out a little easier than we did…"
One Week Later
Alex sat atop a tall rooftop, the city sprawling beneath him. The wind tugged at his hair as he stared into the distance, lost in thought.
"You sure know how to enjoy yourself," came a voice behind him.
Alex flinched. "Kazuki?! How long have you been standing there?!"
Kazuki chuckled and walked over, taking a seat beside him. "Relax. The breeze from up here is nice."
Alex smiled. "Yeah. It's peaceful too. Everything seems just green and nice"
Kazuki hesitated, then said, "I've been meaning to tell you something."
Alex turned to him. "Huh? Another motivational talk?"
"I've been watching you train… You push yourself harder than anyone I've seen."
Alex blinked, confused. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Kazuki looked ahead. "It's inspiring. It makes me want to get stronger too… so I can fight you fair one day."
Alex's eyes widened slightly, but then he smiled. "Heh. Is that so? Cool, looking forward to it."
Kazuki smirked. "One day, I'll surpass you. I'm going to become the most powerful person this world has ever known."
Alex's grin widened. "Becoming the strongest is my dream. So if you want that title… you'll have to take it from me."
Kazuki extended a fist. "Cool, let's push ourselves past our limits."
Alex bumped it. "Sure thing."
The Following Day — Back at the Battle Hall
Tomoa stood before the students once more. "I hope you all used your weekend wisely."
Alex yawned, mumbling to himself, "All I did was eat and binge anime…"
Tomoa continued. "The next round of the assassination exam begins now!"
The massive screen came to life, names flashing in random order. The room went quiet, anticipation thick in the air.
Finally, the matchups stopped.
ALEX vs SON.
Alex raised an eyebrow and stood up slowly. A smirk crept across his face "Heck yeah!"
END OF EPISODE