The forest beyond the mountains stretched endlessly, a dense maze of towering trees, twisted roots, and undergrowth so thick that sunlight barely touched the ground. Even from the clearing at the edge, it seemed alive — the wind rustling through leaves like whispered warnings.
The fifteen remaining candidates stood in formation, bodies aching from the last trial. The bruises, scrapes, and exhaustion from Stage Four marked them like medals of endurance. Their breathing was heavy, but controlled, each candidate aware that this trial would demand more than physical strength.
At the front, the silver-haired instructor stepped forward. His robes shifted silently as he moved, the dim torchlight along the clearing reflecting off his calm, sharp gaze. His presence alone commanded attention.
He raised a hand, the forest falling into a suffocating silence. Even the wind seemed to pause, listening.
"Candidates," he began, his voice carrying over the clearing like steel slicing air, "you have survived the previous trials. Only fifteen remain."
A ripple of quiet acknowledgment passed through the group. Some faces were pale; some burned with determination. All of them knew this was only the beginning.
He took a slow step closer, letting his gaze sweep over each of them. "You have proven your stamina, your control, and your instincts. But the next trial…" — he paused, letting the words hang — "…will test every fiber of your body, your mind, and your spirit. Specially your will."
The remaining candidates stiffened. The tension was palpable, as though the forest itself had drawn closer.
"This is the Third Trial — the Final Trial of this test." His eyes darkened slightly, sharp as blades. "It will take place in the back mountains of this estate, the same region where your first trial was conducted. A reserved forest area, untouched, preserved exclusively by the Order. There is no mist, no illusions. What awaits you is raw survival — real, unforgiving, and deadly."
He let the words sink in. The forest behind them seemed to lean in, shadows stretching, and the candidates felt a shiver run down their spines.
"You will survive for three full days. Three days without guaranteed food, without rest. The forest is alive with demons — of every form, speed, and cunning. The prey is abundant; the hunters, ruthless. Every step could be your last."
Haruto's eyes narrowed. Every nerve in his body sharpened. He felt the forest before him, not just as trees and soil, but as a living, breathing maze. His instincts hummed, senses already flaring to life.
Raiden cracked his knuckles beside him, sparks flickering faintly over his wrists. "Three days of hunting demons? Finally, something worth my time," he muttered, grinning.
Yuki's hands tightened around her weapon. Her heartbeat echoed in her ears. She swallowed hard, feeling a mixture of anticipation and dread.
The instructor's voice cut sharply through the quiet. "Those who hesitate, those who doubt themselves, may step back now. Once the trial begins, there will be no retreat, no mercy, no second chance."
Several candidates shifted nervously. A few faces paled. The environment is tense.
The silver-haired instructor extended his hand toward the forest. "When the horn sounds, you enter. Your objective is simple: survive. Any who perish, or fail to endure the three days, will not pass. Only those who endure the entirety of the trial will emerge worthy of the Order's recognition."
A horn sounded, low and resonant, echoing through the mountains. The sound rolled over them like a thunderclap, vibrating through bones and soil.
Haruto inhaled slowly, grounding himself. Every nerve fired, every muscle tensed. His mind mapped the forest before him — traps, terrain, and invisible threats. He remembered every lesson, every subtle training moment.
Raiden's grin widened, sparks dancing. "This is it. Let's go, Haruto. Show me what you've got."
Haruto gave a faint smirk. "Stay alive long enough to keep talking."
Yuki's breath hitched as she adjusted her stance. She glanced at Haruto, then forward at the forest that seemed to swallow the horizon. The pulse of excitement, fear, and… something warmer — something tied to admiration — surged within her.
The instructor's eyes swept over the group one last time. "The forest awaits. Survive… or leave your path behind."
He stepped back, silently, as the candidates approached the treeline. The shadows of the forest reached toward them like grasping fingers. Beyond the first ridge, real demons lurked, waiting, their red eyes catching the faint light.
And with that, the forest swallowed them whole.
