《Modern Monster》


 Book 1 : Attempt 442 : Prologue

    "To the person I was, to the soul of myself, I am sorry I have failed you time and time again."


    Prologue: Attempt 442


    April 3rd, 2076


    He had been here once before¡­ but yet, it was his first time in the world''s eyes. He had felt the dry ground and the gritty texture of dirt beneath his feet many times, but yet, they didn¡¯t remember the way his feet pressed on them.


    He had felt the warm rays of the beautiful sun as they glimmered on his obscured features, yet the sun couldn¡¯t recognize his face. The blue expanse of the sky stretched farther than his eye could perceive, so grand and large. So empty¡­


    But he was wrong. The blue sky wasn¡¯t void of everything except for its blue pigment. No, he could see small dots gliding through the air. Their large car-sized wings and elongated necks could be spotted with the man''s keen, precise eyes.


    From afar, they seemed so beautiful and elegant, with pale white feathers like a swan and a long beak akin to a crane. But they were feared. After all, they were monsters. Monsters who had no sense of remorse or morality.


    Monsters who would eat him without a second thought. However, they simply couldn¡¯t¡­ and because of that reason, he could admire their beauty without fear.


    A naked man let out a sigh and leaned his head against a large sycamore tree. His features concealed by the sunlight, he lifted his chin and admired how the enormous tree towered at least three hundred feet above him. But it also felt out of place.


    The scenic tree stood alone, in a tennis-sized crater that was formed by a fallen meteor long ago. The long-growing grass and moss indicated how much time had passed since its landing, but the closer you got to the center, the more the greeneries faded and were replaced with the dry grittiness of dirt.


    Above the landing sight, a lush, flat green land expanded farther than human eyes could see, as smaller groups of trees and lakes were accompanied by shadowy movements of creatures that were barely distinguishable from afar.


    ¡°Yes¡­ I¡¯ve seen it all before.¡± The man breathed, leaning against the tree with his eyes closed. ¡°Every single tree, every monster, every flower, every blade of grass, I''ve seen this all a long time ago.¡±


    But yet, here he was, at the same exact spot. Why would such a man return to a place he knew so much about? Perhaps deep down, he liked it and didn¡¯t want to admit it. Or perhaps, he didn¡¯t know how to leave.


    ¡°It''s going to rain.¡± The naked man predicted, inhaling the air, even though not a single cloud in the sky hinted at that conclusion. But sure enough, after minutes of patiently waiting for his prediction to come true, dark grey clouds swirled above the great sycamore tree.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    The sun now covered in grey, it didn¡¯t take long before a water drop splashed on his nose. Deciding not to wait until his whole body was drenched, he stood up to face the tree''s base. A hole roughly the size of a human was carved into it, while pieces of bark were scattered on the ground.


    It almost seemed like it was a hollow tree that someone had broken the outer shell to seek cover. The naked man decided not to deny this perfect opportunity and entered the hole, albeit It wasn¡¯t the size of a modern bed or anything, but it would do until the rain stopped.


    His rear already started itching from all the bugs as he sat in the tree, and his skin bristled from the chill brought by the wind and rain. ¡°Yet again¡­¡± the man sighed, almost calling out to someone who¡¯d never understand his pain. ¡°I wasn¡¯t wrong¡­¡±


    No one would understand him¡­ he was alone. Just like the hollow tree, he was empty inside. Not a single fragment of hope in his soul. He yearned for a person who¡¯d lend him a simple ear while he vented about his troubles.


    Someone who would understand him. Someone who wouldn¡¯t interrogate and wouldn¡¯t doubt if he was telling the truth or not. Someone who¡¯d just make him feel¡­ listened to.


    ¡°I guess it wouldn¡¯t matter that much, huh?¡± the man''s lips moved, yet the rest of his face was hidden in the darkness of the hollow tree. ¡°In the end, I¡¯ll still come back here. But one day, I would like to tell someone everything.


    Tell them what happened, what I endured, and share everything that I have done.¡± The naked man couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°That sounds nice. Really nice.¡±


    He longed for that moment¡­ no matter how long it took, he wanted that more than anything. ¡°I really hope this is the last one,¡± he whispered. ¡°Four hundred and forty-two¡­¡±


    The man huddled as he waited for the storm to pass, the frigid weather making his lips quiver and his body shake. But before he knew it, a ray of sunlight passed through the trees¡¯ awning and into the hole, making him raise his head from his bundled-up position and meet the beautiful spectacle of the warm orange light reflecting off the wet leaves that created a beautiful glimmer above.


    Leaving the shelter, he took in the beauty. No matter how many times he had seen it, the sight always made him feel a bit better. It made him come back to reality, even though the concept of it had become distorted in his mind.


    Inhaling the fresh scent of rain, the man suddenly noticed movement from the corner of his eye. ¡°Huh?¡± he froze. A swift, small black creature landed on a tree branch, making him lose his balance and topple on the dirt in surprise. His heart began thudding in his chest. More than he ever thought he was capable of.


    Thud¡­ Thud¡­ Thud¡­


    Putting his hand on his pounding heart, he could only stare in absolute awe. The creature that had landed¡­ He couldn¡¯t believe his eyes. The naked man first thought he was in a dream, but it was right before him. This was no dream, this was reality.


    The realization of what this meant made him feel so¡­ He didn¡¯t know what it was¡­ but it felt like a flower began blooming in his chest.


    Is this what hope is?


    A drop of water splashed on his crotch, and at first, he thought another storm was upon him, but not a single rain cloud could be spotted. One after another, he felt the same drops of water¡­ before finally realizing it was him.


    He was crying.


    He had forgotten how it felt.


    But he couldn¡¯t help it, not after gaping at the beautiful creature that watched him with its obsidian black eyes, and its black-feathered figure.


    ¡°A crow¡­¡± the man sobbed. ¡°It¡¯s a fucking simple crow.¡±


    But yet, the man couldn¡¯t help but think it was the most magnificent creature he had ever seen. Because it was more than just a crow to him. It was a sign¡ªa symbol of hope.


    ¡°Finally,¡± his nose sniffled from snot as he wiped his tears. ¡°Something I haven¡¯t seen before.¡±

 Chapter 1– Sen

    He felt so cold. The cold air pierced his skin like tiny needles, and his young, childish brain was confused and foggy. A young boy was fastened onto a broad, flat doctor¡¯s operations table. Above him, a bright white surgical lamp blasted his eyes.


    He wiggled around in discomfort, barely able to look at his surroundings. When he attempted to, the blinding light was too much for him to handle.


    The boy had sleek, thin, white hair with black tips on every strand. His eyes were light blue with hints of pale grey. Genetically, this child was set up for success. He was strong, observant, intelligent, and, most of all, picturesque. And yet, such a perfect child was ensnared?


    Still perplexed about why he couldn¡¯t rub his eyes, the boy realized he was strapped to a table. Feeling sudden panic overwhelm him, he frantically screamed out for help.


    Unfortunately, that proved futile. No one came to his aid. He had yet to understand how he got into this predicament. His cunning and agile mind sought ways to escape, but his young body limited him. After all, he was merely four years old.


    ¡°Oh, it seems the anesthesia is wearing off.¡± A suppressed sigh came out of nowhere.


    Still groggy and dizzy, the boy couldn¡¯t catch a glimpse of the person who said those words.


    ¡°Alrighty then, can someone pass me a quick jab of anesthesia? Looks like the last one wasn¡¯t quite enough,¡± the same voice called out calmly.


    I can¡¯t see, he thought. The world seemed blurry to him. No matter how hard he tried, he didn¡¯t have enough energy to fight back. It didn¡¯t take long before he felt a subtle sting on his arm. He tried resisting the grasp of the man¡¯s hand, but his arms and legs were strapped down.


    He knew he could scream. He could make whoever was examining him annoyed or angry. But he knew that wasn¡¯t the best course of action. What would merely screaming achieve? That would only worsen his situation. He could already imagine whoever was doing this would tape his mouth shut. That¡¯s why he took a safer approach.


    ¡°Where am I?¡± he asked the person.


    ¡°Oh? Still not sleeping, are you? Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯re not in any danger,¡± he paused, ¡°yet, that is.¡± The person seemed to be injecting him with something else. It wasn¡¯t the same as before.


    ¡°What are you doing to me?¡±


    ¡°Huh, well, I must say, you''re awfully polite to someone who is injecting unknown fluid into your body,¡± the stranger cackled.


    ¡°That¡¯s not an answer,¡± he retorted abruptly. The boy wasn¡¯t in the mood to tiptoe around the topic. Expecting some rough and impatient answer, he was surprised to hear the stranger laugh.


    ¡°HAHAHAHA! WOW! I¡¯m having an intellectual conversation with a four-year-old! They weren¡¯t joking. You¡¯re something else, kid!¡±


    They? The boy listened carefully to his words. More than one person was examining him for some reason.


    ¡°I still don¡¯t understand, why am I stra-¡± In the middle of his inquiry, the boy suddenly felt lightheaded again. His energy drained rapidly, and he could feel himself slipping away into unconsciousness.


    ¡°Sorry, can¡¯t tell you. I mean, you won''t even remember this soon enough. Have a good nap!¡±


    Trying to summon every last ounce of energy to say something, it proved futile as everything went blank¡­


    #


    ¡°Ahum¡­ Sen?¡± a stern voice shouted. ¡°Sen, I know you can hear me!¡±


    No response. Let me sleep, Sen thought. He heard his teacher¡¯s annoyed voice clearly but didn¡¯t want to comply with such a rude demand. He hadn¡¯t slept much the night before, so the least the teacher could do was cut him some slack. Besides, he wasn''t missing much information anyway.


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°Mr. Sen Ano! What gives you the right to fall asleep in my classroom!¡± the teacher exclaimed. With a suppressed sigh, he lifted his head to meet his teacher¡¯s firm expression. A few kids his age murmured among themselves.


    Typical gossip, Sen mused. It didn''t bother him; he couldn''t care less about what people thought. He¡¯d already been a victim of verbal outcasting his whole life for a certain reason. So this was child¡¯s play.


    ¡°Sen,¡± the teacher gritted her teeth, ¡°would you care to explain what we learned today?¡±


    Ah, that might be a problem. I don¡¯t have a clue. Which class am I in? Oh, right, history. That should be relatively easy for him. Around Sen, classmates eagerly awaited his response, probably hoping he''d face repercussions or make a fool of himself. Unfortunately, he wasn¡¯t planning on that¡ª


    ¡°What¡¯s the subject?¡± he asked calmly. By the look on his teacher''s face, he could tell she didn¡¯t appreciate his nonchalant attitude. He never really showed much enthusiasm or embarrassment. He just never really wanted to, or maybe it wasn¡¯t a want. Maybe it was something people couldn''t control. Just thinking about it truly baffled him.


    ¡°Well, if you didn¡¯t fall asleep in the middle of the class, maybe you would know,¡± she remarked slyly, but then gave in. ¡°Fine, what is the origin of the five Super Senses.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Sen raised a brow. That was a very simple question. Barely a question. He glanced around him. A few classmates gave him smug snickers, almost as if he was caught. Surely they didn¡¯t think this was a hard question? Did they think he would crack under pressure? He truly didn¡¯t understand kids his age.


    ¡°Well,¡± Sen began, standing up from his chair and giving a brief yawn before proceeding. ¡°The origin of Super Senses is pretty simple. A meteor crashed into the earth in the mid-1870s in central Europe. The star was roughly seventy feet long and fifty wide if we are going into details. The damage was, well, quite minimal. However, it wasn¡¯t the physical damage which became the problem in the end.¡± Those who were murmuring against him were now nervously listening as he depicted the events flawlessly.


    ¡°Since in that time period our technological advancements were barely beginning, we didn¡¯t have time to research and quarantine the meteor properly. In the end, that was the moment society took a complete one-eighty. It was very spur of the moment, but people started to change. Not in physical attributes, but something genetically in us changed. People began to feel their Hearing, Smell, Sight, Touch, and Taste enhanced. But not minimally, it was something way more drastic. Some might even call it a superpower. It started off as a small portion of the population, but then it slowly increased each day, almost like a virus. Soon enough, the majority of the population was now affected by the new phenomenon. Most had one dominant Sense, or Super Sense, as many would call it. And very rarely, there would be outliers who had two or three. It¡¯s fully possible for someone to have been blessed with all five, but throughout the years, it¡¯s never been recorded. Some might call it a gift from God, but as we all know, nothing comes free¡­¡±


    Silence gripped the classroom while he continued elucidating history. He could tell some had an annoyed expression on their faces, but of course, he needed to proceed. I mean, not because I want to. I¡¯m just doing this so I don¡¯t get expelled. Of course, Sen''s grades were simply off the charts. He never failed a test and was strictly an A student. So, even in the hypothetical scenario that he would get expelled, didn¡¯t quite make him worry. He could simply apply to another school. His academic level was so consistent, in fact, that he could easily get into a high-end college and acquire a scholarship with ease. But¡­ regardless of all that, he still¡ª


    ¡°Some might call it a gift from God, huh?¡± One of the students cackled, repeating his last words. ¡°Well, looks like you were on his blacklist!¡±


    Sen didn¡¯t respond. A few people next to him were seemingly holding in their laughter upon hearing the joke. Some seemed troubled. A few were sympathetic, and most didn¡¯t bother taking notice. It was quite hard for him to block out such a remark and continue educating history. He was simply planning on ignoring it, but his teacher was ahead of him.


    ¡°Kagari, do not use such insults in this classroom. Do you understand?¡± she ordered firmly.


    ¡°Tsk¡­¡± Kagari rolled his eyes, clearly reluctant to be scolded. ¡°I didn¡¯t even say anything bad. Was anything I told him not the truth? I mean, seriously, teach, you¡¯re the harshest person out of all of us. YOU ordered a person who doesn¡¯t have a super sense to recite the history revolving around it.¡±


    That was the last thing the teacher wanted to hear. A vein throbbed on her forehead. ¡°Watch your tone when speaking to me! I¡¯ll have you reported to the principal¡¯s office this instant¡ª¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s not need for that,¡± Sen sighed. Both the teacher and student fell silent and looked at him. ¡°I appreciate the defense, Mrs. Aoiko, but in the end, he¡¯s right. God does seem to hold a grudge against me if he exists. Maybe it''s simply luck that I never received a Super Sense when passing adolescence, as much as I hoped for one. But that¡¯s just how I was born. I¡¯m sorry if that makes anyone uncomfortable or view me differently,¡± he gave a short bow. ¡°In the end, that¡¯s just who I am. Call me weak, inferior, or whatever you please. Sadly, this isn¡¯t something like losing weight or getting a new haircut. That¡¯s something I physically cannot change. So, if you wish to still make fun of this fact, that''s your choice. Oh, also, a small piece of advice: if God really exists, you should know he watches your every move. So be careful what you say¡­¡±

 Chapter 2– I really dont care

    It wasn¡¯t long before the class ended with the bell ringing. The teacher''s chalkboard, or screen board as he should put it, was displaying a complete map of the world. Since the class was now finishing, the teacher walked up to the screen and simply turned it off. People once told him that they used books, notes, and actual drawing boards when learning not too long ago. But of course, a lot of things can change in a matter of years.


    Putting his slim touchscreen tablet in his school bag, he started to exit the classroom. Unfortunately, as he was, the teacher stopped him.


    ¡°Sen, do you have a moment?¡± Mrs. Aoiko asked.


    Her voice seemed slightly less harsh, so he guessed it wasn¡¯t anything bad this time. At least I¡¯m not in trouble. Not that I¡¯d ever be.


    ¡°Sure, what can I help you with.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t help me with anything. I¡¯m a teacher. I¡¯m supposed to help you.¡±


    Oops, I spoke too soon. There¡¯s that icy tone.


    ¡°Sure, I understand. So, then, what could I not help you with today?¡± he tilted his head. Sen wanted to get out of this already. He was running late to his martial arts class, after all.


    ¡°Of course,¡± the teacher let out an exasperated sigh. ¡°I swear I¡¯ll never understand you, Sen. You and your little words.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with using words? I wouldn¡¯t be able to communicate with others now, would I?¡± he slyly remarked.


    ¡°Exactly that, that is exactly what I¡¯m talking about.¡± At this point, Sen was testing the waters of how far he could go. Probably not the best idea to test the theory with his teacher.


    ¡°Anyway, I wanted to ask you a question, and I want you to answer it truthfully.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t really lie, so sure, go for it,¡± he shrugged. Sen didn¡¯t remember when he last lied to anyone, so he was curious about what Mrs. Aoiko wanted to discuss with him.


    ¡°Why are you still learning in this school? You¡¯re fifteen years old, and you have the academic level of a university student. You clearly are ahead of everyone else; don¡¯t you want to be successful?¡±


    Sen wasn¡¯t really expecting such an inquiry. ¡°Sixteen, actually,¡± he corrected. ¡°I¡¯m turning sixteen tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Good for you, it still doesn¡¯t matter! My point still stands,¡± she urged him to answer, then added with a lighter tone, ¡°¡­ Happy birthday.¡±


    He nodded his head in thanks for her birthday wishes. Although she was strict, she was kind at times, when she wasn¡¯t under her stressful task as a teacher, that is. He couldn¡¯t blame her for losing her temper when teaching, too. If he were getting paid minimum wage to teach a bunch of soft-brain people, he sure would show signs of irritation. Although he never got angry or emotional, in fact. He couldn''t quite remember when the last he was. But regardless of her kind gesture, he didn¡¯t seem to understand her question.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you¡¯re implying, but I¡¯m perfectly fine learning here,¡± he truthfully answered.


    ¡°But you could be so much more successful in life! Listen, you need to take every opportunity you have since you don¡¯t¡­¡± her voice trailed away when she rejoined.


    Since you don¡¯t have a Super Sense, Sen guessed her sentence in his mind. He wished people would stop taking notice of that. He¡¯d come to terms with the fact that he was different from everyone else quite long ago. He couldn¡¯t do much about it. And that was the end of that. It would have been preferable if she had just stayed out of his business.


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    ¡°It¡¯s easy here, that¡¯s why,¡± he finally admitted. Mrs. Aoiko narrowed her eyes in confusion. ¡°Why would I spend my days studying and pushing my academic limits when I could just relax and take it easy here.¡± That was a complete lie.


    His answer made Mrs. Aoiko¡¯s face fall into shock. She fidgeted her glasses and cleared her throat. She was clearly trying to figure out words to reply with. She made a few muddled murmurs while scratching her lengthy, sleek, black hair. Resting her head on the teacher¡¯s desk, she sighed in defeat.


    ¡°You truly surprise me,¡± she said after a long moment of taciturnity. ¡°For someone who¡¯s been deprived and ostracized of such an important part of modern society, I would think you would have some ambition for the future. But maybe I was wrong.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°How do you know?¡± he responded.


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°How do you know I have no ambition?¡± Sen''s expression seemed to change slightly. Not by a lot, but something seemed to gleam in his grey-blue eyes. Mrs. Aoiko thought she was imagining it, but the difference was apparent on his face.


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t get what you mean. What is your ambition?¡± she fumbled while gazing up at Sen on her desk. Again, a slight blue light seemed to flicker in his eyes, but it soon disappeared as quickly as it came. The teacher disregarded it, but it did give her a slight tremor of fear.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t have a Super Sense. I mean, I have Hearing as my Super Sense, and I teach. I¡¯m not a Knight like the others. I¡¯m practically useless.¡±


    A Knight? Was that the occupation his teacher thought he wanted to become? Becoming a Knight meant it was necessary to be proficient in a Sense to become High-ranking.


    Knights were a very indispensable part of their society. They were akin and had the same driving motives as modern-day police, except they were in a league of their own. They did far more dangerous and challenging jobs than the run-of-the-mill police. Knights were also a big part of slaying monsters in cities or more riskier areas. Above all else, people wanted to become knights to grow their Super Sense beyond their capabilities. They were the many who desired to become heroes in this dangerous world. When he was younger, he also wished to become a strong, dependable Knight of society, as anyone would. But as he grew older, the realization that he didn¡¯t have Super Sense grew stronger, and he was stripped away from that aspiration.


    To think, there was a time I actually thought I would get a Super Sense. This line of thought made him remember a memory not so long ago when he was around ten.


    #


    ¡°Mother, when do you think I¡¯ll get my Super Sense? My big sister already got one around my age,¡± he remembered asking his mom one day. When he questioned her, he vividly remembered a shadow coming across his mother¡¯s friendly and elegant face. At that moment, Sen knew something wasn¡¯t quite right with him.


    He was always smart, observant, and read everyone''s expressions quite well. So, when he saw a layer of doubt and a forced smile come across her face, he knew something was obviously wrong.


    After that day, his friends in middle school (Although he didn¡¯t view them as such) would start expressing their delight and showing off their Super Sense. While Sen would only watch in the corner of it all, the odd man out. Of course, pondering on the fact he was powerless was a waste of his time. He couldn¡¯t change that fact. But ignoring the cold stares and murmurs of people was hard. Especially when some of them were people he once knew.


    ¡°Do you remember Sen? You won¡¯t believe it, but he doesn¡¯t have a Super Sense. HA! What a freak!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t wanna sit next to him again. He¡¯s weird.¡±


    ¡°How can you even live without a Super Sense?¡±


    ¡°Honestly, he should just kill himself...¡±


    Those were some of the remarks he remembered when he was a child. Hearing people tell Sen to kill himself wasn¡¯t the best for his mental health as a kid if he was anyone else, of course. Personally, he was never bothered by that, oddly enough. It could have been possible he was desensitized from it or never cared to begin with. He viewed all the people who said such things as mere insects. They couldn¡¯t survive one day in the actual world. And his thoughts weren¡¯t in spite of them either; it was merely a fact.


    ¡°Sen?¡± Mrs. Aoiko suddenly made him snap back into reality. ¡°Are you okay? You looked dazed. I still want to know the answer to the question, you know? I can¡¯t be here forever. If you don¡¯t want to be successful and use your God damn genius brain, what the hell do you want to do?¡±


    Sen already knew what he wanted; it was a long time ago. But it wasn¡¯t something he wanted to share with people, let alone his teacher.


    ¡°Mrs. Aoiko,¡± Sen murmured, ¡°I suggest you not get into my personal life¡­¡±

 Chapter 3- Monster

    Sen saw a punch coming straight at him. It was fast and swift; he could tell that it was cultivated from long hours of hard work and practice. Anticipating this, Sen quickly dodged to the right.


    His opponent was twice the size of his youthful, teenage build. He paled in comparison in both size and strength. But what set Sen apart from others was his composed and keen eye. He knew that some would lose their technique in the fit of competition. So, he just needed to wait for an opening¡ª


    Too late.


    Before he had a chance to get away from the broad-shouldered man and assess his strategy, he felt the opponent''s foot intertwine with his. Lacking the physical strength to retaliate, he slipped and fell to the ground.


    He cursed silently in his mind. A wave of sudden anger overwhelmed him suddenly, to the point he felt like throwing his fist at the opponent when he was caught off guard. But¡ª


    ¡°Good sparring match, Sen. You¡¯re improving more and more each time,¡± a low and kind voice told Sen, gazing down at him. The opponent extended his hand as a kind gesture. Feeling the sudden anger ooze out of him, Sen let out a sigh of defeat. He accepted the kind gesture from the big man and was lifted from the ground.


    ¡°Thank you, sir.¡± Sen bowed his head respectfully at him. The person he was just sparring with was none other than Master Grit, his martial arts instructor.


    Since Sen didn¡¯t have a Super Sense, he thought he would train in martial arts to defend himself. Even though using your super sense to hurt anyone was against the law, he still decided it was for the best. It wasn¡¯t at all to do with his discontent of being deprived of such a necessary power. He didn¡¯t need a Super Sense, after all.


    So why did I get angry when I lost just now? he thought to himself disapprovingly. I lost my composure there; I can¡¯t let that happen. He could easily prevent it from happening the second time, but he was more interested in knowing why he felt it in the first place. He stared at his hand, lost in thought.


    At that moment, he wanted to punch his master in the face. A person that had been nothing but helpful and kind to him. Some even called him a gentle giant. And yet, regardless of all that, I wanted to punch him¡­


    ¡°Well, Sen, I think it¡¯s about time I give you a promotion!¡± Grit chuckled heartily.


    Sen blinked, puzzled. ¡°What do you mean, Sir?¡±


    ¡°Hahaha! Well, maybe this will answer your question,¡± he sneakily implied, a hint of playfulness gleaming in his eyes. ¡°TADA!¡± the teacher exclaimed with a smile. There was a purple belt in his hand.


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t mean¡­¡± Sen wasn¡¯t stunned too often, but this made him think he was in a dream. ¡°I can¡¯t accept this.¡± Sen bowed his head respectfully.


    ¡°Aww, come on! Of course, you can! You deserve this. I see how much you train each and every single day. I¡¯m not giving you this to make you feel good. I¡¯m giving you this as a symbol of how hard you worked,¡± Grit prompted.


    Thinking about it for a few moments, Sen knew it would be rude to deny such an earnest gift.


    ¡°Okay, as long as you think I earned it, I guess I have no objections.¡±


    ¡°HA! THAT¡¯S MY MAN! Hey everyone, give it up for Sen!¡±


    Sen''s mouth fell open in surprise. He didn¡¯t want to get attention to himself; that was the last thing he wanted. But people around started cheering regardless.


    ¡°Ay! Way to go, Sen!¡±


    ¡°You deserve it!¡±


    ¡°He should¡¯ve given it to you sooner!¡±


    ¡°Tsk, can¡¯t believe a senseless kid got a purple belt...¡±


    ¡°Woo, that¡¯s my man!¡±


    In between the cheers and congratulations from people, he heard a quiet mutter by someone. He wasn¡¯t sure if that person thought he couldn¡¯t hear him or specifically said it so he could, but as usual, it wasn¡¯t something new to him. He knew most were just jealous they weren¡¯t getting attention or jealous he was simply better at it than them. Of course, if he went up against someone with Touch as their Super Sense, he would be screwed. But if he went up against a person who lacked the physical strength of their Super Sense, he would put up a decent match.


    Sen even had a sister who had Touch as her Super Sense, and she would obliterate him in hand-to-hand combat, regardless of how bad her technique and battle experience were.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t be prouder, Sen,¡± his master said again. ¡°With or without a Sense, you are very talented.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, I guess,¡± he gave a nod of appreciation. Even if the master didn¡¯t mean it, Sen was fed up with people taking pity on him. He¡¯d much rather have everyone around him make fun of him for lacking a Super Sense than someone who was sympathetic.


    I don¡¯t need anyone¡¯s sympathy. I wasn¡¯t the one who made me like this. I don¡¯t have any control over it, so why take pity on something I cannot change? It doesn¡¯t accomplish anything. With that, Sen gave one final bow to his master.


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°It¡¯s getting late, so I¡¯m going to head home for the day. I appreciate the gift, Master Grit.¡± Without expecting much response, Sen started to slip on his shoes and attempt to exit the dojo. But before he could¡ª


    ¡°Hey, Sen, wait!¡±


    ¡°Hm? What is it, sir?¡±


    His instructor''s expression changed from his usual happy and playful self to more serious and dark-toned. It was clear something was bothering him, so Sen waited patiently to hear him out.


    ¡°Well, uh¡­¡± Grit stumbled over his words. ¡°I just wanted to make sure you stay safe out there.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just that there¡¯ve been more monster attacks in the cities than usual. Just be safe, alright?¡± His strong and deep voice softened into genuine concern for him. Sen would usually take this as sympathy, and he didn¡¯t like that. But in this case, if a person was concerned about his safety, there was no reason to disregard their trepidations. That would be rude of him, after all.


    ¡°I appreciate the concern, master, but I assure you not to worry too much. My house isn¡¯t too far from here. I¡¯ll be alright,¡± he reassured his instructor. Sen could tell he wasn¡¯t entirely convinced, but in the end, he reluctantly nodded. Sen gave his teacher a brief wave of his hand before leaving the dojo and entering the cold, polluted city he lived in.


    #


    The air itself was getting quite brisk, but every moment he exhaled wasn¡¯t refreshing or relieving but pungent and revolting. This was the air in a dense metropolitan area of his generation. He had read books that, back then, cities were rare and small. There was even a time, not so long ago, when cars were uncommon in most households.


    Most were designated for the rich. Just thinking that made him frown in confusion. The year was 2088, so he simply couldn¡¯t grasp things that he didn¡¯t experience firsthand. And it wasn¡¯t just mundane objects he couldn¡¯t understand not existing. Since he was born, his parents would teach him and warn him about vile and sinful creatures called monsters.


    He was sure everyone had a similar experience. It was as normal as teaching your child to look both ways when crossing the street, except one wrong move meant certain death. Sen referred to them when he said, ¡°Nothing comes free.¡± In the school.


    Shortly after the phenomenon of Super Senses, monsters started to appear, killing any human on sight. Said to be caused by the root of Super Senses, it was confirmed they did appear because of the meteor that struck the earth. Those vicious and abhorrent creatures were the reason humans were forced to make overpopulated and loud cities.


    But regardless, there were always exceptions to the rule. That was why you always needed to keep one eye open wherever you went. And, no matter how safe you felt, there could always be one lurking in the dirty alleyways of the city.


    This was just one of the daily requirements every human needed to follow. If they wanted to live, that is. The more society grew, the more fed up they became. Because, in truth, why would they want to live in constant danger and paranoia every step they took outside?


    At that point, what was the point of living? And Sen couldn¡¯t blame them for thinking like this either. In fact, he thought the same. He wasn''t suicidal by any means. Though he didn''t wish for death, he struggled to find something to live for...


    It may sound redundant, but it''s like there''s a hole in my chest that I can''t fill. He¡¯d always felt like this. No matter what he accomplished or how good his academics were, nothing filled the empty void he felt. And it wasn¡¯t because of depression or the lack of happiness. It was something else he couldn¡¯t explain. Not because he didn¡¯t want to, but because he truly didn''t know why.


    He remembered feeling ¡®whole¡¯ when he was a child, but something changed after. And he was ashamed to admit it because he did have people who cared about him. But yet, the hole in his chest grew broader and more distinct as time went by.


    Maybe, just maybe, when I find him, that hole will be filled. What he said to his teacher wasn''t all lies and sly remarks. He did have ambition, but for something different. He wanted to find someone who had been abruptly taken from him. And he didn''t just disbelieve their disappearance¡ªhe refused to accept they were gone.


    Perhaps if he found that person, his gaping void would disappear. But he couldn''t shake off the thought that it wouldn''t. Regardless, Sen was determined to find a way. He always figured things out, and he always did it alone.


    Letting out an exasperated murmur, he glanced at the gloomy sky. "Shit, it''s getting dark. I should hurry home."


    He had planned to visit the local library for his daily research but reluctantly decided to postpone it until tomorrow. Venturing out late risked encountering a monster. Gradually picking up his pace, he moved steadily through the city.


    It was moderately crowded, so he wasn''t overly concerned about a monster attack. Monsters usually avoided densely populated areas, perhaps intimidated¡ªa stark contrast to the fear they instilled in people. Nonetheless, this didn''t guarantee safety; some monsters brazenly inhabited the city, heightening the danger.


    While hurrying, Sen tripped over a tin can, briefly losing his balance. This was a common occurrence in the littered streets of the city, where cleanliness and quiet were unheard of.


    Sometimes, Sen longed to live beyond the city''s confines, where the air was fresh, free from pollution and large buildings, and life was quieter, without cars and constant activity. Yet, as much as he yearned for this escape, it was an unattainable dream. Monsters claimed the less populated territories, making such areas perilous for humans. Despite the risks, some still chose to live there, though few dared to brave the dangers.


    Humanity seemed enslaved by creatures. Their population drastically reduced by over ten million lives lost annually to monster attacks¡ªa toll surpassing any virus or pandemic. Forced into condensed living spaces, humans faced declining health alongside the perpetual threat of these creatures.


    Yet, humans fought back. Governments worldwide established the Administration of Knights, A-O-K for short, a defense corps dedicated to eradicating monsters. They also dealt with other threats like violent criminals, monster smugglers, and those posing risks to the administration, leaving lesser crimes to the police.


    Knights were omnipresent, crucial to public safety. As Sen walked through the city, he noticed well-dressed Knights at their posts, their neat academy attire signifying their status. Passersby cast wary glances before moving on.


    "I wouldn''t want that job," Sen mused, observing the Knights. "Always on high alert for monster attacks, the pressure must be great."


    The thought of being responsible for so many lives was daunting. Sen doubted his ability to handle such responsibility, not that he was particularly concerned about others.


    Suddenly, a demonic, vile scream echoed through the city streets.


    Sen stopped dead in his tracks, staring in shock.


    "A MONSTER!" someone yelled in terror.


    A shadow slithered across the street like a snake, its hideous, terrifying face becoming visible under the streetlights. Its eyes gleamed red with bloodlust, its ears sharp like a German Shepherd''s, and its body resembled a deformed goblin. But its face was the most horrifying¡ªits snout squashed, a grotesque mix of a pug and a bat, with razor-sharp teeth peeking from under its muzzle. A truly abominable creature.


    A Grim¡­

 Chapter 4– Sin

    ¡°Everyone, stand back!¡± the Knight ordered the civilians in a brash tone. ¡°Escape the area in an orderly fashion. Do not be concerned; us Knights will deal with this.¡±


    Sen wasn¡¯t worried. He wasn¡¯t near enough to be in danger, but regardless, it was for the best he fled with the rest of the panicked bystanders. The only problem was the monster blocked the only streetway to his house.


    Of course, he could take cover in a nearby store until the situation was over with, still, he couldn¡¯t help but linger around and see how the scene unfolded. As people started rushing towards him to escape, the Knights took their battle positions and commenced their attack.


    But¡­ why aren¡¯t they attacking it? It''s right in front of them. The Knights seemed to be stunned and reluctant to attack all of a sudden. Only when the crowd finally dissipated did Sen finally realize their hesitancy.


    ¡°My son! Where¡¯s my baby!¡± a panicked cry resembling a mother erupted from the escaping crowd. They¡¯re by the monster¡­ A child, seemingly around four or five years old, lay on the ground, petrified, while the monster observed it like a piece of candy.


    Sen finally realized ¨C that¡¯s why they didn¡¯t attack it. Any sudden movement and the child would be ripped to shreds. They needed to be very careful moving forward ¨C ¡°NO! SAVE MY BABY!¡± the mother cried out.


    She began running towards the monster in horror. ¡°Stop! Lady, stand back!¡± the Knight bellowed out. Sen had an urge to pull back the mother and explain how ignorant she was being, but it was far too late.


    ¡°If you¡¯re not helping him, I will!¡± She growled out in anger, rushing to her child despite the risk. Tsk, it¡¯s over. Sen''s eyes darkened. Time stood still as the mother frantically ran towards the monster in an attempt to save her dear child. Her face was twisted with horror and adrenaline when she darted past him. Sen only stood back with hollow eyes, remembering the words he heard long ago¡­


    #


    ¡°Father, could I ask a question?¡±


    ¡°Of course, Son.¡±


    ¡°What are Monsters?¡±


    His father let out a long murmur of thought before giving him a small, warm smile. ¡°Hm, well, how could I put this so you can understand¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll understand, Father; everyone tells me I''m smart after all,¡± Sen''s young voice remarked.


    ¡°HO, HO, HO, aren¡¯t you confident!¡± he gave a light-hearted chuckle. ¡°Hm, well then, since you¡¯re so smart, I guess I¡¯ll give you the complicated answer.¡±


    Sen sat on his father¡¯s lap, patiently and eagerly waiting for his explanation. He¡¯d always liked learning difficult things. ¡°Well then, monsters were sent to our world because of our sins.¡±


    ¡°Sins?¡± Sen echoed his father¡¯s words.


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    ¡°Yes, our sins. Humanity itself was built off our own greed and immoralities. Humans kept killing each other, raping, pillaging, destroying ourselves as well as Mother Nature. We don¡¯t deserve to be alive after everything we¡¯ve done. So, God punished us for our foolishness. He gave us what we so desired the most¡­ but in return¡ª¡±


    ¡°What did God give us?¡± Sen tilted his head curiously. The next words his father spoke were something he never forgot for the rest of his life.


    ¡°Power, my son, he gave us power,¡± he murmured, ¡°and in return, punished us for our greed.¡±


    ¡°So, monsters are God¡¯s servants?¡±


    ¡°Hmph, in a sense, yes. You see, the monsters that kill us are just doing what we¡¯ve done for hundreds of years,¡± he smiled.


    ¡°Why are people mad then?¡±


    His father¡¯s face lay hidden from the leaking light that gleamed through the window, but he could still see him scratching his beard in amusement. ¡°Well, you can say that monsters don¡¯t really like other monsters¡­¡±


    In front of him lay a gruesome scene he wished he hadn¡¯t witnessed. Everyone around him held their tongue in shock while Sen could only sigh. This is just a reality.


    ¡°No,¡± the mother whispered. ¡°No¡­ NO! NO! This can¡¯t be happening¡­¡± her voice quivered. The Knights stood in silence, their faces turned away in disgust. The child the mother tried to save in the fit of her rage was already dead the instant her fingers touched the boy¡¯s body. Only a pool of blood was left by the mother''s trembling hands.


    The monster had snatched the child and ripped him clean in half, leaving only the ear-shivering sounds of broken bones echoing through the hollow streets. The monster let out a growl of triumph while it licked its claws clean from the feast. ¡°He¡¯s gone¡­¡± Her eyes were dull and broken as she collapsed on the floor.


    ¡°...K-Knights, attack the monster!¡± the captain of the Knight faction stuttered his orders.


    Now that the child was not the main focus, the Knights began their assault. Pulling out handguns from their pockets, the Knights shot at the monster from different angles, careful not to hit the grieving mother.


    But this proved futile, as the monster took advantage of the Knights'' hesitant gunfire and dodged every bullet.


    ¡°Shit, I still can¡¯t make a clean shot because the mother is in the way!¡± one cursed. ¡°Two Knights with ¡®Touch¡¯ need to restrain it. Quick! Before it escapes!¡± the captain directed his order to the two Knights beside him. Both nodded and slammed their fists to the ground, their formidable strength causing the ground to tremble as if from an earthquake. That¡¯s the power of Touch. Those blessed with Touch as their Super Sense possessed strength far beyond that of an ordinary person. They could lift over a hundred times their body weight and withstand much greater physical damage. Most deemed this Super Sense to be the most superior due to its raw strength. But in different situations, other senses could be more beneficial.


    At night, a person with Sight and Hearing could avoid danger with their keen detection abilities, while Touch could only offer defense while in danger. Each Super Sense brought its own value to the table, though some were considered weaker than others, such as smell and taste, which didn¡¯t offer much in value but had their benefits.


    Watching the scene unfold was like something from a movie. The monster bared its teeth in a futile attempt to intimidate the Knights, who remained undeterred.


    ¡°EGHHH!¡± The Knight heaved as he punched the monster squarely in the face. The Grim whimpered like a wounded dog as the impact sent it crashing into a stone building, immobilized from the Knight''s powerful blow.


    ¡°This should end it quickly, you monster¡­¡±


    ¡°BANG!¡± A gunshot rang out, and the bullet struck the monster in the skull, blood spurting from the wound. And just like that, the Knights'' victory was secured, but at a cost.


    The mother knelt by the pool of her son¡¯s blood, wide-eyed with shock. Sen knew she would never recover from this ordeal. The death of her son and her own role in it would haunt her, preventing her from finding peace for years to come.


    ¡°You see, the monsters that kill us are just doing what we¡¯ve done for hundreds of years.¡±


    His father¡¯s words echoed in his mind as he observed the tragic scene.


    Is all this death truly just atonement for our sins?

 Chapter 5– "I will find him."

    We''re all monsters. Some just show it less than others¨C Senseless


    Sen returned to his rather simple home after the incident. It wasn¡¯t too far from where the monster was killed and captured, which was a good and bad thing. The good was that he got to escape rather quickly. The bad was he was becoming quite unnerved by how many monster attacks there had been around his area.


    He was concerned about his family¡¯s safety when they needed to run errands outside, which was ironic coming from him. After all, he was the only one in his family who didn¡¯t have a Super Sense to defend himself.


    His mother and sister both had Touch as their Super Sense, so if they were in danger, at least he knew they could make it out alive, which wasn¡¯t the case for him. But still, he wasn¡¯t worried about his own safety, practically never, which should be the opposite since his, quote-unquote, "disability." He didn¡¯t know why he took so little concern for himself; it felt like he would naturally figure it out. It truly sounded like he had a god complex or something. I should probably be careful; I don¡¯t want to die before I find him...


    ¡°I¡¯m home!¡± Sen exclaimed, slipping off his shoes with a sigh of relief and placing them in their organized spot.


    ¡°Ah! Welcome back home, Senju dear!¡± a gentle voice greeted him at the entrance of his home.


    ¡°Thank you, Mrs. Mika.¡± Sen bowed his head respectfully to the elderly lady. The bright older woman was not his mother but his family¡¯s servant, which was definitely a luxury to many, but by all means, his family was nowhere near rich or wealthy. His family was barely able to afford their accommodations.


    ¡°I have dinner set on the table whenever you¡¯re free. Oh, and your sister should be coming home soon, too,¡± Mrs. Mika informed him.


    Sen gave a nod to Mrs. Mika, appreciative of her hard work. She began working for his family when his mother fell ill not so long ago. She was now recovering from her illness, which had been cured thanks to the advancements in technology over the years. Although, even after the successful operation, doctors still suggested she should take it easy, which was one of the reasons why they decided to hire a servant to cook and clean, something he himself didn¡¯t have the time to do as much as he wanted.


    Which would be a surprise to many. People often told him he looked cold, so they took it upon themselves to label him as an ungrateful, edgy teenager. But in truth, he was far from it. He valued his family a lot and didn¡¯t want to be one of those edgy middle schoolers who disliked everyone just because, well, they thought it was cool. He was far from that; he didn¡¯t specifically try to hide his emotions just for the sake of attention. Sen just didn¡¯t find things amusing like others did.


    It was the same concept with interacting with other people. He didn¡¯t show enthusiasm because, well, he didn¡¯t find them worth talking to. He didn¡¯t understand why people had a hard time understanding such a concept. But then again, he wasn¡¯t too surprised by their incompetence to understand something outside their individual understandings.


    After all, people were too focused on creating their own delusional fairy tales to cope with their misfortunes. The majority of people his age were wasting their lives away behind a computer, fearing the world, being depressed, and shut-in. At least he was glad not to be tainted by such degeneracy.


    Feeling a bit rushed to make it to dinner time, he took a quick shower and got into his fresh sleeping attire. He contemplated brushing his teeth before eating but decided to do it after. He didn¡¯t want to brush his teeth twice. He always overthought small, individual, mundane things to the best of his capability. It was a curse and a gift at the same time. He didn¡¯t quite like that aspect of himself, but it was unavoidable.


    Heading downstairs, he heard faint reporting noises coming from the TV. He guessed the news station was turned on by Mika.


    ¡°Oh dear¡­¡± she gasped.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Mrs. Mika?¡± he asked, joining her in the living room.


    ¡°It seems there was a monster attack not so long ago near us. It took the life of a five-year-old boy. I hope you were safe when coming home from school today,¡± her voice croaked with concern. Well, I was safe, but definitely closer than I should have been. He was reluctant to respond to her question truthfully, so he just gave her a vague response.


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s unfortunate. The family must be grieving greatly.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, I couldn¡¯t imagine being killed by a monster,¡± she shivered. ¡°Well, I¡¯m sixty years old, so I guess I should be careful when going out. Especially since my ¡®Hearing¡¯ has been decreasing quite a bit.¡±


    Her Super Sense ¡®decreasing¡¯ was still a hundred times better than Sen¡¯s normal hearing. She was still far safer than he was.


    ¡°Oh, Mika! The food looks splendid!¡± a cheerful tone thanked the servant.


    Sen turned around to meet the bright remark. The person entering the living room was his mother, Jen Ano. Her face was smooth regardless of age, and her bright attitude was always apparent day in and day out. She had long, silky white hair coupled with perfect ocean-blue eyes. Everyone said he and his sister looked identical to her, but in personality, he was the polar opposite of his mother. His sister, Hana, had definitely taken after her mother''s persona, along with her short temper. Even though his mother was always cheerful and mostly composed, when she got mad, it was a very big deal. People with Touch often had the same problem with being short-tempered. They used their fists more than their brains when sudden impulses came over them. While Sen, on the other hand, wasn¡¯t too sure where his personality came from. He guessed he took after his father.


    Not that I got to know him too much, he thought bleakly. He clutched his fists at the thought of his father.


    ¡°AHHHH, I¡¯m so goddamn tired!¡± an exasperated voice entered the front door.


    ¡°You came just in time for dinner, Hana,¡± his mother smiled brightly.


    ¡°THANK GOD! I¡¯M STARVING!¡± Hana cried.


    His sister had returned home from her part-time job as a waitress. She was saving up money for her own reasons. Hana was two years older than he was and had just graduated from high school a few weeks ago. She was mostly kind to him. ¡®Mostly¡¯ was due to the fact she would manhandle him like a rag doll. Although she didn¡¯t do it intentionally, her fits of anger did get strenuous, but needless to say, she was a kind sister.


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    ¡°Hey Senju!¡± Hana realized he was present. ¡°How was school today?¡± She jumped and embraced him. Her arms were wrapped tightly around him to the point he felt lightheaded. Not this again.


    ¡°C-could you not squeeze so hard,¡± Sen gasped for air.


    ¡°Oops, my bad. Sorry, Senju.¡± She released her grip, leaving him breathless. Her blue eyes sparkled mischievously while she pulled her long white hair into a ponytail. Mom and her really do look alike, he realized. They were almost a carbon copy of each other.


    ...


    "Thank you for the meal!" they all said in unison by the dining table. Today Mrs. Mika prepared a simple but large dinner for them. Grilled fish with a side of caramelized carrots and shallots, perfectly smooth and rich miso soup to wash it down, and of course, white rice on the side to bring all the dishes together. Mika also went even further and prepared some pudding as a dessert.


    "This looks so goooood!!!" Hana lavished, licking her rose-luscious lips with anticipation.


    "Now, now, don¡¯t hold back. Dig in!" Mika pressed them, a smile of gratification on her face.


    "Don¡¯t mind if we do!" Jen accepted the food with gratitude. "Oh, Mika, you¡¯re not eating?"


    "Oh no, thank you, dear, but I already made my dinner prior to this one."


    "Well then, if you still haven¡¯t had enough, please sit with us. We won¡¯t be able to finish everything ourselves."


    Mrs. Mika gave his mother a small bow in appreciation for the offer. While they started to eat, their servant walked over to the couch and switched the channel to the TV, enjoying her rest.


    Sen took the first bite. The flavors were simple but rich and juicy. Taking a bite of the fish, he was pleasantly surprised that it was perfectly tender and sweet. It wasn¡¯t fishy at all. Standard white fish were naturally less pungent than others, but taking that away, it was still impressive how well-cooked the meat was.


    It took a moderately advanced individual to cook meat at the exact temperature and time. He was no stranger to cooking either; he was confident in saying he was well acquainted with the practice. And as someone who knew the difficulty of learning the strenuous process, he was impressed. The servant had been helping them for a few months already, maybe even close to a year, but yet she didn¡¯t cease to impress his delicate tongue.


    "Delicious!!!" Hana gasped in comfort. "I just can¡¯t get enough of this!"


    "Indeed so. Well done, Mika, you truly are such a big help," his mother chimed in.


    "Ho, ho, I¡¯m glad you like it. It wasn¡¯t anything special after all."


    "AW DON¡¯T BE MODEST!" Hana exclaimed. "This is truly amazing, Mrs. Mika!"


    Small talk, he sighed. He agreed with them, but the small talk conversation irked him for some reason. He was far from being mad, it just seemed pointless to him. Some people enjoyed overly inducive gratification, while he mostly exchanged a few words and carried on. Maybe he was weird for not liking that, he supposed. Hey, as long as it doesn¡¯t involve me being a part of a useless conversation, then I guess I shouldn¡¯t be complaining¡ª


    ¡°So, Sen, tomorrow is your birthday. Have anything planned?¡±


    Of course, God works in mysterious ways. His mother decided to chime in when he was in the middle of thankfully not being a part of meaningless chatting. And it was a conversation he dreaded the most. My birthday. He was really hoping they might have forgotten his ¡°very special day,¡± which he wished, but alas, it seemed they unfortunately remembered. He simply hated being in the center of attention. And on which day was everyone obligated to specifically cater to a person? Yes, it was their birthday.


    ¡°Uh, not so sure. I still have school tomorrow, so I''ll plan on something afterward, I guess.¡± School, at this point, was going to be his safe haven on the promised ¡®doomsday.¡¯


    ¡°Really? If you miss one day, I think you¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯m sure your teachers will understand. Your scores are off the charts, one day won¡¯t hurt them,¡± Hana reassured.


    No, I don¡¯t care about my test scores at all. It¡¯s an excuse to minimize how much I celebrate my birthday, was what Sen wanted to say, but instead it came out¨C


    ¡°I¡¯m aware, but I want to be consistent with my school work,¡± Sen blatantly lied. He could probably skip a few grades and still be an A+ student. He wasn¡¯t the least bit worried about his academic life.


    ¡°You¡¯re so mature and responsible. You remind me so much of your father when he was your age. In fact, sixteen was around the age I met him in high school¡ª¡±


    ¡°Mother,¡± Sen interrupted, a sharp screech escaping his dining knife, ¡°let¡¯s not talk about him, now.¡±


    His mother blinked in confusion. Her gaze lowered as if she was scolded by a teacher.


    This wasn¡¯t something he wanted to discuss over dinner. Especially coming from someone who¡¯d lied to him. Hana nervously observed the sudden tension that was escalating on the dinner table.


    ¡°Uh, er, on another note, you won¡¯t believe what happened at work today. A guy came up to me and said¡ª¡±


    ¡°Sen, you should let it go. How long are you going to be running from the truth that your father is dead,¡± his mother muttered under her breath. Hana opened her mouth, realizing the inevitable outcome of the argument.


    ¡°Hm, is that so?¡± Sen probed calmly. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the case. Since you¡¯re so cautious saying anything about him,¡± Regardless of his sharp words, he didn¡¯t raise his tone. It remained flat and composed. He didn¡¯t want to argue with his mother. He also had no ill intent or feelings about her either. But there was one thing he couldn¡¯t let slide, and that was misinformation...


    ...


    His father, Yami Huya, had died when he was around four (or so his mother said at least). Over the years, as he grew older, he found flaws in his mother¡¯s speech when she would mention him or reluctance. She told him to get over it, yet she was so hesitant to say any information regarding him. And to make his suspicion even more concrete, his mother never once visited the grave of her so-called deceased husband. They never once held a funeral or wake for his body, and the so-called cause of death that inevitably claimed his father was apparently a car accident. After his death, his mother then changed his legal last name to hers, which was Ano. Not to mention, he has done his own due diligence and searched every possible information outlet or record of his father, but they all lead to the same conclusion: everything was wiped clean.


    No, he simply couldn¡¯t believe that was true. He simply couldn¡¯t ignore all the connections he had compiled over the years of research. To say he put countless hours into the investigation of his father¡¯s death would be an understatement. He went to the depths of the internet, the dark web, the deep web, but every last bit of information had already ceased to exist.


    There was something his mother was hiding from him, and he was going to find it out. This was his ambition.


    I¡¯m going to find my father, either dead or alive. His eyes glowed with a familiar blue light that could only be described as pure power and confidence.


    Both his sister and mother, and even his servant, grew silent. The aura that oozed out of Sen made them freeze with sudden fear.


    For that split second, Sen seemed to lose control of himself, then swiftly came back. Sen had felt this when he was sparring with his sensei. At that moment, he went completely blank and acted on his sudden impulse. Maybe he was looking too much into it, after all, he always had a problem with overthinking things.


    He glanced at his family; they looked petrified. Like they saw a ghost just now. He wasn¡¯t so sure why, but they seemed frozen in a sudden state of fear. Soon, though, they gradually came back to their usual self and started finishing their meal Mrs. Mika made for them.


    ¡°Uh, well then, to change the subject, Hana, are you going to participate in this year''s Knight Exams?¡± Mika sought to change the topic in hopes of de-escalating the tension.


    ¡°O-oh, y-yes, I think I will. I promised myself after high school that I would participate and see how things went. I have Touch, and I want to be more skilled at it,¡± Hana, still trying to regain her composure, replied.


    Sen guessed she would try out to become a Knight sooner or later. It was probably for the best she did in order for her to master the art of her Super Sense.


    Sen, of course, had no intention of joining because he simply couldn¡¯t. In retrospect, there weren¡¯t any rules directly stating you needed a Super Sense to join because of how rare senseless people like himself were. It still was very dangerous for him to get involved. Again, being at the center of attention was something he despised.


    This line of thought gave him a sudden realization. She must be participating too, huh¡­


    Sen had a certain friend whom he had been acquainted with for a long time. And it so happened that she and Hana would be participating in the Knight exams together.


    ¡°Thank you for the meal.¡± Sen stood up with his plate and neatly placed it in the dishwasher. While doing so, he noticed his mother''s unnerved expression. He doubted she was hurt by his words; he hadn¡¯t said anything horrible. The expression she was holding was something else. From the human psychology books he would read, he realized that it was the expression of guilt.

 Chapter 6– I want to K*** myself

    He vividly remembered the day of his so-called father''s passing¡­ he was just four years old.


    "Can''t wait to show Dad what I drew!" the young voice of Hana remarked brightly.


    "What is it?" young Sen questioned. "It kinda looks like a bunny."


    "It''s not!" Hana puffed. "Can''t you see it''s a dinosauw." She held up her drawing proudly.


    "You mean dinosaur?" Sen snorted. "I''m a couple of years younger than you, and even I say it better."


    "Oh, shut up. You should see the drawing I showed Mom before you woke up.¡± Hana pointed at a drawing on the coffee table. It was a simple large tree with a frowning stick man. Something about it sent a shiver down his spine, and he wasn¡¯t sure why. ¡°She was so shocked at how good it was. I bet you can¡¯t do anything half as good!" Hana challenged.


    "Okay, I will. Watch this. Give me a piece of papeo."


    "Aha! See, you CAN''T say words right either!" She cackled.


    "Yea, yea, I know. Alwight...- I mean¨C See, this is why I shouldn''t hang out with you anymore. You''re making me lose my vocabulary," Sen muttered grumpily.


    "DEAL WITH IT!"


    "Idiot sister." Despite his remark, Sen couldn''t help but give a soft chuckle of amusement. "No, but seriously, give me the paper, and I''ll show you the correct way to dra-" At that moment, he heard the front door open... and instantly, the mood in the air shifted. Something was wrong.


    "Oh, is mom finally back home from meeting that strange man?" Hana wondered.


    She hopped off the sofa and skipped brightly to the door. Sen hesitated, feeling as if he¡¯d done this before. I don''t like this... he thought while cautiously following his sister.


    They saw their mother enter through the front door, the hinges creaking ominously as a result. Her eyes were dull and lifeless when shutting the door behind her. The first thing Sen noticed, was a different black jacket resting on her shoulders. And it wasn¡¯t hers. It was too big and broad to be worn by a woman. It was a men¡¯s jacket¡­


    Coming closer to their mom, Hana worriedly tugged the bottom of her skirt, yet she barely even met her daughter''s gaze. She always smiled. It was odd not seeing that bright face.


    "Mommy, what''s wrong?" Hana asked. Sen just watched behind his sister, waiting for her answer.


    Their mother didn''t cry or seem upset often, so this was a rare occurrence. Even after Hana''s urgent question, their mom didn''t reply. Her only response was another whimper of sadness. Then, as if she didn''t have a single ounce of energy left in her, the mother collapsed to the ground, letting out violent wails that were a mixture of pain and grief.


    "M-mommy! Don''t cry. What¡¯s wrong? What did that man do to you?" Hana whimpered in distress. But the room remained silent, absent of any response. The only thing close to a reply was a volley of horrifying sounds of distress. Man? Which man? His sister never mentioned anything about a man to him. Hana cracked under stress and embraced her, crying regardless of the reason for their mother''s tears. Sen still kept his distance, waiting for a logical explanation. He yearned to comfort his mother but convinced himself against it. He needed to be composed in these situations. That was what his father taught him.


    Then his mother looked at him. Her mascara-dripping eyes pierced into the depth of his soul. What was that look on her face? Sadness? No, it''s that at all, Sen realized. It was anger hiding behind a wall of tears. But why was she angry at him? As if he caused this¡­


    But soon, that twisting expression changed again into helplessness. It was as if upon looking at Sen¡¯s calm behavior, she had given up. Given up hope. Or perhaps it was a realization of something¡­


    "Oh, my dear children..." she finally let out a murmured sob. "I''m so sorry."


