The iron doors shuddered open.
Akira stepped through first.
Arms loose at his sides.Eyes flat.No hesitation.
Dreams, he thought, are what separate people like me from everyone else.
Beyond the doors stretched a massive chamber. Packed earth underfoot. Towering trees clawing upward toward a ceiling swallowed by shadow. The air buzzed—thick with condensed Tao that prickled against his skin like static.
A cold voice echoed from unseen speakers.
"This final trial requires the retrieval of five keys.Once all keys are collected, the gate will open.Only fifteen examinees may pass."
Golden light erupted.
Keys appeared—one before each examinee—hovering midair as a massive timer ignited overhead.
01:00:00
Akira snatched his key and pressed a fist to his chest.
"I'm not failing this test."
"Me neither," Hinata said beside him, violet eyes sharp. He turned to the group. "Before we scatter—state your reasons for becoming a Hunter. Then we decide who deserves to pass."
A woman near the back swallowed. "I… I need to support my family."
Before anyone else could speak, a boy with a small afro and an oversized yellow jacket stepped forward.
Jackson.
"Wait," he said calmly. "Instead of that, let's just settle it through combat."
The forest went quiet.
Hinata sighed. "That's unnecessary. We're not animals."
Jackson shrugged. "Hunters kill Yokai. If you're weak, your reason doesn't matter. Dead people don't protect anyone."
Akira smiled faintly.
If this comes down to fighting…
"I agree," Akira said.
More than half the group nodded.
Hinata rubbed his temple. "…Fine. Strength decides. One-on-one matches. Fifteen winners pass." He gestured outward. "But first—we gather the keys."
I didn't want combat, Hinata admitted silently.Because I knew—
Akira. Jackson.
The others don't stand a chance.
Minutes later, the ground trembled as gates across the chamber unlocked.
Akira arrived first at his section. He rolled his shoulder, tapping the dirt impatiently.
"All that's left is the matches."
Then—
An older man, mid-fifties, bolted toward the open gate.
Akira grabbed his shoulder. "Hey. What are you doing? We still have to fight."
The man snarled and blasted Tao from his palm.
"I'm too old to fight!" he screamed. "Running's all I've got!"
Akira flew back—
—and vanished.
He reappeared above the man, heel already descending.
"Grand Military Kick!!"
The impact shattered the ground.
The man crumpled, unmoving.
Akira landed and shrugged. "Yeah. You weren't winning any matches anyway."
Hinata arrived with the others.
"Akira," he said quietly. "…Why did you kill him?"
Akira froze. "What? He's not dead."
Hinata knelt, fingers brushing the man's chest. His voice trembled.
"His Tao is fading."
Akira's smile faded.
"That's death."
Steel rang.
Hinata drew his sword and leveled it at Akira.
"I know it may have been an accident," he said. "But that doesn't mean I forgive you."
He turned his head. "Jackson. Help me stop him. The rest of you—finish your matches."
Jackson cracked his neck, bandages tightening around his fists.
Hinata stepped forward.
Steel sang.
Akira ducked, blade slicing air above his head. "Hey—this isn't my fault!"
Jackson slammed his palm into the ground.
Tao surged.
Stone twisted and rose, reshaping into a massive scythe. Its blade hovered inches from Akira's throat.
"Don't move," Jackson warned.
Hinata's pupils flared—splitting into four-pointed stars.
Four Tao-forged stars formed behind him and shot forward.
Akira leapt aside, sparks ripping from his fingertips.
These guys are monsters.
Creating weapons… reshaping terrain…
Behind them, the last winners slipped through the gate.
Only three remained.
Akira. Hinata. Jackson.
The air went dead silent.
Akira lunged behind Jackson—
—but bandages unraveled like snakes, binding him tight.
Jackson drew his fist back.
"You've got good form," he said calmly. "Is this how you do it?"
His punch crushed Akira's ribs and sent him skidding across the dirt.
Jackson turned away.
"I'm passing," he said. "No need to gang up on someone weaker."
He walked through the gate.
Akira laughed through the pain. "Guess it's just you and me—"
Hinata detonated forward.
"What makes you think that?" he said coldly.
Stars formed in his palm.
They exploded.
Akira flipped—landed a kick—
—and screamed.
Hinata's sword was angled perfectly.
Akira impaled himself on landing.
Hinata stepped in and slashed across his chest.
The fight ended.
Silence.
Then—
The old man groaned.
He crawled toward the gate.
Hinata stared.
"…You're alive."
Realization struck.
"You faded your Tao on purpose," Hinata said quietly. "You planned to slip through while we fought."
He exhaled.
"I'm sorry, Akira," he said. "For trusting him."
Hinata lifted Akira onto his shoulder, turned—
—and walked through the gate.
Letting him pass.