Mist did not exist here — only shadow. Stretched so high they seemed to stab the heavens, their trunks gnarled and scarred by centuries of claw marks. The air was damp, cold, and heavy — every exhale turned into a ghostly cloud that hung for a moment before fading.
Fifteen candidates entered in groups of five.
Haruto, Raiden, Yuki, Airi, and Kaede formed one.
Their footfalls were near-silent, measured — the rhythm of trained hunters.
For the first half hour, the only sounds were the forest's heartbeats: the creak of wood, the rustle of unseen wings, the distant crackle of something dragging across the ground.
Kaede spoke first, low and calm.
"We move north. The river bends there — water means safety, and we can fill our gourds."
Raiden snorted.
"Safety? Nothing's safe here. You heard him — this forest was made to kill us."
Yuki's icy tone cut through the tension.
"Then stay sharp instead of talking."
Raiden clicked his tongue but grinned.
"Heh. You sound like Haruto."
Haruto didn't respond. He was crouched low, fingers brushing against the soil. Warm. Recently disturbed. His eyes narrowed.
"Something's nearby."
Before his voice even faded, the forest screamed.
A shadow darted from the trees — a demon, crawling low like a spider, its six limbs digging trenches into the ground as it lunged forward, jaw splitting open unnaturally wide.
Haruto inhaled once — deep, sharp, and controlled.
"Fire Arts: First Technique — Scarlet Slash!"
His katana ignited into a fiery arc, illuminating the dark for a blink of an eye. The blade cut clean through the demon's neck, the body collapsing with a hiss, burning away to ash.
"One down," he muttered.
But the silence didn't return.
From the east — three more.
From above — two.
And behind them — the ground began to shift.
Airi's eyes widened.
"They were everywhere…!"
Raiden grinned, electricity flickering around his shoulders.
"Good. I was getting bored."
He inhaled — his body tensed, every muscle alive. Thunder sparks run through his body.
> "Thunder Adts: First Technique — Thunder Lighting!"
A golden bolt tore through the forest. His movement was instant — six strikes in a single breath, each demon cut down before it could even scream.
When he stopped, his blade crackled faintly.
"That's how you do it," he said, flashing a quick grin at Haruto.
Yuki stepped forward, frost forming under her boots.
"You're too noisy."
Her voice was as cold as her art.
"Ice Arts: First Technique — Piercing Frost Edge."
She drew and slashed in one seamless motion. A crescent of frozen energy sliced through another demon rushing at her flank. The creature froze mid-lunge — then shattered into shards of blue ice.
Haruto glanced at her. "Not bad."
Yuki met his gaze — briefly, almost a smile — before turning away.
Behind them, Kaede and Airi fought side by side.
Kaede's movements were flowing, each step connected like a stream finding its path.
"Water Arts: First Technique— Whirlpool Defense!"
He spins three sixty degree intercepted two demons at once, redirecting their claws with liquid grace, his sword following like a rippling tide.
Airi spun beside him, her movements floral yet deadly.
> "Flower Arts: First Technique — Lotus Petal Arc."
Petal-like bursts of pink energy traced her sword's path as she slashed through her opponent.
The forest quieted — for now.
Steam rose from the corpses dissolving into ash.
Five swords gleamed in the moonlight.
Raiden exhaled heavily, resting his blade on his shoulder.
"If this is the first hour, can't wait to see what day three looks like."
Kaede sheathed his blade, still calm.
"If we're lucky, we'll still be breathing by then."
The first hour passed in a blur of motion, blood, and smoke. Scrapes and bruises appeared across arms and legs. The candidates realized immediately that strategy was just as crucial as strength. The forest was alive, watching, testing them.
By the sixth hour, exhaustion began gnawing at them. Hunger was a faint roar beneath their focus; sweat stung their eyes, and every muscle ached.
More Hours passed.
Night deepened.
The candidates moved silently, each footstep calculated. The forest seemed unnaturally quiet. Every crack of a twig or rustle of leaves could be a demon stalking them.
