Chapter 3: Trial by Chaos NOVEL VER.

F-Class Capital District 4 — Night

The moon hung low over the cracked rooftops.

Inside a dim apartment, Yota slept on his bed, blanket pulled over his head. The room was quiet, save for the faint hum of a streetlight outside.

Then—

BOOOOM!

Glass shattered mid-air. Pressure exploded through the room as a body came crashing through the window.

Yota jolted up, half-covered by the blanket.

“What the hell—?!”

The man slammed into the far wall with a sickening crack. Debris and shards of glass littered the floor.

When the dust settled, Yota saw him—an unconscious recruit, face bloodied, uniform torn. Blood trickled from a wound near his eye.

Yota stared, dumbfounded.

“Where did you come from?! …Am I still dreaming?!”

⸻

WUG Academy — Thirty Minutes Before the First Trial

The night roared with engines. Floodlights lit the hangar as rows of transport planes waited on the tarmac.

Ms. Merble stood before a hundred recruits, her cape whipping in the wind.

“Recruits!” she shouted over the turbines.

“In thirty minutes, we’ll arrive at the five F-Class districts—and begin the relocation of the lower class!”

Her voice cut through the noise, calm yet commanding.

“This trial isn’t meant to cost lives. Communicate. Prioritize the mission. Follow your officers.”

Her tone softened for a brief moment before returning to steel.

“Your watches will record every capture and display the top forty recruits ahead. They can also read your potential power percentages. Use them wisely.”

She raised her arm, signaling the start.

“Each group will land in its assigned district and operate until dawn. Follow your lead officers to the planes. Dismissed!”

Engines ignited. Recruits scattered toward their transports.

⸻

Sora the corporal officer walked beside Recruit 32, resting a friendly hand on his shoulder.

“Cheer up, 32—it’s not all that bad. At least you’ve got me, right?”

32 sighed. “How can I cheer up when you don’t even have potential… We might as well forfeit.”

Sora’s smile faltered. His hand dropped to his side.

“…I was just trying to help.”

He lingered for a moment as 32 walked ahead, then followed silently into the plane.

Across the field, another group boarded.

Recruit 11 grinned at the door of Plane B. “Hurry up, you slowpokes! We’re gonna be late to the fun!”

⸻

In-Flight

Inside the humming transport, Recruit 1 (Saki) sat calm and straight-backed, fingers interlaced. Beside him, Recruit 2 snored lightly, while Recruit 3 (Toya) leaned back with his sword resting against his knee.

Toya smirked. “Think this’ll go as planned? That we’ll just show up, tell them to move, and they’ll politely pack up?”

Saki’s voice was quiet but sharp.

“No. And I think this is happening too soon. We’ve been here a week and they’re already sending us into a classified mission.”

Toya raised a brow. “So what are you saying?”

“That this trial might be more than an order,” Saki said. “Why would the government trust recruits this quickly—unless they’re trying to get rid of us in the process?”

Before Toya could answer, Ms. Merble’s voice came from the cockpit doorway.

“Recruits, prepare for descent.”

A nervous murmur spread through the cabin. Someone whispered, “I’m scared… I don’t want to die.” Another replied, “Stick close to the strong ones. We’ll be fine.”

Then a thump—Toya’s sword sheath smacked Recruit 2 across the cheek.

He jolted awake. “I’M AWAKE!!”

Toya grinned. “Good. We’re here.”

⸻

F-Class District 2 — Dawn

Wind howled through the empty streets as three recruits descended from the sky.

Recruit 11 dropped first, grinning like a maniac. “HELL YEAH!”

A flash of light—and a violent crash shook the street.

When the smoke cleared, he was sprawled against a wrecked car, coughing through laughter.

Recruit 12 landed gracefully beside him. “That was quite the entrance.”

“Wasn’t so bad,” 11 muttered, wincing.

A porch light flicked on nearby. A sleepy neighbor stepped outside, squinting into the dark. “What’s going on out there?”

The street was empty. Only his crumpled car remained.

He walked closer, horror dawning on his face. “Is… that my car?!”

From above, laughter echoed.

On the rooftop, Recruits 11, 12, and 13 watched the man collapse beside the wreck.

Recruit 11 wheezed with laughter. “Did you see the look on his face?!”

Recruit 13 crossed his arms. “This is what happens when we partner with brawn instead of brains.”

12’s voice was calm but cold.

“He’s right. This fun you’re chasing.”

“It’s only causing disadvantages.”

11 waved him off. “Relax. We’re still waiting for the rest of the group. You two are already boring me.”

