The Trial of Fire has been designed to push both reaper students to their limits, whereby they will have to face their deepest fears within the Veil. Each of the trials occurs in a twisted and illusionary space where each of the students is to surpass not only physical dangers but also those of a psychic character.
Battle:
Kyo is haunted by the vision of himself totally consumed all over with the Death Shadows, an apparition of his future should he lose all control and destroy the Living and Spirit realms. Kyo struggles with his dark self; with every swing of the scythe comes the heavy sting of doubt.
Mei's trial puts her face-to-face with her shadow-the personification of the fear of failure. He accuses her of relying too much on discipline and control, telling her she doesn't have flexibility. This is a direct challenge as to whether her approach will work against chaos.
She is forced to look into the face of the one who betrayed her in the past, fighting her trust issues and the pain manifested into that very being.
Ren's trial is an oscillating tide of chaotic energy-prescribed much by his personality itself, an event capably guided by the wildest of excesses rather than a choking vulnerability.
Daiki has always been the least confident, and this is finally a sight that shows a twisted version of Ayame taunting him because he is weak and can't protect her. This forces him to tap into his potential, unlocking an even deeper level of his abilities.
Outcome:
Kyo overcomes his dark self, but in such a way that he tries to accept the fact that linkage with the Death Shadows isn't something he can run from; he'll have to either learn to control it or let it consume him.
During the battles, the flexibility in Mei allows her to accept the capricious nature of this activity. This is the beginning of her development from a very disciplined girl into a more adaptive one.
Sora becomes stronger and learns to rely on the people around her-especially Kyo-which is also struggling with inner demons.
Ren becomes centered and learns to channel his chaotic self into something more focused.
Of course, this only serves to strengthen Daiki in his confrontation with the vision of his sister, as now more than ever he is determined to protect those close to him, even though such fear of failing her still clings.
Headmaster Kuroshi explained the Trial of Fire to the students, his voice unusually serious. This was not an ordinary examination but a rite of passage, one designed to test every last fiber of each student's body, mind, and soul. They would go into the Veil alone when the time came, where all sense of reality would be distorted and their deepest fears would emerge.
Headmaster Kuroshi: "The Trial of Fire is not a simple test of skill, it is a confrontation with your deepest fears, your darkest regrets. Enter prepared to face yourselves, for this shall be the most difficult battle some of you ever face.
He cast a pointed glance in Kyo's direction, and the boy felt a shiver of anticipation and dread crawl up his spine. This was going to be different, he knew by the lingering glance of the headmaster.
He stepped into the Veil, and the world shifted. The sounds of the other students gone, the misty landscape of the Veil gone-replaced by him standing on the corner of a street. For one confused moment, he thought it was a memory, the details so vivid he could feel the heat of the asphalt underfoot.
He knew this street: the same one on which his life had ended.
He could still recall the flush of exhilaration, the savage rush of adrenaline that had coursed through his veins when he took up that dare to cross the busy street blindfolded. Then, he had thought he was invincible, that nothing could touch him. Then, screeching tires and the horror in his friends' voices had cut through that illusion in one fell swoop.
(Kyo swallowed hard as the memory replayed itself on a continuous loop: the sound of the car slamming into him, the weightlessness as he was tossed through the air. Then, the impact. The blinding pain. And then. nothing.)
Kyo: "This isn't real. I'm not that same kid anymore." SHUDDERING AND FISTS CLINCHED
But then he shivered as a dark form materialized across the street. It was himself-an older, twisted version of himself, his face pale, his eyes dark and hollow, black as the Death Shadows themselves. This version of him was wearing his same old reckless grin, but there was something dangerous about it now.
Dark Kyo: "Oh, but you are. You're still the same selfish, reckless idiot who couldn't care less about anyone else."
The words struck like a blow, echoing in Kyo's mind, and he remembered the pain his death had caused his family, the shock and grief that rippled through everyone who had known him. It was a dare, but he never thought about the people he would leave behind.
Kyo: "I have changed. I am no longer that man."
Dark Kyo: Cold laughing. "Oh really? Here you are putting everyone within a radius of yourself in danger still. You really think the scythe and new job title make you different?
(Kyo flung himself at his shadow self with a mighty swing of his scythe. But Dark Kyo blocked that easily; their scythes met in a nauseating crash, the vibrations racing up his arms.)
Dark Kyo: "Face it. You're a danger to everyone here. You don't belong at the academy. And when the time comes you'll fail them-just like you failed everyone in life."
