After miles of walking and countless hours under the sun and stars, Jericho finally made it to the royal capital of the human Kingdom. The journey lasted three days, with Jericho arriving on the exact day of the Demon Slayer Academy entrance exam.
Before Jericho, massive stone walls towered up, with guards in polished armor patrolling the top. Behind the giant gates in front of him, the sound of a bustling city echoed, with carts clattering, vendors shouting, and children laughing.
Jericho tilted his head back, his eyes scanning the towering gates one last time before stepping to the entrance of the city, where two guards stood with spears in their hands.
"Stop," one of the guards said, holding out his spear to stop Jericho.
The second guard narrowed his eyes. "State your business in the royal capital," he said, his voice firm and commanding.
Jericho paused for a breath, squaring his shoulders. "I'm here for the Demon Slayer Academy entrance exam," he said, his voice steady and clear.
The two guards exchanged a quick glance, and without asking any further questions, they raised their spears and stepped aside. They pushed open the heavy gates and revealed the grand city beyond. Jericho hesitated for a moment, taking a deep breath before stepping into the city.
As he strolled through the streets, his eyes widened at the sight of all the wonders around him. He saw people from all five races, Humans, Giants, Dwarves, Fishmen, and Elves, all living and interacting together.
The streets were alive with sound and color. Towering buildings of stone loomed overhead, their spires scraping the sky. Stalls lined the cobbled roads, overflowing with food, weapons, and glowing magical artifacts.
Jericho's eyes widened. He had never seen so many different people gathered in one place.
Humans walked alongside armored Dwarves, while Fishmen with gill-lined jaws traded with graceful Elves draped in shimmering robes. A Giant lumbered through the market square, each step making the ground tremble underneath.
"Whoa... so this is the royal capital," Jericho said, eyes wide with wonder. "There are people from all five races. I've never seen anyone from the other races before."
Not wanting to lose focus, Jericho set off toward the arena where the entrance exam was being held.
He stopped a few people along the way, asking for directions, and though some gave him strange looks, they pointed him in the right direction.
Soon, Jericho arrived at the arena. It was a massive colosseum, towering over the surrounding buildings, with grand stone walls and arched entryways. At its center was a wide open space that was clearly meant for battle.
Near the main entrance sat a Fishman, his scaled arms folded neatly on a registration table carved from dark wood. The Fishman resembled a humanoid fish, having features of both a fish and a human.
Jericho calmly strolled up to the Fishman seated at the entrance, bowing respectfully to greet him.
The Fishman glanced up, his eyes blinking slowly. His voice was low and gravelly.
"Are you here for the entrance exam?" he asked, getting straight to the point.
"Yes, I am," Jericho replied without hesitation.
The Fishman gave a small nod, then continued. "Very well, then. Let's begin. Please answer the following questions."
As the Fishman prepared his parchment and ink, Jericho stood tall, doing his best to contain the excitement building in his chest.
"What is your name?" the Fishman asked, preparing to write down the information.
"Jericho," he said, smiling slightly.
"How old are you?" the Fishman asked.
"Sixteen," Jericho replied without wasting time.
The Fishman paused briefly, scribbling Jericho's answers onto the sheet with sharp, practiced strokes. Then he looked up again, his expression unreadable.
"What magical ability do you possess?" the Fishman asked.
Jericho's smile faltered for just a second. His mind raced, not because he had nothing to say, but because he didn't exactly know what his ability was. He wasn't even sure if he had an ability. All he knows is that there's a system inside him. And he couldn't exactly say his ability is a system, so he had to come up with something to say.
"Ability? I haven't really thought about it. All I know is I have a system, but if I say that out loud, they'll think I'm insane. I need to give him something simple and believable."
He met the Fishman's gaze and answered calmly, "I have an Inventory ability. It allows me to store weapons and items in a safe space for later use."
The Fishman gave a slight grunt of acknowledgment and jotted it down without further question. Then he reached under the table, retrieved a small brass badge, and handed it to Jericho.
"You're the one hundred and fiftieth candidate," the Fishman said flatly.
The badge handed to Jericho had his candidate number boldly written on it. Jericho stared at the badge, running his thumb over the cool metal, a subtle grin tugging at his lips.
With his registration complete, Jericho stepped through the entrance and into the heart of the arena. As he entered the arena, his breath was caught in his throat.
The space was enormous, far larger than he'd imagined. Candidates filled the arena floor, grouped in clusters and spread across the wide grounds.
Jericho spotted candidates from all five races, all preparing for the Demon Slayer Academy entrance exam. He turned slowly in place, calmly inhaling and taking it all in.
