Page 463 of Axis of Fire

Was I supposed to destroy it?

Set it on fire?

Push it farther away?

Why couldn't they have given us at least one hint?

In the end...

I simply fired.

The sphere burst apart the instant the flame struck it—

and every shattered fragment shot straight toward me.

Anastasia Lang's POV

"Is this some kind of joke?" I muttered as I pushed myself to my feet, spotting Taylor lying only a few yards away. I raised an eyebrow. "Or are you just a decoy?"

"I'm a little too real for whatever the hell this is," Taylor replied, grimacing as he climbed to his feet with one hand pressed against his back. "Dilraba could've been a bit gentler with the teleportation."

"I thought we were all supposed to be separated," I pointed out.

Unrolling my map, I found the blinking marker labeled A—apparently the exact spot where both of us had landed.

"How are we supposed to earn points for completing the Selection individually?"

"Looks like there wasn't enough room in this forest to scatter all one hundred and thirty students," Taylor said with a shrug.

"One hundred and thirty?" I echoed, turning toward him.

"Erza counted the exact number."

"Who?"

Taylor nodded toward the scorpion perched on his shoulder.

My stomach tightened.

I was terrified of scorpions.

I knew that many powerful mental mages bonded with companion creatures to help absorb the strain of their abilities. Almost any animal willing to form that bond could become one.

What I couldn't understand was why, out of every creature in existence, Taylor had chosen a scorpion.

I had absolutely no desire to ask.

With a silent nod, I returned my attention to the map, locating Point B.

Turning it a few times, I compared its markings to the terrain around us.

Fortunately, my mother had loved camping trips, hiking trails, and scavenger hunts.

I'd grown up learning how to survive in unfamiliar places.

Reading maps felt almost like reading my native language.

"We're heading north," I said, noticing the three small markers indicating the third fork ahead.