Nobu approaches the chocolate seller, his eyes scanning over the array of tempting treats on display. As he picks up the chocolate bar, he can't help but inhale its rich aroma.
"How much will this cost, please?" he asks politely, holding out some money.
"That will be 250 Chronopennies," replies the seller, with a smile. "This chocolate is one of a kind, made with only the finest ingredients."
Nobu hands over the money and takes the chocolate bar, his taste buds already salivating in anticipation. He takes a bite and savors the explosion of flavor in his mouth.
"Wow, this is amazing!" he exclaims, his eyes widening in delight. "Thank you!"
As he turns to leave, he notices the seller counting the money again, looking visibly angry, "Those aren't even a 100 kid!" the man shouts aggressively, only to be surprised by the absence of Nobu, "Where the hell... Did he teleport or something?"
Nobu, meanwhile, walks down the bustling street with a grin on his face, savoring the rich taste of the chocolate. But as he nears the location of the exam, he can hear a commotion in the distance. Curiosity getting the better of him, he hurries towards the source of the noise, only to be met with a huge crowd gathered around a strange plant creature.
"What's up?" Nobu asks, approaching the group of people gathered in a panic.
The man points to something in the distance, urging Nobu to take notice. "Over there! There's a monster and it's got a little girl!"
Nobu's eyes widen in shock as he tries to make sense of the situation. In a matter of seconds, a huge plant-like creature emerges from the shadows, its many tentacles wrapping tightly around the young girl. Nobu hesitates for a moment but quickly springs into action, stuffing the chocolate in his pocket.
"Guys, step back for a sec, will ya?" Nobu says calmly, his body tensing as he squats, ready to jump.
"What are you...", The man started to ask a question, but Nobu has already launched himself high into the air with incredible speed. He soars over the heads of the onlookers and lands directly on the monster's back, standing firmly on its writhing tentacles. The little girl looks up at him in surprise and disbelief, "How the hell did you get up here?" she questions. But Nobu stays undaunted.
"Alrighty, let's get you out of here," says Nobu, his muscles bulging as he effortlessly pulls the girl free from the monster's tentacles, "Good thing you're a pipsqueak," he teases, hoisting her up onto his shoulders.
"Excuse me? Show some respect, I'm 17 you know," the girl retorts, hitting him on the head.
As they make their way to safety, the monster grows even angrier and begins lashing out with its tentacles in a desperate attempt to recapture its prey. Nobu keeps running, dodging and weaving through the crowd, with the girl still perched atop his broad shoulders.
"Can you finish off that thing?" Nobu asks, turning to the girl who appears to be watching the chaos unfold with great interest. "Your presence is way stronger than his after all."
"Presence? What do you mean by presence?" she responds, a sly grin spreading across her face. "Do you mean magical energy? Anyways, keep running from this thing, I can kill it no prob."
With fierce determination, the girl raises her hand and points it straight at the monster. "Demolishing shadow!" she cries out, unleashing a powerful blast of dark purple energy tinged with green bursts. The blast pierces through the monster, causing it to convulse and thrash about, before finally collapsing in a heap.
The crowd erupts into cheers and applause, their excitement palpable as they surge toward Nobu and the girl.
"Good job, youngsters!" exclaims an old lady as she watches the two teenagers walk by. "You must be one of those newbies taking the exam today, right?" she adds with a smile.
The girl blushes a little at the attention, but Nobu remains unfazed. He lifts her up by the neck and asks, "Are you joining the exam as well? You look a little tiny, for a 17-year-old that is."
Her face twists in anger. "And you look way too dumb for a 17-year-old," she shoots back.
Nobu chuckles at her response, "I know I'm not the brightest, but let's head to the exam together, okay?"
"It can't be helped", She agrees with a shrug, "I'm not used to this grim ruins place, so I'll tag along."
As they walk, the girl introduces herself. "By the way, I'm Sayuri! What's your name?"
"It's Nobu," he replies, taking a moment to savor a piece of chocolate.
"Nice to meet you, Nono," Sayuri says, trying out a nickname.