    ¡°Mom, please don''t cry!" Hana wailed in distress.


    Finally, she lifted her head and looked at them with tears dwindling down her cheeks. That expression, he realized, was genuine. This wasn¡¯t the same as when she cried on occasion. Sen couldn¡¯t imagine the reason that warranted his mother''s severe mental breakdown.


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    "My dears..." she started her fingers gripping the new black jacket, "I don''t think Dad will be coming home today..."


    The world around Sen faded to black.


    #


    The day Sen dreaded the most was here, his birthday, ''November 3rd''. Luckily, he quietly sneaked out of the house while his mother and sister were still asleep. Giving a brief sigh, he started heading out to school.


    Sen didn''t sleep much at night. Odd dreams kept bothering him. This wouldn''t be the first time he was restless from disturbing nightmares, either. It was a common occurrence. However, Sen eventually got used to them. He would often wake up at five am sharp and do his daily exercise routine regardless of how he slept. A healthy body was a healthy mind, as many would say. After that, he usually sat down and enjoyed some tea.


    Although occasionally, Sen would skip that on the weekend and go straight to the library to study different topics he was interested in. Nothing could satisfy his brain''s hunger for knowledge. That was the only way he could confidently walk in the streets alone.


    He had each and every single monster species memorized, along with their weaknesses and strengths. Of course, it would be foolish to think his knowledge would guarantee safety, but it did give him peace of mind. People around Sen had their Senses, but what good use does it have if the person is stupid and rash? Maybe it was an attempt to make himself feel better, but Sen would beg to differ.


    People could decide for themselves which is more important. He was lacking in some areas but compensated by absorbing information and data. So, in retrospect, he could very well be safer than any of the people walking past him who had super strength or hearing.


    Soon, on his way to school, he passed where yesterday''s monster incident happened. The area where the killing occurred had yellow tape surrounding it, blocking any bystanders from entering. Just like he predicted, the blood from the child was also still present on the concrete.


    What he wasn''t expecting, however, was who he saw gazing dully at the scene. The child''s mother. I assumed she wouldn''t want to be anywhere near this place; I guess I was wrong. Sen paused for a moment. No, the mother didn''t return to the crime scene after all. She was here all night...


    Sen realized this simply by looking at the woman''s clothing. Since the incident happened at night, Sen couldn''t see what she was wearing. However, what helped him determine his conclusion was simply because the lady''s attire had a few scratches and inconsequential bloodspots. They were so minor that not everyone would be able to notice them. What was far more noticeable were the wrinkles and dark circles under her dull and lifeless eyes. This gave him more than enough reason to believe she stayed at the crime scene of her deceased child all night long.


    The poor woman appeared to be at a point where she had no tears to cry. Sen contemplated that since he saw the incident unfold, sending his condolences to the grieving mother would be a kind gesture. But it simply didn''t involve him. Thinking like this could be deemed cold and unthoughtful, but it was simply the truth.


    Nothing Sen could say would give her any merit or future benefit. So why go through the trouble and waste her time? Glancing at her, he gradually walked past the sobbing mother. However, while doing so, he heard a slight murmur.


    "God¡­ what did I do to deserve this..." the words of the grieving mother weren''t directed at him but more or less a silent question that would never be answered. Those simple words made Sen halt. It suddenly made him reminisce about his father.


    "Monsters were sent to our world because of our sins." He still couldn''t fully grasp what his father told him that day. That quote was simply a fictional explanation of Sen''s question. There was no proof that God caused all humanity''s suffering to occur due to their sins. Yet, Sen couldn''t help but feel that was the only explanation for the phenomenon. God gave us power and, in return, punished us for our greed. To put it in more simple words. This still didn''t quite answer all his questions: why do I have to be punished for something I didn''t do? Chances were, the mother also bore that question. And unfortunately, Sen didn''t have an answer to that, regardless of his knowledge.


    "I''ll just kill myself..." the mother murmured under her breath.


    Sen gave out a sigh. Getting himself involved in these types of affairs wouldn''t be something he usually did, but at this point, if he remained quiet, guilt would bite him in the ass later down the road. Sen was still human after all; he wasn''t absent of emotions like many would assume.


    "Don''t kill yourself. It''s not going to help anything," he bluntly remarked. The woman slowly lifted her head. Clearly, she didn''t know anyone was listening to her murmurs of despair. In fact, a few people still walked by, barely taking notice of the distressed woman. The world is a cold place. Well¡­not like I was going to walk away a few seconds ago, but hey, I guess I''m more compassionate than all these people. I''ll give myself a little pat on the back.


    "What would you know, kid," she retorted. "You''re too young to understand loss."


    "Well, perhaps..." Sen wasn''t going to bring up the fact his father died¡ªwhich he still didn''t believe¡ª"I do know something, though. Since I''m not blinded by grief, I''m going to give you a piece of invaluable advice. If you think God is out to harm you or specifically make your life a pain in the ass, then what''s the point of killing yourself?"


    "Huh? Obviously, to make my pain go away."


    "Really? What''s going to happen after you kill yourself? If you''re so convinced it''s God''s doing, I''m sure he won''t let you in heaven, would he?"


    "I don''t care if there''s an afterlife. I just want my pain to be gone..." she let out a tired sigh.


    Sen shook his head; she didn''t understand his point. "Your pain might be gone, but that pain won''t disappear. It''ll simply haunt someone else. No matter if you kill yourself or not, wouldn''t you want to end that cycle of pain?" he asked. The woman turned to him¨C realization apparent on her face. "If you truly want to end that pain for good, keep it inside you. It won''t be able to escape and haunt anyone else¡­"

 Chapter 7– Bully

    Sen was pretty distracted throughout the school day. He kept thinking about the encounter with the victim''s mother. The best choice was just to keep his mouth shut. Sen wasn''t the best person to consult if they wanted to commit suicide. There were plenty of hotlines and disclaimers all around social media in his day and age.


    Meh, I can''t go back on what I said now. Besides, Sen was there when it happened. It would be unnerving to know someone committed suicide, and he could have prevented it.


    Mrs. Aoiko had wished him a happy birthday along with a few of his classmates, and even though he seemed to be a target for bullying, that didn''t stop people from being decent human beings and wishing him a happy birthday.


    In this day and age, many minority groups would garner a quick following that sympathizes with them. And unfortunately, Sen was one of them. Which was very annoying at times, Sen would rather take death threats than someone who sympathized with him.


    "Alright, class, that''s it for today," one of the teachers announced after the bell rang. "Pack your tablet, and don''t forget to complete the form on the school''s online app."


    Complete a form. This was the first time Sen had heard of this. After the class dispersed and students exited, Sen decided to put his question at ease.


    "What about this form? What''s it for?"


    "Oh, it''s just for the Knight exam," the teacher swiftly replied.


    "Knight exam?" he repeated cautiously. He knew the Knight exams were coming up in a week, but he didn''t know what that had to do with students.


    "Yes, we are keeping track of everyone who''s joining the Knight Exams this year," she told him, then added uneasily, "It''s not mandatory or anything, hahaha¡­"


    The teacher was obviously flustered, knowing he didn''t have a Super Sense. She didn''t want him to feel left out or uncomfortable. Which wasn''t bad, but again, Sen was against the thought of forceful sympathy. Giving her a quick nod for the information, he headed out of the class.


    He needed to go to the library. Someone happened to be waiting for him there. Leaving the school building, he started jogging to the exit.


    But of course, just as Sen was, someone, or multiple people, he should say, stopped him. Some kids his age, some might be a tad older¡ªlooked at him with disgusted faces, not allowing him to exit the school''s campus. Oh great, he wanted to sigh out.


    He recognized these kids. They would often bully him verbally, along with many others. Physical bullying was prohibited, and it''s not like Sen cared too much to begin with, but it truly was getting old. Maybe this was karma for disliking sympathy. He did say death threats were more preferred.


    "Well, well, isn''t it, little Senju? Where are you off to so suddenly? You''re going to cry home to your dad? Oh, yeah that¡¯s right¡­¡± one of the bullies taunted. "My bad, sorry if I hurt your feelings,¡± It didn''t take long before the other bullies who were present started cackling their asses off.


    But sadly, this didn''t make Sen change his blunt expression. In fact, Sen barely felt any anger whatsoever, which was somewhat unfortunate. I wish I could get mad at mundane stuff like this. Sen, sadly, didn''t give a shit. The best option was probably to ignore them and walk away¨C


    "Did I tell you to leave, little shit?"


    Man, Sen still wasn''t mad, but he sure was annoyed at this point. There was a very important meeting to attend.


    "Listen, Kagari," Sen muttered, "I don''t have time to listen to your mindless insults right now. Since I''m on your mind daily, I promise I''ll make it up to you some other day."


    "Huh? What the hell did you say, shithead? You''re not on my mind daily; who do you think I am?" Kagari was pissed. Sen couldn''t help but find that amusing. Maybe this didn''t need to be a whole waste of his time after all.


    "Oh, my bad. I thought you had a crush on me or something. I didn''t know how to let you down easy," Sen responded politely. Seeing Kagari''s puzzled expression truly was entertaining after all. A forehead vein popped on his head as a few of his goons murmured to each other.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    "You fucking piece of¨C¡± Kagari grabbed Sen''s shirt by the collar and suddenly lifted him up, staring dead into his eyes. Kagari was, in fact, quite bigger than Sen, but that didn''t even bother him in the slightest. "I''m going to beat you up, break your nose, and spit on you¡­" he threatened Sen, eyeing him down menacingly.


    That wouldn''t really happen. Sen was good at martial arts, so he had quite the advantage. Not to mention, Kagari didn''t have an offensive Sense like Touch. Not like Kagari would even be able to use it on me; that''s against the law.


    "Now, now, Kagari, don''t be so rash. If you do such things, you''ll get thrown out of school."


    "Do you think I care about this school? I don''t care if I get thrown out. It''ll be completely worth it-"


    "Incorrect¡­" Sen cut him off. He really didn''t want to bring up Kagari''s past, but he had no choice.


    "Incorrect my as-"


    "Listen carefully and actually use your brain for once. Do you know the repercussions if you decide to harm me? I''ll give you an example of how different we are from each other. I''m a strictly ''A'' student, and do you know what you are? A ''D'' student. You can''t afford to be thrown out of school. Not to mention, you were held back two years while all your friends kept on moving up. Now me, on the other hand, I can practically do whatever and act however I want, without any severe repercussions. Unlike you, I could apply to another school. Something you simply cannot. But it''s not just about your grades, is it?"


    Kagari turned pale.


    "Looks like you know what I''m about to bring up next. That''s right¨C"


    "Don''t you dare say it-" Kagari''s panicked grunt was cut off.


    "Your family filed for bankruptcy a little over a year ago. They spent all their hard-earned money to give you a good education. So, I doubt you don''t care about getting expelled. Of course, correct me if I''m wrong. You can say it for yourself. Do you not care about your family''s sacrifice?" Sen asked, giving a brief fake smile. "That would be quite low, even for you. Right, guys?" Sen gave a sideways glance at the other bullies. As he hoped, the other students started murmuring in agreement.


    "T-that''s kinda messed up, Kagari. I didn''t know about that; I thought we were picking on the kid for some jokes. If what he says is true, that''s kinda low."


    "I mean, even I wouldn''t do that, bro."


    And just like that, a seed of doubt was planted in the group. Hmph, pathetic.


    Sen was quite surprised at how easy it was to turn people against someone. It almost felt¡­ good¡­


    Seeing the panicked expression on Kagari¡ª his fear in his eyes¡ª the drop of sweat falling from his chin¡ª his head looking at his very own friends who were questioning him¡­


    It felt exhilarating...


    Something within him felt whole. For the first time in his entire life, he felt satisfied. A small glimpse of Kagari''s fearful expression gave him everything he had ever wanted.


    Sen''s eerie grin across his face was genuine!


    ...


    Sen suddenly snapped his eyes open. Vigorously shaking his head in an attempt to exit the weird train of thought. Sen''s heart pounded uncontrollably in his chest. His vision was blurry, with flickering lights dazzling across his retinas, and it felt like he was lost. Was that a dream? No, that couldn''t be it.


    Soon, Sen started getting adjusted to the light until he realized¡ª


    "W-w-who the hell¡­." A frightened whimper came out of Kagari''s mouth. The bully, who had seemed eager and superior to him moments before, was now on the floor, eyeing him as if he had seen a ghost.


    And Kagari wasn''t the only one who stared shockingly at him. The other classmates who accompanied Kagari were stunned, too.


    Sen felt the overwhelming fear radiating from their eyes.


    "G-G¡­." Kagari stuttered, turning pale as a radish. "GET AWAY FROM ME!"


    From an unknown cause, his bully, frightened to death, scrabbled on his feet and frantically scampered away from his presence, giving out moans of foreboding in the process. It didn''t take long before the others followed Kagari in a panicked frenzy.


    "I-I''m sorry! W-we won''t bother you again!" they screamed in terror.


    It didn''t take long before Sen was all alone in front of his school''s campus. All the bullies who were picking on him just moments ago ran away from a mysterious source.


    Huh¡­?


    Sen blinked in confusion, utterly jumbled about what the actual hell just happened. To say it was weird would be an understatement. Sen didn''t know what he did to scare them off.


    Was he that embarrassed? No, that can''t be it. Why did the others look just as terrified as him? Moments before, Sen remembered feeling a weird sensation. What was it? It didn''t even feel like himself at all. And to make things worse¡ªI don''t remember what that feeling was.


    It almost felt like Sen blacked out for a few moments and regained consciousness. Except he didn''t fall over or was lying limp on the floor. It felt eerily similar to the time he spared with this sensei and what occurred over dinner last night.


    Either way, good riddance to them, he supposed, thinking on the bright side. He had already made it clear he didn''t care about getting bullied. They were only words, after all. But at least this saved him some valuable time. Speaking of time. Looking at the watch¡ªit showed 4:04 pm. Good, he still had time to make his meeting at the library. Deciding to leave the ''odd'' encounter behind him, Sen made his way to the critical meeting.


    I need to make this quick; I don''t want to miss my own birthday¡­ (He truly wanted to.)

 Chapter 8– Seductive Hacker

    It didn¡¯t take Sen long before he arrived at the library. It was a rather simplistic building that was connected to others. A few TV holograms were displayed on the windows, announcing the new release of books.


    It looked worn down, to say the least. Well, in retrospect, almost all the buildings in the metropolis were worn down, primarily due to the filth of the cities and the never-ending monster attacks. He couldn¡¯t blame the stores for insufficient money to repair their damage.


    The incomes of stores, better yet¡ªfamilies were drastically low compared to what they used to be. And it wasn¡¯t all due to monsters, either.


    Japan was still recovering after the world war that occurred twenty years ago, which caused the economy to plummet drastically. Low-class families would often be seen living on the street, scavenging for any food that could be deemed edible. And on some occasions, you would see corpses of children who had died from starvation. Unfortunately, the fact it was labeled as an ¡®occasion¡¯ was already problematic on its own.


    We have the never-ending threat of monsters already, but somehow, humans can make any situation worse with war and politics. I never understood the logic. Even monsters didn¡¯t stop the greed of humans. They always remained the same, power-driven creatures.


    Japan was fighting for its independence when World War III happened. They succeeded and defended their homeland with a stroke of luck, but only because other countries interfered with their enemy.


    And the enemy in question was none other than America. They seized control, lost, seized, lost. It was a never-ending battle for independence. Sen found it imprudent. Not the independence part, but war in general. He would never learn why they sacrificed such things just for an illusionary concept of power.


    His father¡¯s quote began making more and more sense as time passed. Maybe there¡¯s some truth in his words. Up until recently, I thought he was talking out of his ass. Thinking about his father¡¯s words made him feel sentimental. I¡¯ll find out the truth soon. After all, this was why he came to the library in the first place¡­


    He had made some valuable connections over the years of research about his father¡¯s background. Searching the depths of the internet¡ªThe Dark and Deep Web¡ªcame a variety of interesting people. Not all these people were drug dealers, illegal weaponsmiths, and criminals. Some were actually harmless¡­ (with arrays of dangerous and valuable information). For a nifty price, that is. Luckily Sen was always smart with his money, so he was able to afford it.


    Sen couldn¡¯t just clear their names, saying they¡¯re innocent people who haven¡¯t done anything wrong. Morally speaking, it was quite the opposite.


    Sadly, the people he knew were hunted by the government and had lists of criminal records behind them. They always hid their identity in fear of getting caught by the government because of their underhanded crimes. Yet, in Sen¡¯s perspective, at least, they were the necessary criminals in the corrupt world he lived in.


    Everywhere you went, there was information hidden under your nose. These criminals, no¡ªthese outcasts were fighting against the corrupt individuals who sought to distract and blind them. Sen wouldn¡¯t have half the information about his father without these people. He could only gather so much that was hidden from the public¡¯s view. However, he was getting slightly concerned about his safety by associating with them at the same time.


    I¡¯ll be fine. I mean, I¡¯m only collecting records of my father. That shouldn¡¯t be a big deal. Unless his father turned out to be a heinous criminal all along, then he¡¯d probably get in some trouble, perhaps. At the moment, Sen was in the clear. If he did, in fact, get in trouble, well¡­ his mom would be to blame for hiding things from him.


    Looking around the library, Sen took notice of the large selection of books that were neatly placed on the big wooden shelves. It almost made him excited. So much knowledge and information were at the grasp of his fingertips. It was uncommon to see a store with these many books. In this day and age, real paperbacks have begun to diminish and be replaced with the Internet. It was cheaper, cost-effective, and not to mention more accessible, so it made sense why the popularity had declined. However, Sen always preferred the physical form.


    Now let¡¯s see¡­ where could she be this time? This wasn¡¯t the first time he would be meeting this mysterious individual. Ah, there she is.


    Straight ahead of him, standing casually by the register, was the woman he was searching for. She had simple, long, sleek blonde hair, and her eyes were brown with hints of hazel. She was fidgeting with her glasses, appearing to be waiting for someone.


    ¡°Hello, Brittney,¡± Sen walked in front of the register. ¡°I would like the usual novel, please.¡±


    Brittney wasn¡¯t actually her real name. The truth was Sen didn¡¯t know her real name to begin with. All the details weren¡¯t disclosed, but apparently, she fled from America and started living in Japan with a fake name and residency.


    Sen could only guess it was because of her criminal activities¡ªcough better yet (information gathering) in her home country. Sen presumed the American government was hunting her for treason. Simply put, she was a twenty-four-year-old hacker and data collector.


    ¡°Oh, you mean My Future Self? How did you like the previous book of that series? Quite interesting, correct?¡± Brittney murmured amusingly. Sen caught on to her sneaky language quickly and played along.


    ¡°Ah, it was indeed interesting. I really enjoyed the part where the main character''s father wasn¡¯t dead. I really hope that he would¡¯ve found out sooner, though. Then he wouldn¡¯t have wasted his time,¡± he hinted.


    ¡°Well, geez, aren¡¯t you impatient,¡± Brittney snorted, seemingly giving up the fake code words of the conversation.


    ¡°Sorry, Britt,¡± he remarked apologetically. ¡°I¡¯m kind of in a rush right now. Maybe we can talk in different tongues later; sadly, I have to make my own birthday.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re what!!?¡± she exclaimed.


    ¡°Shhhhhh!¡± Sen shushed her. ¡°Not so loud. Yes, my birthday is today, so just take the money and I¡¯ll take the data, alright?¡± he urged her. But apparently, she wanted to be a complete pushover.


    ¡°NOPE!¡± she puffed, shaking her head. ¡°I wasn¡¯t invited to your birthday party. I¡¯m not giving you any info unless you invite me right here, right now.¡±


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Sen was having a headache just listening to her blabber on. For someone who hacked major corporations and sold private information to China, she was being awfully childish.


    ¡°I¡¯m not having a birthday party, Brittney,¡± he gave out a tired sigh. ¡°I¡¯m just spending time with my family, that¡¯s all. I do not intend to invite anyone.¡±


    ¡°Aww, meanie¡­¡± she pouted, her hazel eyes shining as she attempted to make puppy eyes. ¡°Wait, that means you¡¯re finally sixteen, right?¡± she gave into a grin while asking. Sen gave her a small nod. I don¡¯t like where this is going.


    ¡°Hehehehe¡­¡± she gave out a soft, evil laughter. Well, this is definitely going where I thought it was going. Sen massaged his temples, feeling a splitting migraine already.


    ¡°That means you¡¯re all mine now.¡± She licked her lips seductively. ¡°Of course, if your family objects, but I¡¯ll be honest, you won¡¯t find a girl better than me.¡± Brittney puffed out her chest. It was true her natural beauty and body were nothing but the pinnacle of attractive standards, and especially for a boy around his age, most would probably give up every possible possession they had to have a one-night stand with her. Sadly, however¡ª


    ¡°Sorry, Britt. I¡¯m not looking for a relationship at the moment.¡±


    ¡°WHAT!¡± she quite literally burst out laughing in front of the other customers and readers in the library. A few eyed her tediously, wondering what the commotion was. ¡°Guys, you won¡¯t believe it! He just turned me down!¡±


    It''s good that most people around them took this outburst as a joke. Sadly, from experience, he knew it wasn¡¯t. Brittney couldn¡¯t stop laughing at his remark. Sen just wished he could actually get what he came here for. But apparently, that was too much to ask for. At this point, I doubt anyone would think she¡¯s a well-known hacker. That''s one way to throw off the feds.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you! What are you, gay or something?¡± Brittney''s eyes teared up from cackling. Sen wasn¡¯t even sure how that related to the conversation.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not gay,¡± he assured her. ¡°If I were to choose a person to marry, however, I most definitely would select a woman, preferably. I don¡¯t really get how you came to that conclusion.¡±


    ¡°BLAH BLAH BLAH, fancy words, boo hoo!¡± she rolled her eyes. The fact she thought his words were hard to understand made him want to cry inside. How is she even a hacker?


    Her clients must have a hard time believing that. Heck, even he still didn¡¯t believe it. Sadly, however, he could testify to her capabilities. He had witnessed her masterful hacking and data-collecting skills firsthand. And it was an understatement to say they were good. Sen just wished he was acquainted with a male hacker instead of Brittney. That way, he didn¡¯t have to worry about getting seduced by a woman every damn time he wanted info.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t give me my info right now, I will never date you.¡±


    It appeared that did the trick because Brittney immediately bit her tongue to keep herself from talking. She quickly nodded her head like an obedient puppy, giving him a yellow envelope and sliding it cautiously on the table. Well, it took long enough. In return, Sen slid his own envelope (containing money) on the register.


    ¡°Well, as always, I appreciate the business. I¡¯ll tell you if I need your services once again,¡± Sen said, dipping his head and then leaving. But, of course, Brittney had something else to say.


    ¡°Wait, don¡¯t go yet!¡±


    I swear if she says anything about going on a date, I will abandon my association with her. But to his surprise, Brittney looked quite serious when he scrutinized her.


    ¡°I want you to open the envelope here,¡± she finally said. Sen narrowed his eyes cautiously.


    It¡¯s not often Brittney is very serious. Could this info actually give me some leads this time? All the information before this had been lackluster. Just the basic information, like his name and so on, even his mother had told him those things. It should''ve been deemed information in the first place. It was simply common knowledge to know your father¡¯s name. Even that would get his mother nervous for some reason.


    But his suspicion had only grown more and more since then. As he started his research, he quickly came to the conclusion that his father¡¯s existence was practically wiped out from any actual important records. That includes his bank, ID, occupation records, etc.


    Whenever Sen asked his mother for info about his father¡¯s life, she often hesitated and completely changed the topic. She underestimated how seriously he took this. The family knew little to nothing about how deep he went searching for information. And if they ever did, they would surely think he had gone mad.


    ¡°Well, what are you waiting for?¡± she urged him to open the envelope. Giving an uneasy sigh, he tore the envelope aside and took out a white piece of paper with a few letters written. It read the following:


    <div>


    WWWQ./Yami Huya / Social Security /


    </code>


    WWWQ./Yami Huya / Phone number / </code>


    WWWQ./Yami Huya / IP  / </code>


    WWWQ./Yami Huya / Aok / </code>


    WWWQ./Yami Huya / Phone number /


    </code>


    Sen shook his head unenthusiastically. It, indeed, was meaningless. All the information was truly gone.


    ¡°This was useless. This just confirms that all my father''s important records are deleted.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm? Are you sure? Look at it again. What do you see?¡± she shiftily murmured. Sen wasn¡¯t too sure what she was talking about. Everything was either deleted or classified. After repeatedly giving the page a quick overview, Sen was at a loss. Social Security, IP address, Phone number, Aok¡­ wait a minute, Aok? Classified, but not deleted?


    ¡°That¡¯s weird, Administration of Knights?¡± he murmured, pondering what this actually meant. Brittney¡¯s eyes shone amusingly.


    ¡°Oh¡­ the way you look when you¡¯re thinking, it¡¯s so CUTE!¡± she couldn¡¯t contain her lust.


    Sen decided not to comment on that. For a moment, he actually thought she would be serious, but he was yet again mistaken.


    Getting back on topic¡­ Aok or Administration of Knights. They are government corps in charge of eradicating monsters and criminals. Not to mention, they own all the Knight academies in Japan. Other Corps similar to this exist around all countries. They¡¯re also in charge of facilitating the younger generation into becoming Knights. A few people I know are also participating in the exams to join an academy. So why is Aok on the list? he thought to himself. Of course, a few answers popped up in his proactive brain.


    First, it could mean that his father had been associated with Aok before. Was Yami a Knight? It certainly was a possibility he couldn¡¯t ignore. Since his mother had been very silent regarding his father''s past, she never mentioned him as a Knight.


    But one thing was certain about these documents¡­ Only government officials can remove information to this degree. And why would they, in the first place, if his father was not an important individual?


    More and more things started to dawn on him the more he pondered. He, of course, didn¡¯t have any definitive proof that they had any relation to each other, but it simply was the only answer to why all his information seemed to be deleted or classified.


    The Administration of Knights is tied to my father, huh? His sister and his only friend were taking an exam to join the AOK in a week''s time, so how could he take advantage of this opportunity?


    It was clear to him that if anyone had information, it would be people associated with the Aok. So, how could he even receive any information? Unless¡­ I join the exams? It was an outlandish idea, but there were technically no rules against ¡®Senseless¡¯ people joining because of how nonexistent they were. If he got higher and higher in the academy, he was bound to come across more information.


    That seemed like a simple idea. However, many things were stopping him from pursuing it. His mother was the first obstacle. She would, without a doubt, object to his request to join. The second obstacle was his sister, Hana.


    To make things more complicated, Sen would also have to worry about his other acquaintances finding out he was simultaneously participating. His head was about to explode, and those weren¡¯t even the most problematic drawbacks either.


    The worst thing is that I need to bypass someone affiliated with AOK, who also happens to be my childhood friend''s father.


    And also someone who despises me¡­

 Chapter 9– Kaiyo

    Your enemy will never be a friend, but a friend could always be your enemy¡­¨C Senseless


    Today was an exciting day for Kaiyo. As much as it was, however, she couldn''t help but want to sleep a tad bit longer. Sadly, her attempt stopped abruptly when her phone''s alarm started ringing irritatingly. Uh¡­ Make it stop! She didn''t have the energy to lift her arm and manually turn it off herself. I''m just going to wait until Mom or Dad turns off the alarm, she groggily thought, feeling a new dream forming already. Smiling warmly under the bed sheets, she finally realized something.


    "W¡­ wait¡­" she sleepily thought out loud. "I feel like I''m forgetting something."


    She couldn''t quite figure it out while half-sleeping. But after a few moments of the alarm''s loud and galling sound, she fully woke up.


    "WAIT¡­ Today is Sen''s birthday!" She jolted from her bed to double-check the date on her phone and finally turned off the alarm. Her device showed her ''November 3rd.''


    Once she saw the day, her sleepy vision vanished. Kaiyo felt a wave of excitement wash over her. Just thinking about him made her cheeks turn slightly pink.


    She had been Sen''s best friend since kindergarten. However, their parents knew each other before they were born. So, it was safe to say she knew him far longer than any of his other friends... (which weren''t many). But she was proud to be his closest, at the very least.


    Excited for the upcoming day, she started her morning routine by first getting out of bed. Second, she thoroughly brushed her pearl-white teeth before standing in front of her closet, contemplating what she should wear. She tried on a few dresses and skirts, but they simply didn''t suit the occasion. With a frown, she looked in her closet.


    "I wonder what he likes," Kaiyo murmured to herself. Realizing what she said, Kaiyo stammered out loud, "N-not that I care what he wants, it just¡­"


    What am I doing? No one''s here anyway. I shouldn''t be afraid to say what I want, right? That''s what she told herself, but her actions were quite the opposite. Kaiyo was a shy and nervous girl. She was deathly afraid people would dislike her because of something she would say. And her worries didn''t come without merit either.


    Kaiyo''s qualms were derived from kids who would often bully her in the early years of school. Even though Kaiyo was sixteen¡ªa few months older than Sen¡ªshe couldn''t help but carry those experiences with her throughout her adolescence.


    Those worries were something she couldn''t get rid of. But it could have been worse. During her years of bullying, a kid stood up for Kaiyo, or rather just ''stuck with her.'' That person happened to be Sen.


    Whenever Sen was around, the bullies would ignore her, almost as if they were afraid of him in a way. Kaiyo never understood why. He always seemed so gentle and composed¡ªpractically the prime target for bullying. But no one dared even bother her when he was present. Of course, this was before it was confirmed Sen didn''t receive a Super Sense after hitting puberty.


    Like Kaiyo, all kids received a Super Sense through puberty. Her super sense is called ''Hearing,'' which is linked to her mother, Rin. On the other hand, her father, Asashi, had ''Touch.''


    It was clear that the origin of her sense was mostly imitative of her mother''s bloodline. Everything was the result of chance. Some got their Super Sense from one of their parents, and some even got two or more! While some received a completely unrelated one. Sen, on the other hand, was an anomaly. He didn''t receive one at all, which was far rarer than someone receiving multiple senses. But regardless of that, Kaiyo always stuck by his side because that''s what he did for her. It was only fair. There was no reason to view him differently¡­


    The smartwatch on her wrist showed it was 9:23 am. Around this time, her mother should be cooking breakfast for Kaiyo and Asashi. In the meantime, she started brushing her dark red hair. It was quite frizzed up from sleeping. Looking in the mirror while pampering herself, she took notice of the dress she selected for the special occasion. It was a simple white dress with a few Sakura blossoms etched on it. Her brilliant green eyes sparkled with excitement. She couldn''t wait to see what Sen thought of it.


    After getting herself ready for the long day ahead, she slowly went downstairs. She immediately caught the aroma of breakfast.


    Subtle, sweet scents of eggs filled the air, followed soon by the rancid fragrance of fermented soybeans. Her mouth watered with anticipation.


    "Oh, morning dear," Rin, Kaiyo''s mother, brightly greeted her while continuing with breakfast. Her mother resembled Kaiyo quite a lot. She shared her dark red hair and her cute round face structure. However, Kaiyo didn''t inherit her gorgeous emerald eye color from her mother.


    "Morning, dear," her father, Asashi, greeted her in a low, affectionate tone. Although her father had simple, short, black hair, she had received his vibrant eye color. Looking at her father''s slim yet broad face, his eyes almost seemed to glow against his face.


    His aura resembled a black panther with its wild and intimidating nature. Coupled with his usual gloom and threatening face, he was tall for a Japanese person, standing around 6''3, or 192 centimeters. And most important of all, besides his looks, was his overwhelming strength. He was a Gold Ranked Knight...


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    She had studied the ranking system for both Knights and monsters in her school''s extracurricular activities in preparation for the academy''s once-a-year entrance exam.


    They were pretty simple:


    At the bottom were Bronze-ranked Knights, primarily people just initiating their careers as Knights.


    Second in the ranks were Silver-ranked Knights.


    The third was Gold, which was her father''s current status.


    And the most prestigious of them all was the Diamond rank.


    A Monster''s danger level also happened to go by the same ranking system as Knights. But it was unfair to even put Diamond rank as part of the chain due to how infrequent they were. Only a few people or monsters with that status even existed in Japan. There were some outside of the country, but the difficulty of achieving such a rank didn''t change. It was clear how high her father''s status was compared to everyone around him.


    Most of his success was due to his involvement and performance in the last world war, over twenty years ago, not so long before she was born. She had tried asking her father for stories about his experiences, but he would always reject her request. Her mother secretly told her that he was deeply scarred and traumatized by those times, which Kaiyo didn''t quite believe. Her father always seemed so strong and reliable. He didn''t seem like the type to be scared of anything. But she didn''t push the topic any further. Whatever her father experienced in the past, it didn''t change the fact that she respected him more than anyone.


    Sitting at the table, her mother brought her a simple but filling breakfast to start her day. It was an egg omelet with creamy cheese melted inside. The side dishes consisted of fresh radish, kimchi, natto, and a small bowl of rice. Asashi and Rin both sat around her, enjoying the exact same meal. They all gave a quick prayer for the food before digging in delightfully.


    The flavors weren''t exactly special, but the fact her mother put her love into it made it far better than any restaurant food. Smiling gratefully as flavors filled her mouth, her mother suddenly asked her¨C


    "Oh, you''re all dressed up today, aren''t you?" she said, amused. Kaiyo''s cheeks started turning pink from her mother''s observation.


    "Yeah, I guess so," she admitted, embarrassed. Her mother raised an eyebrow, interested in her sudden change of demeanor.


    "Well, what''s the special occasion?" her father chimed in, also interested. Kaiyo was hesitant to respond, but after a few moments, she finally admitted¨C


    "I''m going to Sen''s birthday party. He just turned sixteen."


    ¡­The table suddenly turned silent.


    Kaiyo blinked in confusion from the sudden change of mood at the table. Her mother''s expression was not of anger or disappointment; it was more of anxiety. She looked sideward at her father, only for him to stop eating altogether.


    Asashi put down his fork and remained dead silent as his wife eyed him nervously.


    "U-uh, did I say something wrong?" Kaiyo stammered.


    "No, dear, it''s alright," her mother reassured her daughter, then added, "You''re not going to school today?"


    She didn''t like how silent her father had become but felt compelled to confess her reason.


    "I thought I would skip school today to celebrate his birthday. Is that not okay?"


    "Okay?" her father snorted.


    "Dear, please don''t start this," her mother tried to interject, but it was futile; her father was set on speaking his mind.


    "I''ve had enough of playing along¡­" Asashi clenched his fists. "Each time I see that boy, I''m forced to swallow down my discontent and worry. I don''t want that anymore."


    "Huh?" Kaiyo was stunned by her father''s words. "What do you mean, Dad? I don''t understand."


    "You shouldn''t understand," he replied darkly. "listen to me. Cut ties with that family. The sooner you do that, the better."


    "WHAT?! Dad, have you gone crazy? What''s all this so suddenly? I''ve known him my whole life. I can''t just forget about him like that!" She stood from her chair with resentment.


    "You will!" Asashi, mirroring her stance, stood up from the dining table. He towered over her menacingly. But she wasn''t cowering and complying with his demands.


    "Why? What did he ever do to you?"


    "Kaiyo, it''s not what he''s done. I''m just trying to protect you¨C"


    "Protect me?" she raged. "Where were you when I was getting bullied in school? Did you care? No, you didn''t! You were too busy being a high-ranked Knight!"


    Asashi watched her, taken aback by her response.


    "But you know who was protecting me? Sen! So, on the contrary, he''s the only one who''s ever protected me!"


    "Did you just imply I did nothing to protect you?" he growled.


    "Wha?" she didn''t mean it in that way. But her pride didn''t let her admit that in the heat of the argument. She was too furious with her father.


    "Do you know how much I do for you? Everything I ever did was just for your future." Her father genuinely looked hurt. For a moment, she felt a little guilty. But it wasn''t her fault that her father made such an outrageous demand. He was playing the sympathy card!


    "I''m not saying you didn''t do anything for me, okay? I just¨C"


    "Haha! HECK, I even tried to convince the board of directors to pass you in the exam just in case you failed!"


    Kaiyo froze¡­


    "But no! I do nothing for you, do I ¨C"


    "What did you just say?" Kaiyo murmured in shock. He then looked at her with a pause. Asashi knew he had messed up the moment he opened his mouth.


    "I-I¡­ fine, it''s true," he sighed at last. "Since I''m on the board of directors for the Academy of Knights, I tried convincing th¡­" his voice trailed off. The more he said, the worse it seemed to come out. "I tried to convince them to pass you in the event you failed. But, I-It obviously got rejected, so¨C"


    "How could you¡­" Kaiyo mumbled, her tone becoming wavy. "You knew how much becoming a Knight meant to me," she whimpered.


    Asashi started panicking. He had never meant to make her cry. Stumbling over his words, he paused, unsure of what to say.


    "I-I did it because I knew how much it meant to you. I wouldn''t have suggested that to the board of directors if I didn''t care about your future."


    The argument spiraled from Asashi''s discontent with her friend to something she never would have thought her father would do. She wanted to enter the academy to hone her craft and prove herself, not be bribed in¡­


    "Asashi¡­" her mother murmured. "Apologize."


    Asashi''s pride didn''t allow that, but after seeing a few tears fall down Kaiyo''s face, he finally gave in.


    "I''m sorry, honey. I know I shouldn''t have done that," he sighed, then added a little more brashly, "But, I will not apologize for what I said about Sen. I still demand you stay away from him. He''s nothing but trouble. Trust me; your father knows much more about this than you do."


    Kaiyo looked at her father with tears. She couldn''t believe her father would say such things to her face, even after admitting he''d done something unforgivable.


    "You don''t know Sen''s family like I do, Kaiyo. I''ve known his father before you were even born. This is the last time I will say this¡­ stay¡­away."


    Kaiyo had enough. With tears falling from her eyes, she turned her back on him. With sorrow and anger, she grabbed the front door and left the house without another whimper...

 Chapter 10– Human Trash

    The sounds of the bustling streets and murmurs of people in the city made her head feel like it was exploding. She had a difficult time controlling her Hearing. Each individual sound from a mile radius appeared in her head instantaneously. It was brutally excruciating, feeling like a thousand tiny needles were simultaneously hitting her eardrums.


    It was hard to control her Super Sense. However, she could usually block out unnecessary sounds at will. But since her argument with her father, her emotions refused to allow control of her Sense.


    Kaiyo held back the tears that pleaded to be released. She battled the urge to break down on the street many times, but she couldn¡¯t allow herself to do that. She at least needed to arrive at Sen¡¯s house before she¡ª


    I hate being weak... she thought. I always rely on others and never fix my own problems. What am I even doing?


    The fact that she even contemplated venting to Sen about her problems on his birthday brought unimaginable shame. She hated being so sensitive and useless.


    My family is well off, I have an influential dad and a super sense, but I¡¯m still pathetic. Why can¡¯t I be like you, Sen?


    He was so strong, intelligent, and persistent. Even without a Super Sense, he never ceased to amaze her with his cunning and resilient demeanor. She would never be half as remarkable as he was. Maybe, just maybe, if she passed the exams and became a Knight, he would start noticing her differently.


    She wiped her half-dried tears with her arm and looked forward.


    It didn¡¯t matter what her father thought about Sen. He was just a worried father who didn¡¯t want anyone to take his daughter away. She couldn¡¯t stay mad at him forever. Just because he was being immature about his concerns didn¡¯t mean she should retaliate with more immaturity. That would only prolong the argument. She let out a sigh and continued walking toward Sen¡¯s house.


    At that moment, she felt a slight buzz from her purse. Realizing it was a notification on her phone, she opened her purse and took out the thin, transparent rectangular device. It was a text from Hana:


    "Sorry I¡¯m disturbing you, Kaiyo, but Sen decided to be a party bummer and go to school on his birthday. It does work out for the best, though, because I need some help decorating the house. Would you mind helping out? Hyo is gonna be a little late, so he won¡¯t be able to help."


    Reading Hana''s text gave Kaiyo a pang of disappointment, knowing Sen had decided to study rather than celebrate his birthday. But soon, she started getting enthusiastic again. Now, she had the chance to do something special for his birthday. She couldn¡¯t let this opportunity slide!


    So, she couldn¡¯t let down Hana! Feeling the urgency, she gradually started walking at a faster pace.


    She received wary looks from the approaching bystanders. It was clear she stood out with her beautiful, elegant white dress and her perfectly pampered hair. She was getting embarrassed by all the attention. It was apparent that Kaiyo was an attractive young lady. Her looks, in contrast to the filthy surroundings of the city, resembled a perfect, beautiful white and red flower amidst trash.


    She soon stopped at a traffic light, waiting for the cars to halt. This moment gave her the realization to calm her Sense down. Now that she had composed herself from the argument, she gradually regained control. Kaiyo let out a troubled sigh. She still couldn¡¯t control her Sense when bombarded with emotions. That¡¯s why she wanted to be a knight in the first place. She desperately sought professional help controlling it. Nonetheless, it couldn¡¯t be helped. Many were in the same predicament. It had only been four years since her Sense started activating. She just didn¡¯t have enough experience yet. It was similar to a sport. To be good at a sport, one needs first to practice regularly.


    Each moment was self-improvement in mastering a Sense. Kaiyo always needed to be in tune with her surroundings and be able to shut off that connection at will. If she heard everything all at once for more than a few minutes, she would mentally go insane. So, to build endurance, she constantly switched between hearing her surroundings and closing them off a few times. This practice resembled running; the more you run, the longer you can run. It was a simple but effective habit.


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    Her mother had taught Kaiyo this when she was younger. Rin had grown up with the same struggles, so it was comforting that Kaiyo wasn¡¯t alone in her dilemma.


    Asashi, on the other hand, had a completely different story. Since he had Touch, she wasn¡¯t too sure how the training differed from her personal method. Each sense had different rules and ways to hone its power. It was hard to imagine how someone with Taste or Smell could strengthen their craft. But each one had its own benefits, she presumed. Obviously, some were stronger than others, like Hearing, Touch, and Sight. The other two, Taste and Smell, well, not so much.


    While waiting for the traffic to stop, she decided to focus on her surroundings and practice. Activating one¡¯s sense wasn¡¯t complicated. It was as straightforward as inhaling and exhaling. There were no complex steps required. So, in an instant, sounds rushed to her hearing receptors, providing information about noises within nearly a mile radius. Thousands, if not millions, of sounds were accessible to her. Some were far too faint for her to hear. Kaiyo only heard certain things within her capacity.


    For example, people walking, having conversations, construction drilling, homeless people snoring in the middle of the streets, and more. Hearing an ant¡¯s crawling legs would be practically impossible unless she specifically focused on that individual thing or action.


    Although it would be possible for someone with more experience and concentration to achieve that, she wasn¡¯t at that skill level yet. It took her a while to get used to her Sense when she first activated it, but they soon became standard practices with which she had to live. And it did protect her to some extent, though she couldn¡¯t use it all the time.


    Closing her Super Sense off, she already felt a drop of sweat fall down her chin. It was physically and mentally taxing to perform her exercises.


    She safely crossed the traffic stop and continued walking along the city''s busy sidewalks. Along the way, she noticed homeless people looking at her with eyes of desperation. Some wore newer clothes, while others'' garments were jagged and half-torn. It seemed like they hadn¡¯t washed in years, which was an observation and unfortunate truth.


    ¡°Please, could you spare some change¡­¡± a desperate plea came from a homeless woman. The poor lady seemed utterly malnourished and weak. The only clothes she had were a cheap raincoat and what appeared to be a thin polyester towel in her hands¡ªwait¡­ that wasn¡¯t clothing at all.


    Kaiyo¡¯s heart sank like a ship once she realized the homeless woman was holding a starving child in her arms. A passing man who appeared quite well-off, wearing a tailored suit and neatly combed hair, made eye contact with the homeless woman. And the more the stranger did, the more it gave the woman a reason to beg for his help.


    ¡°P-please,¡± she murmured meekly to the rich man, ¡°I can¡¯t get a job. No one will hire a single mother to work for them¡­ And I can¡¯t even hunt or scavenge for food, please¡­¡± Her eyes had dark circles, signs of being sleep-deprived, and her cheekbones were sticking out quite noticeably. It was apparent she wasn¡¯t getting enough food to sustain milk production. If she didn¡¯t receive urgent help, she or the child would soon die from malnourishment. She held her breath while she waited for the rich man''s reply. Surely, he would offer some help¨C


    ¡°Tsk¡­¡± the man clicked his tongue condescendingly. ¡°This is why I don¡¯t go down this street, but of course, a monster attack shut off all the roads. Don¡¯t ask me again.¡±


    The quick reply made Kaiyo look in shock. A woman on her deathbed asked for little to nothing¡ªjust food or money to subside her hunger for one day and produce milk for her infant. Yet the rich man brushed it off, an ounce of sympathy absent from his cold eyes.


    ¡°But, please. You don¡¯t understand. My child will die if I don¡¯t eat,¡± she whimpered in distress, knowing her chance of survival was slipping away from her. The man snorted, then replied,


    ¡°Well, just get rid of the baby. Problem solved,¡± he heartlessly cackled.


    Kaiyo couldn¡¯t believe someone could be so callous. She bewilderingly looked at the laughing man with disgust.


    ¡°I-I can¡¯t, he¡¯s my son¡­¡± her voice quivered with a response. The man lifted his lip in antipathy.


    ¡°Do you honestly think I care what you do with your life? You peasants shouldn¡¯t even deserve to live. The fact you¡¯re in this position to begin with is laughable.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ my fault¡­¡± she conceded.


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s your fault, you prostitute. I bet you got shit-faced every day at the bar while hooking up with an old man, only to call yourself unlucky? Please don¡¯t make me laugh!!!"


    Kaiyo didn¡¯t know what to do or say. She paused in the middle of the sidewalk with pure distress at the situation. It wasn¡¯t best to insert herself and bash the rich man for speaking so harshly. She was just a girl, and the man in front of her seemed tall and broad-shouldered. Kaiyo couldn¡¯t risk being hurt, but seeing how the man talked pained her unbelievably. The man turned around and started leaving. Before he could¨C


    ¡°Huh?¡± Something was stopping the man from walking away.


    The hungry and deathly woman was holding onto the man¡¯s leg with one arm in desperation.


    ¡°PLEASE!¡± she cried. ¡°HELP ME!¡±


    He let out a sigh and shook his foot violently. But the lady was still firmly grasping his foot.


    ¡°¡­Gr, why you!¡± The man increased his strength and finally released his foot from the woman¡¯s grasp. The mother was sent back, hitting the brick wall of a building from the man¡¯s power. Kaiyo gasped in horror. She was sure the mother broke a rib then and there.


    ¡°You little worthless piece of SHIT!¡± the man growled in anger. ¡°I don¡¯t want your dirty hands touching my expensive shoes!¡±

 Chapter 11– Predator & Prey

    The rich man slowly marched up to the feeble lady who lay on the concrete after his violent kick and brutally lifted her by the hair, leaving the mother shrieking in excruciating pain.


    ¡°S-STOP IT!¡­. I-IT HURTS!!!¡­¡±


    Despite the pain, the woman still clung tightly to her child, not letting go for a moment. People around her stopped in horror as they watched the scene unfold. Yet, no one lifted a finger to help. Kaiyo was scared¡­


    How could a human be so cruel¡­ so heartless¡­


    The man grinned in satisfaction, seeing the woman scream in pain. But to him, she deserved far more punishment. Clenching the woman¡¯s hair with one arm, he coughed up mucus and spat it on her face. ¡°Splat!¡±


    The mucus landed directly on the innocent mother¡¯s face. She barely had the energy to make eye contact as tears coursed down her skeletal cheeks. The mother gave up.


    No¡­ stop it. This isn¡¯t right. Kaiyo¡¯s breath caught in her throat. Her hands started shivering in anxiety. She frantically looked from side to side to see if there were any Knights or police around. What the man was doing was assault! He couldn¡¯t get away with such a revolting crime.


    It was at that moment she spotted a few well-dressed Knights standing by their post across the street. Why in the world were they not preventing this? Kaiyo ran toward them with urgency.


    ¡°Sir! Please help that homeless lady. That man is assaulting her!¡± she exclaimed at the two Knights. They looked at each other with nervous expressions and shook their heads with a sigh.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, we cannot help with this,¡± one replied reluctantly. Kaiyo looked at them, disbelief overwhelming her expression. She assumed they were joking!


    ¡°WHAT!¡± she growled. ¡°What do you mean you can¡¯t help her? SHE¡¯S BEING ASSAULTED!¡±


    ¡°Miss, I¡¯m going to ask you to calm down,¡± the Knight ordered her.


    She couldn¡¯t believe this was real life. Right in front of the Knights'' eyes was an active crime scene, and they were bluntly disregarding it as if the man were committing a common mistake! Kaiyo twisted her head in horror, watching the man continue brutally assaulting the woman with an eerie smile.


    ¡°Y-you have to do something¡­¡± Kaiyo murmured in terror. She felt like throwing up. How could someone take pleasure in doing such things? Such an alien thought couldn¡¯t be processed in her brain.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± the Knight¡¯s expression suddenly turned into guilt.


    Despite being troubled by the sight, why weren¡¯t they stopping him? It doesn¡¯t make any sense!


    ¡°We were ordered to watch him until he safely arrives at his destination,¡± the Knight started. ¡°Young lady, that man is Kyro Tensin. He is a wealthy and powerful man¨C¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean he¡¯s above the law!¡± she immediately cut him off before he could further explain. The Knight replied with a brief, disappointing shake of his head.


    ¡°No, miss, you don¡¯t understand. He is above the law. Mr. Tensin is one of the biggest investors for the A-O-K. Displeasing him means we drastically lose funds to sustain the organization. We simply can¡¯t arrest him.¡±


    Kaiyo couldn¡¯t believe what she was hearing. No matter what that man did, it wouldn¡¯t even mean anything? What kind of justice system was this? She thought being a Knight meant honor and sacrifice, but was this the actual truth?


    Directly from the Knight''s words, a murderer could be left without punishment just because they held money and power. What kind of world did she live in? How did they reach a point where money was more important than morals?


    ¡°SLAP!¡±


    Kyro smacked his hand across the malnourished mother¡¯s face. She let out a moan of pain before¨C


    ¡°SLAP!¡± Then again¡­


    ¡°SLAP!¡± ¡­. Again.


    ¡°SLAP!¡±


    The sound bounced off the city''s walls, echoing through the filthy alleyways. It felt like the city had turned silent as he performed the same action again, again, and again. Kaiyo lost count of how many times the man aggressively slapped the woman, but after a few times, she stopped moaning in pain. Her already dull and lifeless eyes turned even more vanquished. Kaiyo didn¡¯t think someone could look worse than she already did, but the man proved her wrong¡­


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    ¡°How do you like that, pig!?¡±


    ¡°SLAP!¡±


    ¡°Will this teach you? Or do you want me to demonstrate some more? I don¡¯t think you learned from your mistakes¡­well!?¡± Kyro leaned forward and shouted in her ear. ¡°I don¡¯t hear you!?¡±


    ¡°I-I¡­I¡¯m¡­¡± she moaned with her eyes rolled back, barely conscious.


    ¡°I¡¯m?¡± he repeated. ¡°Tell me! I¡¯m what? Finish your f*cking sentence, you filthy piece of shit!¡±


    No response¡­ The mother finally went completely unconscious. The child she grasped onto so dearly fell to the ground with a thud. Kaiyo let out a cry of dismay.


    She didn¡¯t care what happened to her anymore. She needed to save that baby! Kaiyo started sprinting toward where the infant had fallen.


    ¡°Wait, don¡¯t¨C¡± The Knight tried to stop her, but it was futile. Her motherly instincts were moving her body on its own. Kaiyo simply couldn¡¯t let this baby die. If she didn¡¯t do anything, it would keep her up at night.


    ¡°Tsk¡­ weak pig.¡± The man was reaching his hand toward the infant, but Kaiyo was faster! She quickly grabbed the polyester towel where the innocent baby had lain. The man was taken aback by her swiftness.


    Kaiyo protectively grasped the child and soothed his painful cries of distress. The more she looked at him, the more her heart panged with sympathy. The poor thing was all skin and bones. His ribcage was sticking out from his stomach, and he barely had the energy to cry. His hands were merely the size of her fingertips. She couldn¡¯t even believe she was holding a baby from how light he was.


    ¡°Huh? And who are you?¡± he snorted out, narrowing his thin plucked eyebrows.


    ¡°YOU MONSTER!¡± Those were the only words Kaiyo could blurt out. A few tears fell down her face and landed on the baby.


    ¡°HA! Why the hell are you crying? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re actually crying for that filthy pig?¡±


    Kaiyo didn¡¯t respond. She only glared at him with hate and disgust.


    ¡°Why are you looking at me like that, young lady? You have a problem or something?¡±


    The civilians gathered around them were murmuring in low voices, watching the scene unfold. She hadn¡¯t intervened earlier because she genuinely thought someone would come and stop this madness. But who were they supposed to call? The police? The Knights? Did that even matter at this point? The evil person standing in front of her was above the law. She couldn¡¯t do anything to help.


    Kaiyo was, yet again, useless. All she wished to do was curl up in her bedsheets and wake up from this nightmare.


    ¡°Are you hearing me?¡± Kyro called out with a sneering tone. ¡°Or will I have to teach you a lesson too?¡± His lips pulled back into a grin. Widening her eyes in terror, she gripped the infant and stood her ground. Kaiyo¡¯s slender body trembled uncontrollably as she took a few steps back in fear. Kyro, still with a broad and eerie grin, followed her.


    She could never outrun such a tall and muscular man. She was scared. Dad, Sen, anyone, please help.


    Her silent prayer was answered, but not in the way she was expecting¡­


    Something triggered her Super Sense. A rush of sounds swept inside her mind abruptly. Between the busy city''s clatters, she felt the presence of something different. Something not human, and it wasn¡¯t an ant or dog. It was something much, much more terrifying. She couldn¡¯t pinpoint where or what it was, but it was close.


    She could hear it, whatever it was, clicking in weird grunts. She could feel its claws scratch the gravel as it drew near. But no matter where she looked, she couldn¡¯t even find where that sound was coming from.


    ¡°Oh, missy, what is it you¡¯re looking for?¡± Kyro''s cold voice made her Super Sense shut off.


    She turned her gaze back at the man while he reached his hand out.


    ¡°Now, don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t really care about the mother or child anymore,¡± he reassured her.


    Blinking in confusion, Kaiyo relaxed her trembling body. Before she could ask, the rich man''s expression changed. The annoyed grin he gave before shifted slightly into something else. Kaiyo stopped breathing in sudden fear.


    That smile¡­ I don¡¯t like that smile.


    She quivered, looking at the glint that sparkled in Kyro¡¯s eyes.


    Every muscle in her body screamed with disdain and the urge to run away. The manner in which he was looking at her was that of a predator gazing at its prey. She felt like hanging meat, ready to be devoured by an insane and hungry lion.


    She could only stare hopelessly as he approached her, his loathsome and evil expression unwavering.


    ¡°I do, however, have taken an interest in you¡­¡± He creepily licked his lips. ¡°What a helpless girl, but yet you stood up to me in such a brave fashion. Truly bold.¡±


    He touched her head, running his dry fingers down to feel the texture of her thick and silky hair.


    Her eyes widened in panic, ready to scream for help¡­ but who would help her? No one was coming. Even if the police arrested him, he would simply bail himself out. She lived in a world where the wealthy and powerful could do whatever they wanted without repercussions. And even if the public''s discontent is genuine, it wouldn¡¯t make a difference. In the end, he ruled what the public saw.


    ¡°Girls like you are very rare. They¡¯re so rare. In fact, I haven¡¯t even met a single one.¡±


    She felt a dry hand touch her waist. Kaiyo let out a yap and pushed him away.


    ¡°Oh my, why are you so afraid, dear? I just wanted to take the baby,¡± Kyro said, moving his stocky head where she moved, continuing to eye her down.


    That was a lie, that was such a blatant horrifying lie¡­


    The way he looked at her, the way he caressed her body, told her everything she needed to know. This person was not only a brutal and cold individual, but he was also an aberrant predator.


    ¡°No, stay away from me¡­¡± She stepped back, and then suddenly, Kaiyo accidentally tripped over the pavement, resulting in her falling to the ground.


    ¡°Ugh!¡± Her yelp wasn¡¯t because of the pain but because Kyro moved slowly towards her again and again.


    Please, she prayed to whoever was listening, Anyone¡­


    The man reached his hand out, gesturing to help her up, but that was not his intention to begin with. She knew exactly what he wanted. Letting out a suppressed scream of dread, she closed her eyes¨C


    ¡­


    ¡°CLICK.¡±


    ¡°CRUNCH! SPLAT!¡­¡±


    She suddenly heard an odd clicking sound followed by something resembling a splash of water. She opened her eyes in confusion. But nothing could have prepared her for what she saw in front of her legs.


