(At the Cafeteria)
Tsukiko stepped in front of a massive metal door that slid open automatically, granting her entrance into a vast dining hall. The room was buzzing with about twenty candidates already seated. She spotted Hoshizaki walking quickly toward her and let out a long sigh of relief.
"I finally found you," Tsukiko said with a weary smile. "I checked all the rooms but couldn't find anyone. I did manage to get word that Ren is back in the clinic to rest, but that was it. Then a supervisor told me to head here for dinner."
Hoshizaki nodded in understanding. "Yeah, same thing happened to me. When I arrived, I searched everywhere but couldn't find a trace of you guys."
Tsukiko looked around the hall, her brow furrowing. "So Aiko and Zen aren't here?"
Hoshizaki shook his head. "No, haven't seen them. I'm sure they aren't in their rooms because I checked. I saw you sleeping in your room, so I figured I'd leave you be and head out once I confirmed you were safe."
A thought suddenly struck Tsukiko. "Wait... do you remember how you got separated from the rest of us?"
Hoshizaki paused to think. "Well, all I remember was running in the same direction as the other candidates. My vision started getting blurry, and all of a sudden, my legs gave out and everything went dark."
"That confirms it, We Must Have Fainted From The Race" Tsukiko said, her theory clicking into place. "Cause That's they Same story with me. Aiko and Zen must have actually completed the race."
Hoshizaki turned back to scan the cafeteria again. "Maybe."
Tsukiko stared at the ground for a long moment before looking back up at him. "Do you think they're alright?"
Hoshizaki dismissed the worry immediately. "We can't start thinking like that. I'm sure they're fine. After all, it's Zen and Aiko—they can handle themselves."
Tsukiko nodded, forcing a slight chuckle as her smile returned. "You're right. I'm just glad I found you, nonetheless."
They walked toward the lunch line together. "All we can do now is eat," Hoshizaki said, grabbing a tray. "The Guild must be covering the meals; I don't remember paying for food when we handled the exam fees."
"I guess so," Tsukiko agreed, adding food to her own tray. "Maybe it's an apology or a gift for that second phase of the exam we went through."
They moved to an isolated table and sat down. "Either way, I'm not complaining," Hoshizaki said with a grin, taking a massive bite of fried chicken. "Oh my god, this is heaven!"
Tsukiko chuckled at the exaggerated, satisfied face he was making. She used her fork and knife to cut a piece of her own chicken, nodding in agreement as she tasted it. "You're right. This is incredible."
Just as they were settled into their meal, the sharp, deafening crash of a tray hitting the floor shattered the atmosphere. Then another followed, and another.
Hoshizaki and Tsukiko bolted upright, turning toward the source of the noise. Three candidates were standing on top of a central table, kicking over dishes and pouring out food just to seize everyone's attention. It was working—the entire room had gone silent. Once the leader realized every eye in the hall was on them, he finally spoke.
"Is this how they honor our dead? An apology for almost getting us killed, served with grease and fries? How shameless!"
The leader of the trio spat the words out, his two teammates behind him nodding like frantic bobbleheads. "You tell 'em, sir!" one piped up, trying to fuel the fire.
The cafeteria remained heavy with silence. Eyes slowly drifted away from the spectacle, candidates returning to their meals in a quiet, collective snub. But the leader, Rei, wasn't finished with his yapping.
"As the greatest leader this world has ever seen, I've already devised a plan," Rei continued, jumping down from the table with practiced drama. "We take down SHIELD for what they did to us—for the terror they put us through! Look around. No guards, no supervisors, no Elites. It's just us. How many of our friends are rotting in the hospital because of these 'exams'? Join me. Worship me! I'll get you those licenses by force, and you can sell them for a fortune. Because let's be honest—nobody here actually wants to be a SHIELD member, right?"
Rei erupted into a jagged laugh, his teammates joining in from their perch atop the table. Around them, the other candidates continued to ignore the circus, focused entirely on their food.
"So, become my slaves and drag me to victory so we can see the light together!" Rei shouted, his voice reaching a desperate pitch. "Let's plan our attack. Since you've made it this far, I'm assuming you're the best of the best. Now... who's with me?"
Rei's two lackeys thrust their hands into the air. Aside from them, not a single person moved. The cafeteria was so silent you could hear a stray, unimportant cough from the back of the room. Rei's smirk faltered, his chest heaving as he tried to force the smile back onto his face.
"Maybe you didn't hear me," he growled, his voice dropping an octave. "I said, who is with me?"
The same suffocating silence met him. The candidates literally acted as if he didn't exist. Pure, unadulterated rage finally boiled over.
