The students are now in front of the gate of the area known as Shinra Forest.

Naito: This area is called Shinra Forest. You have one hour to make it back to school without getting caught by me. If you’re caught, you’ll be restrained on the spot. If everyone is caught, the game ends.

Shiki: Huh? So it’s just regular tag.

Shiki: Also, if you don’t make it to the goal in time, you’re expelled.

A few of the students are a bit surprised.

Shiki: Expelled? That’s nuts!

Naito: If you think this is just some normal school, you’d be better off dying once & starting over. This is training. After graduation, you’ll all be on the front lines against the Momotaro Agency. Yes, your life will always be on the line. I won’t use my blood. You can use yours however you want. But if you go berserk, I will use mine.

Jin: What if we kill you? If you think you can beat us without blood powers, don’t cry if we kill you.

Naito: Go ahead & try. If you succeed, you graduate instantly & you’ll be assigned to the unit of your choice.

Shiki: Seriously?

(Y/N): Doesn’t sound like he’s bluffing.

Naito: You all came here with a goal, right? If you want to make it, keep on winning. I’ll keep throwing obstacles at you. If you can’t overcome them, you’ll be left behind.

The students started to get warm up a bit.

Naito: Looks like most of you are ready. Except one of you.

(Y/N) then looked at Shiki.

Naito: You quitting?

Shiki: Hell no! If a guy’s gonna come at me with everything he’s got... then I’m giving everything I’ve got back!

Naito: There’s one more rule.

Naito then pull out two hand size marble balls

Naito: To reach the goal, you’ll need one of these.

Naito then tossed it to the forest.

Shiki: Whoa, those really flew!

Naito: If you don’t have a ball, even if you reach the goal, it won’t count.

Jyuji: Mister! But there were only two balls!

Ikari: So we’re supposed to fight each other for them, huh?

Naito: There are a lot of you, so we’ll split you into four groups. Group One is…Homare Byobugaura… (Y/N) Kurobane.  Group Two… Shiki Ichinose… Jin Kougasaki. Group Three… Ikari Yaoroshi… Jyuji Yusurube. Group Four… Rokuro Kiriyama… Kuina Sazanami. Group Three & Four, you’ll only have one ball between you. Group One & Two, you’ll also have one ball between you.

Kuina: Sounds fun.

Ikari: Yup, a full-on brawl.

Rokuro: That means at least four people are getting expelled. My head hurts. I might die.

Naito then open the door to the gate.

Naito: You’ll all go in first. I’ll enter 15 minutes later. If there’s nothing else—

Shiki: Wait! There’s no way I can team up with this masked weirdo!

Naito: Then you’re expelled.

Shiki is shocked.

Shiki: Seriously?

(Y/N): I have one question.

Naito: No, I will not switch people from their groups.

(Y/N): I have no question.

Shiki: This is the second idea you have that was rejected.

(Y/N): What about turning the school into zombie infested place on Halloween?

Shiki: Third idea.

(Y/N): Oh.

Homare: Um…

Both (Y/N) & Shiki then turn their attention to Homare.

Homare: I’m Homare Byobugaura.

Homare then bowed to (Y/N).

Homare: I’ll try my best not to get in your way, so…

(Y/N) is surprised about the situation he is in: Homare, a girl, is talking to him. There is a reason for (Y/N): Girls don’t find Otaku like (Y/N) interesting. (Y/N) is started to have feelings for Homare.

(Y/N): N-N-Nice to meet you! I will protect you!

Homare: N-No, really. That’s too much. I just want to stay out of the way.

(Y/N): It’s okay. Any help from you is great. You are too cute.

Homare: Please don’t call me cute.

(Y/N) coughed up blood from his mouth to the point where he is up chucking blood. He is panting.

(Y/N): Okay.

Naito: Group One, begin.

(Y/N): Okay.

(Y/N) then run into the forest. He then stop to turn around to see Homare standing.

(Y/N)(Mind): Why is she standing around?

(Y/N): Homare! Come on!

Homare: Huh? U-Um…

(Y/N)(Mind): She can’t be that dense?

Homare then bowed.

Homare: S-Sorry!

Homare then entered the forest & run.

Homare: I’m sorry for being so dense!

(Y/N) then sweat drop & run with her.

(Y/N)(Mind): I just answered my question.

