Moments later…
The cave was cold and shallow, but it was shelter. A weak fire flickered off to the side, casting dim orange light across the rocky walls. Clide sat with his back against the stone, breathing heavily. His entire body ached—his muscles screamed—and the memory of what he'd done still felt unreal.
Beside him, Shikimori lay unconscious, blood dried across his shirt, his hair messy, face pale. Clide had dragged him here with what little strength he had left.
Now, finally, after what felt like hours, Shiki stirred.
His eyelids twitched. Then opened—golden irises gleaming faintly.
"…Where… where am I?" Shiki muttered.
"In a cave," Clide replied flatly. "I dragged you here because you almost died."
Shiki pushed himself upright with a groan, then immediately scoffed. "Tch. You dragged me? You? With your pathetic strength? Surprising."
Clide stared at him.
Shiki stretched his neck. "Honestly, you should be honored. Most people would kneel if they got the chance to be this close to a Shikimori. But you—you're loud, stubborn, reckless, and—"
"ENOUGH."
The shout echoed through the cave.
Shiki blinked.
Clide glared at him, fists trembling—frustration that had been boiling from the moment they met had finally released.
"I've HAD it," Clide snapped. "You've been an arrogant jerk since the Court of Souls event. Ever since we stepped foot in this trial, you've acted like I'm dirt beneath your boots."
Shiki's jaw tightened. "Because you—"
"And look what happened!" Clide cut him off, voice rising. "I got destroyed by that wolf. I was crushed! But I STILL got up… and I still saved your life!"
His voice cracked.
"You were unconscious, bleeding out. I carried you. I wrapped your wounds. I tried to keep you alive while I was barely standing myself. And the first thing you do when you wake up is insult me?"
Shiki looked away, guilt twisting his expression.
Clide lowered his voice, breathing hard. "Why, Shiki? Why act like this when all I've done is try to help?"
Silence.
Shiki's hands tightened into fists. His throat constricted.
"…Because I'm a failure," he whispered.
Clide blinked. "What?"
Shiki trembled, staring at the cave floor. "You don't understand… I'm a Royal. A Shikimori. Our family stands at the top of the Soul Realm hierarchy. We're expected to be perfect… superior… untouchable."
His voice broke.
"And yet… today… I was saved by a nobody."
Clide winced.
Shiki continued, voice shaking harder. "My mother would call me a disgrace. My siblings would mock me. I couldn't even protect myself. I exhausted my soul energy like an amateur. I—"
His breath hitched. His shoulders shook.
"I'm not worthy of the Shikimori name…"
For the first time, Clide saw Shiki not as the arrogant prodigy—
But as a boy crushed under the weight of a legacy too heavy to carry.
Clide sighed softly. He shuffled closer.
"Stop," Clide said. "Stop saying that. You're not a failure."
Shiki lifted his head slightly.
"I watched you fight those black wolves, Shiki," Clide continued. "You were incredible. Clean strikes, perfect form, zero hesitation. You took down more wolves than I ever could. If you hadn't fought the way you did, we'd both be dead."
Shiki's breath slowed.
"You're strong," Clide said firmly. "And you're not alone. So quit acting like the world's already decided your worth."
Shiki swallowed hard, eyes wet.
For a long moment, the cave was silent except for the crackling of the small fire.
Then Shiki wiped his face with the back of his hand and spoke quietly.
"…What's your name?"
Clide froze. Then he smiled tiredly.
"Clide. Clide Heatherson."
Shiki nodded slowly. "Clide… thank you."
They sat in silence again, but something between them had shifted—
A weight lifted.
A bridge formed.
After a while, Clide spoke. "When we got teleported here… what door did you enter?"
Shiki exhaled. "The Bronze Door. But after I stepped through, I… I saw a second one. A white door. It pulled me inside."
Clide nodded slowly. "Mine wasn't bronze. It… it was black."
Shiki's eyes widened. "A black door? Those are never meant for first-year candidates."
Clide shrugged. "I know what I saw."
The two exchanged uneasy looks.
"If there were multiple doors," Shiki said, "and both led to this realm… then this isn't a standard trial."
Clide agreed. "It's a special scenario. A combined trial."
Shiki nodded grimly. "And combined trials only end when the Prime Anker is destroyed."
Clide gave a thin, exhausted smile. "Or, in simpler terms… the final boss."
The fire crackled again.
For the first time since they entered this place…
They were in total agreement .
The true fight was only the beginning.
