[Inside the Gateway — Two Hours Later]
WHOOSH!!
Hitachi landed with the weightless grace of a shadow on the forest floor. He didn't crouch or check his surroundings with the frantic energy of the other students; he simply stood there, hands deep in his pockets, his gaze heavy with a boredom that bordered on contempt.
"Hmm..."
He sighed, the sound echoing through the unnaturally silent trees, and began to walk.
High above in the canopy, a team of five crouched on a massive, moss-covered branch, watching him.
"Who is this guy?" one recruit whispered, his knuckles white as he gripped his spear.
"He looks like one of the five who were picked for solo teams," his teammate answered, peering down at Hitachi's retreating back.
"Should we take him down?" Another asked, his hand hovering over the hilt of his sword. "He's alone. That's a lot of points walking right there."
"No..."
The only female in their team stopped them with a sharp gesture. She was an Elite student, and unlike the common recruits in her group, she understood the significance of the names called at the podium.
"That is Hitachi Azul... Amongst the five picked, he is the strongest," she whispered, her voice trembling.
"I don't believe that," the guy spat, his ego bruised by her tone. "Mirabella, known as Spectral, is the strongest. He is nothing but a name."
"Who is the leader here?!" she hissed, turning to him with a deep, furious frown.
The man stared at her for a long moment, the silence of the forest pressing in on them. He exhaled softly. "Fine then."
The moment the words left his lips, the very tree they were standing on groaned. The wood didn't break; it shifted. Before the guy could react, the branch beneath his feet turned into a mass of writhing, bark-covered limbs that wrapped around his torso like a python.
"What?! What is this?!!" he yelled in horror, his feet dangling in the air.
"Cut it off!!" the lady yelled.
The three men drew their weapons—slashing with everything they had. Sparks flew as steel met wood, but to their utter shock, none of their medium-class weapons could even leave a scratch on the bark. It was like hitting solid diamond.
"It can't be!"
The leader twisted her head, looking down. Hitachi was staring at them over his shoulder. His eyes had shifted, a piercing, predatory red fixed on them with cold detachment.
"Shit!"
WHOOSH!!!
As if responding to a silent command, dozens of vine-like veins shot forth from the surrounding trees. They moved with the speed of arrows, catching all five students and wrapping around them so tightly their bones began to creak.
"Plea... Please..." the Elite girl managed to choke out.
Before she could finish her plea, the vines constricted with a sickening, wet crunch. She and her team shattered into a mist of blood and light.
"Hmm..."
Hitachi didn't even slow his pace. He turned his head back to the path ahead and continued walking, hands still in his pockets.
___
[Outside the Gateway]
On the grand holographic screen in the academy square, the elders watched the carnage.
"He already started his killing spree," Hayatobi said, his arms crossed over his chest. His gaze was fixed on Hitachi, his expression unreadable.
"Phew... Thank goodness they won't die for real," Gaga said, exhaling in relief.
A flash of light erupted near the gateway as the five students Hitachi had just crushed appeared on the transport pads. They were gasping for air, clutching their chests, their faces pale with the phantom pain of being crushed to death.
"I... I am still alive?" the Elite girl asked in shock, frantically checking her limbs.
"Don't worry, you aren't dead yet," Gaga said loudly, her voice carrying over the 55 students who had already been eliminated.
"Even when we separated these five in different locations around the outer region, they still killed a lot of students. This is really stressful," Hayatobi said, rubbing his temples.
"Someone might have told them that killing will get them more points. That must be it," Gaga added, watching more names flicker to zero on the scoreboard.
"Anyway, let's just hope they don't kill all the other students before they get to the inner region," Hayatobi sighed.
"Even the monsters seem to be scared of them," Gaga noted, her eyes widening as she watched a pack of Shadow Wolves flee into the brush on the screen. "They're running away before even setting their eyes on them."
____
[Inside the Gateway]
"Where are we going?"
A recruit asked, leaping from branch to branch as he struggled to keep up with Carl's pace.
"We are taking this route because it's quieter," Carl answered without looking back. "And I am also sure none of those five are here. Our target isn't to draw attention to ourselves, but to move out discreetly. According to the map layout, there are two gates separating the three regions. Once we pass the first gate, we enter the Inner region."
He looked over his shoulder at the guy, then at the rest of their makeshift team. "Then we can kill as much as we like."
WHOOSH!
They blurred through the canopy at maximum speed, a streak of focused intent.
'Senior sister is always right... This is the safest and fastest route... But why didn't she take it?' Carl wondered.
___
[To Mirabella]
Mirabella stood on the crest of a small hill, her silhouette sharp against the sky. Below, a team of five was rushing forward, their armor clanking softly. She reached up to scratch her shoulder, only to find it empty.
"Forgot she is with Elizabeth," she muttered, missing Cupcake's familiar weight. With a slight shrug, she leaped from the hill, plunging into the dark forest below.
The team below was alert. They skidded to a halt at the sound of her landing.
"....?!!"
"Up there!!" the group's mage yelled, pointing his staff toward the high branches.
The rest of the team looked up, seeing Mirabella perched there, her eyes glowing with a faint, ethereal light.
"If my memory serves me right, you must be Mirabella. One of the five," the leader said. He was a muscular young man who stepped forward with a heavy thud. In a flash of light, a suit of massive plate armor appeared on him, followed by a tower shield—all glowing with the distinct aura of Epic-class items.
'One of the Elites... Not bad.' Mirabella thought, her gaze sliding over the terrified recruits cowering behind the armored man.
"Don't take it personally, I need the points," she said softly.
She lightly tapped her foot on the branch. It seemed like a meaningless gesture, but instantly, the ground beneath the five erupted. Massive, jagged earth spikes shot forth with the force of a volcanic explosion.
The spikes tore through the earth, the recruits, and the leader. Even the Epic-class armor was rendered useless, crumpled like tin foil against the sheer attack force.
Mirabella stared at the carnage for a moment, then leaped away into the shadows, searching for her next target.
___
[Outside]
"What skill did she use?" Gaga asked, her eyes wide as she leaned toward the screen.
The students who had been eliminated were also dumbfounded. They had seen high-level magic before, but that had been effortless.
"Mirabella is one of the strongest amongst the five... I will say only Hitachi can match her in strength," Hayatobi said. He smiled slightly, closing his eyes as if reviewing data in his mind. "I have been observing her. And what I discovered is shocking."
"What is that?"
The two elders and the crowd of students—whose numbers had doubled as more teams were wiped out—stared at him in anticipation.
"All of Mirabella's skills are Maxed," Hayatobi revealed, his voice dropping to a serious tone. "And she deals damage far stronger than even a peak God-level fighter."
"....?!!!"
A freezing horror descended over the plaza. A student—possessing the raw output of a God-level warrior was a reality none of them were prepared for.