Chapter 12:Project Elite

The air inside the Grand Assembly Dome was electric.

Every student, instructor, and official from every wing of Aetherion Academy filled the obsidian-seated amphitheater, its vast dome gleaming with arcane sigils and gold-tinted light. Overhead, the academy's eight-pointed star crest hovered midair—glowing brighter than ever before.

It wasn't just a ceremony. It was a summoning.

Professor Kael stood tall at the center stage, his coat swaying as he raised a hand for silence.

The moment he did, the room obeyed—utter stillness, like a held breath.

"Students of Aetherion," Kael's voice thundered, "you have survived the Trials. You have shown talent, resolve, and in some cases… promise that exceeds expectation."

A low hum rolled across the chamber.

Kael's tone sharpened.

"But potential means nothing… without proof."

The lights dimmed. A massive projection shimmered behind him—replaying scenes from the Kaiju trial simulation. Glimpses of Kai's command, Airi's elemental control, Rika's reality-bending illusions. The audience murmured. Some gasped. A few watched with envy.

Then—

The dome dimmed completely.

And a new voice cut through the silence like a blade.

"Enough."

A single crimson spotlight hit the far end of the platform.

Headmaster Shogun Kurenai walked forward, black-and-crimson coat flowing like shadow. His silver hair gleamed like steel. Every step echoed like judgment.

He stopped at the center, lifted his chin, and looked over thousands of students with burning crimson eyes.

"I do not waste words," he said.

"And I do not reward lightly."

The projection vanished.

"The Selection is complete."

The crowd held its breath.

"Six individuals have demonstrated the capacity to lead, adapt, and overcome threats beyond current protocol. They have proven their dominance not through power alone… but through discipline, strategy, and resolve."

"The time has come to reveal the core candidates selected for Project Elite," Kurenai announced.

"These six are not simply students. They are the foundation of a response protocol designed to confront threats beyond Kaiju, beyond human resistance, beyond convention."

"They will not be celebrated. They will be forged."

Silence.

Then the names echoed, one by one.

"Kai Draven."

The name sparked instant murmurs—those who saw his power, and those who felt it.

"Airi Tsukino."

Some students nodded in solemn recognition. Others muttered—still grappling with the scope of her elemental control.

"Renji Takahara."

An edge of unease laced the crowd. She didn't chase the spotlight. She didn't need to.

"Kaito Shiranui."

Whispers sharpened into tension. Some called him a prodigy. Others, a future threat.

"Rika Amagiri."

The moment her name rang out, it hit like a psychic ripple. Eyes widened. A few students froze.

"Reality…? No. She rewrote what we saw."

"Isn't that dangerous?"

"Derrick Vael."

No applause. Just weight.

The name hung in the air like a loaded weapon.

"That's the Kaiju boy…"

"He's unstable…"

"They're seriously letting him in?"

Kurenai didn't flinch.

He simply said,

"These six are the blade edge of our future. They are Project Elite."

"Their failures will echo through nations."

"Their victories… may save them."

And with that, he turned his back on the crowd. A quiet dismissal that screamed louder than words.

Backstage, hidden behind layered walls of reinforced glass and suppressed mana fields, a figure lowered a headset.

"Project Elite has been greenlit," they said, their voice smooth and cold.

"Begin the next phase."

[Kurenai's office]

The door to Headmaster Kurenai's office sealed shut behind the six.

Silence stretched.

They stood before a massive circular desk made of dark obsidian laced with glowing crimson lines. The walls were etched with arcane scripts and military-grade surveillance panels. A large window behind Kurenai framed the dome's skyline—thunder clouds pulsing with unnatural light.

He didn't offer chairs.

Instead, he stood with his hands behind his back, silver hair catching the glow of the energy wall that shimmered behind him. His crimson eyes swept across each of them—Kai, Airi, Renji, Kaito, Rika, and Derrick.

No introductions. No congratulations.

"You are not here because of talent," he began, voice low and razor-edged.

"You are here because the world is falling apart faster than we can hold it together."

A beat passed.

"Project Elite is not a reward. It is a responsibility. You are the prototype response team for threats classified beyond Tier 5—Kaiju that evolve past conventional prediction models. Rogue Awakened with unstable powers. Anomalies that do not fit science, sorcery, or strategy."

Kai clenched his jaw slightly. Derrick avoided everyone's gaze. Rika, dead calm, said nothing.

Kurenai continued.

"Each of you possesses abilities that bend, break, or outright ignore the current laws of power classification. That makes you valuable. It also makes you dangerous."

He stepped forward, placing a thin metallic case onto the desk. With a soft click, it opened—revealing six wristbands glowing faintly with runes and microtech.

"These will be worn at all times. They sync directly to my command systems, monitor vitals, power usage, and proximity. If any of you lose control…"

He looked directly at Derrick.

"…I will know before you do."

Derrick's fists tensed but he said nothing.

"You will train separately from the rest of the academy. You will operate under my direct command. You will not discuss Project Elite with anyone outside this room."

Airi raised a hand slightly. "And if someone asks?"

Kurenai's eyes narrowed.

"You were selected for advanced tactical training. That is all."

Renji glanced at Kai, a flicker of tension passing silently between them. They all knew what this meant.

They were weapons now.

Kurenai closed the case with a snap.

"Your first team session begins tomorrow. 0500 hours. Location is classified until deployment."

He finally looked at each of them—not as students, but as tools he intended to sharpen until they could cut through gods.

"Dismissed."

As they turned to leave, his voice called out one last thing.

"You've stepped beyond the ranks of ordinary Awakened. That means from now on…"

"…you don't get to fail."