The trial grounds took Itsuki's breath away.
The massive coliseum stretched before them like something from the old stories—stone walls that seemed to pulse with their own inner light, banners from all six domains fluttering in the morning breeze. At the center stood the Essence Monolith, a crystalline pillar twice the height of a man that hummed with visible energy. The air itself felt thick, charged with the gathered power of hundreds of young Virelians.
"Holy..." Takumi whispered, his eyes wide as he took in the sight.
"Language," Kairo muttered, but his amber eyes were equally impressed.
The four friends found themselves swept along with the crowd of candidates, all moving toward the registration area where several official-looking adults waited with clipboards and testing crystals. Itsuki recognized the uniforms—instructors from various dojos across the domains, plus a few he didn't recognize who must be from the prestigious Zenkai Dojo itself.
"Look at all these people," Shion said quietly, his teal eyes scanning the crowd. "There must be over two hundred candidates here."
"And they're only taking twelve," Takumi added, the reality of the competition suddenly hitting him.
A tall man with graying hair and sharp eyes stepped forward, his voice carrying easily across the grounds. "Welcome, candidates, to the Zenkai Selection Trials!"
The crowd fell silent.
"I am Sensei Laen Neves, and I will be overseeing today's events along with Master Amari Unil from Zenkai Dojo." He gestured to a stern-looking man with iron-gray hair who stood beside him. "Before we begin combat trials, we will conduct Essence Capacity Testing. This will measure not only your raw power, but your control and potential for growth."
Itsuki felt his stomach flutter. He'd never been formally tested before—none of them had. Training with friends was one thing, but this...
"When your name is called, approach the Monolith and place your hand upon its surface," Master Amari continued, his voice carrying an authority that made everyone straighten unconsciously. "The crystal will measure your current tier and essence stability. Remember—raw power means nothing without control."
The testing began alphabetically, which meant Itsuki and his friends would be scattered throughout the process. They watched as candidate after candidate approached the towering crystal, each touch producing different reactions.
Some caused barely a flicker—nervous teenagers whose abilities were still developing. Others made the crystal glow brightly, drawing impressed murmurs from the crowd. A few caused worrying fluctuations, the light pulsing erratically as the candidates struggled to maintain control.
"Kairo Huisji!" Sensei Laen called.
"Here we go," Kairo muttered, walking forward with his usual confidence.
Itsuki watched his friend approach the Monolith. Kairo placed his hand on the crystal surface, and immediately it began to glow with a steady, controlled light. The luminescence was strong but perfectly stable—no flickering, no wild surges.
"Tier 1, High Stability," Master Amari announced, making notes on his clipboard. "Excellent control. Well done."
Kairo returned to the group with a slight smile. "Your turn eventually, Itsuki."
More names passed. "Takumi Leo!"
This time, Itsuki held his breath as his hot-headed friend approached the crystal. The moment Takumi's palm touched the surface, the Monolith erupted in brilliant light—brighter than anyone before him. But the light flickered and surged, clearly unstable.
"Tier 1, High Power, Moderate Stability," Master Amari called out after a moment's consideration. "Impressive raw strength, but work on your control."
Takumi jogged back looking both pleased and frustrated. "At least it was bright?"
"Very bright," Shion agreed, though Itsuki noticed his friend's voice was tight with nerves.
They watched more candidates, including a girl with silver-blue hair who caused the crystal to pulse with an eerie, controlled rhythm that made several people step back uneasily. Another candidate—a muscular boy with dark hair—produced such a steady, powerful glow that even Master Amari looked impressed.
"Itsuki Naoya!"
Here it was. Itsuki walked forward on legs that felt like water, acutely aware of the hundreds of eyes watching him. The Monolith towered over him, its surface smooth and warm to the touch despite its crystalline appearance.
He placed his hand on the crystal.
For a moment, nothing happened. Then the Monolith began to glow—not with the steady light of Kairo's test or the brilliant surge of Takumi's, but with something different. The light seemed to shift and change, as if the crystal couldn't decide what color it should be. It pulsed in patterns that didn't quite make sense, sometimes bright, sometimes dim, always moving.
The silence stretched. Master Amari stared at the crystal, then at his measuring device, then back at the crystal.
"Tier 1..." he said slowly, "High Power, High Stability, but..." He paused, frowning. "Unusual resonance pattern. Very unusual."
Murmurs rippled through the crowd. Itsuki removed his hand, and the crystal immediately returned to its neutral state.
"Interesting," Sensei Laen said quietly as Itsuki returned to his friends. "Very interesting indeed."
"What was that about?" Takumi whispered.
"I don't know," Itsuki replied honestly. The crystal had felt... strange when he'd touched it. Like it was trying to understand something about him and failing.
