The crowd roared like a storm.
The Academy's courtyard — normally a serene stretch of white marble and obsidian towers — had transformed into an arena of chaos. Hundreds of students stood in formation, divided into squads of four, their uniforms whipping in the wind as banners of different divisions flapped above them.
At the center of it all stood Head Examiner Hisato, his cloak fluttering, his voice amplified by a Reaper sigil beneath his feet.
"Welcome to the First Trial. Today, you will fight. Win, and you rise. Lose—" he snapped his fingers, and several glowing names were erased from the digital board behind him, "—and you're expelled. No exceptions."
Silence. The weight of his words sank like lead.
"Each group will face another in single-elimination combat. Use everything — your skill, your mind, your soul. But remember, killing is forbidden."
A smirk played at his lips. "Though… accidents happen."
The courtyard erupted again, students cheering and cursing and boasting.
Eiden adjusted the strap of his combat jacket. His heart drummed steady, not out of fear — out of instinct. Around him stood Renji, his crimson hair tied up and eyes alight with excitement; Kento, stoic but breathing fire through his calm demeanor; and Jin, expression unreadable, as if the chaos around him didn't exist.
Renji grinned. "This is it, huh? Time to show these rich brats how we fight."
Kento cracked his knuckles. "Don't get cocky, idiot. Just don't hold back."
Eiden smirked faintly, his voice low. "We'll win."
Their names flashed onto the holographic board:
Team 47 — Eiden, Jin, Renji, Kento vs. Team 12 — Kai, Reina, Sho, Mizuru
The floor beneath them glowed, and with a thunderous boom, their platform shot upward into one of the combat domes.
The dome's ceiling shimmered with artificial clouds. It was massive — easily a full city block — and the ground was a patchwork of stone and dust.
Eiden's eyes scanned the terrain. "Long range and melee options… they're testing adaptability."
"BEGIN!"
Mizuru moved first — her hands slicing through the air, a spear of condensed light forming instantly. She hurled it at Eiden's head.
He ducked — barely. The spear grazed his ear and exploded into shards of searing light.
"Hell's Inferno!" Renji's voice tore through the dome.
Flames spiraled from his palms, coiling into the air like serpents. He slammed his hands together — BOOM! — a wall of crimson fire surged forward, devouring everything in its path.
Kai countered, twisting his wrist in a circular motion.
"Wind Stage — Tempest Break!"
A shockwave burst from his body, splitting the firestorm apart.
Eiden used the moment to vanish from sight — his speed blurring as he closed the distance between him and Kai. His fist struck, but Kai's reflexes were razor-sharp. Their fists collided — shockwaves rippled outward, cracks forming in the arena floor.
"Fast," Kai muttered, grinning. "But not fast enough."
From the corner of his vision, Eiden saw Reina raise both hands, her palms glowing blue.
"Stage 2 — Water Serpent Bind!"
The ground exploded beneath Eiden's feet as liquid chains surged up, snaring his legs.
Before she could finish her incantation, Jin appeared behind her.
No aura. No sound.
Just motion.
"Heavenly Sword — Stage Three."
A flash of white light.
The serpent chains dissolved into nothing. Reina's body slammed into the ground, unconscious.
Kai's grin vanished. "The hell was that—?"
"Stay focused!" Mizuru screamed, thrusting another light spear at Jin — but it was deflected midair by Kento's Sword Flame, a fiery blade that cut through energy itself. The explosion rattled the dome, smoke filling the air.
Meanwhile, in the city.
Sirens wailed as Reaper vehicles surrounded a warehouse district.
Daichi stood on the roof of a nearby building, lollipop between his teeth, coat flapping in the cold wind.
His partner, Arata, checked his firearm — which shimmered with black spiritual energy.
"The report said Class B reaper activity," Arata muttered. "Two dozen confirmed dead, most of them Reapers. Sounds more like a massacre than a mission."
Daichi stretched lazily. "Hey, hey… Don't ruin the fun, Arata. Maybe I'll actually get to warm up today."
"You call this warming up? You're ridiculous."
They dropped from the rooftop simultaneously.
Arata landed in a crouch, aiming his gun — it transformed instantly into a long-barrel cannon.
"Reaper Weapon — Stage 6: Execution Burst!"
A beam of compressed reaper energy tore through the warehouse wall, vaporizing it entirely.
Daichi strolled in behind him, still sucking his lollipop.
Inside, chaos reigned — rogue Reapers, their eyes hollow, moving like puppets under someone's control. Their aura flickered unnaturally.
Arata cursed. "That's not reaper energy. That's—"
"Yeah," Daichi interrupted, eyes narrowing. "It's something else. Feels… familiar."
He stepped forward.
"Guess I'll handle the introductions."
The air around him rippled — his soul expanding.
"Tamed Spirits — Stage 10."
The floor cracked as the room darkened. Two enormous figures materialized behind him — a crimson dragon and a wailing banshee.
The enemies froze, trembling.
Daichi bit down on the lollipop stick, grinning. "Let's play."
Back at the Academy.
The dome was crumbling.
Eiden and Kai clashed in the center — fists, feet, bursts of aura. Neither giving an inch.
Renji and Kento were locked in a double assault against Mizuru's illusions, while Jin deflected every ranged attack that came near them with casual precision.
Kai roared, "Stage 5 — Tempest Break: Grand Cyclone!"
Winds surged, tearing the arena apart.
Eiden gritted his teeth. Too strong… He raised his right hand without thinking.
The air grew cold. His pupils darkened.
Words whispered in his mind — not his own.
"The soul bends to death. Speak my name, and I'll lend you power…"
Eiden blinked — the world flickered gray. His veins pulsed black for a second before fading.
He steadied his breathing and stepped forward through the cyclone, fists clenched. "I don't need your power."
His foot hit the ground — a crack of force followed, dispersing Kai's technique in one violent burst.
Kai's eyes widened. "What—"
Eiden's punch landed square in his chest. Kai flew across the field, unconscious before he hit the wall.
Silence. The countdown timer hit zero.
WINNER: TEAM 47
The crowd watching through the dome's glass erupted into cheers.
Eiden exhaled, feeling the faint, lingering pulse of that whisper. He looked at his trembling hand.
What the hell was that?
Far away, Daichi stood amidst the ruins of the warehouse, the floor littered with unconscious enemies.
Arata walked up, lowering his smoking weapon. "All down."
Daichi frowned.
There was a symbol carved into the wall — a black lotus, its petals dripping with spiritual blood.
He removed the lollipop from his mouth, his tone suddenly sharp. "Arata… you ever seen this before?"
Arata's eyes narrowed. "Yeah. Once."
He holstered his weapon. "Black Lotus Organization. Thought they were wiped out years ago."
Daichi's gaze darkened.
"Guess not."
He popped another lollipop into his mouth, voice low. "This city's about to get messy."