"I'll see you tomorrow," Ueki said with an easy smile. "I'll introduce you to everyone."
"Yeah," Kael replied, a rare lightness in his voice. "Tomorrow."
For the first time since being dragged into this fractured world, something almost resembling relief settled in his chest.
He had done it.
He had inserted himself into the flow of fate.
Not as an enemy.
Not as a stranger.
But as an ally.
…
The inn greeted him with familiar silence — the same creaking floor, the same faint smell of detergent and aged wood. He lay down, staring up at the ceiling, letting the exhaustion of distorted worlds finally claim him.
The night passed quickly.
Too quickly.
And when morning came, pale sunlight washed over the unfamiliar city once more.
Kael stood, adjusted the white Jujutsu uniform still clinging to his frame — stark and out of place in this world of divine tournament — and stepped outside.
Cold air brushed his face.
Left.
Then right.
His feet carried him through quiet streets until the towering shape of the hospital came into view. The kind that looked like it existed in every anime — white walls, sterile windows, and an atmosphere that reeked faintly of antiseptic and tension.
He entered.
The world shifted to muffled footsteps, distant beeping machines, and hushed conversations.
Room numbers lined the corridor.
233…
234…
He stopped.
This was it.
Kael raised his hand and knocked gently on the door.
"Excuse me…"
His voice echoed softly along the sterile hallway.
"Come in," Ueki's voice answered from inside.
Kael stepped through.
The room was quiet, filled with the faint rhythmic beeping of medical machines. Rinko lay on the hospital bed, still pale but alert. Sano sat beside her, arms folded, trying to mask his concern. Ai stood near the window with Tenko perched calmly on her shoulder, quietly observing everything.
Ueki turned, smiling lightly.
"This is our new teammate," he announced. "Kael."
"I'm Kael Eidric," he said, bowing slightly. "Nice to meet you all."
A brief silence followed.
Rinko's eyes narrowed slightly — sharp, calculating.
"So you came because you think the second phase will be a team battle?" she asked. "You sound awfully certain."
Kael met her gaze without flinching.
"Not think," he corrected quietly. "I know it will be. It will be announced in a few minutes—"
Before he could finish—
The air shifted.
A pressure, subtle but absolute, flooded the room.
And then—
A short man appeared in the middle of the space as if reality itself had folded him into existence. He wore a farmer-like hat, his stance casual, yet his presence undeniable.
Sano shot up from his seat.
Ai's eyes widened.
Even Ueki stiffened.
Everyone froze.
Everyone… except Kael.
The short man smiled faintly, his calm presence filling the hospital room like invisible gravity.
"Good morning, candidates."
Sano's eyes narrowed. "Who are you?"
The man adjusted his hat slightly, his tone steady and formal.
"I am an aide to the King of Celestial Beings — the God who governs this tournament. I am here to explain the rules for the second round."
Silence fell. Even the machines seemed to lower their beeping.
His gaze swept across them.
"The second round will begin in three weeks. All power users may form teams of up to five members."
A pause.
"However," he continued, "since many of you were once enemies, personal conflict will not be considered an exception. The battlefield does not recognize friendship, mercy, or history."
He spoke at length after that.
Conditions.
Restrictions.
Victory requirements.
Everything exactly as the original flow demanded.
Kael listened in silence, confirming every detail in his mind.
No deviations. No distortions.
Not yet.
Finally, the man gave a small nod.
"That is all. Prepare yourselves accordingly."
He stepped backward.
Plak.
The door closed.
The room remained quiet for a moment longer.
Then — slowly — every gaze turned toward Kael.
Rinko.
Ai.
Sano.
Tenko.
Even Ueki.
All eyes measuring him.
All eyes weighing his words from earlier.
Kael exhaled softly and lifted a hand.
"…See? I told you," he said, attempting to lighten the air with a faint half-smile. "I wasn't guessing."
No one laughed.
The silence that followed was heavy — not hostile, but wary.
In the end, Kael was interrogated.
Not by Ueki, but by everyone else.
Questions came from every direction.
"Where are you really from?"
"What's your true purpose?"
"How do you know so much?"
Kael answered calmly, choosing his words carefully.
"I'm here to hunt Vyrastra," he said. "That's my only objective. Everything else is secondary."
That part, at least, was true.
Tenko stepped forward, eyes sharp with curiosity.
"I saw you use a Sacred Weapon — Hood. What level are you?"
Kael glanced at his hand, remembering the sensation. The way the power had simply… answered him.
"I don't know," he admitted. "I just knew I had to protect him in that moment. And suddenly… it appeared in my mind."
Tenko tilted his head. "So you awakened naturally?"
"…Maybe," Kael replied. "I honestly don't understand it myself."
That answer seemed to satisfy him — or at least, it didn't raise further alarm.
After a long discussion filled with cautious glances and careful judgment, the conclusion was clear.
Kael would be accepted.
Officially.
One of the five.
The decision was made: they would regroup in three weeks. Until then, each of them would focus on training and preparation for the second round.
As the atmosphere began to ease, Kael turned to Ueki.
"Want to train together?" he asked. "It'll be easier if we understand each other's fighting styles."
Ueki smiled lightly. "Sure. But where do you live?"
"An inn," Kael replied. "I'm alone. Don't really have anyone here."
Ueki didn't hesitate.
"Then live at my place," he said simply, as if it were the most natural decision in the world.
Kael blinked. "You sure?"
"Yeah. It's better than being alone anyway."
And just like that, it was decided.
Kael would stay with Ueki.
Not just as a teammate.
But as someone finally embedded into the heartbeat of this world.
And while the others spoke about training schedules and strategies…
Kael looked out the hospital window, eyes distant.
Three weeks.
That was all the time they had.
Because somewhere in the shadows, Vyrastra was also preparing.
And when the second round began…
the real war would start.