To The Tournament Of Heros

Kazuki sat on his couch, enjoying a rare moment of peace, when the door burst open.

"Yo! Kazuki!" Sonnet called, barging in without hesitation. "Get dressed. We're going out!"

Andreas followed close behind, holding what looked like an oversized flag. "Yeah, we're hitting the Echelon Trials today. Can't miss it. It's the event of the decade!"

Kazuki blinked, setting his cup down. "Wait, the Echelon Trials? The hero tournament?"

"You bet!" Sonnet grinned. "We've got front-row spots for all the chaos. Come on, you're not staying here all day, right?"

Before Kazuki could answer, Lumi walked in, still rubbing her eyes and munching on a snack.

"Hey, Kazuki, did you—" Lumi froze mid-step, her eyes locking on Sonnet and Andreas. She nearly dropped her food.

Her pupils dilated. "What… what are you two doing here?"

Kazuki frowned. "What's the big deal? They're my neighbors. We've been hanging out. Why?"

Lumi looked like she'd just seen a ghost. "Hanging out?! Wait… did they tell you anything? About—" She stopped herself, eyes darting between Sonnet and Andreas, who were both staring at the ceiling, whistling in unison like two badly trained liars.

"Uh… no, they didn't tell me anything weird," Kazuki said, giving Lumi a suspicious glance. "Why?"

"Nothing!" Lumi said a little too quickly, waving her hands. "Totally nothing! It's fine! You're fine! Everyone's fine!"

Kazuki arched an eyebrow. "Okay…"

Sonnet clapped her hands. "Well, enough awkward silences! Let's get moving before we miss the best part of the tournament!"

The group made their way through the winding streets of Eidolon. The city seemed livelier than usual, with crowds flocking toward the massive arena in the distance.

"Shortcut this way," Andreas said, leading them into a narrow alley that cut directly toward the arena. "Trust me, it's faster."

Kazuki followed, his footsteps echoing in the quiet lane. At first, everything seemed normal. Then… the smell hit him.

It was faint but unmistakable—the metallic tang of blood.

Kazuki stopped, his eyes narrowing as the alley stretched ahead of them. He took a step forward, and that's when he saw it.

Bodies. Dozens of them, scattered across the alley floor. Their eyes were wide open, faces frozen in shock, their skin unnaturally pale.

"Whoa…" Sonnet whispered, her playful tone gone in an instant.

Andreas stood still, his usual carefree expression replaced with a grim look. "What the hell happened here?"

Kazuki's heart pounded. He took a shaky breath, stepping closer. "Are they… dead?"

"Yeah," Lumi said softly, her usual energy replaced by a quiet dread. "They're dead. Every single one of them."

Then, at the far end of the alley, a figure caught Kazuki's eye.

A girl stood among the bodies, her long black hair falling over her face, a soft breeze stirring the hem of her dress. She looked calm, eerily so, as if death itself was nothing more than a gentle lullaby.

It was Hotaru.

Kazuki's breath caught in his throat. "Hotaru…?"

Her eyes met his—deep, dark, and empty. A chilling smile played on her lips, but before he could say a word, her body collapsed to the ground.

Lumi's voice trembled. "She's… gone."

Kazuki ran to her side, but it was too late. Her skin was ice-cold, her pulse nonexistent.

"Why?" Kazuki whispered, his hands trembling. "What happened to her?"

Lumi knelt beside him, her eyes widening as she recognized something else. "Kazuki… look."

A faint black mark glowed on Hotaru's wrist—a symbol Kazuki had never seen before, but Lumi knew all too well.

"The gaze of the Primis of Death," Lumi whispered. "Hotaru… was blessed by Death."