The academy buzzed with excitement. Today was the Special Combat Evaluation—a simulation test designed to assess teamwork, strategy, and growth. Students would be grouped into teams of four and enter a monster-infested forest through advanced technological gates. At the end of each simulation, a powerful boss awaited.
These "Simulation Gates" were the creation of Professor Elrick, a renowned scientist and the Head of Advanced Gate Engineering. Each gate dynamically adjusted its difficulty based on the combined strength of the team.
"As you all may already know, today is the Special Combat Evaluation," Ms. Viera announced to her class. "Get ready and follow my lead."
As students gathered their things, Skye leaned toward Lumiel with a grin. "Hey, Lumiel, are you excited? Because I sure am."
"Yeah, I've been looking forward to this," Lumiel replied. "I've only seen monsters on social media or on television. It'll be nice to see them up close… in a controlled setting."
"Same here," Skye chuckled.
Ms. Viera's voice snapped through the air. "You two at the back—move faster, or I'll leave you behind!"
"Coming, Ms. Viera!" Skye called.
Lumiel gave a soft smile. It feels so nice today. I hope nothing goes wrong.
Outside the classroom, Lady Nishia stood waiting, arms crossed.
"What took you two so long?"
"Sorry, Nishia," Lumiel said with an awkward smile. "You're not mad, are you?"
"I-I'm not mad or anything!" she replied, turning slightly away. "I just waited too long… that's all."
"Thank you for waiting." Lumiel smiled warmly, and Nishia's face turned a light shade of pink.
Kurt and Skye, walking behind, thought in unison, It must be nice to have a girlfriend…
"Hey!" Ms. Viera snapped. "Cut the flirting and move it! We're heading to the Simulation Gate department!"
Lady Nishia flushed even deeper. Lumiel, confused, turned toward her. "Why are you spacing out?" Without waiting, he grabbed her hand. "Let's go!"
They arrived at the department soon after. Three massive metallic gates stood proudly, each humming with raw energy. Above them, screens displayed simulation difficulty: D, C, B, A. A larger screen near the ceiling showed a leaderboard, ranking students by performance. The objective was simple—enter the simulation, defeat monsters, conquer the boss, and earn points.
Ms. Viera clapped to get everyone's attention. "Alright, listen up! I'd like you all to meet the man behind today's test. Please welcome Professor Elrick, Head of Advanced Gate Engineering!"
Students clapped respectfully.
Professor Elrick stepped forward, smiling. "Thank you, Ms. Viera. As you've all been told, your gates will adapt to your team's strength. Don't take this lightly. Now then—form your teams. Four members per group."
Students began forming teams quickly. Lumiel, Skye, and Lady Nishia stood together.
"We're missing one," Lumiel said, glancing around. "Hey! Claud! Why don't you join us?"
Claud waved from a distance. "Sorry! Already got my team. Good luck!"
Skye sighed. "Guess we'll need to find someone else."
Before they could look, a gentle voice spoke up. "Um… can I join your group? I'm Seraphine."
A soft-looking girl with snow-white hair and an innocent expression stepped forward. Her aura was light and cheerful. She introduced herself and her gift: Spirit Ribbon—a lengthening ribbon used for dance-based combat and light binding techniques.
"Aww… you're adorable!" Skye said, eyes sparkling. "Your name's cute too! I'm Skye. Nice to meet you!"
> [System: Skye is weak against cute things.]
Lady Nishia remained suspicious, but eventually nodded. Just then, Lumiel's system chimed.
> [System Notice: Dangerous Anomaly Detected Nearby. Source: Unidentified.]
Lumiel squinted at the notification, his eyes narrowing. "...An anomaly?"
Moments later, their team was called. As they stepped into their assigned gate, the border shimmered and turned a glowing, ominous red.
A mechanical voice echoed from the display above:
> Simulation Difficulty: S-Rank
Everyone inside the testing hall froze. Inside the gate, the same message flashed across the sky within the simulated forest.
Skye's legs shook. "S-S-Rank…? That's real, right?"
Seraphine latched onto Skye's arm with a tremble. "Skye… I'm scared…"
Despite the tension, Lumiel and Lady Nishia stood calmly, their eyes scanning the environment. The trees around them rustled unnaturally.
Back in the control room, Professor Elrick's expression changed from intrigue to alarm.
"Impossible…" he muttered. "Even elite students only triggered A-Rank simulations…"
In the dim forest light, Seraphine turned to Lumiel and smiled—still innocent, still gentle. But for a brief moment, the edges of her mouth twitched just a little too far. Her bright eyes flickered with something else—something cold… something thrilled.
A chill ran down Lumiel's spine.
> [System Notice: Dangerous Anomaly Detected — Proximity Increasing.]
He stared at Seraphine silently.
She tilted her head with a soft, sweet voice.
"Let's do our best… okay?"