    It was Kyro¡¯s decapitated head in a pool of his blood¡­

 Chapter 12– Arokai– the invisible rat monster

    A volley of pure fear and panic erupted in the crowd watching. Kaiyo couldn¡¯t even move; she didn¡¯t understand what she was looking at.


    How¡­ where¡­


    ¡°MONSTERS!¡± a civilian screeched in dread. ¡°RUN!!!¡± The moment the public heard the word "monster," everyone¡¯s panic amplified a thousandfold.


    Kaiyo didn¡¯t need a Sense to hear the sound of claws scraping the ground and soft communicative squeaks all around her. Her brain stopped; they didn¡¯t have time to think about what was happening! She needed to run, run as fast as she could! Pulling herself off the ground, she sprinted away from the lifeless head of Kyro.


    She couldn¡¯t believe her eyes! All around her, monsters, who were invisible just moments ago, began appearing out of thin air. Their snouts were long, broad, and hideous. Two yellow, overgrown teeth overlapped their long bottom lips. Their ears were perked up with excitement, emitting squeaks of triumph. Their bodies had a thick and translucent fur pelt, and their eyes burned red for fresh meat. Behind their fur was a distinct curled, pink, and furless tail.


    She couldn¡¯t count how many there were. Tens, maybe hundreds, were scurrying around the rich man¡¯s dead body. Hiding behind a large tree, she watched from afar, soon coming to a realization. Arokai, she gasped, then quickly covered her mouth, daring herself not to make another sound.


    Arokai were bronze-ranked monsters. They were roughly the size of a large domesticated dog. But do not be fooled; these were pure, bloodthirsty monsters who would attack you on sight.


    They were known for eating the carcasses of other monsters, sneaking into homes, and deftly grabbing children with their coordinated pack. They also went by the name "City Wolves." Their keen and intelligent, coordinated minds resembled that of a normal wolf. However, they stopped at nothing when it came to food.


    Like their closest cousin, the rat, they had a never-subsided hunger void, making them desperate. They would eat practically anything edible, similar to the common rat, but on a whole other level. Their small cousin paled in comparison to these monsters'' evolutionary dangers. Above their unclean and physical dangers, their most terrifying trump card was their unique ability to blend into their surroundings.


    She truly wished that wasn¡¯t the case, but she couldn¡¯t deny what she saw happen right before her eyes! She felt like vomiting, seeing the Arokai nibbling on the dead man''s body. Kaiyo gasped in horror once she realized who was near the monsters'' feast. The mother¡­


    The person whom Kyro had assaulted into unconsciousness was limply resting on the pavement floor just a few feet away from the horrifying scene. The monsters didn¡¯t seem interested in the lady at the moment; they were too fixated on the fresh human.


    Someone needed to save the poor homeless lady! At that moment, she heard a loud, commanding order from the Knights.


    ¡°Everyone! Do not come near!¡± The two Knights sitting at their post finally started taking action. She let out a sigh of relief. Now that Kyro was dead, they could step up and save her. Not to mention getting rid of the monsters, too.


    Kaiyo hesitantly cast a sideward gaze at the rich man. One of the Arokai tore off his ear and happily devoured it like a piece of candy. Kaiyo gagged at the sight, not because she was sad or guilty, but simply because the scene was gruesome and disturbing. She couldn¡¯t help but feel doubt welling up inside her.


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    I could have warned him that something was coming. I already knew it, and I did nothing. So why don¡¯t I feel guilty?¡­


    She was ashamed of herself for being so cold. Even though it was evident that Kyro was an evil person, she could have saved a life in the end. Does that make me a bad person?


    Kaiyo felt the baby in her arms give a soft cry of distress. She caressed the poor thing and rocked it slowly, calming him down. No, this was worth it. In her eyes, at least, saving a baby with a full life ahead was far more valuable than a rich man who only tormented those around him.


    Infants were the purest life forms, untainted by society¡¯s sinfulness and not yet molded by the environment. She didn¡¯t know the person Kyro was, and she frankly didn¡¯t care. Kaiyo¡¯s gut told her he would never change. She¡¯d rather save a child who would grow up to be a kind person than someone who¡¯d continue their sinful life.


    ¡°BANG!¡±


    Shots were fired by the Knights. It wasn¡¯t long before a whole corps of Knights, containing a few dozen, showed up with their sleek, indestructible uniforms. Many had simple guns resembling a common Glock, but each time they fired at the monsters, the weapon would glow either blue, red, green, yellow, or purple, depending on the user.


    ¡°BANG! BANG!¡±


    A few Arokai were instantly shot down lifeless in front of her. Gallons of blood spilled on the sidewalk of the city, making it seem as if it had rained blood from above. The monsters that were chowing down on the dead body of Kyro squeaked in alarm as they watched their fellow members die in front of them.


    These were no common guns; these were SenseGuns! Her father also carried one around with him when he was on duty. The gun would transfer one¡¯s Sense Energy into supermagnetic waves, forming a bullet of energy. It didn¡¯t matter which Sense you had; they all would operate similarly. The guns only needed energy to fuel their power, and one''s Sense was more than enough to do the job.


    Evidently, there was a limit to how many shots one could fire. After all, it was similar to activating a Super Sense. Kaiyo herself could only trigger it for a few minutes before feeling fatigued, so she guessed the same logic applied to this weapon.


    The monsters weren¡¯t dumb, and they immediately understood they were outmatched. A few started using their unique ability to vanish into thin air, but unfortunately, some were not as clever. A monster uttered a loud, ear-quivering battle cry and lunged at one of the Knights from the side. The Knight gasped in surprise, not expecting them to fight back.


    ¡°SNAP!¡±


    He was far too late¡­


    The Arokai chomped on its target, sinking its jagged, long front teeth into his throat. The innocent Knight wasn¡¯t even capable of letting out a cry of pain before his head was cut clean from his neck, falling straight to the ground. The body went limp and unresponsive right away as it tumbled on the pavement.


    Noticing their fallen comrade, the others let out a scream of rage while firing six bullets from their weapon into the monster¡¯s body. It wasn¡¯t long before the Arokai who had attacked the innocent Knight went limp along with the life it took. Kaiyo¡¯s heart panged with sympathy.


    Unlike Kyro, these people were doing what they were told and genuinely put their lives on the line. She felt sick watching blood vessels burst from the victim¡¯s body. She was far away, but she wanted to run, run as fast as she could from the terrible scene. But what about the mother?


    Kaiyo couldn¡¯t quite see where the mother lay anymore, and that only fed more doubt into her mind. I can¡¯t just go in there and check. That¡¯s a death sentence. But I have this¡­ She looked at the now sleeping child. What would happen if the mother is actually alive and starts looking for her child frantically, not knowing where or what happened to him? That would break her heart.


    But I can¡¯t just wait any longer. I need to get out of here. Going back and forth with herself, she made up her mind. Even if the mother is alive, she won¡¯t last long. I can¡¯t leave this baby here to starve along with her.


    The child''s tiny hand wrapped around her finger. She gave a hopeful smile. Kaiyo then abruptly started breaking into an urgent run, taking a detour to her house. She needed her parents'' help to save this child. It didn¡¯t even occur to her how she would confront Asashi after their argument, but it didn¡¯t matter. This was far more important than arguing with her father. And she knew he would agree, too.

 Chapter 13–Hatching a plan

    The strength of one¡¯s mind defines one''s true potential for power. ¨C Senseless


    Sen left the library with the yellow envelope in hand, his mind preoccupied with solutions to his current predicament. How do I enter the academy without drawing too much attention to myself? Attracting the attention of new people wasn¡¯t his main concern; rather, it was the attention of those close to him, like his mother or acquaintances. And, of course, there was Asashi Yahish¡ªalso known as Kaiyo¡¯s father.


    But Asashi¡¯s relationship to his close friend wasn¡¯t the main issue. It was mostly due to the fact he was part of the AOK. From an outsider¡¯s perspective, this should have been amazing. It was precisely what he needed. Someone high in the ranks, like Asashi, could provide more information about his father. Moreover, Asashi had a history with his father.


    So why hadn¡¯t he asked for information sooner? That all appeared to be a recipe for the information he sought. Sadly, however, that opportunity had sailed a long time ago. Sen didn¡¯t know exactly when it began, but after his father¡¯s ¡®so-called¡¯ passing, Asashi completely cut ties with them. They stopped answering calls and completely dissociated themselves. Sen¡¯s mother had always been confused by his sudden unfriendliness. And unfortunately, Sen didn¡¯t have any clues or evidence to provide a solid explanation.


    Of course, only a fool would overlook the timing of his desocialization and not find Asashi suspicious. Sen had considered many accusations he could confront him with. It would be a lie if he said he never thought of the possibility that Asashi had murdered his father.


    In the end, it wouldn¡¯t even shock him if it were true.


    Sen couldn¡¯t say much about Asashi¡¯s personality either, as he always disregarded Sen if they passed each other or if he saw his daughter with him. Conversely, Sen wasn¡¯t blind. He was acutely aware of how Asashi looked at him during their rare encounters. Anyone with basic observation skills could tell Asashi wasn¡¯t fond of him.


    Besides, even with all this in mind, Sen still tried to ask about his father indirectly, and usually, the conversation would end similarly to those with his mother, except talks with Asashi were drastically colder and more hostile.


    So, it was clear getting any information out of Asashi would be as difficult, if not more so, than entering the academy. Now, the question of how to enter the academy without causing any conflict with him still remained. He let out an exasperated murmur, lost in thought.


    I know I can convince my sister and the others who are participating in the knight exams. And I can easily find a way to bypass my mother as well. Those are the easiest problems to solve.


    From what Kaiyo had told him, her father was part of the academy''s board of directors and a Gold-ranked Knight. This made Sen fear that if he were caught participating, he would simply be thrown out. On the other hand, if Asashi were planning on doing that, it would be technically unjust. There were no rules stating he needed a Super Sense to participate in the exam, and it certainly wasn¡¯t cheating. In fact, Sen would be at a disadvantage. Throwing him out for not having a Super Sense would be bad PR for the academy and could ruin their reputation. Surely disqualifying a powerless child from the exam wasn¡¯t worth public discontent?


    This is such a pain in the ass, he thought to himself. I probably shouldn¡¯t be the one complaining. After all, I¡¯m getting myself into this. I could just accept the fact that I¡¯ll never find any info about my father and play along with my mother¡¯s silence game, but unfortunately, I¡¯m not that type of person. If I want to know something, I¡¯m going to figure it out one way or another.


    The other way was going to be a lot more difficult than he had anticipated. He was at a dead end when it came to information. Not even one of the greatest hackers and data collectors could scavenge information for him. That was worrisome on its own. He did at least figure out that his father had ties with the AOK, which was something he half-expected. That organization, after all, had its data secured by the government. Getting any information was practically impossible¡ªfor the outside world, that is. As long as you climb the ranks, you will eventually get in touch with or find people who know classified information. And that was his plan. However, climbing the ranks was simply impossible for him even if he got into the academy.


    So, if he successfully joined the AOK, he would secretly find people who knew the knowledge he was seeking.


    I¡¯m getting ahead of myself. I still need to find a solution to bypass Asashi.


    Sadly, he was at a loss. No plan seemed to work in his observant mind. Everything ended in him getting kicked out. Unless¡­ an idea suddenly popped into his brain. I can use my relationship with his daughter to my advantage.


    He didn¡¯t want to use his friend for anything malicious or to put any stress on her. He needed to find a perfect method where she wasn¡¯t aware he was using her. After all, no harm was done if the person didn¡¯t know they were being used for protection, better yet, insurance.


    But how do I even make use of my ties with her and make them help the situation with Asashi?


    Sen pondered this as he walked the streets of the city. It was around 5 p.m., and it was getting dark. He needed to hurry home¡ª


    ¡°Oops¡­¡±


    Sen felt his shoulder bump unexpectedly into a stranger. He was so caught up in his plans that he had completely ignored his surroundings. Ah, well, that¡¯s awkward.


    ¡°Sorry, I wasn¡¯t watching where I was going¡ª¡± Sen paused as he eyed the man who had stopped. The man with broad shoulders and a tall stature looked at him with glowing emerald eyes. It felt like a panther was sizing him up as prey. The man wore a baggy coat with a brown fedora, so Sen didn¡¯t immediately recognize him. But after catching a glimpse of those familiar emerald eyes, he instantly knew who it was.


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    Speak of the devil. Sen almost wanted to laugh at the irony.


    ¡°Well, didn¡¯t expect to bump into you, Asashi.¡± Sen tried his best to sound relaxed and composed. Truthfully, he was surprised. He hadn¡¯t expected to meet him so soon, before even developing his plan.


    ¡°Hmph¡­¡± Asashi only gave an uninterested grunt. But Sen could see he was also taken aback by the coincidence. This is actually good. I can get some info out of him. Sen wasn¡¯t thinking about his father''s info, but rather Asashi''s weaknesses he could exploit to bypass him. Even if he got nothing from talking with him, it was still better than nothing.


    ¡°What are you doing out so late?¡± Surprisingly, Sen wasn¡¯t the one who asked that; it was Asashi. This was the first time he had ever asked Sen a question.


    ¡°Oh, well¡­ I just finished school for the day, and I stopped by the library for a bit. I¡¯m heading home as we speak, actually.¡± While responding, Sen smoothly slid the yellow envelope he held (which contained his father''s deleted info) into the back pocket of his jeans.


    Asashi seemed to notice his sleight of hand immediately, though Sen was quite casual about it. Thankfully, Asashi didn¡¯t appear too interested in what Sen was hiding. He is observant, that¡¯s for sure.


    ¡°Hm, I see. Well, I won¡¯t keep you for long. I am curious, though, why aren¡¯t you celebrating your birthday?¡±


    Dammit¡­ This made Sen realize what he had forgotten. He had been too busy with school and the library that he completely lost track of time.


    ¡°I simply couldn¡¯t neglect my education, even for my birthday,¡± he replied with a blatant lie. The truth was, he hadn¡¯t learned anything new. His teacher was, in fact, correct; he had the academic level of a university student. What surprised him, though, was that Asashi even remembered his birthday. Sen assumed it was likely because Kaiyo had mentioned it to her father.


    ¡°Understood,¡± Asashi replied, sounding awkward. It was clear he was uncomfortable around Sen, which was already known, but the fact that Asashi engaged with him for more than a few sentences was shocking. ¡°Just be mindful of others'' time. Kaiyo left early this morning to celebrate your birthday.¡±


    ¡°Oh, she did?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Asashi confirmed, then added grimly, ¡°I forgot to mention she was attacked by a pack of silver-ranked monsters on her way, too.¡±


    Sen froze. Was this a joke? No, Asashi wasn¡¯t the type to lie about such things. Sen was at a loss for words. The way Asashi was looking at him, his eyebrow twitched when adding that detail. Asashi was indirectly blaming him for the incident. I see, that¡¯s how you¡¯re going to play this.


    Sen was concerned for his friend. He wasn¡¯t a heartless person devoid of emotion. However, he could sense Asashi was trying to pin the blame on him, so he needed to tread carefully.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t aware of that. I wish she would have called me,¡± he said calmly, adding in a softer tone, ¡°Is she alright?¡±


    Depending on his reaction, Sen could gauge the potential of his plan. He genuinely wanted to ask how his friend was more urgently because he was truly concerned for her, but he couldn¡¯t miss this opportunity¡ª


    Sen suddenly felt himself being lifted off the ground. Ah, so that¡¯s how you¡¯re going to react. Interesting. Asashi had grabbed Sen''s shirt and hoisted his entire body with just one hand, staring intently at him. Sen felt his shirt tighten from the gravity, causing a burning sensation on his neck. Nevertheless, he maintained a composed and untroubled expression.


    ¡°Uh, I¡¯m not sure why you¡¯re lifting me from the grou¡ª¡±


    ¡°Is she alright¡­?¡± Asashi echoed his earlier question in a dark tone. ¡°IS SHE ALRIGHT!?¡± Asashi¡¯s grip tightened in anger. ¡°Listen here¡­ She went out because of you. While you were doing nothing, she was terrified for her life.¡±


    Sen hadn¡¯t expected such an open display of anger from Asashi. He usually judged Sen from a distance, but this time, Asashi couldn¡¯t contain his resentment.


    ¡°She even saved the life of an infant,¡± Asashi growled. ¡°I took him to the hospital and made sure he would be transferred to a good orphanage.¡±


    ¡°That was kind of you,¡± Sen said, although it sounded more sarcastic than he had wanted.


    Asashi glared at him. ¡°And you know what she did when she came back home?¡±


    ¡°No sir, I¡¯m not aware.¡±


    ¡°After saving the infant, she barged out of the door so she wouldn¡¯t miss your precious, special...¡± Asashi gritted his teeth as he said the last words, ¡°birthday... party¡­¡±


    Sen felt Asashi¡¯s saliva hit his face as he spoke vehemently. It was clear Asashi didn¡¯t appreciate Sen¡¯s apparent lack of concern for his daughter. In reality, Sen was concerned for his friend. But he needed to gauge Asashi¡¯s reaction. Besides Asashi¡¯s angry comments, Sen was genuinely surprised to hear about what occurred to Kaiyo. I didn¡¯t know she was attacked by a monster, let alone that she saved a child amidst it all. I wonder why she didn¡¯t call me all day. He would have to confront her about it when he got home. For now, he had to focus on Asashi.


    ¡°Tsk¡­¡± After venting his anger, Kaiyo¡¯s father finally released his strong grip. Sen dropped two feet to the ground, catching himself to prevent a fall. He winced in pain as a burning sensation spread across his neck, likely from his clothing constricting. That¡¯s Touch for you... He didn¡¯t know whether to be impressed or frightened. Asashi had effortlessly lifted him with one hand as if he were a rag doll. To put that into perspective, Sen weighed about 160 pounds or 72 kilograms. Comparing his sister''s Sense and Asashi¡¯s, they were as different as day and night. He was leagues ahead of Hana in terms of strength. His Gold rank was definitely showing off.


    ¡°Agh,¡± Sen feigned a groan of pain. ¡°What was that for?¡± He decided to act as if he were in more pain than he was to hopefully extend the conversation. Usually, he wouldn¡¯t show weakness in front of others, but this was an exception.


    ¡°I just don¡¯t get it¡­¡± Asashi murmured. ¡°How could she like a freak like you?¡±


    Sen shrugged off the insult as quickly as it had been delivered. It wasn¡¯t the first time he had been called that, and it surely wouldn¡¯t be the last. Asashi¡¯s weakness was becoming more apparent as Sen watched him. But just to confirm his theory, Sen decided to push a bit further.


    ¡°I mean, I think I might have an explanation for that,¡± Sen began calmly. ¡°I''m probably the only other male she knows as well as her father, right?¡±


    Twitch


    The reaction was instantaneous. Asashi¡¯s eyebrow twitched visibly, and Sen hadn¡¯t even really started yet. He had already gathered enough from observing all of Asashi¡¯s reactions, but he wanted to push just a bit more.


    ¡°It¡¯s not hard to understand that she naturally looked to the second-best option when her father was seldom around,¡± Sen stated. ¡°Of course, it''s not your fault you¡¯re busy being a Knight and all. But I don¡¯t think it¡¯s fair to blame someone who was there for her more than her own father¡ª¡±


    ¡°If I hear another word from you,¡± Asashi threatened silently, ¡°it¡¯ll be your last.¡± Asashi¡¯s green eyes bore into him with intensity. The panther has reached his limit. I should probably stop now. He¡¯s given me more than enough.


    ¡°I apologize for overstepping my boundaries, sir.¡± Sen bowed. He didn¡¯t want to, but it was an appropriate way to end the conversation. ¡°I¡¯ll be going now.¡±


    Preparing to leave, Asashi spoke one last time¡ª


    ¡°You better stay away from my daughter¡­¡± With that, Asashi turned and walked away, leaving Sen with his icy parting words.


    Well...all be damned, that went better than expected.


    ¡°I really have to thank him for saving me so much time¡­¡± Sen said as he rubbed the sore spot on his neck, wincing slightly as he felt the bruise. After their conversation, Asashi had revealed his vulnerability repeatedly. It looks like I¡¯ll be needing Kaiyo¡¯s help soon.


    And his weakness? It had been hiding in plain sight. Kaiyo¡­


    ¡°The entrance exam is in less than a week, so that¡¯s plenty of time to get ready,¡± he whispered to himself. A plan was already taking shape in his mind. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll need you, Kaiyo. But first, he would regrettably have to celebrate his birthday.

 Chapter 14– Happy birthday to me in 10 years

    Happy birthday to me in 10 years


    It didn''t take long before his house was in sight. Thankfully, this time, there wasn''t a monster attack on his way home. Speaking of that, I need to talk to Kaiyo about what happened on her way here. He was still worried about her safety.


    Going through the gate of his house, he realized that the lights weren''t turned on. That was strange, to say the least. It was only a quarter to six. Did they decide not to celebrate my birthday after all? That would be a big relief on his part. He was almost hoping that was the case. Maybe they decided to go out for dinner or something. Whatever the case was, he was looking forward to relaxing for a bit and solidifying a plan.


    He faced the door and triggered it to open by voicing a command.


    "Sen Ano, unlock the door."


    "Command successful, greetings Sen, unlocking..."


    The AI built into the door recognized his voice and soon unlocked it without delay. Technology sure was helpful. No one could pick the lock of the door because, well, there was no keyhole to begin with. If a robber truly were desperate, however, they would most likely just smash the window to go in. But that wasn''t the best course of action, considering if that did happen, it would trigger an alarm system that was built into the house.


    That reminds me. If he recalled correctly, his house was broken into shortly after his father''s "death." He didn''t remember that day much. Everything was just a blur. Which was strange, considering he remembered quite a lot from his childhood. But from what his mother told him, a robber broke into the right side of their window, smashing it and sneaking in without much stealth.


    It still bugged him that he couldn''t remember that day at all, but he couldn''t really change that. Break-ins were rare, but nothing too surprising given how densely packed the cities were. Not to mention the increase in homelessness and debt.


    Turning the doorknob into his house, he entered. Right when he did, something felt off. The entrance was almost pitch black. No one had turned on the lights. He could at least see a few feet in front of him from the natural light that was coming from the windows, but at this time, his servant would have turned them on.


    Weird. Deciding to ignore that, he slipped his shoes off and placed them neatly by all the others. While doing this, Sen noticed something. Another pair of shoes? he realized. From the looks of it, the shoes were quite large in comparison to the others. He also noticed that there was another slim and small shoe in the mix. Possibly Kaiyo''s, he guessed. Sen wasn''t so sure who the other one belonged to, but he would soon find out.


    Turning on the lights in the corridor himself, he went into the kitchen. Surprisingly, no one was there to greet him. And yet again, none of the kitchen lights were turned on either.


    "Does no one know how to turn these on or?" he murmured to himself with a sigh. Doing it himself, he realized that the table was set with all his favorite foods, including breaded chicken, curry, rice, miso soup, fish, vegetables, and much more. It was a pleasant surprise, and by the looks of it, the food looked relatively hot, telling him it wasn''t made too long ago. Then where is everyone? They obviously didn''t go anywhere since I saw their shoes in the corridor.


    It didn''t take long before Sen figured it out. Ah, I see what''s going on.


    The fact that none of the lights were turned on, and their shoes were still present, mixed with the food still being hot, made Sen realize what was truly going on. They''re probably in the other living room, waiting for me to walk in so they can throw a surprise party, aren''t they? Unfortunately for them, he had walked into the kitchen first. He couldn¡¯t help but sigh. I don''t want to do this, man.


    Sen didn''t want to celebrate his birthday, let alone have all of them come out of the shadows and surprise him with a barrage of party balloons and confetti. But then again, he knew they would be disappointed that all their hard work and planning were going to waste, so he at least needed to act surprised. Sen hated being the center of attention. He liked being in the background, observing others, not vice versa. Let''s get this over with.


    Sen reluctantly started to head into the other living room and acted like he was searching for his family. He just needed to act oblivious to what they were planning.


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    "Hello!? Hana, Mom? Where are you guys?" he shouted in the dark living room. Why am I even doing this? "Ah, looks like they might have left somewhere." Birthdays are such a nuisance.


    ...


    "SURPRISE!!!!" a unified sound of everyone in the room suddenly exclaimed at the top of their lungs. At the same time, someone flicked on the light, making the room visible with all its extravagant decorations.


    Gold and white balloons were all over the room, including cardboard letters saying Happy Birthday hung from the ceiling. No matter where he looked in the room, it seemed somewhere there were decorations hidden. Although he wasn''t the type to like all of this, he could at least appreciate all the time they spent doing this for him.


    "Happy birthday, Sen! WOOOHOO!" his sister promptly congratulated. By her side were his mother, Kaiyo, and a familiar stocky, broad, tall individual. Hyo. Sen was surprised he even came to his birthday. Hyo was Hana''s good friend, with whom Sen was forcefully acquainted. He had simple buzz-cut brown hair with squared glasses, and his Super Sense was Sight.


    When Sen thought of trying to convince his acquaintances who were also joining the Knight exams, Hyo was one of the people he was referring to. Mainly because he was joining Kaiyo and his sister. Sen wasn''t as acquainted with him as Hana was, but he would call him close enough to be invited to his birthday. From what Sen has seen, Hyo was quite smart and very talented at his Sense as well. He was collected and mature for being just eighteen years old. Sen and Hyo had quite a lot of similar characteristics.


    "Happy birthday, bro," Hyo gave a smile to him.


    "Happy birthday Senju dear," his mother joined in.


    Lastly, Kaiyo shyly looked up at him, her cheeks turning slightly red.


    "Happy birthday, Sen," her soft voice said. Sen wasn''t delusional; he knew Kaiyo viewed him as more than a friend. Sadly, a relationship was far out of his expertise. He wished he could read a book about it, but it wasn''t that simple from what he was told. Kaiyo''s interest in him made her more beneficial, so he didn''t complain.


    "Happy birthday, Sen," an old croaky voice added. He realized Mrs. Mika was also present too.


    "Oh man," Sen acted shocked. "Wow, you guys outdid yourselves; you truly didn''t have to."


    "Come on, it''s your birthday! This is the least we could do!" her sister embraced him.


    "Yeah, man, you rarely ask for anything, so this really wasn''t a lot," Hyo agreed.


    "Thank you so much, everyone. This truly is amazing. I appreciate all the hard work you guys put in," Sen gave a thankful, forced smile. He truly was thankful, but again, he wasn''t too happy about doing this.


    "Ah shucks, well, you could say we did do a good job decorating everything," Hana bragged. "Only took a few hours, but it came out goo-"


    "HANA! Stop bragging. That''s not very nice!" Mrs. Mika scolded Hana.


    "Uhh, I mean, it doesn''t matter how long it took, HAHAHA!"


    "That''s more like it, dear," Jen let out a chuckle.


    Sen let out an amused murmur. Well, that''s alright. At least they feel proud of themselves.


    He wasn''t familiar with why people did good for others and felt proud of themselves. It wasn''t wrong or anything, but if it didn''t benefit Sen, he usually didn''t do it. He had never done anything like that before. He guessed stopping a woman from committing suicide was close enough, but that was more because he didn''t want to feel guilty about it afterward. It was a forced good deed.


    But in the end, the philosophy of doing something good conflicted him. One might say that people do good for others just from the kindness of their hearts, but Sen wasn¡¯t too sure if that was the case.


    People only do something nice to feel good about themselves. Without the reward of a dopamine hit and a barrage of compliments, nobody would do good deeds. In the end, kindness was just another form of greed and self-regard. It almost felt like people were hiding their true motive behind a mask of selflessness. Or perhaps that was a negative way of looking at things. When Sen would help his mother when she was sick, he wasn¡¯t seeking any validation or compliments; he was simply doing it because it was his responsibility and because they were his family. So even at this moment, Sen couldn¡¯t help but ask himself their true reason for doing such a thing. Are you doing it out of love for me or greed?


    "PUT ON THE MUSIC!" Hana ordered excitedly. The next moment, the room erupted with soft 1950s jazz music, which he had to admit he didn''t dislike. The music would at least help with the awkward silence. Hearing the smooth jazz''s static was reassuring to him. Maybe this wasn''t so bad after all. It seemed like most of them were happy.


    "Let''s save the celebration for later, kids. I don''t want the food to get cold now," Mika said.


    "I''M STARVING!!!!" Hana''s mouth drooled.


    "Don''t eat everything on me, Hana," Hyo joked.


    "WAS THAT AN INSULT? YOU THINK I''M FAT??"


    "Erm, no, of course not¡­" Hyo nervously coughed, adjusting his square glasses. Kaiyo softly let out a laugh beside him. But behind her laughter, he noticed a worried and solemn expression fall on her face. He guessed Kaiyo was still shaken up from the monster attack, but if she didn''t want to talk to him about it, Sen didn''t want to force it out of her.


    He was still curious about this child she saved while the attack was transpiring, but from the look on her face, it appeared she didn''t want to disturb his special day with sour news.


    Can''t be helped. She''ll open up when she wants to. If that ever happened. If it didn''t, he could always ask Brittney to hack into the security cameras for him.


    "Alright, kids!" Mika smiled brightly, presenting the abundance of food on the table. "DIG IN!"


    As everyone started to eat until their hearts were content, Sen contemplated his plan in the meantime. But it was a little hard to concentrate while everyone was laughing, not to mention the slow and static jazz music playing in the background. Well, I''ll take a break from strategizing my next move for now. A good rest will make me sharper, I guess.


    And so, Sen was forced into actually enjoying himself for the day¡­ truly tragic.

 Chapter 15– Im scared of him

    Manipulation and influence are scarier than a sword or Gun.


    When a weapon is pointed at you, you can only fear.


    But if one has manipulation as his tool, you''ll never know what to fear. ¨C Senseless


    Hana groggily walked on the sidewalk on her way to a local coffee shop. She needed to meet someone there, although she was quite reluctant to do so.


    God dammit, why would he call me over so early in the morning?


    Anyone who barely knew her was aware of how cranky she got when she didn¡¯t have her morning coffee. At least Hana¡¯s friend invited her to a coffee shop instead of a restaurant or something.


    I can almost taste the sweet, rich tang of coffee in my mouth. She drooled. It also didn¡¯t help that she stayed up super late celebrating Sen¡¯s birthday.


    Okay, that was a lie. Sen ended up going to sleep at 11 pm, while I was just partying until 2 in the morning. Whatever the case was, it was a celebration. She was allowed to do that once in a while.


    Now I just need to get my migraine out with a good cup of coffee¡­


    Not long after, she was greeted by a small and quaint building that was connected to other condominium stores. It wasn¡¯t in the best shape, to say the least, from the worn bricks and discolored paint. It had a screen above the entrance, labeling it as ¡°Momo¡¯s Coffee Shop.¡± Though some of the letters were flickering.


    Yep, this is definitely the place he was talking about, she realized.


    Walking into the shop, Hana was greeted by a metallic, two-foot-tall robot. Its face, or what appeared to be a face, was just a white ball with two black dots and a smile. As for its hands, the robot just had a coffee tray. Hana guessed it was to deliver the coffee and beverages.


    ¡°Hello, welcome to Momo¡¯s coffee shop. Please take a seat, and we¡¯ll be with you shortly...¡± the robot greeted with an accurate female voice. You could barely distinguish a robot from a real person''s voice. Nodding at the robot, she scoured the shop to find the person she was looking for.


    Quickly, she noticed a person her age sitting by the store¡¯s window and looking out of it. The person in question fiddled with his glasses, trying to search for someone himself. Soon enough, though, he noticed her walking closer to him.


    ¡°HANA! GOOD TO SEE YOU!¡± He stood up to greet her, coming in for a hug. But to his disbelief, Hana swiftly pushed him away.


    ¡°Yeah, we aren¡¯t having any of that today, Yuto.¡±


    ¡°Ahum, I see you¡¯re playing hard to get again,¡± Yuto cleared his throat. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m fine; my feelings aren¡¯t hurt,¡± his voice cracked.


    ¡°Oh, I see what¡¯s going on here,¡± Hana rolled her eyes. ¡°You''re trying to convince me to go out with you again, right?¡±


    I should have known he didn¡¯t want to talk about helping me get into a good college.


    ¡°¡­Hmm, hehehehe¡­¡± Yuto let out a suppressed evil laugh, hiding a sparkle in his hazel eyes.


    ¡°Uh, I don¡¯t like that laugh. What are you onto, Yuto¡­¡± she nervously asked. Yuto let out another volley of cackles.


    Who the hell does he think he is? A nerdy supervillain?


    ¡°Well, Hana, I think you underestimated my planning skills,¡± he smirked. ¡°You fell right into my trap!¡±


    Good grief, I didn¡¯t know I was friends with an edgelord, Hana sighed.


    ¡°I''m afraid to even ask what you mean, but I have no choice. Yuto, better open your goddamn mouth before I punch you,¡± she threatened him.


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    ¡°What if I¡¯m into that?¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s actually disgusting,¡± Hana wrinkled her nose. She tried massaging her eyes, keeping her long white hair apart from the forehead.


    If I don¡¯t get a coffee ASAP, I''m going to punch a hole through this building. It took big control not to lash out and punch something. That was the side effect of having touch, after all. You could get very impulsive when influenced by emotions such as anger, anxiety, or annoyance, which she felt throughout every moment of the day.


    ¡°You see, Hana Dear, you never thought of the possibility that you¡¯re already on a date.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Pardon?¡±


    ¡°I''ve never specified why I wanted to meet you here,¡± he revealed, letting out an animated laugh.


    ¡°THAT¡¯S RIGHT! THIS MEANS I¡¯M ON A DATE WITH THE GORGEOUS HANA!! MUHAHA¨C¡±


    ¡°SMACK!¡±


    Hana slapped him across his face. She didn¡¯t have the patience to deal with his shenanigans. A red mark where she slapped him was clear on Yuto¡¯s face. Not to her surprise, he seemed to enjoy that quite a bit.


    ¡°I got slapped, too? This day can¡¯t get better,¡± he moaned in happiness.


    ¡°Alright, enough of your bullshit.¡± Her headache was getting worse by the minute, all thanks to this doofus. She sat down with a groan and then called out to the robot.


    ¡°Hey, waiter! Give me a latt¨¦ with double the espresso, please, and make it quick!¡±


    ¡°Coming right up!¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m making you pay for all the trouble you¡¯ve caused me,¡± Hana glared at Yuto.


    ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t mind spending a million dollars on you, dear,¡± he flirted. She let out another tired groan. Hana didn¡¯t know why she was still here.


    ¡°Alright, cut the act, Yuto; what did you actually want to talk about?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, well, looks like you saw through my master plan. Alas, you¡¯re too smart¨C¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t make me turn my slap into a punch¡­¡±


    ¡°Okay, geez, you''re no fun,¡± he frowned. ¡°Alright, well, I''ll come clean on what I want to talk about. I''ve been noticing something strange,¡± his expression turned serious.


    ¡°Whenever you look in the mirror? Makes sense.¡±


    ¡°Okay, calm down. You''re going a little too far.¡±


    ¡°I''m going too far?¡± She narrowed her eyes. ¡°So, we''re just gonna ignore everything you said to me a couple of moments ago?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s irrelevant, Hana dear¡ª I mean Hana,¡± he coughed, correcting himself. ¡°Anyway, as I was going to say, I''ve been noticing something strange lately, and no, it isn¡¯t how I look. My mommy says I look very handsome.¡± He puffed out his chest.


    Yeah, I''m sure she does. Every mother tells their child they look good, even if they look like a toad.


    ¡°As you know, I go to the same school as your brother,¡± he started.


    Huh, so this is about my brother? She wasn¡¯t expecting this turn of events.


    ¡°Wait, you have a crush on him? Oh man, didn¡¯t know you swung that way,¡± she feigned shock. Hana herself didn¡¯t even know if she was joking or not.


    ¡°Hahahaha¡­. Very funny.¡± Yuto didn¡¯t seem to appreciate her joke.


    I have a really toxic relationship with this guy. I almost feel bad for picking on him. Then she looked at his face. Nah, never mind, I don¡¯t.


    ¡°I know this is probably a weird question to ask, but have you ever been afraid of your brother?¡±


    Hana froze. Her heart started to flutter anxiously, and she felt a shiver run down her spine.


    ¡°What? What are you¡­ w-what do you mean? Haha!¡± she burst out with a fake laugh. ¡°H-Hey, where¡¯s my coffee, hahaha¡­.¡±


    Yuto obviously noticed how odd Hana was reacting to such a simple question. It was clear she was hiding something.


    I can''t just admit it¡­ she thought nervously.


    ¡°Huh, well, I guess it¡¯s a weird question to ask, so I won''t make you answer it,¡± he said. Hana silently exhaled in relief.


    ¡°I have to say, though, I did see something pretty strange at school yesterday.¡±


    ¡°You did?¡± she gulped.


    ¡°Yeah, I saw Sen get surrounded by a bunch of bullies in front of the courtyard. I hate them, just to be clear. They bullied me a lot, too. But Sen doesn¡¯t have a Super Sense, so he¡¯s been bullied far more than anyone I know. And I¡¯m a prime target since I have a weak Super Sense like Taste.¡±


    What Yuto said was true. Sen has always been the center of bullying and harassment for his lack of a Sense. Hana always tried her best to protect him, but she couldn¡¯t do as much as she wanted after transferring schools.


    However, even after relocating her academics to another school, Sen never once complained about being harassed or picked on. Hana knew he must be hiding his true feelings because he didn¡¯t want to bother them. It pained her to see that. But talking about Sen¡¯s obvious hardships wasn¡¯t precisely what Yuto wished to discuss.


    ¡°I was watching from the third floor, so I couldn¡¯t see everything that was going on. Sight or Hearing would have been useful then, but I''m not going to complain about what I don¡¯t have,¡± he cleared his throat. ¡°After the bullies surrounded him, there were a few moments of talking, and then, oddly enough, they all ran away from him, like they saw a ghost or something,¡± Yuto said, watching her reaction closely.


    Hana felt sweat on her forehead, and her breathing quickened. Yuto cast a sidelong glance at her.


    ¡°You¡¯re looking kind of pale, Hana; you alright?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Yeah, I''m completely fine; what are you talking about, doofus!¡± Hana was obviously flustered, and Yuto had caught onto that long ago.


    ¡°Really?¡± He wasn¡¯t buying her act. ¡°You seemed a little nervous at the beginning when I asked if you ever were afraid of him. I mean, he doesn¡¯t have a super sense and you do, probably the most powerful, in fact. So why would you be afraid of him then?¡± he pressed, leaning over the table, urging her to answer his question.


    ¡°I-I¡­¡± Hana stuttered, trying to come up with a sentence.


    I can¡¯t tell him¡­ I couldn¡¯t even if I tried.


    ¡°Tell me¡­¡± he urged, leaning even closer.


    I can¡¯t! She abruptly stood up from the table, catching him by surprise.


    ¡°Where are you goin-¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t do this¡­¡± Those were her last words before she stormed out of the caf¨¦.

 Chapter 16– Pus*y Thief

    It was impossible to answer Yuto''s question. Because Hana herself didn¡¯t know, all she knew was that sometimes she felt overbearing fear when talking with Sen. The last time it happened was the day before his birthday when tensions between her mother and Sen were escalating.


    She couldn¡¯t describe the feeling, and neither did she want to. She convinced herself it was all in her imagination. There was no reason to fear Sen, and he would never do anything to harm her or anyone in that matter. Not only that, but he physically couldn¡¯t.


    It¡¯s all just in my head¡­


    At least, that¡¯s what she hoped. Hana didn¡¯t know if her mother felt the same way because asking was too weird. But occasionally, she would catch her mother¡¯s petrified expression from time to time.


    It would be too quick to notice, but she was confident her mother felt the same way. Then again, she would have told her by now. To put it simply, she was too afraid of being wrong.


    I¡¯m his goddamn older sister. I need to protect him. It didn¡¯t matter what she felt; nothing would change the fact that Sen was her little brother, and she needed to protect him.


    Letting out a troubled sigh, she hiked her way home. Halfway there, though, her phone rang. Someone was calling her.


    ¡°Heylo!¡± She pulled the ringing phone out of her jeans and answered the incoming call.


    ¡°Hana, do you have a moment?¡±


    Speak of the devil, it was Sen. It always felt like he knew she was thinking about him.


    ¡°Uh, yeah, sure, what¡¯s up.¡±


    ¡°Could you meet me at the caf¨¦? I want to talk about something.¡±


    Oh geez, I¡¯m having d¨¦j¨¤ vu. She had just experienced going to a caf¨¦ and completely wasted time with Yuto. But that reminded her she still didn¡¯t get her morning coffee. This wasn¡¯t such a bad turn of events.


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll be there in a second¡­¡± After a short exchange, she agreed to meet Sen at a caf¨¦. Luckily, he texted her the coordinates of a caf¨¦ different from the one she stormed out of a few minutes ago, which was a big relief on her end. Making sure she remembered the correct directions, she headed to the location.


    Hmph, I wonder what he wants to talk about. He doesn¡¯t talk much when we are at the house. And when he does, it¡¯s usually a bland conversation. I¡¯m the one who typically starts them, anyway. And from the way he sounded, it seemed serious.


    Hana had never seen the serious side of Sen. He was always composed and well-mannered. He was quiet, not only with other people but with his family, too. And one thing was for sure; he didn¡¯t have edge lord syndrome, as many would call it these days.


    That was a made-up term to define teens who thought they were better than anyone else and kept interaction brief because they didn¡¯t gain any enjoyment out of it. If a person actually felt like this, she could understand, but most people only portrayed this side of themselves as a coping mechanism.


    They didn¡¯t actually feel this way. It was all just a fa?ade, a mask, a lie to cover how they actually felt about themselves.


    Sen, on the other hand, even though he appeared this way, was far different. She was anxious about what he wanted to talk about because if it was important to him, it was a huge deal¡ª


    ¡°AHHH! Thief!¡± a sudden voice exclaimed at the top of their lungs. Hana jolted up, startled. She didn¡¯t have time to process who shrieked those words. A lanky person was running toward her, grasping what seemed to be a purse. The identity of the person was hidden by a black ski mask.


    The thief panted heavily as he pushed people out of his way in hopes of losing the innocent civilian from whom he had just stolen. Hana was at a loss. Everything was happening so suddenly she didn¡¯t really know what to do. She surveyed the city blocks, searching for Knights to help detain the thief. But with a quick assessment, she confirmed no one was there to help. Seeing the thief course closer and closer to her, she couldn¡¯t really think much other than¡ª


    Man, I¡¯m definitely going to be late.


    She let out a deep breath and felt her fingertips start to tingle. Strength abruptly pulsated in her veins as a familiar sensation flowed through her like a cascading riverbed. Her Super Sense was unlocked.


    Hana had felt this responsiveness many times before. Like all Senses, there was a limit to how much she could use it before it would give out. It applied equally to running or doing pushups. You need rest to regain your power.


    Furthermore, the more you hone your Sense, the stronger and more you can use it. In her case, she was holding back from utilizing it all day, so her performance was at its peak.


    Now I just need to visualize something I wanna punch. This wasn¡¯t necessary, but doing so made her generate a far stronger punch. A face popped into her mind almost immediately. Yuto.


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    Just visualizing that four-eyes was enough to make her smash a concrete wall. This poor thief, I almost feel bad. Nah, just kidding, I don¡¯t. The thief attempted to run past her, assuming she was a normal, frightened civilian. But it was too late¡­


    Hana stuck her foot out brusquely, making the crook yelp in surprise and trip over her foot.


    ¡°Oops, didn¡¯t see ya there,¡± Hana cackled with a satisfied grin. While the thief was falling, Hana didn¡¯t hold back. She punched the robber directly in the face. Taking one of her punches was already brutal, but tripping onto it was on a whole other level of pain.


    The impact of her attack was substantial. The thief was sent flying through the air and hit a brick building wall. Hana was sure she heard a few bones crack. At best, she was only using twenty percent of her strength.


    I didn¡¯t want to get charged with homicide. But seeing the man¡¯s limp body, she was starting to have cold sweats. Oh shit, don¡¯t tell me I killed him. Hana froze while cautiously approaching closer.


    ¡°Woah, did you see that? That girl just took down a thief!¡± a bystander exclaimed in awe.


    Applause erupted as more and more people started noticing what had occurred.


    ¡°Wow, what strength!¡±


    ¡°Someone call the Knights or police!¡±


    Hana let out a nervous laugh. Seeing so many people cheer for her was slightly nerve-wracking.


    ¡°No, no, it was seriously nothing,¡± Hana shook her head modestly, letting out another very tense laugh. No, really, that guy looks seriously dead.


    ¡°What? Don¡¯t be humble. Very few young ladies like you have such control over their Sense!¡± a civilian remarked astonishingly. The stranger¡¯s assumption wasn¡¯t technically too far from the truth.


    Hana had always been a cut above the rest in terms of her Super Sense. Hana¡¯s academic levels though?¡­ well, she wasn¡¯t all that great. It was a miracle she even graduated high school, to begin with. Being eighteen, Hana was surprised she didn¡¯t get held back a few years.


    ¡°Stop it, you¡¯re flattering me!¡± she chuckled, then forebodingly twisted her head at the guy she punched in the face. Oh no, this guy is actually dead. Her expression turned to dread.


    ¡°UGHHH¡­.¡± The limp body suddenly let out a groan of pain. Hana let out a sigh of relief. Oh, thank God, I actually thought I was gonna be charged with homicide.


    ¡°Oh dear!¡± someone in the crowd panted while slowly approaching her. It was an old lady who seemed to be in her late seventies. She had a bright smile of appreciation on her face. ¡°Thank you so much for stopping him,¡± the lady croaked. Hana assumed this was the individual who was stolen from.


    ¡°Oh, so you must be the rightful owner of this then?¡± Hana took a bright pink purse that rested near the thief¡¯s motionless body and handed it back to its rightful owner.


    ¡°Oh my! It is! I can¡¯t show my appreciation more, dear.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯m happy to help out. I wasn¡¯t doing anything special for the day,¡± Hana shrugged, which was a lie. She was in a bit of a rush.


    ¡°Well, you definitely did something special today, dear,¡± she beamed. ¡°Not many would be so selfless and fearless as you. You truly are a gem.¡±


    ¡°O-oh, well gee, thanks. It wasn¡¯t really anything special.¡± Hana wasn¡¯t sure if she deserved such praise. All she did was stop a thief. But the old lady was persistent and wanted Hana to understand how heroic she was.


    ¡°Remember this, dear: Our world is full of sins. But sadly, they aren¡¯t punished accordingly. Someone who can pull the weight of that burden is a hero, and you, my dear, are the embodiment of just that.¡±


    Hana wasn¡¯t sure how to reply to that ominous quote. I just met you. Chill out.


    ¡°Oh, haha, that is very true.¡± Hana tried playing it out as if it were a joke. But catching the old woman¡¯s serious expression killed her fake laughter. Hana wasn¡¯t sure who this person was, but something about her made a shiver run down her spine.


    ¡°What¡¯s with that serious expression?¡± the lady laughed amusedly. My expression? Look at yours! This woman can¡¯t be serious. Maybe she has a few screws loose.


    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ll need to head out here soon. Again, thank you very much for your help.¡± The serious appearance on her face was overshadowed by gratitude once again. ¡°Also, give me a call if you need anything.¡± The lady handed Hana a business card from her purse.


    Feeling a bit reluctant, she was obligated to take it. Miyo Frey, consultant, therapist, and former Knight, huh? Those were a few of the professions that were listed on Miyo¡¯s business card.


    Hana was quite confused about why she would need it, but the mysterious woman disappeared out of sight before she could ask. Hana looked around, baffled. Not even saying goodbye? What an interesting person.


    It did say Miyo was a former Knight, so maybe that had to do with her odd presence. Scratching her head in deep thought, Hana heard the thief precipitously groan¡ª


    ¡°EGHHHH, MY RIBS! THEY HURT!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, stop being a pussy. You¡¯ll be alright,¡± Hana sighed.


    ¡°Cough! Cough! Splat!¡± He convulsed as drops of blood escaped his mouth. ¡°Please call an ambulance!¡± he begged.


    ¡°The only thing I¡¯m gonna call is the police. Suck it up, scumbag. Don¡¯t make me go round two.¡± This turned out to do the trick because he just lay there groaning in pain, but at least he wasn¡¯t complaining.


    She just needed to wait until the police came, then she could finally be on her way to meet Sen.


    I¡¯m not too worried about getting in trouble. Using a Super Sense to hurt anyone is illegal, but if it¡¯s self-defense or stopping someone from breaking the law, it¡¯s justified. Not to mention, I had a lot of witnesses.


    It didn¡¯t take too long before the police arrived. There was no need for Knights since they carried out tasks that involved Monsters and more threatening crimes. In such situations, the police were the most appropriate resource to call upon.


    Seeing the thief get handcuffed and taken into the car made her sigh in relief. In the meantime, she gave a quick rundown on everything that occurred to one of the police officers. They also hooked her up to a heartbeat detector to see if she was lying while doing so. This was a standard practice when low-end crimes happened to prevent defamation and false claims. The device had a success rate of 99%. Back then, they were considered faulty devices, but after years of extensive use and testing, they were perfected. Nowadays, it is a necessity to have for authorities.


    ¡°Alright then, miss, we have everything that¡¯s needed. I appreciate your cooperation.¡± The officer dipped his head. From his words, Hana guessed they had concluded she was telling the truth. That lie detector was helpful in these cases because it removed the need to go to the station, fill out paperwork, and attempt to prove one''s actions were in self-defense. With that situation coming to a close, she let out a tired mutter.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t even had my coffee yet, man¡­¡±

 Chapter 17– I am cheirismós

    ¡°Thanks for coming, Hana,¡± Sen greeted her, sitting outside the caf¨¦. Hana had just arrived at the destination and was quite surprised that Sen wasn¡¯t alone. Beside him were Kaiyo and Hyo. It appeared she wasn¡¯t the only one whom Sen invited. This is even more concerning. Now I''m really worried about what he wants to talk about.


    ¡°U-uh yeah, no problem,¡± she stuttered while taking a seat on an empty chair.


    ¡°Quite unusual for you to call all of us to meet,¡± Hyo remarked, suspicion gleaming behind his glasses. Hana shared Hyo¡¯s thoughts. This was very unusual for him, knowing his reserved personality. Kaiyo nodded beside Hana, also showing her confusion. Everyone around Sen eyed him apprehensively, like he was about to reveal something horrifying.


    ¡°It¡¯s really nothing important,¡± Sen shrugged, obviously noticing their doubts. ¡°I just wanted to hang out with you guys, that¡¯s all.¡±


    They all froze when those words escaped his mouth. The silence that enveloped the friends was louder than the city''s bustling streets.


    ¡°HUHHHH!?¡± Hana''s jaw dropped. ¡°S-Sen, are you okay? Do you have a fever or something? Don¡¯t tell me you started drinking. I told you, you¡¯re too young to dri-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not drinking, Hana,¡± he reassured. ¡°It¡¯s really nothing special. I just wanted us to hang out and talk.¡±


    This changed her entire perspective of Sen. Hana, too shocked even to reply, couldn¡¯t believe this was the same Sen she had known all her life.


    ¡°What have you done with my sweet brother? WHERE IS HE!¡± Hana thrust Sen¡¯s body back and forth violently. Sen started frothing at the mouth from her desperate attempt to return him to his sane self. She couldn¡¯t believe he would say such things out of character.


    ¡°OH NO! Hana, stop it, he''s gonna die!¡± Kaiyo restrained her from torturing him any further. Sen gagged and laid his head on the coffee table, nauseous.


    ¡°Hana, how many times do I have to tell you? Please stop doing that,¡± Sen groaned dizzily.


    ¡°Oh, okay, never mind, you are the same Sen,¡± she sighed in relief. ¡°Still not fully convinced, though.¡± Sitting on the chair with her legs crossed, she eyed her brother suspiciously. Hana still wasn¡¯t buying his act or whatever he was doing.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why you guys are acting as if I want to sign a contract or something.¡± Sen''s expression showed no sign of lying. In fact, Hana was starting to believe his genuine reasoning. It appeared that Kaiyo and Hyo were also starting to consider it. Well, to be more accurate, Kaiyo looked flustered, like she normally was around him.


    Huh, either Sen is blind to love or genuinely knows and decides to ignore it. Hana wasn''t new to the dating scene. She had dated a fair share of guys in the past, so she had reasonable knowledge of how people acted when they hid their feelings. Kaiyo¡¯s feelings for Sen were so obvious that anyone with a peanut-sized brain could quickly tell.


    ¡°W-Well, do you have anything in mind?¡± Kaiyo asked nervously.


    Hana rolled her eyes. I bet she thinks he planned this for her. Sen¡¯s giving her mixed signals, she thought to herself, sighing inwardly. Before Sen could answer, Hana caught a small grin across his face, but it was so sudden she wondered if her mind was playing tricks on her.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know. How about we share what happened over the week? You start first, Kaiyo.¡±


    ¡°Oh, y-yeah sure.¡± Kaiyo pondered a bit before replying, ¡°Well, there was a monster attack in front of me recently¨C¡±


    ¡°WHAT!¡± Hana stood up from her chair, instantly worried. ¡°When? How? Why didn¡¯t you tell us?!¡± Monster attacks were a huge deal. Generally, it was safer in the cities, but they still happened as frequently as everyday crime. She had experienced many instances, but she always shared it with her family or friends.


    ¡°Well, I just¡­¡± Kaiyo had a hard time putting together a sentence. ¡°I just didn¡¯t want to ruin Sen¡¯s birthday, that''s all¡­¡± She lowered her gaze while replying.


    ¡°What?¡± Sen stood up, a worried expression plastered on his face.


    Hana was taken aback yet again by his different attitude. He looked genuinely concerned while looking at Hana with soft, sympathetic eyes. I''ve never seen him react like this. Is something going on?


    No matter the instance, Sen would always be calm and collected. He would never show emotions that would be deemed as weak and not suitable for the situation. What she was witnessing now was a very first.


    ¡°Don¡¯t ever feel like you should hide such things, Kaiyo. I don¡¯t know what I would do if anything happened to you.¡± He said worryingly. ¡°Please, next time, no matter what is bothering you, don¡¯t hide it from us.¡± The way Sen talked so comfortingly would put any girl''s heart at ease. Each word came out perfectly ordered and performed flawlessly.


    This is so weird. I¡¯ve never seen Sen so worried. Hyo stared with confusion, along with Hana. Although Hyo didn¡¯t know Sen as much as she did, he at least knew how Sen usually acted most of the time.


    ¡°A-Ah¡­¡± Kaiyo just looked at him, stunned. Her cheeks turned red almost instantly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she assured, a slight smile emerging on her face. It was apparent Kaiyo took Sen¡¯s worry as being flirtatious.


    ¡°Is there anything else you care to share?¡± Sen focused on Kaiyo, prioritizing her.


    Hana was now certain something was up. Sen didn¡¯t even glance at the two of them. He just eyed Kaiyo. While she wondered what else to say, Hana received an order from a robot waiter.


    Maybe a cup of coffee will wake me up from this parallel fckin universe.* Hana took a small sip from her hot coffee while Kaiyo continued.


    ¡°Well, I did end up saving an infant from the monsters. My dad rushed him to the hospital so that he could get medical treatment, and said he¡¯d make sure he was adopted by a nice family,¡± Kaiyo revealed.


    ¡°Pffff!¡± Hana spit her coffee out in shock. ¡°You what?!¡± She wiped her lips from the mess.


    ¡°Kaiyo, is that true?¡± Hyo asked.


    Kaiyo averted their stare. ¡°It wasn¡¯t anything special. I just happened to be there at the right time,¡± she dismissed their assumptions. Hana was shocked. Kaiyo wasn¡¯t the type to sacrifice her own safety like that. She always appeared gentle and helpless as a flower. And even though Kaiyo treated it as if it were nothing special, Hana guaranteed it must have been a frightening experience.


    ¡°No need to be so modest, Kaiyo, you saved someone. Well done,¡± Sen complimented in an equable tone. Kaiyo¡¯s face just grew redder as Sen continued complimenting her. It wasn¡¯t much time before her head exploded like a tomato. ¡°I could never. You should be proud of yourself.¡±


    Kaiyo couldn¡¯t respond to him. She couldn¡¯t handle his attention.


    Sen is complimenting and noticing her a lot more than usual. Does he have feelings for her? If that were true, Hana would doubt her own existence. But she couldn¡¯t deny the fact he acted very flirtatiously.


