"Awooo!" The starving wolf lunged at Yui Amagiri. The way its glowing green eyes locked onto her like prey made her heart skip a beat. She leapt onto the roof of a wooden hut, barely steadying herself when the wolf launched itself up after her. The fragile structure, hastily built from wood, groaned under the weight. A loud crack rang out, and in the next moment, the hut collapsed with a crash. Just before it crumbled, Yui jumped forward and escaped.
Sakurako Yamamura had explained earlier: the restricted movement area was marked in a circle, roughly two-thirds the size of a soccer field. Leaving the circle meant certain death. Twelve kids had already violated this rule—and died.
She was only five years old. A child orphaned by war before even learning how to refine chakra. She hadn't grown up in the ninja world. Even adults would tremble before the savage, ravenous beast she now faced. Those twelve children likely fled in panic, terrified by the wolf's ferocity.
But there was no escape. Leaving the circle meant death. That left only one path—fighting the wolf. Four children had tried that already. All of them died. Devoured.
The heavens never shut all doors. If this was a test, then there had to be a way to survive it. Training a regular child to even reach genin level took tremendous time and resources. Surely they weren't raised just to become wolf food... right? Well, maybe.
A gust of wind blew behind her. Yui turned—there it was, the massive wolf, charging at her. Her thoughts raced. She crouched as if preparing to jump. Predicting her move, the wolf sprang up just as her feet left the ground.
But it was a feint. As the wolf launched itself midair, Yui dropped back flat and slid forward. They crossed paths—her below, the wolf above. It missed. The wolf roared in frustration, but Yui didn't stop. She used the opening to widen the distance.
Assuming this trial could be survived, the answer certainly wasn't brute force—four had already tried. The wolf was a variant from the world of shinobi. Its intelligence was unknown, but its power and defense clearly weren't ordinary. The trial was designed for those at least at genin level. She had to assume the sixteen children before her were all at that level too.
If fighting wasn't the answer, then what was?
Yui's mind worked furiously. She kept dodging, using feints to avoid direct contact. The wolf was three times her size—one hit would leave her gravely injured, or worse. There was nothing in the clearing to aid her—no tools, no weapons. The huts were already destroyed.
Except...
A well.
But what could a well do? Kill a wolf? That seemed unlikely. Or... wait. Her eyes flicked from the well to the beast. Earlier, she had wondered—why such a large well opening for kids? Overkill, she'd thought. But now, realizing the size... the opening was just big enough to fit the wolf.
Fighting meant death. Leaving the circle meant death. She couldn't outrun the wolf, especially not after starving for a day. That left one option.
No more hesitation.
She could feel her movements growing sluggish. Hunger was one reason, but the primal fear of facing a massive predator for the first time in her life also affected her. If she delayed, she'd die.
With the wolf's bloodthirsty gaze locked on her—and under the watchful eyes of Sakurako Yamamura hidden in the shadows—Yui sprinted for the well. Still a ways off, she jumped, her body arcing like a diver, plunging straight down into the dark hole.
The wolf didn't hesitate. Mad with hunger, it followed her blindly. Heavier than her, it fell even faster. The well was over ten meters deep. As Yui splashed into the water, the wolf slammed into her back with full force.
She coughed blood, nearly blacked out. The impact knocked the air from her lungs. But her will to survive kept her conscious. She forced herself to swim sideways, trying to separate from the beast. The wolf swam surprisingly fast and followed her.
She was out of breath. On the verge of suffocation. And the wolf was right behind her. Desperate, she summoned a last surge of energy and dove deeper. The wolf chased her down.
Yui spun around underwater, luring the wolf lower. Then, she abruptly changed direction and kicked upward. Her head broke the surface. She didn't even pause to breathe. Her hand slapped against the well wall. She gathered chakra—and like a gecko—began climbing the slick vertical surface.
She had barely crawled out of the well when the wolf surged up too. Its jaws clamped onto her left leg. Fangs punctured flesh and muscle. The bite was so strong it snapped the bone.
Yui screamed. Her chakra faltered. She almost fell.
"Damn it! I won't die here!" Gritting her teeth, she let go with her hands and clung to the wall with her right foot alone, channeling chakra to hold steady. A card materialized in her hand.
She activated it—Misaka Mikoto—Transformation Jutsu.
In a split second, her appearance changed completely. Face, hair, eyes—all transformed into the childhood form of Misaka Mikoto. Tiny sparks danced across her skin. Every bit of her remaining energy was poured into this.
She focused the current through her injured leg, electrocuting the wolf's head. The voltage wasn't strong enough to kill, but it caused momentary paralysis.
Yui seized the chance. She drove her fist into the wolf's skull. Stunned and spasming, the beast lost its grip and tumbled back into the water.
She scrambled up the well, clawing and climbing. The transformation wore off mid-way, but she didn't notice.
It was only ten meters—but it felt like centuries.
Fresh air. God, it felt good.
She was alive. Her heart was still beating. The pain still real. It felt so good.
She hadn't been eaten. She hadn't died. That felt even better.
Yui peered down. The wolf was trapped. No chakra. No way to climb out. Only then did she let herself collapse. Completely drained.
Sakurako Yamamura appeared beside her in a flash. As a jōnin, her speed was far beyond what Yui could perceive. Without a word, she picked Yui up, disappeared into the brush, and started treating her wound with crushed herbs and strange plants.
It hurt—unbearably so. The pain made Yui cry out, despite having the soul of a grown man from her previous life. But even as she wept, she smiled.
She had survived. And that felt amazing.