As they arrived at Elizabeth High School, the atmosphere turned heavy. The majestic school gates towered before them, radiating an oppressive aura of power. The air itself seemed to vibrate with an inescapable tension.
Suddenly, a mocking voice broke through the crowd.
"Yo, look who's here—Team Weaklings!"
Satou clenched his fists tightly, his muscles tensing.
"What did you say?! Hey, who the hell are you calling weak, bastard?!"
A boy stepped forward, wearing a smug grin and a casual yet condescending attitude. His very presence was enough to stir unease.
"Huh? Did you just call me a bastard?"
Before the mood could escalate further, another voice cut in from the side.
"Oh, hey Renjiro…"
Hiro's eyes widened, disbelief flickering across his face.
"Eh—Renjiro?! The Top 8 guy?!"
Renjiro smirked, his expression dripping with scorn.
"Tch. Surprised, monkey boy? Don't go acting like we're friends."
Before the tension could boil over, a calm robotic voice echoed from above.
"All participants, your first battle is about to begin. I am Yuuyami no Kakusei—but you can call me 'Sensei.' I'll be your host."
Without warning, a blinding light enveloped them.
And just like that—they vanished.
FLASH!
Hiro blinked rapidly, adjusting his vision to the unfamiliar sight of desks, a blackboard, flickering fluorescent lights, and wide windows.
"Eh? Why… why am I in a classroom?"
Satou looked around sharply, his tone serious.
"What is this? Some kind of weird battlefield?"
Hanako furrowed her brows, her voice heavy with concern.
"This isn't an ordinary classroom… the walls are shielded with spiritual barriers."
Yuuyami's voice echoed once more, this time with a deeper resonance that stirred the soul.
"Welcome to your test. Class is now in session."
A moment of silence fell. Then—
"Alright, you may begin the battle. Feel free to use any abilities."
Hiro stood up slowly, his steps steady and filled with confidence.
"Alright then… who's taking me on first?"
Suddenly, the classroom door exploded with a deafening blast—BOOM!
Hiro winced, clutching his head.
"Damn it! Who the hell are you? What's your rank?"
Ugh, my head… why is it always me getting hit out of nowhere?!
A calm but confident voice replied,
"I'm Toba Sayaka. Rank 5."
Without hesitation, Hiro launched his signature move—Invisible Strike, a ghostly blow that struck directly at Toba.
"What kind of attack is that?!" Toba exclaimed, dodging instinctively.
In the next instant, Toba swung her Iron Whip—a long metallic weapon that lashed out like lightning—striking Hiro's chin and leaving a small cut.
"Tch… If that whip had been a little closer, I'd be done for," Hiro muttered under his breath.
Quickly, Hiro visualized an idea and hurled a spinning projectile toward Toba. With a crash, she was slammed into the wall.
"Argh!"
Toba recovered swiftly, drawing a hail of metal bullets and firing them in rapid bursts toward Hiro.
With precision, Hiro activated Imagine Invisible Strike—his invisible fists moved at such blinding speed and silence that they were nearly imperceptible. The incoming bullets shattered mid-air as they collided with his strike.
BOOM!
The entire classroom trembled from the fierce impact of their clash.
Hiro launched a flurry of barehanded strikes toward Toba, but she quickly activated Iron Shield—a reinforced metal barrier that made Hiro's fists sting on impact.
Still undeterred, Hiro leapt forward again and activated Imagine Skill: Paralyze Field – No Movement, freezing Toba's motions for just a moment. Seizing the opening, he drove a clean, powerful punch straight at her.
Toba recovered quickly, lashing out with her Iron Whip—a long metallic weapon that slashed across Hiro's body, leaving small wounds in its wake.
"Tch… finally, I can move again!" Hiro muttered through gritted teeth.
Without warning, Toba summoned a glowing blade—Iron Veil, a sword made of energy—and swung it at him with force.
But Hiro didn't flinch. With nothing but his bare hands, he swung with all his might, clashing directly with the energy blade. In an instant, his strike shattered Toba's sword into pieces.
"What?!" Toba gasped, stunned, and retaliated by flinging her Iron Whip like a barrage of needles toward Hiro.
Hiro gathered energy in his fist and countered with a blazing, explosive punch, forcing Toba back and throwing her into disarray.