    ¡°Uh, that¡¯s great, Kaiyo, you''re a hero!¡± Hana tried her best to show her support but couldn¡¯t shake off how weird Sen was acting.


    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure whoever this infant belongs to is greatly indebted to you,¡± Hyo assured. Although that was meant to be praise, it only made Kaiyo¡¯s smile fade away.


    ¡°You alright?¡±


    ¡°Hm? Yeah¡­ I''m alright, no need to worry.¡± She gave them a bright smile. Although Hana could easily tell it was forced.


    ¡°Speaking of saving people,¡± Sen started, moving on from the topic, ¡°the Knight exam is coming up shortly, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s in five days, to be exact. I¡¯m pretty sure Kaiyo, Hyo, and I are entering together,¡± Hana assumed while looking at her friends. Hyo nodded in agreement.


    ¡°I thought I would give it a shot. I¡¯m not the best with Sight, but I think I have a decent chance of getting in.¡±


    ¡°Same for me. I haven¡¯t mastered my Sense, but it''s always been a dream of mine to be a Knight,¡± Kaiyo acknowledged.


    ¡°I¡¯m just doing it ''cause I heard you get free food and get a dorm,¡± Hana shrugged. She never really thought of being a knight, except for when she was a child. At one point, everyone wanted to become one because they looked cool. But the more years passed, the less interested she became in it. Not to mention, it was a dangerous job. Dying didn¡¯t seem too pleasant. However, after graduating high school, Hana realized she wanted to become more proficient with her Sense, so she thought trying out for the academy would be the best option for that. And plus, it paid quite well, so she had nothing to lose.


    Except my life.


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Sen said gloomily, with a despondent expression. He looked troubled suddenly¡ªanother thing she didn¡¯t see too often, if not ever. Okay, I''ve had enough of this. Why is he acting so strange today?


    ¡°Sen, is there something bothering you? You¡¯ve been acting kinda strange today?¡± Hana decided not to dwell on the topic and flat-out asked him.


    ¡°If anything is bothering you, we can at least help a little if you say it,¡± Kaiyo pressed softly. He hesitantly averted their gaze.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, don¡¯t worry about it,¡± he shook his head. Hana wasn¡¯t going to ignore this topic. She would make him say what was bothering him, even if it was the last thing she did.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t tell me what¡¯s bothering you, I will have to use my secret weapon,¡± Hana grinned. Sen narrowed his eyes in confusion, then gulped with dread.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare¨C¡±


    Before he could protest, Hana started thrusting him back and forth ferociously. She may have put some of her Super Sense in the mix to seal the deal. This time, her friends didn¡¯t try to stop her either. They knew it was the only way to get some information out of him.


    ¡°¡­..A-alright, alright, I¡¯ll tell you,¡± Sen gave up. Hana let out a triumphant puff.


    ¡°I''m sorry, it was the only way, Senju.¡±


    ¡°If you keep calling me that, I won¡¯t tell you,¡± Sen gave them a bitter look.


    ¡°Hey, listen here, you little shit, you''re in no position to negotiate.¡± Hana stood her ground.


    Sen let out a defeated sigh. ¡°Fine¡­¡±


    They eyed him conceivably, waiting for him to reveal why he seemed so different lately.


    ¡°Truthfully, I''ve been thinking about something lately.¡± He turned serious. ¡°I¡¯m not asking you guys to help or anything, and neither do I want your sympathy. I just wanted to say it, at least. All my life, I pushed aside my feelings about my disability. Trying not to notice it and just focusing on being the best I can be, but,¡± he sighed, pausing for a moment, trying to think how to continue.


    ¡°I just can¡¯t keep hiding my dreams. Everyone around me always talks about becoming a Knight, honing their Super Sense, and being this hero. While I''m always just,¡± Sen cringed as he said his next words, ¡°Different¡­¡±


    Hana and her friends didn¡¯t dare interrupt what he was saying. For the first time in her life, she witnessed Sen opening up about how he actually felt. All these years, Hana just assumed he didn¡¯t care about his disability and took no notice of it. He always appeared to be resilient in front of her. But was that all just for show? She tried her best to protect him from these feelings of being an outcast, but was her attempt ineffectual?


    ¡°And all of you aren¡¯t to blame either. You¡¯re the only ones who ever tried to help me. So, in actuality, I¡¯m to blame. I''m the one who bottled up my feelings and never told you all. I somehow expected that you guys would understand me without speaking about it. But it¡¯s selfish of me. It was just to cover my own embarrassment.¡±


    The only reaction Hana could see in her friends was plain and simple shock. Hana caught herself giving a wide-eyed and open-mouth face.


    ¡°The truth is¡­¡± Sen mustered up the courage to finally say, ¡°I want to become a Knight.¡±


    ¡°WHAT!¡± Hana wanted to let out a hysterical laugh, but the look on her brother''s face told her he was dead serious. What, when, how, he can''t be serious?


    ¡°But¡­.. h-how exactly do you plan on doing that?¡± Hana tried her best not to sound rude. The words she preferred to say were¡ªHow are you going to become a knight WHEN YOU''RE FRICKEN SENSELESS!


    ¡°Yeah¡­ I''m a bit confused about that, too,¡± Hyo cleared his throat. It was hard not to say flat-out that he couldn¡¯t become a Knight because he simply didn¡¯t have a Super Sense. Sen gave a pessimistic sigh.


    ¡°I¡¯m not exactly too sure myself. But I at least want to try, no matter the outcome,¡± he said with determination. Hana didn¡¯t know how to respond. Seeing this side of Sen for the first time, she felt sympathetic.


    ¡°No matter what happens? But what if they fine you or, even worse, throw you in jail?¡±


    ¡°I already did some research on their rules and regulations. They never stated that a Senseless person can¡¯t join their academy. And usually, when you don¡¯t have a written law, it falls into a grey area.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just going to rip the Band-Aid off right now, Sen. You know I will support you no matter what, but we need to be realistic. You won¡¯t be able to ascend in the academy without a sense,¡± Hyo responded truthfully. Hana sighed inwardly. She didn¡¯t want to be the one who broke that critical piece of news to Sen. But to their surprise, Sen didn¡¯t give up.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter to me. It doesn¡¯t even matter if I fail. I just want to try¡­¡±


    Hana looked at Hyo, anxious. She wanted to help him, but the harsh truth remained: he would most likely fail at the first challenge. However, this was the first time he ever showcased such determination to do something.


    ¡°But there¡¯s one problem,¡± Kaiyo, who has been quiet this whole time, suddenly said. ¡°It has to do with my father¡­¡±


    Huh? How does this have anything to do with her father? she wondered. Hana only knew that Kaiyo¡¯s father happened to be a Knight. But other than that, she knew nothing else that would be a problem in their situation.


    Sen gave an instantaneous grin. This time, Hana was sure she had seen it. But that wouldn¡¯t make sense. Why would he smile at her words? This was supposed to be bad for him.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Sen tilted his head, confused.


    Maybe I''m imagining it. This must be a side effect of skipping coffee all the way to noon. She should be ashamed of herself for even thinking Sen would smile in this situation.


    ¡°Well, my father is one of the board of directors for the Academy,¡± she revealed.


    ¡°Huh? Since when?¡±


    ¡°He was promoted this year since he hasn¡¯t been on active duty,¡± explained Kaiyo. Hyo corrected his glasses, confused.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a good thing?¡±


    Hana cringed, now knowing why Kaiyo was so worried. Kaiyo¡¯s parents weren¡¯t on the best terms with Hana¡¯s family. She didn¡¯t have the slightest idea of why; all she knew was that they looked at them differently ever since Sen was confirmed to be senseless. It also coincided with the passing of her father.


    She clenched her fists at the thought of her father.


    ¡°Her father isn¡¯t the biggest fan of me,¡± Sen revealed rather bitterly. ¡°If I join, I don¡¯t know what will happen. Maybe I should just quit-¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Kaiyo stood up from her chair, her tone firm and determined. ¡°I-I''m sorry, it''s just¡­¡± Kaiyo sat down, apologizing for her outburst.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Kaiyo,¡± sighed Sen. ¡°Let¡¯s just forget this conversation happened. I think it''s for the best.¡± His gaze darkened. Sitting up disappointingly, Sen attempted to leave, but before he could¡ª


    ¡°I-I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯re allowed!¡± Kaiyo blurted out. Sen was confused about what she had in mind, and so were she and Hyo.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°My father is very protective of me. He wants me to follow my passions and dreams, so he won''t do anything that will make me give up on it.¡±


    That was a cute statement, but frankly, even Hana could tell it wasn¡¯t quite helpful.


    ¡°So, if he tries to throw you out, I-I''ll threaten to forfeit the exam!¡±


    Her promise left them speechless. She would give up on her dream? To let him have a chance? This is love to another level. Hana couldn¡¯t possibly imagine sacrificing her dreams for a person who didn¡¯t even like her back. There were a few seconds of silence before Sen broke it.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to drag you in, Kaiyo. It''s my mistake to bring this up. It''s selfish.¡±


    ¡°No! Really, I mean it. My father is a dummy, and if it ever comes to that, I know he¡¯ll comply. He doesn¡¯t have the guts to turn me down. It''s not fair that you''re missing out on the chance to become a Knight. You''re the strongest person I know. If anyone can become one, you can!¡±


    These weren¡¯t empty words just to make Sen feel better. Every single one came straight from the heart. She was confident in risking her own ambitions for Sen. Because, in the end, she could trust him wholeheartedly.


    ¡°You would do that for me?¡± Sen gaped.


    ¡°Of course,¡± she smiled widely. Hana wasn¡¯t sure if she should be happy for Sen or concerned. I think Kaiyo is putting too much trust in him. Not that Hana didn¡¯t trust her own brother. However, she couldn¡¯t help but think love was blinding¡­


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say¡­¡± Sen was awe-struck. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Maybe she was looking into it too much. Nothing horrible could happen if her brother attempted to join. They would most likely kick him out. The most important thing was that Sen at least tried. Hyo nodded at her, almost reading her thoughts. Softening her expression, she nudged her brother playfully.


    ¡°Worse comes to worse, I¡¯ll protect my little brother!¡± She teased while Sen rolled his eyes lightheartedly.


    Hyo nodded. ¡°I can¡¯t promise much, but you know I¡¯ll help you out the best I can.¡±


    ¡°You guys¡­ I can''t thank you all enough.¡± Sen almost seemed emotional, and for the first time in a while, Hana saw Sen smile. ¡°In that case, I think I have a plan¡­¡±

 Chapter 18– The Game Plan

    Sen heaved a tired sigh, as if he had just run a marathon. Exhausted from exerting so much energy, he was relieved to be sitting in the library, finally getting some much-needed relaxation. Unfortunately, his attempt to unwind was abruptly interrupted when a familiar blonde-haired woman approached him.


    ¡°Why do you look so goddamn tired? Did you start a new workout routine or something?¡± she asked.


    ¡°No, Brittney. It was something even tougher than that,¡± he groaned, leaning back on the recliner. He had to admit, the addition of the comfortable chair was a great improvement to the library.


    ¡°For you to say that, it must have been pretty strenuous,¡± Brittney observed. ¡°You know what else is strenuous thou¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t start,¡± Sen cut off her smug grin before she could continue. He couldn¡¯t go into the specifics of why he was so tired¡ªit wasn¡¯t necessary for her to know.


    ¡°Well, geez, remind me never to greet you when you¡¯re tired,¡± she pouted.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just say it¡¯s hard not to be myself,¡± he said vaguely. Brittney, with the common sense of a rabbit, just stared at him blankly.


    ¡°What the hell does that mean?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t even bother using your brain cells. Just use your hacking magic and do what I say.¡±


    ¡°A PLEASE WOULD BE NICE!¡± she snapped. ¡°Anyway, I wasn¡¯t able to hack into the government files and change your ID,¡± she added with a defeated groan. Sen took the book off his face and turned serious.


    ¡°You couldn¡¯t change what Sense I have on my government documents?¡±


    ¡°No, I couldn¡¯t. It¡¯s one thing to hack into a database and another to actually edit it. You can easily copy it and make a counterfeit, but the government will still have access to your original documents. Not to mention, even if you find a way to delete and edit all of them, they have hundreds of backup databases with your original documents.¡±


    Sen instantly found a flaw in her statement.


    ¡°You say they have hundreds of backups, correct? In that case, my father should have his deleted documents somewhere. Meaning I could just prioritize finding those rather than going through the hassle of entering the academy.¡±


    The only reason he had asked Brittney to find and edit his documents was to make it easier to enter the academy. He thought if worse came to worst and they didn¡¯t allow him to enter, he could just present them with fake documents proving he had a Super Sense. However, she had mentioned something that piqued his interest. If it turned out to be true, then his whole act with his friends was useless. But it was still necessary to carry out his plan at the caf¨¦ yesterday, just in case nothing else worked in the meantime.


    Everything Sen had said and done with his friends wasn¡¯t exactly real. Every word he had chosen was perfectly calculated to increase the likelihood of success. And by success, he meant getting Kaiyo to back him against her father.


    He wasn¡¯t too concerned about gaining Hyo and Hana''s cooperation; the main part of the plan was to secure Kaiyo¡¯s help. Of course, there was an equal chance that Asashi wouldn¡¯t bother him. However, Sen always liked to stay two steps ahead. Was it low of him to manipulate the situation like that? Probably, but it didn¡¯t hurt Kaiyo at all.


    ¡°Sadly, in your father¡¯s case, that¡¯s not how it works,¡± Brittney said, shaking her head dishearteningly.


    Sen didn¡¯t understand her reasoning. She had just told him they had hundreds of backups for every individual. So, his father should be no exception.


    ¡°I tried hacking into the recovery info database, too, as well as a few other servers, to find it. But sadly, they were nonexistent.¡±


    This new information didn¡¯t put Sen at ease. In fact, it only made him more skeptical of his father''s past and background. Looks like that glimmer of hope faded quickly. Guess I¡¯ll have to stick with my original plan.


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    For now, everything was going according to his strategy. He had convinced Kaiyo to help him if her father tried to throw him out, and he had also secured Hana and Hyo''s support in the meantime. With that out of the way, he needed to come up with a plan for the academy exams. However, that was proving to be harder than it looked.


    Each year, the academy conducted different exams, sometimes reusing ones from previous years, but they were still unpredictable. For him to memorize each exam held in the past, just for the slim chance that they would reuse it, was a waste of his time.


    He only had four days to calculate exactly what needed to be done. Unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t calculate something he had no control over. The most straightforward guess he had was that these exams most likely utilized Senses as their main focus. So, he devised the simplest and least risky plan possible, despite having little to no knowledge of the exams.


    ¡°Britt, did you get the other thing I asked you for?¡±


    She gave him a delighted nod while pulling out a small black box from between her breasts.


    ¡°I¡¯m not even going to ask why that was there,¡± Sen sighed, unamused. He didn¡¯t care if he indirectly touched something that had been between a woman¡¯s breasts. He wasn¡¯t interested in those types of things. Most teenagers in his position would either be too nervous to touch it or frothing at the mouth.


    ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t have pockets, so¡­¡± Brittney shifted awkwardly, holding out the box. Sen didn¡¯t hesitate and took it from her hand. Brittney seemed surprised by his bluntness, but she should have known how he acted by now.


    These types of things were mundane to him. He couldn¡¯t fathom caring about them.


    Sen was pleased when he opened the black box. Inside were several sets of small rubber earpieces, not the size of regular earbuds but rather the size of a small blueberry. They were barely noticeable once inserted into the ear.


    ¡°Ha, ha, ha!¡± Brittney puffed out her chest proudly. ¡°Behold the most advanced Bluetooth earbuds on the market. Not only are they barely visible, but they¡¯re also entirely made of non-detectable metal, making them untraceable through security.¡±


    Sen gave a satisfied nod. This was exactly what he needed. It would play a significant role in his plan to enter the academy. No one could predict the exact security measures of the exam with one hundred percent certainty, but after doing extensive research on past exams, Sen had a decent grasp of how everything was done.


    First, the probability of someone entering the academy without a Sense was already zero percent. With the Internet at his disposal, he looked back at the last hundred years or so and found no records of his case.


    Second, knowing how rare it was, he doubted there would be any security that would even care or knew how to deal with it. Furthermore, there was a chance of a mandatory background check for each individual. That was common sense. During the background checks, he also worried that his lack of a Sense would be exposed by looking through his documents. Either way, there would be a high risk. But he was willing to take it. When the time came, he needed to somehow slide his way through the security if the worst scenario happened.


    Sen looked down at the small blueberry-sized earbuds with a slight leer, recalling what he had said to the others yesterday¡ª


    ¡°When the time comes, I will fake that I have Hearing as my Super Sense. And to make it more believable, I¡¯ll use a non-detectable ear device that I¡¯ll share with all of you. This will be insurance in case we need to separate or if I need your help.¡±


    It was a simple and straightforward plan that many wouldn¡¯t need if they weren¡¯t entering without a Super Sense. That¡¯s why he was taking advantage of such an overlooked plan.


    With that, there wasn¡¯t much more he could prepare for without knowing what the exams would entail.


    ¡°Does your mom know you''re going to enter?¡± Brittney asked as he pondered the plan.


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± He paused. That¡¯s what he had forgotten. The thought of what to do about his mother had completely slipped his mind. But it wasn¡¯t something to be overly concerned about.


    ¡°I just won¡¯t tell her,¡± Sen shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ll just say I''m going to the library or on a school trip for as long as the exam lasts. The thought of me entering the exam isn¡¯t something she would ever think of in a million years.¡±


    ¡°But she¡¯ll eventually find out, right?¡± Brittney probed. Sen couldn¡¯t deny that the chances of her finding out were very high. Knowing her overly protective nature, Sen estimated it would only take around six hours before she panicked and tried searching for him. But he honestly wasn¡¯t concerned. His main obstacle was joining the academy, not worrying about his mother¡¯s feelings.


    And there wasn¡¯t much she could do to get him out. She would most likely contact Asashi to have him thrown out, but he had Kaiyo on his side. All in all, it seemed like checkmate in Sen¡¯s eyes. This was the only chance he had to obtain any information about his father, so he needed to plan carefully. Fortunately for him, he was a good thinker.


    Letting out a tired yawn, he put the black box into his pocket and lay down once again on the recliner, placing a book over his eyes.


    ¡°Wow, so you¡¯re just going to ignore me and take a nap?¡± Brittney pouted.


    ¡°I need to save my energy for the exams, Brittney. Don¡¯t disturb,¡± he replied bluntly.


    ¡°Well, good luck, Mr. Thinker!¡± she snorted.


    Sen found that remark amusing. ¡°Luck doesn¡¯t exist. Every action causes a different outcome. A fool blames luck, but a wise man rethinks what he did wrong.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ which one are you then?¡± Brittney leaned over him as he rested. Sen paused momentarily, then took the book off his face.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need luck when you know you¡¯re going to be right¡­¡±

 Chapter 19– Morning Routine

    Four days blew past quicker than Sen expected. Before he knew it, the day of the entrance exam had arrived.


    Not surprisingly, Sen wasn¡¯t really worried at all. He was entering the exam fully expecting to be thrown out and disqualified due to his Disability. He could do as much planning and preparation as he wanted, but the disparity of power between him and the other contestants was apparent.


    A man with the world¡¯s knowledge is useless when faced with a gun. The gun was a figure of speech, of course, but it wasn¡¯t too far from his situation. The best he could do for now was to avoid having a gun pointed at him.


    Obviously, that was hard to do when he was entering dangerous territory. The odds of him actually passing were extremely low, even with the help of his ¡®friends.¡¯ He was a ticking time bomb, so to speak.


    It was only a matter of time before he failed. But at this point, trying was better than sitting around at home, endlessly searching the dark web. He had been doing that for years¡ªfinding information, making connections¡ªbut there was a limit to what he could uncover.


    Even if I fail, maybe this will give Asashi a glimpse of my resolve regarding my father. I know you¡¯re hiding something from me, old man¡­


    He could speculate all he wanted, but it was useless. Neither Asashi nor his mother would ever say anything about his father. I gotta go out with a bang. He cringed at the thought of that quote, but sadly, it was exactly the situation he was in. Although the odds were stacked against him, why did he feel this weird buzzing sensation in his heart?


    I can¡¯t even put it into words. It¡¯s like a ball of electricity jumping inside my chest. But it¡¯s not unpleasant. Odd. It was a sensation akin to impatience. He wasn¡¯t amused too often, so this feeling was rare. The most excitement he ever felt was when he uncovered new information. He had to admit, it wasn¡¯t entirely horrible. Putting aside the rare feeling, he started his usual morning routine.


    The time was a little after 5 a.m., way before most people even woke up. Hana and his mother were still fast asleep. They usually woke up around 8 o''clock, so he had plenty of time to himself. He tried his best to keep his room tidy and clean, which helped him think more efficiently.


    Sen did a few stretches before making his bed and brushing his teeth. After letting out a yawn, he began preparing for his daily exercise routine.


    Most people started their day with a sugary coffee, but researchers say waking up naturally helps retain your energy better than relying on coffee. Only once someone is fully awake is coffee safe to consume without side effects like withdrawal and drowsiness. Sen didn¡¯t have time to waste on such side effects, so he often avoided drinking caffeinated beverages in the morning.


    Once his hygiene was in check, he moved on to his exercise. He started with a series of calisthenics and weights, then finished with a six-kilometer run on the treadmill, as he didn¡¯t want to risk going outside due to the danger of monsters.


    Although he was entering the academy today, it was still necessary to be in top shape. He had always been like this, regardless of the extra motivation the academy provided.


    But just as the body needed to be strong and fit, so did the mind. Sen washed off and began studying different mathematical theories and equations that would wake up his brain.


    His teacher had given him the most difficult equations she could find, but unfortunately, they weren¡¯t as hard as he expected. Sen let out a sigh. He finished around ten university-level equations and theories in less than an hour¡ªsomething that would take most people six to ten hours. Feeling that this hadn¡¯t stretched his brain enough to be fully alert and focused, he decided to resort to other forms of mental stimulation, including picture memorization and rapid critical thinking exercises.


    He accomplished all of this using the internet and his hologram computer screen. It was far more convenient having this technology around without needing to lug heavy materials everywhere.


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    Although it was convenient, he rarely looked at the news and stayed off social media. Most news articles were fear-mongering, focusing on monster death counts and rising crime rates in Japan.


    He didn¡¯t care much about all that, but if he ever wanted to, Sen could easily get factual death rates by asking Brittney to hack into Japan¡¯s health organization¡¯s records. But he didn¡¯t need the government to tell him that monster attacks were happening¡ªhe was well aware of their presence.


    It was nearing 8 a.m. when he sat down for breakfast. He usually cooked for himself because his mother had been ill for quite some time. So naturally, he had learned to cook. It wasn¡¯t too complicated; all he really needed to do was remember different cooking techniques and essential recipes.


    After this, I should head out before my mom wakes up. It would be less suspicious if I leave before Hana does, he thought to himself.


    His mother would wake up any moment and wonder where he had gone. Schools were temporarily closed for the Knights exam, so he couldn¡¯t just assume she¡¯d believe he was going to school. With that, he decided to leave a note by the tea kettle: ¡°Going to the library, see you in a bit.¡±


    She was going to find out sooner or later, no matter what excuse he came up with, so he just needed something to buy himself a few hours before it was too late to stop him.


    Sen packed lightly and stepped out of his front door. The sky was promising. A light blue stretched across the horizon, with yellow rays of sunlight filtering through the air.


    It wasn¡¯t as menacing as most mornings. The aura of monsters seemed subdued this time around. Sen couldn¡¯t prove it, but it was a simple instinct within him that he couldn¡¯t explain.


    He often sensed something in the air that told him when monsters were near. Sometimes, he was right, and most of the time, he didn¡¯t want to test it out. People would surely think he had schizophrenia if he told them how many odd things he felt at times.


    But it had become second nature to him in a way. That was how he usually stayed out of danger¡ªmost of the time. However, it could all be a big coincidence for all he knew. He had no solid evidence to back up his imaginary sixth sense, which was ironic given his disability.


    Dismissing his odd alertness, he walked along the city streets. The morning was busier than usual. He guessed most people were already making their way to the academy, which was stationed in the center of the city. Not only were there more people, but there were also more Knights patrolling the area. I guess that means they¡¯re trying to keep everyone in check.


    It was a big event that only happened once a year, so the AOK needed to be on high alert to prevent any monster attacks or disruptions.


    The more people, the better, I suppose¡ª


    ¡°Bump!¡±


    Suddenly, Sen felt something collide with his stomach. It wasn¡¯t painful¡ªmore like a small bump from a child. And to his surprise, that was precisely what it was. A boy, around six years old, had run into him without looking.


    ¡°Oh, sorry, I wasn¡¯t paying attention,¡± Sen apologized curtly. The child, knocked off balance by the collision, fell to the ground. Holding back tears, the boy stared at Sen, appearing spaced out.


    ¡°Do¡­ you need some help?¡± Sen offered his hand as a kind gesture. But the boy ignored it, gaping at him briefly before muttering something under his breath.


    Huh? What¡¯s this kid staring at me for? Sen tried to get closer, but¡ª


    ¡°G-get away from me!¡± the boy cried in terror, scrambling to his feet and attempting to dash away. In his panic, he tripped and fell again.


    ¡°Why are you¡­¡±


    ¡°AHHH!¡± The boy let out a more pronounced and bloodcurdling yelp, then bolted away from Sen, who had only wanted to help.


    Sen was left speechless and confused. The boy soon disappeared out of sight before Sen could even call out to him.


    ¡°Well, that was odd¡­¡± Sen murmured to himself. Although it was beyond weird, Sen couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that this had happened before.


    That¡¯s right¡ªthat kid looked at me the same way my family does. It didn¡¯t happen often, but occasionally, he would catch his family glancing at him, frozen with terror while he looked at them.


    He didn¡¯t remember when it started, but it could all be part of his imagination for all he knew. Unlike that child, his family didn¡¯t scream at the top of their lungs.


    Tsk, children will be children. He shouldn¡¯t take them too seriously. They did unexplainable things from time to time. Although it shouldn¡¯t be a huge problem, Sen noticed he was suppressing something within him.


    Something bitter, vile, and malicious.


    At that moment, when he watched the child flee, he felt an overwhelming sense of elation. The scream the boy made sounded like the desperate cry of wounded prey. He couldn¡¯t possibly figure out why that would fill him with satisfaction, but it did. The same feeling as before... He glanced at his palm, worry flickering in his eyes as if expecting an alien mutant to pop up and start talking to him.


    ¡°Maybe I should try sleeping more than six hours a day. My mind is playing tricks on me¡­¡±


    That was the only possible conclusion he could come up with. After all, he had no reason to enjoy such odd things¡­

 Chapter 20– Manipulation

    In front of him lay a world starkly contrasting the typical city he had grown up in. The surrounding area stretched out for miles, and he could barely make out the tall, clustered city buildings in the distance. Many might think they were on the outskirts of the city, amidst vast, clean farmland, but that was far from the truth. He, along with thousands of others, was in the heart of Tokyo¡¯s metropolitan area.


    The grass stretched farther than the eye could see, perfectly manicured and healthy. Old oak trees stood firm and vibrant despite fall drawing near. Bushes lined the area''s entrance, while expensive marble statues loomed above him majestically.


    Although it was a beautiful sight, the main attraction was far more impressive and eye-catching. All around them stood grand old academy castles, said to have been built over two hundred years ago, at the beginning of the cultivation of Sense¡¯s era. Compared to the dirty and rusted cities he and many others knew, the difference in architecture was blatant.


    Similar castles were scattered across the beautifully manicured area, almost resembling a village in some ways. This is where the Knights must train and learn, I''m guessing, Sen assumed, judging by the number of castles. But the main one must be this one. Looking past a large, luxurious gold gate, a castle far bigger than the others stood in the center. Its age was apparent, but it stood tall and solid, exuding a luxurious glow.


    Behind the gateway to the main castle, thousands of people waited impatiently in front of the courtyard.


    "Wow¡­ this is a lot more people than I expected," Hana shuddered. When he made his way to the academy by public transport, Hana, Kaiyo, and Hyo had all arrived simultaneously.


    "I was expecting that much¡­" Sen shrugged.


    "You''re not worried?" Kaiyo inquired. Sen wanted to reply bluntly and agree with her, but he needed to sound more concerned to make it believable. He rarely felt the pressure of anxiety. He often wondered how other people felt when faced with the same circumstances, but it was useless to ponder over something he would most likely never feel.


    Although that feeling before... Sen remembered that rare jolt of excitement he had felt. It''s not the only odd thing recently, though. I caught myself enjoying things I shouldn¡¯t have. Like when the child screamed in fear after accidentally bumping into me. Psychologically, it didn''t make any sense why he would enjoy that. Seeing no possible conclusion to his own question, Sen dismissed it, just like before.


    "Of course, I am¡­ This is my only shot at ever coming close to my dreams." Sen wanted to gag after uttering those words. They left a bad taste in his mouth.


    Sen also didn¡¯t want to talk too much in public, either. There could always be someone with Hearing spying on what they were saying. Letting out a sigh, he approached the gate, which two Knights guarded solemnly.


    ¡°You must fill out some information before you¡¯re allowed in,¡± a female voice spoke.


    Sen turned his head to see a woman stationed in a small registration house not far from the large gate. I see, this is where they make you fill out your information before entering. Sen had anticipated this. They couldn¡¯t just let random people in, especially if they had a criminal record. Not only did teenagers enter the academy every year, but also adults, although the margin was far smaller.


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    ¡°Ah, thank you. What information do I need to provide?¡± Sen asked, needing to tread carefully. One wrong move, and he wouldn¡¯t even make it through the academy''s gates. His friends eyed him with concern.


    ¡°You just need to provide your full legal name, and I''ll search for your ID. Then, I can grant you permission to enter, with a waiver, of course. You''ll also be patted down for any weapons, etc. Only those with permits are allowed to bring one.¡±


    Though it was obvious they needed to verify if people had dangerous criminal backgrounds, Sen had hoped they wouldn¡¯t require an ID with additional information.


    Nonetheless, it was expected. He couldn¡¯t forge a fake ID and name to enter the academy¡ªthey would quickly discern the scam and throw him in jail for ID fraud. It was riskier than entering blindly with his real name and information.


    Sen gestured for Kaiyo to go first, just in case. With a nervous glance in his direction, she told the lady her full name. The lady used a simple identification checker, and Kaiyo''s birthday, Sense, and other information appeared immediately.


    After confirming everything was correct, the lady nodded and handed Kaiyo a waiver to sign. Kaiyo swiftly signed it before the gates opened to let her through. Once Kaiyo entered the academy gates without issue, she looked back at Sen with uneasiness.


    Kaiyo doubted he would overcome the first hurdle. Sen signaled to her to have faith in him and waited for Hyo and Hana to proceed. As expected, they were allowed to enter without issue. Now, it was all up to him.


    ¡°Could you give me your full legal name, please?¡± the lady, appearing fed up with her job, requested.


    Instantly, he had found something that he could exploit. Observing her facial movements and gestures, he formulated a solid plan, aiming to make a good impression that many wouldn¡¯t bother with.


    ¡°Good morning, you must be exhausted from working so much,¡± Sen expressed sympathetically.


    ¡°Um, yeah, you could say that. I''ve been at this for hours already. Someone was supposed to take over my shift, but they didn¡¯t show,¡± she groaned.


    ¡°That¡¯s terrible. You deserve a bonus if you ask me.¡±


    That¡¯s all he needed to feed her into doing what he pleased. A good first impression had a higher likelihood of success.


    ¡°Right? I probably won''t, though. My boss is a pain in the ass. This is so unfair,¡± she complained.


    Sen wanted to roll his eyes. The lady seemed to want to vent how she felt for a long time, but Sen couldn¡¯t care less. Regardless, this was precisely what he wanted.


    People genuinely are predictable. They only want to hear what they want, after all. If you know that, then you can persuade them. People who appear to be the nicest and most understanding are likely thinking ill of you behind your back.


    ¡°That¡¯s unfair. You need to stick up for yourself. People like you don¡¯t get appreciated enough. You should know your worth¡­¡±


    The conversation went back and forth for a few minutes until Sen was satisfied enough.


    ¡°Finally, someone that gets me!¡± the lady exclaimed. ¡°Anyway, I still have a job to do as much as I would like to sit and talk. What¡¯s your full legal name?¡±


    ¡°Senju Ano,¡± he replied confidently. It was only a matter of moments before something would pop up on her screen that would puzzle her.


    ¡°Um¡­¡± she murmured confusedly as if trying to decipher what was on the screen.


    ¡°Is there something wrong, miss?¡± Sen asked politely.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t say which Super Sense you have. It just says none.¡±


    ¡°What? That¡¯s odd. Could it be a glitch or something?¡± Sen acted genuinely surprised.


    ¡°I¡¯m not too sure. The computer was doing just fine all day. I might have to ask my boss¡ª¡±


    ¡°You know, it must be because my mother forgot to update my documents after middle school when my Super Sense started activating. She was too ill to do it,¡± he frowned.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry to hear that¡­¡±


    Sen didn¡¯t want to bring up his mother, but seeing how she was about to call in her manager, he needed to resort to it.


    ¡°She was too weak to cook for herself, so I needed to do it for her. But regardless of her condition, she has always supported my dreams of entering the academy. So, I just wanted to make her proud today,¡± Sen faked a voice crack. It appeared that did the trick.


    ¡°O-Oh y-you know, don¡¯t worry about it. It must be some weird glitch on our end. It looks like your record is pretty clean, so I''ll let this slide. Which Sense do you have so I can manually input it?¡± she asked him with sympathy. And just like that, it was over.


    ¡°I have hearing,¡± he lied, giving an innocent smile.

 Chapter 21– Reluctant Teammate Number 1

    ¡°That was¡­ a little scary, Sen. How¡¯d you pull it off?¡± Hana was stunned at how easily he had fooled the registration lady.


    After swiftly convincing the woman and being patted down by the security guards, his friends eyed him cautiously, their gazes suggesting his words were too well thought-out and concise, almost as if they had been rehearsed hundreds of times before.


    Truthfully, this wasn¡¯t impressive to Sen. He already knew what to do and say in these situations. He¡¯d just gotten lucky with having such an impressionable lady in charge of the security checks.


    Human psychology is quite easy to understand after you read it. It¡¯s barely impressive. Anyone with the mental fortitude could predict what others wanted to hear. It was just taking advantage of the circumstances to achieve what was necessary.


    ¡°Shhh¡­.¡± Sen shushed her with his index finger, signaling her not to discuss that in public. He had already warned them all before entering the academy: ¡°When we get there, we must not say anything regarding me being Senseless or anything to do with the plan either. I want all the conversation to be as if I wasn¡¯t there at all.¡± For those reasons, he decided not to respond to her question.


    That¡¯s one step done. Now I need to¡­ enter where now?


    They stood back, watching an irritated mob of thousands of contestants in front of the main academy display their discontent.


    ¡°COME ON, MAN! WE¡¯VE BEEN WAITING FOR HOURS!¡±


    ¡°When are the exams going to start?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna go home. This is taking way too long¡­¡±


    Sen grimaced in confusion. The clearing in front of the academy contained all the contestants who were entering this year, and by the looks of it, they were not happy. Sen decided to check for himself, so he walked up to a stranger who waited patiently at the back of the crowd.


    ¡°Hello, could I bother you for a moment?¡± Sen asked politely.


    ¡°Huh?¡± The person twisted their head abruptly, eyeing Sen narrowly. ¡°Yeah, sure, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m doing anything important right now anyway.¡±


    ¡°Is there any reason why so many people are gathered here?¡± Hana chimed in beside Sen.


    ¡°Well, this is the entrance exam. You guys didn¡¯t know or something?¡± the stranger chuckled.


    ¡°No, obviously, we know that,¡± Hana rolled her eyes. ¡°We meant, why are you guys protesting in front of the academy?¡±


    ¡°Oh, here I thought you sneaked past security or something,¡± he joked. Sen couldn¡¯t help but feel that was a little too close to the truth. ¡°We¡¯re just waiting for the exam to start. It''s been far past the scheduled time. Everyone is getting bored, and some are even leaving. If this keeps up, I might leave too,¡± he replied, letting out a tired yawn. Sen nodded in understanding.


    ¡°I appreciate the info. Best of luck.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if luck is going to cut it, but thank you, I guess.¡±


    Sen dipped his head in appreciation and then broke away from the overcrowded area to discuss with his friends.


    From the angry yelling, that¡¯s pretty much what I thought. It didn¡¯t take rocket science to figure out that there were delays in the academy entrance exam. But why? It seemed awfully coincidental that they only started to have delays when he arrived.


    The academy was usually punctual with the timing of the exams, so he couldn¡¯t quite figure out if his presence played a part in it. Does Asashi have something to do with this? I doubt he would know this quickly, though. He¡¯s part of the board of directors, not the security system. Sen presumed it would take quite a bit of time before he actually found out.


    Once they paced a decent distance from the crowd, they all huddled close to each other, speaking in hushed tones.


    ¡°You think this is far enough so we don¡¯t get overheard, Kaiyo?¡± Sen asked quietly.


    Perking her ears and trying to focus on her surroundings, Kaiyo concluded, ¡°We should be okay. I can barely make anything out in that crowd. So, I doubt anyone with Hearing would be able to overhear us. No one is willing to open their Sense to the voices of thousands of people. Their heads would explode.¡±


    Sometimes, Sen forgot that Senses had their own limitations and weren¡¯t always powerful in every situation. It was logical to assume the majority wouldn¡¯t want the hassle of having thousands of voices suddenly invade their eardrums and overwhelm their minds with too much information.


    ¡°So what¡¯s the plan?¡± Hyo inquired, looking at him expectantly. Sen didn¡¯t know why they regarded him as the leader, but the more they cooperated, the better.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do for now, I guess,¡± he remarked to them. ¡°The moment they explain the challenges at hand, I might attempt to think of something. Not to mention, the obstacles ahead could split us up.¡±


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    ¡°But that¡¯s why we have these, right?¡± Hana pointed at the small device hidden in her ear. While the device was intended to help in that scenario, it wasn¡¯t foolproof.


    ¡°That will only be useful if we''re a few miles apart. If the challenges ahead interfere with it, these devices become useless.¡±


    ¡°So I guess we just sit back and wait for the challenges to start, right?¡± Kaiyo tilted her head. He wished he could have had Brittney hack into the academy¡¯s files to see what the challenges were, but that information was classified and only discussed in board meetings.


    ¡°The fact you got through security while being Senseless is already a big step,¡± Hana mused. Sen cringed inwardly at her words. He didn¡¯t want her discussing that in public.


    "Hana, for the last time¡­ please.¡± Sen made a hushing hand gesture with his finger. Hana flushed with embarrassment, evidently guilty she had already forgotten the most important rule.


    Although it was unlikely anyone had a reason to turn in a random, Senseless person, Sen still wanted to be cautious. I still don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll be able to pass through these challenges without the academy catching me. So much of their information is under wraps; the only thing I can do is wait and find out.


    He suddenly noticed that Kaiyo had her eyes closed, as if concentrating on her Super Sense, as she had done before. Sen narrowed his eyes, wondering why she was doing it out of the blue. She herself had said that opening one''s Sense in this environment was quite disturbing.


    ¡°Kaiyo, is everything alright?¡±


    She didn¡¯t respond for a few moments. Finally, she opened her eyes suddenly, in a state of panic. Sen recognized that something wasn¡¯t right. Kaiyo stood up straight, looking around her, clearly rattled by something.


    ¡°Kaiyo, what happened? What¡¯s going on?¡± Hana asked, noticing her odd reactions.


    ¡°You there!¡± Kaiyo suddenly exclaimed, looking at a cluster of trees a few meters away. By her words alone, it was apparent what Kaiyo had discovered. Sen let out a sigh of redundancy. I knew this would happen. A petite figure of a girl emerged from behind the trees. Her expression was twisted with anxiety as she approached.


    She had short, sleek, and pitch-black hair styled into a bob cut. She stood around 5 feet tall, almost appearing to be a child. However, Sen assumed she was older than him.


    ¡°I¡­I,¡± her voice quivered as they stared at the newcomer suspiciously.


    She appears genuinely scared, so I have a feeling she didn¡¯t mean to overhear our conversation, Sen observed the frightened girl.


    However, it would have been preferable not to be overheard when Hana blatantly revealed that he was Senseless. At least she seemed relatively harmless. Sen also took into account that she was a girl.


    Girls are more impressionable than men. Men typically act on impulse rather than emotion, while women tend to act on emotion rather than critical thinking. This is why men are more difficult to influence than women. That¡¯s why I¡¯m glad it so happened to be a girl who overheard us. I need to make sure not to come across as aggressive; I don¡¯t want her to feel threatened¡ª


    ¡°Hey! Come here right now! How much did you hear?!¡± Hana demanded, her tone raised aggressively. Of course¡­ there goes the warm welcome. Sen shook his head.


    ¡°I-I didn¡¯t mean to, I swear¡ª¡±


    ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t matter now, does it? Answer the god damn question!¡± Hana continued, not letting up.


    ¡°I SAID I DIDN¡¯T MEAN TO! I was just passing by and¡ª¡±


    ¡°You were too far to hear that if you were a normal person. You obviously used Hearing to spy on us, didn¡¯t you?¡± Kaiyo interjected, her tone softer.


    ¡°I admit that I overheard you while using my Sense, but I didn¡¯t mean to at first. I was walking around trying to find a place that wasn¡¯t crowded so I could practice my Sense,¡± she began. ¡°Then, while doing so, I overheard you guys talking, and I was curious about what you were doing so far from the rest of the contestants, and I kinda heard that you were¡­¡± The girl¡¯s gaze nervously shifted to Sen, clearly implying she had heard what Hana had said aloud. Sen let out a sigh.


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s no use denying it. Yes, I am Senseless,¡± Sen admitted reluctantly.


    ¡°WHAT! Sen, have you lost your mind? Why would you reveal that information? Didn¡¯t you tell me not to say that to anyone?!¡± Hana scolded him. He just shook his head, exasperated with his sister''s outburst.


    ¡°Now, now, I¡¯m sure we can discuss this without shouting, Hana,¡± Hyo interjected, trying to de-escalate the situation.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to cause trouble!¡± the girl yelped, tears welling up in her eyes. Seeing how distraught she was, Hana cooled down, realizing the commotion she had caused.


    ¡°U-uh¡­ It¡¯s fine, I guess. Your call, Sen,¡± Hana said, avoiding eye contact apologetically.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind her. How about we start over? What¡¯s your name?¡± Sen asked. The girl, sniffling to prevent her snot from dropping, replied with a shudder.


    ¡°M-My name is Hono.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see. Well, I¡¯m sorry for the rude welcome; it was my fault for overreacting,¡± he said, dipping his head politely. I need to make sure she doesn¡¯t blabber about this. With a thoughtful, wide smile, he continued, ¡°Now, tell me, how much did you hear exactly?¡±


    Sen knew she had heard everything they had said, but fortunately, apart from Hana blurting out his disability, there wasn¡¯t much they had discussed.


    I¡¯m just trying to get her to talk a little more and think we don¡¯t seem troubled by it. But I would prefer to wrap this up as soon as possible. I can¡¯t fake a smile for too long.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, I heard everything you guys said!¡± Hono let out an anguished cry, sounding as if she were confessing to a crime she had committed. Sen clicked his tongue with impatience. Well, I tried my best to be polite, but it seems she¡¯s just overly sensitive.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, just don¡¯t snitch on us, that¡¯s all we ask.¡± Sen felt like he was speaking to a child for a moment, and surprisingly, it worked quite well.


    ¡°I promise not to tell anyone!¡± Hono sobbed, kneeling and dramatically praying for his mercy. He twisted his expression, not quite comfortable with being treated like some sort of god. I guess it''s better than having the opposite, though.


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s nothing we can do except keep an eye on her. If we don¡¯t, she¡¯ll probably get us busted by the Knights,¡± Hyo said with a shrug. Sen nodded; they didn¡¯t have much choice.


    ¡°We¡¯re not mad or anything, but to make sure you don¡¯t spill our secrets, we might need to keep you close,¡± Sen explained. Expecting hesitance, he was surprised to see her smile broadly, her eyes sparkling with joy.


    ¡°YAY! Does that mean we¡¯re friends!?¡±


    No, most definitely not. I don¡¯t easily call people friends. Only under certain circumstances, like this one.


    ¡°Yeah, of course we¡¯re friends,¡± Sen lied.


    ¡°YAY! YOU¡¯RE THE BEST!¡± Hono exclaimed, jumping on him and kissing him on the cheek, which didn''t really faze him at all.


    ¡°In that case, I have some information about the challenges ahead,¡± Hono revealed. Sen narrowed his eyes at her, his interest piqued. How does a girl like you have information about the challenges?

 Chapter 22– Reluctant Teammate Number 2

    ¡°You don¡¯t say? Well, feel free to tell us,¡± Sen tried to conceal his suspicion as best as he could. Even Brittney couldn''t get the slightest bit of information about the challenges, so how in the world did Hono manage to get her hands on it? Sen pondered.


    ¡°Well, ya see, I found out that all the challenges will involve a group of at least six people on each team,¡± Hono explained.


    ¡°Interesting¡­¡± he murmured to himself. ¡°So they¡¯re going by teams? That helps us quite a bit if that¡¯s the case. We almost have a complete group of six. Now we just need to find one more person.¡±


    If she¡¯s telling us the truth¡­


    ¡°Well, we don¡¯t have enough time to find another person!¡± Hana growled.


    ¡°I think that''s the point. They want us to pick partners from people we have no relation to. Not too sure why, though,¡± Hyo presumed.


    That¡¯s not good; we can¡¯t put another person in our group. That would be too much to manage. But from what she¡¯s saying, it almost sounds like it¡¯s mandatory. Better safe than sorry, he thought.


    If they did need to add another person to their team, he would have to make sure his so-called secret didn¡¯t spill out. He could possibly find someone similar to Hono, who seemed too innocent to be malicious, but that was asking for a lot. Besides, he couldn¡¯t afford to watch over another person now.


    ¡°So it looks like we won¡¯t have a choice then,¡± he grimaced. Kaiyo patted him on the back, trying her best to reassure his doubts.


    Sen was sure Kaiyo misunderstood his expression. He wasn''t worried; it was more confusion, which he reluctantly had to admit was quite fun.


    ¡°Well, a good thing is we are one step ahead of everyone else, so I suggest we should start to scout around,¡± Kaiyo suggested.


    Sen nodded. ¡°That sounds like a good idea. Let''s meet back here once the academy opens.¡±


    Sen signaled his sister to keep an eye on Hono in case she decided to betray them and run away. Stalking off from the group, Sen vigilantly observed the massive crowd. Actually, calling it a crowd was an understatement. This was the most people he had ever seen in one place.


    The more he scrutinized the different people, the more he noticed many were on the younger side. And when he meant ¡®younger side,¡¯ he meant people his age. He had expected more people in the older range, maybe in their early twenties.


    Most older people give up on becoming a knight because it is physically taxing for them. So that explains why the abundance of youth seems so prominent.


    Now, someone who would join our team, huh? He couldn¡¯t just flat-out ask someone to join. That would be too odd. He also couldn¡¯t judge someone based on their physical appearance alone. Like the old saying goes, ¡°Don¡¯t judge a book by its cover,¡± sort of deal.


    Well, I guess I can only snoop around and see what other people are talking about. That would at least give him a gauge of how the person acted. The good thing was that many were talking with their friends or strangers to pass the time, so Sen took this opportunity to listen in.


    ¡°Tsk, this academy is a joke. Aren¡¯t they supposed to set a good example?¡± a contestant snorted.


    ¡°Tell me about it. If I have to wait another five minutes, I¡¯m going to leave.¡±


    The two contestants who complained brashly were instantly marked off his imaginary list. People who complain would get nothing done in the long run.


    I¡¯m looking for someone who would benefit us, not just as a placeholder. They can be dumb for all I care, but they need to contribute, he asserted. The more he walked around, the more it became clear it would be harder to find someone suitable.


    Maybe his standards were too high, but the glares people gave Sen when he briefly stared at them told him more than enough about their personalities. Not to mention, it was hard to even focus on one person when there were thousands huddled together.


    Disoriented in thought, Sen lost his spatial awareness and ended up bumping into someone¡ª


    ¡°Oops, my apologies, friend,¡± the stranger spoke in a friendly, icy tone that made Sen¡¯s whole body shiver. He only caught a glimpse of his obsidian eyes and long, blood-red hair before the stranger attempted to walk away, leaving Sen staring at his back.


    He clenched his fists without thinking and tensed up. His body felt threatened, but the stranger merely continued walking past him before disappearing into the crowd.


    I¡¯ve never reacted like that when looking at someone before. Something tells me to stay away from him. Sen couldn¡¯t help but notice the thudding of his heart pounding in his chest. He took a few breaths to calm himself down.


    All he did was apologize, so why did my whole body tense up? I really should go to a doctor and see if I¡¯m schizophrenic. This is getting out of hand. Sen decided not to dwell on that weird encounter and continued searching for possible candidates for a teammate.


    Sadly, after long minutes of surveying people around him and keenly listening to their conversations, his quest wasn¡¯t successful. His proactive mind wasn¡¯t allowing him to trust a single individual. Letting out a sigh inwardly, he decided to leave the decision up to the rest of the team.


    ¡°Any luck?¡± Sen spoke as he tapped his earpiece. Once he tapped the earpiece, his voice should automatically transfer to all his friends. It didn¡¯t take long before he heard a voice respond to him through the device.


    ¡°No luck so far. Lots of them, well, how do I put it, look unreliable.¡±


    Hana was the first to respond. Sen wasn¡¯t even disappointed. He wasn''t expecting much from her anyway. Hana was a hard woman to approach.


    ¡°Uh... I did meet a lot of people, just not in the way I would like,¡± Kaiyo said apprehensively through the device. Judging from her clearly flustered voice, it was apparent she was getting hit on by other male contestants.


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    Which, again, wasn¡¯t so surprising. The difference between his sister and Kaiyo was their mannerisms and personalities. Kaiyo had a softer, more reserved personality, while Hana, on the other hand, remained hot-blooded and bold. Most men preferred more innocent women, so it was only natural.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure where to start or who to trust,¡± Sen could hear Hyo frowning over the phone.


    I guess even the social birds are having trouble. Must I do everything myself? This isn¡¯t my expertise. I don¡¯t really like talking with other people. It¡¯s just uninteresting.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Sen let out a sigh, ¡°I¡¯ll try to¡ª¡±


    ¡°Welcome, everyone, to the Knight Academy!¡± Sen¡¯s voice was cut off as he heard a deafening announcement from the main academy. A wave of excitement erupted from the crowd of participants.


    ¡°It looks like they''re finally starting,¡± Sen whispered into his device. ¡°We need to regroup as quickly as we can.¡±


    ¡°Copy that,¡± they all said in unison.


    Sen ran along the outskirts of the crowd to ensure he wasn¡¯t spotted running suspiciously. The crowd itself extended to around a couple of blocks in length. However, even behind the surplus of thousands of people, he could see the entrance to the main academy¡¯s doors due to the building¡¯s height. Not long after, he spotted his friends behind the crowd and regrouped with them.


    ¡°Looks like we¡¯re going to have to pick a random person,¡± Hana frowned while looking at the Grand Academy entrance.


    ¡°It can''t be helped,¡± Sen shook his head. Although he was worried about the danger of letting someone who they hadn¡¯t hand-selected, it couldn¡¯t be helped.


    ¡°Young Knights!¡± The announcer''s voice rang above them. Everyone started to cheer again in enthusiasm, eager after waiting for hours. Even though the announcer was pretty far away, Sen spotted him on top of the hundreds of stairs that broadly led up to the entrance of the academy. Thousands of people waited below, eager for instructions.


    ¡°I thank you for gathering today¡­¡± The announcer cleared his throat, speaking into a voice amplifier device.


    ¡°I must warn you, though, some of you¡ªwell, most of you¡ªwon¡¯t make it into this academy. Only the most talented will pass, so without further ado, I would like to announce that you need to pass THREE challenges to be accepted into the academy," he went on.


    ¡°The first challenge will start inside the academy, which brings me to my next point. There must be a group of at least SIX people, so I will give you a few minutes to pick out your partners. If you don¡¯t pick, you will automatically get disqualified!¡± the announcer declared. ¡°Your time starts now!¡±


    Gasps of shock and confusion rippled through the crowd at his announcement.


    ¡°This doesn¡¯t make sense!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to pick partners I don¡¯t know!¡±


    ¡°How does this even have anything to do with becoming a Knight?¡± angry remarks arose from the crowd.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to have partners, you can leave¡­¡± The announcer shot everyone a cold stare. After his statement, the complaints of the contestants disappeared.


    ¡°Well¡­ it looks like knowing ahead of time didn¡¯t really help us in the slightest,¡± Hyo sighed. Narrowing his eyes, he surveyed the crowd. Some people had already started forming groups and murmured quietly to themselves, likely introducing themselves or planning what the following challenges might be.


    Let¡¯s try this one last time, I guess. I hope it isn¡¯t some weirdo. Sen separated from his team and started searching yet again.


    ¡°HEY! Someone let me join your party!¡± A furious voice caught Sen¡¯s attention.


    ¡°HEY, YOU! LET ME JOIN YOUR PARTY!¡± Someone demanded. Sen caught sight of a person who appeared to be around his age, maybe a little older. He had unique, scarlet red hair with white streaks running straight down. What is he? A red-haired emo or something?


    ¡°Hey, you!¡± the boy shouted. Sen saw him pointing directly at him. ¡°Let me join your party, goddammit!¡±


    Sen blinked, staring straight at the boy''s face. Maybe if I ignore him and pretend I didn¡¯t hear a word, he¡¯ll leave me alone¡­


    Sen cleared his throat and slowly shifted his gaze away, turning around and walking away with a blank expression. I am most definitely not going to let someone so loud joi¨C


    ¡°NO, YOU DON¡¯T! Don¡¯t you dare walk away from me!¡± The redhead ran in front of Sen, blocking him from going any further.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I already have a full party¡­¡± Sen lied.


    ¡°AS IF! No, you don¡¯t!¡± he growled at Sen. I really don¡¯t want this guy in my party.


    ¡°I¡¯m not looking for another hot-blooded person in my team. I already have one¡­¡± Sen was, of course, referring to his sister.


    ¡°Listen, I don¡¯t give a flying horse shit if you do! You should be delighted that I¡¯m even suggesting it! You don¡¯t even know the length of my power!¡±


    ¡°Let me guess, your Super Sense is Touch?¡± Sen barely managed to hold back a sigh.


    ¡°WHAT! No¡­¡± He paused. ¡°Fine¡­ yes, I do have Touch, but it¡¯s still powerful!¡± he snapped back.


    ¡°I would''ve never guessed.¡±


    People with Touch have bad tempers, and even other Senses are known to influence a person''s emotions. Since I don¡¯t have a Super Sense at all, that could explain why my emotions and thoughts are far different from others.


    ¡°Well, I bet your Super Sense is dumb! You probably have a weak one like Taste!¡± he cackled.


    Huh¡­ the irony.


    ¡°My Sense is Hearing, one of the most useful and strongest,¡± Sen lied.


    I just need to stick with the plan, he convinced himself. It¡¯s not like anyone would lie about that.


    ¡°Humph, I didn¡¯t ask.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you did¡­¡± Sen stared blankly, unamused.


    ¡°NO, I DIDN¡¯T!¡±


    ¡°Pretty sure you did¡­¡± Sen shrugged.


    ¡°YA KNOW WHAT? YOU ANNOY ME VERY MUCH!¡± the red-haired emo exclaimed.


    ¡°I get that a lot,¡± Sen huffed. ¡°I guess my high sense of maturity gets to people.¡±


    Even Sen was capable of conjuring up a good joke sometimes.


    ¡°IF I COULD, I WOULD smack you right across the face!¡± he bellowed, inches from Sen¡¯s face.


    ¡°Wow, never knew people with Touch were so similar,¡± Sen said satirically. ¡°You should date my sister. You would be a match made in heaven.¡± Sen wasn¡¯t sure if he wasn¡¯t joking or not himself. Expecting a rude remark from the stranger, Sen was concerned when he just looked at him with a narrowed eye.


    ¡°Depends. Is your sister hot?¡± A grin crossed his face.


    ¡°No, not at all. She¡¯s quite ugly, actually,¡± Sen blinked. Shit, he¡¯s actually considering it.


    ¡°Ya know what? You¡¯re funny. I like you,¡± the red-haired emo chuckled as he put his arm around Sen.


    ¡°I can¡¯t relate,¡± Sen said uncomfortably.


