The stadium was in chaos.
The crowd roared louder than thunder, frustration shaking the whole arena. The giant monitors still showed the same message—
SIGNAL LOST
Man 1 (shouting): "HEY! IF YOU'RE NOT GONNA SHOW US ANYTHING, GIVE OUR MONEY BACK!"
Woman 1: "WHAT A WASTE OF TIME! WHEN WILL THE SIGNAL COME BACK?!"
Woman 2: "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!"
Announcer (voice cracking through the speaker): "Please, everyone, calm down! The connection will return shortly—our team is working on it!"
Amid the noise, Aiko sat in her seat, trembling, sweat running down her forehead.
Aiko (thinking): What is happening? Kaito… are you safe? What is Tetsuo doing?
Scene Shift — Tetsuo
Tetsuo took a deep breath and forced himself to calm.
Tetsuo: "Hachi, issue a red alert everywhere. Gather guards around Sector 0's Vanguard Station and the Trial Forest. And don't inform the public — they'll only panic."
Hachi: "Yes, sir."
Tetsuo: "Send the Sector Commanders. Tell them to analyze this barrier and find a weakness. And Takeshi—go back to the stadium."
Takeshi: "Roger that!"
Takeshi took off into the sky instantly.
Tetsuo turned to Kaien.
Tetsuo: "Sir Kaien… do you know anything about this wall?"
Kaien: "It looks like an ancient technique… modified heavily. I'll need more time."
Tetsuo: "Then take it. (To the Supreme Ruler) Your Majesty, you should return to your palace."
Supreme Ruler: "Becoming old is truly unpleasant… Fine, I'm going."
With his royal guards, he flew off.
Scene Shift — Kaito
Kaito was still fighting for his life.
The golem towered over him, its punches shaking the chamber. Kaito was covered in blood. His breathing was ragged.
Kaito: "If this is my end… then let it be heroic. Come on then… I'll give you everything I've got, you monster."
The longer they fought, the faster he became. He started reading the golem's patterns — dodging every strike, blocking the unavoidable ones. But every punch rattled his bones, ripping pain through his whole body.
Kaito (panting): "You can't kill me that easily… You bastard."
He evolved with each second.
The golem attacked again.
This time—Kaito met its punch with his own.
His gauntlet shattered.
But the golem's entire arm exploded into dust.
It attacked again with the other hand—
Kaito didn't dodge.
He punched straight into the monster's fist.
CRACK—!!
The second arm burst too.
Kaito's second gauntlet broke in the process, metal shards falling to the ground.
Kaito stood there, shaking, but refusing to fall.
Scene Shift — Akira, Rin, Surume
Akira was barely alive, body mangled, still standing against the A-tier bird.
Akira (panting, almost collapsing): "I don't even have a Fluxcore stone… I can't use R1. How the hell am I supposed to beat an A-tier…?"
Rin pushed himself up from the ground.
Rin (coughing): "We just have to survive… until the Supreme King does something.
Let's believe in him."
Surume (via communicator): "Good news! Naoki woke up!"
Rin: "That's great! You two go help Kaito. We'll handle this."
Surume: "No, no—wait. Naoki will go with you. I'll help Kaito."
Rin: "What? Why?"
They kept dodging frantic attacks from the giant bird.
Even Kaito heard the conversation through the communicator while panting heavily.
Surume: "You use bow. Naoki uses shield. So, Naoki can protect you."
Rin: "And Akira will take advantage of those openings."
CLANG—CLANK—!!
They are talking while fighting.
Rin: "But you, Surume—you use shield AND sword. You can defend yourself alone. And Kaito's basically a tank, and Naoki too. If Naoki goes there, we won't deal enough damage to these beasts. Sending you makes more sense."
Surume (smirking): "Exactly. You read my mind."
Akira (smiling): "Good thinking…" (coughing blood)
Rin: "Don't talk, Akira! You'll spit out a lung! Alright—Surume's plan it is."
Scene Shift — Naoki and Surume
Surume: "Can you move?"
Naoki (holding his head): "Barely… yeah."
He slowly stood and took the healing potion Surume handed.
Surume: "Be careful from now. That was our last potion."
Naoki: "Got it."
He headed out to join Rin and Akira.
Surume sprinted toward Kaito.
Surume reached the door—
and froze.
Inside, Kaito stood barely conscious, his body covered in blood.
The golem's two arms were nothing but crushed rubble.
Surume sprinted toward the monster—
To finish it off.
Scene Shift — Mizari & Kuroto
Mizari skipped forward like she was going to a concert.
Mizari (laughing): "Why is this hallway so quiet? Where's my audience? Hey Kuroto, should I sing for you~?"
Kuroto (expressionless): "Shut up."
