The days blurred together.
Training.
Bruises.
Broken floors.
Ice-covered walls.
Blood, sweat, and a lot of yelling.
Then—just like that—
Tournament day arrived.
The entire city buzzed with excitement. News channels ran nonstop coverage, replaying footage from past tournaments, speculating lineups, arguing rankings like it was gospel.
PENTA ACADEMY TOURNAMENT OPENS TODAY
Five academies. One champion.
Helicopters circled above the massive arena built specifically for this event—a hybrid of stadium and battlefield, reinforced with hero-grade materials.
The Hero Association was watching closely.
Very closely.
—Hero Association Headquarters—
At the head of the long conference table, the president sat with his hands clasped, eyes sharp.
Screens floated around the room, showing the arriving academies.
War God Academy's convoy arrived first—military precision, students walking in formation. Cosmo Academy followed, draped in luxury and arrogance. Zephyr's transport landed quietly, all-female squads moving in eerie synchronization.
Ragnarok Academy came next.
Unremarkable.
At least on the surface.
The president broke the silence.
"How's the preparation for the tournament going?"
An aide straightened. "Security has been doubled. S-rank heroes are on standby. No unauthorized individuals detected."
Another added, "Media control is in place. Any mention of Noir or Hyperman has been scrubbed from the broadcast narrative."
The president nodded slowly.
"And the students?"
A pause.
A different analyst spoke, hesitant. "War God Academy is the clear favorite. Cosmo Academy's twins are drawing attention. Zephyr's core member remains an unknown variable."
He hesitated again.
"…Ragnarok Academy, however, has shown irregular training data."
The president's eyes narrowed.
"Irregular how?"
"Combat simulations show extreme growth curves in three students—Silvia Von Strauss, Jin Armstrong, and Noah Gwent."
The room stirred.
"And the fourth?" the president asked.
The analyst swallowed.
"Kade."
The name hung in the air.
"No registered hero title. No formal specialization. Combat data is… inconsistent."
"Inconsistent?" the president repeated.
"Yes, sir. Sometimes average. Sometimes…"
He tapped the screen.
"…he overwhelms entire team simulations alone."
Silence followed.
The president leaned back.
"…Is he another anomaly?"
"We can't confirm."
The president stared at the live feed of Ragnarok Academy entering the arena.
Four students walked together.
No capes.
No arrogance.
No fear.
"Keep your eyes on them," he said quietly.
"Especially Kade."
Outside, the crowd roared as the opening ceremony began.
And in the middle of it all, I stretched my arms and yawned.
[Alright.]
[Let's see what kind of chaos a school tournament can handle.]
[I'll keep Noir on standby for now.]
[No need to flip the table before the cards are dealt.]
I folded my arms and watched the arena fill up. The noise, the lights, the cameras—yeah, this whole thing screamed manufactured heroism. Still, it'd be fun.
That's when the air shifted.
Footsteps—light, deliberate.
The Zephyr Academy team walked toward us.
All girls. Perfect posture. Matching uniforms. The kind of presence that said we've never lost.
Leading them was a petite girl with silver hair tied in twin tails, her expression dripping with smug confidence. She stopped right in front of us, tilting her head like she'd found a particularly amusing bug.
"Oya~" she sang. "Well if it ain't the princess, Silvia~"
She laughed—high-pitched and theatrical.
"Hohoho~"
One hand rose to cover her mouth like some old-school villainess.
Jin twitched. Noah bristled.
I raised an eyebrow.
Silvia didn't even look at her.
She simply turned her head away, eyes forward, as if Liliana didn't exist.
The smile on Liliana's face twitched.
"Oh? Ignoring me?" she said sweetly. "How cold~ After all, we do come from similar circles, don't we?"
Silvia's voice was flat. "Move."
Liliana leaned closer instead.
"Rank three academy. Fallen nobles. Playing heroes." Her eyes flicked to me, then Jin, then Noah. "You really think this lineup can survive past the preliminaries?"
