1. Sebastian Raizen
The marble courtyard's obsidian display shimmered beneath the rising twin suns. Names etched in gold danced with each line of mana flowing through the crystal lattice. Whispers followed Garet Caelren as he walked past it—again.
But the top name never changed.
1. Sebastian Raizen
Untouched. Untouchable.
And yet, below the surface of that stillness, something stirred.
---
The Eastern Wing – Nova Terra Integration Chamber
Evening cast a molten hue across the platinum spires of the Academy. The neural sync platforms—gifts from Nova Terra—buzzed quietly under the hum of floating processors. Screens flickered mid-air, streaming mana flows and predictive combat overlays with surgical precision.
Sebastian stood in the center of it all.
Shirtless. Skin damp with sweat. Runic channels glowed faintly along his collarbones and forearms, pulsing in tandem with each breath.
Across from him, six projections shimmered into existence—recreations of real fighters. The top students. Every movement, every twitch, meticulously drawn from battle footage and refined through predictive AI. Garet Caelren stood among them—his simulated version, post-duel.
"Run it," Sebastian ordered.
"Y-Yes, sir!"
The simulation initiated with a sharp tone.
Six enemies. Full synchronization. Real pain feedback.
But to Sebastian, they were already moving too slow.
The first opponent came from the left—a hybrid fist-user from Rank 7. A perfectly timed palm to the rib would've staggered most.
Sebastian stepped into the attack.
His elbow rotated slightly. The force was redirected. Fingers danced like flowing silk before exploding with force—three strikes landed in the time it would take another student to blink.
CRACK.
Simulated ribs shattered. The opponent dematerialized before hitting the floor.
Two more closed in—one was Garet's mirror.
Sebastian didn't hesitate. He pivoted low, using the shattered echo of the first as cover. His heel dragged the ground. The air hissed.
Then he vanished.
No sound.
No flash.
Just—
Impact.
Garet's simulation dropped mid-thrust, caught by a fist cloaked in compressed kinetic mana. The force lifted the entire body before converting it into an arc of shattered light.
One second. Two down.
The rest fell within eleven seconds more.
When the platform went dark, the floating processors whirled for several moments before the results appeared.
[Simulation Complete. No hits received. Efficiency Rating: 98.92%. Record Broken.]
Even the instructors—some of them Nova Terra veterans—couldn't hide their awe.
One whispered, "Was that... his base form?"
"No," another replied. "He wasn't even using 25%."
Sebastian exhaled, body perfectly still.
This wasn't dominance.
This was surgical study.
And he was only getting faster.
---
Observatory Deck – Mirrorlink Surveillance Hub
Luna Blossomveil watched the feed in silence, arms folded, violet eyes narrowing with every replay. The flickering screen reflected off her silver hair like moonlight on ice.
Behind her, Jovhan Raizen leaned against the wall, a dark coat lazily draped over his shoulder. His resemblance to Sebastian was uncanny—except where Sebastian was a storm, Jovhan was the stillness before it.
"He's adapting mid-fight," Luna muttered. "But not just reacting—refining."
Jovhan nodded slowly. "Every mistake becomes data. Every frame is a new layer."
"He's preparing for war."
Jovhan raised an eyebrow. "We're not at war."
Luna's gaze didn't waver. "He is."
---
That Night – Academy Transport Nexus
Sebastian stood at the edge of the Nexus, where the runes of the five universes converged beneath his feet. A hum filled the air—something between magic and machine.
[Scanning Identity… Sebastian Raizen. Clearance: Supreme Rank. Destination?]
"Zone Zero."
[Warning: Classified. Executive override required.]
Sebastian reached into his coat and held up a silver-black emblem—a fusion of seals from all five known universes.
The air shifted. The runes receded.
[Override accepted. Initiating teleport.]
A surge of white light enveloped him.
---
Zone Zero – The Void Between Universes
Silence.
Pure black space. Stars flickering beyond the boundaries of reality.
A lone voice greeted him.
"You return sooner than expected."
From the darkness emerged a figure cloaked in living shadow. No face. No name. Just presence.
"I need simulations," Sebastian said. "All of them. The 1%. Including shadow operatives."
"That data is restricted."
"I've seen enough. I want to learn what they don't show."
"You seek too much."
Sebastian's voice lowered. "Then test me. Let's see what's left when you do."
The figure paused. Then raised a hand.
From the darkness, rings of starlight began to spin.
[Simulation Mode: 1% Operatives – initiating.]
---
Meanwhile – Combat Courtyard, Library Sector
Garet Caelren stood within a ring of obsidian training stones. A Neural Sync Band gripped tightly to his temple, sweat pooling down his back. Every strike of his spear carried physical feedback. Every simulation forced his body to adapt—whether he wanted to or not.
Opponents came at him like shadows.
Three-on-one.
His breath grew heavier.
But his eyes stayed locked.
He wasn't chasing Rank 11.
He was chasing something that felt like a myth.
Sebastian Raizen.
"Twelve steps…" he muttered under his breath.
A familiar voice broke the rhythm.
"You're burning out."
Jovhan stepped into the circle's edge, arms crossed.
Garet didn't pause. His spear cleaved through another projection.
"Still behind," he grunted.
Jovhan watched silently. The boy's stance had refined. His posture no longer screamed desperation—it whispered intent.
"You're ranked 12 now. Don't dishonor that by collapsing."
Garet spun, then halted his spear. "I didn't earn that spot to rest."
"You won't reach him by following his path."
"I'm not."
Jovhan smirked. "Then what are you doing?"
Garet lifted the spear, letting the wind flow around him.
"I'm building my own. So when I meet him—I'm not just a step behind. I'm a rival."
Jovhan's smirk faded.
"… It's not wrong to dream, but you're probably dreaming too much."
---
Deep Below – Restricted Archives
Ten robed figures surrounded a dimly lit chamber. Obsidian masks. Robes woven with energy threads. The Arcane Conclave.
"He's breached the Zone again," one muttered.
"With permission," another clarified. "He used the Five-Seal Emblem."
"The neural simulations are mutating under his influence."
"He's too adaptive."
"What is the directive?"
Silence.
Then, the Elder's voice rang out:
"We observe. We record. But if he deviates from control—"
"We strike."
---
Abyssia – Realm of Echoing Stars
Far from light.
Beneath an ocean of silence, something ancient stirred.
Eyes opened beneath obsidian waves. Thoughtless. Endless.
A pulse echoed across the realms.
Raizen.
---
Back in Zone Zero
Sebastian dropped to one knee.
Simulations were evolving too fast now.
Each opponent he faced moved like a ghost from a forgotten past—abilities lost to time, techniques banned in three universes.
And yet he learned.
With every failure, he gained frames.
With every simulation, his style shifted.
Not martial. Not magical. Something else entirely.
His skin cracked along his shoulder. Mana bled white.
But he smiled.
Because beyond pain… was evolution.
"more," he growled.
The darkness answered.