***
After a while, Shiki and Clide continued through the dense forest, the leaves whispering above them as they searched for any sign of where the Anker might be hiding. Every now and then, a strange breeze would pass through—cold, unnatural—something powerful was indeed somewhere in this realm.
Shiki broke the silence first.
"Soo… Clide," he said, stepping over a fallen log, "what Soul Art were you using back there? Was it some kind of physical-type technique you learned? Enhancement? Something along those lines?"
Clide blinked. "A Soul Art?"
"Yeah," Shiki said, nodding. "You know—your soul energy technique. The blue aura, the healing factor, the insane burst of power? That was a Soul Art, right?"
Clide scratched the back of his neck. "I mean… Uri said something about soul energy once, I think? But soul arts? I dunno, man. Sounds made up."
Shiki stopped walking.
He stared at Clide. Completely, utterly dumbfounded.
"Hold on… are you seriously telling me you DON'T even know what a Soul Art is?"
Clide shrugged. "Guess so."
"You have to be joking. This HAS to be a joke!" Shiki said, running both hands through his hair. "Every child—EVERYONE—learns the basics before they're like… FOUR!"
"I don't know what to say," Clide muttered. "Everything I've heard since I got here sounds like some fantasy book."
Shiki stopped again. His eye twitched.
"…Did you even go to preschool?"
Clide hesitated. "…No."
Shiki let out a long sigh. "Well that explains it."
Clide snapped back immediately. "Hey! What's THAT supposed to mean?!"
"It means," Shiki replied, raising a finger dramatically, "that you are a dumbass—you should know basic Soul Arts by now! But even putting that aside—if it WASN'T a Soul Art, then what in the hell did you do to get that strong?"
Clide stared at the ground as he walked. "I… don't know."
Shiki side-eyed him. "No clue at all?"
"No clue." Clide shook his head. "I remember blacking out when the wolf hit me. Then I woke up feeling… lighter. Stronger. Like something was rushing through every vein in my body. Everything felt so clear. So sharp. Then I punched, and the wolf exploded. And… yeah." He shrugged. "It's all gone now."
Shiki hummed, rubbing his chin thoughtfully as they walked beneath the dark branches.
"Interesting…" he muttered, golden eyes narrowing. "Power that strong… no technique… no training… self-activating… and you have no memory of triggering it?"
Clide nodded. "Pretty much."
Shiki clicked his tongue. "That's not normal. And trust me—I know abnormal when I see it."
Clide shot him a look. "Better than being an arrogant statue."
Shiki ignored the jab. His mind was spinning.
"There are only a few things in the world that could cause that kind of reaction," Shiki said, voice suddenly serious. "And most of them are extremely rare… extremely dangerous… and extremely illegal."
Clide swallowed. "Should I be worried?"
Shiki smirked. "Oh, absolutely."
Clide groaned. "Great…"
Shiki chuckled.
"Wait a sec… Clide."
Shiki stopped walking so suddenly that Clide nearly bumped into him.
"What are you?"
Clide frowned. "What do you mean what am I?"
"I mean exactly what I said." Shiki turned, eyes narrowing as he scanned Clide from head to toe. "Because your soul-energy signals? They're almost identical to a Hollow's. Same wavelength."
Clide blinked. "…Okay? And what does that mean?"
"It means," Shiki said slowly, "that according to every record ever made…you're a Hollow."
Clide stared at him blankly. "Well… both my parents are human, so I'm pretty sure I'm human."
Shiki threw his hands into the air. "What? Oh what the hell Clide! The more I learn about you, the more I wonder who the hell you even are!"
Clide opened his mouth to argue—
—but the forest suddenly inhaled.
A massive rush of frigid air swept past them, chilling their skin instantly. Frost grew across the leaves. The branches creaked under sudden ice. Even the dirt beneath their feet whitened as thin sheets of frost crawled over it.
Clide exhaled, and his breath came out in a cloud.
Shiki stiffened. "that cold… that's soul energy."
A second rush hit them—sharper and colder, biting at their clothes and skin.
The trees ahead cracked and froze solid.
Shiki's pulse quickened.
"Clide," he said quietly. "It's close."
"Yeah…" Clide nodded. "Let's go."
Together, they sprinted toward the source of the cold. Their feet crunched over frozen soil as the forest transformed around them—green turning pale, life turning still. The deeper they ran, the more the world resembled an ice tomb.
Until—
They emerged into a wide clearing.
The entire area was frozen solid. The trees were trapped in thick glass-like ice, bent and twisted as if caught mid-scream. The ground shimmered with frost, and the air was so cold it bit into their lungs.