More candidates were tested, including the silver-blue haired girl who was announced as "Sayaka Veyra—Tier 1, Exceptional Power and Control." The crowd actually applauded for her, which hadn't happened for anyone else.
Finally, it was Shion's turn.
Itsuki watched his friend approach the Monolith with obvious reluctance. Shion's hand trembled slightly as he placed it on the crystal surface.
The glow was weak—barely more than a flicker. It pulsed uncertainly, as if struggling to manifest at all.
"Tier 1, Low-Moderate Power, Moderate Stability," Master Amari announced, though his tone was gentler than it had been for other low-scoring candidates.
Shion returned to the group with his head down, not meeting anyone's eyes.
"Hey," Itsuki said quietly, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Power levels don't mean everything. They said so themselves—control matters more."
"Easy to say when your test made them use the word 'unusual,'" Shion muttered. "Mine was just... weak."
Before anyone could respond, Sensei Laen's voice cut through the crowd noise again.
"Testing is complete! Combat demonstrations will now begin. When called, fighters will face off in single combat to demonstrate technique, strategy, and the practical application of their abilities."
The crowd's energy shifted, excitement mixing with nervous tension as a circular arena was cleared in front of the Monolith.
"First match," Master Amari called out, consulting his notes. "Takumi Leo versus Inara Vex!"
Takumi's golden eyes lit up with eager fire. "Finally!"
He jogged toward the arena as a girl with long chestnut hair stepped forward from the other side of the crowd. Even from a distance, Itsuki could see she moved with quiet confidence, her posture relaxed but alert.
"Begin!" Sensei Laen commanded.
Takumi wasted no time. Small flames sparked around his hands as he charged forward, throwing quick jabs that left trails of fire in the air. It was his usual aggressive strategy—overwhelm the opponent with speed and unpredictability.
But Inara was ready for him. Vines suddenly erupted from the ground beneath Takumi's feet, causing him to stumble. As he recovered, more plant growth sprouted around the arena—not attacking directly, but creating obstacles and cover.
"She's controlling the battlefield," Kairo observed. "Smart."
Takumi adapted quickly, using his flames to burn through the vine barriers while pressing his attack. But every time he closed distance, Inara would cause new plants to spring up, forcing him to adjust his approach.
The fight became a dance of fire and flora—Takumi's aggressive flames against Inara's patient, strategic nature manipulation. Neither could land a decisive blow at first, but gradually Takumi began to figure out the timing of her defenses.
He feinted left, then rolled right as vines sprouted where he'd been standing. Coming out of the roll, he launched himself forward with a burst of flame-propelled momentum, finally getting inside her defensive perimeter.
Inara tried to backstep, raising her hands to summon another vine barrier, but Takumi was already there. His flame-wreathed fist stopped just inches from her chest.
"Match!" Master Amari called. "Victory to Takumi Leo!"
The crowd erupted in cheers and applause. Takumi helped Inara to her feet, both fighters grinning despite the intensity of the match.
"Good fight," Inara said, loud enough for the watching crowd to hear. "That final rush was perfectly timed."
"Your plant maze almost had me," Takumi replied, still breathing hard. "I couldn't figure out the pattern at first."
They shook hands before returning to their respective groups. Takumi jogged back to his friends with a huge smile on his face.
"Did you see that? Did you see that final move?" he asked excitedly.
"We saw," Kairo said with a grin. "Very flashy. Very you."
"The crowd loved it," Itsuki agreed. "That was really impressive, Takumi."
But as he looked around, he noticed Shion had drifted away from the group slightly, standing at the edge of the crowd with his arms crossed. His friend was staring at the arena with an expression Itsuki couldn't quite read.
More matches followed. They watched a boy with wind-based abilities narrowly defeat a girl who could manipulate sound waves. A candidate who could temporarily harden his skin like metal easily overwhelmed someone whose power seemed to involve changing the color of objects.
Each match taught them something about the level of competition they were facing. These weren't just random teenagers with barely-developed abilities—these were serious fighters who had trained hard and knew how to use their powers tactically.
"Drayce Harkin versus Reima Syl!" Master Amari called.
Itsuki watched the next match with growing appreciation for the strategic depth involved. Drayce could concentrate kinetic force into his strikes, while Reima manipulated wind currents into cutting blades. It became a battle of reach versus power, with both fighters having to carefully manage their essence expenditure.
Drayce eventually won by absorbing one of Reima's wind blades with his kinetic ability and redirecting the force back as a devastating punch, but it had been close.
"The level here is really high," Shion said quietly, having drifted back toward the group. "Everyone's been training seriously."
"We have too," Itsuki replied. "We belong here as much as anyone."