    ¡°Young Knights, your time is up! If you haven¡¯t found a partner, you must leave immediately.¡± Sen heard the announcer¡¯s voice. Oh great. Glancing desperately around to find another partner for his party, Sen reluctantly came to the realization that almost everyone had formed groups of six individuals while he was busy.


    Well¡­ I¡¯m screwed¡­


    Sighing, Sen realized what the only logical option was. After heavy consideration and reviewing every possible choice he could think of, he exhaled.


    ¡°Well, guess I¡¯m not becoming a Knight anymore,¡± Back to the drawing board, I suppose.


    ¡°HEY! DON¡¯T YOU DARE LEAVE ME!¡± the stranger cried out as Sen attempted to leave again. ¡°Come on! If we don¡¯t stick together now, neither of us will become Knights!¡±


    Obviously, Sen wasn¡¯t planning on giving up that easily. He thought that would at least fool him.


    ¡°Listen, I¡¯ll be good in your team! I swear that I won¡¯t start trouble. I-I''ll follow your every word like a dog,¡± he promised. Sen wasn¡¯t sure if that was a good or bad thing.


    Well, I did want someone who wouldn¡¯t interfere, plus he says he¡¯ll do exactly what I want. But how do I know if he''s telling the truth?


    ¡°Sit,¡± Sen ordered him.


    ¡­


    ¡°WHAT? NO, I DIDN¡¯T MEAN LITERALL¡ª¡±


    ¡°Sit¡­¡±


    He just stared at Sen with a frozen expression, contemplating what he should do. Finally, he let out a defeated sigh.


    ¡°Woof woof¡­¡± he crouched on the floor, utterly humiliated. Sen murmured in intrigue. Hmm, well, I certainly didn¡¯t think he would do it. I guess that''s pretty impressive.


    ¡°Fine¡­ make sure you hurry up,¡± Sen brusquely turned around and started walking in the direction of his team.


    ¡°AYYYY, THAT¡¯S MY MAN¡ªuh¡­ what¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Sen.¡±


    ¡°Alright then, I guess it''s my time to introduce myself. My name is Baru!¡± He puffed his chest out. ¡°My goal is to be a Diamond rank Knight!¡±


    That¡¯s quite an ambitious goal, Sen thought. Knowing there are only a handful of Knights at that rank, I doubt he will achieve such a big position. Not to mention, they¡¯re in charge of the academies around the world. He just doesn¡¯t seem the type to handle that mantle.


    ¡°I hope you and I can work together to achieve our goals!¡± Baru said enthusiastically.


    ¡°Likewise¡­¡± Sen replied.

 Chapter 23– Escape!

    <div>


    It didn¡¯t take long before Sen spotted his team. They were only a block away, after all. He had separated from the others in a frantic attempt to find someone, and luckily, he was somewhat successful. If you call that a success, Sen thought grimly.


    As he drew near, he could see the lost and distressed looks on their faces before they noticed him approaching with their new teammate in tow.


    At least I found someone to join our team, and maybe he won¡¯t be that useless since he has a good Super Sense, he thought, trying to stay optimistic. Kaiyo turned her head and made eye contact with him as he approached, waving her hand with a delighted tone.


    ¡°SEN! You actually found someone?¡±


    ¡°Hello, fellow teammates!¡± Baru puffed out his chest in greeting.


    ¡°This is Baru. Baru, this is Kaiyo, Hana, Hyo, and that¡¯s Hono.¡±


    ¡°YEP, THAT¡¯S ME!¡± Hono smiled happily at Baru.


    ¡°Woah! Three girls!¡± Baru''s eyes widened. ¡°This is even better than I thought.¡±


    Hana¡¯s excitement instantly faded like a candle. She deadpanned the new team member with the look of ¡°Really out of all people? This guy?¡±


    Sen wasn¡¯t too thrilled about his pick either, but it would be a waste of time to complain about it. Instead, he decided to gather some more information.


    ¡°Hono, do you know anything about the first challenge?¡± Sen decided to push his luck by asking, and as he suspected, she shook her head disappointingly.


    ¡°Sorry, sadly I don¡¯t. I only accidentally overheard that the academy was doing teams of six this year, so I don¡¯t know any other details.¡±


    Hmph, so she just overheard somebody after all? But how did somebody get that information in the first place, then? It¡¯s hard to believe it was simply a rumor. Just as Sen contemplated these thoughts, a loud announcement at the entrance sounded off, making him whip around to gaze at the grand stairs that led up to the academy.


    ¡°Young Knights, please enter the academy with your group. There, someone special will explain the next challenge. Keep in mind, it would be much appreciated if you enter the academy in a single-file line, and don¡¯t rush¡ª¡±


    Too late.


    Before the announcer could finish, contestants at the bottom of the academy stairs were already running up as if a vile monster were chasing them. Hundreds of people pushed each other aside in a desperate attempt to be the first to enter.


    I¡¯m not sure what they gain from trying to be the first to enter. It won¡¯t give them any more of an edge over others, Sen thought while observing the chaos.


    ¡°GOOD RIDDANCE! PLEASE WALK UP IN A SINGLE-FILE LINE!¡± the announcer exclaimed, clearly fed up. But his plea was in vain; the young Knights continued rushing forward like it was a track race.


    ¡°Alright then, this year¡¯s students are going to be a hassle,¡± the announcer sighed. ¡°Guess it doesn¡¯t matter, just come into the academy.¡± He deliberately gave up, touching his long, grey mustache to calm his nerves. I almost feel sorry for him.


    Sen and the rest of the team began following the massive crowd up the broad academy stairs. Hiking on them, he soon realized that the stairs were actually made of¨C


    Marble. That must have cost a lot. It could have been used to clean the dirty cities, help our inflation crisis, or even put that money into our corrupt educational system. Better yet, make healthcare more affordable or attempt to reduce homelessness.


    But, of course, this was one of the most famous academies in the world. They had to upkeep their grand and powerful status somehow. So, I wasn¡¯t really shocked.


    Since Sen¡¯s team was at the rear of the crowd, it was easier to navigate through the large numbers of people. It also gave him a good opportunity to size up the competition.


    Most people looked average, but Sen knew the most dangerous were those who kept silent. He couldn¡¯t judge people¡¯s strength by their appearance or speech alone. Personality and other characteristics were one thing, but power was a completely different matter.


    I wonder¡­ that guy who bumped into me, Sen recalled. It was only for a brief moment, but my gut told me that person wasn¡¯t like the other contestants. And with a shiver running down his spine, he predicted that there would be many challenging people ahead.


    With every step Sen took on the marble stairs, he grew more uneasy. Was he being watched? He felt uncomfortable. What am I saying? I know that they¡¯re watching. Somewhere hidden from the naked eye, there have to be hundreds of cameras monitoring everyone¡¯s movements. What you plan to do is going to be interesting, Asashi. Sen bluntly stared at a drone hovering silently above him. I doubt you¡¯ve figured out that I¡¯m even here yet, but when you do, what will happen next? Throw me out? Punish me? Put me in jail for breaking a rule that doesn¡¯t exist? He knew Asashi wouldn¡¯t be able to hear his rather bitter thoughts, but if Sen saw him standing in front of him, he would have said the same thing.


    ¡°FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!¡± Baru¡¯s voice snapped Sen out of his thoughts.


    ¡°HOW MANY GOD DAMN STAIRS DOES THIS ACADEMY NEED?¡± Baru complained. Even though they were behind thousands of people, the announcer unfortunately heard his complaint.


    ¡°If you¡¯re having trouble with this, how could you even become a Knight?¡± the announcer retorted with a microphone from atop the stairs.


    ¡°Humph, that announcer guy is pissing me off,¡± Baru cursed under his breath.


    ¡°I HEARD THAT!¡± The announcer made eye contact with Baru from above. ¡°I might be old, but I have the best hearing alive, you little imbecile.¡±


    He must have Hearing as his Super Sense, Sen realized. It wasn¡¯t possible for someone without that specific Sense to hear from such a distance. Not to mention, it was impressive that he could even hear Baru with so many people around. From Sen¡¯s observation, the announcer had to be at least a Silver-ranked Knight.


    Finally, as they reached the top of the academy¡¯s entrance, Sen witnessed the grand golden doors swing open to let the contestants in.


    Interesting¡­ Sen started to gather a few hints already.


    He recalled the announcer stating that the first challenge would be held inside the academy itself. However, Sen couldn¡¯t imagine how they would facilitate thousands of people competing against each other in such a small space.


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    That must mean the first challenge won¡¯t involve hand-to-hand combat but will instead test a team¡¯s coordination.


    To put it simply, Sen guessed the next challenge would be something that would disqualify many without forcing them to fight each other with their own strengths.


    If I¡¯m right, this will help me survive longer in the challenges ahead.


    Sen walked behind the throng of contestants and entered through the enormous doors. To his surprise, there was nothing inside. He didn''t know what he was expecting, but it certainly wasn''t this. It almost made him stop in his tracks.


    It was just a football-field-sized room. There wasn¡¯t any special d¨¦cor around the walls like the outside of the academy had, but more or less just a large empty space. At least, that¡¯s what he guessed¡ªit was quite dark inside, the only light coming from the open doors, so Sen wasn¡¯t able to confirm.


    ¡°What is this, some kind of joke?¡± a few people in the crowd bellowed.


    ¡°This is ridiculous. What do they expect us to do in here?¡± another shouted brashly.


    While everyone jumped to conclusions, Sen had to hold back from letting out an exasperated sigh. There¡¯s obviously something more to this¡­


    ¡°ENOUGH!¡± A voice so deep and powerful silenced everyone¡¯s complaints in an instant. The room suddenly brightened with lights illuminating from above. Out of nowhere, a tall cylindrical pillar appeared in the middle of the large room. Settled on top was a mysterious hooded figure with a blank white mask covering their face. The clothing the odd man wore weren¡¯t extravagant by any means either. It was just a simple black loose hoodie.


    ¡°No, it can¡¯t be¡­¡± Baru gasped. Sen looked at him with confusion.


    ¡°Who¡¯s that guy?¡±


    ¡°YOU MEAN YOU¡¯VE NEVER HEARD OF HIM?¡± Baru exclaimed in his face.


    ¡°No, I haven¡¯t. Care to take a couple of seconds to explain who he is?¡± Sen pushed him away.


    ¡°Well, he¡¯s one of the Diamond-ranked Knights!¡± Baru explained. Sen looked back at the masked Knight and pondered briefly. That¡¯s odd. I remember each Diamond-ranked Knight by name, but I¡¯ve never heard of him before.


    ¡°I heard he¡¯s pretty new, climbing the ranks of the academy faster than anyone in history. It¡¯s said he has the power of all the Senses¡­¡± Baru stared in awe. ¡°They call him the White Storm. They even have a statue of him.¡±


    ¡°Why do they call him the White Storm?¡± Sen asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s quite ironic since he has long black hair, but one of the reasons they call him that is because of his mask. Second, legend says that the moment you make eye contact with him, you freeze in fear. Hence why they call him the White Storm,¡± Baru explained.


    Should have probably guessed so. I wonder why I never knew about him? Sen thought. Well, I guess even I make mistakes sometimes. I¡¯m only human.


    ¡°Dear students¡­¡± the masked man began. ¡°This school only expects perfection. Every flaw, every minuscule detail will be observed. Any slight defect in your power will affect your chances of joining, but I don¡¯t expect you to pass. After all, you all might not even know how to use your powers efficiently yet. But this is where you get the wrong idea about this academy. We only pick the people with natural talent. So, if you think you¡¯ll have a chance with no talent, I hate to break your delusion, but you¡¯re dead wrong¡­¡±


    There was something menacing about the way he spoke. The difference in power between him and the contestants was already apparent. Sen didn¡¯t feel threatened by many people, or even monsters at that, yet he couldn¡¯t help but feel a shiver run down his spine. He hated that feeling.


    ¡°I want you all to understand that, in this world, the strongest survive,¡± he spoke firmly. ¡°Or should I say, only the strongest have a chance to thrive.¡±


    Sen didn¡¯t know if it was a coincidence, but the masked man¡¯s words felt worryingly targeted at him. Of course, he doesn¡¯t know I¡¯m senseless. A Diamond-ranked Knight wouldn¡¯t even care about that.


    ¡°This day and age, people say you should be proud of yourself, weak or not¡­¡± the masked man continued. ¡°Those people will get nowhere in life. If you take pity on yourself and accept that you are weak, then you deserve to be eaten by monsters. You can always improve. You can always be stronger and smarter. DO NOT ACCEPT YOURSELF!¡± he bellowed in a dark, commanding voice.


    After a few moments of pure silence, someone snorted in the crowd.


    ¡°Pfft, that¡¯s ridiculous. You¡¯re making people insecure about themselves,¡± a young woman called out. A few gasps arose around Sen. Hmph, probably not the smartest move.


    ¡°HAAA!¡± The White Storm cackled as if he had heard the best joke of his life. ¡°Wow, such a brave little girl I''m impressed. Guards, take her away!¡± he commanded, letting out a volley of crude laughs.


    ¡°WAIT, WHAT? This is outrageous¡ªyou can¡¯t do tha¡ª¡± Her voice was cut off as Sen guessed the guards took her out of the academy.


    ¡°Oh dear¡­¡± Kaiyo gasped.


    There was a long pause followed by confused and fearful murmurs after the White Storm¡¯s display of authority.


    ¡°What are you all looking at? Are you shocked? HAAA! You all are so soft. This is nothing compared to what you are going to go through. Alright then, moving on¡­ Above you will drop down techno watches. On the watch, you must fill out your name and your team¡¯s name. Then, participants need to register themselves as part of it. Is that understood?¡± A murmur of agreement came from the students. ¡°Good, now let¡¯s begin.¡±


    Thousands of watches fell from above as the masked man finished his short explanation. Sen and the rest of his friends caught one before it crashed to the ground.


    ¡°A weird way to give us the watches, but okay¡­¡± Hana narrowed her eyes. ¡°Alright then, how does this work?¡±


    ¡°Greetings, fellow Knights. I am Techno Watch. Please fill out your full name here (_____),¡± ordered the watch.


    ¡°HOLY CRAP, DID THE WATCH JUST TALK?¡± Baru exclaimed. ¡°This is fricken sick! How old are you, Techno Watch?¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m currently ten years old, since that¡¯s when my programmers made me.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ Well, I guess she¡¯s too young¡­¡± Baru sighed sadly. ¡°Damn it! I even get rejected by an AI!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not so sure you should even hit on an AI.¡± Hana curled her lip in disgust.


    ¡°Listen, I don¡¯t have that many options, so it was worth a shot.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that should be an option,¡± Hana snapped back.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s start this already,¡± Sen shook his head.


    He attempted to drown out the arguing and murmurs from people so he could calmly think rationally to himself.


    I already gave my real name to the registration lady, so this won¡¯t make a difference regardless. If I try to use a fake name, it¡¯ll most likely block me. If I use my real name, though, it will put me in the center of attention, and Asashi will spot me far quicker than I planned. But¡­ what if I go a completely different route than he would expect?


    ¡°Hello, MR. Sen Ano. Please enter your team¡¯s name (_____).¡±


    ¡°What should our team name be?¡± Kaiyo wondered.


    ¡°DUDE! It should be an awesome name, like Team Baru or something,¡± Baru suggested.


    ¡°No, not happening. What do you think, Sen?¡± Hana prompted.


    Sen decided on a pretty bold move¡­ ¡°Your team name is now (TEAM SEN).¡±


    ¡°NO FAIR! Why did he get to do his name as the team and not mi¡ª¡± Baru stopped as Hana stared at him with a menacing look. ¡°Actually, I think it¡¯s a great name. B-B-Best name ever, if you ask me. Hahaha¡­¡± Baru laughed nervously as Hana gave him a death stare.


    ¡°Good, Baru, now let the adults talk,¡± Hana ordered.


    ¡°I like a girl who puts me in my place.¡±


    Hana blinked. ¡°OKAYYYYYY, this is the part where we kick him out of our team, right, Sen?¡±


    If I had a choice, I would kick all of you out. But that¡¯s not possible in my case. I need their strength to help me pass through these challenges.


    ¡°Congratulations, you are now part of (Team Sen).¡±


    ¡°Looks like it worked. I registered as part of your team!¡± Kaiyo looked at her Techno Watch.


    ¡°Already done, too.¡± Baru gave a thumbs up.


    ¡°Same here.¡± Hyo nodded.


    ¡°YAY! I¡¯m officially part of your team!¡± Hono giggled.


    ¡°Looks like I¡¯m in, too,¡± Hana confirmed.


    It didn¡¯t take long before more people started finishing.


    ¡°I gave you degenerates plenty of time. Are you ready for the first challenge?¡± The masked man asked in a harsh tone.


    ¡°WE WERE BORN READY, WOOOOO!¡± Baru exclaimed. The masked man turned to look at Baru. ¡°Hmph, looks like we have some genuine energy. Alright, moving on¡­¡±


    ¡°OH MY GOD, Sen, did you see that? He just complimented me! This is the greatest day of my life!¡± Baru cried.


    I guess being complimented by a Diamond Knight is big for some people, Sen shrugged.


    ¡°Before I explain the first challenge, I want to remind you this challenge is supposed to test your survival skills, thinking, and fast reaction time. So, without further ado¡­¡± The masked man''s voice trailed off...


    Why did he stop? Sen thought.


    ¡°SLAM!¡±


    A loud slamming noise came out of nowhere before the light completely vanished around them.


    ¡°The academy''s front door closed?¡± Sen realized. ¡°Why?¡±


    The dark, ominous room was filled with murmurs of confusion and fear. The artificial beams disappeared along with the natural sunlight that came from the door. It¡¯s so dark I can¡¯t even see the pillar where the masked man is, he grimaced. Wait... Something clicked in his brain, but before he could even voice his thought, it was too late¡ª


    ¡°HAHAHA!¡± The masked man cackled in the darkness. ¡°The first challenge starts here! Escape the Academy¡­¡±


    <div>


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    <div>

 Chapter 24– Im finally useful to him

    ¡°You can always improve. You can always be stronger and smarter. Do not accept yourself!¡± ¨C The Whitestorm


    ¡°The lights are back on?¡± Kaiyo looked above as the crowd erupted into confused chatter. The artificial lights in the academy¡¯s vast room had suddenly brightened, momentarily blinding the contestants.


    ¡°The White Storm is gone!¡± Baru exclaimed, his eyes wide with shock as he stared at the empty pillar where the masked man had stood just moments ago.


    When did he even leave? Was it when the lights turned off? But how? There¡¯s no way out, Kaiyo thought, uncertainty gnawing at her.


    ¡°Hmm, looks like he did disappear¡­¡± Sen observed coolly, his gaze fixed on the empty space, deep in thought. Kaiyo felt her cheeks flush as she watched Sen¡¯s puzzled expression, his finger resting on his chin.


    ¡°Ahem, yeah,¡± Kaiyo agreed, trying to steady herself. She got flustered way too easily around Sen, and it was a problem. She needed to control herself a little better.


    ¡°If you¡¯re wondering where I went, forget about that¡­¡± a voice startled them.


    ¡°WOAH, did your techno watches speak too, or is it just me?¡± Baru narrowed his eyes.


    ¡°It spoke through mine too. The White Storm is communicating through this device now,¡± Sen confirmed, his tone laced with curiosity.


    ¡°Young Knights, there will be doors that will open up. Go through a door, and you will escape,¡± the White Storm¡¯s voice explained through the techno watches.


    ¡°That sounds easy¡ª¡± Baru stopped suddenly, narrowing his eyes at the ground. ¡°Guys, do you feel that?¡±


    ¡°The ground is shaking,¡± Hyo pointed out.


    ¡°No shit!¡± Baru snapped. ¡°Is it an earthquake?¡±


    No, that¡¯s not it. THE WALLS ARE MOVING! Kaiyo observed in horror as every inch of the wall began to shift and reshape. No, doors? She stood in awe as the ground trembled with fierce reverberations, the academy walls forming into thousands of doors.


    ¡°Oh great, I love karma. I shouldn¡¯t have said anything!¡± Baru cried out.


    ¡°T-That¡¯s a lot of doors¡­¡± Hana shivered.


    ¡°You have one hour to escape the Academy. And also, I wouldn¡¯t use your Super Sense to smash your way through. Our walls are made of materials that cancel out Super Senses,¡± the masked man¡¯s voice commanded.


    ¡°GOD DAMN IT!¡± Baru cursed. ¡°That¡¯s what I wanted to do!¡±


    Of course, Kaiyo knew it wouldn¡¯t be that easy. If that were the case, passing the test would be too simple, at least for people with Touch as their Sense.


    ¡°Here¡¯s a hint for all of you... What is most important in a door?¡±


    What¡¯s most important in a door? What does that even mean? Kaiyo was dumbfounded.


    ¡°You¡¯re one hour... starts... NOW!¡± The masked man announced.


    Kaiyo heard disorderly whispers from the crowd and even sensed some expressing regret for coming. Are people already giving up on the first challenge? It was sad to think they would give up so easily. I guess that¡¯s also a test. Endurance. These challenges are designed to eliminate those who don¡¯t truly want to become Knights. Kaiyo started to feel a little dizzy from all the noise. She still struggled to control it, but it wasn¡¯t unbearable.


    ¡°Hmm, interesting¡­¡± Kaiyo heard Sen mumble.


    ¡°What is your plan, Sen? It looks like all these people are as clueless as we are,¡± she pointed out.


    ¡°Well, we need to find the door that we can escape through. I¡¯m just not sure what the White Storm meant when he said ¡®what¡¯s most important,¡¯¡± Sen wondered aloud. ¡°The good thing is that we¡¯re in a position where we can split up if worse comes to worst. For now, though, I guess we¡¯ll just have to start checking each door.¡± Sen walked up to a nearby door and tried to open it.


    ¡°Well?¡± Hana urged.


    ¡°It won¡¯t open. It¡¯s locked¡­ I guess this isn¡¯t the right one.¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s best if we split up and search as many doors as we can,¡± Hana suggested.


    ¡°That¡¯s the only option we have at the moment. There are thousands of doors, so we¡¯d cover more ground if we do,¡± Sen agreed.


    ¡°Alright, and we can use our communication device if anything happens¡ª¡± Hana stopped and widened her eyes as she glanced at Baru. ¡°I mean, if anything happens, let¡¯s meet back here¡­¡± Hana winked at Sen. It was clear Hana had learned her lesson from the first time about keeping certain information secret.


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    ¡°I¡¯m ready to go door hunting!¡± Baru grinned. And with that, they all separated¡ªwell, almost all of them. Hana went with Baru to keep an eye on him, while Hyo went with Hono. Although they showed no signs of turning on them, they still needed to be monitored for now. They were still complete strangers.


    There must be some clue that tells which door will open. Checking all the doors would take too long. Kaiyo walked up to a door and examined it. Each door was white, so that wasn¡¯t going to help her.


    What¡¯s most important in a door? Obviously, the door itself, but that won¡¯t help me. She wasn¡¯t the best thinker, to be honest. Sen was more suited for that job. But I want to help him. He always helps me when I need it, so just this once, I want to be useful to him. Determined, she started to think intensely to herself. Come on, what¡¯s most important in a door, what¡¯s most important in a door!!!!


    ¡­ Yeah, I don¡¯t understand¡­ She slumped to the ground with a defeated murmur. She wasn¡¯t the dumbest person and had decent grades in school. However, critical thinking under pressure was not her forte. She often succumbed to the pressure and gave up.


    Maybe I should stick with what I know? That was the only option she had. She planned to use her Super Sense and try her best to listen to what others were saying in hopes of finding any information.


    She closed her eyes and concentrated. Within a few seconds, she felt the switch in her nervous system turn on. Thousands of sounds came rushing into her eardrums, but before they overwhelmed her, she cut them off and urged herself to focus on one sound at a time. As the cacophony slowly faded from her mind, she found herself eavesdropping on a random stranger¡¯s conversation.


    ¡°If only they could just tell us what we¡¯re supposed to look for instead of giving us some cryptic riddle,¡± one spat crossly.


    Nope, won¡¯t find any info there¡­ She tried her best to switch between conversations, but it was impossible to control which one. Dizzily, Kaiyo ended up randomly earwigging another person.


    ¡°No matter how much I turn the knob, it still won¡¯t open. Are most of these just fake doors or something?¡± she picked up a stranger''s remark.


    Kaiyo paused, realizing something from his words. Deactivating her senses, she felt a few droplets of sweat trickle down her flushed cheeks.


    Wait a minute¡­ no matter how much I turn a knob?... A Knob! A door is useless if it has no knob! So that¡¯s the most important part of the door!


    She scrutinized the knobs more closely. One knob was white and the other was BROWN! That¡¯s it. The color of the knobs must indicate whether you can open them or not. Kaiyo tried to open the door with the brown knob. But to her dismay, it remained firmly shut.


    So brown isn¡¯t the color? What about¡ª Kaiyo scanned for a door with a different color. Yellow? She attempted, but the door stubbornly refused to open.


    The doors weren¡¯t just on the bottom level; they stretched layer upon layer to the very top of the room. But surely they wouldn¡¯t place the exit so high up? How are we supposed to get up there? I mean, I guess climbing, but¡­ I don¡¯t see the academy doing that. I need to trust my gut.


    She decided to focus on the lower level.


    All around, people tugged angrily at the knobs, bewildered as to why they wouldn¡¯t open. Kaiyo was certain that once she found the correct door, it wouldn¡¯t be the only one. There had to be other doors through which people could escape. If there was only one, it would be nearly impossible for everyone to use it.


    So, yellow and brown and white aren¡¯t the colors, she thought.


    Unfortunately, no matter where she viewed, all the doors seemed to have those similar colors. Kaiyo heaved a defeated sigh. If it took her this long to understand the hint, there was no way more than a quarter of the people would escape the Academy. She glanced at her techno watch.


    ¡°How much time is remaining, Techno Watch?¡±


    ¡°Current time remaining is... 51 minutes and 6 seconds.¡±


    Alright, I still have some time. As she resumed her search for differently colored knobs, a reflective light caught her eye. She focused on it and realized it was a knob¡ªa transparent knob.


    It almost looks like a diamond knob¡ª Wait. Diamond? Is that a reference to a diamond-ranked Knight? And because it was so clear, it was almost indistinguishable from the other white ones.


    Her heart leaped with excitement as Kaiyo reached for the knob, but just as she was, another hand extended toward it. Instinctively, she grasped the knob first, glaring at the stranger.


    ¡°Let me check that door¡­¡± a girl in front of her spoke in an icy tone.


    Kaiyo was momentarily taken aback by the girl''s beauty. About the same age and height as Kaiyo, with a more petite figure, her long, silky, light blue hair and gorgeous blue eyes gave her the appearance of a model. The sheathed sword attached to the stranger''s waist increased Kaiyo¡¯s anxiety.


    ¡°Umm, is it okay if I check first?¡± Kaiyo smiled politely, still holding the knob tightly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you understand. Let me check that door¡­¡± The girl¡¯s tone was harsher this time.


    Geez, she looks menacing. Did she wake up on the wrong side of the bed today?


    ¡°Listen, since you seem very inclined to open this, you must have figured out the clue¡­¡± Kaiyo deduced with a whisper, trying to get the attention of the other contestants. The girl looked at her bluntly, and her cold glare intensified.


    ¡°And what if I have? Why does that matter?¡± she muttered back.


    Oh god, this is going to be hard.


    ¡°I won¡¯t ask again. let me check it,¡± the blue-haired girl asked again.


    Kaiyo stood her ground. I need to stay strong for Sen. I want to be as helpful as I can!


    ¡°I¡¯m warning you. If you¡¯re not going to move by asking, I¡¯ll have to use force.¡±


    ¡°Wait wait!¡± Kaiyo exclaimed while whispering. ¡°Listen to me for one second! We don¡¯t want other people to find out about this. The fewer people that pass this test, the better our chances¡­¡± Kaiyo said, trying to reason.


    ¡°That¡¯s true, but that¡¯s not the point¡ª¡±


    ¡°It is!¡± Kaiyo interjected. ¡°Listen, let me call my team, and then we both go through,¡± she proposed. The girl looked at her with disdain.


    ¡°And how does that benefit me?¡±


    ¡°The benefit is that only we know.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not good enough. You¡¯re just an obstacle in my way. Why can¡¯t I do the same thing without you?¡±


    Kaiyo stiffened; that was true. In her current position, the girl didn¡¯t need Kaiyo at all. But that didn¡¯t mean Kaiyo couldn¡¯t create a reason.


    ¡°Because if you do, I¡¯ll make a scene¡­ and then everyone will know.¡±


    ¡°Is that a threat?¡± the girl narrowed her eyes.


    ¡°It is whatever you make of it¡­¡±


    There was a tense silence between them as they locked eyes, stretching on for way too long. Finally, the blue-haired girl sighed.


    ¡°Fine, do as you wish. But don¡¯t expect me to help you with anything else. Let¡¯s call it a truce until we finish the first challenge.¡±


    Kaiyo nodded, relieved. She didn¡¯t want to resort to threats, but it had been necessary. Leaning toward her earpiece, she started to call her team. But before that, she quietly turned the knob.


    ¡°Click!¡±


    She was right. She didn¡¯t want to open the door fully, though, as doing so would attract unnecessary attention. I can¡¯t wait to see Sen¡¯s expression. I¡¯M FINALLY USEFUL!

 Chapter 25– The ice queen & memories

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    Kaiyo waited patiently by the door for her friends and shared exactly how she found it and where it was located with them. The blue-haired girl, whose name she still didn''t know, said she would look for her brother and bring him here. She mentioned something about not needing the rest of her team, but I don¡¯t know what that¡¯s about. I guess with that attitude of hers, it must be tough to be a part of a team to begin with.


    ¡°Techno watch, how much time remains?¡±


    ¡°Current time remaining is... 44 minutes and 42 seconds.¡±


    We still have time, but we still don¡¯t even know what¡¯s on the other side of the door.


    ¡°No way you foun¡ª¡± Baru¡¯s voice abruptly shouted, then immediately was cut off by Hana, who jabbed him in his gut.


    ¡°DON¡¯T SHOUT, YOU IDIOT!¡± Hana muttered.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry! But geez, that hurt! You¡¯re lucky I don¡¯t hit girls,¡± Baru puffed.


    ¡°Hmph, you wouldn¡¯t even stand a chance anyway,¡± Hana retorted sourly.


    ¡°Tsk¡­sexist.¡±


    Hana¡¯s jaw hung. ¡°What did you just say!¡±


    ¡°Besides the point,¡± Sen interjected, shaking his head, ¡°did you really find the¡­ thing?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I already checked if the thing works,¡± Kaiyo nodded. Sen gave a satisfied murmur, nodding in return. Kaiyo was expecting a bit more excitement from him, but it didn''t matter; she was just thankful she was helpful for once. This rare occasion didn¡¯t happen too often.


    ¡°So?¡± Baru gawked impatiently. ¡°What are we waiting for? Let''s go¡ª¡±


    Before Baru could finish his sentence, a cold voice interrupted him.


    ¡°Hopefully, you¡¯re not forgetting me?¡±


    Kaiyo cringed as she heard whose voice it was.


    She didn¡¯t need to turn her head to know who those cold words belonged to. Well, I did promise her we would go in together, and I need to stick to my end of the agreement.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but we don¡¯t know you,¡± Sen glared at the beautiful blue-haired girl with contempt.


    ¡°That¡¯s true, but I believe she does¡­¡±


    Good grief, I¡¯m just going to call her Ice Queen from now on, Kaiyo shuddered as the girl stared at her with an icy, burning gaze.


    ¡°UH Yeahhh, I forgot to mention, Sen. So, she and I found it at the same time, so I decided to let her tag along with us.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get this mixed up with me wanting to. I¡¯m only doing this to have a better chance of winning,¡± the girl concedingly replied.


    Sen gave the girl a scornful look with his eyes before scratching his head with a sigh. From the way Sen seemed lost in thought, Kaiyo could only guess he was hesitant to let anyone else get close to their team.


    He already seemed on edge, having to watch over Hono and Baru. So, having another stranger in their midst would only make it harder to keep an eye out.


    ¡°Fine, I guess that can¡¯t be helped. If Kaiyo promised to let you go with us, then it would be rude if we didn¡¯t stick to our word,¡± Sen gave in, then added in a more confused tone, ¡°And who is with you? If I may ask.¡± His gaze shifted to someone behind the girl. Kaiyo narrowed her eyes as a boy around her age approached. Oh, the girl said she would bring her brother, right? A guy with blue hair, too? Huh? Wait, are they twins or something? Kaiyo eyed the identical twin with interest.


    ¡°My name is Ayame, and this is my brother Genkai¡­¡±


    ¡°Ahem, and internet influencer! No pictures, please!¡± Genkai covered his face, assuming a conceding posture. Weirdo¡­ Kaiyo curled her lip sourly.


    ¡°Wait, I know you?¡± Baru scrutinized Genkai, studying his appearance from top to bottom. ¡°Aren¡¯t you like really famous online or something?¡±


    ¡°Oh! I¡¯m begging you, but no pictures, please. But I¡¯m more than happy to fulfill a signature request.¡± He chuckled boastfully. ¡°So who else would like one?¡±


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    They all blinked.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that guy?¡± Baru whispered. ¡°Does he have some sort of mental illness or something?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I think it¡¯s called being famous; it makes people real retarded,¡± Hana sneered.


    ¡°Weirdo¡­¡± Kaiyo added.


    ¡°Woah, woah! I won''t be taking such a level of disrespect! I¡¯m going to make a video about this encounter. I¡¯ll make every single one of you swine famous, mark my words!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, definitely a weirdo¡­¡± They all nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Moving on¡­¡± Sen sighed, then lowered his voice. ¡°I was thinking about this when the first challenge was announced. In the event that we did find it, someone would eventually see us, so I think it¡¯s wise if we create some sort of diversion and quickly go through,¡± he proposed.


    ¡°Wow, you guys totally ignored me like that¡­¡± Genkai feigned sobbing.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but we have no intentions of making friends with other teams. We¡¯re supposed to be competing against each other. The more people we involve, the worse it is. I only agreed for you guys to tag along because it was only fair,¡± Sen clarified.


    ¡°Hmph, I agree with you. I don¡¯t intend on making any friends either. Let''s get this over with so we can pass this challenge. I don¡¯t want to spend any more time with lowlifes like yourselves,¡± Ayame sniffed disdainfully.


    ¡°Woah, woah, now, I won¡¯t be taking that level of disrespect!¡± Baru growled.


    ¡°I don¡¯t really care if I hurt your feelings. Let''s get a move on,¡± Ayame countered.


    She¡¯s so cold, Kaiyo thought. She never understood why people were rude and unfriendly, especially when they aspired to be Knights. They should speak firmly, but above all else, they should be kind.


    Kaiyo herself always tried to be sympathetic and compassionate. Even though it came naturally to her, kindness was a rare occurrence nowadays. If I ever become a Knight, I want to change that. Isn¡¯t that right, grandma?


    #


    In her youth, her father, Asashi, would be hyper-focused on his work as a Knight. As a result, he wouldn¡¯t spend much time with her. It would be a lie if Kaiyo said it didn¡¯t bother her, but she mostly got used to it. After all, it could have been worse, like in Sen¡¯s case, so she was just grateful to have a strong and reliable father. But in Asashi¡¯s absence, her grandmother played a huge part in raising her from a young age. A sweet and caring woman, her grandmother was strong as a bull and carried the Touch Sense from Asashi¡¯s family tree, which ran far back. That was one reason his sense was far stronger and superior to others. Although Senses were often random, genetics still played a significant factor.


    Kaiyo¡¯s grandmother felt responsible for helping raise Kaiyo when she saw her son¡¯s neglect. She never questioned his love for Kaiyo, but she couldn¡¯t bear to see her granddaughter raised by her mother alone. So, throughout her childhood, her grandmother took on her father''s mantle, teaching her everything she needed to know and more.


    ¡°Now, Kaiyo, remember, if a creep is walking up to you, you have to run to the nearest person and ask for help or scream as loud as you can!¡±


    ¡°If you have trouble concentrating on your sense, have some chamomile tea; that will help you calm down.¡±


    ¡°Always remember, if you¡¯re having a bad day, come to me, and I''ll hug you!¡±


    Those were memories Kaiyo would never forget, but they were also memories that hurt her when she reminisced.


    One day, her grandmother fainted in the kitchen while preparing food as Kaiyo headed home from school. Kaiyo called an ambulance, and they took her grandmother to the nearest hospital.


    Kaiyo remembered crying her eyes out in the waiting room with her mother, trying to be strong by holding it in. She waited for what seemed like hours, certain that her grandmother wouldn¡¯t make it. But eventually, the doctor invited her to visit her grandmother in the emergency room.


    All she could feel then was relief. It didn¡¯t matter how long it took; she just wanted to speak to her again. Thankfully, Kaiyo had the chance to do so for longer than she expected but shorter than she wished.


    Her grandmother was getting old, and her health began to decline, showing symptoms of common elderly illnesses. But Kaiyo did her best to help, whether around the house or on short walks to stretch her legs. At night, she would lie next to her grandmother, listening to stories.


    ¡°There was one time when Asashi stopped a large silver-ranked monster from snatching you in our backyard. He slayed the vile thing in a few seconds!¡±


    In awe, Kaiyo would hang on to her grandmother''s words, hearing about the strength of their bloodline. Her interest in becoming a Knight was evident, and her grandmother knew it well.


    ¡°Ya know what, Kaiyo? I bet you can be an even better and stronger Knight than your father.¡±


    ¡°Really? I don¡¯t know about that; it would take me a million years to catch up.¡±


    ¡°Well, you have a different sense, but that¡¯s not what matters.¡±


    ¡°Senses don¡¯t matter?¡± Kaiyo tilted her head, puzzled.


    ¡°HAHAHA! Of course, they don¡¯t!¡± her grandmother laughed heartily.


    ¡°Then what does? How can I be strong and make my dad proud?¡±


    ¡°Oh dear,¡± the old woman sighed, ¡°you¡¯re already stronger than your father could ever be!¡±


    ¡°How? If I were¡­ if I were strong like he is, I would be able to slay a gold-ranked monster in seconds¡ª¡±


    ¡°Slay this, slay that, kill this, kill that¡­ that all doesn¡¯t matter, dear.¡± Her expression softened as she looked at Kaiyo, lifting a finger to gently touch her chest. ¡°That¡¯s what matters¡­¡±


    ¡°My chest? You mean I need to have big boobs?¡±


    ¡°No, no, no! Dear, what has the internet taught you¡­ Heart¡­ Having a good heart is what matters most¡­¡±


    ¡°But I can¡¯t just protect someone with just my heart.¡± Kaiyo was still confused.


    ¡°A sword means nothing if the person wielding it doesn¡¯t have a heart. Your father knows that too well. He would never want you to follow in his footsteps if it meant losing yourself in the process,¡± her voice rasped with a darker tone.


    ¡°So, all I have to do to be strong is have a good heart? That sounds pretty easy.¡±


    Her grandmother let out another amused laugh.


    ¡°Trust me, dear. Many fail that challenge¡­¡±

 Chapter 26– Fight in the snake pit!

    "Kaiyo? You alright? You seem a bit dazed. We¡¯re about to do the thing.¡±


    Sen¡¯s question snapped her back to reality.


    Kaiyo blinked. "Ah, yes, sorry. I was just... thinking. I''m ready whenever you guys are." Kaiyo put on a fake smile and nodded eagerly, but behind her reluctant smile was distant grief.


    Her grandmother had passed away years ago, but the memories always seemed to replay in her head over and over. All she remembered was crying her eyes out. She had long forgotten how or where her grandmother had passed. Everything was a blur; only the parched feeling of her throat and the sting in her eyes remained.


    "A sword means nothing if the person behind it doesn''t have a heart," Kaiyo promised herself to never forget those words. Looking up and wiping away a few tears, Kaiyo stared upwards confidently. Though it was the ceiling she saw, her gaze was set far beyond that.


    I hope you''re watching me, Grandma. She nodded to herself with assurance and stood up.


    Getting back into reality, contestants passed by Kaiyo, completely oblivious to what was behind her. They didn¡¯t even realize the colors were a hint to begin with. Or did I get lucky? Kaiyo wasn¡¯t sure. It was perfectly possible she had just gotten lucky and the colors weren''t indicative of the door being accessible. Although, at this point, it was better than being stuck in the room with thousands of people.


    "Kaiyo... are you ready?" Sen whispered to her.


    Kaiyo focused on Hana, who was supposed to carry out the diversion, and nodded confidently back to Sen.


    "I''m ready..."


    I hope this works. Kaiyo anxiously waited.


    "HEY, EVERYONE!" Hana¡¯s voice echoed in the massive room.


    The diversion had begun.


    Contestants eyed Hana with suspicion as she screamed at the top of her lungs. "I KNOW WHICH DOOR IT IS! SEE THAT UP THERE!?" Hana pointed to the highest door on the opposite side of the room. "RIGHT THERE! THE GOLDEN KNOB!"


    Excitement swept through the air as the crowd turned toward the door Hana pointed at. Some contestants immediately started climbing over each other to reach the top.


    "Huh¡­ gullible," Hana smirked quietly.


    With a swift motion, Sen opened the door and slipped through. It was so dark it looked as though he disappeared. Their whole team entered the door one by one, followed by Genkai and Ayame.


    Kaiyo, being the last, took one final look around. A bad feeling nagged at her, but without allowing herself another moment to hesitate, she walked through the door and shut it behind her.


    Inside, everything was pitch black and eerily silent, though she could still hear the commotion outside the door. I really hope no one saw us come in here.


    "I don¡¯t like this¡­" Hana shivered. "Let¡¯s all hold hands just in case we get lost or anything."


    "Not a chance. As if I would hold hands with you people," Ayame remarked smugly in the darkness.


    "I mean, I don¡¯t mind holding your hand, Hana," Baru interjected. Kaiyo could bet money he was grinning while saying that.


    "Yeah, no, you¡¯re the last person I want to hold hands with, Baru..." Hana retorted, then paused with a gulp. "Baru¡­ did you just touch my leg?¡±


    "Huh? Why would I do that?" Baru dismissed the question, then realized what it meant. "S-Sen, it was you then, right? Hahaha," Baru laughed nervously.


    "Why would you think that¡¯s me? I came in first, so I don¡¯t kn¡ª" Sen cut himself off with a groan. "I just felt something slither between my legs..."


    Suddenly, bright yellow lights turned on in the mysterious room, momentarily blinding them.


    "Oh good god!" Baru cried out in fear.


    Kaiyo rubbed her eyes, adjusting to the abrupt light. But once she could see, she wished she hadn¡¯t.


    "WHY THE FRICK ARE THERE SNAKES AT OUR FEET?!" Baru jumped, dodging the snakes lunging at his feet with razor-sharp fangs.


    "Stay calm. There are only like three snakes," Sen said, picking one up and tossing it aside. "I think we should worry about that, though." His gaze was fixated ahead.


    The mysterious room was a long brick hallway with electric torches placed on each side, giving it an eerie vibe. The floor gave way into a pit a few meters ahead. At the bottom of the ten-foot drop, thousands of snakes slithered and hissed on the ground. Some attempted to climb the walls, but their efforts were futile.


    "If we¡¯d walked a little more, we would¡¯ve fallen into that pit of snakes!" Baru gulped.


    "Hmm, it looks like the hallway continues past the hole; we¡¯ll have to figure out how to cross it," Sen pondered.


    "Hello, knights. Cross the pit of snakes to continue to the next obstacle," Kaiyo¡¯s techno watch announced.


    "Well, we¡¯re screwed..." Baru smiled wryly. "Guess it¡¯s time for me to get out of here and quit." With that, he walked back to the door they had entered through and tried to open it. Baru turned paler with every twist of the knob. "Hahaha, Ahhhh... Why isn¡¯t the door opening? This is a funny joke you¡¯re playing on me!" He twisted it more aggressively.


    "Okay, for real, open the door. I said, open the goddamn door!" Baru wailed, banging on the door. "Why won¡¯t my Super Sense work?!"


    "You can¡¯t escape once you¡¯ve entered one of the doors. This academy is built to cancel out all Super Senses, so don¡¯t waste your time." the techno watch answered.


    "Alright, well, I guess I¡¯ll just jump into the pit of snakes and kill myself. Better than trying to figure out how to cross it and slowly starving to death."


    "No one is going to starve, well, at least not yet," Sen said, a hint of irritation in his voice.


    "Oh wow, thanks for the motivational speech there," Baru remarked sarcastically.


    "We¡¯re going to DIEEEE!" Hono cried out. "But also, being all alone with a bunch of guys isn¡¯t so bad after all," she grinned.


    Baru narrowed his eyes at Hono. "Whoa whoa! Hold your horses, lady! How dumb can you be?" Baru rolled his eyes. "Obviously, there are cameras, so it would be a bad place to do it."


    Hana lightly punched Baru on the head. "You screwed it up again somehow! I almost agreed with you for once! You¡¯re the dumbest person I have ever seen in my life!"


    As the arguments escalated, Kaiyo looked around for possible ways to cross the pit. One might try jumping, but clearly, that wouldn¡¯t work¡ªit was too far. But what else could they do?


    We could use Hana¡¯s Super Sense to throw people across, but that would be difficult for her to control. And she would be left behind unless Baru helped her with his Sense.


    Both scenarios meant someone would be left behind. As much as she wanted to be selfish, Kaiyo couldn¡¯t bring herself to abandon the team, even if some of them were strangers to her.


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    This was harder than she thought. The academy¡¯s challenges were very dangerous... a little too dangerous, if you asked her. Kaiyo frowned.


    She glanced at Sen, who was attentively observing the pit. His finger rested on his chin, eyes closed, deep in thought. Walking over to him, she crouched down and whispered.


    "What are you thinking, Sen?" Kaiyo asked, tilting her head. Sen didn¡¯t answer her question. Instead, he opened his eyes, focusing on the pit.


    She took in his white hair, his serious expression, and his blue eyes. He looked so¡ªNo, no, no. Not the time or place to think about that! Kaiyo blushed and covered her face. Why am I like this?! She hid her cheeks to conceal her embarrassment.


    "God, damn it!" she accidentally exclaimed aloud, resenting how she always reacted whenever she saw him.


    "Whoa, are you okay, Kaiyo? Why did you scream?" Baru called out to her.


    "Oh yeah! I¡¯m fine, I¡¯m fine!" Kaiyo stammered. "Just a little scared of the snakes."


    "Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll protect you!" Baru puffed out his chest.


    Uhhh, yeah, I¡¯m just so frightened of the snakes. Kaiyo grimaced inwardly.


    "Uh, yeah, thanks, I guess." Sighing, Kaiyo glanced at Sen, who was still crouched down.


    "Sen? What are you thinking?" she tried again. But yet again, he ignored her. Kaiyo tried to hide her hurt expression. He¡¯s never ignored me this much. Did I do something wrong?


    Whatever the reason, Sen clearly wasn¡¯t in the mood to reply. As he sat at the pit¡¯s edge, the others lounged around, trying to come up with ideas for how to cross the pit.


    "Okay, what if we create a human bridge?" Baru suggested.


    "And how do you suggest we do that? By the time we all link together, there wouldn¡¯t be a way to cross without touching the snakes," Hana reasoned.


    "Shoot, you¡¯re right. I forgot about that," Baru murmured, deflated. "Hey, new guys, blue-haired chick and the creepy blue-haired guy, any ideas?" He pointed at Ayame and Genkai.


    "I won¡¯t respond to anyone who calls me a ¡®blue-haired chick,¡¯" Ayame muttered scornfully.


    "Well, sorry. I just thought you¡¯d be useful since you¡¯ve got a katana. More importantly, how do you even have a katana?"


    "They allow you to carry weapons if you have a permit. Not that you could ever wield a sword with that chunky body of yours," Ayame retorted.


    "CHUNKY? That¡¯s body-shaming! It¡¯s all muscle down here."


    "Well, disregarding her rude remark, there isn¡¯t much we can do with our weapons in this situation. It¡¯s not like we can jump down there and start killing the snakes. That would be suicide," Genkai chimed in.


    "Womp, womp¡­" Baru slumped to the ground, rolling his eyes. "Why do you two even have katanas? Are you ninjas or something?"


    Ayame and Genkai exchanged a glance, seeming to communicate with just their eyes. They appeared reluctant to answer, which stirred some suspicion in Kaiyo. But to her surprise, they gave a brief response.


    "Something like that, I guess. We come from a samurai family."


    "OI, so you guys are wannabe Knights, I see now," Baru jested. Ayame¡¯s eyes blazed with cold fury at the comment.


    "For your information, samurai have existed far longer than knights. The concept of knights was introduced after the meteor crash in the early 1800s, while samurai have existed since the 10th-century Heian period."


    "Blah blah blah, don¡¯t care, didn¡¯t ask for a history lesson. Just wondered why you had a sword." Baru shrugged. "I don¡¯t need a lecture from a woman."


    "You little shit. Women make up eighty percent of the education system!"


    "Exactly why I¡¯m not part of it," Baru shrugged again.


    "Baru, I suggest you choose your next words very carefully," Hana warned. Her voice was gentle, but her grip on his shoulder was firm. Baru stiffened, feeling the weight of her warning.


    "I love women. Women work hard. Women deserve higher pay¡­" he rambled quickly.


    "Good, Baru... very good." Hana smiled innocently.


    "I¡¯m going to pretend I didn¡¯t hear any of that," Hyo said, adjusting his glasses with a sigh. "Sen, you seem to know what to do. Got any ideas?" Hyo called out.


    Sen remained motionless, before and after Hyo¡¯s question, not moving an inch. Hyo exchanged a confused glance with Kaiyo. She sighed and gave a reluctant shake of her head.


    "I don¡¯t know. He hasn¡¯t responded to anything I¡¯ve said either."


    "Maybe he¡¯s just really focusing on a plan to get across," Baru suggested.


    Ayame wasn¡¯t as confident. "I don¡¯t want to be rude, but he doesn¡¯t seem like the type to be a Knight. If I can¡¯t get across, it¡¯ll be impossible for him."


    "Huh?!" Hana took offense to that, major offense. "Listen here, you little ice queen tsundere¡ª"


    "I¡¯m not a tsu¡ª" Ayame began to protest but was cut off.


    "Oh yes, you are, but I don¡¯t care. Don¡¯t you ever disrespect my brother like that again! Or else..." Hana clenched her fists threateningly.


    Ayame sighed, raising her hands. "Look, I¡¯m not trying to be mean just for the sake of it. I¡¯m stating a fact. We¡¯re simply out of your league, meaning if you¡¯re struggling, it¡¯ll be even harder for him."


    "I highly doubt that," Hana challenged, her tone icy.


    Ayame maintained a composed expression. "I think I know what I¡¯m capable of¡ª"


    Kaiyo held her breath as she watched Hana lunge her fist toward Ayame before she could finish her sentence.


    Ayame¡¯s eyes widened for a moment, surprised by the sudden attack, but then she grinned. From the sharpness of Hana¡¯s attack, it was safe to assume she had unlocked her Sense. However, despite Hana¡¯s boost in power, Ayame deftly dodged to the side, avoiding the strike without any trouble.


    Ayame¡¯s eyes glowed a light blue, indicating she had unlocked her own Sense in response to Hana¡¯s attack.


    Grunting in frustration from her miss, Hana swung her leg toward Ayame¡¯s head. Anticipating the move, Ayame braced herself to block with her arms. But at the last second, Hana switched her target, sweeping her leg beneath Ayame to throw her off balance. Hana grinned, thinking she had caught her.


    "I got you¡ª"


    Hana was wrong. Her foot hit nothing but air as Ayame leaped to avoid the attack. Puzzled at how Ayame had predicted her move, Hana was thrown off balance herself.


    As Hana stumbled from her own attack, Ayame seized the opportunity and kicked her in the gut. Hana groaned but quickly grabbed hold of Ayame¡¯s foot.


    "Huh?" Ayame yelped as Hana¡¯s Super Sense launched her into the air. Ayame had made a critical mistake in assuming her kick would incapacitate Hana.


    Because of her Sense, Hana¡¯s body was far more durable than that of an ordinary person. Therefore, she had been able to withstand the blow without much trouble.


    While Ayame was airborne, Hana jumped up to continue her assault. However, Ayame wasn¡¯t backing down either. As she fell, Ayame unsheathed her katana, ready to block Hana¡¯s next attack, until¡ª


    "STOP!" Kaiyo screamed in distress, closing her eyes.


    Both Ayame and Hana halted their attacks at the sound of Kaiyo¡¯s shout.


    Landing gracefully on her feet, Ayame pointed her katana with a grim expression while Hana faced her with clenched fists.


    "We can¡¯t be fighting each other!" Kaiyo pleaded. At least no one had been seriously hurt.


    "Hmph, tell that to Ms. Snowhead. She started it," Ayame muttered smugly.


    "Don¡¯t even try to pin this on me, you shithead! You insulted my brother first¡ª"


    "Enough!" Kaiyo rarely got angry, but this time, she was fed up with their childish behavior. "We need to work together to pass this challenge. What you two were doing is just a waste of time. If you were really as skilled as you think, you¡¯d know when to fight and when to save your strength."


    After a few moments of silence, the blue glow in Ayame¡¯s eyes flickered out as she deactivated her Sense. Reluctantly, Hana followed suit, unclenching her fists with a sigh. A small wisp of smoke escaped her hands.


    Ayame sheathed her sword and crossed her arms. "Maybe she has a point¡­"


    "Fine."


    Both of them seemed too embarrassed to say anything else. At least they weren¡¯t fighting anymore¡ªKaiyo sighed in relief.


    "Women, hahaha!" Baru laughed, almost tearing up.


    "I know, right!" Genkai joined in, slapping Baru¡¯s shoulder playfully.


    Ayame and Hana¡¯s death stares immediately silenced the boys.


    "Anyway, let¡¯s get back on track." Hyo shook his head, then turned to Sen again. "Sen, we really need to know what you have in mind. You¡¯re never this silent for no reason¡ª"


    But as if responding to Hyo¡¯s words, Sen suddenly stood up from the edge of the pit, the first movement he had made in minutes.


    Something doesn¡¯t feel right. Why do I have a bad feeling he¡¯s going to¡ª


    Before Kaiyo could finish her thought, Sen leaped into the pit of snakes!


    "Sen!" Kaiyo reached out, but it was too late.


    "Guys, quickly, help!" Kaiyo¡¯s voice was urgent. Everyone rushed to the edge of the pit, staring down in shock.


    "No way he just jumped into the pit!" Baru gasped. "He¡¯s going to die for sure!"


    "Sen..." Kaiyo¡¯s heart raced. No, no, why did he do that? There has to be a reason...


    She closed her eyes, unable to bear the thought of seeing Sen surrounded by snakes.


    "Will you all calm down already?" Sen¡¯s calm voice echoed from the pit, to everyone¡¯s astonishment. They leaned over to see him unharmed, with the snakes around him¡ª


    "These aren¡¯t real snakes," Sen explained. "Look there." He walked over to a device on the wall. "This is a projector." He pointed at a circular object near the bottom of the wall. "These snakes are just projections. That¡¯s why I was looking so closely. The ones at our feet earlier were real, but they were just large garden snakes. Not poisonous."


    "Wow, I have to admit, I¡¯m impressed," Ayame said, amused. "How did you tell the difference? I couldn¡¯t even see."


    "Well, I wasn¡¯t sure, so that¡¯s why I jumped," Sen said bluntly.


    "Wait, what?! You mean you didn¡¯t know for certain? What if you were wrong?" Baru¡¯s eyes narrowed.


    "Simple. I wasn¡¯t going to be wrong. The academy wouldn¡¯t put thousands of real snakes in here, especially in the dark. Like you said, if we had walked a little further, we would¡¯ve fallen in, and we¡¯d be screwed if the snakes were real. The school can¡¯t afford to make challenges this dangerous, even with the waivers we signed."


    Kaiyo looked down, her thoughts racing. I can¡¯t believe he realized all that. If it weren¡¯t for him, we never would¡¯ve had the guts to cross the pit.


    "It¡¯s not impressive. You just can¡¯t blindly follow the challenge at face value; that won¡¯t achieve anything. It¡¯ll only trap you in the box they put you in," Sen explained. "Anyway, let¡¯s not waste any more time. We have 37 minutes left. Follow me." His voice was commanding.


    Stunned by his quick thinking, the others remained speechless. They simply followed his order and jumped into the pit. Ayame agilely leaped from the wall and made her way to the other side. They all crossed the pit individually, continuing down the dimly lit hallway.


    Kaiyo couldn¡¯t help but feel a wave of anxiety. Just how hard is this going to get?