As Jericho stood still, marveling at the grandeur of the arena, a sudden jolt knocked him slightly off balance. Someone had bumped into him, causing him to lose his balance for a moment.
"Hey, watch where you're going, human." The voice of the person that bumped into Jericho said to him. The voice was sharp and layered with contempt.
Jericho turned and found himself staring at a Fishman candidate. The creature stood a little taller than Jericho, with light blue-colored skin and a sleek, gilled neck that allowed him to breathe in water and on land.
The Fishman had the features of a sawfish, with a long saw-like nose filled with sharp ridges resembling a sawfish's snout. His mouth was filled with rows of jagged, shark-like teeth, and his eyes glared down at Jericho with clear irritation.
"You were the one that bumped into me," Jericho said with a firm voice.
The Fishman had already started to walk away, clearly expecting the human to stay silent. But the sound of Jericho's voice made him stop mid-step. He turned slowly, his fin-like ears twitching.
"What did you say?" the Fishman asked, his voice low and venomous.
The disdain in his expression made it clear that he didn't like humans. He looked at Jericho like he was beneath him.
Despite his angered expression, Jericho still held his ground, pausing for only a moment before replying. "I said you were the one that bumped into me."
Jericho's reply fueled the Fishman's anger, and without warning, the Fishman stepped forward and shoved him hard. Jericho stumbled back, nearly losing his footing as he staggered back.
"Who do you think you are?" the Fishman snarled, his voice thick with hatred and pride. "Know your place, you filthy human."
He raised a clenched fist, ready to drive a punch into Jericho's chest. But before the blow could land, his hand was stopped mid-swing. The Fishman's eyes flared as he turned to see that the grip that held his wrist in place was a human's.
Behind the Fishman was a calm, composed young man, holding his arm with surprising strength. The Fishman's anger twisted into something uglier. Just the idea of being interrupted by a human was enough to make his skin boil.
The Fishman dropped his raised hand and turned to face the human who had stopped him. And standing in front of him was a young man with a very muscular figure, clearly built for combat. His bright red hair was wild and unkempt, catching the sunlight like fire.
The moment he halted the Fishman's strike, a slow grin spread across his face, like a hero saving a civilian from a villain.
"Why don't you pick on someone your own size?" the red-haired human said, still grinning, his tone calm but laced with challenge.
The Fishman's lip curled in disgust. "How dare you touch me with those filthy hands of yours?" he snarled, his gill-lined neck pulsing with rage.
Just as the Fishman was about to lunge at the red-haired boy, a booming voice echoed through the arena, cutting through the tension like a blade.
The voice came from an announcer who was standing on an elevated platform at the far end of the colosseum. He was dressed in ceremonial mage robes, and in front of his mouth hovered a glowing magic cube that rotated slowly in the air.
The cube pulsed with magic energy as it amplified the announcer's voice, projecting it across the entire arena.
"Attention all registered candidates!" the voice thundered, reverberating through the massive stone walls. "The entrance exam is about to begin. Prepare yourselves and wait for further instructions!"
Upon hearing the announcer's voice, the Fishman froze mid-motion. Then, without saying a word, he dropped his arm and turned sharply away from Jericho and the red-haired boy.
As he walked away, the Fishman shot a death glare at Jericho and the red-haired boy. His slitted eyes locked onto Jericho, then the red-haired boy, burning with quiet rage.
As soon as the Fishman walked away, Jericho turned to the red-haired boy beside him.
"Thanks for stepping in to help me," Jericho said sincerely.
The boy shrugged with an easy grin. "No problem. I just couldn't stand there and watch someone get pushed around." He extended a hand. "I'm Cody, by the way."
Jericho shook his hand and introduced himself to the red-haired boy. "I'm Jericho," he said with a simple smile.
He glanced in the direction the Fishman had gone, his expression hardening slightly. "What was his deal? He bumped into me and still tried to pick a fight."
Cody crossed his arms and exhaled through his nose. "Don't sweat it. That's just how a lot of Fishmen are." His voice dipped just slightly, laced with experience. "They think they're superior to humans because they're stronger than the average human."
Jericho's eyes widened at this new discovery. He didn't know anything about the other races, he had only heard stories of how they helped the humans fight against the demons.
"Fishmen are stronger than humans?" he asked, surprised.
Cody nodded. "A Fishman is about ten times stronger and faster than the average human," he said with a quick shrug. "But that doesn't matter much if the human has a powerful magical ability."
Jericho opened his mouth to ask more, but before he could speak, the announcer's voice boomed through the arena once again.
"Attention, all candidates! The Demon Slayer Academy entrance exam is about to begin."
Instantly, the noise in the arena faded into silence. All eyes turned toward the elevated platform as the atmosphere grew heavy with anticipation.