The trial chamber doors groaned shut, leaving the squad in a corridor that seemed… smaller, quieter, almost normal. But nothing felt normal. Every step carried the weight of 10,000 years of mental torment compressed into ten minutes.
Astro rubbed his eyes, shadows flickering involuntarily. "Yo… mfana… my head still feels like it got run over by a black hole, lowkey."
Lyara hovered near him, floating effortlessly, aura calm but noticeable. "Dawg… that's the mental residue. Shadows and light burn into your neural pathways now. You'll see things… hear things… feel time stretch… but it's part of evolution."
Tenji groaned, massaging his fists. "Bruh… feels like my soul's been punched harder than any street fight. Golden fists stronger, yeah… but lowkey, this ain't nothing to joke about."
Hunter adjusted his Omni-Grid, which flickered with residual temporal energy. "Dawg… calculations still messed up. The Grid's evolved, yeah… but my brain? Fried, mannnnn . Lowkey, I'm scared to think too much."
Phantom's shadows stretched across the corridor, writhing even without command. "Lowkey… soul tired, mfers. But Infinite Mirage… next level, dangerous af."
Walking Through the University
They exited the trial platform into the Intergalactic University, a sprawling hub with floating classrooms, holographic gardens, and alien architecture that defied conventional physics. Species mingled: light elves with radiant skin, dark elves with obsidian tones, goblins, fairy-like aliens, and bizarre beast-creatures. Some watched the squad with curiosity, others with thinly veiled disdain.
Astro whispered to Tenji: "Yo… mfana… we're weak as humans in their eyes. They literally look at us like trash… but lowkey, they don't know our potential yet."
Tenji smirked. "Bruh… humans underestimated always. Big dawg knows potential? Off the charts."
Phantom eyed a hobgoblin law instructor passing by. "Lowkey… universe rules strict af. Humans still got street cred, but barely."
Classroom Chaos
Their first class post-trials was Hobgoblin Law, a brutal lecture highlighting intergalactic ethics, power hierarchies, and the fragility of human influence. The boys felt insignificant, the top-tier students glaring with disdain, already aware of their recent trials.
Sōma Hoshigaki, the Living Anomaly, appeared via holographic projection in the lecture room, grinning casually.
"Humans… weak, despised… but potential unparalleled," he said, voice calm but resonating like a universe-shaking hum. "Survive what you've survived, and maybe… just maybe… you'll learn why even the smallest human can terrify galaxies."
Lyara whispered to Astro: "Dawg… mfana… he's terrifying, but goofy. Respect the power, ignore the ego."
Character Aftermath Mini-Arcs
Astro – Shadows and Light
Mind still reeling from temporal overload
Dreams haunted by infinite timelines
But instinct now evolved to near-perfect prediction
Lyara's presence stabilizes him emotionally
Tenji – Golden Fists
Body physically recovering but pain memories linger
Aura refined, capable of instantaneous reflexive shockwaves
Learned endurance through suffering, pain is now power
Hunter – Omni-Grid
Brain still fatigued, nearly fried from temporal calculations
Temporal Insight Matrix now predicts intent and emotional states
Confidence shaken but intellect evolved
Phantom – Infinite Mirage
Soul exhausted, clones fully autonomous across temporal planes
Learned to manage fear and paranoia
Power terrifying but mentally taxing
Intergalactic Rivalries and Alliances
Light elves watched Astro and Tenji closely, impressed but wary
Dark elves nodded subtly, respecting discipline and potential
Goblins muttered under breath about human audacity
Fairy aliens whispered about anomalies in human evolution
Astro smirked at Hunter: "Yo… mfana… looks like the universe just put us on the leaderboard… kinda."
Hunter grinned weakly: "Dawg… lowkey… leaderboard or target list? Can't tell anymore."
Phantom muttered: "Lowkey… either way, chaos incoming."
Lyara and Astro
After class, they walked through a holographic garden. Lyara's presence was soothing, yet a faint tension lingered.
"Dawg… so… remember that date?" she teased, smirking. Astro chuckled. "Yo…. that was wild… but lowkey… knowing your secret, I kinda expected the chaos."
Lyara rolled her eyes, playful but serious. "Just don't over-rely on your powers. Universe loves breaking humans."
Foreshadowing Darker Trials
Sōma Hoshigaki's hologram appeared once more, smirking:
"Your evolution is just the beginning. Mental strain, temporal distortion, psychological trauma… nothing you've survived will compare to what's coming. Humans… despised, weak, high potential. Learn fast, or break."
Astro whispered to Tenji, Hunter, and Phantom: "Dawg… mfana… next trials? Universe better be ready… cuz we lowkey ain't done yet."
Tenji smirked: "Bruh… pain's just seasoning. Big dawg ready."
Hunter and Phantom nodded, shadows flickering, grids humming. They had survived hell but the universe had already turned up the stakes.