Silence…

The two of them stood side by side, sipping the juice William had brought earlier. Neither said a word.

William had acted out of jealousy and heat in the moment, and now he was feeling shy about it.

Emma was no different. They kept glancing away from each other, their cheeks warm.

Neither of them had ever been in a situation like this—William had never kissed a girl so openly before, and for Emma, romance itself was something new. No wonder they were acting like this.

After a long pause, Emma finally spoke.

"So you were bothered about me not wearing a blazer, huh?"

She had noticed how he made her wear his blazer, and the things he said while they walked to the ceremonial hall… It all made sense now.

William grumbled, "Being a guy, I notice things you might not. And when I saw those boys staring at you… with that annoying look in their eyes, I just couldn't stop myself."

He let out a heavy breath and rubbed the back of his head.

"Sorry though. I shouldn't decide how you dress."

One of the few things he still remembered from his mother's teachings was this: never try to control your partner's life.

His father, too, had never told his mother how she should live. He had even supported her passion for horse riding and sports.

So yes, what William did was unlike him—and yet, he didn't feel guilty about it.

"William… when you became shirtless in front of so many people, I also wanted to hug you so no one else could look at you," Emma confessed softly. "So it's not just you."

William blinked. "So… is it really okay for me to tell you if I don't like something you wear?"

Emma nodded. "Yeah. Anything I wear is for you to see anyway—and if something bothers you, I don't mind not wearing it."

William let out a long sigh of relief.

"The same goes for you. If you don't like something I wear or do in public, just tell me. I don't want anything between us to feel one-sided."

Emma smiled as she held his hand and whispered, "That kiss… it really surprised me."

William chuckled softly. "Yeah… I only realized what I'd done after I did it."

Emma giggled and leaned against his shoulder. "It made my heart race. You're quite bold, Young Master Delimore."

William was about to reply when a voice echoed from the stage.

"It's good to see all of you gathered here, even after the injuries you suffered last night."

This time it was a woman speaking. She wore a crisp white shirt and a black skirt. She seemed both gentle and strict—her expression warm, yet her eyes sharp.

The students quickly gathered in front of the stage, all attention on her.

"Many of you had to be admitted to the infirmary. We thought that might be the end for some of you… But I'm pleasantly surprised to see all twenty-five students standing here today."

Many students, including Lextor, had their expressions turn grim at her words.

After all, they had been in this field for years. Getting hurt and healed again and again was nothing new to them. So despite their injuries, they pushed through the pain to be here today.

They hadn't crossed so many obstacles just to quit because of a few minor wounds.

The woman on stage continued, "The first round was eventful, but for some of you, it ended before you even had the chance to truly take part. Because of that, your names are not included in the list for the second round."

A wave of gasps and shocked whispers spread through the crowd.

None of them had expected eliminations in the first round—especially one that came with no warning and no time to discuss anything.

"This is unfair!"

"At least give us another chance to do the first round properly!"

"We didn't come this far just to be kicked out!"

The woman raised her hand to silence them before voicing, "Just because you are not allowed to take part in the second round doesn't mean you are out of the contest."

Her words shut them up instantly, a faint glimmer of hope rising on the horizon.

She continued, her voice cutting through the crowd, "First of all, to those complaining that the first test was unfair, that survivors had a disadvantage—let me make this clear. Among the top server, four are survivors. So no, it wasn't unfair to anyone. You're just too dependent on long discussions and fancy plans."

Her statement stunned many; a few even lowered their heads in shame.

It was true for every one of them. Impostors or not, all of them had the same time to prepare and act. Yet so many failed simply because they were caught off guard.

"This stage is for those who are ready for anything. You can't expect us to follow some standard procedure when what we're preparing you for is real danger. And let me remind you, students—this world is unfair to everyone."

William sighed, well, that was quite cruel and direct.

Kevin clenched his fist on his sides. Those words might sting, but they were all true.

After a long pause, the woman finally began, "For the second round, only the seven individuals who have performed well in the first round would be selected. However, every student is allowed to participate in the third round, which is a team battle."

That allowed some to loosen their shoulders in relief. At least, they would get another chance to prove themselves.

They might have made some mistakes in the first round but not again.

The woman then took out a list and said, "Please step forward when you hear your name."

She looked at the list and started calling out, "First ranked, Emma."

The silver head glanced at William, they shared a smile before she stepped forward.

"Second ranked, Lextor."

"Third ranked, Anna."

"Fourth ranked, Warren."

"Fifth ranked, Gloria."

William had a frown as the woman took a pause...was he actually not named?

But his doubt was unneeded as the woman said,

"Sixth ranked, William."

"And finally, seventh ranked—Kevin."

Kevin was fairly surprised to hear his name too even though he just knocked out a few people including Venessa last night and failed to evacuate.

'Is the lady luck on my side?' He thought

Just then, the woman voiced out, "Now, a mentor will be assigned to you all who will give you a lesson which would help you perform better in the second round."

With a smile, she added, "And these mentors are none other than the Seven Pillars of the Great Hall."

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