「 Pre-Workshop 」

A few days later after Kira regained his consciousness, and approximately 2 months before the Workshop Battle began.

29th floor.

At the moment Kira is seen sitting cross-legged on a rock and meditating while closing his eyes, the atmosphere on the 29th floor is very calm and soothing, filled with shady trees.

The air was also very fresh in the morning, the morning sunlight washed Kira's body that looked sparkling from a distance. His black hair has also been cut short, besides his eyes, there is no other appearance of Kira that has changed for now.

Meditating and calming the mind is one form of training from Guanyin Bodhisattva Martial Arts. Kira doing that more often lately because he keeps getting pieces of memory from the mysterious Dragon.

Pieces of random memories that give Kira a headache. He can't even sleep peacefully at night now.

In addition, Kira is also aware of the drastic changes that occur in bodily functions. His pure physical strength has now reached an extraordinary level, even Kira can destroy a tree without using the slightest Shinsu's reinforcement.

That was certainly the most positive change he felt, that is because with his current physical strength, the problem in using Chaos Baang is resolved. Even though it won't automatically make him able to control more than 2 Chaos Baang instantly, but it makes him no longer necessary to break the concentration to control Shinsu and Chaos Energy at the same time.

Because when using Chaos Baang, Kira must divide his concentration to continue to maintain his body reinforcement using Shinsu, because otherwise his body will be destroyed by Chaos Energy itself. But this time was different, the innate nature of the Mystical Dragon's body slowly merged with his body, his body was no longer the body of an ordinary human that came from outside the tower again.

Besides, his affinity for Shinsu improved a bit, if previously Shinsu hated his very existence, but at this time, although Shinsu was still a bit rebellious when he controlled it, it was already a little tame than before, it was only a matter of time before Kira's affinity for Shinsu improved.

That was a significant increase in strength for Kira. Moreover, only a small part of the Mystical Dragon's innate nature is integrated into his body, it seems that the process requires quite a long time before Apocrypha truly merges with Kira's body.

Kira of course happy with that, but he's also scared. Kira afraid he would lose his true identity as a human being. Especially his mind and common sense.

That's also what makes Kira really hate alcohol, because according to him someone who is drunk does not have the same thoughts with other human beings. Drunk people can do anything inhumane, that's because they are controlled by their instincts as animals to act.

And Kira didn't want that to happen to him, he had said that to Rea, but someone who was stubborn like her seemed to not even heed Kira's words.

Because of that, Kira did not want Apocrypha to be implanted in his body before, but at this time he could not do anything, after all Mai planted Apocrypha to save his life.

***

A few days before, after Kira had just regained consciousness from his vegetative condition.

"Is Mr. Kira really awake !?"

Mai looks breathless when she opens the door of Kira's room, after hearing news from Franz through her Lighthouse, Mai immediately rushes and runs to Kira's room.

Lately she has been quite busy developing a compression weapon which is planned to be promoted at the Workshop battle later. Using Franz's ideas and designs and some of the changes she made, Mai started making her weapons about one year ago.

When she opened the door, Mai saw Kira who had been standing holding Rea on his shoulder, he was seen chatting with Franz and Ran who were in front of him. They all turned immediately when they heard the door open.

Looking at Mai, Kira smiled faintly.

"Long time no see I guess, Mai."

Hearing that, feelings of relief and happiness could be seen from Mai's eyes, but her expression remained unchanged. She just looked down and nodded slightly, Mai still felt guilty for having implanted Apocrypha into Kira's body without his consent.

"Sorry."

Kira tilted his head when he heard that.

"I'm sorry for implanting Apocrypha into your body without asking for your approval, Mr.Kira. "

"What are you apologizing for?" Kira understood what Mai was thinking, and he tried to dispel the guilt in her mind.

"You must be angry, right?"

"Angry? What kind of monster am I if angry at people who have saved my life twice, instead I should be grateful to you," said Kira. Kira then continued.