 Chapter 27– The White Storm & The White Rabbit

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    <strong style="text-align: center">#Somewhere in the academy


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    A masked man entered a dark and unnerving room where hundreds of computer monitors lined the walls, displaying live footage of everything happening in the academy. Sighing tiredly, he sat down on a desk chair, peering at the screens through his one-sided mask. His attention was drawn to thousands of people climbing walls in a frenzied search for the escape door.


    "HA! LOOK AT ALL THOSE SUCKERS BEING EASILY FOOLED BY THAT WHITE-HAIRED GIRL!" he let out a loud laugh, not being able to contain his amusement. "Ah man, being the one behind the monitor sure is fun. I remember the day when I first entered. Sure was unnerving." he reminisced those memories with a smile, then sighed sourly.


    "Before... that... happened. Hopefully, this time, I''ll be able to stop it from happening. What am I on? Attempt 442? ah, shucks, I lost count." He was speaking out of his ass, and it probably wasn''t the best idea to talk about that out loud. Never knew who was listening.


    "Yep, my paranoia never ends with that god damn eavesdropping people with Hearing. Oh, who am I kidding? I''m such a hypocrite; I have every Sense. But at least I''m not stuck with one! HO HO HO!"


    Yep, he sure was a rather interesting character. Maybe a bit delusional, too.


    "Attempt number 442, huh?" The white storm tapped his index finger rhythmically on his desk, creating a song."Im honestly hoping this doesn''t work out. It''s such a weird number. Maybe I should skip it to 444? that would be a better number. Meh, I already did so much planning on this one; it would be a waste now." He gave out a yawn while looking at one of the monitors.


    "Team Sen? huh?" he rubbed his imaginary beard. "Zizu?¡± The masked man called out; faced with no response, he raised his voice. "ZIZU!! I NEED YOUR HELP!" A young woman with short green hair and glasses emerged from the shadows, holding a tablet device.


    ¡°HOLLY F*CK, DON''T SCARE ME LIKE THAT!¡± He jerked his body as he saw her materialize out of thin air.


    "I was just sleeping in the corner there, you seriously didn''t know? And what were you blabbering about? Attempt number 442 or something?" The short, green-haired woman let out a yawn of exhaustion. The White storm blinked under his mask, and a tiny drop of sweat came rolling down his chin.


    "UH... AHEM..." he cleared his throat. "Nothing, dear, Zizu, I was just thinking about a game I played. I died like 442 times already. I wanna finally beat it!"


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    His assistant just shrugged in response, not really caring. Whew, that was close. He let out a relieved sigh inwardly.


    "Anyway, what did you want?" she groggily asked him.


    "Oh yes," he nodded eagerly, then pointed at one of the security camera screens. "I would like to know a little more about those two."


    The assistant adjusted her glasses and peered at the screen.


    ¡°Hmm, let me check our database.¡± She pulled out her tablet and began searching.


    ¡°Thank you, dear; what would I do without you?¡± the man chuckled.


    ¡°Anything for you, Mr. Storm,¡± she nodded appreciatively before returning to her task.


    ¡°Interesting¡­¡± she muttered after a moment. ¡°The boy and the girl with white hair are Sen Ano and Hana Ano. The girl has Touch as her super sense, and the boy has¡­¡± Zizu paused, adjusting her glasses again as if doubting what she saw. ¡°And the boy¡­ Well, it¡¯s not in our database,¡± Zizu frowned, puzzled. ¡°That¡¯s a first. Must be a glitch or something.¡±


    The man steepled his fingers, deep in thought.


    ¡°Interesting¡­ What about the stern-looking girl and the boy who resembles her?¡± Mr. Storm inquired.


    ¡°Ah, that is Ayame Shinzu and Genkai Shinzu. They both have Sight as their super sense,¡± the assistant reported.


    ¡°The girl presents herself as strong, while the brother seems more innocent and carefree,¡± he observed. ¡°However, is that truly the case?¡±


    ¡°I''m not quite sure what you¡¯re implying, Mr. Storm. Could you elaborate?¡±


    ¡°Oh, it''s nothing substantial,¡± he said with a dismissive wave. ¡°I¡¯m merely suggesting that appearances can be deceiving.¡± His eyes lingered on the contestant named Genkai. ¡°It appears we have quite a collection of intriguing contestants this year.¡± His grin widened behind his mask as he watched the white-haired boy leap into a pit of snakes.


    ¡°Yep, and especially," her eyes were drawn to a different monitor, "Team Nova. I can''t believe that was even possible. That must be a world record."


    The marked man nodded in agreement.


    "Well, If that¡¯s all, I¡¯ll take my leave now,¡± the green-haired assistant said, bowing slightly.


    ¡°Wait, Zizu, one more thing¡­¡± He raised his hand to stop her.


    ¡°Yes, what is it, sir?¡±


    ¡°This might seem like an odd question, but it¡¯s been on my mind,¡± he admitted, fingers interlaced again.


    ¡°Go ahead. What''s on your mind?¡±


    ¡°Who do you think would win in a fight between a rabbit and a wolf?¡± he asked curiously.


    The assistant looked confused by the unusual inquiry.


    ¡°Um, I would assume the wolf, given it is much stronger and larger than a rabbit,¡± she replied.


    ¡°Now, let''s assume hypothetically that the rabbit eludes the wolf¡¯s pursuit, leaving the wolf to starve. In that scenario, who is the victor?¡± he probed further.


    ¡°Well, in that context, I suppose the rabbit would be the winner,¡± she responded, unsure if this was a serious conversation or a riddle.


    ¡°Exactly. In this world, power is inconsequential if it doesn¡¯t lead to victory,¡± he stated, smiling subtly. ¡°However, I am the exception. With abilities like mine, winning is a foregone conclusion.¡±


    His laughter filled the room, echoing his conviction that no one could outwit or defeat him. His gaze returned to the monitor, to the white-haired boy named Sen.


    ¡°Now, Sen, the white rabbit¡­¡± he mused, fingers still interlocked, ¡°how will you manage to escape this predicament?¡±


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 Chapter 28– Bullseye

    "For the love of god!" Hana exclaimed. "How long are we going to walk aimlessly in this tunnel-like dungeon? I don¡¯t even know what this is supposed to be. It just looks like a never-ending tunnel!"


    They had been walking for what seemed like hours, but every time Hana checked her Techno watch, only a few minutes had passed. The tunnel, seemingly made of brick, was lined with torches, providing some relief from total darkness.


    "Techno watch? If we follow this tunnel, we''ll escape this place, right?" Hana asked.


    "I am programmed not to give any hints, but I can provide a map," the watch answered.


    "A WHAT NOW? Are you saying you could have given us a map this whole time? Why didn¡¯t you tell us sooner?!" Baru exclaimed angrily. "You know, I¡¯m breaking up with you, Techno Watch! I thought we would have lived happily ever after, but this has crossed the line!" he lamented dramatically.


    Oh God, I honestly would fail on purpose just to get away from this guy. Hana grimaced.


    "Here is the map. Use it wisely; you never know what''s lurking," the watch said ominously.


    "What''s that supposed to mean?" Genkai wondered aloud.


    "Not that you would know," Ayame retorted dismissively to her brother. "You couldn¡¯t even if you tried."


    "Aww, come on, Ayame, don¡¯t hurt me in front of people. I might just cry." Genkai wailed theatrically.


    "Stop acting like a child. You always do that," Ayame muttered under her breath.


    Hana wasn''t so sure. I see his childish side, but it seems unfair to judge him for trying to lighten the mood¡ªalthough it does seem to irritate her even more.


    Regardless, she decided not to concern herself with other contestants'' family affairs¡ªit was a waste of time, especially since she barely knew them. And I don''t plan on getting to know that b*tch. She almost sliced my goddamn fist off.


    Hana decided to leave out the part where she was slightly responsible for the conflict. She was just too stubborn to acknowledge that fact.


    Maybe it''s best to keep it that way. Soon, it''ll just be our team after the first challenge ends. It wasn¡¯t just Ayame and Genkai she was cautious of; Hana also had reservations about Hono and... she didn¡¯t even want to think about Baru. Ever since they met a few hours ago, he had been pestering her nonstop with sly and immature comments.


    But it didn¡¯t matter. They would have to manage as long as they didn¡¯t jeopardize their chances in the challenges.


    "Oh, stop it, Ayame, come on, lighten up. I''m just playing with you." Genkai nudged his sister with his shoulder.


    Ayame glared at him. "When do you not play around."


    "Plenty of times, when I battle, when I eat¨C"


    "You play with you''re food,"


    "Oh, you have a point there." Genkai frowned. "But comedy is the best relief in any situation, trust me. Just take it easy. Wouldn''t you agree, Baru?"


    Hana could swear she had seen a mournful expression on Baru, but it was so quick that she contemplated if she had actually seen it or not. Baru nodded eagerly with a smile, confirming that it was most likely just her imagination.


    "He''s right. The more you use comedy, the more you stop caring about stuff," Baru agreed.


    Judging by Ayame''s tense face, she was not taking the advice all that well. "How can I stop caring? That''s foolish."


    Her outburst wasn''t directed at them but at something completely different, that Hana could tell by the flash of grief in Ayame''s eyes. Sen didn''t interject or attempt to stop the meaningless conversation, so they just kept marching in the dungeon hallway while the three were bickering about nonsense.


    "It''s easy. You start by just not caring," Genkai chuckled at Ayame''s pessimistic answer. "Nobody simply stops caring. That would be too easy. You just gotta start with fooling yourself first."


    "What I said wasn''t a question," she said coldly. "Regardless, that way of thinking is just as I would expect from you, idiot. You never care about anything. Everything is just so unimportant and careless to you, isn''t it?"


    "Well, that''s a bit mean, I care about a lot of stuff¨C"


    "This is exactly why Mom isn¡¯t with us anymore," Ayame murmured, her words inadvertently reaching Hana¡¯s ears. The quiet comment made Hana pause.


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    I wasn¡¯t going to eavesdrop on their family drama, but I can''t just ignore that. What the hell?


    An awkward silence followed as they continued walking. Then, Genkai stopped in the middle of the brick tunnel, casting a shadow over his eyes, his lips flattening.


    "You know it wasn¡¯t my fault¡­ I was young and foolish. Stop bringing that up," he replied, his comedic tone trialing away.


    "Well, maybe if you hadn¡¯t run off like you did back then... then mother wouldn''t..." Ayame''s voice rose with anger, then deflated with a sigh.


    Genkai stood motionless, his face solemn as he stared at the ground, opening and closing his mouth as if struggling to find words. Hana noticed Sen giving Ayame a swift glance, his usual calm expression betraying a trace of exasperation.


    Deciding the argument was too personal, Hana resolved not to intervene, half-expecting Genkai to retaliate. However, he simply patted Ayame''s head, breaking his immobility.


    "It¡¯s fine. One day, you¡¯ll understand. Let''s not fight about the past. We should focus on passing this test," he said with a smile.


    That¡¯s not the reaction I expected. Perhaps there''s more to him than meets the eye, Hana reflected.


    Genkai¡¯s response struck a nerve within Ayame. Her fists clenched in annoyance, her lips pursed as she contemplated what to say. At this point, the siblings'' conversation had even piqued Sen¡¯s interest, though Hana couldn¡¯t say for certain whether it was interest or annoyance.


    "Sorry to make you guys stop like that," Genkai laughed, looking guilty. "Let''s get moving, shall we?"


    "No, t-that¡¯s alright, I guess," Hana responded without thinking. Genkai passed them with a smile, but it quickly faded before he was out of Hana¡¯s sight. It was painfully obvious he was covering his feelings, playing it off as no big deal.


    Anyone with common sense could see that. Hana wanted to demand an explanation but realized it probably wasn¡¯t the best time for that.


    Gradually, they all started moving again, not even bothering to look at the map. This time, it was in complete silence. Even Baru appeared too uncomfortable to make his usual inappropriate remarks. Maybe that¡¯s for the best. It''ll help us focus more on the exam ahead.


    Hana¡¯s wish for silence, however, came to an abrupt halt.


    "Typical of you," Ayame muttered. "Always trying to earn sympathy from others. Give me a break. All you do is whine and say retarded things, and when I call you out, I¡¯m the bad guy?"


    Hana held her breath as she stopped walking. She could have sworn she saw a deep blue aura emanating from Genkai. A cold shiver ran along her spine. Genkai was definitely at his breaking point¡ª


    "This probably isn¡¯t my place to interject," Sen finally spoke up after observing the argument, "but is that really something you want to say to your brother?"


    "Tsk, I''m not here to listen to your opinions on our life, okay? You guys have no idea what kind of life I¡¯ve had!" Ayame snarled aggressively. However, her display of anger was ineffective against Sen¡¯s calm demeanor. He even let out a slight murmur of amusement.


    "What¡¯s so funny, Snow Head?" Ayame snapped at him, annoyance flashing in her eyes. Even Hana was confused by her brother¡¯s reaction. It¡¯s almost like he¡¯s enjoying this.


    "Oh, nothing really," Sen waved his hand dismissively, turning his back on Ayame.


    "So you¡¯re just going to walk away like that? Hmph, pathetic. If you¡¯re going to confront me, at least follow through with it." Ayame¡¯s words made Sen pause mid-step.


    Did her words finally get to him? Hana wondered. No, it couldn¡¯t be. Sen wouldn¡¯t get mad over such things.


    "Hmm, well, if you insist." He turned around to face Ayame. "I thought I¡¯d keep it to myself, but I think I recognize both of your names from somewhere."


    Ayame paled.


    "I don¡¯t have the best memory, but I think I remember seeing a news article about a monster attack a long time ago. Of course, I could be wrong. But the story sounded awfully similar to yours¡ª"


    "Shut your mouth right now¡­" Ayame¡¯s voice dropped to a whisper, her confidence escaping her.


    "About a decade ago, a well-off aristocrat went on vacation with his family," Sen continued.


    "I said shut up¡­" Ayame repeated weakly.


    "Reports say he and his family went into a so-called safe zone from monsters. In fact, they knew it was safe because they¡¯d traveled there every year or so¡ª"


    "I SAID SHUT UP!"


    "That year was no different than any other. They enjoyed themselves until something horrific happened¡­ Can you guess what it was?" Sen narrowed his eyes, laced with dark amusement.


    Both Ayame and Genkai''s eyes widened in pure traumatic horror.


    "During their peaceful vacation, their mother was attacked by a monster. And sadly, she ended up being brutally torn apart by it. They couldn¡¯t even retrieve the body." They all gasped in shock, unable to hide their horror from Sen¡¯s revelation.


    Hana was deeply disturbed by the story, but she couldn¡¯t help wondering how Sen knew this in the first place. To call it a coincidence was one thing, but remembering such a story from years ago was something entirely different.


    Hana glanced worriedly at her brother. She thought she had known her brother, but the more these challenges went on, the more she questioned how much he didn''t tell her.


    For once, Ayame was at a loss for words. She stared at the ground, her breath coming in short gasps. Her pupils shrank and twitched in horror as she recalled dreadful memories. Sen had clearly struck a nerve.


    "Don¡¯t get me wrong. I still have no idea what you¡¯ve been through. But to be honest, I don¡¯t care." Sen¡¯s voice was cold as he stared down at Ayame. "If you¡¯re using these incidents as an excuse, that¡¯s pathetic. No matter how tough your life has been, this isn¡¯t the place to pity yourself. Don¡¯t waste the talent you have by complaining."


    Sen¡¯s gaze shifted to Ayame¡¯s clenched fingers. "Any other person would assume you¡¯re just a good-for-nothing, cantankerous teenager. But I can see that you do have the resolve to be stronger. I can tell from the bruises on your hands."


    Hana tilted her head in confusion. Bruises on her hands? What does that have to do with anything? She looked closer at Ayame¡¯s hands, and Sen¡¯s observation was accurate. There were clusters of red wounds, some grey and desiccated, brutally exposed on her skin.


    "So I¡¯ll say this again: don¡¯t let the strength you have go to waste. I¡¯m not trying to be your therapist here. I¡¯m just trying to pass this challenge, which I highly suggest you focus on too. If you have a problem with what I just said, go ahead and complain. If not, let¡¯s get moving." Sen presented a false smile before turning and walking away.


    Silence gripped not only Ayame but also Genkai. After all, Sen hadn¡¯t been trying to protect Genkai from embarrassment. He merely said what was necessary to silence Ayame. And in doing so, he affected Genkai as well.


    They both shared traumatic memories, so it would be na?ve to think Ayame was the only one affected by Sen¡¯s words.


    "Whatever¡­" Ayame murmured, avoiding eye contact.


    Hana couldn¡¯t help but look at Sen with a mixture of amusement and suspicion.


    I just don¡¯t get him.

 Chapter 29– Forgotten Memories & the Bearwolf

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    Hana started to forget that awful day. She used to remember it quite well, but not so much anymore. In a way, she was thankful she didn''t have a perfect memory. Hana would undoubtedly go insane if that memory replayed in her mind repeatedly.


    The words her mother muttered that day were now fuzzy and messy, and the things she did after were starting to fade away. But she remembered one thing; it was probably the only thing she did.


    I remember crying.


    If Hana didn''t know better, she probably would''ve guessed she cried for a few days straight. However, when asking her mother this question, she simply replied with¨C


    "You cried for a while, but soon after, tears wouldn''t fall from your face anymore. You would just stare at the ceiling in bed, wide awake. I would ask if you couldn''t sleep, but you stayed silent. I''m sorry I couldn''t help back then; I was a useless mother..." Her mother would sob, reminiscing those painful memories.


    "I-It''s fine, Mom. What''s in the past is the past; don''t worry about me!" Hana would often display herself as strong-willed and resilient in front of others. The truth was she was fragile like glass. She wanted to be in someone''s strong arms, crying within their grasp while they stroked her hair. Hana wanted to feel protected and at peace.


    But she never had a chance to feel that way. If it wasn''t working slave hours to support her family''s franchise struggles and medical bills, it was taking care of her ill mother before and after she got back to school.


    Hana had to be a father for her family in a sense. It was painful and a struggle to keep up with. Her body was durable, so fatigue wasn''t quite an issue, but her mind was breaking down.


    "I wonder what life would be if father was still here. What would life look like? Would he come home late after work and get drunk? Would he argue with Mom over little things? Would he smash beer bottles on the ground when arguing? Would he even congratulate us when we got good grades? What kinda of presents would he buy us for Christmas? Would he calm us when we had bad dreams? I wonder," Hana had said one day while she looked through the window.


    The rain had poured vigorously that day, yet the moon was still out, shining rays of its light through the cold rain.


    "I don''t know," Sen shrugged beside her, looking through the same window from the comfort of their home. "Maybe one day we''ll find out..." he muttered to himself, escaping Hana''s ears.


    "Hmm? You say something, Sen?"


    He dismissed her question with a wave of his hand. "Nah, it''s nothing. I was just gonna say it''s worthless to ponder over that fact."


    "I see. You''re probably right about that," she sighed, then turned her gaze at the moon once again. "Sen, do you still remember what Dad looked like?"


    Sen didn''t respond; he followed her gaze at the moon with a grim expression before finally giving an answer.


    "I remember everything..."


    "I see¨C"


    Sen wasn''t finished. "Except for him."


    Hana tilted her head, puzzled. "What do you mean?"


    "I don''t know why, but when I try to remember him. It''s all a blur. Even when moms tell me his eye color and hair, his face remains a mystery to me. It feels like my memory of him was wiped clean. Although that obviously isn''t the case, given I remember things he used to say to me."


    "What would he say?"


    Sen yawned, leaning his hand by the window counter. "He once told me, ''God gave us power, then punished us for our greed."


    Hana blinked. "What the hell does that mean?"


    Sen didn''t respond and continued spewing out things she had no understanding of. "Humanity itself was built off our own greed and immoralities. Humans kept killing each other, raping, pillaging, destroying ourselves as well as Mother Nature. We don¡¯t deserve to be alive after everything we¡¯ve done. So, God punished us for our foolishness. He gave us what we so desired the most."


    "Huh? What did he give us?"


    "He gave us power and, in return, punished us for our greed."


    Hana felt like her head was about to explode with that quote. "Guess I answered my own question with that. Geez, our father sure was mysterious. Maybe a little delusional, too," she chuckled.


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    "That he was," her brother murmured in agreement.


    "Hahaha!" she laughed more loudly, filling her house with her own cackles. However, her fake laugh soon turned into small sobs. "HA...ha....ha...."


    ...


    "Huh?" Hana looked at her palm. Tears fell from her cheeks, and she couldn''t stop it for some reason. "F*ckin hell man..." her voice broke, trying to contain herself.


    "Cry, Hana," Sen demanded, still staring at the moon. She gawked at her brother with tears streaming down. "If you have the ability to cry, don''t try to fight back. If I could, I would also. Stop trying to be strong for the sake of our family; learn to be vulnerable and weak. That''s what makes people human." He explained with a blunt expression, patting her on the head.


    Feeling his fingers run through her hair, she couldn''t help but think to herself as she cried out.


    Why aren''t you crying, Sen? Can you even cry at all?


    <hr>


    As the group walked in awkward silence, they came to an unexpected halt when the hallway split into two separate paths. Hana frowned.


    ¡°Which one does the map say to go in?¡± she questioned.


    Sen shook his head, looking at the hologram displayed by his techno watch with disappointment. ¡°It doesn¡¯t say. It just shows the obvious routes we took. Everything beyond that is fuzzy,¡± he replied.


    ¡°So what''s the point of a goddamn map!¡± Baru growled.


    ¡°Because If they blatantly told us where to go, that wouldn¡¯t be much of a challenge. They want to challenge not only our senses but our minds as well. Being a Knight doesn¡¯t mean only having strong senses but also a keen and collected mind that will adapt to different scenarios. So, in this case, we¡¯ll have to choose independently, " Sen explained.


    ¡°Blah, blah, I don¡¯t care about all this mind game stuff. I just wanna slay monsters and call it a day,¡± Baru yawned.


    ¡°You probably won¡¯t go very far then,¡± Sen shook his head impudently. ¡°Kaiyo, can you hear any noise from one of these tunnels? You¡¯re far better at controlling Hearing than I am, and more than likely, if there are sounds, that must mean people,¡± Sen turned to Kaiyo, who stammered in response.


    ¡°I-I¡¯ll try¡­¡± Walking to the cross-section, she closed her eyes and fruitfully opened her Sense.


    I wonder what it¡¯s like to have hearing as a super sense; it must be harder to control than touch. Hana watched as Kaiyo carefully and delicately listened to her surroundings. Moments passed in silence.


    ¡°I hear something!¡± Kaiyo whispered.


    ¡°From where?¡±


    Kaiyo closed her eyes once more. ¡°I think it''s coming from the left tunnel!¡± she said excitedly.


    ¡°What do you hear?¡± Sen asked. Kaiyo took one last moment to concentrate.


    ¡°I hear some sort of growling? I don¡¯t know what that is supposed to be. At first, I thought it was maybe someone crying, but it definitely sounds a little odd,¡± she frowned with confusion. ¡°Wait, it''s getting louder?¡±


    Sen narrowed his eyes. ¡°That doesn¡¯t make any sense. Why would someone come in the tunnels-¡± he stopped. ¡°Wait a moment, I can hear it too.¡± Sen slowly started to walk onward. The tunnel then suddenly curved to the side.


    Why would the tunnel suddenly curve to the side? ¡°I wonder¨C¡±


    ¡°AHHH!¡± Kaiyo screamed in pure terror, dropping to the ground at the start of the corner.


    ¡°What? What is it?¡± Hana quickly rushed to her aid. Kaiyo¡¯s gaze seemed to lock on something in the curved tunnel''s shadows. Hana narrowed her eyes in confusion.


    ¡°Everyone, don¡¯t move a muscle¡­¡± Sen brashly demanded.


    It took a couple of moments for her to realize in the shadows was¡­ a MONSTER.


    Its big, brown, squared face twitched, and its large, savage fangs stretched out of its mouth. The beast stepped into the light. It was so big she wondered how it even managed to get in here.


    ¡°A bearwolf¡­¡± Kaiyo murmured in terror. Its large face resembled a simple bear and its body stretched long with visible muscles rippling underneath its thin coat of fur. The monster looked at them with pure malice as it licked its chops.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move an inch¡­¡± Sen whispered, freezing in place like a statue. ¡°Bearwolves are bronze-ranked plus monsters. They¡¯re also deaf, meaning they can¡¯t hear what we¡¯re discussing right now. They also don¡¯t have human sight either. They can only see heat patterns when prey moves, similar to common snakes. Although they appear to be at a large disadvantage, their sheer size, strength, and agility instantly heighten their status to a bronze-ranked plus monster. Just stay where you are, and don¡¯t move¡­¡± Sen¡¯s order wasn¡¯t needed, as Hana was already frozen in fear.


    The monster flared its nostrils, staring directly in their direction. Its eyes narrowed in confusion while taking one step forward. It sees our body heat, but since we¡¯re not moving, he doesn¡¯t even think we¡¯re here.


    ¡°I¡¯m scared¡­¡± Hono breathed, eyes widening in panic. Baru managed to stutter out some reassurance. ¡°I-it¡¯s fine. If it attacks, I¡¯ll defeat it.¡±


    Doubtful, I¡¯m not even sure I can take down that beast with my fists. Hana felt a sweat drop fall down her forehead. This doesn¡¯t even make sense. Sen explained before that the academy didn¡¯t use real snakes because it''s too dangerous for the contestants, so why allow this? This is so bullshit. Are they really tricking us into thinking this was going to be easy? Hana wanted to slap herself across the face for believing such a lie.


    ¡°GRRR!!!¡± the monster growled in a deep, throbbing tone. It took a few more steps in her direction, leading its muzzle until it was only a few inches away from her face. Hana felt the hot and putrid breath of the monster while it sniffed her long silver-white hair.


    She wanted to gag. But she needed to listen to Sen, no sudden movements. But for how long? Are we just supposed to wait here until the challenge ends? There has to be another way.


    Kaiyo respired quietly beside her, her lip shuddering with dread. Screw it¡­ Hana didn¡¯t care what happened to her anymore. I need to put my sense to use, God damn it!


    She tensed her whole body, quickly unlocking her Sense. I¡¯ll murder this monster¡¯s ass. Before she could even think about hitting the monster, it suddenly reared back, almost noticing the strength that flowed through her body.


    Provoked by Hana, the Bearwolf let out an ear-raping howl while lolling out its large pink tongue, revealing lines of dagger-sized teeth.


    ¡°Hana, you idiot¡­¡± Hana cursed herself. Usually, Sen would be the first one to tell her that, but this time, Hana knew she had messed up.


    <div>


    <div>

 Chapter 30– Who Are You?

    ¡°KAIYO, RUN!¡± Hana ordered her. Lifting off the ground, she faced the monster with a heated mien. Her fists clenched up, ready to fight.


    ¡°But what about yo¨C¡±


    ¡°Shut it. You don¡¯t have experience in fighting monsters. That¡¯s why you came to this place to begin with. Leave it to me, okay!¡±


    Hana wasn¡¯t allowing her to respond; she swiftly grabbed Kaiyo by her clothes and threw her behind with one hand. Kaiyo let out a small yelp of surprise before being caught by Sen as she landed. She was only able to lift Kaiyo like that due to her Sense. I wish it''s gonna be that easy to deal with this thing.


    ¡°GRAAAAR!¡± The Bearwolf didn¡¯t allow them to assess the situation correctly. It bared its teeth and swung its muscular body at her. The Bearwolf outstretched one of his paws in an attempt to hit her. However, Hana had enough time to prepare for the attack.


    Due to the violent nature of the Bearwolf and its vulnerabilities, it lacked battle comprehension. It was still brutally strong and nimble, but it usually threw itself at its target without much of a plan.


    The monster also wasn¡¯t used to being hunted by other creatures and monsters, so it was cocky by nature. Anything smaller than itself was viewed as an easy target.


    ¡°Eat shit, monster!¡± Hana quickly dodged the monster¡¯s confronting paw and dove to the right, leaning against the brick wall. The monster shook his head with a growl when it landed. It looked confused where she went.


    Because the monster only viewed creatures as heat patterns, it didn¡¯t have any way to identify or distinguish one person from the other.


    ¡°Everyone run to the next tunnel, except for you, Baru!¡± Hana demanded, taking advantage of the monster''s disorientation.


    Without another thought crossing her mind, she felt power surge through her fists as she ran unswervingly at the vile creature. The Bearwolf swung its head to meet her, only seeing a blob of heat coming its way. Because it couldn¡¯t comprehend the thought of anything so small doing much damage, it stretched its paw out, dismissing any signs of danger.


    Ha! Rookie, eat my fist!... ¡°Crunch!¡±


    Hana felt a few bones in the monster crack on impact when she landed a hit on the chest. The air in the monster was knocked out and its body was sent hurtling deeper into the tunnel.


    Hana lifted her fist in triumph. Hell yea! That was honestly a lot easier than I thought. Maybe I¡¯m underestimating myself.


    ¡°D-did you beat it?¡± Hono gaped in astonishment.


    ¡°Yeah, looks like it. I guess there¡¯s no need for you guys to run. Honestly, it was pretty easy to read.¡± Hana puffed her chest out.


    Turning away from the tunnel, she delightfully strode to her friends. It is weird, though. I expected a little more of a fight. Hell, I fought tougher monsters in the city than this¡­ In any case, it didn¡¯t matter. Hana was just grateful that it wasn¡¯t too hard.


    ¡°Alright, well, I guess the other tunnel is definitely the way out of here¨C¡±


    ¡°Hana¡­¡± Kaiyo''s eyes widened, her face turning white and pale.


    ¡°It''s okay, Kaiyo; no need to be scared anymore, it¡¯s gone. It was pretty close to you, though, so I understand why you¡¯re so¨C¡±


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    ¡°GRRRR¡­¡­¡± A low growling sound arose behind her. She felt, once again, the hot, putrid breath of the bearwolf. Her neck gave a shiver of dread.


    For f*ck''s sake¡­


    She whipped her head around to find the monster staring maliciously at her. It opened its large serrated mouth and lunged. Move, move, move! her mind told her in a split second. Sadly, it was far too late. She didn¡¯t have time to dodge or attack¡­


    ...


    ¡°CLINK!¡±


    A sharp metal sound erupted in front of her. Was it over? Was she dead? She didn¡¯t feel any pain, so what happened¨C


    ¡°Are you going to stand there like a chicken, god damn it¡­¡± Ayame grunted. Hana opened her eyes to see Ayame blocking the bearwolf''s attack with a katana.


    ¡°Well?¡± she asked. ¡°Don¡¯t let me regret this, snowhead!¡± she rumbled. Ayame pushed the bearwolf aside with her sharp sword. The monster snarled in pain as it licked its chops from the wound of the sword. ¡°I SAID GO!¡± she exclaimed to them.


    ¡°I¡¯ll help!¡± Hana got herself off the ground, ready to fight once more. ¡°You can¡¯t kill this monster on your own.¡± She wasn¡¯t about to let someone who didn¡¯t even have Touch outdo her. Her ego was too large for that.


    Ayame swung her shimmering sword at the monster with precision honed from hours of practice and failure. Although it was a perfect attack, the monster had finally adapted to their movements. It reared back, narrowly dodging the assault, only a few of its hairs being sliced off in the process.


    It''s getting used to our movements. Although they have lots of flaws and are unaware of human danger, that doesn¡¯t mean they¡¯re stupid. They obviously learn from their mistakes and try to improve their strategy. It¡¯s weird that monsters are so intelligent. It is fascinating to think they all started to appear and mutate from one meteor. They truly are alien life forms.


    Hana attempted to unlock her sense yet again and attack the monster. However, Ayame had different plans. She grasped her fist before Hana could attack. ¡°hu?¨C¡±


    ¡°I said leave this battle to me!¡± Ayame raised her voice, although she kept a low, threatening tone.


    Her expression took aback Hana. She wasn¡¯t surprised by her brash words, but yet, this time, it felt different. Pure hatred and resolve hid behind Ayame¡¯s pupils¡ªthose of a killer.


    Something tells me I should listen to her¡­


    ¡°Listen to me, snow heads.¡± Ayame cast a glance at Sen and Hana. ¡°I mean it when I say it. Leave this to me, okay¡­ you guys go ahead. I¡¯ve killed more of these than you can think of, and I suggest you don¡¯t get in my way,¡± she muttered, her pupils shrinking to the size of a grain of rice.


    ¡°Hmph,¡± Sen murmured amusingly. ¡°Well, if you insist, it would be rude to decline your generous offer.¡±


    ¡°But, Sen, she won''t be able to handle the monster¨C¡±


    ¡°Hana, trust me, she¡¯ll be alright; call it a feeling...¡± Sen looked oddly calm about the situation.


    How can he be like that? What does he know that I don¡¯t? But he hasn¡¯t been wrong yet.


    ¡°HAHAHA¨C Yeah, I don¡¯t think we should waste our time on such a weak monster like that. Let the blue-haired chick deal with it.¡± With a nervous chuckle, Baru turned around and sprinted away in fear.


    Weak monster, my ass, tsk, this guy. I doubt he even has Touch at this point.


    With a loud roar, the Bearwolf attacked again, but Ayame¡¯s swiftness was far superior. She dodged the attack and let out a volley of small slashes at the monster, cutting deep wounds on its flesh with each strike.


    The monster fell back next to the brick wall, panting. Ayame didn¡¯t hold back. She swung her sword as the monster staggered in pain. But before her sword could hit it, the monster dodged with its powerful hind legs, making her sword slice the wall behind it.


    Her attack was so strong the wall shook, and a few chucks of brick came loose.


    ¡°For the last time, I said go! I''m not doing this to help you. I¡¯m doing this for myself!!¡±


    ¡°Huh? Don¡¯t think you¡¯re going to have all the fun, is,¡± Genkai grinned, unsheathing his own sword. ¡°You guys go! Me and my sis got this.¡±


    With reluctance, Hana gave a small nod of appreciation. Deprived of another question, everyone else started running back to the other tunnel, leaving behind echoes of yowling and pieces of bricks falling from the walls.


    ...


    ¡°That THING is scary!¡± Hono whimpered as they ran.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen them before; I thought they only lived deep in the forest or in the mountains?¡± Hyo remarked.


    ¡°It¡¯s true. They only live in forests and colder climates. But that isn¡¯t relevant right now. All we have to focus on is getting to the other tunnel. I¡¯m not sure why they decided to help us like that. But let¡¯s not make their actions go in vain,¡± Sen asserted.


    Running as hard as she could, Hana glanced back for a moment.


    Those precise slashes, the sheer swiftness, and pure strength behind her attacks weren¡¯t normal. Ayame was skilled beyond anyone she¡¯d seen in her life. And Genkai... well, she wasn¡¯t able to judge accordingly. But something told her he wasn¡¯t just a weak clown like he made himself out to be.


    Just who are you guys?

 Chapter 31– Wounds Of the Past

    ¨CWarning¨C This chapter contains sensitive content¨C


    "Hate is a strong drug. It¡¯ll make you stronger but will also intoxicate you."


    Mother¡­


    Mother¡­


    Mother, where are you?


    Ayame grew up in a wealthy family. Most of it was thanks to her father¡¯s successful businesses. Due to her fortunate upbringing, most expected her to be spoiled rotten, but the truth was quite the opposite. Her father didn¡¯t allow that, and he made sure to constantly remind her how lucky she was. Tsk, lucky?


    ¡°Ayame, back straight when talking with guests!¡±


    ¡°Ayame, you¡¯re doing it all wrong! You¡¯re not holding the cup right!¡±


    ¡°You pitiful child. Does a word that comes out of my mouth process through your little brain?"


    NO AYAME! BAD AYAME! STUPID AYAME! AYAME YOU¡¯RE WRONG! LOSE WEIGHT YOU PIG!


    If that was considered Lucky¡­. then the word''s meaning must have been a complete lie.


    But what could she do to stop that? Did it really matter? It¡¯s not like her father even tried spending time with her outside his business meetings. Even when he wasn¡¯t busy, he would drink until he passed out on the floor or maybe, on occasion, go to underground strip clubs and hook up with prostitutes, completely neglecting any loyalty to his wife.


    Ayame would even feel relieved when those things did happen. Because it meant their house would be peaceful for the time being. A break from his abusive words and punishments.


    It meant she could peacefully talk and play with the people she loved the most, Genkai and her mother. The only reason Ayame didn¡¯t take her own life when she was a child was because of them.


    However, Ayame thought about ending it more times than she could even count at that age. She even attempted when she was five. But the one who stopped her was her very own mother.


    She didn¡¯t quite remember everything that happened that day. All that remained was her mother''s gentle touch as she embraced her, pleading with soft cries she would never do that again.


    Seeing her mother and brother cry was the only reason she swore never to attempt it again. But, If it wasn¡¯t for them to stop her, she wasn¡¯t sure if she would be alive...


    Even though she promised herself never to cause anymore worry for others in an attempt to end her own pain, those thoughts and impulses came rushing back to her sooner than she thought....


    One cold winter, her family went on a vacation to the mountains, where they had another house. It was protected by state-of-the-art technology that would deter monsters. However all of them. The trip was meant to bring her family closer.


    She remembered almost thinking that her father changed his bad behaviors. But unbeknownst to her, the trip was just to solidify a business deal that was in the process. Just like every year they went on vacation, she was too young to understand. It worked out for the best because it meant her father wouldn¡¯t ruin the peaceful vacation she had in mind.


    Or so she thought.


    <hr>


    She groggily woke up, seeing her brother in tears. Sobs of mourning overshadowed his playful and cheerful expression. Was her father beating her brother again? That was her first thought when seeing him weep.


    But a lingering doubt started spreading. He barely cried when getting punished. And when he did, he always tried his best to cover it with a smile, anxious that it might make Ayame worried about him.


    I wonder what happened, she thought to herself. Ayame didn¡¯t like seeing her brother so unhappy. It made her sad.


    ¡°Genkai, what¡¯s wrong?¡± she asked. Her head slightly tilted, which made her long, blue hair slope to the side of her brow.


    ¡°Ayame, you-¡± Her brother stopped, bile rose in his throat. ¡°I-I went alone outside to explore. And I was dumb. I should have known it would be dangerous. A-And you tried to warn me not to go, but I still didn¡¯t listen,¡± He stared at the ground. ¡°I went too far from the house and into the forest. It was so cold¡­¡± His voice quivered, ¡°and I got lost. So Mother and you tried to find me¡­ A-and this big monster came to attack me. You were so brave and tried to fight it off, and Mother was awesome. You should have seen her. She was so strong,¡± he smiled.


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    ¡°How come I don¡¯t remember anything¡­¡± Ayame scratched her head. Her brother turned pale.


    ¡°Y-you were trying to help me, then you tripped and fell on something. And I rushed you back home so you can get lots of rest.¡±


    ¡°So how cool was Mom when she defeated that monster? Where is she now?¡± Ayame looked side to side but was greeted by nothing. Confused, she looked back at her brother. His eyes were dull and hollow as he choked out the words¨C


    ¡°She¡¯s dead¡­¡±


    Huh? That was a lame joke; why was her brother joking about stuff like that?


    ¡°Don¡¯t joke about th-¡± Ayame cut off as her brother broke down.


    Ayames heart stopped, the room felt claustrophobic, her eyes started to blur, and she couldn¡¯t breathe right.


    What -


    No -


    Mother -


    Dead? -


    If Ayame had a Knife beside her at that moment, she wouldn¡¯t have thought twice¡­


    She wasn¡¯t so sure of the cause, but her abusive father started to change after that day, and it definitely wasn¡¯t for the better. Maybe he did, in fact, love his wife and was just a bit harsh all this time. No matter the reason, her father went clinically insane soon after¡­


    She didn¡¯t want to remember¡­ She forced down those memories, but yet she couldn¡¯t escape them. They would always follow her until she died. Her throat was parched just thinking about it.


    Ayame couldn¡¯t comprehend that anything could get worse after her mother¡¯s death, but sadly, god treated people unfairly.


    A few years later


    <hr>


    ¡°Dad, please stop drinking¡­¡± Ayame sobbed, pleading with him. He bashfully looked at her, swerving as he stood up with a burp.


    ¡°If you¡¯re not gonna giv¡­ BURP¨C my bear, I''ll do it myself, you f*cking good-for-nothing child!¡± he aggressively shouted, kicking her to the side with his glossy dress shoes.


    Ayame violently vomited from his kick as she sprawled out on the floor, barely conscious. She lost count how many times he assaulted her, but she didn¡¯t care anymore. All she wanted was to hug her mother. Ayame let a soft cry, her eyes clouding up from tears, and her breath came in short intervals.


    ¡°Shut up, you whiny bi*ch!¡± he growled at her, kicking her continuously with a wide grin.


    ¡°SPLAT!"


    Blood splatted on the floor, escaping her mouth. All she could do was helplessly close her eyes and pray that the pain would end. Her ears started ringing, and soon, she couldn¡¯t even feel or hear her Father anymore. It felt like she was floating in space.


    Was this the feeling of dying? If it was, she wished to stay like this forever.


    Her surroundings remained utterly silent and peaceful, only feeling the warmth of her own soul to be comforted by as she drifted through space. She smiled in the endless white void.


    Finally¡­.


    Peace¡­


    But her wishful thinking came to a halt.


    She started regaining consciousness and her body¡¯s sensation back. She frowned. Ayame had really thought she died. It was unfortunate that it wasn¡¯t the case.


    Before Ayame had the energy to open her eyes, she felt hands touching her. They were firmly grasping her bare skin¡­ the large and brutal hands that abused her all these years.


    I should have expected this from him. I should have killed him when he was asleep, she thought to herself. Ayame wasn¡¯t even in pain or surprised that her very own father was touching her naked skin while she lay unconscious. All she could do was coldly glare at him as he continued, regretting that she didn¡¯t kill him or herself sooner.


    Mother? Why¡­. why are people so evil? I just wanted to play with you and brother, so why?


    What did I do wrong?


    Ayame pleaded to her mother as a few tears dripped down her face. Horrid pain struck from below, and she didn¡¯t want to see the cause of it.


    Why?


    ...Why?


    .......Why?


    If only I was stronger. If only I could have protected Mom from getting killed. If only could have stopped Father from abusing my family. If¡­¡­only¡­¡­I was stronger.


    ¡°Click¡­¡±


    ¡°Ayame?¡±


    <hr>


    Ayame didn¡¯t remember what happened after that. She just vagally recalled seeing Genkai unlock the door and stare in horror as he watched the horrid scene. According to the police report, her father sustained major injuries. It was almost fatal if they didn¡¯t rush him to the hospital when they did. And Genkai openly admitted without any remorse that he was the cause of it.


    After the authorities listened to their testimony and compiled different legal evidence, her father was charged with rape with a minor and domestic abuse, along with other counts of criminal charges. Then, shortly after the verdict, he was sentenced to life in prison.


    It wasn¡¯t an easy task either. The process took years of waiting while their father stood on trial. Ayame would often have nightmares of him staring at her with gleaming eyes while she slept. Sleep didn¡¯t exist until he was found guilty. Even after the events, she didn¡¯t feel relieved or hopeful.


    Ayame became a shell of herself, not truly knowing her purpose in living anymore. She had no drive to wake up the next day, so she usually spent her time crying until she physically couldn¡¯t.


    Ayame wanted to end it all. She picked up kitchen Knives and stared at them for long hours, not knowing if she should. Every time Ayame attempted, it reluctantly ended in failure.


    She was scared; she was scared of dying, but it was just as scary to live as well. Even so, throughout everything, her brother always stood by her side, protecting and encouraging her. On the outside, she wanted someone to blame, so she often ridiculed him for being the cause of her mother¡¯s death.


    In an attempt to relieve her pain, she piled her own misfortunes onto him.


    But Genkai didn¡¯t complain one bit.


    He held them like heavy stones while walking with her, continuously having a smile. Deep down, she knew he was the only person in her life who protected and cherished her. Genkai, was Ayame¡¯s guardian angel¡­


    Soon after her father was sentenced to prison, they were assigned a new parental guardian from the court. She didn¡¯t care at the time. No amount of kindness would change her or give her the will to live.


    Unless her guardian had the power to wipe her memories clean, she would always look at life with dull and cold eyes.


    That was until she met her grandfather¡­

 Chapter 32– Wounds of The Past– Part 2

    <strong style="font-family: georgia, palatino; font-size: 1.3em; font-style: italic">"The body always forgets the pain, while the brain always remembers it."


    A foot-long claw came swerving at Ayame. Her expression from the attack was unamused and insipid. She keenly watched how the bearwolf moved and dodged accordingly.


    ¡°GROWWWWWLL!¡± it howled out in anger.


    The monster appeared aggravated that it couldn¡¯t land one single hit on her. What it didn''t know was that she would never allow herself to be hit by one of its kind.


    I¡¯ve memorized the attack patterns of more monsters than I can count; this is barely a challenge.


    It swung its large paw at her with a grunt. Ayame noticed it from the corner of her eye and attempted to dodge the attack. But then¡­ it¡¯s a feint? Ayame gaped.


    Her hair prickled from surprise. Instead of following through with the attack, the monster pulled back its offensive paw and used it as another stepping stone to lung at her.


    The bearwolf¡¯s mouth swung open, heading towards Ayame¡¯s face.


    ¡°COMP!¡± the monster comped down on thin air¡­


    A split second before its mouth could touch her head, Ayame swiftly dodged. She rolled away from the bearwolf, keeping enough distance to buy her some time.


    A drip of sweat plunged from her chin. Ayame swiped it dry with her sleeve, muttering in frustration.


    Shit, if I didn¡¯t have Sight, I would have been a goner.


    Sight could have many effects and advantages depending on how someone is trained. The potency of senses also relies heavily on genetics, with some being outliers.


    In some cases people have been known to hone Sight to a point where they could predict movements before they happened. Essentially looking into the future for a millisecond. However, that wasn¡¯t quite the truth. It was more of an observational skill and calculating probabilities of the opponent''s movements than actually being able to see into the future.


    It could be easily countered if someone was more experienced. Some people with Sight could even accelerate their mind and sight to perceive things in slow motion. It was much easier to explain the concept than to achieve it.


    Being able to slow down time by accelerating your mind and sight is so rare Im sure there¡¯s only a handful of people who¡¯ve achieved it¡ªthe same thing with predicting others'' movements.


    Unfortunately, Ayame wasn¡¯t capable of those skills at her current level. Although, if somehow, she could possess those godly powers, Ayame would be a diamond-ranked Knight by now.


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    I¡¯ll have to rely on the skills that old geezer taught me. Ayame let out a smug grin.


    ¡°Hey, sis!¡± Genkai called out to her. ¡°Need some help? Kinda bored just sitting around and waiting for you.¡± He yawned with his legs crossed and his chin leaning on the palm of his hand.


    ¡°No, im fine. I told you I want to kill this monster on my own,¡± Ayame growled as she swung her sword to release the blood that dripped from it. She let out a breath and concentrated.


    My sense is useless in this condensed space unless I honed it to be useful in close combat. So the only thing I can do is¨C


    The bearwolf had terrible manners. It lunged at her before she could adequately think to herself.


    This time, at least, the movements of the monster were slower. Ayame easily dodged the attack and slashed her sword at the monster¡¯s snout. The bearwolfs nose came clean off. Blood oozed out of the fresh wound as the monster staggered in pain.


    ¡°AGGGGGGHHHHHH!¡± the monster howled. It¡¯s getting weaker, Ayame realized. In that case, she couldn¡¯t hold back anymore. She leaped at it, not giving it a chance to recover.


    The vile creature shook its head, limping back and forth in discomfort. But before the monster could open its eyes, it was already met with the taste of her sword.


    ¡°SPLAT!¡± blood spilled on the brick ground, and shortly after came howls of agony echoing through the dungeon''s tunnels.


    Tsk¡­ it dodged out of the way. Ayame swung her long hair out of her eyes with a disgusted smirk. At this point, the monster should give up. Ayame¡¯s victory had already been set in stone since the battle started. A mere bronze-ranked monster could never defeat her.


    But if she were to be honest with herself, it was enjoyable watching the monster squirm in pain. Watching it growl meekly, barely able to stand on its feet, gave her a warm, broken smile.


    ¡°Ayame, just kill it already,¡± Genkai said. Ayame could care less to conjure a response to her brother.


    I¡¯m not done with it yet.


    She threw her sword like an arrow, sending it soaring across the hallway until it pierced the monster''s hunched shoulders. It didn¡¯t screech in pain like it usually did. This time, the bearwolf bluntly collapsed on the ground with a big thud.


    Its body was still twitching, signaling it was still alive, although sensibly unconscious.


    Ayame promenaded towards the limp body with a cold and grimaced expression. She pulled her sword out while blood sprayed out of the wound like a leaking water balloon. Some of its fluids even splattered on Ayame¡¯s new clothes, which only further annoyed her.


    This monster¡­ was the reason my life was completely ruined. Her sword pierced the monster''s paw. The low whimper of bearwolf reverberated in the hallway. But to her, it was practically a symphony being played. Ayame enjoyed every single growl and whine of its pain.


    When its agony died out, she gouged it with her sword once more, leaving it to yelp over and over again.


    It''s not enough¡­


    Ayame knew it wasn¡¯t the same monster who had taken her mom¡¯s life, but it was the same species. As long as the beast looked the same, it would give her temporary relief that she was avenging her mother somehow.


    Not enough...


    This exact thing happened many times, but after playing with the monster''s life, Ayame was always left unsatisfied.


    In the end, it didn¡¯t matter how many monsters died or were tortured. It still wouldn¡¯t make her mother come back.


    Yet, her body moved on its own. One after another, the sword continued stabbing the bearwolf until it couldn¡¯t even moan in pain any longer.


    Just like the torture Ayame suffered in her life, the monster got used to it.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Ayame paused for a moment. ¡°Why is there water dripping on the ground?¡± Looking down at her shoes, moment after moment, more water trickled where she stood. Then glancing above, Ayame narrowed her eyes in confusion. Where was it coming from?


    Hunching over, she felt no water splash on her back, yet how was it still falling in front of her?


    ¡°Oh, I see,¡± she realized. ¡°It¡¯s me¡­¡±

 Chapter 33– Wounds of The Past– Part 3

    She had long forgotten she could cry. After all, it¡¯s been about a few years since the incidents. Perhaps the reason she couldn¡¯t express herself for so long was that she cried too much after her mother¡¯s death and her father¡¯s abuse.


    It always bothered Ayame that she couldn¡¯t cry like she used to¨C


    ¡°CRACK!¡±


    Ayame stopped. In front of her face, a sword came down and stabbed the monster''s skull. The little life that the monster hung, too, was instantly extinguished. Wiping the tears from her face, she instinctively turned her head in anger.


    ¡°What are you doing you moron!¡± She growled at her brother. Genkai pulled out his sword from the monster¡¯s head, and an unpleasant sticky sound came after.


    ¡°Who do you think you are, doing th-¡± She froze. Her brother looked at her with disappointed expression. Usually, it was pity, sympathy, and maybe some anger in rare cases, but she never saw that face.


    ¡°The way you made that monster suffer is no better than what these monsters did to mom.¡±


    ¡°You cant compare them to her¨C¡±


    ¡°I want you also to remember who our grandfather gave this sword to.¡± He sheathed his blade, turning his back on her.


    ¡°That has nothing to do with this. Don¡¯t use this as a lame chance to brag¨C¡±


    ¡°Who¡­.. did¡­.. he give it to?¡± Genkai repeated, his voice flat.


    ¡°You¡­¡± she lowered her tone. ¡°He gave the sword to you.¡±


    The tunnel fell quiet. It felt like she could almost hear the people who were still trapped in the room of doors. But after a few moments, Genkai slowly turned his head.


    ¡°Now, don¡¯t tell me when to use my sword, Ayame. Even monsters don¡¯t let their prey suffer,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll always remember what they did to our mother. There isn¡¯t a day that goes by when I don¡¯t think about it. And there¡¯s isn¡¯t a day that goes where I forget what father did to us, and more so you. But it isn¡¯t bad trying to forget it. Mom wouldn¡¯t want you to obsess over her. She would want you to follow your dreams and live a happy life. It''s always too late to change the past, but never too late to forget it.¡±


    Ayame didn¡¯t manage to muster up a response. Her gaze focused downward as the last of her tears fell. Genkai gave out a tired sigh and attempted to walk away.


    ¡°Come on now, team Sen is waiting for¨C¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m scared¡­¡± Ayame¡¯s voice quivered, leaving her brother to stop in his tracks. ¡°I¡¯m scared to forget.¡± Drops of tears splashed in the pools of blood, leaving the sound echoing through the halls. A shadow appeared under Genkai¡¯s eyes while his sister blubbered.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to forget her!¡± she cried, her breath barely being able to keep up with her ugly sobs.


    But then, her tears came to an abrupt pause. Genkai appeared Infront of Ayame, grasping her and slowing stroking her silky blue hair.


    ¡°Genkai, you¨C¡± Ayame fumbled her words as her face was forcefully embraced into his chest.


    ¡°You expect me just to coldly stand by while my younger sister is bawling her eyes out?¡±


    ¡°I-im not bawling my eyes out¨C¡±


    ¡°Then why aren¡¯t you letting go?¡±


    ¡°Because¡­. Well, because you¡¯re holding onto me too tight, dumbass.¡±


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    Genkai shook his head with a slight murmur of amusement. He stroked her hair reassuringly.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay to be scared,¡± Genkai murmured. ¡°But you don¡¯t have to try so hard to carry those memories. Let them go.¡±


    As much as she wanted to yell at him and say he was wrong, she simply couldn¡¯t. She was scared to forget her mother. Ayame thought that if she didn¡¯t constantly try avenging her and had hate brewing in the depths of her heart, Mother would be disappointed.


    ¡°Carrying those memories is tiring; it''s time to take a break. But if you want to carry those around for a little while, I''ll help you, okay?¡± He smiled.


    Ayame buried her face deeper into his chest, not knowing how to reply. All she managed to conjure up was¨C


    ¡°Why do you suddenly speak logically..."


    Her brother snorted. ¡°Come on, get up¡­¡± Her brother held his hand out.


    Ayame was afraid to look him in the eyes. She was scared that his disappointed expression would still be there. But reluctantly, she raised her eyes to meet his and was met with nothing but a cheerful smile.


    ¡°Come on now, we can''t let team Sen get too ahead of us!¡±


    ¡°Fine¡­¡± she smugly said as she stood up. ¡°Thanks.¡± She hid her gratefulness, but Genkai was well aware of it.


    ¡°Oh, come on! You¡¯re going to make me cry!¡± he teased. Ayame managed to let out a soft laugh. ¡°OH! Do I see a smile?¡± He narrowed his eyes. Ayame quickly closed her mouth.


    ¡°No, you didn¡¯t. It¡¯s just your Imagination¡­.¡±


    ¡°Sure, sure.¡± Genkai mused as he followed her.


    Slowly, they walked to the beginning of the split tunnel, where they stopped.


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing they went into the other tunnel,¡± her brother guessed. Ayame nodded.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the only place I could have gone. And honestly, our Super Senses are useless here. We''re like moles at this point,¡± she muttered.


    ¡°Even so, we¡¯re still the best users of our Super Sense,¡± he reckoned. ¡°There¡¯s not a lot our age who could even compare.¡±


    It was true. In terms of raw skill, they outmatched possibly ninety-nine percent of all students. Although, she was still wary of the one percent.


    ¡°You can thank our old geezer for that,¡± Ayame muttered unironically. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to shove in his face once I become a high-rank Knight.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t get too ahead of yourself, Ayame. There''s a lot of strong people here.¡±


    ¡°How would you know? I thought you were talking with your fans while I was searching for doors?¡± Ayame recalled herself splitting from her team, which led to her meeting Kaiyo.


    ¡°No, you left the team and decided to search alone. Do you understand how hard it was to calm down the other people we were teamed up with?¡±


    ¡°I''m not taking any chances by being paired up with strangers. Besides, it''s not against the rules to separate after registering as a team. I allowed the other goons to register as a part of mine only for the benefit of participating in the exam. I made it clear that I wasn¡¯t going to help them pass. Not to mention, they''re probably still trapped in the room of doors.¡±


    ¡°Ironic since we ended up following team Sen,¡± Genkai sighed.


    ¡°That¡¯s different, his team is¡­.¡± Ayame wasn¡¯t sure how to word it herself.


    Genkai''s brow raised with amusement. ¡°OH? What, you have a crush on that white-black-haired guy?¡±


    ¡°WHAT?! NO!¡± Ayame snapped. ¡°It has nothing to do with that. He¡¯s just a bit different than all those other contestants. I can¡¯t explain what it is about him, either.¡±


    Huh? How the hell did Genkai even come to that conclusion? I just met him, plus I don¡¯t trust men. Ayame cleared her throat.


