"Now, it's time for the students selected as the Elite,"
Shinju began, his voice low but commanding as it reverberated through the vast arena. The echo carried with it a tension that settled heavily over the thousands of students present.
They stood in neat rows, their hearts pounding in anticipation, their bodies taut with barely restrained energy.
Every single one of them had trained relentlessly, pushed to their limits through trials of endurance, skill, and intelligence.
The air in the arena felt thick, as though the very atmosphere was aware of the weight of this moment.
Seichii stood among them, his hands clenched at his sides, a bead of sweat trailing down his temple.
This was the culmination of months of grueling effort, months of blood, sweat, and sleepless nights.
He glanced at the others—his comrades, his rivals—all waiting for the same verdict.
They were all hungry for the same thing: to be chosen, to be acknowledged as the Elite.
But this was more than recognition.
Being named an Elite meant something far greater.
The Elite were the only ones who could undergo the sacred Rite of the Weapon.
They would have a chance to witness one of the godly weapons, Atsura —mythical relics said to be imbued with powers that could bend reality, control time, or command the elements.
The opportunity just to witness one of the Atsuras was something every aspiring mage dreamed of, yet so few ever achieved.
Shinju's gaze swept across the room.
The arena was grand, encased in stone with towering pillars that reached toward the sky.
Massive banners with the Association's crest fluttered in the breeze that slipped through the open arches.
His expression remained unreadable as he took a step forward, raising his hand slightly, drawing every eye to him.
"But, before I announce the names of the selected students…"
Shinju paused, a flicker of hesitation crossing his face—a brief, almost imperceptible moment that made the crowd tense even further.
Seichii's breath hitched in his throat. Something was wrong.
"The higher members of the board have convened,"
Shinju continued
"And after careful deliberation regarding the Inner Division Competition, we have come to a final decision…"
Seichii's heart pounded harder.
"Only one student will be selected as the Elite,"
Shinju's voice boomed through the arena.
"WHAT?!"
The exclamation echoed across the massive space, followed by stunned murmurs and cries of disbelief.
The shock was palpable, rippling through the crowd like a physical force.
Students began whispering frantically to one another, some in disbelief, others angry.
Seichii felt the weight of it settle deep into his bones. One student? Just one?
All the dangers they had faced, all the sacrifices they had made during the past three months, every excruciating moment in the Inter-Division Competition.
It had all been for this, a chance to stand among the Elite and claim their right to wield a godly weapon.
And now, in a single sentence, that hope had been shattered for almost everyone.
Seichii's mind raced, his thoughts a blur. One? Just one?
He stole a glance at Ryoko, Ryuu and Rajin—each of them staring at Shinju, their faces a mixture of disbelief and determination.
How could this be? Ryoko was one of the strongest students he had ever met, her control over magic unparalleled.
Rajin, with his fierce combat skills, had been a shoe-in for the Elite.
Any of them could have become an elite.
Shinju's voice cut through his thoughts like a blade.
"And the student who has proven himself before the entire nation, the one who escaped an Intermediate-level Array and cast a High-level magic spell… Sengoku Seichii!"
Seichii's world tilted.
His heart stopped for a moment, and then everything rushed back, too fast to comprehend.
His name had been called. Him? Out of all the students? His mind struggled to catch up with reality.
He blinked, staring at Shinju as though waiting for the man to take it back, to correct himself.
But the words hung in the air, final and irreversible.
"W-what... the hell..."
Seichii whispered, his legs feeling weak beneath him.
He wasn't ready for this.
He wasn't supposed to be the one. His gaze flickered to Ryuu, Rajin, and Ryoko again. Each of them deserved this more than he did.
Why him? What had he done that was so exceptional? His mouth opened, but words failed him as he tried to speak.
"Ryuu... this isn't right... it's not fai—"
Seichii turned to his best friend, hoping for some kind of protest, some validation that this was wrong.
But what he saw left him speechless. Ryuu... was smiling. Not just him, but Ryoko and Masumi too. They all were. Seichii blinked, disbelief flooding his senses.
"What...?"
Seichii's voice quivered as he took a step back, fear curling in the pit of his stomach.
"Why are you smiling? What's happening to you all?" He looked around, panic rising within him.
"Seichii-kun,"
Masumi's voice broke through the confusion as she gently took hold of his hands.