Both (Y/N) & Homare are running the direction that (Y/N) knows while Homare followed him. They then heard a noise. Both of them then looked up to see the birds are flying away.

Homare: W-What was that sound?

(Y/N): Sound like a tree fall.

Homare then trip on the branch. (Y/N) caught her as she then fell on him. Homare then looked as her breast is on his face. Homare quickly got off & bow all the way to the floor as (Y/N) then sit up.

Homare: I’m sorry. Someone like me doesn’t belong. A garbage girl like me shouldn’t be in a place like this.

(Y/N): That’s a lie.

Homare then looked at (Y/N).

(Y/N): You’re not garbage. You are not worthless. You are here because you fought your way here. Every scar, every mistake, every hardship—that’s proof that you’re stronger than you think. The truth is, people who’ve had it easy will never understand the kind of fire it takes to survive when the world tells you you’re nothing. But you… you do.

(Y/N) then hold out his hand toward Homare. She then takes it as both of them stand up on their feet.

(Y/N): Belonging isn’t about being perfect—it’s about showing up as yourself. And you’ve earned your place here a hundred times over. So hold your head up. You belong because you say you belong, and no one can take that from you.

Homare is staring at (Y/N) after what he said.

(Y/N): Listen. First, we are going to find that marble. Then, we are going… to…

(Y/N) then found the marble. Homare then looked at the direction he is staring. He then went to the marble & grabbed it. He then looked Homare.

(Y/N): Here. Hold this.

(Y/N) gave the marble to Homare.

(Y/N): Tried to find your way back to the school. I will check out where the sound is.

(Y/N) then went to the tree & put his wrists on it. He then slide it down, causing his wrists to bleed. He then get ready to pose as he is focusing on a pair of weapons.

???: Oh, yeah. Wield me so we can go out with a Yang!

(Y/N) sighed disappointed due to the bad joke. He then focus as his blood constructed Yang Xiao Long’s own Ember Celica. Ember Celica appear to be a pair of bracelets at first, but when activated, they cover Yang's hands and forearms in gauntlets, acting as arm guards. The gauntlets have a golden-yellow color and the shells inside are red and orange. Inside there are chambers that holster the cylinder consisting of 12 shells, giving the weapons 24 shots in total when both gauntlets are fully loaded. A silver barrel is concealed in the front of each gauntlet, aligned between the knuckles of the index and middle finger.

(Y/N): Blood Eclipse Release!

(Y/N) then aimed down as he blasted his way towards the sound as he then made it & punch Jin square in the face. Jin & even Shiki are surprised  as (Y/N)’s punch then sent Jin far to a tree. Shiki & (Y/N) are looking.

Shiki & (Y/N): Whoa.

Shiki then looked at (Y/N)’s Ember Celica.

(Y/N): I have to be honest. I thought these gauntlets would be… heavy.

Shiki: Maybe it’s because of the size.

Jin then looked annoyed, but still felt that after effect. He then stand up as he then looked at both of them.

Jin: Both of you take a nap.

Jin then send a giant blood buzz saw towards them.

Homare: Finally, I found you!

(Y/N) & Shiki then looked to see Homare as (Y/N) push Shiki away, got in front of Homare, & block the buzz saw with Ember Celica as the attack failed.

Shiki: (Y/N)!

The cloud then disappeared as (Y/N) got a couple of scars.

(Y/N): Barely made it.

Homare: Uh…

Homare then open her eyes to see the scars.

Shiki: That was dangerous, damn it! Apologize!

Jin: Apologize? If you’re scared of getting hurt, you should go home.

Shiki: Huh?

Jin: If that tiny, restrained attack scared you, you weren’t going to last long anyway.

Shiki: You’re seriously pissing me off.

Homare: I’m sorry.

(Y/N) then see Homare bowing her head.

Homare: I’m sorry. It’s my fault you got hurt. I’m really, really sorry.

(Y/N): It’s okay. I’m fine.

Homare: I’m so sorry. I’ll just die to atone for it.

The blood from Homare’s nose started to form as (Y/N) started to back away as the blood then formed into a titan with hair. It then let out a scream.

Shiki: What the hell is that?

(Y/N): Looks like a titan!

Homare: All three of you, please run. Otherwise… she’ll kill you.