Bane's observation lingered in Haru's mind longer than expected, settling into his chest with a quiet weight. It wasn't fear, not exactly, but something close to it. A tension he couldn't quite shake. He glanced over at Sylvie, noticing immediately that she wasn't her usual self. Her posture was tighter, her eyes sharper, fixed on her sister among the Vanguards. The brief look they exchanged carried an unspoken understanding, and whatever passed between them only made Haru more certain of one thing: something about this initiation wasn't right.
The low hum of the arena gradually faded as the sound of trumpets cut clean through the air. Conversations died instantly, and every head turned toward the elevated platform. When King Drago stepped forward, the shift in atmosphere was immediate and undeniable. It wasn't just that people respected him, it was as if the space itself acknowledged his presence. Haru felt it in a way he couldn't fully explain. The faint, invisible connections he had started to notice since his awakening seemed to draw inward, tightening subtly, as though everything around him was aligning in response to the King.
"Greetings, Initiates."
Drago's voice carried effortlessly, deep and commanding, each word landing with deliberate weight. He didn't need to raise it to be heard. It simply reached everyone. "Some of you may know me. Some of you may have only heard stories. But allow me to introduce myself. I am King Drago."
A silence followed, heavy and complete.
"Welcome to the Kingdom of Mordell. You have all trained, worked hard, sacrificed… and some of you have spent everything to stand here today. I hope your dreams come true as you partake in this year's Warlord Initiation."
Haru found himself listening more intently than he expected. He usually tuned out speeches like this, but there was something about the King's presence—something undeniable. It wasn't just authority. It was certainty.
Beside him, Bane leaned slightly closer, his voice low but filled with admiration. "Now that is a warrior. His presence alone rivals the three Tribesmen of my kingdom. He may even be higher."
Haru didn't respond, but he understood exactly what Bane meant.
The King's expression shifted subtly, and with it, the mood of the arena darkened. "For first-time participants, the favored format has been a free-for-all tournament," he continued, pausing just long enough for the statement to settle. "However… recent events beyond our control have necessitated a change."
A ripple of murmurs spread through the crowd.
"This year, we will employ a method that tests not only your courage, but your ability to work as a team, your merit, your bravery, and your strength. All qualities befitting a Warlord."
Haru frowned slightly. A team-based initiation? That alone was unusual. He glanced at Sylvie. "Did your sister tell you anything?"
She shook her head, her expression uneasy. "All she said was … survive."
That didn't help.
P
The King's voice cut through the rising noise before it could build any further. "The beasts that roam these lands have begun to change. They have become smarter, more vicious… and their fighting capabilities have increased."
That got everyone's attention.
Haru's thoughts flickered briefly to the griffin he had encountered earlier. The way it moved. The way it watched him. That hadn't been normal.
"For this year's initiation," Drago continued, "you will be transferred to a controlled environment. Your objective is simple: eliminate these enhanced enemies."
The reaction was immediate, confusion, concern, disbelief.
"There will be no rest. No scheduled breaks. No external healing," he added calmly. "You will survive by your own ability… or by the aid of others who choose to help you."
The crowd erupted. Chatter and discourse grew amongst everyone. But the consensus was equal.
This wasn't a tournament.
This was survival.
A large man stepped forward, clearly agitated. "So when do we eat? Drink? How will we know when it's over?"
Serena moved slightly as if to intervene, but the King raised a hand and she stopped instantly. His gaze settled on the man, steady and unyielding.
"If you doubt your readiness," Drago said, his tone even, "you may withdraw now without judgment. You may try again next year."
Silence fell.
No one moved.
Haru looked around and wondered if any would step out. Sylvie noticed Haru's wandering eye. "If you're expecting someone to step out, think again. Some of these people bet everything on their own power to be here. They wouldn't leave unless they died."
Haru understood and looked on. King Drago looked amongst the restless crowd.
"Do your best, and good luck."
With that, he turned and left, and the moment he did, the world shifted.
The arena trembled as the ground split and reshaped itself. Massive trees erupted upward, roots tearing through stone as structures twisted into existence around them. What had once been an open space became something else entirely. A sprawling, unnatural fusion of forest and ruins. A battlefield designed for chaos.
Haru instinctively stepped closer to Bane and Sylvie as the air around them grew unstable. The faint connections he had been learning to sense flickered erratically now, stretching and snapping as if reacting to something approaching.
Then the portals opened. Dozens of them.
Purple tears in space forming all across the arena.
Bane drew his swords instantly. "Everyone, get ready!" he shouted, his voice cutting through the rising panic.
Haru and Sylvie moved without hesitation, forming a tight triangle with him, each watching a different direction.
The first creatures emerged and Sylvie's breath caught. "Are you kidding me…?" she whispered. Haru followed her gaze.
"Those are Mountain boars! And that's a Jungle liger! Those are Elite tier beasts!"
Haru clenched his fist. 'I still dont know the difference in tiers, I can't gauge my new strength.' His grip tightened slightly.
This no longer seemed like an initiation.
It was a feast and they were served as the man menu.
More beasts continued to pour through the portals. Some participants froze on the spot, their courage collapsing under the sheer pressure. Others didn't even get the chance to react.
"yo, those are Ifrits… what the hell…"
Then Wood Orcs appeared right behind a cluster of participants, their massive brown and green frames blending almost perfectly into the environment.
Haru turned around too late and tried to warn a lady who had an Orc directly behind her. "Hey Miss! Watch out!"
She turned around with her mage staff and tried to raise it. The massive orc grunted with a smirk and swung its giant club toward the Mage. Her legs stood while the top half of her body was flung across the arena.
Chaos erupted instantly.
A burly man stepped forward confidently, unsheathing a massive broadsword. "No one better get in my way—"
He never finished his statement as a Jungle Liger appeared behind him in an instant, its body phasing into existence as if it had always been there. It bit down instantly.
There was no warning.
No reaction.
His head burst like a melon, blood spraying across the nearby initiates.
The crowd broke.
Some screamed. Some froze. Some collapsed entirely.
Haru didn't move initially as he was frozen. He Didn't speak.
He simply watched.
'What the hell is this? Why…why…' he looked down and noticed he was trembling.
The connections around him flickered violently now, threads forming and snapping in rapid succession as lives were cut short. For the first time, he truly understood. These people were dead. There was no return, no second chance. He had his. Dimitri words suddenly rang back in his head. "If you die there, that's it, there are no second chances."
Everything was connected.
And everything could be severed just as easily.
He exhaled slowly, steadying himself as faint arcs flickered between his fingers before fading.
"Stay sharp," he said quietly.
Because deep down he already knew. This wasn't a test of strength. Not yet. It was a test of survival. And it had only just begun.