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Five hours before the events in Galica, where soldiers scrambled to prepare aid for villages under civilian attack, Agane had already departed the town. Using a portal in the tower, she headed to the Eskapa's officer headquarters.
As a Senior 1-Star Commander, Agane held the fourth-highest rank in the Eskapa's military. During gatherings or significant events, officers wore badges signifying their status. Agane was granted immediate entry through the guarded doors without inspection, accessing the secure chambers and special portal.
Upon entering, she drew the attention of those present, including the Sandata seated before massive screens. Offering quick apologies and greetings, Agane explained her urgent mission, sent directly by Queen Sei. She approached Vice Commander Aoi and reported Sei's request to recall Nathaniel to Galica as soon as possible for a critical matter.
"The queen wants Nathaniel to return before the tournament ends?" Aoi asked, surprised.
"It's about the soul eater accompanying the human," Agane replied. "I believe Her Majesty wants him to learn what she knows about his past and the solution to the soul eaters' consumption of souls."
Thanks to the sharp hearing of high-ranking officials like Yuki, Pyun overheard and interjected, questioning what a human could possibly know about soul eaters. Aoi and Agane exchanged hesitant glances, knowing they couldn't ignore a senior Eskapa member's question.
"My apologies, Lady Pyun," Aoi said, "but even we aren't certain if it's true. All we know, based on the human's claims, is that Nathaniel has the ability to see the past and future of others."
"There's no proof of this," Aoi added, "so there's no need to dwell on it."
"A human who sees the past and future?" Rei scoffed. "I've never heard of a human with such power. If he had it, we'd sense his energy."
Pyun slammed her chair's armrest, furious at the special treatment for a human tied to a soul eater. To her, humans were suspicious, especially those connected to what she considered the world's scourge. She questioned why Sei allowed such a person freedom, knowing their link to a soul eater.
"Rest assured, Lady Pyun," Aoi replied calmly, "this human isn't a soul eater's pawn or a threat. We've confirmed this."
Pyun remained skeptical, wondering why Sei didn't follow the Eskapa's rule to eliminate any soul eater entering their territories. "Doesn't she care about her people?" Pyun snapped. "Does she want another tragedy in her town?"
Aoi didn't respond, letting Pyun's anger subside. As a black magic user, Pyun's power grew with negative emotions, and Aoi knew continuing the discussion risked escalating tensions, especially given Pyun's strained relationship with Sei. To defuse the situation, Yuki intervened, suggesting they focus on the ongoing trial.
"My apologies, General Agane," Yuki said, "but Nathaniel can't leave the arena until the trial ends. Let's wait for Ruri to complete her test."
On the main monitor, Ruri sat on a boulder, listening to their conversation from the base. "I don't sense anything special about that human," she said playfully, "but if you want him out quickly, I'll find a way to disqualify him."
Kyros quickly cautioned Ruri to be gentle, reminding her not to bully the human. Though aware of Ruri's playful combat style, he urged her to act honorably as a divine servant. Ruri brushed off his words, insisting she wouldn't kill an innocent person—she just wanted to "play a little."
"Do I need to warn Xxv about your plan?" Yuki asked. "He's currently guarding the human."
"No need," Ruri replied. "This won't take long, and it'll be more fun if Xxv joins in. It's been a while since we fought together. By the way, which floor is that human on?"
As she walked, three of her subordinates appeared beside her. She ordered them to take her to Nathaniel's location. One cast a magic circle, enveloping them in a spell that made them vanish.
On the twelfth floor, where Nathaniel was, he ran relentlessly, pursued by monsters. No matter where he went, more joined the chase. His crimson item allowed him to evade them, but exhaustion and shortness of breath often forced him to stumble.
"I'm done!" he shouted. "How long will this go on?"
Melon emerged from his hood, perching on his head. "You can't escape the monsters unless you take the direct path to the portal," she said.
The portal, Melon explained, was a passage for players to ascend or descend floors. Nathaniel protested, recalling her earlier warning about ambushes waiting at the portal, which he deemed too dangerous.
"I don't get you," Melon said. "I gave you the power you need. Shouldn't you stop being a coward?"
Nathaniel thanked her for the power but admitted he lacked combat knowledge. He'd felt helpless against a terrifying monster earlier, sensing he stood no chance. Despite his explanation, Melon grew frustrated, seeing his excuses as fear-driven. She noticed his terror whenever a monster appeared, convinced his fear of pain kept him from fighting.
