Beneath the enormous tree that stood alone in the endless grasslands, six heroes remained seated with crossed legs and closed eyes. Nothing moved.
No one spoke. The world itself seemed quieter.
Only the leaves above swayed softly as if even the wind understood that something important was taking place.
Arata sat calmly beneath the shade in his chair with his hands resting loosely against the armrests. His eyes remained closed, yet he could feel every movement occurring within the subconscious worlds of the heroes.
No one had noticed.
But the moment they entered meditation their circuits had begun responding. Not evolving. Not yet. First they would be judged.
Jess sat motionless beneath the tree. Then she opened her eyes. But she was no longer there.
She found herself standing in a world overflowing with life.
Golden light stretched endlessly overhead. The air itself glowed softly.
Flowers bloomed across hills of emerald grass.
Warm rivers reflected the sky. Birds flew overhead.
Everywhere she looked there was life. Not chaotic life.
Balanced life. A world in perfect harmony. Jess slowly stood. Her expression softened.
"…Beautiful."
But she felt something. Something calling her. Not with words.
With familiarity. A pull. Instinctively she followed it. She walked through endless fields until eventually she reached the center.
There floating silently was her Circuit Mark. Her breathing slowed.
It resembled a sword. Wings extended from either side. And behind the sword a shield. It floated quietly while radiating authority.
Protection. Judgment. Balance. Jess stared.
"…So this is mine."
Slowly she reached out. Her fingers touched it. Instantly heat exploded through her body.
"AH—"
The mark burned into her. A brilliant golden imprint appeared across her back.
Then disappeared beneath her skin. The world shattered. Light disappeared.
When Jess opened her eyes she stood in silence. Before her stretched a broken village.
Burned homes. Collapsed roads. Broken walls. No people.
Only remnants. The sky overhead was gray.
A cold wind moved through empty streets.
Then a voice echoed across the ruined world.
Ancient. Stern.
"Prove you have what it takes to carry out Retribution, Balance, and Vengeance."
Jess slowly looked forward. Her expression became serious.
Kimotsu opened his eyes. Cold air struck his face. He stood atop an endless mountain range.
Mountains stretched endlessly into the horizon.
And buried throughout all of them were swords. Thousands. No, millions. Divine swords. Ancient swords. Broken swords.
Weapons of every shape and era stood embedded in stone.
Kimotsu looked around quietly. Even he who rarely showed emotion felt something. Wonder.
"…Incredible."
He walked through the mountain range. Each step echoed.
Eventually he reached the center. Floating there was his mark.
A single horizontal line. Connected to it two Z-shaped symbols. The left Z mirrored.
The right remained normal. Simple, Sharp and Elegant.
Kimotsu stared. Without hesitation he touched it.
Immediately pain erupted.
The mark burned itself onto his right arm.
Then vanished. The mountains trembled. A voice descended.
"Prove you have what it takes to wield a sword."
The sky split open.
Something enormous descended.
BOOOOOOM.
A giant dragon crashed onto the mountain range.
The impact shattered peaks. Its scales resembled forged steel. Its eyes looked ancient. Then it roared.
Kimotsu stared. His hand slowly reached a sword buried in the mountain range near him.
A small smile appeared.
"…Understood."
Gene slowly opened his eyes.
Then froze. He floated in space.
Stars stretched endlessly. Galaxies spiraled around him.
Nebulae painted the darkness. Gene blinked.
Even his usual lazy demeanor disappeared.
"…This is the domain of my mark?"
He sounded genuinely surprised. He drifted through the endless cosmos. Eventually he reached the center.
There floating in absolute silence was his mark. A circle. Inside it a triangle.
Inside the triangle a smaller square. Perfect geometry.
Order. Dream. Possibility. Gene tilted his head.
"…Looks complicated."
Then touched it. Immediately burning pain spread.
The mark appeared across his forehead. Then vanished.
Everything disappeared. Darkness. Absolute darkness.
No sight. No hearing. No touch. No smell. No taste. His five senses vanished. Only consciousness remained.
Then a voice whispered.
"Prove you are worthy of the Gift of Dreams."
Gene floated in silence. For once he didn't complain.
Faith opened her eyes.
Immediately she smiled faintly. Her world was beautiful. Endless forests. Countless rivers. Animals living together.
Flowers growing beside predators. Everything existed together naturally.
Life and growth. She walked quietly. Then found it.
At the center stood her mark. A tiny tree. Small. Simple.
Yet the moment she looked at it she felt tiny Like she stood before something unimaginably older.
Faith reached out. Touched it. Pain surged. The tree burned itself onto her back.
The world collapsed. Now everything changed.
Dead trees. Gray skies. Falling ash.
Decay. Nothing lived.
A voice echoed.
"Prove you have the mind to start anew."
Faith quietly looked around. Then stepped forward.
Kaelen sat beneath the giant tree. Then opened his eyes.
He found himself standing in a world unlike any other.
Gravity pressed down endlessly.
Every movement felt heavy.
Yet life existed. Animals walked. Birds flew. Entire ecosystems thrived.
Everything lived beneath impossible pressure.
Kaelen slowly walked forward. Something called him. The center.
Eventually he arrived and stopped.
Three marks floated there.
The first an eye.
Its pupil a clock. The second a black hole. Just looking at it gave Kaelen a glimpse of death.
Then the third.
Kaelen froze. His eyes widened.
"…What?"
It was a heart. Ancient, Powerful and Familiar.
The heart of the Primordial Dragon Alyth.
And beneath it hidden the blessing he received from Zenith in the Land of the Ancestral Dragon.
Both covered one another.
Kaelen stared. His thoughts slowed.
How…How can Alyth's heart be a circuit mark?
But he didn't stop. He reached forward. Immediately all three marks moved.
The eye. The black hole. The heart.
They rushed toward him. Golden words erupted across his body.
Ancient symbols burned themselves into his skin.
His entire body lit up. Then everything disappeared.
Kaelen opened his eyes. He stood in space.
Before him a river floated through the stars.
And beneath his feet a transparent road stretched endlessly.
Forward, Forever, No end, No destination.
The moment he stepped an unimaginable force pressed down on him. His body trembled.
Every movement became difficult. His breathing slowed.
Then a voice echoed across eternity.
"Prove what you have to be the Savior."
Kaelen stared ahead. Then he took another step.
Back in reality—
beneath the giant tree Arata opened one eye.
He looked at the silent heroes. A small smile appeared.
"Good."
He leaned back into his chair.
"Now that you're all in your trials…"
His gaze shifted upward.
"This will show whether you have what it takes to move further."
The leaves rustled softly.
Arata closed his eyes again.
"Your future depends on it after all."