The metro car rattled softly as it glided above the city on its magnetic rails. Jay sat rigid in his seat, fingers laced tightly together, his eyes fixed on the passing skyline but not really seeing it. His stomach twisted with every thought of the coming tournament.
Two days ago, Itsuki-sensei had announced it like it was nothing—a competition between the Northern and Southern Shrines. At first Jay thought it would just be sparring, a friendly match. But the more he remembered Itsuki's words, the more his nerves grew.
A tournament. But what kind of tournament? Battle to the top? Free-for-all? Something worse?
What surprised Jay most was that the battle wouldn't be held at the Southern Shrine, where he had at least begun to feel comfortable. No—Itsuki had chosen somewhere else. Somewhere outside the city.
Jay swallowed hard. If the location mattered enough for them to travel, then this wasn't going to be easy.
Across the aisle, Ellie pressed her face close to the train window, her brown hair shimmering faintly under the artificial lights. She seemed oblivious to Jay's tension, still amazed that the train floated high above the ground. "Jay, look!" she said, pointing at the blurred streets below. "We're flying."
She drifted closer to the glass and accidentally bumped into Aiko, who was leaning against the window with her orange headphones snug over her ears. Aiko slid them down around her neck, catching sight of Jay. She tilted her head, walking over to him.
"You look a little nervous," Aiko said casually, though her sharp eyes missed nothing.
"I am," Jay admitted. "I have no clue what's about to come."
Aiko grinned. "Neither do I. But that doesn't stop me from being excited. Besides, we fought against Upper Demons. If we survive that, this should be nothing."
Jay almost laughed at her confidence. Almost. But the unease in his chest kept him quiet. After a long pause, he asked, "Do you know the place we're going to?"
"Sort of," Aiko said. "It's called Block 51. An old district that was barricaded years ago with walls taller than skyscrapers. Rumor has it that behind those walls is a ghost town filled with demons."
Jay froze. The color drained from his face. "A… ghost town?"
"Yup." Aiko shrugged, as if it were no big deal. "Perfect training ground."
Jay clenched his fists. If the rumors were true, this tournament would be more than just fighting classmates.
The train ride ended, and soon Jay, Aiko, and Ellie stood before the massive gates of Block 51.
Aiko hadn't been exaggerating—the walls were enormous, stretching upward until they disappeared into the sky. The surface was scarred, claw marks etched deep into the concrete. Yellow paint, faded but still visible, declared the words: BLOCK 51.
Jay craned his neck back, his throat dry. The walls were at least twenty times taller than him. Maybe more.
Other students gathered near the gate, buzzing with excitement or whispering nervously. Then, with a groan of metal, the huge entrance slowly creaked open.
Chiaki stepped forward, her expression calm but unreadable. Behind her stood Sensei, his hands folded into his sleeves, and beside him, Itsuki-sensei, looking more like a commander than a teacher.
The crowd of students filed inside. Jay followed, his heart pounding.
The inside was nothing like he expected. The entry hall was wide, lit by lanterns mounted along the walls. Itsuki-sensei walked to the center and raised his voice, commanding silence.
"This building," he explained, "was created as a training ground for exorcists. Today, it will serve as your battlefield."
His words hung heavy in the air.
"The tournament will have two stages. The first stage—" He pulled a small scroll from his pocket. It was marked with two black stripes. "—requires each of you to pass through that door behind me. Inside, eight scrolls like this one are hidden. There are twenty of you here. Only eight will advance."
A ripple of tension spread through the hall. Jay's chest tightened. Twenty students. Eight scrolls. More than half of us will be eliminated.
"When you find a scroll," Itsuki continued, "return it here. When all eight are gathered, the second stage begins. The scroll holders will fight until one remains standing."
Jay's pulse hammered in his ears.
The massive door behind Itsuki swung open. A cold draft drifted in, carrying the scent of dust and decay.
"Begin," Itsuki said.
The students surged forward. Jay stepped through the door and froze.
Aiko hadn't been lying—it truly was a ghost town. Rows of abandoned houses lined cracked streets. Towering buildings loomed overhead, their windows shattered and hollow. The air was unnaturally still, heavy with silence.
Behind him, the door slammed shut with a metallic clang.
Ellie started forward, but Chiaki grabbed her wrist. "You can't go," she said firmly.
Ellie turned, startled. "Why not?"
"Because Itsuki left out one detail," Chiaki said, her eyes narrowing. "There are demons inside."
Sensei's brow furrowed. "Don't you think my students are at a disadvantage? Yours trained here last year."
Itsuki smirked. "Don't be a sore loser, Sensei. Besides, while training your students, I saw enough. They adapt quickly. They'll manage."
Inside Block 51, the group scattered. Some sprinted into alleys, others ducked into buildings.
