The competitors barely had time to catch their breath before the next announcement echoed across the tournament grounds.
"Event Two: MIND LOCK. All participants, report to the Neural Dome."
A collective murmur spread as the crowd turned toward a dome-shaped building pulsing with blue and violet light.
Inside, the walls shimmered with ethereal patterns. Each participant stood before a silver chair connected to a glowing crown-like headpiece. Kael frowned as he looked around—something about this test felt… invasive.
A robotic announcer voice chimed:
"Mind Lock will test your mental resilience, focus, and inner balance. You will be confronted with visions, illusions, and memories drawn from your deepest fears or regrets. Last one conscious wins. Top scorers will be determined based on clarity, time endured, and resistance to illusion corruption."
Tetsu groaned. "So… a nightmare simulator? Fun."
Kael hesitated, fingers twitching. His powers were tied to emotion. Could he handle this?
They all sat down. The helmets lowered.
Initiating Neural Sync...
Inside Kael's Mind
Darkness.Then... a flash.
Kael was standing in a war-torn field. Fires roared around him. A younger version of himself screamed, kneeling over his brother's broken body.
"No... NO!" the boy Kael cried. "Please—wake up!"
Kael stepped forward, knowing it wasn't real, but the pain felt like knives. His Will flared unconsciously.
Suddenly the scene shifted.He was in the Academy arena—Hana turning toward him, the scar on her cheek growing longer… her body slowly disappearing into dust.
Kael's eyes widened. "No. Not again."
His powers lashed out wildly in the vision, fracturing the illusion. He grabbed hold of his Will and shouted into the void:
"I won't lose control again!"
The illusion cracked—like shattered glass in a storm.
Tetsu's Illusion
Tetsu stood in front of a graveyard. Everyone he cared about—Kael, Ryuu, Eri—was buried. He couldn't speak. Couldn't breathe.
Then... laughter.
From behind a gravestone, a fake version of himself mocked him.
"You always play the fool. The weak one. How long until you're left behind?"
Tetsu clenched his fists. "They're my strength. I don't need to be anyone else."
The graveyard exploded in light.
Hana's Illusion
She stood in her childhood home. Her sister Eri stood at the doorway, back turned.
"You're weak," illusion-Eri whispered. "You've always just followed others. Kael's stronger than you. Tetsu's more confident. You're just... safe."
"No," Hana whispered. "I fight because I care. Because I have to."
Water surged around her. The illusion melted.
Reality
One by one, helmets lifted.
Many students were drenched in sweat, shaking or weeping. A few had passed out. Only 142 out of 600 made it to the end.
Kael sat still, breathing hard. His eyes slowly opened.
He looked to his right.Tetsu sat up, rubbing his temples. "That sucked."
Hana opened her eyes next. Silent, but stronger.
Ryuu emerged seconds later, face stone-cold.
Kael turned... and saw Veyren Kurai—already standing.
Unshaken. Smirking.
And beside him, two more of Kurojin's elites rose.
Kaede, from the observation booth, clenched his jaw. "These kids… they're too composed. Like they've been through this before."
Eri was watching too, whispering, "They didn't even flinch. That's not training. That's something else."
Kael looked down at his hands.
He'd survived the mental onslaught—but the question lingered:
What kind of torment must those three have lived through… to pass through that unfazed?
Leaderboard:
Kael: 6th
Ryuu: 4th
Hana: 9th
Tetsu: 11th
Veyren: 1st (again)