At the Kizen Training Center, late into the evening, a lone figure was still hoisting a massive barbell. Each ti the Jet-Black weight rose, the muscles of his upper body and arms bulged before contracting again. A male student doing light work with dumbbells nearby kept glancing over nervously before finally speaking up.
"H-Hector."
The heavy barbell crashed to the floor, the impact shaking the room. The student flinched, his shoulders hunching.
"Phew..." Hector grunted, wiping the sweat from his neck with a towel. The dark aura wreathing the barbell vanished, returning it to its original tallic state. "Where are the others?"
"Uh... Oh! They’re all gathered in the building next door," the student stamred.
"Spare the details. Just deliver my ssage." A grim sound echoed as Hector rolled his neck. "During this island survival evaluation, we will capture Simon Polentia. No exceptions."
A fire blazed in Hector’s eyes. The opportunity to finally crush Simon had arrived. No longer would he have to wait idly for a duel evaluation to be matched against him.
"As you all saw during the Cyclops evaluation," he continued, his voice low and intense, "as long as that bastard is in the picture, we can never take control of Class A, nor can we achieve the highest grades. Class A is personally overseen by the Vice-Principal of Kizen. Taking control of it is more important than anything."
The student listening to him managed a strained smile. In Kizen, eliminating political rivals was an all-too-common occurrence—a goal that factions and alliances could easily understand. But the way Hector spoke of Simon felt like sothing more than simple rivalry. ’Why is he so obsessed with suppressing him?’ he wondered. ’Is there so deep-seated feud between the Moore and Polentia families?’
"If you understand, then leave," Hector dismissed him.
"Uh, yes!"
As Hector lifted the barbell again, it was instantly enveloped in Jet-Black energy. It was a training thod that simultaneously honed his physical strength and his control over the dark elent.
"Hah!" he roared, sweat pouring down his body like rain. His face was a mask of venomous resolve.
---
In the outskirts of Kizen, an abandoned building, neglected for years and choked with dust, looked as if it might collapse at any mont. Moonlight stread through holes in the ceiling, and the intermittent flickering of a few remaining light bulbs cast the interior in a gloomy, unsettling light.
A student strode into the derelict structure, swatting away cobwebs in annoyance. It was Haren Cork, the very sa student who had been soundly defeated by Simon in their duel. He arrived at the designated eting spot and scanned the area. The one who had summoned him had yet to appear.
’This had better not be a waste of ti,’ Haren thought, shoving the crumpled letter from his hand into his pocket. He crossed his arms and closed his eyes. ’Simon Polentia...’
He still couldn’t forget Simon’s words from that final mont.
’I’m not sure what grudge you have against , but you’ll never beat with ’that kind of power’—a power that isn’t your own.’
He ground his teeth. Simon’s tone had been so certain, as if he knew everything. He either knew or strongly suspected that Haren had received a procedure from Professor Bahil. It was dangerous. Haren couldn’t fathom why Simon hadn’t reported him yet, but as long as that secret was out there, he needed to eliminate the threat—quickly.
Haren clenched his fists. ’This power...’
Though he had lost to Simon, the power was undeniably real. In last week’s duel evaluation, he had completely overpowered a student considered his superior in every aspect, earning him a spot in the middle squad. The victory had won him the respect of his classmates, and he had recently started associating with the more successful students. His self-esteem was soaring.
’But...’
He could feel it slowly draining away. Bahil had said the power would last two months at most.
’I have to get back into Professor Bahil’s good graces, no matter what it takes.’ The only way was to beco his direct disciple. To do that, he had to complete the mission he had failed before. This ti, he would defeat Simon. This ti, he would prove his worth.
"Is-is anyone there?" a timid female voice echoed through the building.
"I’m the only one here," Haren called back. "Who is it?"
"Ah." A girl peeked her head in. Seeing Haren’s Kizen uniform, she entered with a visible sigh of relief. "Did you get a letter, too?"
"You too?" he asked.
She nodded. "My na is Jessica Kananor. I’m in Class H."
"Haren Cork, Class G," he introduced himself. "Do you have a grudge against Simon, too?"
She subtly avoided his gaze. "N-no. He apologized, and it’s not like I hold a grudge..."
"Then why are you here?"
"It’s just..." Jessica trailed off. Watching her duel with Simon had stirred sothing within her. It was like facing a monster from another world, a being on an impossibly high level. Looking back, she felt a strange sense of exhilaration. She wanted that power. She wanted to be stronger.
The clear, sharp sound of footsteps suddenly echoed through the abandoned building.
Haren and Jessica tensed, their eyes darting around the shadows.
"Who’s there!" Haren shouted.
The footsteps abruptly stopped. As the two students began drawing Jet-Black from their Cores, preparing for the worst...
