The forest had grown quiet. Too quiet for an entrance exam going on. It felt like the forest itself was holding its breath.

Yudo didn’t like what he was feeling. Something is off...

Yudo and Ryukai were no longer dashing through the trees. Instead, they moved carefully through the undergrowth, stepping over roots and pushing aside branches as they advanced. Neither of them had spoken since the roar.

“I’m gonna guess you’re thinking about that roar like I am, aren’t you?” Ryukai finally said, breaking the silence.

Yudo didn’t look at him. “That roar.”

“Yeah.”

“That sounded nothing like what we’ve fought so far.”

Dead Man’s Intuition wasn’t screaming at him. That alone made Yudo uneasy. Usually, it reacted instantly to danger. It would warn and guide him. But there was nothing. He never had an instance where there was danger nearby and his instincts weren’t screaming at him. That silence felt worse than any warning.

“Well, whatever it was,” Yudo said, “it wasn’t nearby.”

“Well, that’s comforting at least,” Ryukai replied.

Yudo glanced at him briefly. “Hey, if it was close, you’d already be running.”

Ryukai snorted. “I’m glad you’re able to make a joke for once, but don’t go underestimating me.”

“I’d never,” Yudo said casually. “Just not those survival instincts.”

Ryukai shook his head, but he was smiling. They continued moving toward the designated area. Yudo’s eyes shifted, scanning the area, trying to track where the roar came from. 

He noticed something. Several trees ahead were blackened with burn marks along their trunks. The ground beneath them was scorched. The smell of smoke still lingered faintly in the air.

Burnt trees… was it that hothead? He crouched slightly, brushing his fingers across the charred bark. They are still warm…

Ash clung to his fingertips. "Whoever caused this…" He paused. "...had passed through not long ago."

“So there are people potentially fighting that thing?” Ryukai said.

“Maybe, should we try and help them?” Yudo asked.

Ryukai crossed his arms slightly. “We probably should go and check. Do you think everyone’s okay?”

Yudo didn’t look at him. “I hope so.” Yudo glanced ahead again. “Besides… if they’re not, we’ll find out soon enough.”

“…You say that way too casually, Yudo.”

“That wasn’t my intention.”

Ryukai smiled. “I’m just messing with you.”

They kept moving. The further they went, the worse the forest got. Broken trees that were torn apart like something had ripped through them without slowing down.

Entire trunks twisted at unnatural angles. Wood chips covered the forest floor beneath them and streaks of blood across the ground. Not just a little, but a lot. Some of it soaked into the soil.

Yudo noticed the blood on the ground. Some of it is still wet.

The metallic scent lingered faintly in the air.

Yudo’s expression hardened slightly. “Some applicants might already be dead.”

Ryukai noticed it too. “…Yeah. This is getting worse.”

Neither of them slowed down or relaxed. The bushes ahead suddenly rattled causing them to react instantly.

A Corrupted ant burst from the brush and lunged toward them. Its mandibles clicked loudly as it charged, tearing through shrubs and snapping branches in its path.

Dead Man’s Intuition locked onto it immediately. Yudo grabbed the ant’s mandibles and held them from snapping.

“Still quick,” he muttered.

The ant twisted its body, claws digging into the ground as it tried to escape Yudo’s grip.

Yudo’s eyes narrowed slightly. This thing is strong.

Ryukai lowered his arm. “Water Convergence: Geyser.”

Water beneath the ant’s stomach shot upward, launching the ant into the air.

Yudo looked up. “Good work Ryukai!”

Ryukai smiled. “Finish it off Yudo!”

Yudo jumped above the ant’s head. “Dead Man’s Intuition: Skull Crusher.” His punch landed cleanly.

CRACK.

The ant’s head shattered from the impact. Its body dropped instantly.

Ryukai blinked. “…Okay, never mind. Still easy for you.”

Yudo shrugged. “I guess you could say I’m a natural.” He knelt down and pulled the jewel from the corpse.

“That’s four jewels,” Yudo said. He glanced at Ryukai. “You’re falling behind.”

Ryukai raised an eyebrow. “I’ll have you know I had two jewels before you showed up and took my kills.”

Yudo grinned. “I remember that I delivered the finishing blow.”

Ryukai let out a short laugh. “Yeah, alright. The next few are mine.”

“Sure they are.”

They continued through the forest, but now, every step felt heavier. The air had changed again.

The deeper they went, the more damage they saw. It was clearer that something had moved through this area, destroying everything in its path.

Yudo slowed slightly. “…This isn’t normal.”

Ryukai looked around. “…Yeah. I was thinking the same thing.”

These weren't separate fights. One Beast had been moving through the forest, attacking everything that approached it.

“We’re getting closer,” Yudo said.

“Can you sense it?” Ryukai asked.

Yudo didn’t look at him. “Yeah.”

Ryukai’s expression shifted. “That’s what I thought.”

Yudo slowed again. Something about the air had changed. The pressure was building like the space around them was shrinking.

Ryukai swallowed slightly. “…You feel that?”

Yudo didn’t answer immediately, focusing his eyes forward.

A roar echoed through the forest. The ground trembled beneath their feet. Branches rattled overhead. The sound didn’t just echo. It pressed against them.

Ryukai slowly turned his head toward it. “…Okay.” He paused. “Whoever is fighting that thing is a psycho.”

Yudo’s gaze moved deeper into the forest. 

Something massive was out there. And whatever it was wasn’t supposed to be part of the exam.

Another impact echoed much closer this time.

Ryukai’s expression shifted. “…That’s not just a fight.”

Yudo stepped forward with zero hesitation. “Come on.”

Ryukai followed. “…Yeah. No point stopping now.”

They moved faster. Not blindly, but with purpose.

Then the trees began to thin, allowing the sounds of battle to be heard clearer. The ground beneath their feet carried faint vibrations with every impact ahead.

Yudo slowed slightly. Something about the energy ahead felt different. Ryukai felt it too. “…You feel that too?”

Yudo nodded. “Yeah.”

That wasn’t like the other Beasts.

That was something else.

Something entirely different from the others.