The next morning, Roy walked into the academy's eastern training grounds with Leo, Jenny, Jay, and Jones.
Unlike the usual training fields, this area was surrounded by tall metal walls.
There were no ordinary targets.
No wooden dummies.
No weapons.
Instead, several large gates stood along the walls.
Leo looked at them.
"Why do I suddenly feel like we're about to get eaten?"
Jenny sighed.
"Because we're taking Beast Class today."
Jones immediately stopped walking.
"Wait. Actual beasts?"
Jay looked at him.
"What did you think Beast Class meant?"
"I thought we'd be studying them."
Leo laughed.
"Apparently we're studying them by trying not to become their lunch."
Roy looked toward the gates.
He could hear something moving behind one of them.
A deep growl followed.
The students became quiet.
An instructor walked into the center of the field.
"Welcome to Beast Class."
He looked around at the students.
"Today, you will learn how to fight creatures that possess Nexis."
A few students became nervous.
"Beasts are different from humans. They don't fight according to academy rules. They don't care about your rank, your techniques, or your reputation."
He pointed toward the gates.
"Some beasts rely on strength. Others rely on speed, intelligence, elemental abilities, or special traits."
The instructor paused.
"Your job today is simple."
The gates began opening.
"Survive."
Several beasts stepped into the training area.
The students immediately backed away.
They weren't enormous, but they were much larger than ordinary animals.
One had thick armor-like skin.
Another moved with four legs and had sharp horns.
A third had glowing blue markings across its body.
Roy watched them carefully.
He could feel Nexis coming from the creatures.
So these are Nexis beasts.
The instructor continued.
"You will work in teams. Do not attempt to defeat a beast alone unless instructed."
Roy glanced at his team.
Leo cracked his knuckles.
"Well, looks like we're together again."
Jenny nodded.
"We should stay close."
Jay looked at Roy.
"What's the plan?"
Roy watched the beasts.
"Don't rush."
Jones blinked.
"That's it?"
"We don't know what they can do yet."
Leo nodded.
"Roy's right."
The instructor raised his hand.
"Begin!"
The nearest beast suddenly charged.
"Move!"
Roy jumped aside.
The beast rushed past him and headed straight for Jones.
Jones raised his arms.
"Earth Wall!"
The ground rose in front of him.
The beast crashed into it and stopped.
Jay immediately moved.
"Now!"
He swung his training sword toward the beast.
The creature blocked the attack with its armored foreleg.
Jay was pushed backward.
Roy stepped forward.
Lightning gathered around his feet.
"Flash Step."
He disappeared from his position and appeared beside the beast.
He struck it with the flat side of his training sword.
The beast staggered.
Leo followed.
"Fire Burst!"
A controlled blast of fire forced the beast backward.
Jenny created a layer of frost beneath its feet.
The creature slipped.
Jones raised another wall.
The team trapped it between the barriers.
The instructor watched from a distance.
"Good teamwork."
Roy didn't celebrate.
He noticed something.
The beast wasn't panicking.
It was studying them.
Its eyes moved between each member of the team.
It's thinking.
Roy stepped back.
"Everyone, be careful."
Leo looked at him.
"What?"
"It's waiting."
The beast suddenly slammed its foot into the ground.
A wave of Nexis spread across the field.
Jenny lost her balance.
Jay stumbled.
Jones's Earth Wall cracked.
Roy barely remained standing.
Then the beast disappeared.
Leo's eyes widened.
"Where did it go?"
Roy looked around.
Nothing.
Then he heard something behind him.
He turned.
The beast was already there.
Roy raised his sword.
The impact sent him sliding backward.
He caught himself before falling.
The beast charged again.
Roy moved.
This time, he didn't attack.
He watched.
The creature changed direction.
Roy jumped.
The beast passed underneath him.
Roy landed behind it.
"It's using its Nexis to hide its presence."
Jay understood immediately.
"So that's why we couldn't sense it."
Roy nodded.
"Don't rely only on Nexis detection."
Leo smiled.
"Then let's force it out."
Leo stepped forward.
"Fire Wall!"
A line of flames appeared across the field.
The beast moved away.
Jenny froze the ground on the opposite side.
The creature's movement became limited.
Jones raised several Earth pillars.
Jay rushed forward.
Roy followed.
The beast tried to disappear again.
Roy focused.
Lightning gathered around his eyes for a moment.
He couldn't see the creature completely.
But he could feel its movement.
"There!"
Roy pointed.
Jay attacked.
The beast jumped away.
Leo's fire forced it toward Jenny.
Jenny froze its front legs.
Jones trapped the rear.
Roy stepped forward.
"Now."
The team attacked together.
The beast fell.
The instructor raised his hand.
"Enough!"
The students stopped.
The beast slowly stood again.
It wasn't seriously hurt.
The instructor walked toward them.
"That's the lesson."
He looked at Roy.
"Your first instinct was to attack. Then you changed your approach."
Roy nodded.
"You can't fight a beast the same way you fight a person."
"Exactly."
The instructor turned toward the class.
"Beasts don't have predictable patterns. You need observation, teamwork, and adaptability."
The students were given a short break.
Roy sat beneath a tree.
Leo dropped beside him.
"That thing was fast."
Roy nodded.
"Very."
"You think we would've won without you?"
Roy looked at him.
"We won because everyone did their part."
Leo smiled.
"You're getting better at that team captain thing."
Roy laughed.
"I didn't ask to be captain."
"But you are."
Jenny joined them.
"I agree with Leo."
Jay sat down as well.
"Our teamwork is improving."
Jones nodded.
"Yeah. At first, we were five people fighting separately."
Roy looked at them.
"And now?"
"Now we're five people fighting together."
Roy smiled.
That was something he hadn't expected from the academy.
He had come here because his mother wanted him to.
Then the mysteries began.
The pendant.
The Northern Hall.
The Guardian.
The hunters.
Raijin.
His sealed memories.
Yet somehow, between all those mysteries, he had started making friends.
Roy looked toward the training field.
For the first time since arriving at the academy, he felt like he belonged somewhere.
Then—
A loud roar echoed through the entire training ground.
Everyone froze.
The instructors immediately turned toward the northern gates.
"That wasn't one of the training beasts."
Roy stood.
Lightning quietly appeared around his fingers.
The metal gates began shaking.
The instructor shouted.
"Everyone stay where you are!"
Another roar came from behind the gates.
This one was much louder.
The instructors gathered.
Something was wrong.
Roy looked at Leo.
"Was that supposed to happen?"
Leo shook his head.
"No."
The gates suddenly stopped shaking.
Silence returned.
Then a strange blue glow appeared between the gaps.
Roy's eyes narrowed.
He felt something.
A familiar Nexis signature.
Not from a beast.
From a person.
Roy turned toward the northern wall.
The silver-haired student stood on top of it.
Blue energy surrounded his hand.
He looked directly at Roy.
And smiled.
Roy's expression hardened.
So it really is him.
The instructor shouted something, but Roy barely heard it.
His attention remained fixed on the silver-haired student.
The student raised one finger.
A tiny pulse of blue Nexis appeared.
Then he disappeared.
Roy stared at the empty wall.
Leo walked beside him.
"Roy…"
"Yeah?"
"Who exactly is that guy?"
Roy looked at the place where the student had disappeared.
"I don't know."
But deep down, Roy knew one thing.
The silver-haired student wasn't watching him because of the Beast Class.
He had been watching Roy since the moment Raijin appeared.
And whatever he wanted—
Roy was starting to think he was going to find out soon.