" Thank you. "

Hearing that, Mai felt her heart beat fast, so fast that she felt like it could explode at any time.

" Um... T-then I must m-finish my work first. "

With her head down, Mai immediately turned and ran out of Kira's room, making everyone confused, while Kira only smiled faintly.

***

"Fuhhh ~"

Kira exhaled his breath and slowly opened his eyes, displaying light blue eyes that shone with a unique light, with a white slit in the middle making Kira's eyes look like the eyes of a reptile. The same eyes that the mysterious dragon has.

When Kira was breathing, suddenly Rea jumped from Mai's personal bunker floating above him.

" Kira-bro, I have a bad news."

"Hmm?"

Rea then ran towards Kira while carrying a tablet in her hand, Kira who saw it then stood up from his seat and jumped off a rock.

"What's the matter?" Kira asked, wiping the sweat from his body using a towel. Rea then shows an article on her tablet to Kira.

"Looks like Arlene's hand has exploded and destroyed in the Regular Area on the 28th floor."

"Then? What does that have to do with me?" Said Kira with a stoic face.

"Just listen to the news."

{ E-Class Regular News, in the 28th Floor Regular's Area, The Arlene's Hand blew up. And many Regulars around died or are injured, Alsa a Regulars who rented a floating ship, found around that area, are assumed to be dead. Inside the hand, there was a FUG's slayer nominee and a message saying " This sacrifice is for the birth of the New Slayer ". This can be interpreted as the warning message from the Slayer Nominee, Jue Viole Grace to the Regulars joining the Workshop Battle. }

Hearing that, Kira's expression didn't seem to change in the slightest, but when he heard the name Jue Viole Grace, he recalled his meeting with a woman a few days ago.

***

The next day after Kira regained consciousness, a beautiful woman with purple hair came to see him. The woman is wearing formal clothes and a pair of sunglasses.

She met Kira while Kira was on his way back from his meditation to Mai's private bunker. Right now they were seen chatting under the trees.

Kira seen leaning on a tree while glancing at the woman in front of him.

"So Hansung Yu told you to meet me?" Kira asked.

"Well, actually I have been watching over you from the start, I am the one who has been watching over you and reporting to Mr. Yu since you started climbing the tower. My name is Noriana La Nave, a guide."

Hearing that, Kira put on a strange face and thought.

'Geh, a stalker ... It's only right that Hansung Yu always knew where I was, so he sent someone to watch over me. '

"So, what do you want to talk to me about? There should be enough instant coffee stock that I sent two years ago, unless he drinks ten packs every day," said Kira.

"No, no, this is actually a pretty important issue. Because if not, I'm not allowed to see you directly like this."

"Alright, say it!"

"It's about the FUG's Slayer Nominee who just made his debut 2 years ago, Jue Viole Grace."

Hearing that, Kira made an annoyed face.

"Tch, I already told him that I'm not interested in interfering in internal affairs of FUG or whatever. Besides, I don't even know who Jue Viole Grace is."

"Ah, I forgot if you don't know that, Jue Viole Grace is Twenty Fifth Bam."

Hearing that Kira widened his eyes before he thought with a deadpan expression.

'Bam ... hasn't heard that name in a long time, so he changed his name now. '

"So what's wrong with him?" Kira asked.

"I don't know, but Boss told me to deliver a message to you, the message contains 'Don't let FUG get the Enryu's Thorn Fragment on the 30th Floor.', That's the message," Nave said.

"Enryu's Thorn huh ... but who is the FUG that Hansung Yu is referring to? Is this the little Slayer Nominee or any other party?"

"I don't know, I'm just delivering a message. But since he didn't say anything else, I guess what he meant was that everyone was affiliated with FUG."

"Bah! What a shameless man, he said that even though he himself is affiliated with FUG," said Kira.

"So will you accept his request?" Nave asked.

"Well, we'll see ... I also have some business that I need to do on the 30th floor later, I will do what he asks if I have free time," said Kira who was preparing to leave.

