The Palaces of the Twelve Sacred Beasts - Chapter 24

Utsuro no Hako to Zero no Maria, or The Empty Box and The Zeroth Maria, tells the sinister story of Kazuki Hoshino, who is almost madly attached to his everyday life, and his antagonist Aya Otonashi, who suddenly transfers into his class—for the 13,118th time. She majestically announces to “break” him, without paying heed to anyone else around them.

My name is Joo In-gong. The name that my parents gave me meant ‘protagonist’ of the world. Really?

In a realm of four kingdoms, two were on the verge of war. Prince Eirik, the fourth prince of Valeidio, a Ferre whose beauty could rival the gods, was thrust into a marriage alliance with Prince Kaelix, the strong and proud heir of Zephyros.Both princes were determined to fight against the fate that had been forced on them. Eirik resented being used as a pawn, while Kaelix saw the alliance as a threat to his freedom. As they clashed in a battle of wills, their encounters became a constant push and pull of resistance and pride.But as the pressures of duty mounted, the lines between obligation and desire began to blur. In their struggle against their forced union, they found themselves drawn toward each other in ways they never expected.Would their bond become a weapon against the war or would their kingdoms' rivalries destroy any chance of love before it could take root?

The whole world is subjected to a highly dangerous standardised exam called the Global Examination. Answering questions by putting their lives at stake, they would live if they passed the test. Every month the exam will undergo reformation while, occasionally, it is random.