And in the center of it all…
A creature coiled around a crystalline spire of ice.
It's size was unmistakable."
Its scales were a deep, glacial blue. Frost clung to its horns. Its breath came out in swirling clouds of mist. Long scars lined its body, each one pulsing faintly with icy light.
The Anker Being of this realm.
An Elder Frost Serpent.
Its eyes opened—two glowing, icy orbs that pierced through the cold haze.
Its presence alone froze the air.
Shiki swallowed hard. "An… Elder Frost Serpent. An actual one. A real Diamond-class frost serpent."
Clide whispered, "Well… this looks fun."
The serpent lifted its head.
Snow began to fall.
And the real fight for their lives had just begun.
The Frost Serpent uncoiled slowly, towering higher and higher until its shadow swallowed the entire clearing. Thick sheets of ice cracked beneath its weight. It lifted its horned head—and unleashed a deafening, bone-shaking screech.
The shockwave blasted through the frozen valley. Clide and Shiki were thrown backward, boots skidding across the frost as a storm of icy wind slammed into them. The air itself seemed to cut, needles of frost forming instantly on their clothes and hair.
Clide steadied himself, breath fogging in the frozen air.
Shiki wiped the frost from his cheek, eyes blazing gold as he summoned his weapon. A flash of light spiraled around his hand, forming his blade "the Golden Toothpick"—it was pulsing with Devine soul energy.
Clide lowered into a battle stance. His newly acquired shirt tightened across his frame, highlighting the compact, defined muscles of a boy who absolutely did not look ten years old. Frost clung to his eyelashes, his breath sharp and steady.
"You ready, Shiki?" Clide called out, fists clenched.
Shiki smirked, pointing his glowing blade at the serpent.
"Hell yeah!" he shouted back.
The Elder Frost Serpent's ice-blue eyes narrowed.
In a blink, it lunged—its massive head snapping downward toward Shiki with jaws stretched wide enough to swallow him whole. The ground exploded in shards of ice as its skull slammed into the frost.
Shiki flipped into the air just in time, the serpent's teeth missing him by inches.
Clide seized the opening.
He dashed forward, soul energy flaring faintly beneath his skin, and drove his fist into the side of the serpent's skull. The impact echoed across the frozen clearing—
—but the serpent barely reacted.
Clide's eyes widened. "Oh—"
The serpent whipped its entire lower half sideways. Clide raised his arm to block, but the strike hit with the force of a collapsing mountain.
CRACK!
Clide was launched like a ragdoll, crashing shoulder-first into a massive ice boulder. Fractures spiderwebbed across the surface as he fell to his knees, gasping.
Shiki landed in front of the serpent, golden blade drawn. Their eyes locked.
The serpent lunged again—much faster this time.
Shiki twisted away by a hair, boots skidding across the frost as the serpent's jaws snapped closed behind him. He countered with a slash of his Golden Toothpick—
—but the blade barely cut the serpent's scales, leaving only a shallow scratch.
"Tch… this thing is ridiculous," Shiki growled.
The serpent's chest began to glow.
Shiki's expression froze.
It opened its mouth—and a roaring beam of pure, condensed ice soul energy erupted outward.
Shiki reacted instantly.
"Soul Art! Golden Pupil Technique: HATEFUL PAPERCUT!"
Golden light exploded from his body like a flare. He crossed his t blade in front of him, forming a shimmering shield of golden soul energy. The beam slammed into him, pushing him back inch by inch as his boots carved trenches in the ice.
"Ghh—!"
Just as Shiki's guard began to crack—
A blue streak cut through the beam.
Clide burst forward, aura flickering wildly, and drove a devastating right hook straight into the serpent's jaw. The impact detonated like a thunderclap.
BOOM!
The serpent's head snapped sideways. Its massive body was hurled across the clearing, smashing through one of the towering ice structures before finally crashing into the ground.
Shiki dropped to one knee, panting.
Clide exhaled sharply, shaking frost from his fist.
Shiki and Clide both stepped back, panting, but smiling.
Clide rubbed his fist. "Ha! That was way easier than—"
Shiki's instincts screamed.
"Clide—MOVE!!"
He shoved Clide with every ounce of strength left in his legs.
A flash of white.
A snap of jaws.
The Elder Frost Serpent lunged through the cloud of shattered ice like a resurrected ghost, its fangs tearing straight through the space Clide had been standing.
Clide skidded across the ground, eyes wide.
"H–How is it still alive!?"
