CHAPTER-9

The training hall was massive, its concrete walls feeling more like a prison than a place to improve. The fluorescent lights overhead hummed, casting a harsh, almost sterile glow over the rows of gym equipment—ropes hanging from the ceiling, balance beams lined along the floor, and thick mats scattered like patches of safety in a battlefield.

The air was thick, heavy with the smell of sweat, the sharp tang of fear, and something metallic that made it hard to breathe.

Reika stood still, her muscles tense, her breath steady as she took in every detail of the room. The floor beneath her feet felt solid, but the weight of what was to come made it feel like the ground could shift at any moment.

Every little sound—the creak of a rope, the shuffle of boots—was amplified, her senses on high alert. This was just the beginning. She told herself that over and over, even as her pulse raced. She wasn't going to let herself show it. Not yet. Not here.

Beside her, Ishigo was a mess. His fingers twitched nervously, adjusting his glasses over and over like it might somehow center his spinning thoughts. His eyes darted around, never staying on one thing for too long, a panic barely contained.

He couldn't stay still, his body a clear reflection of his mind. Every breath seemed like a struggle, every muscle tight with the terror of what was to come.

"I don't think I'll be able to walk after this," Ishigo muttered, his voice barely above a whisper, but it was enough to carry the weight of his fear.

Reika glanced at him, her tone flat but unwavering. "You don't have a choice. Get it together. If you get hurt, you're out."

His throat bobbed as he swallowed, panic in his eyes. "We're supposed to survive deadly training, then go through five level tests. If the 'X' rank Kageshiki are that strong... then how terrifying are the 'I' ranks?"

Reika's mind flashed to the name that haunted her thoughts—Souta, the strongest of the 'I' ranks.

The way he looked at her, like she was some joke he could crush beneath his boot. His mocking tone still echoed in her head, cutting deeper than it should've.

Does he think I'm weak? A failure? She clenched her fists at her sides, trying to shove the anger down. One day, she'd show him. She'd prove she was more than just a punchline.

Her thoughts were cut short by the trainer's voice, sharp and commanding.

"All Kageshiki trainees, line up!"

The room seemed to hold its breath as the trainees scrambled into formation, trying to keep their composure under the suffocating weight of the trainer's icy gaze.

Reika's face was impassive, but Ishigo's was pale, his body trembling with nerves. He couldn't hide it.

"Forty-six people have been disqualified."

The words hit like a punch to the gut, leaving a cold silence in their wake. Reika's expression didn't change, but inside, something cold twisted in her stomach.

"Thirty-seven trainees died. Nine were severely injured."

Ishigo's color drained further, his body stiffening as though bracing for an impact that hadn't come yet. The weight of it settled over the room, thick and suffocating.

The trainer's voice was brutal, cutting through the stunned silence like a knife. "We've never said this before, but if you get injured, you'll have to retrieve a crystal from a beast's body.

Those who weren't prepared were eaten alive. Some lost limbs. Others... didn't make it out at all. The smart ones aimed for the beast's head—a single blow from a nunchaku, and the thing dies instantly."

Ishigo's breath hitched. He was shaking now, his hands clutching his sides. His pulse pounded in his ears, deafening.

I can't die here.

Reika felt a ripple of unease stir in her chest, but she pushed it down. Fear didn't get you anywhere. Not here. Not now.

"Training begins now. First, flexibility."

Without another word, the trainer gestured toward a mat, and the first trainee was called forward. One by one, they demonstrated their flexibility. Some dropped into a split with ease, others crumpled in pain, unable to push any further. When the first trainee's legs refused to go any farther, the trainers stepped in, pressing down on her limbs.

A sickening crack echoed through the room, followed by the girl's scream, raw and desperate.

"My bones... stop! Please!"

The trainers didn't stop. They forced her further, her body bending in ways it wasn't supposed to.

"If you can't do this, how do you expect to bend backward while standing?" one of them mocked, his voice dripping with disdain.

The girl's screams filled the air, her cries breaking through the stillness of the hall. But they didn't stop. Not for a second.

Reika's jaw clenched as she watched, her face frozen. Inside, her stomach turned. No one here is weak. But how long can we last?

Ishigo, though, was struggling to hold himself together. His breaths were shallow, his face pale. He gripped his own legs, his muscles trembling.

I can't do this, he thought. This is too much. I don't want to be like her...

Daigo's voice cut through the heavy silence, louder than it should've been.

"Yo, bro! Wassup?"

He slapped Ishigo on the back, shaking him out of his stupor. "What, you scared? C'mon, pull yourself together!" Daigo grinned, his carefree attitude almost jarring against the brutal scene unfolding around them.

