The simulation portal stabilized.
Same setup. Same arena. Same interface.
To the spectators, nothing had changed.
Simulation Arena
— "Special Class — next participant."
A student stepped forward.
No name announcement.
No introduction.
No data sheet projected on the screen.
Just a silhouette.
Neither imposing, nor charismatic, nor particularly intimidating.
An ordinary student.
Stands — Immediate Reactions
— "Another one from Special Class?"
— "Are they all the same or what?"
One student snickered.
— "Honestly, after Diopha, it's getting less and less impressive."
Others nodded.
— "No aura." — "No mana spikes." — "He looks normal."
Even the academy's sensors showed stable values.
No anomalies. No overloads. No warnings.
The fight began.
The Fight (As It Was Perceived)
The simulation opponent attacked.
An optimized SS+ entity, designed to adapt, learn, and exploit any weakness.
The Special Class student moved.
One step.
Then another.
No identifiable technique. No activated skill. No visual effect.
The creature stopped.
Then… collapsed.
No impact. No explosion. No visible strike.
It disintegrated silently.
End of Simulation.
Silence.
— "…Huh?"
— "What just happened?"
— "Bug?"
The screens confirmed:
Simulation Complete — Objectives Achieved
The instructors exchanged quick glances but said nothing.
Stands — General Conclusion
— "Seriously?"
— "That was even worse than the last one."
— "Special Class is really overrated."
Even Milim frowned.
— "I didn't feel anything."
Douriel nodded.
— "No tension." — "No sense of danger."
For them, as for everyone else…
Nothing.
Diopha
Diopha hadn't blinked.
His gaze was fixed.
— "…"
His instinct screamed.
Not an alarm. Not a vague intuition.
A certainty.
— It was worse than the previous one.
Mini-Zenkai floated beside him, unusually silent.
Then he said:
— Even cleaner.
Diopha gritted his teeth.
— "What did he do?"
Mini-Zenkai answered bluntly.
— He removed the possibility of the fight.
— Not the opponent.
— The very concept of confrontation.
Diopha's breath caught.
Keldis Yerger
Keldis had closed his eyes.
— "This isn't a victory."
Several students turned toward him.
— "Huh?"
He opened his eyes again, serious.
— "The creature didn't lose."
— "It was… invalidated."
— "As if it had never been a valid option."
One student snickered.
— "You're overthinking it."
Keldis shook his head.
— "No."
— "You're looking at the effects." — "Not the cause."
Mini-Zenkai (Thought)
— Not bad, rich kid.
He smiled.
— He still doesn't understand…
— But he's on the right track.
Transition
The Special Class student left the arena without a word.
No glance. No emotion.
As if nothing had happened.
The portal closed.
Then…
Announcement
— "Next participant: Isaac Ifrey."
The atmosphere changed immediately.
Whispers ran through the stands.
— "Finally, someone serious."
— "At least we know this one fights for real."
— "The guy with the absolute words."
Isaac entered.
A smirk on his face. Confident stride. Aura clearly perceptible.
This time, the sensors reacted.
Values rose.
Tension returned.
General Reaction
— "There! That's a fight!"
— "The previous two were just… weird."
— "Isaac, now that's something concrete."
Milim crossed her arms.
— "Finally, a real confrontation."
Douriel nodded.
— "Now we can analyze something."
Diopha said nothing.
Mini-Zenkai chuckled softly.
— You're confusing noise…
— …with danger.
STATUS WINDOW — UPDATE (KEY CHARACTERS)
▶ Special Class Member (Anonymous)
Name: Undisclosed
Status: Unclassifiable
Observed Action Type:
— Confrontation invalidations
— Possibility suppression
Public Perception: Low / insignificant
True Danger: Extreme
▶ Isaac Ifrey
State: Improved since last fight
Aura: Active, readable
Public Perception: Combative / powerful
Internal Note:
"Finally, they're going to pay attention."
▶ Diopha Hitari
Mental State: Maximum vigilance
Observation:
"They still haven't understood anything."
To be continued…