Jay, Aiko, and Sota lingered near the door.
"Want to team up?" Jay asked.
Aiko shook her head. "No thanks. I'll move faster alone."
Jay exhaled, watching her go. Sota gave a shrug. "Guess it's you and me."
Jay nodded reluctantly.
Not far away, five of Itsuki's top students stood together.
"That's them," Sota whispered. "Itsuki's best fighters." He pointed discreetly. "Ryuji—the fire user. Masato—controls shadows. Tsubasa—wings. Kenshin—twin swords. Rin—ice."
Jay's gaze lingered on Ryuji. The boy glared back, hatred burning in his eyes.
Ryuji and Masato split from the group. Then Tsubasa, Kenshin, and Rin departed together, leaving Jay and Sota standing alone.
Aiko dashed into a decrepit building, teleporting past collapsed beams and shattered glass. A demon lunged from the shadows, its claws swiping. Aiko smirked, vanished in a blink, and reappeared behind it, slamming her fist into its back. The demon shot across the room, crashing into the wall with a crunch.
Another charged. Aiko vanished again, this time reappearing above it, heel dropping down like a hammer. The demon's skull split against the floor.
She panted, scanning the rooms. Nothing but dust and broken furniture. No scroll.
Frustration boiled in her chest. "Tch. This is going to take forever."
Elsewhere, Ryuji burned through demons with unrestrained rage. Every swing of his arm sent waves of fire scorching across walls. Demons shrieked as their bodies were reduced to ash.
But with each room he searched, nothing. No scrolls. His frustration grew, feeding his flames.
Tsubasa, Kenshin, and Rin moved as a unit. Tsubasa's great wings shielded them from lunging claws, his feathers slicing through demon flesh like blades. Kenshin's twin swords flashed silver, cutting clean arcs as he cut down wave after wave. Rin's ice swept across the ground, freezing demons in their tracks before shattering them with a flick of her hand.
They pressed forward, disciplined and relentless. Still, no scrolls.
Jay and Sota faced their own battle. A swarm of demons closed in, their yellow eyes glinting in the dim light. Jay's arms shifted, morphing into dark, clawed limbs. With one slash he tore through a demon's chest, black ichor spraying across the cracked pavement.
Sota moved beside him with perfect precision. His ability to anticipate movements let him dodge every attack before it came. A demon leapt—Sota ducked early, countering with a spinning kick that snapped its neck.
"You've got my back, right?" Sota asked.
Jay nodded, his claws dripping. "Yeah."
Masato crept into a building, shadows rippling around him like smoke. He searched the empty rooms until his eyes landed on a dragon statue in the corner. Its stone mouth clutched something.
A scroll.
Masato reached for it, relief flashing across his face. But then—
A sound above.
Masato looked up.
A demon stood on the balcony, staring down. Then it leapt.
It landed with a crash that shook the floor.
Masato froze.
This wasn't like the others.
The demon was tall, its skin a sickly grey with glowing green streaks across its body. Its arms weren't arms at all—they were long, curved scythes.
But what chilled Masato to his core was the mark on its neck.
A black dot.
His throat went dry. "…An Upper Demon."
Tsubasa, Kenshin, and Rin stepped into another building. Rin's sharp eyes caught something—another scroll, clutched in the stone hand of a monk statue. She reached out, grabbing it.
Then the ground shook.
A deafening thump.
The three froze as shadows stirred.
From the darkness lumbered a massive demon, its skin blood-red, its body hulking. It had four muscular arms, each ending in jagged claws.
"What the hell is that?" Tsubasa muttered.
Rin's blood ran cold. Her gaze locked on the neck, where a black dot burned like a brand.
Her voice trembled. "It's… an Upper Demon."
Ryuji strode into a wide chamber filled with thick webs. His flames flickered, burning strands as he moved carefully. His gut twisted. Something wasn't right.
A sound above made him look up.
His heart nearly stopped.
Several of his classmates dangled from the ceiling, cocooned in webs. Their faces pale, their bodies unmoving.
Then movement.
From the shadows crawled a demon. Its body twisted, half-human, half-spider. It had four glinting eyes, three massive spider legs jutting from its back, and long human arms ending in razor-sharp fingers.
The dotted mark burned on its neck.
Ryuji's fists ignited. His voice was a growl. "An Upper Demon."
Back in the observation hall, Itsuki-sensei watched from a grand window overlooking the ghost town. His tone was almost casual. "Oh, I forgot to mention," he said.
Sensei and Chiaki turned sharply.
"Last year was far too easy for my students," Itsuki continued. "So, to make it more thrilling, I captured and placed three Upper Demons inside."
Chiaki's eyes widened. Sensei's jaw tightened.
Ellie slammed her small hands against the glass, her eyes wide with fear.
"Jay…" she whispered.