Her eyes sparkled with admiration.
"You really deserve this. No one else could have cast a High level spell at the competition, not even Rajin!
There's no one more capable than you to become the Elite."
"Masumi-san... not you too!"
Seichii gasped, pulling his hands away, trembling.
He looked at her—her soft smile, her genuine eyes.
But something was wrong. Something was deeply wrong. She felt different, as if she wasn't truly there.
None of them were acting like themselves.
(No. This isn't real. This can't be real.)
"Seichii-kun,"
Masumi said softly, stepping toward him again, worry clouding her expression.
"Where are you going? Everyone is waiting for you to be on the stage. This is your moment."
"No! Stay away from me!"
Seichii screamed, backing away further, his heart hammering in his chest.
"You're not Masumi-san! She... she wouldn't act like this. None of you would."
He backed into a pillar, his body trembling as he glanced at his friends, at Masumi. His breath came in short, rapid bursts.
Masumi's eyes widened, filling with tears. She dropped to her knees, her voice trembling.
"Seichii-kun... do you hate me that much? That you don't even want to be near me?"
Seichii froze, his chest tightening. She looked so real, so vulnerable.
But how could he trust this? Every instinct told him something was off, that this world wasn't right.
His friends had never behaved like this before. It was too strange, too perfect.
CRACK!
A loud sound broke through the tension like a whip, and the world around Seichii began to fracture.
It started with a small fissure in the sky, and then the cracks spread rapidly, breaking reality itself like glass.
The arena, the students, the very air around him splintered into shards.
"What... What is this!?"
Seichii's voice trembled as the world fell apart around him. Soon, everything was gone, and he was left floating in an infinite white void.
"Where am I?!"
Seichii shouted, his voice echoing in the vast emptiness.
"Where are my friends?!"
His heart raced as panic set in. He was alone in this blank, formless space.
"I'm right here,"
a familiar voice echoed behind him.
Seichii whirled around, his heart stopping for a moment.
There, standing in the endless white void, was a shadowy figure, tall and cloaked in darkness, a malevolent grin stretching across its face.
"T-this voice... You're the one from my dream!"
Seichii gasped, his mind reeling.
"The one who said we don't belong here! Who... who are you? What do you want from me?!"
The figure's grin deepened, its eyes gleaming with an otherworldly light.
"There's no need to struggle. This is my domain now.
You can't move, can't escape. My magic expansion has created this space. There's no way out."
Seichii tried to take a step, but his body wouldn't obey. He was paralyzed, helpless.
"Wh-what kind of power is this...?"
He whispered, his voice barely audible, his mind struggling to comprehend what was happening.
His entire body felt like it was being weighed down by invisible chains.
The shadow chuckled darkly, stepping closer.
"You haven't seen anything yet. There's so much more in this world that you don't understand, so much that humans like you will never understand.
But in time, you'll know. You'll know everything."
Seichii's breath quickened as a strange, unnatural feeling crept over him.
He could feel something within him changing, twisting.
"What... what are you doing to me?!"
The figure's eyes gleamed with malice.
"This is beyond your control now. Soon, the truth will unfold, and there's nothing anyone can do to stop it. Not you. Not them."
Before Seichii could respond, the figure raised a hand, and suddenly, unbearable pain ripped through Seichii's body.
He screamed as dark energy cours
through his veins, black tendrils of magic wrapping around him, choking him, squeezing his body like a vice.
His vision blurred as waves of excruciating pain surged through him.
He could feel something inside him—something and malevolent—awakening, clawing its way to the surface.
"Arghhhh!!!"
Seichii screamed, his voice hoarse from the agony. His veins swelled and turned black as dark fumes began to rise from his skin.
The mysterious pattern on his chest glowed with an ominous energy, pulsing in sync with the pain.
His once bright, amber eyes turned completely black, void of any light or emotion.
He felt as if his very soul was being consumed.
"W-what's happening to me?! Stop it! Please!"
Seichii begged, but the shadow figure only watched with a twisted grin, reveling in his suffering.
"This is just the beginning, Seichii,"
The shadow whispered, its voice soft but laced with venom.
"What had been decided will happen! And no one can stop it, not you and not me!"
Seichii's mind raced, trying to make sense of the figure's words. What did it mean? How could this be happening?