Haruto's spiritual senses extended outward like fine threads, mapping the slightest vibrations. He felt a shift — faint, but distinct. Something moved in the shadows ahead, something heavy.
"Stay alert," he murmured to the group.
Raiden grinned. "I was born alert."
But even he couldn't ignore the first attack. Six small, loping demons with jagged claws and red eyes emerged from the underbrush. They darted toward Airi, silent as smoke.
"Behind you!" Haruto shouted, but it was too late — the demons were on her.
Raiden exploded into motion. Thunder crackled along his arms as he leapt forward.
"Thunder Arts: Second Technique — Lightning Strike Tempest."
Unleashed in a single, sweeping motion. Six demons were beahded vaporized instantly, leaving scorched marks on the earth.
Airi's eyes widened. "Raiden! Thank you!"
He smirked, brushing off the adrenaline. "Don't get used to saving your life being that easy."
Haruto, meanwhile, spotted three more demons flanking from the treeline. He moved with precision, every strike calculated. His hands glowed faintly with his elemental technique.
"Flame Arts:First Technique — Scarlet Slash."
With three controlled strikes, the demons were incapacitated, collapsing into the underbrush.
Yuki's pulse raced. She watched Haruto move — precise, calm, lethal — and her chest constricted with admiration. She forced herself to focus on her own battle, but she couldn't deny the flutter that rose when he glanced her way.
Kaede darted toward a corner of the forest where two weaker candidates were cornered by shadow demons. With a series of fluid moves, he used Water Arts. Slicing the demons help the candidates to flee. One breathed shakily. "T-thank you, Kaede…"
Kaede nodded once. "Focus on staying alive."
With that the other ten candidates forms a single group and went from there.
Haruto and other four, built a temporary camp near a ridge, the glow of a small fire barely visible beneath a hollowed tree.
Haruto took first watch, sitting in silence, his eyes fixed on the darkness beyond the flames.
In the faint reflection of firelight, Yuki's voice broke the quiet.
"You didn't hesitate," she said softly.
"Most people would have flinched back when that demon appeared."
Yuki moved beside Haruto, eyes narrowed. "You are really amazing, how are you doing this?" she admitted quietly. Haruto shook his head.
Haruto didn't look at her.
"Hesitation is death," he said simply.
"My father taught me that. Timing and perception matter more than speed. Watch the pressure, the air, the vibrations. You can survive if you read the environment."
Something flickered in Yuki's eyes — curiosity, maybe admiration — before she nodded.
"Your father must've been strong."
"He was," Haruto said, gaze distant. "Too strong for his own good."
Her cheeks warmed.
The fire crackled. For a while, neither spoke.
Thickened mist start to emerging in the forest, giving cover to the demons. Haruto's breaths were controlled, measured, but his body screamed for reprieve.
Raiden fought almost beside him now, their synergy perfect. "Stick close. Don't let them outflank you," Haruto advised, voice low but firm.
Yuki's eyes flicked constantly between Haruto and the environment. Her admiration for him had grown into something more tangible.
The group had survived nearly two days. Hunger gnawed, blood dried and crusted over minor wounds, muscles screamed. But the forest was quiet now — too quiet.
Haruto raised a hand, sensing something massive. The ground vibrated faintly, slowly, like a heartbeat.
"Something… is wrong," he whispered. Raiden's eyes sparkled with anticipation.
Then a tremor ran through the forest. Trees groaned as if in pain. The candidates froze. From the mist, a shadow emerged — massive, taller than the trees themselves. Its horns scraped branches, its claws left gouges in the earth. Its eyes — a molten red — focused on them.
The group staggered back. Even Raiden's grin faltered. Yuki clutched her weapon, her heartbeat racing.
Haruto's jaw tightened. "This… this is only the beginning."
The massive demon's roar split the forest, shaking leaves, snapping branches. Its shadow swallowed the mist.
And then… silence fell.
The final survival trial had truly begun.
To Be Continued...