"No, it's Nobu! N-O-B-U!" he corrects her.
Sayuri smiles mischievously. "I know, I know. But I'll be calling you Nono, something like a nickname, okay? Why don't you give me a nickname as well?" She suggests, rubbing his head where she playfully hits him.
"Okay, how about pipsqueak? It suits you," He teases.
"You're mean", Chuckles Sayuri, "But I guess I'm okay with it as long as it stays between us. So, we're friends now, right?"
"Suit yourself", Answers Nobu, wondering why he's still giving her a piggyback. And as he continues walking, Nobu asks, "Tell me, pipsqueak, where are you from?"
"I'm from the Dust Village, Paradise," Sayuri replies.
Nobu's face grows tense, and he stops walking for a moment. Sayuri looks at him, concerned. "Nono, are you alright?" She asks.
After taking a deep breath, Nobu replies, "Don't worry. It's nothing. Let's go now!", and they continue on their way to the exam.
Nobu and Sayuri are the first to arrive at the location and they wait for the rest of the newbies. As for Reina and Satomi, they suddenly hear a loud explosion and see smoke rising in the distance. The shock of the blast causes the boy to spit out his coffee, and they both gaze at the smoke in disbelief, "Why does it smell like Nobu out there?" Asks Reina.
"I hope it's not him again," replies Satomi, quickly standing up, "Let's go see for ourselves."
"Sure thing, sweetie," Agrees Reina.
As they made their way toward the source of the explosion, they were relieved to find that it wasn't caused by Nobu this time. Instead, they stumble upon two boys, one of them is shaking the other violently.
"Two Nobus at once? That's too much to handle," Reina remarks, clearly startled.
"I said give me back my money, you damn rogue!" the angry boy shouts at his friend.
"Ash, please stop. I think I'm gonna throw up," the other boy pleads.
Reina quickly steps in to prevent any further altercation. "You don't want to dirty those nice clothes of yours if he vomits, do you?" he says, placing his hands on Ash's shoulders.
"Huh? Who the heck are you?" Ash asks, looking impressed by Reina's strength after sensing his high magical energy, "You're pretty strong, dude. That's cool."
With Reina's help, the other boy manages to stand up, and the group continues on their way to the entrance exam. As they walk, they chat amiably, putting the earlier commotion behind them.
"My name is Katsu, and this here is my friend Ash. We're delighted to make your acquaintance," Katsu greets Reina and Satomi with a friendly smile.
"I'm Reina, and this is Satomi," Reina introduces themselves. "She's not my girlfriend," he adds with a chuckle, while Satomi rolls her eyes.
"So, what's going on here? Why did Ash attack you?" Asks Satomi, still confused about the situation.
"He's trying to steal my money," Ash interjects, his eyes fixed on Katsu. "Of course, I had to fight back."
"He's exaggerating," Katsu explains, shaking his head. "I just asked him to repay me for his train ticket, and he got upset when I give him back his change instead of giving him the whole money, that's all."
"Well, it seems like Ash has a thing for money," Reina jokes, trying to lighten the mood. "Where are you guys from?"
"We're from Seashell Island," Katsu replies before his eyes land on Satomi's sword. "Is that your sacred weapon, Satomi?"
She unsheathes her sword and holds it up for the boys to see. The entire blade is a beautiful mix of orange and dark red hues, while the handle is black with a closed rose nestled in the rain guard's center.
"It's called Vermilion, imperfect control," Satomi explains, her voice tinged with pride. "My element is fire."
Ash gazes at the sword for a few moments before turning his attention to Reina, pointing at him with interest. "You're pretty strong," he comments. "I bet you have pure power!"
Reina's eyes lighten up with amusement. "Interesting!" he exclaims and begins generating a bit of magic on his palm. "I do have pure power, that's correct. And my element is unique as well." The magic he conjures isn't taking the form of any element; it simply grows more and more condensed and powerful, taking on shades of blue, purple, and pink.
"I'm an arcane magic user," Reina reveals, closing his hand and allowing the magic to dissipate. "Pleased to meet you!"