The pain was unbearable, his body trembling, his consciousness slipping away.
But just as he thought he would succumb to the darkness completely, the figure mumbled something
In an instant, everything went black.
.
.
.
.
"Seichii-kun! SEICHII-KUN!!"
The desperate voice jolted Seichii awake. His eyes snapped open, and he found himself lying on the cold stone floor of the arena, the cheers and chatter of the crowd echoing around him.
Disoriented, he looked around, struggling to piece together what had just happened.
"Seichii-kun, are you alright?!"
Masumi's voice was filled with concern as she knelt beside him, gently shaking his arm.
Her wide, worried eyes searched his face for any sign of a response.
He blinked, his vision still a little fuzzy. Masumi's face came into focus, and for a moment, everything felt surreal. Was it all... a dream?
He could still feel the lingering burn of that dark power within him, the sensation of being consumed by something sinister.
But... it couldn't have been real. Could it?
"Masumi-san... What happened?"
Seichii asked, his voice shaky as he sat up, his body still trembling slightly.
"You suddenly collapsed during the announcement,"
Masumi explained, her brow furrowed with worry.
"You've been out for a few minutes. The president is about to announce the students selected as the Elite. Are you okay?"
Seichii stared at her, his mind still reeling.
He looked down at his hands, half-expecting to see the black marks from before, the shadowy tendrils of magic that had covered his body.
But there was nothing. No signs of the power that had surged through him.
He shook his head, trying to push away the lingering fear.
"I... I'm fine,"
Seichii muttered, though his voice lacked conviction.
Something wasn't right. That vision, the figure, the pain—it all felt too real to be a simple dream.
And yet, here he was, back in the arena, surrounded by his friends and classmates, as if nothing had happened.
As Seichii tried to shake off the strange feeling, Shinju's voice boomed across the arena once more, capturing everyone's attention.
The crowd hushed, their eyes focused on the stage where the president stood tall and authoritative.
"Before I announce the names of the Elite students,"
Shinju began, "there's something important that I must address."
Seichii's heart skipped a beat. He stared at Shinju, his chest tightening as a sense of déjà vu washed over him.
This was exactly like before—right before everything had gone wrong.
He glanced around, half-expecting the world to start cracking apart again, but everything remained intact.
"The higher members of the board had a meeting this morning,"
Shinju continued, his tone grave.
"We have received disturbing reports from the Delian Headquarters about a sudden increase in natural disasters—landslides, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions in Europe.
These occurrences are not random. We believe they are connected to a growing threat... the rise of demons across the globe."
Murmurs rippled through the crowd, students exchanging worried glances. Seichii's stomach twisted.
"The situation has become dire,"
Shinju said, his eyes sweeping over the student
"and the board has made a difficult decision. The Elite program, as you know it, is being... altered."
Everyone tensed, their eyes widening. Altered?
"Instead of forming a small team of Elites to undergo the Rite of the Weapon,"
Shinju announced,
"We are establishing a Defense Force."
"A... Defense Force?" Everyone muttered under their breath. This was unprecedented.
The Defense Force was usually composed of veteran warriors—soldiers trained for years to fight against demons and protect humanity.
Why would they send students into such a dangerous role?
Shinju raised a hand, silencing the murmurs.
"Yes, a Defense Force made up of students. We have no other choice. The demon attacks are increasing at an alarming rate, and the world needs new defenders.
This isn't just a test anymore. This is a war for survival."
Everyone's blood ran cold. A war? They were students, not soldiers.
How could they be expected to face such a threat?
"Those chosen for the Defense Force will be sent on a critical mission,"
Shinju continued, his expression serious.
"A mission to Europe, where the epicenter of the disasters seems to be located.
Your task will be to investigate the cause of these calamities and eliminate whatever demonic threat lies at the heart of it."
Everyone felt a chill crawl down his spine. Europe?
That was a dangerous territory, especially with the increase in demonic activity.
The thought of facing the unknown sent a wave of fear through them.
"The students chosen for this mission will also have the chance to witness the godly Atsura weapons,"
Shinju said, his tone growing somber.
"But know this: this is no longer about glory or prestige. This is about saving lives."
Everyone's heart raced as Shinju prepared to speak again, the tension in the room building to a crescendo.
"And now, the names of the students selected for this mission are..."....