--- [Alex’s perspective]

  What…?

  Leanne is part of them too?!

  How many members are there?!

  Wait…

  Is this why she was the host for every single exam I’ve taken part in?

  I thought it was just coincidence, or maybe there weren’t that many examiners, but was she actually just watching over me the entire time?

  Now that I think about it, the first time I fought Kuro, he was just about to kill me before she stopped him at the very last moment…

  She didn’t do that for any of the other contestants…!

  Okay…

  I can understand why she saved me back then, it was before Illian was tasked with convincing me to join them, but why did she save me now?

  I have chosen to oppose them, and Seth was just about to take my life for it…

  Why did she stop him?

  If she’s with The END too, shouldn’t she be on his side?

  They didn’t seem very friendly either…

  What did he call her again?

  A ‘Urielite’?

  I’m not exactly sure what that means, but it probably has something to do with why they’re so hostile towards each other.

  “I know you’ve got a ton of questions, but now is not the time nor the place. I have no intention of stopping you from seeing the Emperor; you’ve got a mind of your own, and free will. Do whatever you like. I just want you to know that we aren’t the horrible and evil villains you think we are…” – Leanne

  You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

  “Leanne… I appreciate that you saved me just now, but don’t delude yourself. You are horrible and evil villains. Your cult is responsible for killing my brother, for spying on me and tricking me, and just minutes ago attempting to take my life.” – Alex

  “I understand… Until the event is over and you’re ready to leave, I’ll stay in the area to make sure Seth doesn’t come back. After that, if you have any questions, I’ll be more than happy to answer them. You can meet me at spot the F-rank exam was held; I’ll be there for a week.” – Leanne

  “…” – Alex

  I have nothing more to say to her.

  I’m happy she saved my life, but The END is my enemy.

  It doesn’t matter who they are or what they do, nothing can change that.

  --- [Rose’s perspective] a while later, right before the finals of the B-rank section of the battle festival

  “The D-rank tournament had two exceptionally strong hunters that bulldozed their way through the event until they clashed in the finals. It ended in a way nobody could have expected, and for that, it will be remembered for the rest of time!” – Bob

  “The C-rank tournament however had fiercer competition than I’ve ever seen before! Every single match was nail-bitingly close! Any one of them could have ended up the winner if the wind blew the other way!” – Barbara

  “Both of them were great, but now ladies and gentlemen, we’ve finally reached the ultimate match of the entire battle festival! The outcome of this battle will be the most important piece of news for the next 100 years to come!” – Bob

  “Her specialty is so incredibly versatile and powerful that she has single-handedly changed the entire security system of her guild! Her existence alone is enough to give The Red Knights a leg up on everyone else! But as she has proved time and time again today, she’s just as capable in battle! She’s a once-in-a-generation hunter, and someone who might even reach A-rank one day! The first finalist is none other than, Rose Rubrum!” – Barbara

  “But her opponent is no weakling either… He embodies the values of The Dwarfs Guild more than anyone else in the world! In fact, there’s not a soul alive today who clears more dungeons than him! How many does he clear, you may ask? Well, his daily average sits at a staggering two dozen! That’s more than most hunters clear in a month! It’s almost hard to believe he’s human! Our second finalist is none other than, Aaron Pugna!” – Bob

  Having seen his previous fights, he’s not the kind of person I can afford to hold back against.

  Luckily, I’ve been able to keep my ultimate rune hidden; unless he has done some thorough research on me beforehand, he shouldn’t know about it.

  “Please give a massive round of applause to the finalists!” – Barbara

  With every step I take, the audience just gets louder and louder.

  As I reach the top of the stairs, the audience reaches the climax of their applause.

  Every single one of them is giving their all for this once-in-a-lifetime event.

  “Good luck, Rose. I’m actually looking forward to seeing which one of us takes it!” – Aaron

  “Me too. I’ve been fairly certain I would win all the previous matches, but I’m not so sure this time.” – Rose

  “Alright, looks like the fighters are ready! Let the final match of the battle festival begin!!!” – Bob