[Location: Western Training Plateau – Duo 09: Xenovia Kael & Elijah Voss]
Xenovia stood motionless under the waterfall, water pounding over her like divine punishment. Elijah knelt nearby, rosary in hand, whispering verses in Latin.
"Three hours," he murmured. "You haven't moved."
Xenovia opened her eyes slowly. "Pain is temporary. The soul is eternal."
Elijah looked up, solemn. "And yet you still haven't forgiven yourself."
She didn't reply.
Their past failure in the Gate had left Elijah wounded and Xenovia haunted. She'd saved him… but failed to save four others.
This time, she swore no one would die.
Even if it meant sacrificing herself.
---
[Location: Neo-Tokyo Inner Core – Duo 17: Leonardo Takashi & Chloe Wu]
Chloe kicked down the door to the VR Lab. "Leo, stop streaming yourself practicing cool moves again!"
Leonardo, dressed in a flaming kimono and shades, struck a pose mid-simulation. "It's training. Stylish training."
"You're top ten in the world and still act like a YouTuber."
He grinned. "That's why the fans love me."
Chloe sighed. "One day, the System will kill you for being too flamboyant."
"Then I'll die fabulous."
But behind the laughter was an unspoken truth: Leonardo had nearly burned out his core fighting on Floor One. His recovery was slow, and every training session could be his last.
---
[Location: Arctic Isolation Zone – Duo 36: Dmitri Volkov & Anya Petrova]
The tundra wind howled.
Dmitri and Anya were silent as they practiced mental stillness in the snow—each one buried waist-deep in ice pits of their own making.
Neither spoke.
Their bond required no words. It was forged in trauma.
Dmitri had once believed Anya was the enemy.
Now, he knew better.
"Temperature dropping," she finally said.
"I know."
"Still not cold enough."
"Agreed."
The frost never touched their hearts.
Only the fire of vengeance burned there—for the ten comrades they buried under the first floor.
---
[Location: Forgotten Mountains – Duo 41: Meera Sharma & Dev Rajan]
Meera paced, her arms crossed.
Dev was meditating… or more accurately, napping against a tree.
"You're sleeping again."
"I'm visualizing success, Meera."
She rolled her eyes. "You're the only UR-rank who trains less than a cat."
Dev opened one eye. "And yet I was the only one who saved you when the beast cracked the sky open."
Her face fell. The memory still haunted her.
He stood, brushing leaves from his shirt. "Don't get me wrong. I'm scared too. But stressing about what's coming isn't strength."
Meera stared at him.
"…I hate that you're right."
---
[Location: Northern Region: Duo 50 – Reiji Arakawa & Shun Matsuda]
Reiji and Shun trained alone.
Unlike the others, no support team, no backers, no past glory.
They were Rank B, just above average. Just two friends from Osaka who survived Floor One by luck and desperation.
"This time, we won't survive on luck," Reiji said, wiping blood from his mouth.
Shun coughed, his ribs bruised. "Yeah… we'll die instead."
They laughed bitterly.
But they didn't stop swinging.
No one expected anything from them.
That was their edge.
---
[Location: Shrine of the Mindbound Monk – Kaito & Aya – Evening]
Kaito watched the stars above the shrine, legs dangling over a ledge.
Aya joined him, her yukata fluttering in the breeze.
"You think they're training harder than us?" he asked.
"Some. Others are breaking."
He nodded. "Yeah."
"I saw their faces today. Elijah. Xenovia. Meera. Dev. They all looked like people ready to die."
Kaito was silent for a long moment. Then, softly:
"…Are we?"
Aya turned to him.
"No," she said. "We're ready to live. That's the difference."
He smiled. "Good answer."
---
[Closing – System Update Notification]
> [SYSTEM NOTICE – 45 DAYS REMAINING]
Stage One Synchronization Level: 42%
Duo Mental Stability: Diverging and Converging...
The mind is a mirror. Crack it… and what bleeds will define you.
---
End of Chapter 32