Chapter 3 – The Forest Trial
The sun shone brightly above the academy courtyard as two classes stood assembled. Class A, the elite of the academy, stood straight-backed and confident, while Class C shuffled uneasily in their lines.
"Today marks your first joint field training," announced Principal Kuroda, his deep voice echoing across the courtyard. "Class A will guide Class C into the southern forest. You will train together, adapt, and learn. Remember—this is not a game. Danger lurks outside these walls."
Tensho Imaru, standing among Class C, yawned quietly. He hadn't slept well the night before. His messy black hair covered part of his tired eyes, but his heart was restless. He wasn't like the others—no visible powers, no flashy techniques. Just… awareness. Yet today, something felt different.
Next to him, Renko, their teacher, folded his arms. "Class A will lead. Don't embarrass yourselves. And Tensho—" Renko's sharp gaze landed on him. "Try not to lag behind."
Class A stepped forward. At the front was Rhian Dakoba, his crimson eyes calm, unreadable. Unlike the others, Rhian didn't flaunt his power. He simply stood, exuding an aura of quiet strength.
"Let's move," Rhian said. His voice was soft, but the authority in it made both classes fall in line.
---
Into the Forest
The group trekked into the dense southern woods. Birds scattered as they approached, and the air grew colder under the canopy.
Class C students whispered nervously.
"Why do we have to train with Class A? They'll just show off."
"Yeah, and we'll look weak next to them…"
Tensho stayed quiet, but he caught every word. His awareness let him read their anxiety like open books. He glanced toward Class A. Each of them walked with confidence, their powers practically visible in their posture. Daichi Luminara joked loudly about racing through the trees. Akane Umbraxis walked silently, her eyes scanning shadows.
Renko called out, "We'll set camp at the river clearing. Class A, demonstrate how to establish perimeter defense. Class C, pay attention."
For an hour, the students worked. Class A quickly erected barriers, reinforced by telekinesis and elemental manipulation. Class C tried clumsily to follow instructions. Tensho helped carry supplies, greeting classmates with small smiles, offering hands when others stumbled. It was simple kindness, but unnoticed by most.
---
The Calm Before Chaos
By midday, the group rested near the river. Class A relaxed confidently while Class C sat in clusters, still uneasy.
"This place is too quiet," Akane Umbraxis muttered.
"Paranoid as always," Daichi teased. "Relax. Nothing's gonna—"
A deep rumble cut him off. The ground shook beneath them.
From the treeline, red eyes gleamed. Snarls echoed. Then they came—Rexes. Dozens of them. Hulking wolf-like beasts with distorted jaws, dripping with blackened saliva.
"Form up!" Rhian shouted, instantly stepping forward. "Class A, split defense lines! Class C, stay close—"
But the Rexes surged too fast. The forest exploded into chaos.
---
The Split
Renko barked orders, but the swarm overwhelmed the formation. Students scattered, screams filling the woods.
"Stay together!"
"Don't run off—dammit, they're splitting us up!"
The Rexes drove them apart, forcing duels and small-group fights.
Tensho found himself shoved back with none other than Rhian Dakoba. The rest of Class C had vanished into the trees.
"Stick close," Rhian ordered, conjuring a wall of frost that froze a Rex mid-leap. Flames burst from his other hand, incinerating two more in a single sweep.
Tensho froze in awe. Ice and fire… that's impossible. He's…
Rhian glanced at him, eyes sharp. "Don't just stand there. Move when I move."
---
The Battles
Elsewhere, the forest roared with combat.
Daichi Luminara (Class A, Speed) darted between Rexes like lightning.
"Too slow!" he shouted, striking their necks with blinding kicks. His movements blurred, each attack leaving cracks in the ground.
Akane Umbraxis (Class A, Shadow Manipulation) melted into darkness, stabbing Rexes from blind spots.
"You can't fight what you can't see." Her voice was cold as she vanished into one shadow and emerged from another, slashing with blades of solid night.
Tatsuya Umbraxis (Class A, Teleportation) grabbed his Class C partner's arm, blinking them behind a Rex. "Hit it now!"
The student struck clumsily, but the Rex fell, cut across the flank.
Aya Luminara (Class A, Arcis Manipulation) calmly called out readings. "That one—its Arcis levels are unstable. Take it down before it mutates!"
Even Class C students, desperate and afraid, unleashed powers. Haru Luminara dashed with bursts of speed, though slower than Daichi. Sora Umbraxis hurled shadows like spears. They were clumsy, unpolished, but their determination burned.
---
Tensho's Struggle
Meanwhile, Tensho ducked and dodged behind Rhian, heart hammering. His fists were useless against the Rexes.
Rhian burned another beast to ash, ice crystals forming on his arm. He glanced back at Tensho. "You can sense movement, can't you? Guide me."
Tensho blinked. "…What?"
"Your awareness. You've been tracking every attack since this started. Tell me where they're coming from."
Swallowing hard, Tensho nodded. He closed his eyes. The vibrations, the snarls, the intent of the Rexes—they pulsed in his mind.
"Two left, circling… one on the branch above!"
Rhian moved instantly, ice shards launching upward, skewering the hidden Rex. Flames swept sideways, frying the others.
Tensho gasped. He had actually contributed.
But then the ground shook again. A massive Rex, larger than the rest, broke through the treeline. Its Arcis radiated violently.
Rhian hissed. "That's no ordinary one… Stay back."
---
The Awakening
The beast lunged. Rhian blasted it with fire, then froze its legs, but it shattered free. Tensho watched helplessly.
If I don't do something, he'll—
The Rex charged straight at Tensho. His body froze. His mind screamed. Then—something inside him cracked open.
Black energy surged through his veins. His right arm twisted, skin darkening to onyx, glowing veins of red pulsing across it. Strength unlike anything he'd ever felt coursed through him.
Tensho roared, swinging his mutated arm. The blow connected with the Rex's skull—an explosion of force sent the beast crashing through three trees, stone and bark shattering.
For 20 seconds, the world slowed. His awareness sharpened beyond human limits. His body felt unstoppable.
But then—darkness. His arm flickered back to normal. His legs buckled. He collapsed.
---
Rhian's Revelation
Rhian caught him before he hit the ground. Shock flickered across his usually calm face.
"You… you awakened it," he whispered.
Tensho's eyes fluttered. "W-what… was that…?"
Rhian's voice was low, urgent. "That was Stage One Umbraxis. The beginning of a Hybrid's true power."
Tensho's consciousness faded. "Stage… one…" His eyes rolled back as he fell limp.
Rhian's gaze hardened. He lifted Tensho onto his shoulder. "You're not powerless, Tensho. You're one of us."
---
Renko's Arrival
The forest shook again. More Rexes poured in, surrounding the scattered students. Desperation filled the air.
And then, like a thunderclap, Renko appeared. His presence alone crushed the air. He raised a singlehand, Arcis swirling around him like a storm.
"Enough."
The Rexes froze mid-charge. Their bodies shattered as invisible force tore them apart. Renko's Arcis Manipulation was so overwhelming it felt divine.
He surveyed the battlefield, eyes cold. "All students—regroup at the camp. Now."
One by one, battered students limped back. Class A carried their weaker Class C partners. Rhian set Tensho gently on the ground, hiding the truth of what happened—for now.
Renko's gaze lingered on the unconscious boy, a flicker of curiosity breaking his usual stern mask.
Finally, he turned to the group. "The exercise is over. You'll all return to the academy. This… was only the beginning."
---
The forest was silent again, littered with broken Rex corpses. But among the students, one truth lingered unspoken—Tensho Imaru was no ordinary mortal.