(Cuts deep, makes him doubt himself. Strikes are a little slower, weaker almost as if with each swing he's bringing himself down. Dark Kyo is growing in power, striking mercifully.)
Kyo: (Breathing heavily, trying to lift his scythe.) "I. I won't let you win."
Dark Kyo: "You can't control your own self. let alone this power. Soon or later, this is going to consume you. And when it does, you'll destroy everything."
With one final desperate heave, Kyo roared, his scythe swishing through with all the remaining strength. It cut through the shadowy form, and the illusion exploded, but the doubt remained-on quiet reminder that the darkness within him was real and it was growing.
---
Mei's Trial
Mei stood in an open field, all around her warping and darkening as a shadowy figure materialized in front of her. Distorted, deformed, it was still unmistakably her, and its movements were much freer, wilder, without the disciplined pose Mei had spent years working into automatic habit.
Shadow Mei: "All that control, all that practice. and yet you're still afraid."
Mei: She stood upright, clenching her sword tightly. "Discipline is strength. Control keeps me focused."
Shadow Mei: "Focused? Or chained?"
(The figure sneered at her rigid stance, breaking into fluid, unpredictable movements that seemed to defy reason.) "You're so scared of making a mistake that you've forgotten how to adapt. In a real fight, discipline is just not going to cut it.
(She watched the shadowy figure, her grip on the racket tightening. Each word felt like an accusation, a challenge she wasn't sure she was ready for.)
Mei: "I've trained to be prepared for anything."
Shadow Mei: catches into a laugh. "Then prove it.
It sprang at her-wild, unpredictable in its attacks-forcing Mei to abandon her usual poised stance. She moved faster now, her strikes less considered; every swing was a reaction, not an attack.
As she fought, Mei found in the looseness a strange sense of freedom from her strict training. When she finally struck down the shadow, she stood there, breathing heavily as her grip on her sword loosened.
Mei: (Whispering to herself.) "Maybe. control isn't everything."
---
Trial of Sora
(The surroundings of Sora changed, and she found herself in a very familiar place from her past-a dark and quiet alleyway. Right in front of her was an overwhelmingly familiar figure, that of a friend who had betrayed her. To her, the sudden sight of him brought waves of both pain and anger.)
Traitor: "You still believe in people, Sora? After all that has happened?"
Sora: (She took one step back with an unsteady voice.) "I've already passed it.
Traitor: "Have you? Or are you still that same little naive girl who trusted too easily?"
(He took one step closer, his voice tormenting.) "You're weak, Sora. You trust people, and it makes you vulnerable. That's why I betrayed you. You made it easy."
(Sora's fists clenched, heart racing, with a seared memory of that betrayal, the way she fell when she thought this person was behind her. For Sora, the pain had still not gone; she was set not to be ruled by it.)
Sora: "Perhaps I should have never trusted you. but that does not make everyone like you."
Betrayer: "And what when you do get hurt again? When you lose everything because of your stupid trust?"
Sora: She took a deep breath, her voice even. "Then I'll face it. But I won't close people out just because of you."
She felt a surge of energy and struck the figure. It vanished into steam.
Sora: She smiled to herself. "I can trust again. Just. not you."
---Ren's Trial
Ren's vision exploded into chaotic energy, tumbling unpredictably around his person. A feeling so achingly familiar-a wild, like the untamed nature he fought to keep in check. The energies lashed out, wrapping Ren in their furious storm.
Voice from Chaos: "You're nothing but chaos, a danger to everyone around you."
Ren: Smirking. "Maybe. But that's my choice to make."
Voice from Chaos: "You think you can harness chaos? It will consume you.
The energy whipped around him, tugging at his every thought, amplifying his wild nature. But Ren stood his ground, feeling the pull and the power within it. And instead of fighting it, he embraced the chaos, merged with it, letting the flow course through him.
Ren: "I am chaos. And chaos can be controlled—just not the way most people think."
He used the tempest as an extension of himself until it finally broke, settling and clearing to leave him with a sense of center that he had never experienced or known.
---
Daiki's Trial
Daiki stood in a dark room, looking into a warped version of his sister Ayame. Her face was icy cold, her expression warped in a mixture of disappointment and disdain.
Twisted Ayame: "You're weak, Daiki. You couldn't protect me. You can't protect anyone."
Daiki: (Eyes wide, voice trembling.) "Ayame. I tried. I'm doing my best."
Twisted Ayame: "Your best isn't enough. You're a burden, always depending on others to save you."
(The words cut deep, and Daiki felt a familiar sense of shame and inadequacy. But then he remembered his friends-the people he wanted