Back in the colosseum, Alyssia, who had heard Mixarnt's declaration, looked at the screen where his smiling face reassured her. Overwhelmed with happiness, she wiped away her tears. "He's an idiot, right?" Elyssia said, patting her younger sister's head.
"Y-yeah... sniff..." Alyssia replied with a small smile.
"Just believe in him. His recklessness during this trial is different from the 4th trial, where he was emotionally disturbed. This time, he is aware and calculating, and he knows what he's doing," Elyssia added.
"Fufu, I always believed Mixarnt would pull through," Mika said, crossing her arms with a smile.
In the grand hall of the castle, General Percival sighed in relief, seeing his son Rise alive and well.
"That bastard!!! He's so close to my Razen!!" Kalavan exclaimed, watching as Razen leaned on Mixarnt's chest with a satisfied smile while Mixarnt laughed with Percival, his arm around him.
"Unbelievable," Borris, Halik, Gerald, Gawain, and Sunshine said in unison, observing Kalavan's rage over his daughter's proximity to Mixarnt, despite being unfazed when she was on the verge of death.
Back at the stronghold, the last pillar finally crumbled into pieces. "Oh no, the pillar!? Does that mean our victory will be revoked!?" Liva asked nervously.
"Hahahaha! Of course not," Lamorak said, still lying on the ground, exhausted. "All of you pass. Aside from my surrender, the pillar passed the time limit for defense, so everything is good."
"That's right!" Althea appeared out of nowhere to congratulate everyone. "Congratulations on passing the 2nd phase... Now, for the final phase of the exam. It is located back in the capital, so rest up, and tomorrow, gather at Ateria's plaza. We will return to Aetherlight for the final phase using terrain shift," Althea announced with a smile before handing Lamorak a high-grade potion to heal some of his wounds instantly. Then, the two Generals left the scene.
Later, the group decided to set up camp near Ateria. Despite having use all the blessing potions Mixarnt had provided earlier, everyone looked utterly exhausted. The potions had healed their injuries, but the sheer amount of magic they had expended to bolster the defense of the last pillar had left them drained. "I'm so tired... But I'm just glad all our injuries were healed," Liva said with an awkward smile, her voice tinged with fatigue.
"By the way, Mixarnt, do you still have any of those potions left?" Rise asked curiously, hoping for a quick energy boost.
"Nope. All gone. They cost a fortune, so yeah. I'll probably get some more once I earn more gold," Mixarnt replied casually, shrugging as he leaned against a tree.
Mixarnt then began pulling out monster meats from his dimensional pocket and handed them over to Ewan's group, asking them to cook. Ewan agreed readily, as his group was the least tired among them. Their role had been to distract Lamorak by shooting arrows, and since they hadn't been in the stronghold, they hadn't taken any damage. "Absolutely. We'll grill it," Ewan said, taking charge. The nobles with him helped by seasoning the meat, though they admitted they didn't know how to cook. "Alright, I'll leave it to you, man," Mixarnt said, settling down to rest against a tree.
As the evening progressed, the participants started a victory party, celebrating their hard-fought win against one of the kingdom's Generals—a feat that had seemed nearly impossible. The atmosphere was lively, filled with laughter and relief.
"Hey..." Razen said softly as she sat down beside Mixarnt, blushing slightly. She rested her head on his shoulder, her voice barely above a whisper. "Should we... sleep together later?" she asked, feeling bold yet embarrassed as she looked away.
Mixarnt grinned, completely misunderstanding her intentions. "Sure! I like that!" he said enthusiastically. Rise, Liva, Mitchel, Mara, Lina, Ewan, and Tessa overheard and immediately gathered around. "Hey, we want in too!" Liva said with a mischievous grin.
"Of course! Let's all sleep together—the more, the merrier!" Mixarnt declared, his grin widening. Razen was flabbergasted but sighed in resignation. Her plan for an intimate night with Mixarnt had been ruined by their friends, but she couldn't bring herself to mind too much. Being with everyone was fun in its own way.
"Haha, too bad, huh, Razen? You can't have Mixarnt all to yourself—" Rise began teasing, but before he could finish, Razen knocked him out with a swift punch, eliciting laughter from everyone.
Erenesto's group, sitting nearby and enjoying their meal, glanced over at Mixarnt and his friends. Erenesto smiled gently, watching them chat and laugh like the closest of friends. It was a heartwarming sight.
"Hey, Erenesto and gang, come over here! You guys are part of the sleeping group too!" Mitchel called out with a grin.
Erenesto laughed and ran over to join them, with Valentia, Julls, and May following suit. They all joined in the lively conversation, while the rest of the participants continued celebrating their hard-earned victory.
Meanwhile, in the now-empty colosseum, General Eclipse stood alone. She activated the Arena Shift, and the colosseum's arena began to transform. The space morphed into a large room, an enclosed dome with an entrance leading to an unknown location. Eclipse walked inside, her footsteps echoing in the silence. At the far end of the room, she stood before a shining orb, her presence commanding and mysterious.
"Lunar Eclipse," she declared, her voice resonating with power. Her Lunar armor shifted, turning into a sleek, shiny black. Her hair darkened, and her eyes transformed, resembling a solar eclipse. The final phase had been set, and Eclipse was ready. A mischievous smile played on her lips as she eagerly anticipated the next day.
"Entertain me now, my lovely challengers," she murmured, her voice filled with anticipation. The stage was set, and the final phase of the exam was about to begin.