Jin stepped forward. "Wanna test that theory?"
Liliana giggled. "So loud. So crude."
Her gaze returned to me.
"And you~" she hummed. "You're interesting. You don't feel like the others."
I smiled.
That was her first mistake.
"Careful," I said lightly. "Staring too hard might make you trip on the battlefield."
Her eyes narrowed just a fraction.
"Tch. Big talk for an unknown."
She straightened, turning on her heel.
"Enjoy the opening matches," Liliana said over her shoulder.
"If you're lucky… we'll crush you personally."
Zephyr walked away, their formation flawless.
Noah exhaled. "She's scary…"
Silvia adjusted her glasses. "Liliana Stein doesn't provoke without reason."
Jin cracked his neck. "Good. I was hoping for someone annoying."
I watched Zephyr disappear into the crowd.
[Unknown variable, huh…]
[Yeah. That checks out.]
Somewhere deep inside, I felt belief stir.
And far away—
Noir waited.
I glanced at my team.
Jin was already bouncing on his heels, eyes burning like he'd been waiting his whole life for this moment.
Noah hugged her arms, tail flicking nervously but her stance steady.
Silvia pushed her glasses up, already switching into analysis mode.
[Yeah… we're good.]
The arena lights suddenly dimmed.
A deep, authoritative voice echoed throughout the massive stadium.
"ATTENTION, STUDENTS."
Every conversation died instantly.
"THE PENTA ACADEMY TOURNAMENT WILL PROCEED UNDER THREE FORMATS."
Holographic screens flared to life above the arena.
"FIRST—TEAM BATTLES."
"SECOND—SINGLE COMBAT DUELS."
"AND LAST, BUT NOT LEAST—"
The screens shifted.
A ruined city appeared. Smoke. Collapsed buildings. Sirens.
"HERO SIMULATION."
The crowd erupted.
Students stiffened.
Heroes leaned forward.
Even I felt my spine tingle.
"IN THE HERO SIMULATION ROUND, PARTICIPANTS WILL BE DROPPED INTO A FULL-SCALE URBAN ENVIRONMENT."
"OBJECTIVES WILL BE ASSIGNED IN REAL TIME."
"CIVILIANS, VILLAINS, AND UNPREDICTABLE VARIABLES WILL BE PRESENT."
Jin grinned. "Now that sounds fun."
Noah swallowed. "That… sounds dangerous."
Silvia nodded. "This is where rankings actually change."
The voice continued.
"FAILURE TO PROTECT CIVILIANS WILL RESULT IN POINT DEDUCTIONS."
"EXCESSIVE COLLATERAL DAMAGE WILL BE PENALIZED."
"KILLING IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED."
I smiled faintly.
[Figures.]
The screen zoomed out, showing five icons—each academy.
"YOUR PERFORMANCE ACROSS ALL THREE FORMATS WILL DETERMINE THE FINAL RANKINGS."
A beat.
"MATCHUPS WILL BE ANNOUNCED SHORTLY."
The lights brightened again.
Around us, students whispered, strategized, panicked.
Jin cracked his knuckles. "So who do we fight first?"
Silvia looked at the screen, eyes sharp. "Whoever it is… we can't hold back."
Noah looked at me. "Kade?"
I stretched, hands behind my head.
"Well," I said casually,
"Guess it's time to see if our hell-mode training pays off."
Inside my chest, belief stirred again—slow, steady.
And somewhere in the back of my mind—
[Noir stayed quiet.]
The announcer paused.
Long enough for anticipation to sink its teeth into everyone.
Then—
"NOW—TO MAKE THINGS MORE INTERESTING FOR OUR PARTICIPATING HERO STUDENTS—WE WILL ANNOUNCE THE REWARDS."
The arena went dead silent.
Even the veterans leaned forward.
Holographic numbers exploded into the air.
"THIRD PLACE—ONE MILLION DOLLARS."
Gasps. Whistles. A few students straight-up choked.