Katsu was taken aback. "Arcane magic?" he repeats. "I've never heard of it, but it feels incredibly powerful if I'm being honest. As for me, I'm just a mere wind magic user. And Ash here..."
Ash grins, looking as innocent as an angel. "Oh, I'm a demon!" he declares, interrupting Katsu. "A demon, not a demon host."
Satomi raises an eyebrow. "Why are you saying it so casually?" she asks.
"I could sense that your magical energy was a bit different, yeah." Explains Reina
"Yeah, thought so", Adds Ash, "So I figured I might as well come clean. And it's not like I'm ashamed of who I am, you know?"
Reina nods in understanding. "It's really rare to find devils and devil hosts," he remarks. "I still haven't met any others that are quite like Ash."
"Of course, it would be hard," Satomi adds. "After all, demons are supposed to be in another realm!"
"Do you know someone else who's going to be taking the exam?" Inquires Katsu, looking curious.
Satomi thinks for a moment. "Well, one of our friends is joining as well," she says finally. "I think he's already there, so you'll meet him soon!"
Ash's eyes begin to gleam with excitement as he leans in closer to Satomi and Reina. "What's his magic? Does he have a weapon? A unique skill? Is he strong?" he asks eagerly.
"Well, the thing is, he doesn't have magic," Satomi says with a sigh. "However, somehow, he's developed a unique skill. Nobu is just... I don't know what to say."
"Doesn't have magical energy?" Asks Katsu, looking surprised, "But all of us are supposed to have magical energy! Is this some kind of flaw?"
"I'm not a flaw, that's kind of painful to hear, dude," Says Nobu, appearing suddenly behind the boy. Katsu takes a few steps back, surprised by Nobu's sudden appearance. As for Reina, he smiles at his friend and raises his hand in greeting. "Yo, Nobu! Who's that kid on your shoulders?" he asks.
"Oh, this thing?" Adds Nobu, poking Sayuri's cheeks while she's perched on his shoulders. "She said her name's Sayuri!"
"Hello, pleased to meet you all!" Sayuri says with a warm smile.
Katsu keeps staring at Nobu, his mind racing, unable to comprehend Nobu's sudden appearance, "That boy, he doesn't have magical energy! That's why I didn't sense him just now. But they said he has a unique skill... How?" he wonders to himself.
"I felt his presence, that's why I came here," Nobu says, pointing at Ash. "He's a demon!"
"Presence?" Ash asks with a chuckle, "What's presence? Isn't it more like magical energy?"
"Pipsqueak said the same thing earlier. No, I do mean presence! Is it true that none of you can feel it?" Asks a confused Nobu.
"Wait for a second, guys!" Freaks out Katsu, his hand lightly hitting Nobu's chest, "How the hell are you taking it easy? First of all, he doesn't have magical energy at all, and second, he can feel this presence thing that made him know Ash was a demon! Am I the only one freaking out for nothing, or is it going to get more serious?"
Everyone looks at Katsu for a while, then Nobu turns to Ash and asks, "Can you show me a little of your demonic power, please?"
"Oh, I see. You're just avoiding me for now, okay." Thinks Katsu to himself
"I hate to say it, but I can't," Ash replies with a sigh. "Our master told me to use my powers only when I'm fighting, so I don't have permission."
Nobu takes a chocolate bar out of his pocket and unwraps it. "Ahh, too bad," he says before taking a bite and resuming his meal.
"However", Interjects Ash, "Your friends told me that you've got a unique skill! Pretty please?" As he eagerly awaits to witness Nobu's unique skill, he sees Nobu put Sayuri down and then Ash closes his eyes. Reina and Satomi look on with excitement, clearly anticipating the reaction of the others. The two of them gasp in amazement, even though they are used to seeing Nobu's technique in action. While Sayuri slowly raises her hand and points at Nobu.
"What, in the world, did you just do?" asks Sayuri while trying to play it cool, clearly amazed by the moment.