    ¡°Well, he is smart. More intelligent than anyone I¡¯ve ever met. Not only that, but he always keeps himself composed, like he¡¯s decoding some formula to figure out a solution. Even when the bear wolf appeared out of nowhere, he remained completely calm, like he knew something we didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Yes! That¡¯s exactly it!¡± Ayame nodded eagerly without realizing it. ¡°I¨CI mean, yeah, he always seems level-headed.¡± Ayame composed herself. Genkai gave an amused murmur.


    ¡°I heard that!¡± She glared at him.


    ¡°What? No, I didn¡¯t do anything except¡­¡± Genkai paused, his playful expression coming to a close. Ayame looked at her brother with confusion.


    ¡°I know that face, you¡¯re thinking about something. What is it?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, nothing really, it¡¯s just¡­¡± he scratched his chin with a frown. ¡°That Sen guy, something isn¡¯t right about him.¡±


    ¡°Well, yes, that''s what I¡¯ve been telling you all along. He¡¯s different than all the other people.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not talking about that. It¡¯s just, remember when he asked his friend to scout out the sounds when we were walking in the direction of the wolfbear?¡± he asked, to which Ayame responded with a slow nod. ¡°Isn¡¯t it a bit strange he asked his friend to do it while he himself has Hearing?¡±


    ¡°He said she was better than him at it, don¡¯t you remember?¡± Ayame recalled.


    ¡°Yeah, but still, no matter how bad your Super Sense is, I¡¯m pretty sure you should hear something like that when we were that close to it. Not to mention, he didn¡¯t look as if he even tried concentrating on hearing his surroundings like that girl Kaiyo did,¡± he analyzed. ¡°Eh, whatever, maybe I¡¯m just speaking out of my ass here.¡±


    ¡°So, let me get this straight: You think he¡¯s lying about having Hearing as his Super Sense?¡± Ayame asked. ¡°Why would he lie about having another Super Sense?¡±


    Genkai shook his head and lifted his hands over his head with a yawn. ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean.¡± His face grew serious. ¡°I mean¡­ I don¡¯t think he has a Super Sense.¡±

 Chapter 34– Dead END

    ¡°It''s always too late to change the past, but never too late to forget it.¡±


    Sen¡¯s head was filled with heavy fog. He could barely listen to the commotion around him, let alone think to himself. Unknowingly, Sen was strapped to a doctor''s table, unable to move a single part of his body. A coherent thought refused to be formed in his proactive mind. However, a distant thought couldn''t help but recognize he¡¯d been here before.


    ¡°Yes, #299 hasn¡¯t died yet,¡± a blurry voice said. ¡°Hm, no, there haven¡¯t been any unusual side effects yet. Although we always need to wipe his memories clean because he keeps waking up. Truly annoying.¡±


    Sen¡¯s brain gave him every possible piece of information about his current predicament, even though he was completely unconscious and unaware of his current surroundings.


    ¡°Male, sounds... 26, height? maybe¡­¡± Sen murmured in a drowsy state.


    The person who was in deep conversation over the phone suddenly stopped speaking. His jaw dropped as his phone fell to the ground with a crack. The stranger blinked in confusion as he touched his chin, stroking his five o¡¯clock shadow.


    ¡°Ha... Ha...¡± he let out a nervous, sardonic chuckle. ¡°Hahaha! What the fu*k am I seeing?¡±


    Picking up his cracked smartphone, he grinned with a mixture of amusement and fright.


    ¡°What are you feeding this kid, Boss? Seriously, how the hell is he able to accurately deduce my age without even being awake?¡± a shiver went down the man¡¯s spine. ¡°Shit is freaky.¡±


    ¡°None of your business. Your job is just to watch the child and make sure you observe the side effects.¡±


    ¡°Cut the bullshit, boss. Obviously, I¡¯m doing my job, but you didn¡¯t warn me that this kid is¡­ I don¡¯t know, like a friggin'' genius. Was this your doing too!?¡± the man exclaimed.


    The voice over the phone let out a tired sigh before replying.¡°If you¡¯re implying that I somehow changed his brain to become more intelligent, then you¡¯d be mistaken...¡±


    ¡°Then you mean...¡±


    ¡°Yes, that boy was born with that intelligence. I had no involvement. It was all decided by fate,¡± the phone ominously said.


    ¡°You have to be joking. How is it even possible? We¡¯ve tested more vessels than I can count, and all of them would either die right off the bat or, well... eventually die after a little while. So does that mean his intelligence has something to do with it?¡± The man took a risky glance at the white- and black-haired boy. He felt cold sweats drip in between his lab coat from his uneasiness.


    ¡°I have no idea. All I do know is... he might be the perfect *****...¡±


    ¡°Wait, hold that thought, boss. I think he might be waking up. Oh great, here we go again.¡±


    #


    ¡°Sen? Is everything alright?¡± Kaiyo asked beside him. Sen caught himself dazing out. With a quick shake of his head, he attempted to wake himself up. ¡°Did you not sleep well today?¡± She asked worryingly.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine, just trying to remember something,¡± he yawned.


    ¡°Oh, I see. Well, what is it?¡± she tilted her head cutely. ¡°Maybe I can help you remember it.¡±


    Doubtful. He gave her an appreciative nod before denying her offer.


    ¡°No, no, it''s not like I have an idea of what I¡¯m forgetting. It''s just a feeling that I am¡ªnothing to concern yourself with. I guess the sleep schedule is finally catching up to me,¡± he lied. It was apparent he had a perfect sleeping schedule, and he didn¡¯t compromise that for anything. He needed to fuel and take care of his body so he was at peak performance. It didn¡¯t matter if he was Senseless; it was still necessary.


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    ¡°No, that¡¯s not true,¡± Kaiyo puffed, almost hurt he would lie to her like that. ¡°You go to sleep early and wake up at the same time practically every day.¡±


    He was almost surprised she had caught him in a lie. Even Hana (who lived with him) barely noticed what he did during the day. Maybe she paid closer attention to him than he first thought. Sen wasn''t sure if that was a good or bad thing.


    ¡°Well, you have a decent point there. Perhaps it¡¯s something else,¡± he replied vaguely.


    It''s not something physical. I feel like I''m forgetting a core memory. This shouldn¡¯t even be the case since I remember almost everything. Again, I''m looking into things too much. He massaged his temples to calm his anticipatory mind. Ah, yes, the challenge; I forgot I was participating momentarily. Sen let out a tired sigh.


    The map is useless; it doesn¡¯t even show us where to go. It just marks the paths we¡¯ve already taken. I guess it''s to prevent us from getting lost. But it sure doesn¡¯t help when the main objective of the challenge is to escape. I want a chat with whoever organized this exam.


    ¡°If I have to stay in this shitty dungeon, I''m going to lose it!¡± Baru collapsed on his knees, letting out groans of despair. Sen expected spiteful remarks from his sister, but surprisingly, she reluctantly nodded her head.


    ¡°As much as I hate to agree with him, he''s right. This is becoming a little odd. Do these paths actually lead somewhere? This hallway keeps twisting and turning without any reason. It doesn¡¯t make sense why the academy would do this. How does this help us become Knights?¡± Hana criticized.


    ¡°The academy definitely did this on purpose. Being a Knight is not always about being strong and fighting monsters. It''s about rational thinking and adapting,¡± Hyo explained.


    Sen nodded his head in agreement. Hyo is a smart guy. Obviously, not as smart as me, but if you compare him to others, he is leagues ahead. Sen still didn¡¯t view him as a real friend, but he was comfortable in saying he was trustworthy.


    ¡°I guess so¡­¡± Hana murmured aversely.


    ¡°You look worried, Hana. What¡¯s wrong?¡± Hono chimed in cheerfully. She shook her head after a long pause and gave a half-hearted smile.


    ¡°Nothing, it''s just¡­ we left Ayame and her brother to fight that bearwolf alone. It should have been me who fought that monster. Especially since they don¡¯t have Touch as I do. I''m worried they¡¯ll get hurt¡ª¡±


    ¡°They won''t,¡± Sen cut her off confidently. Her sister glared at him with a puzzled frown.


    ¡°How would you know? They could be seriously hurt out there.¡±


    Sen wasn¡¯t sure if she was joking or not. Did they seriously not notice it before? I mean, I told them when I jumped into the snake pit. Maybe they forgot? That¡¯s right. Normal people don¡¯t pay attention for more than a couple of seconds, Sen thought amusingly. ¡°They might get hurt, sure, but they won¡¯t die.¡± He shrugged while walking along.


    ¡°Please explain, Sen, I can¡¯t read your friggin'' mind,¡± Hana sighed. It appeared they didn¡¯t notice it after all. I guess I¡¯ll have to explain then.


    ¡°I already told you at the beginning of the challenge. They won''t put their participants in such danger. Do you really think an average teenager can take down a bearwolf? That¡¯s absurd. Their whole plan, from the looks of it, is to test how the contestants react to situations rather than actually putting them in it. Granted, most people will think it¡¯s real, so it makes for a fun little game,¡± he rationalized.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand shit,¡± Baru replied bluntly, his eyes moving in circles of confusion. Sen suppressed a sigh.


    ¡°You mean to tell me that bearwolf wasn¡¯t real?¡± Hana gaped. ¡°That¡¯s impossible.¡±


    Sen shook his head. ¡°No, it was definitely real. And yes, we most likely would¡¯ve gotten hurt if we had stayed there any longer than we did. But there was one thing I noticed while Hana attacked the monster,¡± he recalled. ¡°First, I was also confused about why the academy would put such a dangerous monster and expect the contestants to defeat it. That was until I realized on the monster''s neck was a collar.¡±


    ¡°What? A collar? Like for dogs?¡±


    ¡°Yes, and I doubt Ayame would have seen it because of the monster''s fur. Especially when faced with such a monster, you can quickly lose your rational thinking.¡±


    ¡°So what¡¯s the collar for?¡± Baru asked.


    Sen shook his head with disappointment. Anyone could piece the clues together by now.


    ¡°Hmm, clever,¡± Hyo murmured, adjusting his squared glasses. ¡°The bearwolf is indeed real. However, they use a device as insurance if something goes wrong.¡±


    Sen nodded gratefully at Hyo¡¯s explanation. Baru, on the other hand, squinted his eyes, still trying to decipher what that meant.


    ¡°Oh, I forgot to put it into your language,¡± Hyo noticed his confusion. ¡°Monster real, monster dangerous, but if something goes bad, the academy kills the monster before it kills us¡­¡±


    ¡°Ohhhh! Well, you could have just said so. Seriously, you guys overcomplicate things.¡±


    ¡°No, it''s just that you¡¯re dumb,¡± Hana snorted.


    ¡°Well, you didn¡¯t know that, did you? Exactly, that¡¯s what I thought. You¡¯re not better than me!¡± Baru retorted.


    ¡°What? Dont you dare compare us to eachoth¨C"


    "Blah blah blah!"


    Please, let this challenge end. I don¡¯t know how much more I can take. Sen¡¯s wish was instantly granted, just not in the way he had hoped. His steps came to a halt, and he was greeted with¡ª


    ¡°A dead end¡­¡± Sen announced. Hana and Baru stopped their bickering almost immediately when they heard his words. The air around them grew silent and tense. Sen let out a murmur of amusement. This is getting interesting.

 Chapter 35– I Always Find Out

    ¡°A dead end?¡± Hana gasped. ¡°That¡¯s not possible. This is the only way out!¡±


    ¡°Aw man..." Baru whimpered. "I need to take a shit too.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for the information¡­¡± Hana covered her face in embarrassment. ¡°Seriously, how can you just say that without thinking a thing?¡±


    ¡°Because¡­¡± Baru paused, thinking deeply about his answer. ¡°I need to take a huge shit?¡±


    Hana blinked. ¡°I genuinely thought I would hear a serious word from your mouth.¡± She glared. ¡°Even in these situations? Really? Do you understand how bad this is for us?¡±


    ¡°Of course I do, and it''s unfair!¡± Baru complained. ¡°The other tunnel, dungeon, whatever you like to call it, was also a dead end but with a monster, so this has to be the right one!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the million-dollar question, Baru! If we knew, I¡¯m pretty sure we wouldn¡¯t be here!¡±


    ¡°Well, sorry, it''s my job to say the obvious in case anyone is confused!¡± he countered Hana.


    ¡°I knew it was a bad idea for you to join our team,¡± she whimpered in anguish.


    Baru winced as he stood up. ¡°You know damn well I¡¯m a reliable person! Look how much I helped you guys already!¡±


    ¡°With what?¡± She rolled her eyes. ¡°The only thing you helped with was making a bunch of sounds!¡±


    ¡°And what did you do? Miss¡¯s, oh miss, I couldn''t fight the monster!"


    ¡°Huh? I was the only one fighting you, little shit!" Hana jumped and tried to punch him.


    But Baru was quick. He swiftly dodged her attack, and instead of getting completely annihilated by her punch, she missed him and hit the wall. The tunnel shuddered from the strength of her attack, but as the masked man said, the walls were engineered to deflect Senses.


    ¡°Why did you have to dodge? What, you scared?¡± Hana challenged.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not scared. Come on, I''ll try to punch you next; I''m not scared of a woman! Equal rights mean equal fights!¡±


    ¡°You¨C¡± Hana exclaimed while attempting to punch Baru again. But like before, it ended in her vacantly punching another wall.


    Curiously, Sen assessed the damage Hana did. Hmm, no dent again. Just like before, Hana¡¯s super sense did not affect the wall¡¯s durability.


    ¡°And also, I wouldn¡¯t use your Super Sense to smash your way through our Walls. It¡¯s made of materials that cancel out super senses,¡± Sen recalled what the White Storm stated at the start of the challenge.


    It only took him a few seconds for Sen to come to a conclusion. I see, that¡¯s what they did. Clever. I guess there''s only one way to test it out.


    Sen suddenly pulled Baru to the side before Hana could get ahold of him.


    ¡°Baru, you have a moment?¡± Sen murmured in a hushed manner.


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    ¡°UHH, I can¡¯t right now; I¡¯m currently dodging for my f*cking life!¡± Baru panted.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter, come here, remember what you promised me, right?¡±


    ¡°What? I don¡¯t know what the hell you''re talking about¡ªoh no¡­¡±


    It appeared Baru¡¯s promise regrettably dawned on him. Sen couldn¡¯t help but find it a bit funny. It''s not my fault you promised to follow my orders like a dog.


    ¡°Now get behind me,¡± Sen ordered him.


    ¡°Are you trying to protect me? Aww, I always knew you were a great friend!¡± Baru blushed.


    ¡°Sure. Anyway, okay Hana, I¡¯m holding him down. Punch him as hard as you want!¡± Sen called out to her.


    ¡°You¡¯re my hero¡ª Wait, what now? Punch him as hard as you what now!?¡± Baru attempted to scramble away from the approaching demon woman, but Sen pinned him to the wall.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me twice!¡± Hana grinned, her knuckles cracking menacingly while sauntering to them.


    ¡°LET ME GO!¡± he cried.


    As Baru was wailing in fear, Sen pulled close to his ear¨C


    ¡°Okay, I want you to dodge right when she¡¯s about to hit you,¡± Sen whispered.


    ¡°Wait, what? You mean you¡¯re not doing this for her¡ªAh she''s coming!!¡±


    Just as Sen had hoped, right when Hana was about to punch, Baru dodged, making her fist drive into the dead-end. However, this time, the wall didn¡¯t simply ricochet her sense. Instead, cracks slowly formed, and it began crumbling altogether!


    Hana pulled back in surprise, pondering how she managed to break a wall that supposedly canceled out senses. Thought so, Sen thought, shielding his eyes from the dust. It''s pretty simple...


    A little while ago, I noticed something unusual when Ayame was fighting the monster. She attempted to attack with her sword, but the monster dodged it. As a result, her weapon missed the target and went straight into the wall. It should have been fine, knowing the wall is Sense-proof, but a junk of it broke off. No one noticed it, and I can¡¯t blame them either. They were either too terrified or full of killing intent to care.


    I could have investigated the wall and attempted to break it, but it was simply too dangerous, even though the academy wouldn¡¯t let the monster kill us.


    Now, the question somebody would propose is, how did Ayame break the wall in the first place? Ayame didn¡¯t have Touch, an offensive Super Sense. She had Sight, which was practically the polar opposite of Hana.


    The answer to that question lay in her weapon. Some expensive weapons can transfer kinetic energy from someone¡¯s Sense into an object. It doesn¡¯t matter what sense you have. As long as you have one, it¡¯ll work. It¡¯s similar to Sense Guns that many Knights carry. It merely transfers the energy of a Super Sense and turns it into physical, destructive bullets.


    In Ayame¡¯s case, it was quite similar, except instead of a gun, it was a sword. Something important to note is that not any weapon had this capability. Weapons that Ayame possessed were only available to Knights who proved their status or wealthy individuals. It was also considerably hard to master. Being able to channel the power of one''s sense into a weapon was a tedious process on its own.


    If his observation was correct, both Ayame and Genkai were on the same strength level as a silver-ranked knight.


    But, neither their skill nor the weapon''s nature caused the wall to break.


    Although the special weapon granted Ayame immense power, that still wouldn¡¯t quite explain why the wall broke in the first place.


    Ayame¡¯s weapon stores and transfers Sense Energy into a physical vessel, which grants the weapon supernatural capabilities. In other words, reverse engineering the energy from a sense and translating it to a psychical vessel.


    Due to those actualities, the wall should have theoretically stopped any attacks from Ayame¡¯s sword because it was still the same energy a Sense had. That meant the actual reason the wall broke down was because of¡­ the wall itself.


    The moment the Whitestorm said not to break the walls, it piqued my interest. No one would do that under normal circumstances, in fear of being disqualified. But it turns out he wasn¡¯t exactly lying about the wall¡¯s nature either. Throughout the tunnel, the walls are built to cancel out Sense¡¯s, but some are the polar opposites. It''s weak against them.


    That meant any individual, regardless of ''which sense'' they had, could break the wall under the pretense that they could channel their sense while throwing a simple punch. That way, the challenge wasn¡¯t only directed toward people with Touch as their sense.


    That¡¯s what he meant when saying they only accepted those with talent. An average person would barely pass the first obstacle and most likely fail when faced with the monster. Now, what can be next?

 Chapter 36– Something isnt right

    Sen shielded his eyes from the cloud of dust that escaped the rumble as it deteriorated. Hana let out a volley of coughs as she waved her hand back and forth to get rid of the dust.


    ¡°What in-cough- hell is this?¡± Hana looked at the broken wall, confused. ¡°Did my super sense become so strong it obliterated a Super Sense canceling wall? Wow, I¡¯m improving.¡±


    Sen couldn¡¯t see any natural light due to the cloud of debris blocking his vision, which meant they didn¡¯t reach the outside yet. If that¡¯s the actual destination¡­


    Expecting some monsters in the room, Sen tensed up, looking warily around him as if something was going to catch him by surprise. But his muscles soon lessened once he realized what subsisted beyond the brick wall. A ba¨C?


    ¡°A bar?¡± Baru exclaimed his thought before he could finish it. ¡°Hell ya! I was just getting tired, too.¡± Baru didn¡¯t utter another word before fruitfully bouncing into the known area.


    "Wait, you idiot, what if it''s a trap!¡± Hana urgently called out. Faced with no response from Baru, she sighed and ran after him. The rest of his team followed suit as he warily stayed behind and arbitrated the space.


    Just as Baru had stated, the room was a dimly lit bar. It was identical to the standards of one as well. Soft sofas, along with small tables, were spread throughout the room. In the middle was a tall donut-shaped table with matching chairs all around it, and residing in it was a muscular barista.


    Sen furrowed his brow in confusion. He never expected a person who looked like that would become a barista. The man''s muscles were practically popping out of his formal attire. From a rough estimation, he stood at around 200 centimeters tall, around 6¡¯6. His head was completely bald, and he had a thick blonde mustache, which he fidgeted with. Slow jazz music played in the bar''s background when Sen finally decided to step in.


    The contrast in the atmosphere from just moments ago gave Sen¡¯s brain a run for its money. I never expected this was going to be behind the brick wall. Apparently, it didn¡¯t matter how smart or rational Sen was. Unpredictable instances were inevitable. But why? A bar? Seriously, a bar?


    It wasn¡¯t many times when Sen lost his composer, either that being in his head or verbally showing it. But at this moment, he was thrown completely off track. Fortunately, it was needless to question himself any longer as Baru confronted the large barista.


    ¡°Hey there, big guy, can I get an orange cocktail, ohh, and maybe a beer too, thanks.¡±


    Alright, maybe I should do the questioning, Sen sighed inwardly.


    The barista let out a small chuckle. ¡°Sorry, you don¡¯t seem of age yet. Could I interest you in our dinner menu, though? Those are kid-friendly.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, do you have some burgers and some fries? Maybe some onion rings, too?¡±


    ¡°Certainly, young master, your order will be on its way¨C¡±


    ¡°Cut the bullshit!¡± Hana barked. ¡°I need some answers, Mr. Muscle Man; what is this? Where are we? And also, who in the hell are you?!¡±


    The barista looked suspiciously at them as if they were dumb, then cleared his throat.


    ¡°I have a name, you know? This generation and their manners, I swear. It''s Mr. Gyro to you. And isn¡¯t it obvious? You all passed the challenge, obviously? What else did you think?¡±


    They all stared astonishingly at him, their jaws practically on the floor from shock, except for Baru, who just lazily sat on the chair, picking his nose.


    ¡°Haha, sick.¡±


    ¡°NO, ¡®haha sick¡¯¡± Hana mocked Baru. ¡°What do you mean? This is it? We passed the challenge? Like seriously, no more?¡± Hana''s expression was a mix of excitement from passing the challenge and also confusion.


    Gyro nodded his head at them reassuringly. "Yep, congratulations! It''s a big achievement. This is your very own personal waiting room until the second challenge begins! Rest up, eat, and recuperate; you¡¯ll need it!¡± The bald man flexed his muscles as he congratulated them, his shirt tightening as they rippled throughout his body.


    ¡°Holly hell, you¡¯re jacked, bro!¡± Baru¡¯s eyes lid up. ¡°Feel my arm. Am I pretty solid for my age?¡±


    ¡°Wow, you¡¯re pretty muscular for a youngin. You might even be like me someday! HOO HO HO!!!¡± Both Baru and the barista continued doing gym poses for far too long.


    Hana looked at them with disgust. ¡°What am I witnessing?¡±


    Sen stared keenly at the barista with a blank expression. Thoughts looped around his brain, and his face showed no signs of accomplishment or relief. His team exchanged cheerful congratulations with each other, and even Hyo, who always thought rationally, appeared enthusiastic.


    This doesn''t feel right... Something is off, and I can''t tell what it is. Sen unnervingly looked at his surroundings, preparing for an ambush of some sort. But yet, nothing came. The soft jazz still played calmly in the background as he whipped his head back and forth like a schizophrenic person.


    The end of the challenge? Huh? If only there was a way to make sure. Upon pondering that, Sen suddenly had an idea. Lifting his wrist, he glanced at his techno watch and commanded¨C


    "Techo watch? How many more minutes left?"


    ...


    No response? And it''s not even turning on? Sen examined the watch more extensively before concluding. It''s completely dead. That doesn''t make any Sense. I''m sure the academy is using time as a baseline to determine how successful each team is. Not to mention track their progress. So why did the main tracking and security asset of the academy suddenly stop working?


    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Sen started peering at his teammate''s techo watches as they congratulated each other. He quickly noticed that none of them had a distinct red light that indicated it was turned on.


    All of them are off? he realized. Interesting.


    In between his deep thoughts, Hono started approaching him with a bright grin.


    I really don''t have time for this.


    ¡°We did it!¡± Hono exclaimed, hopping eagerly to Sen, her light red eyes gleaming in the dimly lit room. ¡°You were so smart, Sen. Thank you so much for taking me on your Team.¡± She suddenly grabbed his arm and held it affectionately, her cheeks turning a rose pink. "You always seem to know exactly what to do and how to do it.¡±


    Hono was acting very unusually. Even though she naturally sounded energetic, her current display of affection toward him made Sen furrow his brow in confusion.


    Hono lifted her resting forehead from his chest and gazed up at him. She bit her lower lip and pulled up to whisper in his ear¨C


    "I really like you¡­"


    The next moment, Sen felt warm lips touch his left cheek. Pulling down, Hono''s face was red as a tomato, but regardless, she still cheekily looked at him with confident features.


    ...


    Sen body suddenly froze, and it wasn¡¯t because he was flustered either. It felt like he couldn¡¯t control his body correctly. He wanted to reply to Hono, yet¡­ something deep within him growled. A sentence so dark and grueling, Sen would never actually say it to someone. But he had no control over his lips and speech. Sen¡¯s body unwillingly pulled close to Hono¡¯s ear, and he whispered to her with a pure evil grin.


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk when I¡¯m thinking...¡±


    An eerie, vile presence drowned the room''s excited conversations. Hono eyes were strained open, and her mouth quivered violently. She fell to the ground with a small thud and posed there, kneeling to him. Hono barely had the confidence to breathe, let alone look at him directly.


    This sensation felt similar to the times he had before. It felt like he was eating something, except it wasn¡¯t filling his stomach but his soul. Sen¡¯s mind went blank and he lavished the sensation of the fear coming from Hono.


    Good¡­. Good¡­ wait- what am I?


    Sen suddenly felt conscious of what he actually did. Shaking his head violently to get rid of those egregious thoughts, he crouched down to Hono and helped her up. Hono¡¯s face turned from embarrassingly red to pale white. Her chest barely raised, which meant subconsciously, she was holding her breath. The cause of it? He wasn¡¯t sure. All he knew was Hono appeared scared¡­. very scared.


    Was it because I said that? No, it should¡¯ve been. Moreover, why did I say it to begin with? Sen thought.


    He had no control over what he said or did at that moment. His mind went blank, and it felt like someone else was controlling it. But he still felt that gleeful sensation as he watched her shudder in fear.


    Why does this keep happening to me? I understand once, but at this point, it shouldn¡¯t be a coincidence. And what¡¯s more odd is that the person in contact with me is also affected when it occurs. They have the same expression as Hono; they¡¯re tired and scared.


    Something wasn¡¯t right, and he wanted to find out as soon as he could. But now, there wasn¡¯t any time for that; He needed to solve a new problem he had just made.


    The good news was the rest of his team didn¡¯t seem to notice Hono fall to the ground and kneel to him due to the room being dark and dim.


    That¡¯ll save me some explaining, but now I need to deal with Hono. She¡¯ll be scared and tell the rest of the team about what I accidentally said to her, which isn¡¯t the best look, especially since I have no excuse. It''s best to convince Hono to keep her mouth shut about this. But no matter what excuse I make, it won''t stop her from running her mouth. I have to do something that would shock her into silence. Perhaps making it too embarrassing to retell to someone else?


    Sen gently lifted Hono¡¯s chin with his slightly curled index finger, her lips still quivering from fear while she innocently looked up at him. He proceeded to lean his head in and nonchalantly kiss her on the lips.


    She was too shocked to resist, so Sen took that as an initiative to make the most out of it. The kiss wasn¡¯t for very long, although it seemed to do the trick.


    Releasing his mouth from hers, he wiped his mouth clean with his long-sleeved shirt. Hono was gazing up at him with shock, her pale skin suddenly bursting with red color.


    Sen waited a few moments to see if he felt anything different. Hmph, still nothing; I guess I wasn¡¯t happy, huh? I mean, if I had to compare kissing Hono to the feeling I had when seeing fear in her, I would be lying if I said kissing Hono made me feel happier. Although I still don¡¯t understand what caused me to enjoy seeing the fear in her eyes. I heard serial killers enjoy seeing their prey fear before killing them, but I know im certainly not a serial killer.


    Sen had been feeling odd for quite some time now, like his emotions were altering in the way. He caught himself enjoying things he never did in the past. And the opposite could also be true. Sen wanted to ponder on that topic for far longer, but he realized he had more important things to attend to. Besides, the kiss was to shut her up because I carelessly lost control over myself a few seconds ago, not to test if I got anything out of it.


    And just like Sen had hoped, his plan did the trick. Maybe a little too well. He certainly shut her up, but at this point, Hono seemed still like a statue.


    ¡°Hono?¡± Sen tapped her shoulder lightly. Hono jerked up in response, her face almost bursting like a volcano.


    ¡°I-I-I-I-¡­..¡± she stammered. Sen wasn¡¯t aware that stuttering to her length was even humanly possible, but he was quickly proven wrong.


    Is she that flustered just from the kiss? Is this with every girl? I wonder if Kaiyo would have the same reaction, better yet, a stranger on the street. Sen had no urge to perform it. He was just intrigued by the reaction.


    ¡°W-w-w-w-w-why¡­.¡± Hono heaved a breath between her stutters, ¡°did you just kiss me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I did. Should I have not?¡± Sen flatly responded.


    ¡°Um¡­ no- of course not, it¡¯s just, I wasn¡¯t expecting it, that¡¯s all¡­¡±


    "Hmm? Didn''t you say you really liked me? Or does really liking someone mean something different than I thought?"


    "No, what? What else can ''I really like you'' even mean? And I said it because he told¡­" she stopped, briefly returning to her statue state. "I said it because, yes, I do really like you." She fidgeted her foot, cutely avoiding his gaze. Sen was captivated by her looks, but her sentence felt a little off.


    Half of her sentence felt different, and the other felt like her usual self. Not to mention, her sentence included, "And I said it because he told," indicating someone told her to tell me that. But Hono also denied it in her second sentence. Coincidently, that''s when the tone of her voice changed. Odd.


    Of course, he could have looked too much into her demeanor like he usually did. All Sen could do at the moment was make a mental note. I''m probably overthinking things.


    ¡°Hey, wutcha guys talking about there?¡± Hana waved her hand from the bar seat. ¡°Are you guys gonna order some food, or?¡±


    ¡°H-huh? O-oh yeah, of course! IM STARVING!¡± Hono cleared her throat with a low grumble before walking to the bar''s island and sitting next to Hana. Sen caught her taking a quick glance at him, then quickly sifting her gaze away with a flustered expression.


    Sen wasn¡¯t sure if he was satisfied with his actions. On one hand, it did appear she wasn¡¯t going to blabbermouth to the rest of the team. On the other, it felt like he was getting more questions and suspicions given to him at the same time...

 Chapter 37– You Cant Fool Me

    Deciding not to tread on the topic any further, Sen walked up to his team and sat down to join them. Hana was in deep thought while reading the menu of the bar, briefly flipping through pages in hopes of finding something she wanted to eat.


    This feels weird. I''m usually not the emotional type, but I have a good sense of when things are off, and this is definitely one of them. Sen couldn¡¯t describe the feeling and put it into words. It simply felt like his whole body was on edge for some reason. But when he skimmed through his team, they casually exchanged what they sought to eat, hardly like they had a care in the world.


    Am I the only one?


    Observing a little further, he noticed Hono flipping through the menu pages, yet her eyes remained completely still as if attempting to make it seem like she was reading. Sen wondered momentarily if she also felt the same but quickly dismissed the thought.


    She¡¯s most likely acting weird because of embarrassment, he concluded.


    ¡°Would you guys like to order now?¡± Gyro inquired, washing cups as he spoke. Baru eagerly nodded with a grin.


    ¡°Gimme a big burger and some fries, please. Today¡¯s my cheat day.¡± He kissed his biceps.


    ¡°Ho ho! Gotta keep that motivation going; remember not to have too many carbs if you¡¯re cutting,¡± the barista murmured with amusement.


    ¡°Trust me, I take care of my body better than I take care of my mental health.¡±


    ¡°I feel like that¡¯s a lie. You seem too much of a blockhead even to get depressed,¡± Hana snorted.


    Baru gasped with hurt. ¡°Did you just make fun of mental illness? Somebody, please cancel her!"


    ¡°Oh wow, when I make one dark joke, you all go wild, but when you borderline harass me, it''s perfectly fine? The double standards are crazy.¡±


    ¡°Nah, it''s okay when I do it because it¡¯s actually funny. But it''s never funny when a woman does it. Ya''ll don¡¯t have that talen¨C¡±


    Sen decided to turn his head away from them. All he heard after Baru¡¯s following words were a few punches, sounds of snapping chairs, and most importantly, cries of agony that were being inflicted by Hana.


    Not that he¡¯ll get very hurt. People with Touch can cultivate their powers to a point where they can withstand bullets even without activating their Sense. That¡¯s one of the reasons it''s debated as the most powerful super sense.


    However, getting to that level was extremely difficult. But at its core, all Sense¡¯s affect a person¡¯s body to some extent, even without activating them. To further strengthen those changes, however, was similar to cultivating a Super Sense. He wasn¡¯t too sure if making a Sense stronger would automatically make the body stronger.


    In the past, doing research on these topics didn¡¯t intrigue him, but now, since circumstances have changed, he would need to do extensive research regarding them.


    If I pass, that is. I¡¯ll only have one real shot at becoming a knight. Asashi Is bound to pull something out of his ass and blacklist me from attending. It isn¡¯t really that hard to do. Of course, it isn¡¯t fair, but the government as a whole is comprised of lies and injustice. He¡¯s a high-ranking individual as well, so he knows that more than anyone else. If I play my cards right, I can use Kaiyo to my advantage to bypass her father. Albeit, realistically, I only have one chance since Asashi wasn¡¯t expecting this. The next time, I doubt I''ll be as luck¨C


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    ¡°What would you like to eat, erm¨C what''s your name again, youngin?¡± Gyro''s question jerked him back into reality. Sen wasn¡¯t really inclined to respond; The muscular barista had rudely interrupted his thought process. Sen lifted his head to meet his demanding gaze.


    Gyro flinched momentarily, his pupils shrinking with fear. Muscles rippled beneath his attire as he tensed up. The glass cup he was carefully drying with a cloth shattered in the palm of his hand, resulting in strays of glass pieces flying everywhere. Gyro grunted darkly as if his own body were moving on its own. His expression turned savage, that of a man who¡¯d seen the battlefield a thousand times over.


    The very own palm that destroyed the glass cup a second ago was now lurching towards Sen¨C


    ¡°Oh, I apologize for the mess¡­¡± Gyro¡¯s powerful and challenging fa?ade disappeared so fast that Sen wondered if he even saw it in the first place. The clutched-up hand that was headed straight toward Sen¡¯s face was keenly redirected to the ground as if he was merely picking up his mess behind the counter.


    ¡°Oh no, do you need help cleaning that up?¡± Kaiyo offered after hearing the glass cup shatter.


    Gyro shook his head. ¡°No need. This was solely my fault. Dear, I guess I must check my eyesight. I¡¯ve been getting slightly clumsy lately, Ho Ho Ho.¡± He warmly replied, absent of any sign of anger or distress.


    ¡°Well, if you insist, however, please feel no pressure about getting our food right away. You should take care of your injuries from the broken glass that went everywhere; you were quite close to it.¡±


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re a sweet girl, but I assure you I¡¯m quite alright. See?¡± Gyro lifted both his palms up, and to Sen¡¯s astonishment, they were both unscathed. ¡°No scratches, I¡¯m quite alright. In fact, I¡¯m more worried about you,¡± he keenly shifted his gaze at Sen, a large fake smile plastered across his face.


    Everything happened so quickly that the others didn¡¯t even see he attempted to hit me. His movement was so fluid and precise that if he truly wanted to, my head would have been separated from my body in an instant; who was this man? And why did he want to decapitate him after Sen had just glanced at him?


    Sen was more confused than scared, but the lingering thought that his life would have been over in an instant gave him a shiver, one that he¡¯d never had before. Sen calmly looked at Gyro as if nothing had happened and returned his fake smile.


    ¡°No worries, Mr Gyro, mistakes happen, and I promise I didn¡¯t get hurt anywhere. I do really appreciate the concern, though.¡±


    ¡°Oh well, that¡¯s a relief!¡± He let out a thankful laugh. ¡°I sure wouldn¡¯t want to injure one of the contestants; that¡¯s an easy way to get fired!¡±


    ¡°Of course not; that certainly would be a bummer!¡± Sen joined in his fake laughter. His team Gawked at him with wide eyes, not even knowing he was capable of smiling.


    Of course, they were somewhat right; his laughter was completely fake. Pausing his laughter momentarily, Sen asked Gyro, ¡°Say, Mr Gyro? Is your job really to serve the contestants? You sure do seem more capable than doing this grunt work.¡±


    The fake smile Gyro was holding glitched for a moment, but then he quickly recovered and returned back to his original state.


    ¡°Pardon? I am not too sure what you mean, young man,¡± Gyro''s emphasis on ¡®young man¡¯ sounded like a threat to him. Attentively intertwining his fingers, Sen grew serious.


    I finally realized who you are and what exactly is going on here. I¡¯ll make sure you show your true colors. But If I¡¯m correct, we don¡¯t have much time. Hmph, the academy is a bunch of sneaky bastards. I certainly didn¡¯t expect the academy to go to this extent. I mean, they are really deceitful.


    Sen almost wanted to laugh amusingly. A dark blue hue exuded his body, a presence that no one could physically see, yet the room grew grim as a result. Everyone felt a shiver run down their spine from unease, but none decided to speak out about it. Gyro gawked at Sen, bearing a tense mien. Deep inside him, the barista was certain the source of the eerie sensation was from the young white-black-haired boy.


    Deciding to put some space between them, Gyro cautiously treaded away from him.


    But then¨C


    ¡°Gyro,¡± Sen started calmly, a fake smile daubed on his face, ¡°where are you from?¡±

 Chapter 38– The Final Challenge

    Gyro didn¡¯t turn around after a few moments of hesitancy; then, mirroring Sen¡¯s fake fa?ade, he met eyes with him.


    ¡°I¡¯m from Italy,¡± he responded, then added, ¡°If that¡¯s all, I''ll be taking my leave. I need to give the kitchen your orders. Rest up, folks! You have a long day ahead of you! Ho ho!¡±


    ¡°I can eat a cow right now. I''m so hungry!¡± Baru¡¯s mouth was lavished with anticipation.


    Noticing how Gyro planned to part ways with them, Sen raised his hand to catch his attention. You¡¯re not leaving that easily, Sen thought to himself.


    ¡°Really, Italy? I heard their cuisines are fantastic. Actually, I studied quite a bit about that place. It was actually one of the first countries to establish the AOK, wasn''t it?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, it seems you¡¯re quite well-informed, young man. Yes, you are correct. In the early 1900s, the Administration of Knights started its sovereign rulership, along with its close neighboring countries, Switzerland, and France.¡±


    ¡°Sovereign rulership?¡± Sen echoed his words, playing off like he didn¡¯t understand them.


    ¡°Yes, sovereign rulership is basically another term for a country that has its own independent government, and citizens abide by their policies and laws. Which is every single country now, but it used to be quite rare. In other words, the AOK was a government that was founded by Italy and was adopted by the rest of the world as a new defense system. Of course, now governments and the AOK are two separate entities, but they do work in unison to keep their citizens safe.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Sen murmured in understanding. ¡°Speaking of sovereign rulership, wasn''t there a country that fought in the last world war? If I¡¯m not mistaken, they were being attacked by Italy''s army when the AOK was in power.¡±


    A shadow passed over Gyro¡¯s expression, a small vein visible above his eyebrow.


    Hmph, exactly what I thought. Now are you going to play it off like you don¡¯t know what I¡¯m talking about? Gyro fell into his trap, and Sen continued his onslaught without hesitation.


    ¡°Hmm, ah man, I forgot what the country was called; meh, maybe they weren''t too important anyway. I mean, hey, they were completely destroyed by Italy anyway, right?¡± Sen gave a small chuckle, narrowing his gaze at Gyro¡¯s reaction.


    ¡°This conversation feels very passive-aggressive¡ª¡± Baru¡¯s voice was immediately cut off by Gyro¡¯s grim response.


    ¡°Greece...¡± He gritted his teeth. ¡°It was Greece!¡± Gyro¡¯s voice sounded loudly in the bar, echoing throughout the room. After his voice fully disappeared from the halls, only the soft jazz music was audible in the background. His team tensely looked at him in silence, confused by his sudden outburst. Sen gave into a small grin.


    If you ever lie to me, you¡¯ll eventually be caught in it. Don¡¯t ever try that again.


    ¡°M-Mr. Gyro? What seems to be the problem?¡± asked Hono, a hand placed by her chest in fear.


    ¡°U-uh, my apologies. I''m unsure what came over me to reply in such a way, hahaha! You could say I¡¯m quite avid about history!¡±


    Baru yawned. ¡°I don¡¯t care about the past; I just care about the present!¡±


    ¡°HO HO! You¡¯re quite right, young Baru. It is meaningless to obsess over the past¡­¡± Gyro replied, then added with a grimmer tone, ¡°Sadly, the past is an open wound. No matter how many times you try to forget it, you always end up feeling its pain.¡±


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    ¡°Yeah, yeah...." Baru nodded attentively, then paused. "Not gonna lie, I didn¡¯t understand a word you just said¡ª¡±


    ¡°I can give you a little summary of what he means, Baru.¡± Sen seized the opportunity and stood up from his chair, his greyish-blue eyes darting at Gyro like icy spears. ¡°It''s probably time for me to stop playing games. We really don¡¯t have that much time.¡±


    ¡°Huh? What are you talking about, Sen? You¡¯re acting weird,¡± Hana furrowed her brow.


    ¡°I¡¯m at a loss as well, Sen,¡± Hyo said admittedly. Kaiyo and Hono both nodded their heads.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s my goddamn burger!¡± Turns out Baru didn¡¯t care about anything that was going on.


    Sen let out a sigh. Well, I can''t even blame them for not being able to see through this one. They even fooled me. If Sen had a hard time figuring out his current prediction, for the rest of them, it must''ve been an impossible task.


    ¡°I''ll keep it nice and simple¡­ this wasn¡¯t the end of the first challenge, was it, Gyro?¡±


    His team gawked at him like he was an insane person. Hana twisted her head back and forth between Sen and Gyro with utter confusion.


    ¡°HUH?!!!¡±


    Gyro let out a small condescending click of his tongue in response while Sen eyed him with contempt. How are you going to respond to this, old man?


    ¡°This IS the final challenge. At first, I was a little confused as to why a bar, out of all things, was how the academy represented the end of the challenge. So I was on edge the whole entire time, and with that time, I noticed a few inconsistencies within your speech, Mr. Gyro.¡± Sen pointed his finger at him.


    ¡°Hm? Amuse me, boy.¡±


    ¡°First was your body. You have the physical stature of a warrior, and although they might not be too visible, on your forearms are scars.¡±


    ¡°Okay? Everyone has scars. What¡¯s your point, young man?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m getting to it,¡± Sen said amusingly. ¡°Of course, having scars doesn¡¯t indicate anything; however, it does if your super sense is¡­¡± Sen paused, ¡°Touch¡­¡±


    Although his team seemed more perplexed than they already were, Gyro let out a small chuckle of amusement, almost suggesting that Sen was on the right track. Of course, Sen already knew he was. He didn¡¯t need a liar telling him he was going in the right direction.


    ¡°Well, since you guys don¡¯t seem to get what I mean, I''ll have to explain it,¡± Sen sighed. ¡°A person with Touch almost never gets scars due to their body¡¯s durability. This means that if someone does have them, it suggests they were part of heavy military training or were hurt in the midst of it. Only advanced weapons that utilize the power of one''s senses could wound someone with Touch. Obviously, Guns and other lethal weapons are outliers to that rule. The scars that Gyro has are not done by them but are more similar to slashes that are made by a sword similar to Ayame¡¯s or Genkai¡¯s, which are SenseWeapons.¡±


    ¡°What if he doesn¡¯t have Touch, though? That would certainly explain the scars. Sure, he has an impressive build, useful in military training, but that alone isn¡¯t conclusive proof,¡± Hyo countered, offering the benefit of the doubt.


    Sen nodded, appreciating the question. It was a fair point, and under different circumstances, it might have been fair. Unfortunately, this wasn''t one of those times.


    ¡°You¡¯re right to assume that, and you would be correct if... Gyro hadn¡¯t tried to hit me¡­¡± Sen said, casting a bleak glance at Gyro, who had turned his head slightly to the right as if trying to distance himself from the conversation. His team gaped at the revelation.


    ¡°He tried to hit you? When? Why!¡± Hana looked from one to the other, gauging their reactions. Gyro chuckled softly, seemingly entertained by Sen¡¯s deduction. As they noticed Gyro¡¯s silence, his team rose, eyeing him with suspicion.


    I¡¯m not finished yet, Sen mused.


    ¡°Trying to hit me doesn¡¯t prove my point, but this does,¡± Sen continued, picking up a glass shard from the floor and grinning as he held it before Gyro¡¯s face. ¡°When you shattered the glass in your hand while trying to strike me, you redirected it at the last moment, realizing your mistake. Yet, after Kaiyo kindly offered to help, you showed us you didn''t have one scratch on you. How did you manage to break strong glass without sustaining a single cut?¡± he probed.


    ¡°Well, well!¡± Gyro burst into laughter. ¡°Indeed, you are correct. Touch is my Sense. But what difference does that make? I¡¯m merely an old veteran who served in the army long ago. And your proof that I meant to hit you? Enlighten me, young one, the more time you take, the better it is for me¡­¡±


    Sen caught the subtle insinuation from the muscular man''s words and couldn¡¯t help but be amused. Clever old man, he thought, as laughter bubbled up uncontrollably within him.


    ¡°Hahaha!¡± Tears of laughter started to form in his eyes as he looked down at his hands, still chuckling. What is this feeling? Am I... actually having fun?

 Chapter 39– The Final Challenge #2

    ¡°S-Sen? Are you okay?¡± Kaiyo asked, worried about the contrast in his demeanor.


    Sen wasn¡¯t sure what got into him, but he didn¡¯t care; the gaping hole he always felt in his soul seemed to get a little smaller. Wiping his tears of laughter with his fingers, he finally composed himself.


    ¡°You seem to be enjoying yourself,¡± Gyro mused.


    ¡°Oh, I am. It''s amusing how easy it was to lure you into exposing yourself.¡±


    ¡°Hm? Exposing myself? Please do continue.¡± Gyro lifted his brow as he stroked his blonde mustache.


    ¡°If you insist¡­¡± Sen gave a small shrug before continuing. ¡°Remember when I asked where you were from?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I recall.¡±


    ¡°Why did you lie to me?¡± Sen exposed.


    ¡°Hm? Pardon, I don¡¯t seem to understand.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t act dumb with me, Gyro¡­¡± Sen emphasized his name, hinting at what he meant. ¡°You¡¯re not from Italy. You¡¯re from Greece. I mean, the answer is in your name itself. Gyro is a very popular cuisine in Greece. To solidify my suspicion, I specifically planted my remarks about the Italian and Greek war that occurred a long time ago. I knew you harbored hatred for Italy, and that¡¯s precisely the reason you decided to name that country out of spite. And the display of defense towards Greece, when I criticized it, is proof on its own," he revealed.


    "Not to mention, I noticed our Techno watches completely stopped working, almost as if they were planned to do so. That seems highly improbable given the challenges nature, isn''t that right?¡± Sen concluded, staring directly at him with a glint of amusement in his eyes.


    Waiting for a response, Baru raised his hand with a nonchalant yawn.


    ¡°That¡¯s cool and all, Sen, but could you possibly explain it again as if I were five years old? Asking for a friend,¡± Baru pleaded. Sen massaged his eyes from his idiocy.


    ¡°To make things more simple to understand, we didn¡¯t finish the first challenge to begin with. This was all just a test to prevent us from finishing the challenge. We walked in here without any thought of the danger and took whatever Gyro said at face value. Real Knights wouldn¡¯t have been so foolish as to trust whatever a stranger said to them.¡± Turning away from Baru, Sen glanced back at the fake barista with a demanding furrow of his brow. ¡°Am I right?


    ...


    After a long moment of silence, Gyro clapped his hands, impressed how Sen had figured it all out, then let into a warm chuckle.


    ¡°Well done! I must say I¡¯m quite impressed how you were able to deduce as well as figure out holes in my story so quickly. I¡¯ve never seen someone so efficient and quick-witted before, let alone a child.¡±


    ¡°Stop it, you¡¯re flattering me,¡± Sen sarcastically responded with a blunt expression.


    ¡°However¡­¡± Gyro paused, grinning as he continued, ¡°It seems you got one thing wrong.¡±


    ¡°Hm? And what is that?¡±


    Sen was surprised he overlooked something. If not that? Then what? What is missing? Scanning possible errors in his deduction, Sen widened his eyes in realization. Unless¡­


    To late...


    ¡°The challenge isn''t over yet!¡± Gyro let out a loud cackle before ripping his suit from his body, revealing his large, muscular physique. Sen sprang back defensively, along with the rest of his team, and eyed him with suspicion.


    The bar¡¯s island, where Gyro stood this whole time, suddenly disappeared below the floor. The whole bar is a setup. Sen realized.


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    One by one, tables and chairs sunk into the ground by some mechanism and were replaced with new hardwood floors as if they had never been there. Soon, the room was devoid of any furniture.


    Above Sen, a large TV screen came out of the ceiling and displayed a timer that counted down.


    ¡°14:23 seconds remaining.¡± A familiar robotic voice revealed.


    Sen suddenly grew awfully aware of his predicament.


    The challenge still didn¡¯t end. But how are we going to? What else is there to accomplish from this challenge? Sen assumed the whole point of the last obstacle was to be aware of one''s surroundings and use critical thinking. But the more the countdown began diminishing, the more Sen began understanding the true nature of the challenge.


    Shit, I¡¯m not useful from this point onward. I need to¨C


    Before Sen could finish his own thought, his body became immobile. He couldn''t twist his neck or even lift a single one of his fingers. But something told Sen that Gyro stood right behind him. A hot and rancid breath exuded, landing on his neck. Sen longed to shift from his uncomfortable position, but he knew it was futile.


    Chances were, his team was also paralyzed alongside him¡­ And Gyro was the cause of it.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t bother,¡± Gyro laughed at their groans of struggle.


    From the corner of his eye, Sen saw the Barista menacingly walk in front of his paralyzed team with a large grin plastered on his face. Gyro flexed his chest muscles in triumph, and they couldn¡¯t do anything to look away.


    ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this? Why can''t we move?¡± Sen demanded a response. Although his body ceased cooperating, his mouth seemed to work just like before.


    ¡°Ho ho ho! You¡¯re going to have to find that out with that little brain of yours, Mr. Smart boy.¡±


    Sen didn¡¯t appreciate that sarcastic remark. If the final challenge is to fight the barista all along, how are we supposed to fight back? Is the objective to even fight in the first place? I knew the challenges were going to be hard, but this is blatantly unfair. In a sense, Gyro''s actions feel impromptu, like it wasn''t supposed to go like this.  After his mind swirled around with possible vindications, Sen was finally at a loss.


    ¡°Enough jokes, old man! Just tell us what''s going on!¡± Hana growled out, losing her patience. The burning anger in her eyes told Sen she was sick of being left out while not grasping the severity of the situation.


    From the beginning, Sen had taken the lead and strategically overcame obstacles for them, yet she barely had the chance to help. Even when they had encountered the bearwolf, Ayame took the initiative and displayed great skill and strength, while Hana was forced into running away like a coward.


    I see, she feels useless, Sen realized from her tone.


    ¡°Oh? You guys still haven¡¯t figured it out!¡±


    ¡°You bastard¡­¡± Hana gritted her teeth while staying completely immobile.


    ¡°Oops 13 and a half minutes left, this is gonna be sad,¡± Gyro teased. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll let you guys in on a secret, okay?¡± he stalked closer to them, the ground shuddering with every step he took. His huge body loomed over them, casting a long shadow on the shiny wooden floors.


    ¡°See this key?¡± Reaching out to his neck, he yanked out a necklace he wore, making the string abruptly snap. A small key was attached while Gyro swung it back and forth as if he were teasing a dog with a chunk of raw meat.


    ¡°This right here is your only way to escape. If you manage to get this single key from my possession, you win,¡± Gyro grinned as he declared the challenge. ¡°There''s a door at the opposite side of this room, and the moment you unlock it, the challenge finishes. I must say I¡¯m impressed you got this far. If anyone else were in this specific door, they most likely wouldn¡¯t have found out.¡±


    ¡°I-In this specific door? Does that mean this won¡¯t be the same challenge everyone faces when they manage to find a door?¡± Kaiyo asked.


    Sen was surprised she had caught on to Gyro¡¯s words. He would have asked that same question if she hadn¡¯t beaten him to it.


    ¡°Precisely, each door that is able to open has completely different obstacles,¡± he revealed. ¡°I must say, though, the obstacles I chose for my door were arguably the most stylish compared to everyone else¡¯s.¡±


    I see, so each door is different from one another and have Knights in charge to oversee the contestants. Clever. Sen didn¡¯t expect the academy to take that approach. He first assumed every contestant would have the same exact challenge. That way, it would be easier for them to keep track. However, this method ensured the academy could judge how different people reacted to different obstacles while gathering more data on them.


    ¡°You¡¯re probably also wondering why all of you are paralyzed, no?¡±


    ¡°Is this some kind of joke to you?¡± Hana muttered under her breath. ¡°You¡¯re just trying to waste our goddamn time¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess it is a game when the opponent is weak¡­¡± He grinned. ¡°Seriously, all I had to do to paralyze all of you was just to hit a small pressure point. My mere finger and a fraction of my Sense prevented all of you from passing the challenge. Quite sad.¡±


    I¡¯ve heard about it before. Someone needs to accurately hit a pressure point between the neck and head while unlocking the energy from a Sense. Then, it shuts off all feeling in your body as a result. However, one wrong move can cause long-term damage to the nervous system. However, the success rate of performing this move is very low if you are going up against a person you¡¯re evenly matched with. But with the stark contrast in our skills, Gyro was able to immobilize our entire team successfully. But why did he use such an advanced move on a bunch of newbies? If he¡¯s this experienced, he should know better¡­


    So many things didn¡¯t add up to Sen.

 Chapter 40– The Final Challenge #3

    "Y-you¡­"


    Sen wasn''t sure, but he thought he detected a slight quiver in Hana''s voice as she confronted the man.


    "You''re just acting all strong and mighty, huh? You''re so much stronger and cooler than us, huh?" Hana mocked with a bitter tone. "When you said we passed, I actually believed it. I¡ªI," words seemed to catch in Hana''s throat, "I was really happy¡­"


    "Hmph," Gyro snorted heartlessly. "I''m sorry, young lady, but this is reality. Some people just don''t have what it takes to pass the challenge. Just give up."


    "It''s not fair! You''re already a Knight! It''s easy for you to say!" she protested.


    Gyro shook his head with disappointment before ambling closer to Hana, facing her resentful expression from mere inches away. His dead eyes forcefully made contact with hers.


    "The world isn''t fair¡­" he growled in a low tone. "Just give up and go home."


    "You really expect us to do that? Do you understand how hard it was to get to this point? You''re just frustrated that my brother was able to see through your plan! YOU DISGUST ME!" she spat.


    Gyro dully looked at her, wiping off mucus that landed on his face while Hana continued to vent.


    "You''re a selfish shithead who wants to destroy everyone''s dream to become a Knight¨C"


    "What does it mean to be a Knight?..." he asked with a shadow covering his eyes, disregarding her previous insults.


    Hana blinked. "To be strong and protect those in need," she confidently replied.


    Gyro snorted. "Do you honestly think being strong and protecting those in danger is all there is to be a Knight? Please... dont make me laugh."


    "It is! You''re just trying to trick me into thinking it''s not! You adults always think you''re better than us¨C"


    "To be a Knight..." Gyro leaned close to Hana''s face, with the eyes of a killer, "means you need to throw your humanity away."


    Sen caught a glance at Gyro''s expression. It was the face of someone who''d lived through hell and survived.


    "Do you think I wanted to watch my comrades die in battle?" Gyro clutched up his fists. "Do you think I enjoyed ripping open an enemy''s skull while he screamed in agony, saying he had a wife and kids? Is that the life you truly want? This isn''t a game you fool! We are no better than monsters! We killed people... I¡­ killed people. I watched houses burn down as children and mothers screamed on the battlefield. And you know what? I had no choice but to kill them too." Gyro''s became distant and cold.


    "You know nothing about this world. You know nothing of its cruelty. The moment you step into this hell, there''s no turning back. The moment you kill the enemy''s innocent children with your own hands, it will forever be ingrained in your pitiful little brain. Now tell me you fucking fools!" he bellowed, "is this the life you want?"


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    ¡­


    It started with a small droplet of water, but soon, Sen could hear it continuously patter on the wooden floors as his sister fought the urge to cry. Hana didn''t want them to hear her sniffles, so she bit her tongue. Unfortunately, the small splashes of her tears dropping against the ground were audible to everyone.


    "Hana¡­" Kaiyo murmured softly with concern as the room fell silent, the only sound being Hana''s tears meeting the floors.