"Do we though?" Shion's teal eyes met his. "Look at these people, Itsuki. Look at what they can do. That girl Sayaka made the crystal light up like a star. Takumi just put on a show that had the whole crowd cheering. And you... whatever happened with your test, it got the masters' attention."
"Shion..."
"I barely made the crystal flicker," his friend continued. "My echoes are small and weak. I'm not fighter material, and we all know it."
Before Itsuki could respond, Kairo appeared beside them. "You're overthinking again," he said bluntly. "Combat isn't just about flashy abilities. It's about using what you have effectively."
"Easy for you to say," Shion replied. "Your void-stepping is incredible. You can disappear and reappear behind someone. That's a huge tactical advantage."
"For a few seconds at most," Kairo corrected. "And only if I don't panic and mess up the transition. Every ability has limitations, Shion. The question is how well you work within yours."
Takumi rejoined them, still riding high from his victory. "What are we talking about?"
"Shion's having second thoughts," Itsuki explained.
"What? Why?" Takumi looked genuinely confused. "Shion, your strategic mind is what makes our group training sessions work. You see patterns and connections that the rest of us miss."
"That's different from individual combat," Shion said.
"Not as different as you think," a new voice interrupted.
They turned to see Inara Vex approaching, still catching her breath from her match with Takumi.
"Sorry, couldn't help overhearing," she said with a slight smile. "I wanted to congratulate Takumi anyway, and I heard you doubting yourself." She looked directly at Shion. "Your essence reading during my match was different from the others. Not weaker—different. Like it was layered somehow."
Shion blinked in surprise. "You could sense that?"
"My ability connects me to the natural essences around me," Inara explained. "I can feel the 'flavor' of other people's power when they're actively using it. Most people's essence feels straightforward—fire, wind, earth, whatever. Yours felt like... like an echo that had other echoes inside it."
"I don't understand," Shion said.
"Neither do I, completely," Inara admitted. "But I do know that unusual doesn't mean weak. It just means you haven't figured out how to use it yet."
She nodded to the group. "Good luck with your matches. I hope to see you all at Zenkai."
As she walked away, the four friends stood in thoughtful silence.
"See?" Itsuki said finally. "Even someone who just fought Takumi could tell your ability is special."
"Maybe," Shion said, though he still didn't sound convinced.
"More matches!" Master Amari called out. "Candidates, pay attention for your names!"
The trials continued, each match revealing new aspects of combat they hadn't considered in their group training sessions. The pressure of individual performance, the need to adapt to completely unknown opponents, the mental game of reading your enemy's strategy while hiding your own.
As the afternoon wore on, Itsuki noticed something troubling. Shion kept glancing toward the edge of the crowd, as if looking for something or someone. His friend seemed distracted, even more so than his natural nervousness would explain.
"You okay?" Itsuki asked during a break between matches.
"Yeah, just..." Shion shook his head. "Thought I saw someone I recognized. Probably nothing."
But when Itsuki followed his friend's gaze, he saw only the ordinary crowd of spectators and candidates. Nothing that should have drawn Shion's attention so persistently.
The sun was beginning to sink lower in the sky when Master Amari raised his voice again.
"Combat demonstrations are concluded for today! Results will be posted this evening. Candidates selected for tomorrow's final trials will be notified at sunrise."
The crowd began to disperse, candidates clustering in small groups to discuss the day's events and speculate about their chances. The four friends found themselves caught in the general flow of people moving toward the exits.
"So what do you think?" Takumi asked as they walked. "Good day or bad day?"
"Mixed," Kairo replied honestly. "Your match went well. Itsuki's test result was... interesting. I did okay on the capacity test. And Shion..." He looked at their quieter friend. "Shion has more potential than he realizes."
"Thanks," Shion said softly, but his attention was still wandering.
As they reached the edge of the trial grounds, Itsuki made a decision. Tomorrow would bring whatever it brought, but tonight he wanted to spend time with his three closest friends. Whatever happened in the trials, their friendship would endure.
"Want to grab dinner at Miss Etta's?" he suggested. "Celebrate surviving day one?"
"Definitely," Takumi agreed immediately.
"Sounds good," Kairo nodded.
"Sure," Shion said, though he was looking back over his shoulder as they walked away from the coliseum.
Itsuki followed his gaze one more time, but saw nothing unusual. Just the emptying trial grounds and the lingering glow of the Essence Monolith as the day's light began to fade.
Still, something about Shion's distraction bothered him. His friend was hiding something, and in Itsuki's experience, Shion only got secretive when something was seriously wrong.
But for now, they were all together, they had all survived their first real trial, and the evening was full of possibility. Whatever shadows were gathering at the edges of Shion's attention could wait until tomorrow.
Tonight, they were just four friends sharing a meal and dreaming of the future.
The real test, Itsuki suspected, was still to come.