"Winner of this round, Rentaro Mizuno!"
"Holy shit..."
"What the frickin hell? What kind of a match was that!?"
"I must admit, I didn’t expect such a performance from those two kids. I knew they were part of the favorites, but they really did surpass our expectations." The officers of the Soul-Squads, as well as the lieutenants all praised the two boys’ efforts, and the hall erupted in a loud applause.
There was nothing more to say, no words could describe what they saw with their own eyes. Just like the other officers, when they heard the rumors about Rentaro, they all suspected it was just dumb luck.
They found it implausible that soone aside from the Soul-King could have cleared the second option.
But now, Rentaro changed their perspectives.
Back in the shattered sparring ground, Rentaro stood tall, standing above the body of the unconscious Kai. The [Limit Break: Electric Burst Evolved] wore off imdiately from Kai’s body, returning his hair and mobility back to normal.
"You really pushed to my limits, so much so more than the Supre General." Rentaro whispered under his breath.
His fight with the Supre General was a contest of pure strength, but against Kai, it was a contest of Soul-Energy output which he had him completely outclassed in.
To Rentaro, Kai had what it takes to go toe to toe with the supre general, however, because of the supre general’s ability to adapt to anything, and even create a counter ability to what it adapted to, Kai stood no chance against Mahashima.
"Contestant Rentaro Mizuno." The fifth vice captain called out.
Rentaro paused and glanced over his shoulder, his calm gaze settling on the captain.
"You have passed the final selection, please wait at the end of the hallway for the final selection to be concluded before proceeding to the Captain’s office."
Rentaro gave a small nod, then turned forward.
Without another word, he walked across the hall and headed through the door the vice captain had directed him to.
As Rentaro stepped through the door, he entered a vast, richly decorated hallway. Potted plants lined the sides, while frad portraits of nurous Soul-Hunters stretched along the walls as far as the eye could see.
They were the forr captains, lieutenants, and vice captains of the Fifth Soul Squad, their images preserved to honor their contributions to humanity. So had retired and settled into peaceful lives within the Fifth Sanctuary, but most had fallen in battle, giving their lives in the line of duty.
[Ding! You have unread system ssages!]
[Ding! You have unread system ssages!]
"This again?"
As Rentaro walked through the hallway, a series of notification panels abruptly appeared in his line of sight once more.
Unlike before, they were far more aggressive, multiplying one after another and stacking across his vision.
The persistent flashing and pulsing borders made it feel less like a reminder and more like a demand, as though opening his system ssages was no longer optional.
Just before his battle with Kai, these ssages appeared unexpectedly, and now just re minutes after his battle, it appeared once more.
"I thought ssages like this only appeared after you’ve gone a long ti without viewing your rewards, but it’s only been a month since I fought Mahashima, and I collected all rewards." He sighed. "If I don’t check it now, it might get worse later. Open ssages."
With a simple ntal command, he opened the unread system ssages.
The stacked notification panels vanished at once, replaced by a single ssage that unfolded before him in neat, glowing window.
[Ding! You have received an item!]
[???? Key.]
[Grade: Unknown]
[Type: Special Consumable]
[Description: Upon activation, the key will open a gateway to a random isolated realm. The difficulty of the realm is unpredictable, ranging anywhere from F-Rank to S-Rank.]
"An unknown key?" Rentaro’s eyes widened slightly as he read the description.
The unclaid item was far beyond what he had expected, and the ntion of a realm with a difficulty ranging all the way up to S-Rank left him montarily taken aback.
"Ranging from F-rank to A-rank?" Rentaro’s brows jerked a bit, and for a mont, interest flashed in his eyes.
"An isolated realm? Does it perhaps refers to the fifth trial of the sanctuary?" It was a completely postulated guess, but it was a possibility. "Whatever it is, if the system description is accurate, and indeed it ends up being an S-Rank key, if I manage to clear it, the rewards will be unimaginable."
Rentaro slowly turned his head, glancing back at the door he had just passed through. "There are still a handful of matches left, so I should be back before the final selection ends."
He reached into his system inventory, and a mont later, a strange red key materialized in his hand, its surface faintly tallic yet almost unnatural in texture.
Three distinct holes were carved into its body, and an oddly shaped protrusion jutted from its head, giving it an irregular, almost incomplete design.
Without a second thought, Rentaro extended the red key forward.
He twisted it as though turning an unseen lock.
For a brief instant, the air in front of him buckled, then a spiraling vortex of energy tore open space itself. The hallway’s calm atmosphere warped under the pressure of the distortion as the swirling rift expanded.
The chaos quickly settled, the violent rotation smoothing into a stable form.
A transdinsional gateway stood before him, quietly pulsing with unknown energy beyond its threshold.
Rentaro took a slow, steady breath, then without hesitation, he stepped forward into the gateway.
The mont his foot crossed the threshold, his body was swallowed by the swirling energy, dissolving into light before passing completely through. Space bent around him, then snapped back into place.
He erged on the other side in silence.
Rentaro found himself standing in a vast, unfamiliar chamber. Towering pillars lined the room, each one intricately carved and polished to a rich shine.
Beneath him stretched a sparkling marble floor that reflected the faint ambient glow like still water.
Ahead, a grand staircase rose in perfect symtry, leading upward to two massive doors sealed shut. The entire place carried the solemn, sacred weight of an ancient temple, untouched by ti.
"What is this place?" Rentaro’s whispered as he marveled vast chamber before him. The towering pillars, the gleaming marble floor, and the ancient stillness of the temple-like space all gave it an almost unreal beauty.
But that calm didn’t last.
His expression shifted subtly.
A sharp spike ran through his senses as he felt an imnse, concentrated surge of energy emanating from beyond the massive doors ahead. It wasn’t just strong, it was heavy, oppressive, like sothing far beyond what this place should contain.
Rentaro’s decision ca without hesitation. He already knew the door marked his next step.
He began ascending the stairs slowly, the oppressive energy ahead grew heavier with every step, pressing against the air like a living presence.
When he reached the top, he placed his hands on the massive doors.
With a steady push powered by his enhanced strength, the doors groaned and slowly parted.
Beyond them lay a throne room of ancient grandeur.
Gold-lined architecture stretched across the space, reflecting a faint, regal glow that bathed everything in a quiet brilliance. At the far end of the hall, elevated beyond four wide flights of gold-coated stairs, stood a grand throne.
And seated upon it was a figure with its legs crossed, chin resting lightly against the side of its hand, watching in silence.
"So... you have finally arrived." The figure’s voice was deep and powerful, and the throne room shook under the weight of its voice.
Rentaro narrowed his eyes as he stepped forward, and light fell on his face, revealing a man with clear white skin, flowing blue hair that rested on his shoulder, and sparkling blue eyes that glinted off the light.
"I’ve been waiting for you."
[You have encountered the first administrator of the sanctuary!]
[Olympian Ranker — Hypnos.]
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