Chapter 37: Reward
As Mindaugas sprinted toward the test's starting area, with Alexandre behind him, his tablet beeped. He pulled it out and narrowed his eyes in confusion.
"That guy's bounty was lifted," he muttered. "How strange." Perhaps the academy authorities had seen the carnage that had resulted from their ambush and had wanted to avoid any further student deaths. Mindaugas decided that it didn't really matter to him anymore—at this point, he was just grateful to have escaped with his life.
***
Alexandre and Mindaugas arrived with only a little more than a minute left before the test ended. No other Cats or Mice were present yet.
Thanks to the bounty being lifted, nobody else tried to attack them along the way. Mindaugas crashed to the ground in exhaustion. On the other hand, despite the cruel scars and lumpy, unset bones making strange shapes against his healed skin, Alexandre stood tall and proud, as though he could've run a whole marathon more.
He turned and saw that, though General Pantherson was absent, Omega stood alone at the announcement podium. Alexandre gave him an odd stare and began to walk toward the podium.
Omega saw him approach and gave him a crooked grin. "Congratulations, young man! Without a doubt, you're the first to qualify to join Hunter Academy—"
His voice cut off as a red-stained, razor-sharp rib bone hissed through the air directly at his left eye!
Omega was, of course, a C-Rank Huner, and he easily caught this between two fingers. At the same moment, however, he felt a hand on his shoulder from behind. Alexandre had thrown the bone as a distraction, then moved at blinding speed behind him.
Omega tilted his head lazily to the side, giving Alexandre an emotionless look. "Yes, you're very fast and clever. Now, if you're finished trying to assassinate me, would you both like to collect your rewards?"
Alexandre removed his hand.
Mindaugas had felt the blood drain from his face the moment Alexandre had pulled back his arm to throw the bone, and he breathed a sigh of relief that he wouldn't be caught in a real fight between these two. He simply approached and silently poured the contents of his bag to the ground.