Shiki landed hard, glaring at the serpent.
"It's a Diamond-rank beast, dumbass! They don't go down from a punch and a papercut!"
The serpent rose again—taller, angrier, its icy scales pulsing with cold. A thick fog erupted from its body, spreading across the battlefield like a living blizzard. The air itself froze. Frost crawled up the boy's pants. Tiny snowflakes condensed in their breath.
The Elder Frost Serpent hissed, its eyes glowing a deep, ancient sapphire.
Then—
FWOOOM!
A pillar of frost spiraled upward around the serpent, swirling like a tornado of winter. Shiki's eyes widened.
"It's… powering up."
Clide clenched his fists. "Let it! I'm not losing to a giant ice noodle!"
The serpent responded by slamming its tail into the ice beneath it—cracking it open and sending deadly shards shooting up like spears. Shiki jumped back, narrowly avoiding being skewered. Clide blocked two of them with his forearms, gritting through the pain.
The serpent struck again, unleashing an icy shockwave that rolled across the ground in a circular blast.
BOOOOM!
Both boys were thrown in opposite directions. Shiki skidded across the snow. Clide smashed shoulder-first into another ice boulder.
The serpent darted toward Clide in a blur.
"NOT AGAIN!" Shiki barked as he intercepted.
He summoned every drop of soul energy he could still muster.
Soul Art: Golden Pupil—Severing Halo!
A ring of golden light erupted from his blade, slicing forward like a chopping disc. The serpent twisted mid-air, avoiding a fatal hit—but the golden slash struck its tail.
SLLLASHHH—!
The tip of the serpent's tail flew off, blood crystallizing mid-air into icy blue shards.
The serpent let out a monstrous, pained screech.
Clide shouted, "Nice one, Shiki!"
Shiki collapsed to one knee, breathing hard. His soul energy reserves were fading fast.
"I can't… keep this up forever…"
The serpent didn't give him a moment. Frost spiraled around its mouth, denser and brighter than before. Shiki recognized it immediately.
"That beam again—but I can't MOVE!"
The ice beam fired—but Clide grabbed Shiki by the waist, rolling him out of the way as the blast tore a canyon through the frozen floor.
Shiki stood, shaking. "That beam is soul-energy ice… cold enough to freeze your insides instantly."
Clide grinned weakly. "Thanks for the warning."
Clide stepped forward again, fists raised. His breath fogged instantly. His eyelashes began to freeze.
"This frost…" Clide muttered. "It's too strong. It's killing the air…"
He punched the ground, frustrated.
Nothing he did left more than a bruise on the monster.
Then, as he punched again, the ice beneath his knuckles cracked—but only after friction heated the spot first.
His eyes widened.
"…heat."
He looked up at Shiki. "SHIKI! That thing's weakness—it's heat! Anything hot enough can actually break the scales!"
Shiki blinked. "Heat…? Then…"
Clide nodded, eyes glowing. "Use ME as your launcher."
"What!?"
Clide sprinted toward him. "I'll throw you up so fast the air around you ignites your sword! Friction plus soul energy—should be enough to make real fire!"
Shiki stared at him, disbelief turning into excitement.
"…Clide, you crazy bastard."
Clide crouched, muscles tensing.
The serpent inhaled, frost swirling again for another beam.
"NOW, SHIKI!"
Shiki leapt.
Clide planted his feet and punched upward—not at Shiki, but under him—launching him into the air like a cannonball.
Clide then jumped after Shiki—managing to catch up, he then grabbed Shiki and threw him downwards with all his might.
The force was insane.
Air howled around Shiki. Golden soul energy flooded his blade. Sparks flashed. The air burned.
His sword ignited—a streak of blinding gold and white.
Shiki roared from above:
UNIQUE SOUL ART: FRICTION EXECUTION!
The serpent tried to fire its beam—
But Shiki struck first.
SZZZZZHHHHHHHHKKKKKK—!!
His flaming blade tore down through the serpent's skull and out its jaw. The ice beneath them melted in a circle as the head split clean off.
The Elder Frost Serpent collapsed, body twitching, then fell still.
For a moment, only silence.
Then Clide, trembling, raised a fist.
"We… WE DID IT!!"
Shiki landed and nearly collapsed again, laughing breathlessly.
"We actually… killed a Diamond-rank beast…"
Clide grinned. "Hell yeah we did!"
As they cheered—
A ripple of warm light appeared in front of them.
A swirling doorway of soul energy.
A portal home.
Shiki exhaled. "Finally… Let's get the hell outta here."