"Tch… you're strong," Toba said seriously. "I underestimated you."
Suddenly, Toba activated Iron Form—her entire body was covered in thick, reinforced armor, heavy and unyielding.
Hiro's jaw dropped.
"Whoa, your power is seriously impressive!"
Toba gave a smug smile, though a slight blush crept onto her cheeks.
"Hey, dumbass! You here to fight or to flirt?"
Not backing down, Hiro ignited his Imagine—his fists engulfed in blazing flames. But before he could react, Toba dashed forward and struck with brutal speed.
Hiro cried out, caught off guard by Toba's lightning-fast Zoom Strike.
Her blow landed hard, sending Hiro flying backward. Blood sprayed from his mouth as he coughed violently, pain surging through his body.
Still, he refused to give up.
With a fiery glare, Hiro reignited his Imagine Flame Fists, then shot forward at breakneck speed, activating Imagine: Limitless Dash—and slammed his palm right into Toba's chest with a powerful strike.
Toba's eyes widened in shock and fury.
"Y-You touched my chest?! You little—!"
BOOM!
The impact echoed through the room like a copied version of Jeison Hoshizora's skill—and it actually worked.
Hiro let out a short laugh.
"Hahaha, nice! That's my win!"
He confidently ran up the stairs toward the next level—but then—
CRACK!
He stepped on a loose tile, slipped, and crashed to the floor with a painful thud.
"Pow! Argh—dammit! Freakin' bad luck!"
(Satou's Side)
Satou lay asleep on a classroom desk, sighing faintly.
Then—
BANG!
The front and back doors burst open at once.
"Oi, you bastard!"
A rough voice echoed through the room, accompanied by a menacing aura. Two students stood in the doorway, oozing bloodlust.
Satou slowly opened one eye, his tone still lazy.
"Huh? Where am I...? Wait, who the hell are you guys?"
One of them smirked.
"Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Rank 7 — Kieta." "And I'm Rank 6 — Keishi Nogara."
Satou groaned.
"Tch... Two more morons come to annoy me. Fine then... I'll be the one who takes both of you down."
Without wasting a second, Keishi charged forward.
"PHANTOM SLASH!"
A slicing gust of invisible wind flew toward Satou. It could cut through physical objects at range like a ghostly blade.
Satou barely dodged, grinning slightly.
"I see it now."
He activated his unique ability — Skill Copy + Override.
As soon as the skill touched him, he replicated it, but not just a copy—he overrode it, enhancing the original.
"Override: Phantom Slash v2."
The wind blades became faster, sharper, and far more lethal. Keishi froze in disbelief.
Before he could react—
ZRAKK!
A brutal palm strike slammed into his gut.
"UGH!!"
Keishi was sent flying across the classroom, crashing into the chalkboard and instantly knocked out cold.
"Keishi!!" Kieta shouted, his face growing grim.
A dark aura engulfed his entire body.
"Abyss Reign."
The classroom warped into a domain of shadow. Inside it, Kieta's attacks became twice as fast, twice as powerful. Darkness swallowed everything, and even breathing became heavy.
"You're in my world now, Satou."
But Satou stood firm, blood dripping from his nose. He had tried earlier to mimic a technique used by Nikoza, but failed—the original user wasn't present.
"Tch... Doesn't work without the original source. But..."
He smirked.
"I've got something else."
Satou activated a fusion of two powers—Phantom Shadow Gale and Override Pulse.
BOOM!
Violent winds and dark shadows swirled around him, forming a mini cyclone that shook the entire room.
"Abyss Fist!!" Kieta roared, striking with all his strength.
But Satou had already leapt into the air.
"Override: Phantom Gale Pulse!"
He spun midair and launched a devastating downward punch.
DOOOM!
The blow exploded at the center of the shadow domain, disrupting and tearing through Kieta's control.
"AAAAARRRGHH!!"
Kieta's body slammed into the ground, the Abyss Reign domain shattering for the first time.
Satou landed slowly. His breathing was heavy, sweat dripping down his face—but a grin remained.
"I'm no genius... I just learn fast."
Without looking back, he walked out of the classroom, leaving both Keishi and Kieta unconscious behind him.