All-Seeing Eye, Activated.
The Saintess's eyes glowed with divine radiance, her sacred vision cutting through the ordinary like a blade. She focused on Erza, standing calmly in the crowd.
At first, there was nothing. Just the outline of a human form, perfectly normal. But the Saintess knew better. She dug deeper, pushing past the surface of reality, parting the layers of disguise like ancient scrolls.
And then she felt it.
The world around her twisted. Space itself seed to warp, bending around a core of pure, unfiltered power. It was like staring into the heart of a black hole—a force so imnse it could crush mountains and split oceans.
Her head pounded. Her vision blurred.
She gasped as the true nature of Erza's form began to bleed through. A shadow darker than night, wings spread wide, casting a suffocating aura that devoured the very light around it. Flas, as old as the first spark of creation, coiled around her like living serpents. Eyes—not human, but ancient and knowing—glared back at her, filled with both cruelty and strange warmth.
The Saintess choked. Blood stread from her eyes, dripping onto her trembling hands.
Her breath ca in shallow, panicked gasps.
No. This wasn't just power. This was sothing else. Sothing primal. Divine being. Sothing that had no place in this world.
"W-what... are you...?" she whispered, her own voice trembling.
Her assistants, sensing sothing was horribly wrong, rushed to her side, trying to steady her, but their voices felt distant, like echoes from a far-off realm.
The van's interior swayed as she collapsed into the seat, her body convulsing.
"Saintess! Are you alright?!"
She clutched her chest, her heart hamring like a war drum.
"I-I have to see her," she managed to choke out, wiping the blood from her eyes with a trembling hand.
The van's driver, panicking, slamd the accelerator, the vehicle roaring toward the college parking lot, tires screeching against the asphalt.
The Saintess leaned back, her eyes still bleeding, her mind shattered.
"She's not just powerful... She's death... wrapped in human flesh."
Her whispered words hung in the air like a curse.
anwhile, Erza's eyes narrowed, her pupils contracting into thin, draconic slits for the briefest mont.
A ripple.
Soone had tried to peer into her true form. A shiver ran through her, like a predator sensing another hunter in its territory.
She scanned the crowd, her senses stretching out, brushing against the auras of hundreds of weak, oblivious humans.
No one here should have the ability to even comprehend my true nature, she thought. A hint of irritation flickered in her chest, but she forced it down.
"No... it must have been my imagination. After all, no mortal could survive gazing into my real form."
Just then, the loudspeaker crackled to life.
"Ladies and gentlen! It's , your favorite Kaito from the Art Club and today's host! In five minutes, the first ga begins! I hope you're ready—be there on ti!"
Erza blinked, montarily distracted. She glanced at the phone Yuuta had bought her, still struggling to grasp all the human technology he insisted on teaching her.
Five minutes.
Her eyes widened slightly.
"Elena," she said, standing abruptly. "Your foolish father is actually participating. We must go. Now."
Elena, clutching her small, glitter-covered backpack, looked up with wide eyes.
"Yes, Mama! Let's go!"
She dashed off like a little cot, weaving through the crowd, her tiny voice echoing,
"Papa! Papa! I'm coming!"
Erza followed, her long hair flowing behind her like a crimson banner, eyes sharp and alert.
I was out on the field, stretching like a hero about to face his greatest trial. The air buzzed with anticipation, the sun hung low, casting long shadows, and the scent of fresh grass mixed with sweat hung in the air. I felt alive.
Suddenly, a tiny missile hit my legs.
"Papa!!"
I turned just in ti to catch Elena, who launched herself into my arms like a ball of pure energy. I spun her around, her giggles cutting through the roaring crowd.
"What's up, my little princess?"
"Papa, do your best! Beat all those big uncles and aunties!"
I chuckled, setting her down gently.
"Of course! I'll make you proud."
Erza approached with her usual cool stride, arms crossed and eyes sharp. She glanced around the bustling field, taking in the sea of athletes nervously warming up, so jogging in place, others shadowboxing like they were about to step into a ring.
"So... how does this work? It looks chaotic," she said, tilting her head slightly.
I smirked, cracking my knuckles.
"Well, the catch is, no one knows what event they're actually competing in until the last minute. It keeps everyone on their toes."
She raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued.
"Why so unpredictable?"
"It's part of the thrill," I said, glancing around as the other participants looked just as nervous as I felt. "Imagine if you knew exactly what you'd play. You'd train just for that and crush everyone. This way, it's pure chaos, a test of instinct and quick thinking."
