SICARII

"Welcome to the final stage of the exam," the head examiner announced. "This is a one-on-one tournament, and each match will take place in a different environment within the man-made landscape. You will each be given the opportunity to select a weapon of your choice, ranging from swords to bows. The objective of the tournament is to defeat your opponent by any means necessary. You can either knock them out or render them unable to continue the match."

"The tournament will consist of a bracket system, with the winner of each match advancing to the next round until we have a final winner. Please note that if you kill your opponent, you will be disqualified immediately, and your chances of ever joining the Assassin organization will be nullified," the examiner warned.

Taizen looked around the room, sizing up his competition. He recognized a few faces from different training camps, some of the strongest sicarii trainees in the business. There was Capa, a tall and muscular man with lightning-quick reflexes, who was currently ranked first in the exam. His specialty was close-range combat and he was known to be unbeatable in hand-to-hand fights. Then there was Saki, a woman with long purple hair and a cold, calculating demeanor. She was currently ranked second and was known for her sharpshooting skills and her ability to take down targets from a distance.

Taizen could feel his heart racing as he listened to the examiner's instructions. He knew that this was the moment he had been preparing for his entire life. He took a deep breath and tried to focus on the task ahead.

Taizen sat in the waiting room, his mind focused on the task at hand. He had heard about the Brugge family and their reputation, and he knew that Zora Brugge, his opponent, was going to be a formidable foe. Taizen had some time to watch the other fights and observe the different techniques and weapons used by the other competitors. He knew that he had to stay calm and focused if he was going to win.

Thirty minutes had passed, and it was finally Taizen's turn to enter the arena. As he walked towards the ring, he could feel the weight of the crowd's expectations on his shoulders. He took a deep breath and stepped into the ring, his eyes fixed on Zora Brugge.

Zora was a tall, muscular boy with sharp features and jet-black hair. He had an air of confidence around him, and Taizen could see that he was sizing him up. Taizen knew that Zora was a Zenero bloodline like him, but he didn't know much else about him.

Zora unsheathed his katana, twirling it around his hand with practiced ease. Taizen's eyes darted around the arena, searching for any potential weapons he could use. But he knew that he was better off fighting with his bare hands.

As soon as the signal was given, the two fighters charged at each other. Zora swung his katana in a wide arc, but Taizen dodged it with a swift sidestep. Taizen tried to land a punch on Zora, but he quickly blocked it with his forearm.

"You're not bad," Zora said, a hint of admiration in his voice. "But you'll never be able to beat me."

"We'll see about that," Taizen replied, his voice cold and determined.

The two fighters continued to exchange blows, each one trying to gain the upper hand. Zora's katana sliced through the air, but Taizen was able to dodge it with ease. Taizen landed a few punches on Zora, but they didn't seem to do much damage.

"You're going to have to do better than that," Zora taunted, a smirk on his face.

Taizen gritted his teeth, feeling a surge of anger rise within him. He knew that Zora was trying to provoke him, but he couldn't let that distract him from the fight. He focused all his energy on the fight, his movements becoming more fluid and precise.

Zora swung his katana again, but Taizen caught the blade between his hands, using all his strength to prevent it from slicing him in half. With a sudden burst of energy, Taizen twisted the katana out of Zora's hand and sent it flying across the arena.

Zora stumbled back, his eyes wide with shock. Taizen didn't give him a chance to recover. He launched a flurry of punches and kicks, each one hitting its mark with deadly accuracy. Finally, with a thunderous blow, Taizen knocked Zora out cold.

Taizen stood over his fallen opponent, his chest heaving with exertion. He felt a sense of relief wash over him—he had won the fight. As the examiners rushed onto the arena to attend to Zora, Taizen took a deep breath and walked off, his mind already focused on the next fight.

Taizen and Akari had met by chance in the waiting room, both preparing for their upcoming fights.

Taizen entered the waiting room and saw Akari sitting alone in the corner, staring off into space. He walked over and sat down next to her. "Hey, Akari. How did your match go?"

Akari turned to him with a smile. "I won. It wasn't easy, but I managed to pull through. How about you?"

Taizen grinned. "I won too. It was a tough fight, but I managed to come out on top."

Taizen noticed Akari's serious demeanor and asked her how she was feeling. She replied with a smile, "I'm ready for anything. I've been through worse." Taizen raised an eyebrow in surprise and asked, "What do you mean?"

Akari took a deep breath and began to speak. She told Taizen that she had grown up in a poor family in the slums of the city. Her parents were abusive and she was constantly bullied at school. She had no one to turn to until she met a sicarius who took her under his wing. He taught her how to fight and protect herself, and eventually, she decided to become a sicarius herself.

"I know it sounds crazy," Akari said with a bitter laugh, "but being a sicarius is the only way for me to escape my past and have a better future. I don't care about the moral implications, I just want to live a good life."

Taizen listened to her story, feeling a sense of empathy toward her. He knew that pressure from family was one thing, but growing up in such a harsh environment was another. He nodded in understanding and shared his own struggle with the pressure from his family to succeed in the exam.

As they parted ways to prepare for their fights, Akari gave Taizen a small smile and said, "We all have our own reasons for being here. Just remember, the only person you need to prove yourself to is yourself." Taizen took her words to heart and stepped into the ring with renewed determination.

The announcer's voice boomed through the dome, introducing the next round of the tournament. "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the next round of the Sicarius Exam! In the blue corner, we have Taizen of the Silva ranked 17th in the exam. And in the red corner, we have Woora, from the Oyama family, ranked 29th."

Taizen's eyes scanned the jungle landscape as he awaited Woora's arrival. He had never heard of her before and was taken aback by her small and fragile appearance. Woora stood at just over five feet tall, with a skinny frame and timid demeanor. Her hair was a dull brown, pulled back into a tight ponytail, and her skin was pale from lack of sun exposure.

As she walked towards Taizen, he could see the fear in her eyes. She held a bow in her hand, but her grip was shaky and unsteady. Taizen couldn't help but feel a sense of pity for her. Woora took a deep breath and nocked an arrow onto her bowstring. Taizen tensed, ready for her attack. As soon as the examiner signaled the start of the match, Woora fired her arrow with precision, grazing his cheek.

Taizen's eyes widened. He had underestimated her. She was small and frail-looking, but her aim was deadly accurate. Taizen dodged the next few arrows, but Woora's movements were unpredictable, and Taizen struggled to keep up.

Taizen was barely managing to dodge her arrows, but Woora quickly fired off another arrow, then another. Taizen realized that he needed to close the distance between them, but every time he tried to move in, Woora would rain down a barrage of arrows, forcing him back.

Taizen was starting to feel the pressure, but he refused to give up. He knew that he had to find a way to close the gap and get in close. He charged at Woora, dodging her arrows as he got closer. But just as he was about to strike, Woora pulled out a short sword and blocked his attack.

The two engaged in close combat, with Taizen using his fists and Woora using her sword. It was a fierce battle, with both fighters trading blows back and forth. Taizen was surprised at Woora's skill with a sword, and he realized that he had underestimated her.

Despite Taizen's best efforts, Woora seemed to have the upper hand. She was faster and more agile, and her attacks were deadly accurate. Taizen was forced to retreat, dodging Woora's sword strikes as he tried to find an opening.

As the fight wore on, Taizen began to tire. He knew that he had to end the fight quickly, but he couldn't find an opening. Finally, in a moment of desperation, he feinted left and then struck right, catching Woora off guard. He landed a powerful punch to her