After the elimination test, the tension in the room subsides as the failed participants take the exit door.
All the remaining candidates, still breathless, watch Devi Harman, who is still standing on the podium with an unchanged smile.
— Good, congratulations to those who passed the elimination. You have all demonstrated your ability to resist pressure. Now, we will move on to team formation.
Atela and Noa exchange a glance.
Harman shifts slightly to the side, revealing a large door emitting an blinding white light.
"a spatial-temporal technique?"
Atela notices.
— I'm going to ask you to go through that door.
Some already begin warming up, while others remain cautious.
Among them, a young boy with tanned skin and red hair stands with a wide smile. Without warning, he throws himself headfirst toward the door at a lightning-fast speed.
A moment of hesitation. The world seems to slow down for the strongest.
Harman follows the boy with his eyes despite his incredible speed. The boy's red eyes shine like burning flames, a mixture of madness, excitement, ecstasy, and fascination blending within them as he disappears into the light.
— No way! Hugo, wait for me!
He is followed by another boy with tanned skin and white hair, who also rushes toward the light at lightning speed.
Harman watches the door they just passed through, still smiling.
— Well, well… They went in before I even explained where it leads! That's slightly troublesome…
Harman lets out a small sigh.
The other participants are still shocked by the speed of the two boys. Even Atela can hardly believe it. They were so fast she struggled to follow them with her eyes.
— But Harman… he had no problem at all…
She then understands why: he is an S-rank Leader.
Even Noa, despite being very fast, could not clearly perceive their movements.
— That red-haired boy… it's the first time I've felt such a strange chaotic energy…
Harman draws everyone's attention back to him, letting out a small laugh while covering his mouth with his hand. Then he slowly turns his head.
His eyes shine.
In a soft voice:
— You should go as well. I forgot to mention that the speed at which you cross that door will have a direct impact on what comes next.
No need to say more.
All participants rush toward the light.
Atela grabs Noa's arm.
— What are you doing?
— Follow me, no questions!
The two run at full speed toward the door without hesitation.
In just a few minutes, the large hall is completely emptied, leaving only Harman in silence.
He opens his eyes… and notices that one person did not pass through the portal.
A young boy with white hair and green streaks, wrapped in a blanket, deeply asleep on the ground.
Harman looks at him from the podium, the door still open behind him. A drop of sweat runs down his face.
— …What am I supposed to do in this situation?
Noa opens his eyes again in a completely different room.
It is bathed in a pale red light, reflected on the white walls and pillars.
This room looks more like a house: chairs, furniture, curtains over the windows… and a radio placed on a table.
He also notices he has changed clothes: an outfit mainly composed of black, dark blue, and white.
— At least this wasn't as chaotic as last time.
— can you explain what got into you?
— you should at least thank me, it was a spatial-temporal technique. If we hadn't held hands, we would have been transported to two different places.
Atela is also present in the room. She too has changed clothes, now wearing an outfit in white, red, and black.
Noa notices that there are ten people in the room.
The radio turns on, revealing Harman's voice:
— Hello everyone, I hope the journey went well.
Harman is transmitting from a dark room, his hand resting on the shoulder of a mysterious man in charge of radio transmissions.
Ranta Chihiro.
A young boy dressed in orange, white, and red clothing is lying on the ground, seemingly having landed violently.
— For others maybe… but for me, we can't really say that.
Hajime Chota.
A young man from the beast clan, with black hair, black fur covering his hands, two black marks on his cheeks, and a wolf tail wrapped around his waist, sits on the sofa.
— So, what's next?
Harman replies, his voice passing through the radio:
— You may have noticed that there are only ten of you in this room, and that is completely normal. I took the 500 candidates who passed the elimination and divided them into 50 teams, each composed of 10 members, including you.
He pauses.
— I will give you the rest of the details as things progress… but for now, I'll let you get to know each other.
The radio cuts off.
A heavy silence settles in the room among those present.
Next chapter: Rule and program