"You animals!" Rei screamed. "You watched people die and you have no pity? You should all be licking my shoes and begging for my help because—"
"Do you ever shut up?"
The voice rang out like a gunshot. Rei and every other person in the hall froze, their heads snapping toward the source. Zanka was leaning back in his chair, eyes closed and arms folded tight across his scarred chest. The veins on the side of his head were throbbing, a clear sign that he was barely containing a tidal wave of violence.
Rei squinted at Zanka, his expression twisting into confusion. "What did you just say?" he asked, stepping closer. His two lackeys jumped down from the table, flanking him in a desperate attempt to look intimidating.
Zanka remained still, his eyes closed, though the veins in his temple were throbbing. "Everyone here chose to be here," Zanka said, his voice low and dangerous. "We weren't forced. So, how about you sit down before you lose the ability to sit ever again?"
Rei let out a sharp, mocking chuckle. "Who the hell is this freak?" he asked, glancing at one of his men.
"Rei—" the man started.
"That's King Rei to you!" Rei snapped.
The lackey winced. "My bad, King Rei. But, uh... judging by the rumors about a scarred guy putting Mr. Prodigy in the hospital... I think that's him."
Zanka's eyes snapped open, locking onto them with a cold, predatory stare. From a nearby table, Hoshizaki watched the exchange in total bewilderment, leaning over to whisper to Tsukiko. "I don't get what's happening. Who is 'Mr. Prodigy'?"
Tsukiko didn't answer; she just shook her head, her eyes fixed on the brewing violence.
Rei's smile returned as the pieces clicked into place. "Oh, I see. I should've realized sooner. Of course... it's just that I wasn't there to witness it myself."
"Why? You didn't make the run?" Zanka asked flatly.
Rei's face flushed with sudden fury. "SHUT UP! That's not the point! The point is, you put someone in the hospital. You're just as guilty as the Guild!"
Zanka turned his gaze forward, looking past them as if they were already ghosts. "Don't talk to me," he warned.
Rei and his men stepped into his personal space, grinning. "Why? Or else you're gonna fight me?"
Zanka exhaled a heavy, ragged breath. "I have no interest in killing you. If I did, Ayumu would penalize me, I'd be disqualified, and I wouldn't accomplish my goal." He began to stand up, preparing to walk away.
"Spoken like a true coward," Rei spat.
Zanka halted mid-step. He turned back toward Rei, his face a mask of pure, unadulterated rage. "What did you say?"
Zanka stepped into Rei's shadow. Rei opened his mouth to repeat it—"I said—"—but he never finished the sentence.
Zanka's fist collided with the bridge of Rei's nose with the force of a falling moon. The impact sent Rei flying backward so fast he became a blur. He burst through the heavy metal doors of the cafeteria, his body slamming into the concrete wall outside with a sickening crunch. A spray of blood painted the wall as half of his teeth shattered and one eye was crushed instantly. He slumped to the ground, unconscious before he even hit the floor.
One of his teammates, fueled by panicked rage, grabbed a heavy metallic serving spoon and swung it at Zanka's head with everything he had. Zanka didn't even flinch. The spoon connected with his temple so hard the metal bent to the shape of his face, but Zanka didn't show a hint of pain. He simply stared at the boy.
Terrified, the guy grabbed a ceramic plate to smash it over Zanka's head. Zanka waited until the plate began its descent before punching straight through the ceramic, shattering it into a thousand shards. With the broken pieces still gripped in his fist, he followed through with the punch, striking the boy's temple and sending his limp body spiraling through the air. He landed hard at Hoshizaki's feet.
"Shit!" Hoshizaki yelled, jumping back in fear. Tsukiko quickly pulled him close to her side.
The final teammate, trembling, pulled a table knife and charged. As he lunged, Zanka flicked his hand, snapping the blade off the handle as if it were made of glass. The guy stared at the useless handle in his hand in utter disbelief.
Zanka walked toward him slowly. "How old are you?" he asked softly.
Snot ran from the boy's nose and sweat poured down his face. "T-twenty-five," he stammered.
"Twenty-five percent it is," Zanka muttered to himself.
He buried a fist into the guy's gut using exactly twenty-five percent of his strength. The boy vomited blood instantly as the force launched him upward, his body bouncing off the ceiling before crashing back down to the floor.
Zanka took a breath, his rage finally simmering down. He noticed the terrified eyes of the onlookers, let out a disgusted "Tsk," and walked out of the hall.
The moment he was gone, a wave of silent relief washed over the cafeteria. Tsukiko stared at the wreckage, then looked at Hoshizaki. "Who the hell is that guy?"
(At The Elite Building )