The government observation room was shrouded in controlled darkness.
Before them, a series of screens displayed the latest data collected during the Slayer Academy's practical exam: curves, stress indicators, energy anomalies, power spikes.
But no one smiled.
— "…So this is it," murmured a woman in a dark uniform, arms crossed.
— "The new generation."
A man with graying hair scrolled through the data associated with Diopha Hitari's simulation.
— "No extraordinary destruction."
— "No breaches of safety thresholds."
— "Yet…"
He paused.
— "The parameters were forced to adapt to him."
Another council member nodded slowly.
— "The simulation never lost control."
— "But it responded."
They all knew what that meant.
Not an overwhelming victory.
Not a flashy demonstration.
But something far more unsettling.
— "He didn't dominate through raw power," the woman continued.
— "He understood the system from within."
A heavy silence fell.
— "And he's not the only one," added someone else.
The screens shifted.
Blurred silhouettes appeared.
Three simulations classified as abnormally dangerous.
Entities whose full capabilities had never been revealed to the students.
— "The Special Class," said the committee president calmly.
— "We knew they were above the rest."
He tapped the table.
— "But not to this extent."
Academy — Student Area
Outside, the atmosphere was completely different.
— "Honestly," said a Class B student,
— "I thought the previous simulation would last longer."
— "Yeah," replied another.
— "Compared to Hitari or Isaac, it was almost… simple."
Milim furrowed her brow slightly.
— "Simple?"
— "Then you didn't see anything," Douriel nodded silently.
Diopha said nothing.
He stared at the now-empty arena.
Mini-Zenkai floated beside him, invisible to all, arms crossed, an amused expression on his face.
— They really didn't understand anything, he thought.
Diopha replied telepathically.
— Neither did I, then.
— Explain.
Mini-Zenkai smiled.
— The simulation they saw…
— It was only a superficial layer.
— The adversary some faced wasn't "strong."
— It was designed to test one precise thing.
He leaned slightly.
— The ability to survive something that completely surpasses you.
— Even without understanding it.
Diopha tightened his fists slightly.
— So… even we were mistaken?
— Exactly, Mini-Zenkai replied without hesitation.
— You underestimated it.
A short silence.
— And you? asked Diopha.
Mini-Zenkai chuckled.
— Me?
— I would have destroyed it in a single thought.
Then his gaze grew serious.
— But for you…
— It was already monstrous.
Return — Government Room
— "Conclusion," declared the president.
— "We do not intervene."
— "Not yet."
— "The Academy remains an effective filter."
He stood.
— "But prepare the guilds."
— "And inform the high authorities."
His gaze hardened.
— "This generation will not follow the rules of the current world."
Academy — Nightfall
Diopha walked alongside Milim and Douriel.
— "Did you see their faces?" said Douriel.
— "They really thought it was over."
Milim sighed.
— "They always understand too late."
Diopha gave a slight smile.
— "Good."
Mini-Zenkai, floating behind him, thought:
— That was just the warm-up.
— The real chaos begins when the world tries to rank you.
To be continued…