"SECOND PLACE—ONE MILLION DOLLARS, AND A FULL SET OF CUSTOMIZED SUITS—"
The screen shifted.
A rotating model of high-tech hero armor appeared.
"—DESIGNED AND FORGED BY THE NUMBER ONE HERO TAILOR."
That one hit hard.
Jin's eyes lit up like a kid in a candy store.
Noah whispered, "The Number One…?"
Silvia adjusted her glasses, clearly recalculating everything.
Then the announcer's voice rose.
"FIRST PLACE—FIVE MILLION DOLLARS."
The crowd erupted.
"A FULL CUSTOMIZED SUIT."
The hologram shifted again—this time showing a colossal white tower piercing the clouds.
My smile froze.
"AND A CHANCE TO TRAIN IN—"
A dramatic pause.
"THE TOWER OF GODS—OLYMPUS."
The stadium exploded.
Heroes stood up.
Students screamed.
Cameras shook.
Even Silvia inhaled sharply.
"…Olympus," she muttered.
Jin clenched his fists. "That's not just training. That's a fast track to the top."
Noah looked pale. "Only legends come out of that place…"
I stared at the tower's image.
[Oh… that's dangerous.]
Way too much attention.
The announcer wasn't done.
"THOSE REWARDS APPLY TO INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE."
The image shifted again—five teams, highlighted in gold.
"NOW—FOR THE TEAM BATTLES."
The lights dimmed.
The air grew heavy.
I felt it—every academy tightening, recalculating, sharpening their knives.
[Yeah…]
[Now it's a war.]
And somewhere far, far away—
Noir smiled.
[Flip the table after the tournament…]
[…or during it?]
My eyes stayed on the image of Olympus as it faded from the screen.
[Olympus, huh.]
[A tower that decides gods.]
A dangerous symbol.
Too centralized. Too clean. Too controlled.
[Maybe I should make my own.]
[Not a tower… an idea.]
Before I could finish the thought, the announcer's voice thundered again—louder, sharper.
"NOW—FOR THE HERO SIMULATION!"
The entire arena held its breath.
Screens shifted back to the ruined cityscape.
"THE INDIVIDUAL WHO WINS THE HERO SIMULATION—"
The voice paused, letting the words sink in.
"WILL IMMEDIATELY GRADUATE FROM THEIR ACADEMY."
The crowd erupted.
Graduation.
Status.
Freedom.
"THE WINNER WILL BE OFFICIALLY REGISTERED—"
"BESTOWED WITH A HERO NAME—"
A golden emblem spun into existence.
"AND GRANTED AN S-GRADE COMBAT HERO SUIT."
That one hit like a hammer.
Jin sucked in a breath. "That's… insane."
Noah whispered, "That's skipping years of training…"
Silvia's fingers tightened around her book.
"…It means the Association wants results," she said quietly. "Not potential."
I smiled faintly.
[They're baiting monsters.]
[And hoping only heroes show up.]
Somewhere deep in my chest, belief surged—faster now, louder.
[Graduate early…]
[Hero name…]
[S-grade suit…]
All shiny rewards.
All chains.
I leaned back and stretched.
"Well," I muttered,
"Guess the simulation's where things get interesting."
Flip the table during the tournament?
…Yeah.
That sounded way more fun.
"LET THE TOURNAMENT—BEGIN!"
The arena exploded.
Fireworks roared overhead. Spotlights swept across the battlefield. The roar of tens of thousands of spectators crashed down like a wave.
Holographic brackets unfolded in the air.
—SOLO MATCHES—
Names began flashing rapidly, scrolling like a roulette wheel.
Then—
WAR GOD ACADEMY
VS
ZEPHYR ACADEMY
The crowd went wild.
Two heavyweights.
Two philosophies.
Raw power versus precision.
The arena floor shifted, panels retracting and rebuilding until a massive combat stage rose from the center—reinforced steel, shock-absorbing layers, environmental modifiers locked.
From the War God side, a towering figure stepped forward.
Broad shoulders.
