The stage was fully lit up at the end of Niya-chan’s closing remarks.
Of course, the usual lines came first—“Everyone, do your best~” and “Niya-chan will be cheering for you the whole time!”—and these words were amplified by the cheers until they were swallowed up by the echoes inside the venue.
The screens surrounding the area on all four sides lit up simultaneously. Immediately after, the door leading to the contestants’ exclusive “BHAO Full-Dive Room” opened as well.
“Do your best, Yae Yoruichi! I won’t hold back, okay?”
“Ah, yeah.”
I replied in a tone that barely counted as a response. I couldn’t muster the same fighting spirit as Chiyo Haori.
Compared to a natural battle maniac like him, I had zero advantage in momentum. My goal wasn’t grand either—I simply wanted to prove that I wasn’t trash. That was all.
Whether I could advance to the knockout stage wasn’t really part of my obsession.
“Then, first, please have the eight members of Group A enter the full-dive rooms~”
Group A.
It wasn’t just me and Chiyo Haori.
To speed up the lower-tier preliminary rounds, Blue Sea Academy had divided the low-tier contestants into Groups A through K, with roughly eight people per group—meaning four matches would take place simultaneously.
These matches would be displayed in split-screen format across the four display areas on the main stage. Afterward, contestants would be divided into winners’ and losers’ brackets based on their scores for the next round of group battles.
This information wasn’t explained by Niya-chan herself but was sent directly to every participant’s phone via a notification during the rules explanation.
To boost viewership and stimulate the students, the school really doesn’t hold back.
With a complaint completely unrelated to passion or excitement, I stepped through the door emitting a soft glow.
When my vision switched from the extravagant stage to the bright and minimalist indoor space, I couldn’t help but open my mouth slightly.
There was a sink, a sofa, an individual bed, and a large display screen covering an entire wall. The floor seemed to use some new soft padding material; even lying down directly on it wouldn’t cause any discomfort.
Aside from the lack of a private bathroom, this was almost no different from an expensive high-end rental apartment.
“What a luxurious full-dive room.”
There were plenty of places to lie down. I ultimately chose a large, sponge-like crimson giant cushion, lay down on my back, and spread my limbs out into a star shape.
The duel countdown on my phone began ticking.
My body completely relaxed.
My bones felt soft, my body felt soft, and even my consciousness sank into the soft cushion.
Such full-dive rooms seemed to be prepared not only for contestants but also for top-performing honor students.
Before I knew it, I actually got the chance to come here… But the one allowed entry isn’t the Unknown Name Warrior—it’s the Siren (Witch), huh?
The powerless one had always been the Unknown Name Warrior.
Whether it was bearing infamy or being treated unfairly, it was never him who enjoyed those treatments.
The only one who could truly stand here was the Witch.
I gently pressed my lips together and used my slender fingers—which didn’t look like they belonged to “the original me”—to light up the phone screen.
The moment my fingertips touched the smooth interface, the familiar notification sound rang in my ear.
“UNKNOWN NAME WARRIOR AGREED DUEL.”
This was the name-changing plugin Yune had provided me. It would only last about a week.
Something created by exploiting a BUG loophole would probably be cleaned up by THE EARTH RING company soon.
The boy named Yae Yoruichi overlapped with the Unknown Name Warrior.
The girl named Yae Yoruichi carried the identity of the Witch.
Two completely different beings tied together by the same rope.
Was this the result?
My chaotic thoughts were interrupted by the cubic particles that gradually enveloped my body.
The particles generated and combined rapidly. The bright feeling of the dive space was replaced by a dark, enclosed atmosphere.
“It’s starting… my first battle at Blue Sea Academy.”
Tension washed over me like water, sweeping away all distractions.
Only at this moment did I truly understand Chiyo Haori’s unrestrained motivation.
————
————
Water particles.
No—if it were real water, I should have been unable to breathe by now.
Darkness flowed around me, with only scattered points of light floating within.
They were crystal stones scattered across stone steps, hexagonal in structure, glowing quietly.
In an environment where it’s almost impossible to see clearly, how am I supposed to fight?
Just as I felt confused, a cluster of bubbles suddenly rose in front of me.
The bubbles gathered and formed familiar text.
“WELCOME TO THE ARENA.”
Below it was a smaller line.
“SPECIAL SITE: ATLANTIS.”
The text only stayed for a few seconds before disappearing as if swallowed by seawater.
The next instant, light spread out from the distance.
From far to near—green, blue, red… a riot of colors, like musical notes dancing in water.
But what truly took my breath away wasn’t the colors themselves.
Coral, anglerfish, fluorescent jellyfish slowly drifted within the flowing ocean particles. Their own glow filled my retinas.
Soft, steady breathing sounds resembling seashells echoed beside my ear.
“The legendary city—Atlantis, huh? What a beautiful place.”
I murmured in a hushed voice, almost afraid of disturbing the serenity.
But that was only my wishful thinking.
“It’s here, it’s here! The very first match of the day has a SPECIAL SITE! Even Niya-chan can’t help but be amazed by Atlantis, a place that only exists in myths and urban legends!”
Niya-chan’s broadcast voice instantly stirred the water currents. Schools of fish scattered, and the anglerfish’s light source moved along with them.
The view will be affected by these creatures… They really paid attention to the details.
“So, how will the contestants UNKNOWN NAME WARRIOR and WATER FENCER deal with this special arena? The battle is about to begin. Countdown: 1000 seconds!”
—The battle had begun.