The air outside the walls felt wrong. Not quiet, not peaceful—heavy, like the land itself was watching. Ryo stepped forward, his boots pressing into cracked ground as dust shifted beneath him. The ruins stretched endlessly ahead, broken stone and silence blending into something that didn't feel empty. It felt like something was waiting.
"…So this is where they send us now," Taro muttered, his voice lower than usual. There was no excitement in it this time, only awareness.
"Stay sharp," Haru said calmly. "This isn't like the trial."
"It is controlled," Ren added, his eyes scanning everything around them, "but that doesn't mean it's safe."
Ryo didn't speak. His gaze remained forward, steady and focused. The silence pressed harder the longer they stood there, and for a moment, it almost felt like the land itself was testing them.
Then a voice came from behind.
"Team Astra. Batch C."
They turned. The instructor stood at a distance, unmoving, his presence alone enough to still the air. There was no warmth in his expression, no hesitation in his stance.
"You will engage one Wrestling."
No explanation. No buildup.
Kaito let out a faint breath. "So we take it down and pass?"
"You pass if you survive."
That was all.
The words settled over them, heavier than anything else. Aiko's grip tightened slightly. Even Taro didn't respond immediately.
"Begin."
No signal. No countdown.
Just—
that.
A low sound broke the silence, something dragging across the ground. Ryo's eyes shifted instantly, locking onto the source.
"There."
From behind a collapsed structure, it stepped out. The Wrestling straightened slowly, its limbs adjusting with unnatural precision. It wasn't as large as the one from the trial, but something about it felt worse. Sharper. More aware.
It wasn't just moving.
It was watching.
"…Yeah," Taro said quietly, "I don't like this one."
"Don't rush," Haru said immediately.
For once, Taro didn't argue.
The creature tilted its head slightly, as if studying them. Then, without warning, it vanished.
"Move—!"
The ground exploded. Kaito stepped forward and blocked, the impact slamming into him with crushing force. The stone beneath his feet cracked as he held his ground, his arms tensing under the weight.
"…Still strong," he muttered.
"Don't take it alone!" Ren snapped.
Mei moved instantly. Fast and precise, she slipped in from the side and cut across the creature's body. A shallow mark formed, dark and unnatural. It wasn't deep—but it was real.
The creature reacted immediately, its arm swinging with violent speed. Mei pulled back just in time, landing smoothly.
"Tch… it's faster."
Ryo watched everything. Every shift, every reaction, every movement. The way it adjusted, the way it responded—it wasn't random.
It's reading us.
"Aiko, stay back," Haru said. "Watch and support."
"…Okay."
She stepped back, but her eyes remained steady.
The creature lunged again, this time toward Taro. He moved—but not recklessly. Instead of charging straight in, he shifted his angle and struck across its path.
The hit connected.
Light, but intentional.
"Ryo—now!"
Ryo moved.
The gear activated cleanly, without hesitation. It didn't drag him anymore. It carried him. His body rose smoothly, balanced, controlled.
Below, the creature focused on Taro.
For a moment—
it wasn't watching him.
That was enough.
Ryo descended, his blade cutting down in a sharp arc. The strike landed clean, deeper than before. The creature staggered slightly, its balance breaking for just a moment.
That moment mattered.
"Don't give it space!" Kaito stepped in immediately, his attack forcing it back further. Mei followed with another quick strike, while Ren's voice cut through the movement.
"Keep rotating! Don't let it lock onto one of you!"
They moved. Not perfectly, not smoothly—but together. The fight began to take shape, the chaos slowly turning into rhythm.
Ryo landed without stumbling this time. His breathing slowed, his mind clearing. The fear that once filled him during the trial was gone.
This wasn't survival anymore.
This was control.
The creature lunged again, faster and more aggressive. Ryo didn't move immediately. He watched—just for a fraction of a second.
There.
The shift.
"Left!"
Kaito reacted instantly. The attack missed. Taro moved in, landing another strike, followed by Mei cutting from behind. The creature staggered again, longer this time.
"He's reading it…" Aiko whispered.
"No," Ren said quietly. "He's syncing with it."
The Wrestling changed again. Its movements became sharper, more violent, more unpredictable. It lunged straight toward Ryo.
Good.
Ryo lowered his stance slightly, his grip tightening around the blade.
Come.
The attack came fast, heavy enough to break the ground beneath it. Ryo moved at the last moment, the gear activating with perfect timing. He slipped past the strike by inches, the force exploding behind him.
Mid-air, his body aligned perfectly.
No tilt. No imbalance.
His eyes locked onto the chest.
The target.
Closer than ever.
He moved.
The blade drove forward, cutting deeper than before. Cracks spread across the creature's body—but it still wasn't enough. Ryo landed, steady but aware.
Still not enough.
The creature lashed out violently. Taro blocked, barely holding his ground as the impact pushed him back.
"Finish it!" he shouted.
Ryo exhaled slowly. The noise faded. The movement slowed. Everything became clear.
One move.
That's all.
He stepped forward, calm and certain. The creature lunged again. Ryo waited—
just a fraction.
Then—
the gear activated.
This time, not upward.
Forward.
The distance disappeared instantly. The attack missed completely. Ryo was already there, standing directly in front of it.
No space left.
No hesitation.
His grip tightened.
The blade drove forward.
Clean.
Direct.
Final.
It pierced straight through the chest.
For a moment, everything stopped. The creature froze, its body trembling as cracks spread across its entire form.
Ryo didn't move.
Then—
it broke.
Its body collapsed into dust, scattering into the air until nothing remained.
Silence returned.
Heavy.
Real.
No one moved at first.
Then Taro let out a breath. "…Yeah. That felt different."
Kaito smirked slightly. "Now that's more like it."
Aiko lowered her weapon, relief showing for just a second. "…We actually did it."
"…Barely," Ren added.
Haru nodded. "But we did."
Ryo looked down at his blade. Dark blood clung to the edge, thick and unnatural.
Proof.
Behind them, footsteps approached. The instructor returned, his gaze moving across the field, the damage, the team.
Alive.
"…You pass."
No praise.
No emotion.
Just truth.
Ryo lifted his head slightly, his grip tightening just a little.
This wasn't the end.
This was the beginning.