The next seventy-two hours would decide everything.
The system's glowing message still echoed across the moon:
[ARC 1: The Dimensional Invasion Begins In 72 Hours]
Form Squads. Train. Survive.
Ray Talen stood atop the south tower of Nexus Academy, arms folded, wind rustling his coat. Below him, the training fields buzzed with activity. Students sprinted across floating platforms, clashing in test duels, casting spells, or testing out explosive new skills. Others meditated beside crystalline pools, refining their control over spiritual energy.
Ray had been quiet since the raid. Since the fire. Since the screams.
He'd been avoiding people—not out of fear, but calculation.
His "Dragon Sovereign" class was too different. Too unstable. The system didn't even have records for it. The more he used his powers, the more the air around him shimmered with distortion.
People noticed.
He didn't want that kind of attention yet.
"Brooding alone again?"
Ray didn't have to look to know who it was.
Akari dropped beside him with a soft thud, her lavender hair tied back in a combat knot, katana resting against her shoulder.
"You're still not on a squad," she said.
"I'm not good with teams," Ray replied.
"Yeah? The system says otherwise." She flicked her wrist, and a glowing squad list appeared. Ray's name was at the top of a pending invitation list. Dozens of them. All declined.
"You could at least pretend to be flattered."
Ray shrugged.
"I'd rather find people who won't get killed."
That shut her up for a moment.
Then she said,
"Come with me. There's someone you need to meet."
The Squad Trials
The Academy's central training dome was bigger than a stadium, with tiered walls and hovering platforms. In the center, the Squad Registration Pillar glowed with shifting runes, surrounded by a crowd of students shouting, arguing, and forming groups.
Ray followed Akari through the chaos, watching as classmates activated skills and compared power levels.
"I got Bakugo's Explosion core and one of All Might's quirks!" one guy shouted.
"No way! You mixed One For All? That's cheat-code!"
"Yo! Check out her system—she's got Jujutsu Sorcery and Titan shifting!"
"That's not even fair!"
It felt like a crossover episode that had gone completely off the rails.
Akari led Ray to a quiet corner, where a tall girl with braids and a glowing staff stood with arms crossed. Her eyes shimmered with magic energy—literally. Her name was Mira, and her powers were synced with Merlin's spellbook and Yuno's wind affinity.
"This is Mira," Akari said. "She's calm, tactical, and doesn't die easily."
"Good," Ray replied. "I like people who survive."
"I would ask what your powers are," Mira said, "but the system won't let me see your profile."
Ray raised a brow. "Seriously?"
Mira showed him her screen. His entry was redacted, with a warning banner:
[Class: Access Denied | System Integrity Flagged]
Akari laughed. "You really are broken."
Mira narrowed her eyes. "Or dangerous."
"Both," Ray said. "You still want me?"
Mira nodded once. "Only if you want us too."
For the first time, Ray paused.
And then, slowly, he reached forward and tapped the invitation button hovering above the squad seal.
[Squad Formed: CODE BLACK]
Members: Ray , Akari Kenzaki, Mira Estelle
System Sync Bonus Unlocked: +15% Team Coordination, +5% Luck (Pending Leader Rank Upgrade)
Ray looked at the glowing name above them and smirked.
"Code Black, huh?"
Akari gave him a side-glance.
"You don't like it?"
"No," he said, cracking his knuckles. "I love it."
The Corruption Begins
Far across the academy, in a locked simulation chamber, someone else was syncing to a different kind of system.
Dante Rhodes.
He'd barely survived the raid, his system incomplete, his powers too weak. He'd chosen Madara Uchiha as his base... but hadn't gotten full access. His Sharingan was flawed, unstable.
He hated it. Hated being less.
And the system heard him.
[Error: System Conflict Detected]
Alternate Sync Request: Villain Path – Forbidden Data Detected
Do you wish to override limitations and accept corrupted power?
Warning: This path is irreversible.
He hesitated—only for a moment.
[Confirmed. Initiating Dark Sync…]
The lights dimmed. A new window bloomed before him, etched in jagged black and purple.
Villain Archetype: Fallen Prodigy
Core Base: Madara Uchiha, Muzan Kibutsuji, Ayanami (Evangelion), Sukuna
Corrupted Skill: Devourer of System Integrity
Dark veins spread across his arms as the new power surged into him.
"I'll make them remember me."
A Warning in the Shadows
That night, Ray stood alone again.
His squad had spent the day running simulations—dueling shadow clones of themselves, fighting hollows in a test city, and strategizing over terrain maps. Mira was calm and brilliant. Akari moved like lightning and thought even faster. Together, they were more than strong.
But something still bothered Ray.
He stared at the moon. The same message burned into its surface.
[ARC 1: Begins In 52:38:01]
And then, a whisper.
A ripple.
Something dark moved in the far end of the academy courtyard—just out of sight.
Ray turned.
Nothing was there.
But his system flared red.
[Proximity Alert: Corrupted User Detected]