Ishigo managed a strained laugh, but it didn't reach his eyes. "I... I can't focus, Daigo."

Daigo slapped him on the back again, still grinning. "Don't worry, bro. If I can survive this, anyone can."

Before Ishigo could respond, the trainer's voice came again, sharp and demanding.

"Kageshiki trainee number one, step forward."

A girl, barely holding herself upright, shakily stepped up to the mat. The trainer's eyes narrowed, studying her like a specimen. She hesitated, then dropped into a split.

She winced, her legs barely going past the halfway point. Sweat dripped down her face, but she held her position. One of the trainers stepped forward, his hands moving to her ankles, pressing down with brutal force.

The sickening crack of her bones snapping echoed through the room.

"No! Please, I can't—"

But the trainer just looked at her coldly. "You should have prepared better."

Her scream was swallowed by the trainer's indifference as he moved on.

Ishigo's chest tightened as the sound of cracking bones filled his mind, his legs shaking uncontrollably. His thoughts raced, panic clawing at him from every direction.

I can't do this. I can't...

Reika's voice cut through his panic, calm and steady. "Focus, Ishigo. Don't let them break you. If you're afraid now, you've already lost."

Her gaze met his, sharp and unwavering. She wasn't showing fear either. Not now. Not ever.

The next exercise began immediately.

The training hall was vast, almost oppressive in its size, with its concrete walls looming like a cage. The harsh fluorescent lights above buzzed, casting a cold, sterile glow over the rows of gym equipment.

Ropes hung from the ceiling, their frayed edges swaying like eerie pendulums, and balance beams stretched out across the floor, each one a potential trap for those who weren't prepared. Thick mats were scattered in a strange, chaotic pattern, offering a small semblance of safety in a room that promised anything but.

The air was thick, heavy with the pungent scent of sweat and the faint, metallic taste of fear. It made the room feel suffocating, like every breath you took was dragging you deeper into a nightmare that had yet to begin.

Reika stood still, her body taut with anticipation. Her muscles were coiled, ready to spring into action, but her expression remained cool, detached. She didn't let herself show the nervousness that was crawling up her spine. She couldn't. Not here. Not now. She had to be ready. Every detail in the room was etched into her mind, every sound amplified—each creak of a rope, the shuffle of boots on the floor. The noise, the tension, the feeling of being trapped—it was all a reminder of what was to come.

Beside her, Ishigo was a mess. His usual calm demeanor had completely unraveled. He fidgeted constantly, adjusting his glasses, his fingers twitching as if trying to center himself, but nothing was working. His eyes darted around the room, never lingering on one thing for too long, and it was clear that his thoughts were spiraling. The fear was palpable, suffocating, and it clung to him like a second skin.

"I don't think I'll be able to walk after this," Ishigo muttered under his breath, his voice barely audible, but the fear in it was unmistakable.

Reika shot him a sidelong glance, her gaze unwavering, her voice flat but hard as stone. "You don't have a choice. Get it together. If you get hurt, you're out."

Ishigo swallowed thickly, his throat bobbing as he fought to keep his composure. His eyes flickered nervously as he spoke again, the words escaping in a rush, like he couldn't stop them even if he wanted to. "We're supposed to survive deadly training, then go through five level tests. If the 'X' rank Kageshiki are that strong… then how terrifying are the 'I' ranks?"

Reika's thoughts briefly flashed to the name that had haunted her mind for days: Souta. The strongest of the 'I' ranks. The way he had looked at her, dismissing her as little more than a joke, a punchline waiting to be crushed beneath his heel. The mocking tone of his voice still echoed in her head, cutting deeper than she cared to admit. Was he right? Was she weak? Was she just another failure waiting to be discarded?

Her fists clenched at her sides as the anger rose inside her. She wasn't going to let him think that. One day, she would show him. She would prove that she wasn't weak. Not anymore.

Her thoughts were cut short by a sharp voice, slicing through the tension like a blade.

"All Kageshiki trainees, line up!"

The room seemed to hold its breath as the trainees scrambled to form a line, trying to maintain some semblance of composure under the weight of the trainer's icy gaze. Reika's face was impassive, but Ishigo's was pale, his body trembling with the kind of nervous energy that made it look like he might break at any second.

"Forty-six people have been disqualified."

The words hit like a punch to the gut, stealing the air from the room. There was a moment of stunned silence before the trainer's next words shattered it completely.

"Thirty-seven trainees died. Nine were severely injured."

Ishigo's color drained even further, his face a sickly shade of white, his body stiffening as though bracing for a blow that hadn't landed yet. Reika's expression didn't change, but inside, something twisted in her gut. The weight of those words hung heavy in the air, oppressive and suffocating. The severity of what they were about to face hit her like a cold wave, but she refused to let it show.

