Martian Archer

Leon and Rei sprinted through the battlefield, their only thought finish the exam and get out.

Their stolen weapons weighed heavy in their hands, but they moved with urgency, cutting down any remaining enemies in their way. The academy's announcement still echoed in Leon's mind.

> Ignore the explosions. Continue the exam.

They weren't going to stop this madness.

So Leon would end it himself.

He leaped onto a rocky outcrop, scanning the horizon. The final checkpoint was just ahead, where the remaining teams were making their last push.

They just had to reach it

But then

Leon froze.

In the spectator stands, just beyond the battlefield…

A familiar face.

Long, silvery hair. Eyes like twilight.

Iris.

His heart stopped.

"She's alive."

For a moment, the chaos of the battlefield faded the screaming, the gunfire, the explosions.

All he could see was her.

Then his eyes flicked down.

And his blood ran cold.

Right in front of Iris

A man in dark armor, clutching a detonator.

Leon's instincts took over.

He drew his bow.

His body moved on its own.

He shouldn't be able to make this shot. As a Martian, his eyesight was worse than a human's. His range should be shorter. His accuracy should be lower.

But in this moment

That didn't matter.

"Hit. Just hit."

Leon released.

The arrow whistled through the air, cutting across the battlefield with perfect precision—

Piercing the terrorist's skull.

The detonator clicked.

BOOM!

The bomb exploded.

The world erupted into flames.

Leon's breath caught.

"No—!"

The shockwave rippled across the stadium, sending debris flying. Smoke and fire engulfed the stands where Iris had been.

Leon's hands clenched into fists.

Then-

A faint glow.

Through the smoke, a barrier shimmered.

Leon's heart pounded.

As the dust settled, he saw her Iris kneeling behind a flickering energy shield.

She was alive.

Relief flooded him.

Then, a voice echoed across the battlefield.

"The exam is over."

A loud buzzer sounded.

The fighting stopped.

It was over.

But for Leon

It wasn't.

His fingers curled tightly around his bow.

He wasn't done.