The sunlight flooded the room, so radiant and blinding that it seemed to consume everything in sight. This was the first time Shinji had ever laid eyes on the true sun. He instinctively squinted, his heart hammering against his ribs as if he had just stepped through a portal into an entirely different dimension.
The guide led them outside without a word, his pace steady and unyielding. No one dared to ask questions; they simply followed in a silent, disciplined line.
There were fifteen candidates in total who had survived the preliminary selection, divided into five distinct teams:
Team Shinji: Shinji, Lio, and Ragna.
Team Akidou: Akidou, Omelet, and Alba.
Team Therion: Therion, Macaw, and Vdolky.
Two other teams whose names Shinji hadn't yet committed to memory.
The scenery was unnervingly tranquil. Not a single demon was in sight. The sheer stillness of the world above finally pushed Shinji to speak.
"Everything... it's so peaceful, isn't it?"
Ragna scanned the horizon, his expression neutral.
"There are four fortresses surrounding this area, each guarded by a Commander. Demons can't penetrate the five-kilometer safety zone around the city."
They continued their march. Before long, they passed a massive tower jutting out of the earth like a jagged tooth. Soldiers emerged from the gates, offering crisp salutes as the candidates filed past.
But as they left the shadow of the tower, the atmosphere shifted.
A demon suddenly lunged from the darkness of a nearby ruin, its maw hanging open to reveal rows of yellowed, razor-sharp teeth. It snarled, its eyes wild with a primal hunger as it prepared to pounce.
In an instant, one of the candidates slammed his palms together. A massive shockwave erupted from the impact, blasting the demon backward and crushing it instantly against a stone wall.
Shinji stared, awestruck by the raw power. The one who had struck was Macaw.
The group moved on until a dense treeline loomed ahead. This was the Najarin Forest. The entire forest was draped in a shimmering curtain of golden light—a barrier manifested by the sheer will of Ares.
Sitting at the very edge of the woods were two men. Commander Argos and Grand Commander Ares were seated opposite each other, leisurely sipping tea. They looked as if they were on a pleasant afternoon outing rather than standing on the precipice of a lethal battlefield.
Ares rose slowly, his sharp gaze sweeping across the candidates.
"Welcome to your trial grounds—the Najarin Forest. Your mission is simple: enter the woods and protect your stone until the sun rises."
Without waiting for a response, Ares turned and signaled for them to follow. The golden veil covering the forest rippled, opening a small gap. Ares stepped through first, and the candidates followed suit. The moment they crossed the threshold, the air changed.
The forest was suffocatingly dense and dark, smelling of damp earth and the metallic tang of blood. Ancient trees stretched toward the sky, blotting out the sun and leaving only thin, ghostly slivers of light to reach the forest floor.
Reaching a small clearing, Ares stopped and turned to Therion's group.
"Your post is here."
He continued deeper into the woods with the remaining teams. The forest seemed to go on forever, a labyrinth of shadows with no end in sight. Finally, at the very edge of the woods where the trees grew thinner, Ares stopped and pointed to the ground.
"Your team stays here."
In the distance, Akidou spotted Shinji and gave an enthusiastic wave before Ares led his team further away. Ragna let out a short, dry laugh.
"Lucky us. Starting at the edge means fewer demons than the deep brush."
He did a quick lap of the perimeter, his voice turning stern.
"But don't just stand there. That stone is a beacon for those monsters. The longer we stay in one spot, the more dangerous it becomes."
The violet stone in Lio's hand suddenly pulsed with light, then went dark, repeating the cycle like a slow, rhythmic heartbeat. Deep within the woods, the demons had picked up the scent.
Ragna took the lead, pushing aside thick overgrowth to clear a path. They had only traveled a few yards when—
Rustle.
The sound came from a thicket directly ahead. Two pairs of glowing, predatory eyes flashed in the gloom. Two demons stepped into the light. These were different from the one they had seen earlier; their bodies were leaner, more muscular, and their eyes held a terrifying, focused intelligence.
They bared their fangs, their long talons raking across the bark of a tree, leaving deep, jagged gouges. Thick saliva dripped from their maws. Their gaze was locked onto the three humans, dripping with hunger.
Shinji and Lio instinctively took a step back, their hands trembling. Only Ragna remained still. A cocky smirk pulled at the corner of his mouth, and his eyes burned with sudden intensity.
"Ah... finally. I was looking for a decent warm-up."