Erza's lips curled into a small, dangerous smile.
"Hmph. Sounds like a battlefield. I like it."
I grinned.
"Exactly. It's a true test of adaptability."
Suddenly, the loudspeakers crackled to life, and the overly excited voice of the Art Club president bood out:
"Alright, ladies and gentlen! In just two minutes, the first ga will be announced! I hope you've stretched properly, because this isn't just about muscles—it's about guts! I repeat, get ready for the first ga in two minutes!"
Erza leaned in, her eyes narrowing dangerously.
"Don't embarrass , mortal. If you lose, I'll make you regret it."
A shiver ran down my spine.
"Y-Yes, ma'am!"
Elena jumped up, pumping her tiny fists.
"Go, Papa! Win, win, win!"
I felt a wave of motivation. Alright, Yuuta. Whatever they throw at you, you've got this.
As the crowd grew louder, the adrenaline kicked in.
Alright... bring it on.
I was standing on the field alongside the other participants. Sam and Fiona were right next to , stretching and bouncing on their toes, trying to shake off the nerves. The sun was high, the crowd buzzing, and my heart felt like it was doing jump rope in my chest.
Then, that loud-mouthed Kaito guy grabbed the mic, grinning like he'd just won the lottery.
"Alright, folks! The first ga is called—'Paper Slip Chaos'!"
He held up a small box filled with folded papers, shaking it dramatically like he was drawing a lottery for our lives.
"The rules are simple: Pick up a paper, open it, and bring back exactly what's written on it to the judge. If it matches—points! If it doesn't—well, you're just a clown on stage!"
The crowd burst into cheers and whistles. This was clearly one of those gas designed to humiliate you in front of your friends and potential crushes.
Sam elbowed , a wicked grin on his face. "Hey, Yuuta, hope you pick sothing like 'bring your deepest secret.' Would love to see you try that."
"Shut up, man," I whispered back, already regretting signing up.
Kaito's voice crackled over the mic again, clearly enjoying our collective dread.
"Oh, and no substitutions. It has to match exactly. Good luck!"
I gulped. Simple? Yeah, right. This had 'disaster' written all over it.
Then he started calling the nas for the first round.
"Fiona! Sam! Kirito! Saito! Luicse! Lucy! Natsu! And... Yuuta!"
"WHAT?! No way—?!" I nearly choked. First match?! This early?!
From the stands, I heard a tiny voice piercing through the noise.
"Papa, go win this ga!!" Elena was waving her tiny arms like she was trying to summon a spirit.
I gave her a shaky thumbs-up, my stomach doing flips. "Oh, co on, sweetie... you don't know how terrifying this ga is."
She just kept clapping, her face full of pure, innocent faith. anwhile, I was dying inside.
The ga began. We were each assigned a number. I was the eighth.
Sam went first, all fired up. He swaggered up to the box, reached in, and pulled a paper. He opened it—and his face instantly crumpled.
"What the hell is this?!" he yelled, kicking the table. "Most garbage ga ever!"
The crowd erupted into laughter. Even the judge had to cover his mic to stop from cracking up.
Kirito, the next guy, opened his paper and let out a dramatic sigh like his favorite ani just got canceled. Saito straight-up walked off, muttering about how this wasn't worth his ti. One poor guy, Natsu, froze on the spot, eyes wide like he'd just seen a ghost, before sprinting off, screaming, "Nope! Nope! Not doing this!"
Finally—it was my turn.
I stepped up, my legs feeling like jelly. Took a deep breath. Reached into the box.
"Co on, be sothing normal... like a spoon... or a shoelace... or maybe a rock?"
I opened the paper, and as soon as my eyes landed on the words, my heart sank. My face went pale.
No way.
This... this has to be a joke...
To be continue....
[Yuuta's POV Note]
Hey, Yuuta here.
I know so of you might be thinking, "Man, things have been a bit slow lately." And yeah, I get it. Predictable events, calm days—it's not exactly the action-packed chaos so of you signed up for.
But trust on this.
From here on out... things are going to get crazy. Like really crazy.
I chose to show you my peaceful days for a reason. After everything that went down, I needed to breathe. I wanted to believe that maybe—just maybe—I could have a normal life. But the world doesn't let people like rest forever.
So if you're expecting a chill ride from here on out? Heh. Buckle up.
The storm's coming—and I'm right in the middle of it.
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