The trainer's voice cut through the silence, harsh and unforgiving.

"We've never said this before, but if you get injured, you'll have to retrieve a crystal from a beast's body. Those who weren't prepared... were eaten alive. Some lost limbs. Others didn't make it out at all. The smart ones aimed for the beast's head. A single blow from a nunchaku, and the thing dies instantly."

Ishigo's breath hitched, his eyes wide with terror. He looked like he might collapse right there, the fear almost overwhelming him. His pulse was hammering in his ears, a deafening beat that drowned everything else out. His mind raced, thoughts spiraling into a frantic mess of "I can't die here. I can't die here." But the words felt hollow, as if they held no weight at all. There was no escape. Not now.

Reika felt a ripple of unease deep in her chest, but she shoved it down. Fear didn't get you anywhere. Not here. Not now. If she let herself be consumed by it, she was already lost.

"Training begins now. First, flexibility."

The words were as cold as the air in the room, and without waiting for any reaction, the trainer gestured to a mat in the center. The first trainee was called forward, a girl whose face was pale with dread. She stepped onto the mat, her body trembling with the effort to keep steady, to keep from collapsing under the weight of what was happening.

One by one, the trainees demonstrated their flexibility. Some dropped into a split with ease, their bodies stretching like rubber, while others crumpled in pain, unable to push any further. The sound of bones cracking and strained muscle filled the air, a sickening chorus of agony.

When the first trainee's legs refused to go any farther, the trainers stepped in, their hands pressing down on her limbs with brutal force.

A sickening crack echoed through the room.

The girl screamed, her voice raw with pain.

"My bones... stop! Please!" Her voice cracked, but the trainers didn't stop. They forced her further, her body bending in ways it wasn't meant to. The sound of her joints grinding and snapping was almost too much to bear.

"If you can't do this, how do you expect to bend backward while standing?" one of the trainers sneered, his voice dripping with contempt.

The girl's screams filled the air, but no one moved to help her. Not the trainers. Not the other trainees. The room was cold, indifferent to her suffering.

Reika's jaw clenched, her face frozen, though inside, her stomach churned. This was what it meant to be a Kageshiki trainee. No weakness. No room for hesitation. But how long could they last?

Ishigo was struggling to hold himself together, his face even paler than before. His breaths were shallow, his hands trembling as they clutched his legs. He looked like he might faint at any moment.

"I can't do this," he whispered, almost pleading with himself. "I don't want to be like her…"

Daigo's loud voice cut through the tension, jarring and out of place.

"Yo, bro! Wassup?"

He slapped Ishigo on the back, shaking him from his stupor. "What, you scared? C'mon, pull yourself together!" Daigo's grin was wide, his carefree attitude almost unnerving in contrast to the brutal scene unfolding around them.

Ishigo managed a strained laugh, but it didn't reach his eyes. "I… I can't focus, Daigo."

Daigo slapped him again, harder this time. "Don't worry, bro. If I can survive this, anyone can."

Ishigo didn't respond. The words didn't matter. Not now.

The next trainee was called forward. A girl, barely holding herself together, stepped onto the mat. She hesitated for just a moment, then dropped into a split, her body trembling with the effort. Sweat beaded on her forehead, but she held her position, her legs barely going past the halfway point. One of the trainers stepped forward, his hands gripping her ankles as he pressed down with brutal force.

The sickening crack of her bones snapping echoed through the hall, followed by her agonized scream.

"No! Please, I can't—" But the trainer didn't stop. He just looked at her coldly, his expression emotionless.

"You should have prepared better," he muttered.

Her scream was swallowed by the cruelty of the trainer's indifference.

Ishigo's chest tightened as the sound of cracking bones filled his mind, his legs shaking uncontrollably. Panic clawed at him, a wild, desperate thing.

"I can't do this. I can't…"

Reika's voice cut through his panic, steady and calm. "Focus, Ishigo. Don't let them break you. If you're afraid now, you've already lost."

Her gaze met his, sharp and unwavering. She wasn't showing fear. Not now. Not ever.

The next exercise began immediately.

"Now, fight against your partner while maintaining a split."

Reika turned to Ishigo. His face was pale, his body trembling with fear, but there was a flicker of something in his eyes. Resolve. He nodded.

"Let's go," she said, her voice low, almost predatory.

The battle began. The room filled with the sound of strained muscles and gritted teeth. Reika could feel the tension building in her body, each movement testing her flexibility, her endurance.

But she didn't care. She couldn't. This was only the beginning.