Chapter Four
This chapter contains violence and disturbing scenes. Reader discretion is advised.
The countdown didn't wait for understanding.
29,
28,
27,
Unlike the others—who desperately tried calling the police or simply ignored the creature above, convincing themselves that everything was an illusion—Kisame kept thinking.
If this was truly a trial, then the safe zones wouldn't appear randomly.
They would already exist.
His eyes swept across the schoolyard as his mind raced, analyzing the terrain, the buildings, the flow of people—searching for patterns.
"Ali," Kisame said quietly, "think of places where the safe zones could be."
Ali hesitated. "You really think we can pass this?"
"It won't cost anything to try," Kisame replied calmly. "Standing still is worse."
Ali nodded. "Alright."
Kisame continued observing the crowd—and that was when he noticed something strange.
To the right of the floating creature, a small group of students stood perfectly still. Hands clasped. Heads lowered.
They were… worshipping it.
"Idiots," Kisame muttered, sarcasm dripping from his voice.
Then another voice echoed through the schoolyard.
"All students should return to their classrooms," it announced calmly. "There is nothing to worry about. This is merely an illusion created by that creature."
The sound came from the school's speakers—controlled by the control room.
"It cannot harm us," the voice continued. "Think logically. If it truly possessed power, why didn't it hurt us when we rebelled?"
Kisame's eyes narrowed.
Someone is manipulating us.
"Are they serious?" he muttered. "They want us to attend class in a situation like this?"
The blue screen before his eyes flickered.
First Trial will begin in:
3,
2,
1,
The First Trial has begun.
First Trial
Objective: Find Safe Zones
Time Limit: 3 Minutes
2:59
2:58
2:57
Chaos didn't follow.
Instead, denial spread.
Some students calmly walked toward their classrooms. Others laughed nervously, pulling out their phones to record videos of the floating creature.
Only a few moved with purpose.
Among them were the worshippers.
"What should we do?" Ali asked, panic creeping into his voice.
Kisame didn't hesitate. "Ignore the classes. We find safe zones."
He grabbed Ali's wrist, and they ran.
They didn't have much time.
Safe zones were rare.
When Kisame spotted the first one, he stopped sharply.
A faint blue aura covered a small patch of ground, glowing softly like mist. The area was small—barely enough for two people.
A message appeared.
Safe Zone Capacity: 2
Kisame clenched his jaw.
"There aren't many," he said quietly. "And they won't save everyone."
They ran toward it—
—but stopped.
Two juniors were already inside, trembling.
Ali looked at Kisame. "Should we—"
"No," Kisame said immediately. "Let's move on."
"At least they're smarter than most," he added.
They ran again.
Every safe zone they found was already occupied.
The timer kept falling.
1:42
1:21
1:05
Breaths grew heavier. Panic pressed against Kisame's chest.
Then he saw it.
Another safe zone—perfect for two people.
But it was occupied.
By the worshippers.
Only fifty seconds remained.
Kisame's eyes hardened.
"Ali," he said quietly, "be ready to fight."
Ali swallowed, then nodded.
They stepped forward.
The worshippers noticed them immediately. Their expressions twisted—anger replacing devotion.
"You think you deserve it more than us?" one of them snarled.
Kisame didn't answer.
He moved.
In an instant, he closed the distance and drove his fist into the man's ribs. The impact knocked the air out of him. Before the man could recover, Kisame twisted his body and delivered a sharp kick to the chest, sending him flying out of the safe zone.
Ali charged the second one.
The man swung wildly, panic fueling his movements. Ali ducked, slammed his shoulder into the man's stomach, and threw him off balance. The man stumbled out of the blue aura.
They came back again.
Desperate.
They rushed forward, screaming.
Kisame blocked a punch, twisted the attacker's arm, and threw him to the ground. Ali followed up with a clean kick, forcing the man back again.
Over and over, the worshippers tried to re-enter.
Over and over, Kisame and Ali forced them out—using speed, balance, and technique instead of brute force.
The timer burned in Kisame's vision.
5
4
3
The worshippers lunged one last time—
2
1
0
The moment the timer hit zero, something changed.
The worshippers slammed into an invisible wall.
They couldn't enter.
They couldn't even touch the safe zone.
They stared in horror.
A voice echoed from above.
"First Trial is over," the creature said calmly. "The results are… quite interesting."
Kisame didn't relax.
He knew better.
"Now," the creature continued, "the disqualified will face punishment."
It snapped its fingers.
Black auras erupted from the ground.
From within them, twisted creatures crawled out—jerking, unnatural, their movements clearly controlled by something unseen.
Screams filled the schoolyard.
The creatures fell upon the disqualified students without hesitation.
The two worshippers barely had time to turn around.
In a blink, they were gone.
Something rolled across the ground and stopped at Kisame's feet.
He looked down.
A head stared back at him—eyes wide, frozen in terror.
Kisame didn't flinch.
But his fists clenched tightly.