BOOOOM!!!!
The sound was not just an explosion; it was the sound of reality fracturing. A shockwave of malevolent energy blasted outward from the circular gate, knocking over displays and shattering the glass of the reception desk.
"What?!!"
The receptionist and all the gathered people were horrified, staring as the stable, inviting blue gateway vibrated violently. The azure hue bled away, replaced instantly by a crimson so deep it looked like fresh arterial blood. It was no longer a testing ground; it was a death trap. It had transformed into a Red Dungeon.
"Oh No!"
The Receptionist froze in utter horror, her hands trembling over her mouth as the red light bathed her pale face. The students were gone, and the door behind them had just locked into nightmare mode.
___
[Mirabella's Home.]
Far away from the chaos, the evening was quiet.
CLICK!
The door opened, and Mirabella stepped inside, the weight of the day's events and the secret resurrection orb heavy on her mind. She looked up, expecting silence, only to see Cupcake and Elizabeth sitting on the bed, a chessboard set up between them.
"....?!"
She blinked, stunned. The image of a super killer and a small white cat locked in a battle of wits was not what she expected to come home to.
"You are back... It seems you gain the gift." Elizabeth muttered without looking up, her eyes scanning the board. She could sense the shift in Mirabella's soul signature—the mark of the resurrection orb.
Mirabella blinked, getting herself together.
"Um... Yes. What are you two...?"
"Oh, chess! I can't still believe your spirit familiar knows how to play it." Elizabeth said, finally turning her head to Mirabella, a look of genuine perplexity on her face.
"I have been observing my master, she is a pro at it. So of course, I will know one of two." The white cat said, her tail flicking smugly as she used her paw to push her king piece forward.
"Tricky... Using your king as a bait, and kill my king with your bishop... I am not a noob." Elizabeth said, narrowing her eyes as she moved her horse piece back to defend.
Mirabella watched them for a moment, the domesticity of the scene grounding her. But her mind was still back in the hallway with the boy who had red eyes and an aura of death.
"Hmm... Elizabeth, can you tell me about Hitachi... Do you know anything about the Azul family?"
Elizabeth froze. Her hand hovered over the board. Slowly, she placed down the pawn in her hand back on the board, the game forgotten. She turned to Mirabella, her expression darkening.
"Why are you curious about them? Did Hitachi do anything?" She asked, her voice laced with caution.
"Nothing." Mirabella walked towards the couch and sat down, staring at the two on the bed. She leaned forward, elbows on her knees.
"I just want to know... If a time come that I might face Hitachi, I want to know."
Elizabeth nodded slowly. She shifted on the bed to face Mirabella fully, her face serious.
"You know, others use the spirit energy in their bodies to cast skills. But the Azul clan, as we call them used the atmospheric energy... As long there is energy in the air, they can use it and create any type of skills, and attack with it, meaning, they have infinite amount of energy. Legends says they could even reflect all attack with that eye of theirs."
"Eye?" Mirabella frowned slightly.
"Yes. We call it Celestial Eyes. With this eyes Hitachi can copy skills, control and see through illusions, spirits, and can also hypnotics. He is also good at causing instant death to another who stare at those eyes for too long..."
Mirabella's internal alarm bells began to ring.
'You kidding me! Isn't this Sharingan in Naruto?' Mirabella thought with a frown. The parallels were undeniable. 'If it's that type of eye... Hitachi is a very dangerous opponent.' she added silently.
"Not only that, he could also turn himself into his elements, and can also tear through barriers and all defense. He also has 360 degree vision, and can see everything." Elizabeth said.
Before she could continue listing the seemingly endless buffs of the Azul clan, Mirabella stopped her.
"Wait..."
She rubbed her temples. 'So powerful, but I didn't know such a person existed in my previous life, did something happen to him?' She thought with a frown. If he was this broken, he should have been a major player in the game lore. She looked at Elizabeth, sensing personal history.
"How do you know so much about this celestial eye?"
"I know because I fought one in the past."
Elizabeth raised her hand, her fingers trembling slightly. She started undoing the buttons on her blouse, pulling the fabric aside to reveal a jagged, angry scar on her chest, right above her cleavage. It looked like a burn mark that had never fully healed.
"I gained this in that battle." She gave a small, sad smile, buttoning the shirt back up. "Before fighting anyone with a celestial eye, make sure to have an extraordinary mental and soul defense. Because almost all their skills deals with your mind, and soul."
She sighed, her expression dropping into melancholy.
"What happened?" Mirabella asked in confusion.
"Hitachi is the last of the Azul clan... He is the only survivor... That's why he is always indifferent to almost everything."
Mirabella leaned back. 'Ok, now he is Sasuke. How ironic.' She shook her head lightly.
'With what I know from Naruto... Fighting Hitachi with my current strength is a death wish. I have multiplier and all... But if I can't hit him, it's useless. I also need to grow much stronger, at least to be able to block anything throw at me.' She thought, her competitive spirit warring with her survival instincts.
BOOOOM!!!
Instantly, the whole building shook violently, dust falling from the ceiling. The chessboard slid off the bed, pieces scattering across the floor.
"What the?! Are we under attack?!!" Mirabella stood up.
"Not possible... Anyone that want to attack will surely focus on the third empire." Elizabeth buttoned back the last of her blouse quickly, her eyes sharp. She followed Mirabella, who was already rushing to the door, Cupcake following behind the two.
__
[Dungeon Hall.]
The hall was in chaos. Students were running, shouting, pointing at the screen that displayed the impossible reading.
"What happened?!!"
A commanding voice cut through the panic. Regina rushed inside the hall, her presence parting the sea of students like a blade. She stopped in front of the trembling reception, her heels clicking ominously on the floor. Regina stared at the red glowing gate, feeling the malice radiating from it, and turned to the lady.
"I thought we already told you!! No student must be allowed in a Red dungeon, unless it's the invincible five!" She yelled at her, her aura flaring with rage.
"That's not it Lady Regina! The teams entered a normal dungeon, and all of a sudden it transformed into a red dungeon!" The lady quickly explained in fear, tears streaming down her face.
"Transformed into a red dungeon? From a normal?" Regina was stunned. Such a thing was theoretically impossible. A stable dimension shouldn't mutate.
"What is happening here!"
The crowd gasped as three oppressive pressures descended upon the hall. Hayatobi marched inside, flanked by Elder Gaga and the third elder, Merlot. Deep frowns could be seen on their faces; the playful demeanor Hayatobi usually wore was completely gone.
"Oh my, even the academy elders are here."
"Hey, I just arrived, what is happening?"
"My god, how did this happen?!!"
The students murmured amongst themselves, staring at the red gate in disbelief, shock, surprised and horror. They all knew one thing: whoever was inside that gate was already as good as dead.