The first score

One week has passed.

I'm stuck with Eri as my partner.

What In the world is happening?!

When we got to our afternoon class, our teacher suddenly announced that the partners would be randomly assigned. And so, I am stuck with Eri as my partner. 

It's now the first activity day, or exam day. If I heard correctly, this will give us 100 points if we perfectly pass the test.

The teacher mentioned earlier that,

"And take note, those who will not have adequate points will have to face consequences such as drop out."

So I need to gather up some points. That being said, the venue of the exam is at the nearest abandoned building, just beside the academy.

Today, the one who will take is only 1-A, tomorrow will be 1-B, and so on.

All of us, with the guidance of our teacher made our way near the abandoned building.

We were stationed at the covered basketball court just in front of the test area, with several chairs lined up inside.

From its facade, it's really awful. It looks like a building from horror movies. Rotting wood, fragile foundation, cracked cement and stones, his thing looks like it's gonna collapse anytime soon.

That being said, we were asked to sit down before the teacher opened his mouth to speak.

"Listen. In reality, one of the most common things you'll encounter is hostage-taking. That's why our lessons from the past days are related to this. You'll pass if you succeed in doing two things; Firstly, you must save the hostage unscathed. Each wound will be a deduction to the points that you'll be given.

Secondly, you must not kill the kidnappers.

Kidnapper? So there are many of them.

"I won't spoil much, but I need everyone alive, got it?"

He said, before calling each pair one by one. The first pair to go was Airi and Hina. From the looks of it, Hina is really, really nervous. While on the other hand, Airi is quite laid back.

They made their towards the building and entered. And now, all we can do is wait.

Everyone had a unique partner, to say the least. The one I'm interested in is Laura Cezina, the transfer student. 

"Black is the strongest flame."

That's why Ryujin said, and maybe Laura would be the key knowledge about my power. Her partner is Kyouko. 

Just then, Eri suddenly broke the silence.

"Are you nervous?"

She said playfully, as she played with a ball in her hand, squeezing it over and over again.

"I'm not."

"That's good. I wonder what's inside."

Just after a few minutes, we heard several gunshots coming from inside.

Then, a series of female screams follow up.

It sounds ridiculously realistic!

And there, the cracks of the bricks and stone slowly widen, further damaging the builder. One more push and it's a goner.

Then all of a sudden, the building collapsed.

A look of nervousness sets in on everyone's face, excluding some people such as Laura, Kyouko, and Eri. They have a stoic look plastered on their face, void of any emotion.

Just then, a huge tree came out of the fallen debris and rose high up. And on top of that was a flower, and on that flower were human figures.

Who is that? Upon a closer look, it's a set of figures, specifically all-black human figures.

Then suddenly, Airi and Hina came out of the debris, with a thin sheet of ice layer around them, with an Ice figure carrying an unconscious person in its arms.

Everyone applauded as they slowly made their way towards us. 

"You did it!!"

Haruto and Arata immediately rushed up to them with smiles on their faces. 

"How was it? What is hard?"

Arata bombed them with so many questions.

"Alright, alright, calm down. They'll entertain your questions back in the academy. Take your seats right now."

The teacher said as he pushed the two away before she turned to them.

"Anyway, where are the kidnappers?"

"Oh! I forgot!" Hina exclaimed as she turned around and withdrew her plant magic.

There on top of the flowers were five dummy figures. She then laid them carefully on the ground.

The teacher closely examined each dummy, perhaps looking for wounds and such. 

"Alright, the dummy seemed to be in good condition. However, one of them is on the brink of them. Nevertheless, four is still enough."

The teacher said as he opened a hologram on his watch. He pressed several buttons before closing it and saying,

"You both received 100 points. You may return to the academy and do your further work or you may rest, as there are no afternoon classes."

"Thank you very much, sensei!" Both of them said in unison as they moved out. 

Then, the teacher looks at our direction.

"The next pair will be, Kyouko and Laura!"

With just a press of a button, the destroyed building immediately built itself back up to its original state. 

Then, Kyouko and Laura walked up towards the building. I felt tension between them, coldness, even as they made their way. 

