The morning air was loud.
Not loud with explosions or magic—just voices. Dozens of them. Shoes scraping pavement, bags thumping against backs, the hum of excitement that only came when students were taken somewhere *outside* the academy.
A massive black bus waited near the front gates, its surface engraved with glowing runes that pulsed slowly like a heartbeat.
Hiko Shinoegami stood near the back of the group, hands in his pockets, Devil's Mark hidden beneath his collar as always. He watched his classmates with calm eyes.
*Climate Arena…*
Even the name felt heavy.
"Alright! Line up, line up!" the instructor shouted. "You'll all be seated by class number. No fighting, no magic, no exploding anything."
A few students laughed nervously.
Once inside, the bus felt far larger than it looked from the outside. Rows stretched far back, the ceiling high enough to stand in. Magic lamps floated overhead, casting a warm glow.
The door shut.
**THOOM.**
The runes ignited, and the bus began moving—smooth, silent, unreal.
Then the instructor clapped his hands.
"To pass time," he said, smirking, "each of you will say *one secret*. Nothing dangerous. Nothing illegal. Just… something about yourself."
Instant chaos.
"What?!"
"Why?!"
"That's embarrassing!"
Groans filled the bus.
"Start from the front."
One by one, students spoke.
"I—I sleep with a stuffed dragon," a boy admitted.
"I failed the entrance exam twice," another muttered.
"I can't swim," someone said, causing laughter.
The secrets ranged from silly to awkward. The mood slowly loosened.
The turn crept closer to Hiko.
His seatmate glanced at him. "You're quiet, Shinoegami. Nervous?"
"No," Hiko replied honestly.
When it was his turn, the bus went strangely quiet. Some students glanced his way, curiosity mixed with unease. The Devil's Mark rumor followed him everywhere, even if few had seen it.
Hiko scratched his cheek.
Then he said, calmly:
**"The pancakes that I cook are made of strawberry."**
Silence.
Pure. Absolute. Crushing silence.
"…"
"…Huh?"
Someone blinked.
Another student leaned forward. "Wait. Pancakes… strawberry?"
A girl tilted her head. "Is that even a secret?"
No one laughed.
No one spoke.
The bus kept moving.
Five seconds passed.
Ten.
The instructor coughed. "O—Okay! Next!"
The tension snapped, voices rushed back in, and everyone collectively pretended that moment never happened.
Hiko stared out the window, unbothered.
*That usually happens.*
---
The bus slowed.
Outside, the world… changed.
The sky fractured into layers—blue above one side, storm clouds rolling on the other. The land ahead was divided into massive zones, each violently different.
Mountains clawed into the clouds.
A snowfield glittered white and endless.
A golden desert stretched with heat distortion.
A deep forest pulsed with emerald mana.
Swamps, cliffs, storms, rivers—everything existed at once.
The bus stopped.
The door opened.
Cold, heat, moisture, and wind brushed against them all at the same time.
Students stared.
"…No way."
"This is real?"
"It feels alive…"
They stepped out onto a massive platform of reinforced magic steel.
At the center stood a woman.
She wore a long coat split into different colors—white frost on one side, storm-black on the other, desert gold stitched into the hem. Her hair flowed unnaturally, shifting slightly as if reacting to invisible winds.
She smiled.
"Welcome," she said, voice calm yet carrying effortlessly, "to the **Climate Arena**."
A few students gasped.
"No way…"
"Is that—"
She bowed slightly.
"I am Sashira 100. Manager of the Climate Arena."
The reaction exploded.
"That Sashira?!"
"The disaster controller?"
"She's famous!"
"She stopped the Northern Blizzard alone!"
Sashira raised a hand, and the wind itself obeyed, calming instantly.
"My magic," she said, eyes gleaming, "is Weather Magic."
The air above her shifted—snow formed, rain fell, lightning crackled, then vanished in a breath.
Students stared in awe.
Even Hiko watched closely.
Precise. No waste. High mastery.
Before she could continue, a scoff echoed from the side.
"Huh…?"
A tall man stepped forward, hands in his pockets, expression bored. His uniform was custom-made, trimmed with silver runes.
"These kids look weak."
Whispers erupted immediately.
"Who does he think he is?"
"Rude…"
"I hate that tone."
One student suddenly froze.
"…W–Wait."
Everyone looked at him.
"That man… he's Hirukami Tashiro."
The name hit like thunder.
"No way."
"The one with Judgement Magic…?"
"The executor?"
Hirukami smirked. "So someone recognizes me."
Sashira glanced at him, unimpressed. "Behave. This is *my* facility."
"Tch." He waved dismissively. "Just saying. Don't expect much."
The class glared.
Hiko felt the air tighten slightly.
*Judgement Magic… dangerous.*
Sashira clapped her hands once.
"Enough. Follow me."
She led them across the platform, gesturing outward.
"To your left—**Mountain Zone**. Altitude pressure, falling terrain, seismic beasts."
A shift. The mountains rumbled.
"To your right—**Snow Zone**. Extreme cold, whiteout conditions, ice predators."
Snow howled violently.
"Forward—**Desert Zone**. Heat exhaustion, sandstorms, mirage beasts."
The air shimmered.
"And beyond—**Forest Zone**. Dense mana, ambush-type creatures, environmental traps."
The forest *breathed*.
Sashira turned back to them.
"I am your **Disaster Teacher**. My role is to ensure you survive natural and unnatural calamities."
Some students swallowed.
"Today's lesson," she continued, "is simple."
She snapped her fingers.
The ground ahead split open.
A massive beast emerged—thick hide, glowing eyes, mana leaking violently from its body.
"Grade 3 Beast," Sashira announced calmly. "You will fight in assigned groups."
Panic spread instantly.
"Grade 3?!"
"That's too strong!"
"We're first-years!"
"Begin."
Chaos.
Students rushed, spells flying wildly.
Many struggled—attacks bounced off, formations broke, screams echoed.
Hiko watched quietly as groups failed again and again.
Roughly **80%** were overwhelmed.
But then—
A clean strike.
A flash of controlled magic.
The beast recoiled.
A student stepped forward confidently.
**Daizen Kurogane**.
From the class list—the quiet top-ranker. Broad-shouldered, sharp eyes, earth-element magic refined to near perfection.
He slammed his palm down.
"Collapse."
The ground crushed the beast's legs.
Another student supported him, and together they finished it cleanly.
Whispers spread.
"He made it look easy…"
"That was Grade 3…"
Around them, a few others succeeded too—the **20%**.
Hiko didn't move.
He simply observed.
Sashira watched him from afar, eyes narrowing slightly.
*That boy… he hasn't even raised his mana.*
The Climate Arena roared around them.
And this was only the beginning.
---