Twin axes resting casually on his back.
"Maximilian," Silvia muttered. "They're starting strong."
Across from him, Zephyr's formation parted.
Liliana Stein walked out.
Petite. Calm. Smiling.
The contrast alone drew gasps.
"Bold," Jin said. "Sending their core out first."
Liliana waved to the crowd like she owned the place.
Maximilian rolled his neck, flames flickering faintly along the edges of his axes.
The announcer's voice boomed.
"MATCH ONE—"
"MAXIMILIAN OF WAR GOD ACADEMY."
"VERSUS—LILIANA STEIN OF ZEPHYR ACADEMY."
I leaned forward slightly.
[So this is how Zephyr plays it.]
Confidence.
Or arrogance.
Either way…
This fight was about to set the tone for the entire tournament.
"Oya~ so big and so strong~" Liliana sang, clasping her hands behind her back.
"Aren't you going to show mercy to a little princess like me~?"
The crowd reacted instantly.
Some laughed.
Some booed.
Some leaned forward, sensing blood.
Maximilian didn't smile.
Didn't answer her teasing.
He lifted one of his axes and pointed it straight at her, flames crawling along the blade like a living thing.
"Cower," he growled, voice low and heavy,
"and feel my power."
The referee barely had time to raise his hand.
Maximilian lunged.
The ground cracked under his feet as he launched himself forward, body twisting midair. Both axes came down in a brutal cross-slash, flames roaring outward, the heat alone warping the air.
"Here we go," Jin muttered.
At the last possible moment—
Liliana smirked.
She casually thrust one arm forward.
A semi-transparent barrier bloomed into existence—hexagonal patterns flashing as Max's axes slammed into it.
BOOM—!
The impact shook the entire arena.
Shockwaves rippled outward. Dust and heat blasted across the stage.
But the barrier held.
Maximilian's eyes widened just a fraction.
"Oh my~?" Liliana tilted her head. "That was your opening move?"
The barrier pulsed once.
Then exploded outward.
Max was thrown back, skidding across the arena floor, boots carving deep lines into the metal before he managed to dig in and stop himself.
The crowd went insane.
"She blocked him—!" "That was a full-force War God charge!" "No damage?!"
Silvia's eyes narrowed. "That barrier isn't defensive only… it converts force."
I watched Liliana closely.
[So that's your trick.]
[Not just an unknown variable—you're a control monster.]
Liliana stretched her fingers lazily, translucent constructs flickering briefly around her arm before vanishing.
"Your turn's over," she said sweetly.
"Now let me play."
The air around her shimmered.
And for the first time—
Maximilian frowned.
The tournament had officially begun.
Watching the stage, I nearly lost it.
Liliana crossed her fingers while summoning the barrier—two fingers folded, the rest out, hands angled just right.
[…Wait.]
[…No way.]
I stared harder.
[That pose—]
[That stupid, specific hand sign—]
My lips twitched.
Bartolomeo?
[What are you, his long-lost descendant?]
I tried to hold it in.
Failed.
"Pfft—"
Then—
"HAHAHAHA—!"
My laughter burst out way louder than I meant it to.
People around us flinched.
Jin whipped his head toward me. "Oi—what's wrong with you?!"
Noah jumped. "Kade! This is a serious match!"
Silvia glanced at me over her glasses. "…You okay?"
I waved my hand, still chuckling. "Yeah—yeah—sorry—just—"
I looked back at the stage, where Liliana stood smugly behind her barrier, fingers still crossed.
"…She's doing a pirate thing."
"…A what?" Jin asked.
"Never mind," I said, wiping a tear from my eye. "Ancient cultural reference."
On stage, Liliana glanced briefly in our direction, eyes narrowing just a bit.
Her smile sharpened.
"Oh?" she murmured. "Someone finds this amusing?"
Maximilian growled, flames flaring brighter around his axes.
The barrier shimmered again.
The crowd roared.
And I leaned back, grin widening.
[Yep.]
[This tournament's gonna be fun.]