Mizari: "You hurt me. How can you say that to a cute girl like me?"
Kuroto: "…"
Mizari: "You are no fun!"
They reached a room.
Inside—
A full squad of soldiers stood lined up, waiting for them.
The door behind them slammed shut automatically.
Mizari: "You insects think you can trap us? Especially me? Hahahaha! Isn't that hilarious, Kuroto?"
Kuroto: "…"
Mizari (annoyed): "You are hopeless…"
Kuroto: "Just go sing somewhere far away. I don't want to hear your awful voice."
Mizari (internal screaming): He finally talks… and the first thing he does is roast me. BASTARD—!!
From the soldiers, two stepped forward:
A massive man with two colossal swords — Marshal No. 14
And a normal-height man holding a bow — Marshal No. 7
Marshal No. 7: "Hey. Can you do math?"
(Reiho Atsuki, age 32, Marshal No. 7)
Kuroto: "…"
Mizari (laughing): "Aww, adorable. You gonna give me a quiz?"
Reiho: "Yeah, tell me — what's 7 plus 7?"
Marshal 14 (crossed his arms): "Idiot…"
(Gorou Enmadani, age 45, Marshal No. 14)
Mizari (irritated): "Are you mocking me?"
Reiho: "Just answer."
Mizari: "14."
Reiho (grinning): "See? I'm Marshal No. 7—
and he's Marshal No. 14. Hehe… get it? What a coincidence, isn't it?"
Dead silence.
Reiho: "…ha…ha…ha…ha?"
Kuroto silently pulled out a bone from his back and charged at Gorou. Gorou blocked instantly with both swords. The soldiers charged into the battleground. Attacking Kuroto, but Kuroto started to kill the soldiers into pieces. He killed the soldiers instantly.
Gorou (shouting): WHO TOLD YOU TO STEP IN? STEP BACK!
All the soldiers stepped back.
Gorou: "R3!"
Kuroto: "R2."
Red aura burst around Gorou.
White aura flared around Kuroto.
Meanwhile, Reiho sank into deep depression facing Mizari.
Reiho (sad): "R3…"
Golden aura lit up around his bow. His bow turned gold.
Mizari (rolling her eyes): "I'll finish you quickly. Don't mind it — we're in a hurry. R2."
Silver aura activated around her.
She started singing.
A beautiful, haunting melody.
Then—
Mizari: "And ♬… kill… ♬… your… SELF ♬…"
Nothing happened. Reiho didn't move.
Mizari (confused): "Huh…?"
She sang again, louder—
Mizari: "KILL… ♬… YOUR… ♬… SELF ♬—"
No effect.
Mizari (angry, panicked): "KILL YOURSELF, IDIOT!!!"
Reiho vanished. Reappeared right in front of Mizari with the golden bow and "SHOOT"— But Mizari was still stunned.
KLANG—!!
A bone shot from the side, knocking Reiho's arrow off course.
Kuroto got distracted, and Gorou took advantage. Behind him, Gorou slashed with both swords toward Kuroto's back—
Kuroto threw up a bone shield last moment.
CRASH—!!
The impact shot him across the room into a wall. Blood dripped from his lip. Yet his face didn't change. He wiped the blood with his thumb. Then he smiled.
Kuroto: "So your swords… don't cut. They break. Isn't it?"
Scene Shift — Ayame
Ayame walked through a long corridor, her steps silent and steady.
Soldiers rushed in from every direction, trying desperately to stop her—
But each time one reached her, a single cut appeared on their body before they even understood what happened.
One slice.
One scream.
Ayame kept walking forward without even slowing down.
Ayame (thinking): So many soldiers… This must be the right path.
She continued until she reached a large armored door.
The sign above read:
"Vault"
Ayame took out the device Bachi had given to all of them, placed it onto the door—
and the entire metal gate dissolved like liquid.
Without hesitation, she stepped inside.
Pitch-black darkness swallowed the entire hallway.
Ayame stopped instantly. She felt something… a presence.
She looked up.
Then sideways.
Then—
The ground below her began distorting into a hole.
Ayame reacted the same second—
jumping away as a hand tried to grab her ankle.
The hole vanished.
Then above her, another hole ripped open in the air— and a cyan aura blast shot straight down at her.
BOOOOM—!!
Ayame crashed onto the floor. But still standing like nothing happened.
Ayame: "R3."
Her purple aura ignited, lighting the room with a faint glow. Shapes appeared in the darkness. Shadows moved.
And then—
A demonic, playful woman's voice echoed around her.
Voice (laughing softly): "Ohhh? Are you scared~?"
Ayame's face remained blank. Emotionless. Unchanged.
Ayame: "…"
To be continued…