"It's not a big deal facing them," she said. "You're immortal in this world."
"I appreciate that," Nathaniel replied, "but I wish this magic included an iron body that doesn't feel pain or get hurt."
As they talked, a small stone struck the house they were hiding in. Moments later, the building exploded, the blast hurling Nathaniel outside, tumbling across the ground.
"Argh! That hurt! What happened?" he groaned.
Another stone hit nearby, detonating and sending him sprawling again. Panicked, Nathaniel scrambled to his feet and fled. Explosive stones rained down, but he darted into an alley where they couldn't reach him.
Ten meters away, atop a boulder, Ruri stood, tossing stones in her hand. "He escaped my attack," she mused. "I don't like bullying the weak, but I need to get him disqualified quickly. Maybe I'll scare him a bit."
A red spear with a massive blade materialized before her, transforming into a wagon. Her Class A crimson item, Mikaso, could shift into any weapon she desired. Gathering nearby stones, she loaded them into the wagon, using them as explosive ammunition to bombard Nathaniel's location.
Buildings and houses crumbled under the relentless barrage. "Take this!" Ruri shouted, firing until no stones remained. "Huh? Out of rocks already? That should do."
Her crimson item reverted to a spear, which she caught. Wasting no time, she leaped high, landing atop the ruins to search for Nathaniel. "Maybe I overdid it," she muttered.
Moments later, Nathaniel emerged from a collapsed house, sprinting away. "Good, you're still alive," Ruri said with a grin.
She lunged, aiming her spear to impale him. Melon spotted the attack, yanking Nathaniel aside. He stumbled, narrowly dodging the spear. "Ouch! What was that?" he yelped.
"You should've sensed the danger with Kula's power," Melon scolded. "Why didn't you dodge?"
Nathaniel explained that while he felt the approaching energy, he didn't know what it was and couldn't react in two seconds, especially as a non-warrior. As they argued, a powerful gust from Ruri's spear cleared the smoke.
"You dodged my attack," Ruri said, approaching. "You're no ordinary human."
Nathaniel, startled, demanded why she was there. She smirked playfully, saying she just wanted to "play." "Play? I don't understand! Why attack me? The rules don't allow attacking applicants!"
"You're right," Ruri said calmly. "But as an Eskapa official running this trial, I am the law here. My word is final, including killing you."
She hurled a blade at him. Nathaniel instinctively raised his arm, which erupted in flames, forming a shield. The blade struck but exploded, sending him tumbling into a boulder, injuring his arm and leaving him limping.
"Fire?" Ruri mused. "I sense no energy in you, so how are you producing flames?"
Puzzled by his abilities, Ruri paused, then froze as she caught a scent. "Wait… I'm not mistaken. You reek of a Prime Demon Beast's presence."
Nathaniel, confused, denied any connection to a demon beast—bloodthirsty monsters that devoured all races indiscriminately, often targeting the Great Forest near their continent, home to Ruri's people. She accused him of being a spy for a Demon Beast King or Grand Chaos, threatening to kill him if he didn't confess his purpose.
Terrified, Nathaniel crawled back, pleading with Ruri to stop. He knew her emotional outbursts could turn deadly. "I swear I don't know what you're talking about! Why would a demon beast use a human as a minion?"
Melon warned Nathaniel that his explanations were futile. Ruri's race viewed demon beasts as mortal enemies, and a faint demon beast presence clung to him. "Wait, how do I have that presence?" Nathaniel asked.
"Did you forget your leader is a demon beast?" Melon replied. "Ataparag placed a faint spell on you, likely for protection."
Nathaniel's eyes widened, recalling Ataparag's admission of being a demon beast. He hadn't realized she was a Prime Demon Beast, a former king of the Demon Continent. "She's not just any demon beast," Melon added. "She was a Grand Chaos."
Stunned, Nathaniel protested. In his comics, Prime Demon Beasts were evil, slaughtering without reason—nothing like the Ataparag he knew. "This isn't the time to worry about that," Melon urged. "She's serious about killing you."
Ruri readied her spear, prompting Nathaniel to flee, using his crimson item to escape. She pursued, matching his speed. Though he dodged her spear's blades, the ground exploded with each strike, knocking him back.
Nathaniel realized Ruri, a Katsuki, was among her race's fastest. "This is bad," he gasped. "She's going to hit me soon."
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