...

We walked towards the abandoned building. Laura beside me looks unbothered and calm. Her eyes are blank and empty, she's like a book in an unfamiliar language. You can't read here.

That aside, we arrived in front. Laura slowly opened the door and greeting us inside was a distinct foul smell, specifically of a rotting food.

I instinctively covered my nose, extremely disgusted. What in the world is this?

Inside was a total disarray. Pieces of Furniture were all over, rotting foods were scattered. And what's worse is that there are dead rats and insects everywhere.

We slowly walked inside, the sound of the wooden floor cracking following our footsteps.

With each step we took, the much nastier the smell radiated throughout my nose. It's making me extremely nauseous.

"Let's head upstairs, "

Laura said nonchalantly, unfazed by the disgusting set-up.

We climbed the wooden stairs and arriving at the second floor, I begin hearing faint voices coming from the door at the end of the hallway.

"I'll go in first."

Laura said before she calmly walked towards that door. I'm really surprised, that she is unbothered by the whole situation.

She then held the door knob and twists it, pushing the door outwards and revealing what was inside.

Inside there was an unconscious girl, tied up using thick ropes.

I need to be careful. There might be traps laid somewhere around.

I carefully examined the area. Looking at them closely, I noticed a straight shine all around the room. It was a set of steel strings, perhaps a trigger for a bomb.

I glanced over at her, and she still looked voided.

"Do you have any plans in mind, Cezina-san?"

"I can use my abilities to shut down every bomb in here and perhaps even locate each enemy. As for you, please do save the girl, and protect her at all cost."

She said, not even glancing in my direction.

"I'm fine with that."

"Then, after exactly ten seconds, please charge in to save the girl."

"T-Ten seconds?"

10

Suddenly, she raised her hands up,

9

Soon, a black smoke began manifesting in the middle of the room.

8

Then, the smoke grew bigger and bigger, until something different appeared amidst the dark smoke.

7

It was a black flame.

6

Then, it slowly spread throughout.

5

Then, perhaps because of the smoke, five male figures came running out of different rooms into the room we were just looking into, coughing, seemingly getting suffocated.

4

The girl awoke to all the commotions around her.

3

Then, one of the men figures glared in our direction and summoned a machine gun before pointing it at us.

2

I instinctively summoned electric magic to block that however, Cezina-san stopped me.

It turns out, there is an invisible wall that separates us from them.

1

She looked at me and nodded, signalling me to go in. I'm quite hesitant, but, I have to trust her.

At the last second, I immediately lunged inside.

It was all calculated by her. As I jumped over the room, I noticed that it was the exact time that the kidnappers were gonna lose consciousness. They all fell lifelessly on the ground, making enough space for me to rescue the girl.

I held my sword tightly, and using the best of my ability, I was able to precisely cut the rope around her in mid-air, before my slash ended, I released a purple vertical crescent-shaped electrical magic that destroyed the bricks and walls behind her.

Then, in the last brink of seconds, I withdrew my weapon and tightly caught her in my arm and shoulder, with my momentum just enough for us to go right through the hole in the bricks and walls that I made earlier.

That being said, we're now outside and safe.

I landed on my feet while still carrying her over my shoulders. I looked back and saw that Cezina-san had already withdrawn her black flames. Every kidnapper was unconscious and this test was an easy pass, thanks to her.

...

Ryo Pov

Not even three minutes had passed and Kyouko and Laura already cAme back.

Kyouko is carrying a girl while Laura has the kidnappers floating behind her, following her as she moves towards the teacher.

"The house didn't even break. Splendid."

The teacher said as he examined everybody.

"You both recieved 130 points. The extra 30 points are for keeping the building intact. Perhaps a little hole or two, but an uncollapsed building would could less trouble."

Everyone applauded in amusement while two of them made their way back.

...

Kyouko walked along the corridors of the school and went into the council office.

Greeting her inside was, Ryujin, who is playing chess with the Second Upper Echelon,

"Good afternoon, Ayako-sama."

She greeted as she bowed her head,

"Ayako, The Empress of the cold, huh?"

Ryujin murmured as he moved a piece.