An intense beam of moonlight flooded in from the ceiling, so bright that they had to squint and shield their eyes. A figure was descending from the sky. They were shrouded in a black robe that covered their entire body, the hood pulled so low it was impossible to discern their features. Floating in mid-air, their build, age, and gender were all a mystery. But an incredibly otherworldly power radiated from them.
"Wh-who is it...?" Jessica stamred, her eyes wide with fear. This had to be the one who sent the letters.
Instead of answering, the figure slowly moved a hand.
With a rustle of fabric, enormous wings unfurled from behind the robe. The figure slowly lifted the hood with their fingertips and spoke, their voice echoing in the cavernous space.
"I am here to make you an offer you cannot refuse."
Haren’s eyes widened in shock as he saw the face beneath the hood. "Y-you’re...!"
---
On the day of the Island Survival, ahead of the major event, Kizen’s students buzzed with excitent, their faces flushed with anticipation. Fourteen large-scale teleportation circles were being prepared, and the students of Class A stood ready on one of them. A massive magic circle dominated the center, with smaller circles branching off from it like leaves.
"I-I’m a little nervous," Kamibarez confessed, her shoulders trembling. "What if I’m the only one separated from you all?"
"It has nothing to do with where we’re standing, Kami. It’s completely random," Simon reassured her with a gentle smile. "Do you want to switch places if you’re nervous?"
"N-no! It’s okay!"
"By the way, girls," Dick chid in, leaning back with his hands laced behind his head. "Are you really going to butcher and eat monster at?"
"I-I just practiced fishing. Hehe..." Kamibarez offered a weak smile.
irin sighed. "If I get hungry enough, I’ll have to eat a monster like we were taught. But for now, I’ll be aiming for the supply drops."
Supply drops were one of the key features of the Island Survival. Periodically, a large magic circle would appear in the sky. Exactly one minute later, supplies—food, and even special artifacts exclusive to the event—would descend. The competition was bound to be fierce; any student in the vicinity would be gunning for them.
"Alright! Please get ready!" an attendant announced, running between the groups. "We will now teleport to the island!"
"Please do not step outside the magic circle under any circumstances!" another called out.
The students shuffled their feet, their faces tense with anticipation. As Simon waited with his arms crossed, his heart pounding, he caught sight of Hector glaring at him from across the circle.
’If I run into him, it’s going to be a hell of a fight,’ he thought with a sigh. He had no idea what he had done to make Hector so eager to tear him apart. But if a confrontation was inevitable, maybe it was better to get it over with now.
Just then, the magic circle blazed to life. A chorus of cheers and screams erupted from the students.
"G-good luck, everyone!" Kamibarez shouted, squeezing her eyes shut.
"Hehe, survive well and see you all back at Kizen!" soone yelled.
"I told you, right? Don’t get any heroic ideas about heading to the center, or you’ll just get yourself killed! Just try to avoid the lowest score!" irin’s nagging voice was the last thing Simon heard before it faded.
The light from the magic circle grew blindingly intense. His vision blurred, and he felt his body beco weightless as he was lifted into the unknown.
---
The world, which had been nothing but blinding light, slowly began to resolve into shapes and colors. His sense of touch returned before his sight, the humid air and a gentle breeze tickling his skin. Simon didn’t rush it, waiting patiently for his vision to clear before taking in his surroundings.
"Wow."
He had been dropped right in the middle of a jungle. Greenery stretched in every direction. He had never seen a place so lush, so dense with plant life. Enormous tropical leaves brushed against him, and thick vines snaked around the trees. The air was heavy with humidity, and the soil was damp, as if it had just rained.
"So I have to survive here for four days?" A shiver of excitent, not fear, ran down his spine. A strange energy coiled in his gut and spread through his body—an explosive feeling that threatened to erupt.
"This is going to be fun!" he yelled.
Startled by his shout, a flock of birds burst from the trees and scattered into the sky. The clone of Pier attached to his uniform stirred.
[Looks like we’ve arrived. But why are you so excited?]
"Because adventure is calling ," Simon replied with a grin.
[You madman. Don’t tell you’ve forgotten our objective?]
Simon’s grin widened. "Of course not. We have to find the leader of the giant corps, Vickrum, faster than anyone else, right?"
With that, he lifted his leg and stomped down hard on the ground. A wet squish echoed as sothing burst under his boot.
"Nice." Simon bent down and picked it up.
[Ugh! What is that disgusting thing?!] Pier demanded.
Simon bead. "It’s my snack for today."
A large, net-patterned snake hung limply from his hand. He excitedly stowed the dead snake in his Subspace.
"Getting a snack this easily? We’re off to a great start!"
[Boy, you seem unusually excited.]
"I am," Simon confird, glancing around the jungle one last ti. "No matter what anyone says, this is my stage."
The mad survival expert of Leshill had arrived on Kera Island.
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