"Did something happen?" asks Ash while starting to open his eyes slowly. "Can you please do it again? It was a bit fast, so I didn't see..." To his surprise, Ash looks around to find himself standing in a different location, completely disoriented, and sees Nobu standing where he was just a second ago.
Nobu grins, reveling in the attention. "It's called switch," he says. "I can switch my body with anything else as long as I feel its presence. Pretty cool, right?"
Ash's still processing what had happened. He had felt no physical sensation of being moved, and yet here he is, standing in a completely different spot. The realization hits him like a ton of bricks - Nobu had switched places with him!
"That was incredible," Ash exclaims, his eyes widening with wonder. As for Katsu, he can't believe his eyes as he watched Nobu effortlessly switch places with Ash. The boy keeps muttering to himself in amazement, his mind racing with the possibilities of what Nobu's unique skill could mean.
"An arcane mage and a guy with a crazy technique? Is it because we're getting closer to the night's fury?" he wonders, hand under his chin. "Whatever it is, we don't have time for this right now. Let's keep going so we won't be late for our exam."
Sayuri nods in agreement, eager to get to the exam and show off her own abilities. As they walk, Satomi strikes up a conversation with her. "You're Sayuri, right?" She asks. "You're not from the ruins like us. Where did you come from?"
"Paradise!" Sayuri exclaims without a second thought.
"The dust village, you said?" Gasps Ash. "I heard that only two people survived that incident!"
Satomi and Reina exchange a worried look, knowing all too well the story behind the dust village. They can't help but worry for Nobu, the second survivor from the dust village. But they push their concerns aside for now and keep walking, determined to focus on the task at hand. The exam awaits, and they can't afford to be late.
As Nobu, Sayuri, and the others head toward the battlefield, they are surprised to see Kaeya waiting for them. "Hey look, it's Mr. Kaeya," Reina points out.
"Hello there!" Greets Kaeya with a smile "It appears that you've made some friends along the way, that's good. I'm glad I found you easily. You need to know the necessary information about this exam."
"Isn't it like the past years?", Speaks up Katsu.
"Actually, young boy, this year is different", Says Kaeya, shaking his head, "Since the night's fury will be taking place real soon, the queen herself asked to make the exam harder."
And then, the man's voice echoes through the clearing as he explains the rules of the exam, "The battlefield, a vast forest with a shimmering lake as well. Each participant will take a specific number, which acts as a detector. If the owner of the number passes out, they would be eliminated. If someone manages to steal your number, you would be disqualified, but could still fight to regain it and complete the exam. The participants could team up or fight alone, using their skills to gain an advantage. The goal is to reach the heart of the forest before dawn, a daunting task with the dangers lurking within. Only the first 9 to make it to the end would be accepted."
"This really is challenging after all!" Grins Nobu as the others are still gasping in awe, shocked by the rules of the exam.
As the participants disperse to their starting locations, a cacophony of powers erupts throughout the forest. Shadow bolts streak through the trees, flames spread and crackle, demon powers crackle with dark energy, and frost coats the ground. The battlefield is unlike any they had ever seen before, and the participants know that they are in for a challenging and thrilling night.
Suddenly, a deafening roar echoes across the battlefield as a colossal spike of ice bursts forth from the ground. The massive structure shoots skyward, freezing the entire lake and leaving the participants shivering in terror at the sheer power of the magic.
"Damn," grunts Nobu, struggling to fend off an opponent amidst the chaos while gazing at the frost. "Who the hell created that frozen mountain?"
As the dust settles, the speakers crackle to life, announcing in a thunderous voice, "The first challenger has made it to the center of the battlefield! Only 8 spots remain for those who are brave enough to claim them!" The words echo through the forest, sending a shiver down the spines of the remaining participants who knew that they had to fight harder and faster than ever before if they wanted to succeed.
The announcement sends shockwaves through the remaining competitors, fueling their determination to emerge victorious. The fierce battle intensifies as each fighter unleashes their full arsenal of spells and abilities, vying for one of the coveted spots in the tournament.
"Oh... My... God", Adds Nobu, after getting stuck on a tree by someone's magical spell, "I'm really struggling here!"