YOUR ENTRANCE EXAMINATION IS OVER!

Pawen moved around swiftly, just unleashing his rage on the poor guys around him.

Crumbled chairs, shattered bricks, hollowed-out water tanks.

Zen wasn't sure if he should be impressed or just develop an instant migraine. Maybe both.

Does this guy ever run out of steam?

Just as Pawen raised his leg to kick a retreating figure square in the ribs, Fabasa appeared like a blur, catching his leg mid-swing.

His grin flatly, his narrowed eyes sparkled dangerously.

"That's enough, Wenwen. The seniors will handle it from here, they're not going anywhere."

Wenwen?!

Something twitched in Pawen's temple.

This fucker.

His glare could've ignited Fabasa on the spot but Fabasa's grip was something else, solid like stone.

"Tch… Boring." Pawen rolled his eyes.

He stepped back with a huff.

Zen turned his attention away, just in time to see Hako walking in, scratches and smears of blood marking his arms and face.

"Hako, you okay?"

"Damn, not quite." Hako grimaced, licking the blood off his lip. "I ran into some freakishly strong bastard."

He jabbed his staff into the ground and raked a hand through his hair, clearly frustrated. "For some reason, he just left. Like—poof."

Zen gave a short nod.

Oh.

That story sounded… familiar.

Were they together? he wondered.

Before he could ask, a sharp clap rang through the night, drawing everyone's attention.

A tall man with glasses stepped forward, tying his SINKE jersey loosely around his neck.

Clap.

The murmuring died down, replaced by the soft rustling of leaves in the night wind.

Standing beside him were Yata and Rei and another unfamiliar guy. From their stance, Zen could guess they were probably from the same class. Seniors, most likely.

"If you don't mind, may I have your attention?" the tall man said, calm but carrying easily.

He stepped forward, adjusting his glasses higher with a single finger.

"It's a pleasure to meet you all tonight. Though I suppose we'll see tomorrow if we'll be meeting again."

He smiled but it was the kind that came with thorns. Both welcoming and vaguely threatening.

"We're heading off now. If you run into trouble, try solving it yourselves. Don't count on us next time."

Then, as if it were a routine act, he placed a small black envelope onto a dented tin cylinder near the front.

His instructions were crisp, delivered like orders.

"When the day breaks, scan the code inside. The password is the last four digits of your invitation card. Don't lose it."

And with that, he hopped into one of the trucks, others following. He glanced back one last time.

"Oh, and kids," he added, voice amused as the engine rumbled to life, "your entrance examination is officially over. See you next time… if you survive."

With a final rev, the truck pulled away, disappearing into the night.

Ah?

Zen clutched his side. The ache from that punch earlier hadn't gone away.

"…Did he just say entrance examination?" he muttered.

Hako stood beside him, watching the tail lights disappear into the dark. The smoke from the trucks curled lazily in the air.

"He sure did. Unless we both misheard."

Fabasa silently walked over to the tin cylinder, retrieving the envelope.

Heh.

He opened it slowly, as if expecting something more than just a piece of paper.

Zen leaned in, holding his breath.

Fabasa glanced at him briefly, then read aloud in a neutral tone:

[Dear First-years,

Welcome to Sinders. Please scan the code below to access your student account.

We will deliver your reward, punishment, and missions through this portal.

The last four digits of your invitation card are your password, you may change it later on.

P.S: To the candidates who were unfortunately eliminated: try again next time.]

"...Huh?"

Zen's eyes narrowed, fixating on the last line.

"Eliminated? Does that mean…" He couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence.

Hako stepped forward and snatched the card from Fabasa's hand. His eyes scanned it swiftly.

"Tch. No wonder…" he muttered, half to himself.

Around them, the others exchanged glances, murmuring, panic and unease spreading like static.

"Wait, does that mean we're not officially in yet?"

"Bro, I already bragged about this to my whole block—"

"What the hell is going on?!"

At that moment, Konan blinked as a thought struck him. He turned to Hako, hesitantly.

"Um… Hako. I've always heard Urachii's in a peaceful state, right? So when I read about the Carnival Night, I thought it was just a myth. But… those who attacked tonight… all those attackers, are they connected to SINKE?"

Hako let out a breath, sharp like a knife.

"More precisely, they were let in."

He handed the envelope back to Fabasa, who took it before Hako's grip could crush it.

He went on.

"On any other day, Urachii's guarded tightly like a fortress by the Sinilites. No outsider or rival gang would be stupid enough to enter… unless SINKE gave them a way in."

"…is it to test us?" Konan guessed, his voice quieter now.

"Exactly," Hako replied. "They left a crack open for the enemies to crawl through. To test fledglings like us."

Konan frowned, still not fully understanding.

"But… if it happens every year, why would the enemy still fall for it? wouldn't they realize they're being used?"

Fabasa generously answered for that one.

"Because their goal doesn't change. Even if they're being used, they benefit. As long as they can injure or weaken Sinilites in the process, they don't mind playing the role."

He sneered coldly.

"SINKE calls it: 'Termination of the pests.' Efficient, right?"

Kozen listened and after a short breath,

BANG!

Kozen kicked over the pile of debris stack at the corner, sending rusted scrap and bent piping crashing down like a junk waterfall.

Bullshit.

He snapped, frustrated. "I don't give a damn about SINKE's politics. What kind of screwed-up entrance exam is this?!"

Konan stepped forward slightly, trying to calm him. But before he could speak, a faint sound interrupted him.

A slow thud… thud… echoed nearby.