12’s tone hardened. “You formed this alliance to help us pass. Character antics weren’t part of the deal. Let’s focus on the goal.”

11 smirked and turned toward the ledge. “If you still want my help, let’s do things my way.”

He stepped off, cloak snapping in the wind.

Behind him, 13 clicked his tongue. “Tsk…”

F-Class District 4 — At the Same Time

“Attention citizens of F-Class District 4!” Sora’s voice boomed through a megaphone as his team marched through the slums. “By order of the World United Government—”

“Is he serious?!” Recruit 31 hissed, grabbing the megaphone.

Recruit 32 looked pale. “You’re gonna get us killed!”

Sora raised his hands defensively. “That was the plan—to draw them out.”

A voice behind them chuckled.

Recruit 36 pointed toward the shadows. “Looks like it worked, sir.”

Figures began emerging from the dark—neighbors, confused and afraid.

36 stepped forward, smirking. “I’ll show them why I’m ranked 36.”

Sora tried to intercept. “Wait—let’s at least explain first.”

But 36 ignored him, flexing as his body swelled grotesquely with muscle.

A neighbor shouted, “Who are you people, making noise at this hour?”

36 sneered. “We’re here to remove your filth from this continent.”

Sora hurried forward, panicked. “That’s not what he meant! Nobody needs to get hurt—”

Then a man burst from the alley, gun in hand.

“I know that uniform! You’re with the government!”

Neighbors gasped. The man’s hands shook.

Sora raised his shield halfway. “We’re not here to harm you. We were ordered to relocate you somewhere safer—”

“Relocate us?” the man screamed. “To die?”

BANG!

The First Death

Silence.

Sora’s body hit the ground first—eyes wide, blood spilling across the street.

Recruit 36 froze.

“S-sir…?”

The recruits behind him went pale. Some screamed, others vomited.

Recruit 32 whispered, “Corporal… no…”

36’s hands trembled. Then clenched.

He turned toward the shooter, voice shaking. “What did you do?”

The neighbor stammered. “I—I didn’t mean to—”

36 roared. His hand shot forward, grabbing the man by the skull.

BAM! The body slammed into the wall.

“YOU MURDERER!”

He punched again. And again. Walls cracked. Fists blurred. Blood spattered the ground.

“YOU FILTHY F-CLASS VERMIN!”

A gun fired again from the crowd—another bullet struck 36’s head and flattened.

He turned slowly, blood trickling down his temple, eyes unhinged.

“You think that was going to work on me?!”

He leapt—like a beast unleashed.

“YOU WILL ALL PAY!”

But before his claws could strike, a single punch landed clean in his gut.

THWACK.

The shockwave sent him flying across the district.

⸻

The Fall

Recruit 36 crashed through the air, disbelief twisting his face.

“Who the hell is that guy—?!”

BOOM!

Glass exploded as he smashed through a fourth-floor window. Yota’s window.

Meanwhile a few streets over back at the scene.

The crowd below went silent.

A new neighbor stepped forward, calm and composed. “If it’s a fight they want,” he said coldly, “we’ll give them one.”

Group D stood frozen.

Recruit 31 shook violently. “They killed our officer and flattened 36—what do we do?! Run?!”

Recruit 33’s eyes burned. “No one’s leaving. Not after what they did to Mr. Sora.”

Recruit 32 wiped a tear from her cheek.

“He tried to bring peace where it didn’t belong… and died for it.”

They turned to the rest of the group.

Recruit 33 raised her voice.

“Then we’ll fight—not for the mission, but to avenge him!”

The recruits rallied, shouting in unison. “YEAH!”

Across the street, Neighbor 4 cracked his neck. “You brought this on yourselves,” he said coldly. “By coming here.”

⸻

Yota’s Apartment

The sound of dripping water filled the ruined room.

Yota crouched beside the unconscious recruit slumped against his wall. Blood streaked the floor.

“I guess I wasn’t dreaming…” he muttered. “Who could’ve done this to you?”

A faint beep started from the man’s wrist. Yota grabbed it and turned the arm over.

The watch blinked repeatedly:

WARNING: MAX USER POTENTIAL DETECTED — 120%

Yota squinted. “Looks like this thing can read power levels… I haven’t seen tech like this in centuries.”

He stood and looked toward the shattered window. Curtains flapped in the wind. Distant smoke rose from the city.

“And whoever launched you through my window,” he sighed, rubbing his temples, “you’re paying to get it fixed.”

⸻

TO BE CONTINUED…

End of Chapter 3 — “Trial by Chaos”