The moment the teleportation circle activated, Izumi and the others were swallowed by light and flung into a strange, warped space.
For Megumi, Asia, and Eriri—who were experiencing teleportation for the very first time—the aftermath hit instantly.
Their faces turned pale, knees trembling, like motion-sick kittens tossed into a washing machine.
Izumi, however, was completely unfazed.
His magical reserves were vast; the spatial distortion barely registered as an inconvenience.
He frowned as he scanned their surroundings.
They were standing in a forest—but not one that belonged to Earth.
The trees were twisted into unnatural shapes, their bark pitch-black, as if charred by some ancient disaster.
Above them, the sky was dim, veiled by a shimmering layer of grey mist.
There was no trace of the familiar blue skies of Earth.
"…This isn't Earth anymore," Izumi murmured.
"Or is this an entirely different world?"
Hearing him, Koneko lifted her head and followed his gaze upward.
"This is most likely a world wedged within the Gaps Between Worlds," she explained calmly.
"When our world borders an Otherworld, fragments like these—miniature realms—form naturally."
She kicked a piece of ash-covered soil.
"There are no living humans here. Only magical beasts… or corpses of humans from other worlds who were turned into undead."
Growing up in the Demon Realm, especially under a Demon King's household, Koneko was well-versed in these interdimensional pockets.
Izumi nodded slightly.
"A decayed micro-world, huh? Figures," he sighed.
"Our world is basically a cosmic landfill at this point. These ruined worlds just keep merging into ours."
"And for what purpose…?"
He couldn't help but complain.
These collapsed worlds had nothing worthwhile left.
At most, they served as training grounds for students or hunting zones for adventurers.
Anything actually valuable had been plundered ages ago by major factions.
Koneko nodded.
That was simply how things were.
Izumi turned his attention to Megumi, Eriri, and Asia.
After a few minutes of rest, they finally recovered their balance.
Izumi reached into his system storage and pulled out a few bottles of water, handing them over.
"Here. Take a drink," he said.
"Recover quickly—we need to start exploring this world."
The three girls nodded and gratefully took the bottles.
Koneko blinked in surprise as she watched Izumi pull out the items.
"…Spatial equipment?"
No—she knew Izumi didn't carry anything like that.
Still, she didn't ask.
Izumi being mysterious was practically expected at this point.
After hydrating and regaining their composure, the group of five began moving deeper into the ruined world, searching for magical beasts to engage.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Meanwhile, in the human world—Kuoh Academy.
Classes were suspended.
Instead, the entire school was broadcasting the first-year students' trial.
Screens shifted between groups, showing each team's situation as upperclassmen watched with varying expressions.
A second-year girl chuckled as she leaned back in her seat.
"Man… I hope the freshmen last longer than we did," she laughed.
"When we had our first trial, we nearly died fighting a single magical beast."
Another upperclassman crossed her arms.
"Seriously. These beasts may be only F- or E-class, but they're still stronger than humans."
"I really hope the newbies don't break down."
A chorus of sinister grins spread across the room.
To watch a new batch of underclassmen suffer?
This was tradition.
They had gone through the same humiliation; now it was their turn to enjoy the show.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Back inside the collapsed world.
Unaware of the spectators, Izumi's group encountered their first magical beast.
A massive wolf-type monster—an F+ ranked Dire Shadow Wolf.
Izumi immediately leaped up into the branches of a tall twisted tree.
"I'll observe from here," he said casually.
"This is your fight."
Megumi, Eriri, and Asia showed no fear.
After everything they had been through, a single giant wolf was… manageable.
Especially with Izumi and Koneko nearby.
Koneko took the lead.
"Megumi—flank and strike when you see an opening. Prioritize your safety."
"Eriri—summon your tentacle familiars to restrain it."
"Asia—focus on healing and support spells."
"I'll go in first!"
With a burst of speed, Koneko launched herself forward.
The giant wolf reacted instantly.
"GRAAAAAH!!"
It lunged at her with gaping jaws and razor fangs.
Eriri raised her staff.
"Summon—Bind Tentacles!"
A glowing magic circle formed beneath her feet, and a grotesque tentacled familiar erupted from it, coiling itself around the wolf's limbs and dragging it mid-air.
Seizing the opportunity, Koneko slid beneath the wolf's suspended body and delivered an explosive uppercut straight to its stomach.
BOOM.
"GRRRROOOOO!!"
The wolf was sent flying.
Asia extended her hand.
"Sacred Spell—Mana Burst!"
A condensed orb of holy magic shot forward, slamming into the beast and detonating.
BAAAM.
With its posture broken, the wolf crashed into the ground.
Megumi slipped into its blind spot, her presence erased like a shadow.
Her dagger gleamed.
shhk—
The blade sank smoothly into the wolf's throat, as easily as cutting through tofu.
Megumi withdrew instantly, rolling back to a safe distance.
The wolf staggered, blood geysering from its neck.
Even so, its tenacious vitality flared as it entered a berserk state.
Koneko, Eriri, and Megumi scattered, launching ranged spell attacks to whittle it down.
Finally—
BOOM.
The wolf collapsed, its life extinguished.
Izumi dropped down from the tree, nodding with satisfaction.
"Not bad at all," he smiled.
"Great coordination."
Eriri's restraint, Megumi's stealth strike, Asia's support spell, and Koneko's frontline pressure—
It was a flawless team kill.
"Let's keep moving," Izumi said.
"And bring the corpse. Monster meat sells for a fortune."
He grinned slyly.
"Not that I'll sell it—monster meat is super nutritious. And since I have storage space, no reason to waste it."
The group nodded.
And so, with their teamwork finely tuned and their rhythm utterly practiced, the five ventured deeper into the shadowed world.