It was early morning at Castle Light, the air thick with post-megurger regret and the faint scent of expired mayo.
Subaru walked toward the training yard, hands in pockets, thinking deeply.
"Maybe it's time… maybe I finally ask Reinhart how to rizz her."
At the same time, on the other side of Castle Light, Reinhart walked with the same purpose.
"Maybe Subaru… knows how to rizz. I must consult him."
They met halfway near the ruined fountain, both stopping abruptly. A few sharko bones rolled by in the breeze. Their eyes locked.
"You?" Subaru asked.
"You?" Reinhart echoed.
A pause.
Then, in unison, they both took a step back and said:
"Forget it."
The moment passed, replaced with mutual embarrassment and internal screaming.
Before either of them could backpedal with a fake reason, the sky darkened.
A sharp hum began to tremble through the walls of Castle Light. The Depths themselves shivered. Waves rippled across the inky seas. And then—
BOOOOMMMM
A thunderous voice echoed across the land, so powerful it split the skies and pierced the very souls of every diver, freshie, and sharko alike:
"FROM NOW ON… THE GAME IS HARDCORE.""YOU WIPE… YOU'RE DONE. FOREVER. AND DEAD."
The announcement rang out across the entire Depths, echoing through the layers like the roar of the Drowned Gods themselves.
Everyone froze.
Even the most hardened veterans turned pale.
Emilia immediately panicked and clung to Reinhart, arms wrapped tight around him. "W-What was that?! What's happening?!"
Reinhart didn't answer. He stared at the sky, feeling the weight of the words. He gently patted her head, but his focus was elsewhere.
Meanwhile, Subaru was a statue. Eyes wide. Hands clenched. The scene in front of him was too much.
Emilia… hugging Reinhart.
It was like a beautiful golden treasure, glimmering just beyond an impenetrable, unbreakable, god-forged wall labeled "REINHART."
Subaru's eye twitched. "Maybe… maybe Julius was right about not liking Reinhart after all," he whispered to himself.
Elsewhere in the Depths…
Far from Castle Light, in a region few dared to explore, a single man stood at the edge of a broken cathedral deep within Layer 1.
Alen Drakkengard.
He stood silent, his white cloak fluttering, eyes cold.
"I've unlocked it…" he murmured.
Judgement.
The aura around him twisted like screaming ghosts, bending the world to his will.
"It's time."
Behind him, tied together with rusted chains and shaking in fear, stood two poor souls:
Asen Nephidra, a terrified level 2 with a wooden dagger.
Michael Juno, a clueless level 1 who still thought Nautsea was a fun town.
"W-what is this?!" Michael squeaked.
"Wh-why us?! We're not even ready for a jellyfish!!" Asen cried, trying to wiggle free.
Alen smiled.
A calm, insane, unforgiving smile.
"You've both been selected for something greater. Something eternal."
He placed a hand on each of their heads. In an instant, the world around them changed. The skies turned red. The sea boiled. And a message flashed across their visions.
Welcome to Hellmode Trial.
No Respawns.
No Mercy.
And then… it began.
Back at Castle Light
People screamed. Sharkos wailed. Even the Threshers stopped fighting each other. Hardcore mode had shattered the unspoken rules.
Subaru watched as Emilia still clung to Reinhart. His pupils turned into tiny dots. He walked back to a wall, sat down, and sighed with his head in his hands.
"Reinhart has it all… the sword, the style, the aura, the girl…" he muttered.
"…Maybe Julius is wrong sometimes, but maybe he's also a prophet."
He looked up at the sky.
In the clouds, faintly, he swore he saw a thresher's face grinning at him.
Meanwhile, in the Hellmode Arena
Michael Juno had already tripped over his own shoelace and was getting chased by an enforcer.
Asen Nephidra was crying and stabbing himself by mistake.
And Alen?
Alen was watching calmly, arms crossed, face unmoved.
He whispered, "Let's see if they'll survive the first hour…"