The horn blared like a beast's roar, marking the start of the blood-soaked exam.
A suffocating mist spread across the colossal arena, swallowing every edge of the ground. The sunlight vanished under a sky now covered in dense black clouds. What was once stone and soil became cracked, cursed earth.
Then came the tremors.
Thump... Thump... THUMP!
From deep within the mist, the ground cracked open. One by one, monstrous creatures emerged—colossal beings with three heads, each snarling with jagged fangs as long as swords. Their eyes glowed a sickening crimson, dripping with a liquid that sizzled against the earth like acid.
Their entire bodies were encased in jagged, obsidian-like rock, with glowing runes etched into their flesh—runes that pulsed like heartbeats. Some dragged chains behind them. Others carried curved bone-blades, screeching them across the stone floor to make a sound that could shatter willpower.
There were twenty-eight of them.
A boy near the back vomited on the spot, trembling uncontrollably. "T-They didn't say anything about monsters like these…"
Another girl clutched her knees, sobbing. "I-I'm not ready for this. This isn't an exam—this is execution!"
One participant, tall and cocky moments earlier, dropped his weapon the moment he saw the creatures move. "They're too fast… they're too real…"
Suddenly, a gust of invisible wind slashed through the group.
Something unseen had moved.
A participant in the front—strong, muscular, confident—collapsed, unmoving.
No wounds.
No blood.
But his eyes were wide open… hollow.
His will had shattered.
The invisible Cursed Spirits had taken their first prey.
The announcement echoed again, cold and merciless:
"Once your resolve to fight breaks… you are erased."
Screams filled the arena as the beasts charged forward, their roars drowning all reason.The arena was packed with participants, and the participants were packed with determination. Some wore their fear on their faces—but behind that fear burned an unshakable will.
But not everyone would make it to the end.
Announcement:
"The wait is over! It's time to start the bloodshed!"
Cheers, gasps, and nervous heartbeats filled the air.
"In this first round, there are 100 relics scattered across the arena… but 369 participants.
Only those who hold a relic at the end of 1 hour will pass to the next round."
The crowd murmured. Some participants smirked. Others clenched their fists.
Yukato leaned toward Hiroshi.
Yukato (confidently): "Tch… too easy. I don't need your help."
Hiroshi stood silently, eyes focused, lost in thought.
He didn't respond.
He didn't need to.
Everyone believed they'd pass easily. Everyone believed they were prepared. But then...
Announcement:
"But... it's not that simple."
The air grew still.
"The arena is unpredictable. If you let your guard down—you're out.
If your will to win wavers for even a second…
you will be eliminated."
Suddenly, the ground trembled.
The mist grew thicker.
And from the fog… they emerged.
Twenty-five colossal beasts, each the size of a fortress—three-headed monsters, their skin layered with obsidian rock, their roars shaking the sky.
But they weren't the worst.
From the unseen corners of the arena, invisible cursed beings stirred—creatures that moved at the speed of light. Creatures you couldn't see… couldn't hit.
You could only pray they didn't find you first.
The arena had become a graveyard waiting to be written.
This is not a game. This is the culling of the weak.