" If you don't have anything else to talk about, I'm leaving. And please don't stalk me from now on... Bye. "

Seeing that Nave was silent, because Hansung Yu also did not expect that Kira would just accept his request. So the answer from Kira before was more than enough.

Kira then walks away waving his hands, leaving Nave alone in her previous place.

***

Back in real time, Kira is currently still listening to the news shown by Rea.

"So why? Not that I have a relationship with this Slayer Nominee." Kira said, hiding the fact that Jue Viole Grace was Bam, especially since Rea did not know about that.

"Not that, look at the estimate of the victims at the bottom of the screen," said Rea.

And when Kira followed what Rea said, he saw the name of the person he knew there, Khun Aguero Agnes. Rea said while pulling Kira's arm.

"See? Let's get revenge for Aguero, Kira-bro. How dare they kill Aguero like that, even if he's a FUG's Slayer Nominee, I'm not afraid of him."

Well, Rea and Aguero were close friends on the 2nd floor. Aguero was Rea's closest friend besides Kira at the previous exam on the 2nd floor. While Kira who saw the news thought.

'Bam killed Khun? FUG made a very ridiculous joke, well it would not be possible unless Bam was brainwashed by them. '

Seeing Kira's expression that didn't change one bit made Rea raise her eyebrows. Kira then said to Rea.

"Do you think a cunning fox like him can just die like that?" Kira said calmly, hearing that Rea stopped pulling Kira's hand.

"That's right ... Aguero can't possibly die stupidly like this. I think I should ask Emily." Rea said, opening an application on her tablet.

While Kira tilted his head in confusion.

"Emily?"

"Ah, that is a chat application that is popular right now, it's because Emily will answer all the questions we ask her ... this is an amazing and very useful application," Rea said, smiling and typing something.

Kira only raised his eyebrows when he heard Rea's explanation. Then, Rea who seemed to have gotten a reply from the object named Emily smiled broadly.

"As expected, Aguero isn't dead."

"Huh? You just believe this suspicious application?" Asked Kira who made a strange face when looking at Rea

"Of course, Emily never lies when she answers our questions. Besides, you said yourself that Aguero wouldn't die that easily?"

"Well, she's just a machine, of course she won't lie ... but what if the person who programmed her arranged her information with a fake one?"

Rea just paused hearing that, while Kira just patted her head and said while walking.

" Forget it, Let's go, I'm hungry."

"Um." Rea just nodded lightly and followed Kira from behind.

Then time passed quickly and one month had passed, Kira and the others took the 29th floor exam and passed it easily, and because the test administered by the Test Administrator was not a battle test, so, Kira didn't do much on the exam.

After that, Kira and the others continued to be on the 29th floor until they received an invitation to take part in the Workshop battle.

[29th floor | Exam completed ]

***

In a dark room, seen a black egg-shaped robot was walking towards a man using two small wheels in the lower part of his body.

While the man seemed to have an all-white appearance, his skin was pale white like a corpse, and his white hair extended to his waist.

In front of him is a large symbol mounted on the wall, a circle divided into four parts by roots that are wrapped around each other.

It is a symbol of The Workshop or Gong Bang.

Then the sound came from the little robot.

"Sir, we are now ready for the Workshop Battle."

"Send the invitations to the Regulars!"

" Yes sir. "

After taking orders from the man, the little robot immediately left the room leaving the man alone. Then the man spread his hands and said in a hoarse voice.

"Come hither, those who were captured by the devilishness of the tower, we're the smiths who tap on your Greed."

***

* beep *

Rea then saw a message on her Lighthouse, as the team leader she was given several special rights, one of which was to have a main Lighthouse from the team as a medium of communication with the Administrators or other higher-ups.

The message is written.

_

You're invited to the Workshop Battle.

Arie Rea

Kira

Khun Ran

Franz Beckenbauer

_

Seeing that, Rea smiled and jumped from her seat.

"Alright, it's finally here. "

[30th floor | The Workshop Battle | Start]