What appeared wasn't a chart or list of rules.
It was a satellite-like image.
A vast, dense forest sprawled across the display. Dark green masses broken by jagged shadows, thick canopies swallowing light.
Even from above, it looked alive.
Hostile.
A set of low murmurs rippled through the auditorium.
Arata folded his hands behind his back.
"The opening event," he said evenly, "will take place within the Komorebi Exclusion Forest."
For some reason, that name sent a chill down Daiki's spine.
"It lies on the outskirts of the Shinyo Institute," Arata continued. "A controlled zone. Contained. Monitored."
A slight grin popped on his face.
"Do not mistake that for safe."
The image shifted.
A metallic fence now outlined the forest's perimeter.
Tall, reinforced. Along the fence were forty-four gates, evenly spaced, each marked with glowing sigils.
"These gates," Arata said, "will serve as your points of entry."
Daiki leaned forward a bit, eyes fixed on the screen.
Inside the forest, red indicators began to appear.
Clusters.
Moving clusters.
"Within the Komorebi Forest," Arata went on, "are captured and contained Yurei. Most feral. Some intelligent."
More markers appeared after that.
Larger ones.
"The forest is also home to augmented fauna and flora. Oversized predators. Poisonous plants. Parasitic plants."
A pause.
"Some will attack you on sight. Others will wait."
Someone a couple of seats away from Daiki swallowed audibly.
"This event," Arata said calmly, "is team-based."
The screen changed again.
Three silhouettes grouped together.
"You all will form teams of three."
Each silhouette gained a glowing charm at its center.
"Every team begins with one talisman."
The talisman pulsed softly.
"Your objective is simple," Arata said.
"Obtain a second talisman."
The screen split.
One side showed a team ambushing another.
The other showed two teams defeated, their talismans collected.
"You may acquire your second talisman in any way possible," Arata explained, "you can steal it. Take it with force. You can use trickery. It does not matter."
The whispers and murmurs began to grow louder.
"And once your team possesses two talismans," Arata continued, "you must locate an extraction point."
The image zoomed to the forest's edge.
A solitary structure stood alone.
A reinforced building in the middle of a wide plain.
Lights glowed faintly from within.
"A safe house," Arata said. "Your exit."
Daiki's jaw tightened.
"If your talisman is stolen," Arata added, voice unwavering, "you are not eliminated."
The screen showed a team losing their talisman...
Then, stalking another team with two.
"You must reclaim two. By any means necessary.
Then Arata delivered the line that made the room go wild.
"This event is unrestricted."
No classes.
No divisions.
No alliances.
"Despite the Inter-Division Exchange Event being introduced as First Years versus Second Years," Arata said, "this opening trial pits everyone against each other."
Daiki felt Ren stiffen beside him.
"First years may target other First Years," Arata said. "Second Years may target other Second Years."
His gaze swept the auditorium.
"Or, you may test yourselves against those above—and reap the benefits of surviving."
Silence.
"This structure exists for one purpose," Arata finished.
"To separate those who merely survive... from those who deserve and want to advance."
The screen went dark.
"You have been given everything you need to succeed."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"Whether you understand it.... is a different matter."
Arata turned away from the podium.
"Prepare yourselves," he said.
"The forest opens in an hour."
The lights rose.
And the auditorium exploded into noise.
Daiki sat frozen.
A forest filled with Yurei.
Predators.
Poison.
And hunters.
A battlefield where anyone could be an enemy.
Ren let out a slow breath.
"That's not what I thought it was gonna be," he muttered. "Sounds more like a massacre than a competition."
Yui was clearly trying to stay calm, but her fingers were clenched tightly to the sides of her skirt.
"...They want to see who breaks," she said quietly.
Daiki swallowed.
It was finally time.
To show everyone he wasn't weak.
To show everyone he wasn't prey.
To show everyone that he wasn't going anywhere.
And . . .
To prove himself to his new world.
The first trial had been revealed.
Now it was time to move.