The arena had barely returned to calm.
Isaac Ifrey's name still floated through discussions, whispers, and hasty comparisons.
— "He clearly surpassed the other two."
— "Finally, a real fight."
— "Special Class members… they're on another level."
The giant screens froze.
Then a new line appeared:
Next Participant — Special Class
Exceptional authorization confirmed
A shiver ran through the stands.
Diopha furrowed his brow.
— "Another one?"
Mini-Zenkai stopped smiling.
For the first time since the simulations began.
Entry of the third member
The silhouette entered the arena.
No visual effects. No overwhelming pressure. No spectacular aura.
Just… a presence.
A student like any other, at first glance.
— "Who is that?"
— "Nothing special about him…"
— "Do they really need to make him go through?"
The instructors remained silent.
The President observed quietly.
Simulation — The adversary
The entity generated this time even made the technicians step back.
An unstable, shifting structure combining:
• Instant adaptation
• Predictive correction
• Targeted annihilation
A monster that even Isaac would face cautiously.
— "They went too far…"
— "It's worse than Isaac's."
Diopha felt something familiar.
— "…No."
Mini-Zenkai confirmed mentally.
— It's not "worse." — It's closer to the truth.
The fight — What no one saw
The fight began.
Or rather…
It didn't start like the others.
No exchanges. No frontal attacks.
The Special Class member didn't attack.
He observed.
Then took a step.
The simulation… froze.
Not halted. Not stopped.
As if it were waiting.
A second passed.
Then the entity tried to act.
It couldn't.
A technical error appeared on the screens:
Inconsistency detected
Reevaluation impossible
The audience only saw one thing:
The adversary collapsed.
No explosion. No cry. No visible fight.
Reactions of the students
— "…Huh?"
— "It's over?"
— "What did he do?"
Milim furrowed her brows.
— "He didn't even move…"
Douriel gritted his teeth.
— "It's not that he was weak."
— "It's that we saw nothing."
Reactions of the instructors
This time, several instructors stood.
The Chief Instructor raised a hand.
— "Simulation interrupted."
The screens went dark immediately.
— "Special Class trials end here."
A murmur of surprise spread.
— "Why?"
— "There are still members left!"
The President finally spoke.
His voice didn't waver.
— "Because continuing would be irresponsible."
Silence.
— "The students who have already participated…"
— "Have already gone beyond what this generation should have shown."
His gaze hardened.
— "And those remaining…"
He paused.
— "Are superior to all those you've just seen."
Understanding — Diopha & Keldis
Diopha remained frozen.
— "What we saw…"
— "Was already too much."
Mini-Zenkai responded calmly.
— The opponent of this member… — Was stronger than your alter ego.
Diopha clenched his fists.
— "Then why do I feel…"
— "He didn't even try?"
Keldis, farther away, murmured:
— "Because it wasn't a fight."
— "It was a correction."
He breathed slowly.
— "We thought we were seeing monsters."
— "But they are…"
— "The anomalies."
Final Verdict
The practical exam continued.
But no one really talked about the simulations anymore.
Because one truth was now clear:
The Special Class wasn't meant to train Defenders.
It was meant to contain future catastrophes.
STATUS WINDOW — SPECIAL CLASS (PARTIAL)
Internal assessment by instructors:
• Diopha Hitari → Critical potential, accelerated growth
• Isaac Ifrey → Evolving hax, conceptual danger
• Special member #1 → Hidden ability, unmeasured
• Special member #2 → Hidden ability, unmeasured
• Special member #3 → Confirmed ability, non-reproducible
Decision:
Voluntary halt of remaining simulations
Internal classification: Level forbidden for public observation
To be continued…