    Sen sighed. "I''m just doing it because I heard you get free food and a dorm." Huh? Sen recalled Hana''s words when he first asked if they were joining the academy. He wondered how true that was. Perhaps she herself underestimated how much she wanted this. I have no interest, so I can''t relate. I''m just doing this as a last resort to find information about my father. And her logic for wanting something this much is a mystery, but one thing I do know is:


    I don''t like seeing my family cry¡­


    ¡­


    "MOMMY! Don''t cry, what''s wrong?" Sen conjured a vivid memory before his eyes. His mother knelt on the ground, sobbing with terror and grief, while Hana clutched at her mother''s clothes, desperate for an answer. Despite Hana''s efforts, she couldn''t elicit a response from their mother. Only after minutes of harrowing cries did she finally utter,


    "Oh, my dear children, I''m so sorry¡­"


    "Mom, please don''t cry!" Holding Hana in her arms, Sen''s mother looked at him with unsubsiding tears.


    "My dears, I don''t think Dad will be coming home tonight¡­"


    ...


    That''s right, Sen reminded himself. I don''t like seeing my family suffer.


    ¡­ Maybe deep down, that was why he refused to believe his father was dead.


    ¡­ Maybe deep down, he just wanted things to be as they used to.


    Chuckling at the irony, Sen thought to himself¨C I find unnecessary emotions distracting and often catch myself judging those who display them, yet¡­ perhaps I understand them on some level. I''m not sure how, but it''s there, somewhere. I''m sorry, Hana, it doesn''t look like I''ll be able to find Dad this time. The academy might be out of my league for now. But I''ll figure out something else. I always do¡ª


    "3 minutes¡­" Baru stated abruptly, interrupting Sen''s train of thought.


    "Hmm?" Gyro frowned at him suspiciously. "What do you mean by 3 minutes, muscle boy?"


    Baru groaned in pain as though he were internally battling his own body. Despite being paralyzed by Gyro''s pressure point technique, Baru let out a series of harsh wheezes, struggling to act.


    Now that I think about it, Sen realized Baru has been unusually quiet. He usually would''ve made some comments by now. Is he¡ª


    "GRRRRRRRAAA!!!!" Baru roared.


    Is he breaking free from Gyro''s pressure point paralysis? The painful groans made that the only logical assumption for Sen.


    "HA! You, sir, are a bi*ch," Baru laughed. "Making a girl cry like that! Have you no shame? Only weak men do that. I might crack an occasional sexist joke, but this? This is pathetic."


    That hit a nerve with Gyro. A vein throbbed on his forehead. "Watch your mouth, boy. Who do you think you''re speaking t¡­" His voice suddenly trailed off as Gyro''s eyes widened in disbelief.


    Sen couldn''t see what was happening to Baru, but judging from Gyro''s reaction, it was likely what he had predicted.


    "What I meant to say is¡­" Baru grunted, struggling, his body trembling as his right foot inched forward.


    "What?¡­" Gyro whispered in shock. "He''s breaking free from the paralysis?"


    Finally, Baru''s body convulsed one last time in defiance before he launched himself at the muscular knight, breaking free from the paralysis!


    "What I meant to say was¡­" Baru grinned, "3 minutes until I kick your ass!"

 Chapter 41– Since that day

    ¡°Emotions make us human; that¡¯s why we fear people who are void of them.¡±¨C Senseless


    Fight¡­


    Fight¡­.


    Fight¡­¡­


    Those were the only words Baru remembered from that day. The last remaining glimpses of his family seemed to fade away as he grew older. Baru often wished he had a perfect memory. Not because he wanted to have an advantage or be smarter in school. He just wanted to remember his family.


    He wanted to hear their voices and reminisce about the small, mundane arguments they used to have together. Now, the only thing that remained was the last remnants of hatred and grief, overshadowing every happy memory his dull heart hung onto. He always wore a smile and acted like a no at all in front of people, but it was just a mask. Maybe if he convinced himself that everything was going to be alright, it would eventually come true.


    What a good lie that is¡­


    The world didn¡¯t care about self-deception; eventually, it would brutally murder that fantasy.


    Baru was envious of others. He often would spot kids playing on the street with their family or, better yet, friends. They looked so happy, so carefree. Baru only wished that feeling would continue in their life, and he wished for them not to take it for granted as he did.


    Like I did, huh? Baru thought to himself. I want to remember. I want to remember them. My heart is slowly healing because I''m beginning to forget more and more of that day. I want to remember it, even for a moment, so It could give me the will to keep pushing forward and make something of myself.


    Without guilt and grief, he had no direction to go, and without the dying words of his little sister, he had no drive to atone. Remember¡­ remember, I have to remember them¡­


    ...


    Baru woke up in his bed, a few sets of tears falling as his eyes were forcefully acquainted with the white ceiling. His dark red hair was muddled and clumped, a clear sign he was restless during the night. The true question should be, when was he not restless? He couldn¡¯t even remember the last time.


    Baru covered his eyes with his forearm, hoping to block out the sunlight from the window and continue sleeping. But his attempt was hopeless as the city''s bustling streets kept him from falling back asleep.


    ¡°F*ck the city man¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t help but laugh at his own words. The irony in that statement could only make sense to Baru alone.


    Getting out of bed groggily, he made his way down the long hallway and spotted the door to a bathroom. But as he attempted to twist the nob, he was gloomily met with a locked door.


    ¡°Oi, who¡¯s in there?¡± Baru knocked on the bathroom.


    ¡°Occupied, this is Jamie!¡±


    Baru sighed and murmured, "God I hate living in an orphanage. I always have to share shit with other people. And I mean literally, Share SHIT, with people. I can''t even take a morning dookie, man.¡±


    ¡°Waiting on Jamie too?¡± a blonde-haired teen walked over to him, rubbing his eyes with a yawn. The young blondie, just like everyone in the building, was an orphan.


    ¡°Yeah, Kazi,¡± Baru grumbled to the kid. ¡°Every single morning, this kid takes a shit that lasts hours. Now I get why no one wants to adopt him; he had the digestive system of a dog!¡±


    ¡°Hey, I heard that!¡± Jamie retorted in the bathroom. ¡°And shut up, Baru, you¡¯re one of the oldest in the orphanage, don¡¯t be a hypocrite.¡±


    ¡°Yeesh,¡± Kazi covered his mouth, obviously trying to keep himself from laughing. ¡°He kinda got you there, Baru.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Yeah,¡± Baru rolled his eyes, not taking the jab to heart. All the orphans made fun of each other, it was a symbol of friendship, and some were even like brothers and sisters to him.


    Like brothers and sisters, huh?¡­ Baru stared lifelessly at his palm; his heart had gotten used to the never-ending aching he felt.


    ¡°Big bro?¡± Kazi noticed Baru¡¯s troubled expression as they waited by the bathroom.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Baru blinked, coming back to reality.


    ¡°Nothing, it''s just you look¡­¡± Kazi had a hard time coming up with the right words, ¡°sad.¡± There was a pause of silence before Baru lightly smacked him behind the head.


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    ¡°I¡¯m not, idiot!¡± Baru let out a fake laugh. ¡°I¡¯m just trying to figure out what I should eat for breakfast once we go to the food court.¡±


    ¡°Oh, If you say so,¡± Kazi looked slightly relieved to hear that. Baru ruffled the young boy''s head like a big brother.


    ¡°Can you stop that?¡± Kazi pouted. ¡°You always mess up my hair!¡±


    ¡°Hehe, never!¡± Baru cackled.


    I don¡¯t want to trouble others with my problems. They all come from difficult backgrounds. I¡¯m not the only one who suffered, so I must be strong for their sake, Baru thought confidently, then couldn¡¯t help but wince at his words. It''s hard, though. The only thing that gives me the motivation to keep pushing forward is remembering. But at the same time, whenever I remember it, new wounds appear. It¡¯s a cycle that never ends, and I''m the one that keeps continuing it. And it¡¯s not like I have the pleasure of trying to forget it, either. I will never allow myself to move on. This pain is merely a reminder and atonement for what I have done. Baru was a slave to his past.


    ¡°Come on, Kazi,¡± Baru nudged him, ¡°let''s get some breakfast!¡±


    ¡°I thought you needed to take a shit¨C¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, it appears you don¡¯t know the art of Holding Your Shit Together. After holding my shit for this many years, I have the ability of¨C Shit on Demand!¡±


    ¡°Wow, so cool,¡± Kazi rolled his eyes sarcastically as they both went down the broad wooden staircase.


    A few hallways later, they were met with a large food court akin to something a school would have. It made sense because the orphanage had the capacity to take in a large number of children and naturally had to sustain them. But it wasn¡¯t homey at all. It felt stale, like a prison, except for replacing felons with fatherless children.


    I remember calling other kids fatherless whenever I played online FPS games, and here I am. Haha, things really do go full circle. That¡¯s so f*ckin depressing that it¡¯s almost funny.


    Baru approximated that at least a hundred kids were gathered in the food court. Most sat on the stationed tables, chowing down their meals as they talked, and some just stood around yawning. Seeing so many kids gathered in one place, Baru took a second to realize how lucky he was that he had his own bedroom.


    The majority of the kids had at least ten sleeping in the same room, but Baru was quite the exception. He wasn¡¯t certain why he was given special treatment, but he had a good guess.


    I guess awakening a Sense at seven years old is a big deal. He shrugged.


    As common knowledge stated, a person only awakened their sense when hitting puberty, but Baru, for whatever reason, awoke his way earlier. Government officials check up on him once in a while for that reason and conduct tests. However, they were always left disappointed and more confused about his genetic phenomenon. It wasn¡¯t like Baru knew how, either. He just knew when it started, and unfortunately, it was one of the painful memories.


    ¡°Dang, this is disgusting¡­¡± Baru murmured with disappointment after eating a few bites of his meal. The orphanage had bland food, nothing like his mom had cooked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean. Tastes fine to me,¡± Kazi said between bites.


    ¡°Once you eat good home-cooked meals, you can never go back,¡± he told his blonde-haired friend. Kazi blinked in confusion, noticing Baru¡¯s unintentionally bitter words.


    ¡°You miss your home-cooked meals that much, huh?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I do,¡± Baru truthfully told, ¡°but I also wish I never tasted them either.¡±


    ¡°Wutcha mean by that?¡±


    ¡°That way, I wouldn¡¯t miss it so much¡­¡± Baru looked down at his plastic plate and picked up a soggy broccoli with his fork, forcefully eating it with a flat expression.


    ¡°I guess that makes sense,¡± Kazi shrugged, then added, ¡°But wouldn¡¯t that make the memories you have even more special? Sure, eating bad food is probably more bearable if you''ve never experienced home cooking, but the fact you can compare something and decide which is better is special on its own.¡±


    Baru froze. ¡°Shit, bro, you should be a motivational speaker,¡± he sobbed.


    ¡°Eh, I¡¯m not into that. I¡¯d rather make a lot of money, to be honest.¡±


    Baru took a mouthful of food and pondered. ¡°Like what, a Knight?¡±


    Kazi shook his head. ¡°No, that¡¯s way too dangerous; plus, I have Smell as my Sense. I¡¯d be a laughing stock,¡± he grimaced. ¡°But you would be perfect for a Knight and have Touch! Not to mention, you''re so hot-blooded that all you think about is hitting stuff.¡±


    ¡°Not too sure if you¡¯re complimenting or roasting me,¡± Baru eyed him, then briefly sighed,


    Being a Knight, huh? he pondered that thought for a few seconds, then stood up from the table, startling Kazi. ¡°Sure, I guess, not like I have anything else to do.¡±


    Kazi blinked. ¡°You serious? I was partly joking. Shouldn¡¯t you think about such a decision? Do you even have a reason for joining¨C¡±


    Baru snorted. ¡°I don¡¯t need a reason. I''ll make one on my way to the top¡­¡±


    Truth be told, Baru had long forgotten to have a reason for anything. He¡¯d never had his own wants or aspirations but chose things that would make it appear that he had done something with his life. Mostly, it felt like he was living his life according to someone else''s script. Baru didn¡¯t want to disappoint his dead family, and it was his way of atoning for what he did.


    ¡°All I have to do¡­ is fight¡­¡± Baru expressionlessly stared through the large windows as he ate. His voice became low and threatening. ¡°Just fight¡­¡±


    That was the moment he decided to become a Knight. His goal? It was bland and simple: becoming the diamond-ranked Knight and calling it a day. This goal would keep him busy for a little while, and maybe it¡¯ll even be fun. All he cared about was doing something.


    And that something turned out to be far more fun than he was expecting.


    #


    ¡°HEY! Someone let me join your party!¡± Baru furiously screamed out loud amid thousands of people.


    God damn, out of all these people, not a single one wants me in their party? Baru looked left to right, groups of people already forming teams of six.


    F*ck me, man; how will I even be a knight if I can¡¯t find a team to pass this stupid challenge?


    Baru groaned, scratching his own head with stress. This is so bullshi¨C


    A white and partly black-haired boy was staring at him through the frenzy of people. The moment their eyes locked, Baru felt something inside of him click.


    Why do I get the feeling¡­ that I¡¯ve met him someone before? He couldn¡¯t take his eyes off him for some odd reason. I''m sure I''m not gay, so it has to be something else.


    ¡°HEY YOU! LET ME JOIN YOUR PARTY!¡± Baru pointed at the snowhead. Something told him he needed to join that boy''s party, and he wasn¡¯t sure what¡­.

 Chapter 42– The Final Challenge #4

    ¡°How?¡± Gyro¡¯s voice was barely a murmur, and his face twisted with confusion as he watched Baru break free of his pressure point parasites. ¡°You¡¯re... just an inexperienced contestant, so how the hell did you break free?¡±


    ¡°Blah blah blah, how¡¯d he do this, how¡¯d he do that? Shut up, old man.¡± Baru cracked his neck and reached his hands down to touch his boots, giving into a painful yet relaxing stretch. After various stretches and finally being happy with how his body felt, Baru yawned and pointed at the muscular barista.


    ¡°Listen here, egghead. You annoy me. Fight me man to man, and I''ll beat you up in 3 minutes lickity-split.¡±


    ¡°Oh? I¡¯m assuming you at least have Touch if you are so confident to challenge me.¡±


    Baru flexed his hamstrings before yelling out, ¡°How about you touch my bal¨C¡± Baru decided not to finish that sentence and just lunged at the man. His eyes glowed a light blue hue when he opened his Sense. Strength streamed through every single vein and fiber of his body, granting him superhuman abilities. He had done this more times than he could count. Sometimes, it felt even more natural than breathing.


    This feeling... whenever I¡¯m in this state, my mind is clear, and I¡¯m at peace. All my worries and frustrations seem to disappear.


    Baru¡¯s knuckle made contact with Gyro just before he guarded his face with two arms. His strength alone made the barista slide backward despite avoiding a hit in the face. Gyro released the two arms that guarded him and revealed his surprised expression, almost thinking how a mere child was able to push him back forcefully.


    ¡°Hmph,¡± the muscular man snorted. He flung himself at the red-haired boy without even attempting to stall for time. Each step that was being advanced was so swift that it only took a mere second before Gyro appeared in front of Baru, glaring at him menacingly before pounding his fist in his gut. Baru gritted his teeth and flexed his abdomen to minimize the impact, but the pain still shot through him like a rock covered in a thousand needles. Baru was thrown into the air due to Gyro¡¯s assault, and instead of waiting until he fell, the bald man didn¡¯t stop his onslaught and prepared for another punch.


    Shit...


    Baru gritted his teeth before he felt another explosive punch landing on the right side of his torso. His body was sent flying in the air once again and hit the brick wall with a loud thud. The sound of the impact echoed through the now-empty bar while dust and debris from the wall clouded where he was thrown.


    ¡°Baru!¡± Hana cried out, still paralyzed by Gyro. ¡°F*ck, give up! He¡¯s out of your league!¡± She begged. Gyro let out a small chuckle upon hearing her words, almost looking sympathetic.


    ¡°D-don¡¯t fight back Baru!¡± Hana was struggling to break free from the paralysis with concern for him. ¡°Please, I don¡¯t want you to get hurt because of us¨C¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t bother.¡± Gyro noticed her grunts of effort. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how that boy was able to break free from my technique, but I can guarantee you will never succeed. The difference in strength between you two is so drastic it¡¯s almost laughable.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Hana swallowed back her remark, slowly realizing the barista was telling the truth.


    ¡°Even so,¡± Gyro grinned, ¡°looks like two punches was all I needed to take down the poor boy.¡±


    Although debris from the impact didn¡¯t allow anyone to fully see Baru¡¯s unconscious body, a vague figure was visibly limp on the ground. The team held their breath, noticing Baru''s blurred unconscious silhouette. Silence hung tight in the air before Hono finally broke it.


    ¡°B-Baru, is he alright?¡­¡± she stuttered, her voice high and frail.


    ¡°Please, this generation has become so delusional that they can''t even recognize when someone is obviously stronger than them. Where are your survival instincts?¡± he snorted. ¡°That is why none of you are becoming Knigh¡­¡± Gyro trailed off, blinking in the direction of Baru¡¯s limp body, like he had seen some ghost.


    A few moments passed before the debris finally cleared, revealing Baru completely unharmed.


    Bluntly lying on the ground, Baru picked his nose and yawned with boredom.


    ¡­


    ¡°Oh,¡± Baru stopped, his left index finger halfway up his nostril, while noticing Gyro gawking at him almost comically. ¡°Sorry, my bad. I was trying to conserve my Touch by resting on the ground for a minute.¡± Baru stood up and dusted off the debris from his clothes, returning his attention back to Gyro.


    Tsk, seriously, I¡¯m not the strongest, but I¡¯m not going to be defeated after two punches?


    Baru had trained ever since that day, constantly maximizing his body¡¯s durability and strength to its fullest potential. Whenever he had a free day, he would hunt monsters in the dirty city alleyways or fight other people with his own Sense. Although Baru knew fighting people using his Sense was highly illegal, that still didn¡¯t prevent him from honing his powers. Whether that was visiting underground fight clubs and being beaten half to death or confronting heinous criminals, nothing stopped him.


    But Baru was not ambitious either; he just had an unquenchable impulse to grow stronger. Perhaps his search for purpose that led him down this path resulted from that day. Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t have the power to go back in time and warn himself of what was to come in the hopes of changing it.


    All he knew was that growing stronger made him forget his shame and fooled him into believing he was doing something that warranted his pitiful life. Maybe it was a trauma response; he didn¡¯t know. All that mattered was he had a smile while doing it.


    ¡°Baru¡­¡± Hana couldn¡¯t contain her shock when gaping at her teammate. This whole time, Baru acted comedic and carefree; hardly someone was capable of anything remarkable. But under his mask of foolishness hid raw strength.


    Back then, when we were confronted with the bearwolf, Baru recalled, I didn¡¯t run away because I was scared; I ran away because Ayame beat me to it.


    He wasn¡¯t aware of her motives in doing so, and if she wasn¡¯t going to step up to it, he was ready to fill in that role. In the end, Ayame skillfully showed off while he remained unnoticed in the back.


    ¡°Oh, by the way,¡± Baru began, staring at his opponent dead in the eye, ¡°what you said to Hana was hella sexist.¡±


    Gyro blinked. "What?"


    "Don''t play dumb with me, old man. You said, and I quote¡ª''The difference in strength between you two is so drastic it¡¯s almost laughable.'' What? Just ''cuz she¡¯s a girl, she wouldn¡¯t be able to break out of your dumb paralysis? That sounds pretty damn misogynistic!" Baru flashed a middle finger at him. Gyro looked as if he were questioning whether Baru was serious or not.


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "What the hell is wrong with you?" Gyro finally managed to say. "Are you mentally ill?"


    "My mom says I¡¯m a special boy!" Baru cackled. Opening his Sense, he picked up a small chunk of brick that had broken off from the wall and threw it at Gyro. The force with which the fragment was thrown looked like a bullet. The moment he propelled it, a small shockwave was released, and in barely a blink of an eye, Gyro cursed in pain.


    A direct hit to the gut.


    "How do you like that, mutha f*cka?" Baru imitated how Gyro would laugh.


    ¡°Tsk, you brat.¡± Gyro clenched his teeth, putting pressure on the wound with his hand as a small drip of blood escaped between his fingers. Although the brick fragment was fast, it wasn¡¯t enough to fully damage Gyro¡¯s impenetrable body. But regardless, it seemed to slow him down.


    In that case... Baru grinned. If it ain¡¯t broke, don¡¯t fix it. Baru swiftly selected more brick chunks from the ground.


    He disregarded those that were too big because he certainly didn¡¯t want to kill the poor old man. Gyro was just doing his job. Although, he sure was being a tad too serious about it. If Baru were any other kid, he seriously would have been hurt by now.


    It almost makes you wonder... Baru thought for a moment before launching a dozen fragments at Gyro, each tossed with fierce speed. Why is he going so hard on us? Not that it really mattered to Baru in the first place. He just wanted to fight. It felt soothing whenever he opened his Sense and felt his fists make contact with something. At the moment, all Baru cared about was being in the moment. That¡¯s why he enjoyed it so much. He didn¡¯t care about his guilt, his past, or even who he was fighting.


    I feel free.


    Baru assaulted Gyro with a punch, who was stumbling over with disarray from the dozens of fragments that made contact all over his body. Before Gyro could even process that he was lurching in for an attack, Baru¡¯s fists dived into his face, sending him crashing into the wall.


    ¡°CRASH!¡± How the roles have been reversed.


    Debris clouded the area with a thick brown fog, far denser than previously due to Gyro¡¯s sheer mass. Baru coughed and covered his mouth when a large amount of dust was accidentally inhaled.


    I can''t see jack sh*t... he cursed. Baru needed to escape the dust cloud before Gyro had any funny ideas. Quickly lunging out, Baru heard his paralyzed teammates coughing severely, unable to shield their mouths from the debris.


    Maybe sending Gyro crashing into the wall wasn¡¯t such a good idea¨C


    Before he could finish that thought, Baru felt a sharp pain spread across his body like a dozen needles digging into his flesh.


    Shit, shit, shit, that hurts! He cursed in pain. That baldy is using my own trick against me! God damn, I¡¯m such an idiot.


    That was his main flaw. Although Baru was strong, he didn¡¯t think before taking action. He was too caught up in the moment to care! Unlike Gyro, he had a less durable body, making the pain far worse in comparison.


    Blood gushed from his wounds, staining Baru¡¯s clothes red as he puffed in pain. Baru barely had time to mentally prepare for another attack before Gyro sprang out of the debris cloud, diving his fist directly at him.


    Baru dropped to the floor to dodge the attack, and much to Gyro''s surprise, he kicked him directly in the balls. Gyro had the air knocked right out of him, not expecting Baru to use such an underhanded move. Pff, I don¡¯t care, I''m going to fight as dirty as I want, as long as I win.


    Baru¡¯s kick could be comparable to a light punch to the average person if they both weren¡¯t fighting with their Senses. Because they were, their pain tolerance and physical durability were leagues above ordinary.


    Gyro twisted his face with awkward pain, and Baru took that as a signal to continue his attack. Still on the ground, Baru switched to a push-up position and swiftly twirled his legs to gain momentum before kicking Gyro¡¯s legs to throw him off balance. Springing back up, Baru curled his forearm to reveal his elbow.


    ¡°I¡¯m about to WWE your ass!¡± Baru aimed his elbow at Gyro and jumped high with full force, hoping to connect. As his body descended, and before Baru could smash into the man''s face, Gyro dodged, causing Baru¡¯s elbow to dive into the shiny wooden floors. The flooring cracked from the impact, as Baru regained his footing and cursed the failed assault.


    Shit... Baru wheezed, the light blue hue in his eyes flickering. My energy is draining fast; I don¡¯t know how much longer I can keep my Sense open.


    ¡°Oh boy, you''re getting weak,¡± Gyro taunted a few inches from his ear. Baru froze in sudden panic. How did he get behind¨C


    Twisting his head around, Baru was met with an explosive punch to the face. But for Gyro, this was only the beginning. He grabbed Baru¡¯s shirt collar and unleashed another volley of punches, one after the other.


    The numbing, excruciating pain struck Baru¡¯s face, and blood poured from his nose as Gyro continued his brutal onslaught.


    ¡°NO! STOP IT!¡± Baru heard Hana scream. The loud cries from his teammates turned static and muffled as Gyro relentlessly punched him. He had no energy left to fight back.


    His Sense was dwindling, meaning it would take a while to recover his energy, even if he could escape. Baru wasn¡¯t sure what to do. If he didn¡¯t defeat Gyro, who would?


    Am I... really this weak? Baru''s thoughts became sluggish. His vision blurred as he watched Gyro''s fist approach his face in slow motion. Soon, Baru didn¡¯t even feel the pain. He wasn¡¯t sure if he was unconscious or had just grown numb to the agony.


    Whatever¡­ Baru chuckled within. Does it really matter if I pass this stupid exam? I''ll just go back to the orphanage and chill. Baru had accepted his defeat. There wasn¡¯t anything he could do; this was his limit. He needed to learn to accept when he was outmatched and embrace his strength.


    That¡¯s right, I¡¯m already pretty strong. I should be proud of myself. I¡¯m the only one who was able to be released from Gyro¡¯s paralysis because I cultivated my body and my Sense so much. He congratulated himself, his body becoming numb from the pain.


    #


    "Yeah¡­ I¡¯m strong enough, right?" Baru asked himself in a white, deep void of unconsciousness. "In fact, why do I even want to become strong?" He blinked, looking side to side as he found himself in a white void of nothing. His memory felt muddled and disoriented after asking himself such a simple question. "I can''t seem to remember. This white space is distracting me. But it also feels so relaxing; I just wanna sleep here forever."


    ¡­


    ¡°Tsk¡­ you¡¯re weak,¡± Gyro¡¯s blurry voice sounded within the white void as Baru looked up. No matter where he looked, the space that stretched around him was completely absent of any darkness or color. It was so bland and empty that it was almost comforting.


    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s not very nice!¡± Baru frowned, lying down on the white space. ¡°Ah, whatever, it doesn¡¯t matter that I¡¯m weak or not. Who cares? Hahaha!¡± he chuckled comically.


    ¡°Hahaha¡­ ha¡­¡± His laugh trailed away, and his expression turned sour as he scrutinized the white space. ¡°Who cares?¡± he repeated. ¡°I feel like I¡¯m forgetting something¡­¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Baru¡­¡± A familiar voice echoed.


    ¡°Oi! I know that voice!¡± Baru jumped from the white space with a smile. ¡°That¡¯s Sen!¡±


    ¡°Baru¡­¡± he murmured again.


    ¡°Yeah? What is it?¡±


    ¡°Just¡­¡±


    ¡°Just what?¡± Baru wondered curiously in a bright voice.


    ¡°Just¡­ fight.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Just fight? Why would I do that¡­¡± Baru paused, then wondered to himself. "Fight?"


    For some reason, when he thought about that word, his heart began to ache. The pain just got more intense the more Baru thought about it.


    ¡°It hurts so bad, man, and I don¡¯t why.¡± He clenched his heart with a groan. ¡°Why¡­ does it hurt so much?¡± A few tears started rolling down his cheeks.


    ¡°Fight¡­¡± he murmured, finally realizing what he had forgotten. At that moment, memories of his past came rushing through him like a downpour of rain. Each drop represented memories he had forgotten and those that were too scary to remember. They taunted him with cruel, soft whispers, telling him he should have prevented them from occurring. But he couldn''t... he couldn''t never fix his mistake. He needed to live with the pain forever.


    ¡°How could I forget?" His voice quivered. "I need to fight for you, Ami!¡± Baru sobbed out a name. ¡°I-I have to keep fighting... I¡¯m so sorry. I''ll keep going. I promise I''ll keep going. I¡¯m so sorry. I¡¯m sorry Ami, I¡¯m sorry Mom, I¡¯m sorry Dad¡­ I¡¯m so sorry¡­ please forgive me.¡±


    #


    Baru flicked open his eyes, a new wave of strength surging through every fiber of his body. Blood masked his whole face gruesomely, and his cheeks were double the size from inflammation. His eyes shone blue with pure resolve to win as he limply stood up like a zombie.


    ¡°Come back here, Gyro¡­¡± Baru murmured. ¡°I¡¯m not f*cking done.¡±

 Chapter 43– The Final Challenge #5

    ¡°Purpose is fragile as glass. One wrong move, and it breaks.¡±


    Baru''s breath came ragged and weary, but yet resolve hid behind his brown, hazel eyes as he forced himself off the ground. Although his body and lungs were fatigued, for some odd reason, he felt new strength becoming accessible, almost as if he hadn''t worn out his sense to begin with. He wasn''t so sure what the source of this power was. Perhaps it was a mixture of stubbornness and unwillingness to give up, or it could stem from a more complex root cause.


    Blood dripped from his chin, creating a small puddle of his own bodily fluids. Baru chuckled ironically. And this motherf*cker is supposed to be a teacher? Talk about strict, he thought, giving a quick glance at Sen, who silently observed the fight with calm eyes. If Baru hadn''t known better, he would have thought Sen was a robot, but he knew that wasn''t true. His flat expression was still unnerving, though.


    Why is he the only one who doesn''t seem worried about me? Should I be offended or flattered? Baru had always felt strange about Sen since the moment he joined him. Not in a negative or bad way. It just almost felt like he had met him before. Of course, Baru knew that was impossible.


    It doesn''t matter. All I have to focus on is beating the crap out of Gyro in three minutes¡ª Baru froze at that thought, looking at the techno screen displayed above.


    "NO!" Baru cried, kneeling on the ground dramatically. "It''s been four minutes already? I lost the bet!" He slapped himself across the face as punishment. "I''ve never lost a bet, man! I need a recount. This is bullshit." He''d never trust a techno watch again.


    Gyro blinked across from him, his exposed body revealing red gashes with gouged-out flesh as blood dripped from the wounds that Baru had inflicted. Utterly shocked, Gyro rasped out between huffs, "How are you still standing after all that?"


    Baru paused his comedic episode and met eyes with the old man.


    "Shit... I don''t know?" Baru shrugged. It wasn''t a lie, either. He couldn''t explain how he was still standing.


    "Ha..." Gyro, dumbfounded, let out a single chuckle. "Hahaha!" He covered his face and laughed like a maniac, as if he were going through a mental breakdown. "That doesn''t even make sense! Need I kill you to end this battle?"


    "Nah, I''m not really feeling like dying today, to be honest," Baru wiped his face of blood. "Besides, I doubt the academy would allow that. But I will take that key from you, though." Baru launched at the man, aiming for the key that hung around his neck.


    Baru had almost forgotten that his objective was to steal the key from the old man. Whenever he fought, that was the only thing he could think about. Nothing else mattered to him. It was like a drug. When he started to fight, he couldn''t escape his own impulses. He was naive and dumb, but even so, during the whole fight, Gyro was either too far from him or too skilled at close combat to allow him to snatch the key. However, right now, Baru felt he had the advantage.


    Thanks to Touch, his legs propelled him forward as he reached out. But just as his hand could grasp the necklace, Gyro swiftly moved away and got a hold of his arm. Right when he did, Baru knew he messed up. As Gyro swung his body in circles, attempting to throw Baru like a rag doll, he released his grip. However, instead of being tossed away, the roles were suddenly reversed as Baru grabbed hold of Gyro''s arm just before he could be chucked like a rock. Having a strong grip on the man, Gyro growled in frustration while attempting to shake him off.


    "Just shake it off! Shake it off!" Baru hummed a tune while the barista struggled. Letting out a roar of irritation, the man threw Baru downward, hoping to finally free his grip. However, just before being thrown to the ground, Baru voluntarily released his hand, causing Gyro to flail his arms in confusion. Thrown off balance from the sudden weight disparity, Gyro tripped.


    Now''s my chance!


    Baru reached his hand out as the big man fell and felt the ragged necklace chain, but before he could grab and yank it, Gyro drew his right arm backward to block Baru''s grasp. Gyro tumbled to the ground and quickly recovered his footing with a front flip. Both of them stood a few feet away, facing each other with tired pants as they wiped sweat from their faces.


    "You look tired," Baru puffed out. Apparently, Gyro wasn''t in the mood for light-hearted jokes. He just stared at him coldly, his face tensing up, revealing layers of wrinkles. "What''s wrong, big guy? Age finally caught up to you?" Baru taunted, straining his body, ready for a head-on collision.


    However, Gyro never made his move; instead, he relaxed his body and released his Sense, the blue light flickering out of his eyes. What happened? Did he finally run out of energy? Baru froze. No, it almost looks like he did it on purpose. Is he giving up?


    Baru released his own Sense out of obligation. If he isn''t using his Sense, then I shouldn''t waste mine either. There was no need to bully the old man if he was giving up. It was an unwritten rule.


    Baru eyed him contentiously. "Hey, what gives? Why aren''t you fighting¡ª"


    "Tell me," Gyro started, his expression becoming unthreatening, "what does it mean to be a Knight?"


    Baru recognized it was the same question he had asked Hana not so long ago. He stopped and thought for a moment, putting his index finger on his chin. "I don''t know. Why is meaning so important?"


    "Hmm?"


    "There is no meaning in doing anything," Baru''s gaze turned shallow and flat, recalling a rain shower of painful and grueling memories. "Why should I respond to something that doesn''t even have an answer? Meaning this, meaning that. Meaning is just a f*cking word. Why do people sacrifice themselves in war? Did they want to die? Of course not, so why do they do it? Is there a meaning to sacrificing yourself for something that will eventually continue after you die?" Baru asked.


    "Can''t answer that question, huh? People get a job to get money. Why do they want money? To live and have a good life. So why do they want to have a good life? What''s the meaning of having a good life if no matter what you do, you eventually die in the end. Meaning has no meaning. You can always contradict something by asking yourself whether it has meaning or not. But if someone has a reason for doing something that doesn''t coincide with your own views, does that make it wrong? If Hana says that being a Knight means being strong and protecting those weaker, is she wrong? No. Everyone deserves the right to create their own meaning and pursue something. No one is wrong." Baru paused, "Well, I mean... except for pedophiles and murderers. They don''t have a right to choose. Call me a hypocrite; I don''t care."


    ¡­ "Hahahaha!" Gyro burst out laughing.


    "Huh?" Baru narrowed his eyes with a frown. "What''s so funny?" He wasn''t sure if Gyro was laughing at him or just laughing at the joke. After what felt like too much time, Gyro wiped off his tears of hilarity and looked at Baru, a warm smile beginning to form underneath his thick blonde mustache. Baru was very disturbed at the sight.


    Eww, that face does not suit him. Seriously, why does he look like that one weird family uncle when he sees the kids? Shit''s creepy.


    "I see," Gyro heartfully mused. "To think there would be kids out there that are this mature."


    "Whoa, whoa, bro," Baru sweated bullets, "What do you mean by that? I''m still a minor, plus I don''t swing that way¡ª"


    "Open your Sense," Gyro demanded, brushing off his remarks. "Finish what you started."


    Gyro''s eyes closed, then reopened, flickering with a blue hue. Baru snorted with a wide grin. "Don''t have to tell me twice, old man." Baru took a deep breath, flexed his muscles, and felt his nervous system switch on. It was time to get this over with. Baru swung himself at the man with speed so quick it paled in comparison to anything he had displayed before.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Baru appeared before Gyro, striking his fist at his gut swiftly, only for him to dodge the attack and knee Baru in the face. The impact sent him to the ceiling before he felt himself fall from gravity. Gyro waited for Baru, his fist wound up for another attack as he fell.


    But against all rational thought, Baru grinned. He had specifically taken a knee to the face to be at a high vantage point.


    While Baru fell, he hurled a small brick piece that he had been hiding in the palm of his hand straight at Gyro, who was waiting for gravity to do its work. He didn''t even have time to process the unexpected attack before the rubble piece dove into his forehead with a big thump.


    "Gotcha now, BEITCH!" Falling above the man, Baru stretched his hands toward the chained key with a smirk. This was it. He had won. There was no way Gyro could react to his movements after being practically shot in the forehead at point-blank range. But of course, Baru was an idiot.


    Gyro''s body dodged below him, causing Baru to awkwardly crash to the ground, agonizingly. His hands were right by the Key. He could have touched it!


    "Alright seriously, what the hell, man. HOW ARE YOU DOING THAT!" Baru groaned, bending his back as if he were an old man. Although Baru was unsatisfied with his plan, he quickly noticed Gyro''s odd behavior.


    The man was holding his palm against the wound with his eyes closed, as if he had been blinded. It was safe to assume that Baru may have accidentally found his weak point.


    Man, I kinda feel sorry for him¡­ Baru frowned. Okay, I''m done.


    With a loud cackle, he took advantage of Gyro''s blindness and reached for the necklace again. This time there was no way Gyro would be able to predict his movement¡ª


    Gyro dodged out of Baru''s grasp.


    He blinked, his hands grasping absolutely nothing. "Alright¡­" Baru had to make sure he was seeing things correctly. "Alright, you have your eyes closed, right, I don''t have my eyes closed, okay, that makes sense. So how the hell do you know where I am?!"


    Who was actually blind at the moment? Him or Gyro? At this point, he didn''t even know what the hell to think. Let''s try this again, Baru sighed, gritting his teeth. He slowly walked up to Gyro this time, as he stood like a statue, his eyes closed and his guard wide open. Baru narrowed his eyes, not doing anything for a moment, and quickly whipped his hand to grasp the necklace!


    And he was gone. Gyro dodged out of the way, leaving Baru empty-handed yet again.


    He breathed in. "Inner peace¡­" Baru told himself. "Inner peace¡­ MAN, F*CK THIS!"


    Baru lost his composure and resorted to plain attacks without even considering stealing the key anymore. He was just mad.


    Facing Gyro with an irritated grimace, he jabbed with lightning speed¡ªeach of his punches being barely evaded by a couple of centimeters. But he didn¡¯t let up; he continued his assault with more right hooks and roundhouse kicks. But no matter how many times he performed his skillful maneuvers, each one ended up meeting empty, thin air.


    Panting heavily as drops of sweat drenched his clothes and dripped from his face, he cursed under his breath.


    How? How is he stronger than before? Then it finally dawned on him. Or is Gyro even trying to begin with? It suddenly made sense to Baru. This whole time, the barista had been playing with his emotions, giving him the upper hand and then smashing his pride. How could he have thought he could put up a good fight? Gyro must be at least a gold-ranked Knight¡ª


    "You want to know how I can dodge you with my eyes closed?" Gyro whispered close to his ear, directly behind his exhausted body. Twirling with panic, Baru faced the man and imprudently threw another punch at him. However, not to his surprise, Gyro dodged and gripped his lurching hand. Baru winced as he felt Gyro''s grip on his wrist.


    "Listen to me," Gyro said, his eyes remaining closed. "Our Senses are not just powers. They are a separate entity who watches us grow stronger."


    Baru kicked at Gyro''s abdomen without letting him finish his sentence. But Baru paled as his attack barely made an impact. Gyro stood there, completely unfazed.


    ¡°However,¡± Gyro continued, brushing off his attack as if he were an ant, ¡°these beings inside of us are not gifts from god. They are devils, laughing in amusement as we make them stronger.¡±


    Baru froze, completely giving up his attacks, his eyes widening.


    ¡°I made a contract with the devil. That¡¯s why I am strong.¡± Gyro slowly opened his eyes, revealing his cold, glaring eyes that made Baru¡¯s heart thud irrepressibly in his chest. ¡°I threw away my humanity to get to this point. I became one with the devil inside of me, and it granted me its full power. Trust me, being strong comes at a big price. As you go down this path, the devil inside you will grow more and more. Is this truly what you want? Why do you want to be a Knight?¡±


    Thud¡­


    Thud¡­


    Thud¡­


    Why do I want to be a Knight? Baru asked himself, the sound around him growing dull and muffled, making the pounding in his heart grow louder and louder. Why do I want to? A wave of serenity washed over him, calming his heart and mind.


    Agonizing screams of his family replaced the eerie silence in his ears, but he didn¡¯t wince or attempt to forget them. He opened his arms to embrace the memories, the pain he felt that day, and the voices of his family that had become muffled and unrecognizable.


    I can''t forget them¡­ Baru calmly told himself. I need to¡ª


    ¡°Don¡¯t hate anyone, not because they deserve your empathy, but because you deserve peace.¡±


    Baru flicked open his eyes upon hearing those words. His heart stopped, and tears started falling from his cheeks as his face remained stoic.


    Father¡­ Baru realized. I remember now, I remember what you told me that day. I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡¯m sorry for forgetting.


    Gyro looked at Baru, confused about why he was tearing up with a deadpanned face, then released the grip from his wrist. Yet, Baru made no attempt to attack; he just stood there, silent.


    ¡°So?¡± Gyro prodded again. ¡°Why do you wish to be a Knight?¡±


    ...


    Baru blinked, returning to reality, and gave Gyro an amused chuckle, putting his palm over his face, ¡°I just want to be strong for the sake of others. I want to have a purpose, even if it means becoming the devil. At least then, I would be a devil who saves lives instead of an angel with no will to live.¡±


    ¡­ Gyro let out a small snort. ¡°Give me your hand.¡±


    ¡°For what?¡±


    ¡°Just do it.¡±


    Baru extended his palm, confused about what the old man intended. Maybe he wanted to sneak attack him and end the challenge. At this point, Baru would accept his fate¡ªnot because he was giving up, but simply because he couldn¡¯t fight back even if he tried. His Sense had given out a few moments ago from exhaustion, meaning there was zero chance of winning. It¡¯s over¡ª


    Baru felt a metallic chain and a small metal key being placed in his palm. Baru couldn¡¯t help but think he was in some dream.


    How¡­ is the key¡­ in my palm? Why¡­ why would he¡­


    ¡°Oh no!¡± Gyro gasped theatrically, ¡°You got the key from me! Well played, indeed. It looks like you finally passed the challenge.¡± He acted out, waving at Baru¡¯s teammates. ¡°Hey, guys, he passed the challenge! Congratulate him!¡±


    ¡­ ¡°No way¡­¡± Hana blinked in shock, straining her eyes at the opposite side of the room. ¡°How the hell did he get the Key? I couldn¡¯t even see him take it from here.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Hyo confessed, completely dumbfounded. ¡°Gyro¡¯s pressure point paralysis is messing with my Sight, and I don¡¯t think I can use it at all right now.¡±


    ¡°Same with me,¡± Kaiyo added, while Hono nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Well, well,¡± Sen murmured, almost as if he knew what was happening. ¡°Good job, Baru!¡± he congratulated.


    ¡°WOO! Good job, Baru!¡± Hono cheered as the rest of the team started congratulating him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how you did it!¡± Hana exclaimed. ¡°I¡¯m sor¡ªuh, I¡¯m proud of you!¡± Hana stopped herself from apologizing for ever doubting Baru to begin with.


    Baru gazed across the dimly lit room where his friends stood, frozen in time, congratulating him.


    ¡°What?¡± Baru blinked again, looking at his palm. ¡°Why?¡± he asked Gyro.


    ¡°You got that key fair and square, right?¡± Gyro said, his body turning away from him and towards his teammates.


    ¡°No, but why¡ª¡±


    ¡°Why this, why that? Who cares,¡± Gyro mocked in Baru¡¯s own style of rhetoric, walking over to his friends and swiftly poking the back of their necks with his index finger, releasing them from his paralysis.


    ¡°OH GOD DAMMIT!¡± Hana groaned, stretching her body. ¡°My body feels stiff as a log.¡±


    ¡°And my eyes are blurry,¡± Hyo complained, squinting as he cleaned his glasses.


    ¡°My hearing is also all over the place,¡± Kaiyo said, with Hono nodding in agreement.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, that¡¯s just the lasting effects of my pressure point, you¡¯ll be fine in a few minutes,¡± Gyro dismissed their concerns. ¡°Now, there''s no more time to waste; you have 4 minutes to unlock that door and pass the challenge.¡±


    ¡°Shit!¡± Hana widened. "We can celebrate later!" She started jogging to the opposite side of the room, the rest of the team following suit. Baru hung back, staring at Gyro with starry eyes.


    ¡°Hmph? What are you looking at, kid? Just go pass the challenge already. Seriously, you look like one of my deranged nephews, staring at me like that,¡± Gyro rolled his eyes, avoiding Baru''s gaze.


    Baru could only laugh. ¡°Hahahaha!¡±


    ¡°Why are you laughing? It¡¯s annoying.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Baru genuinely said, bowing his head at the man. ¡°I promise we¡¯ll fight some other time, and I¡¯ll be stronger then.¡±


    ¡°Hey Baru, get your ass over here!¡± Hana yelled from across the room. ¡°For the love of god, if all your hard work goes to waste, I¡¯ll kill you!¡±


    ¡°Hmph, teenage relationships are confusing,¡± Gyro snorted under his breath.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Baru asked, oblivious.


    ¡°Never mind, go on, before she hurts you more than I did.¡±


    Baru smiled, ¡°Thanks, old man.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not even that old. Im forty tw¡ª¡± Too late, Baru was already dashing out of sight to be on time. ¡°Tsk, kids these days¡­¡± Gyro grumbled with hint of warmth. However, he half turned toward the team, his eyes drifting towards Sen, then said in a low tone that no one could hear, "That white-haired boy... he''s¨C"


    ...


    As Baru reached the door, his team parted ways so he could have the honor. He let out a rough sigh and inserted the key.


    This is it¡­ he thought. The moment I twist this key, it''s finally over. Mom, Dad, Ami, I''ll make you proud. I¡¯ll find my purpose and live a life I can be proud of.


    He turned his gaze to his teammates one last time. I had fun¡­ I really did.


    Baru twisted the key and opened the door. A bright light from outside blinded them momentarily before a loud robotic voice exclaimed,


    ¡°Congratulations, Team Sen. You passed the first challenge in 56 minutes and 45 seconds.¡±

 Chapter 44– Peaceful moments

    Only when we have experienced pain can we fully begin to appreciate happiness¨C Senseless


    ¡°Today is quite beautiful, isn¡¯t it?¡± Asashi murmured to himself, the sharp, cold breeze causing his short hair to ruffle. He gritted his teeth unpleasantly, already feeling his nose dripping from the unfriendly weather.


    His emerald eyes darted from side to side, noticing the green grass expanding for miles until he saw the silhouette of the skyscrapers towering far away. He stood at the exit of one of the many castles, overseeing the great view of the fields surrounding the academy. He just wanted to take some time off before his work was needed. Reaching into his pocket, he revealed a pack of cigarettes and eyed them briefly, debating what he should do.


    Asashi always told himself that he¡¯d quit but always ended up relapsing. He was simply too addicted to the short-term relief he would feel whenever having one. Letting out a tired sigh, dark bags of sleep deprivation shrouded his eyes.


    After contemplating, he came up with a decision. Taking the cigarette out of the pack and placing it in his mouth, he flicked a lighter with his thumb to ignite it and block the wind to prevent it from blowing out. Taking a big lungful of the smoke, he breathed out with relaxation and gazed at the beautiful fields.


    ¡°I love peace and quiet,¡± he said, closing his eyes and leaning his head against the castle''s back door. He was tired and exhausted from what he had to put up with, but moments like these helped him calm down and appreciate life a little more.


    ¡°To think so much had changed since then. These fields used to be ridden with dead bodies from the last war twenty years ago. And now, grass is growing like it never happened in the first place,¡± he murmured in a sleepy, low tone. ¡°How old was I? Twenty? No, older? Twenty-one, yeah, that seems about right. What a shitty time that was, seeing every single person I knew either die or kill themselves from the stress,¡± he let out a dire chuckle. He couldn¡¯t forget those times; they were going to haunt him for a long time to come.


    But at least I have them. Asashi lifted his hand to the sky, trying to touch a cloud. As long as I have them, I¡ª


    ¡°Creak!¡± The sound of the door hinges beside him paused his thought.


    ¡°Asashi, are you talking to yourself again?¡± A rather attractive woman with an hourglass shape walked through the exit door, finding Asashi smoking outside. The pretty lady had green hair with a bob cut, rectangular glasses to match it, and a tight business suit and leggings as she held a tablet in her arms.


    ¡°Well, there goes my peace and quiet,¡± Asashi grumbled.


    ¡°Wow, very polite of you to say,¡± she retorted.


    ¡°Sorry, Zizu,¡± Asashi apologized to her. ¡°I''m just very tired right now. Whatever needs to be done, I¡¯ll do it later.¡±


    ¡°Why so tired? You look like shit, if I¡¯m going to be honest. Does it have to do with that infant your daughter saved? Are they causing some problems?¡± Zizu noted, hearing something about it. Asashi let out another sigh upon hearing that question.


    ¡°He is doing fine,¡± Asashi corrected. ¡°My wife had to take care of the baby for a few nights before I sent him to one of my good friends. He was quite eager to adopt since his wife turned out to be infertile. Quite unfortunate, but at least now there''s one less person in the world without a home."


    "So those last few nights were rough, huh?"


    Asashi shook his head. "No, quite the opposite actually. We still have all the supplies from when we had Kaiyo. It¡¯s not so hard. Not to mention, my wife seems to be enjoying herself. It''s been years since she last took care of a baby.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, so if it''s so easy, why do you look like a raccoon?¡± Zizu remarked.


    He rolled his eyes. ¡°The baby was crying at night, that¡¯s all,¡± he replied, his eyes shifting away from her. Zizu adjusted her glasses and scrutinized him with an amused laugh, noticing he wasn¡¯t telling the full truth.


    ¡°Your eye bags tell me you haven¡¯t slept an hour in the past couple of days. Even on sleepless missions, I don¡¯t remember you being this sleep-deprived,¡± she observed.


    He made a condescending click with his tongue.


    ¡°God, I hate people with Sight. You guys are so perceptive.¡±


    ¡°I never said I used it; I just made you think I did. You just exposed yourself; now tell me truthfully this time,¡± she insisted.


    Grumbling with annoyance, Asashi caved in and stared off into the distance. ¡°I wasn¡¯t lying, partially, that is.¡±


    ¡°Elaborate, old man.¡±


    ¡°The child¡¯s crying¡­¡± his fist tightened, ¡°it reminds me of the past.¡±


    The sounds of babies crying for their mothers and the crackling flames that consumed everything in its path were imprinted in Asashi¡¯s mind. Every time he heard an infant cry at a train station or a public area, his heart would start pounding out of control, leaving him breathless and shaken. That very reason was why he never had more than one kid, and his wife was fully aware of that.


    Zizu opened her mouth, then closed it awkwardly, realizing why he was acting this way.


    ¡°S-Sorry, I didn¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Asashi dismissed her apology with another inhalation of smoke as he breathed out. ¡°I¡¯m a horrible person, aren¡¯t I.¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯re not. Stop saying th¡ª¡±


    ¡°It''s true¡­ Khoff! Khoff!¡± Asashi coughed, clearing his throat after leaving Zizu silent. ¡°If I don¡¯t accept the things I''ve done, I¡¯d just be living in constant delusion. The sins I''ve committed are incalculable. It might even take you a few lifetimes to catch up, Zizu.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t have a choice¡­¡± she muttered softly.


    ¡°Why is that an excuse?¡± Everyone had a choice, and Asashi had made his long ago. ¡°Why do you think so many people killed themselves? They couldn¡¯t handle the weight of their sins or the sins they were about to commit. I¡¯m a selfish man; I valued my own life more than the thousands I¡¯ve killed.¡±


    Zizu avoided his glaring stare, looking downward, and whispered quietly as a mouse, ¡°Is it wrong to value yourself over others? If not you, then somebody else would.¡±


    Asashi pondered for a moment. ¡°You¡¯re right. If not for me, there would be someone else. But that¡¯s what makes it even more depressing. It means the lives that I took amounted to nothing.¡± She stared at Asashi, sympathy and understanding distinct in her eyes.


    ¡°They were just sacrifices that meant nothing in the grand scheme of things¡ªnot for a better future, not for vengeance, not for some moral cause. They were merely pawns on the playing board sent to die by the king.¡± He yawned, jadedly rubbing his eyes. ¡°Ultimately, that¡¯s war. It''s just greedy people expecting their pawns to do the work for them.¡±


    ¡°Then you shouldn¡¯t tear yourself down over what you did. If everything amounts to nothing, that means your actions mean nothing, too,¡± she keenly countered.


    Asashi rubbernecked her silently and chortled, not expecting that answer. ¡°I suppose you¡¯re right about that. I guess it makes me a hypocrite to keep worrying, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°It does,¡± After adjusting her glasses, she grinned with satisfaction. She had outwitted him.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯m a hypocrite then.¡± He shrugged, continuing to breathe in smoke from his cigarette.


    Zizu blinked, stunned.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t expecting that answer huh?¡± he mused.


    ¡°I¡­¡± she searched for words, then finally sighed, ¡°Fine, you win. Geez, you''re unbelievable.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, this isn¡¯t something you can win over. Be in the AOK for twenty years and you¡¯d understand.¡±


    ¡°Why haven¡¯t you retired? All this time you¡¯ve been suffering, so why keep going? You can leave all of this behind, start a new peaceful life, and just spend time with your family.¡±


    He paused in the middle of another puff of smoke, thinking deeply about her question. What she asked was logical. Why did he torture himself with the same job that brought him so much turmoil and pain?


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Maybe he had grown used to it and would feel lost without the agony. Or maybe, he couldn''t imagine a future where the stress would disappear, even after retiring. In the end, the damage had been done. No matter what he did, it wouldn¡¯t change what he¡¯d experienced. But yet, he had this lingering buzz in his chest, yearning for something.


    ¡°Of course, because of Kaiyo. She had wanted to become a Knight for so long, and I didn''t want to let her down. I want to protect her from the same predicament that I found myself in. Worse comes to worst she quits after realizing it¡¯s not what it¡¯s cracked up to be,¡± he shifted his feet and hummed with an upbeat melody. Zizu scrutinized him, realizing his lack of transparency.


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s understandable, but I know that¡¯s not the full reason,¡± she deduced.


    Asashi couldn¡¯t help but gripe like a teenager and roll his eyes. ¡°Fine, you got me. Perhaps I want to see the outcome of all this,¡± he truthfully answered, keeping silent for what seemed to be a long minute. ¡°I want to see if this world will change in my lifetime. Maybe a hero will come along and end the tyranny and bloodshed.¡±


    ¡°And are you that hero?¡±


    Asashi shook his head. ¡°No, I¡¯m not. I will never be a hero, nor do I have the energy to be one. Trying to redeem myself now would be rather desperate, don''t you think?¡±


    Zizu didn¡¯t muster up a response after his rhetorical question, nor did he expect one from her. It wasn¡¯t really a question or riddle to begin with. It was simply his way of conveying his thoughts without flat-out saying them.


    Asashi stretched his hands to the sky and yawned again, sleepiness taking hold of his body as the long day wore on. A hero? he thought to himself again. What does it truly mean to be a hero?


    Over twenty years ago, Asashi showed formidable strength in the last world war with the US that could even rival a diamond-ranked Knight. But being a powerful force, he had to throw away his humanity to protect his status and power. He had been on the front lines, leading his comrades to certain death in the corpse-infested battlefields that stained his memory, only him being the sole survivor in many battles. Although robots and artificial intelligence played a more significant role than in the past, the agonizing conflict still claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. However, that was only on his side. The pain he had inflicted on his enemies was far crueler and merciless.


    ¡°They are the enemy, they should die, morals don¡¯t matter,¡± is what his past self had thought. Nothing really mattered when the adrenaline and anger kicked in. Little things like morals and God were barely given a second of consideration. Asashi had been blinded by the fake belief he was doing something good. He was just protecting his homeland after all. There was nothing more courageous and honorable than that, right?


    ¡­ Right?


    It turned out there was. The moment he laid eyes on Kaiyo''s bright smile when she was born, something switched inside of him. He had realized what he had been missing. It wasn¡¯t anger, it wasn¡¯t vengeance, it wasn¡¯t even power, which he had plenty of.


    It was simply the true value of life¡­


    He had grown detached and numb to what a human life was. He had witnessed life disappear one after the other and would take it from others far too often. Human life became callous and meaningless to him. The sins he performed became more of a regular occurrence, and because of that, he had grown used to it. No one truly talked about the effects of killing others; many just assume that as long as you have an honorable cause, you won''t feel any remorse or pain. Sadly, that was far from the truth.


    To even get to that ¡®honorable cause,¡¯ one had to commit unimaginable sins. The world didn¡¯t go by the black-and-white logic of a hero defeating the villain. In reality, getting to the villain was the hardest part, and in the process, you became one yourself. The hero had to bloody his hands in order to save the day, and Asashi had grown tired of washing his.


    ¡°There is no such thing as a hero¡­¡± Asashi ended up murmuring out loud. ¡°There are only villains and other villains who commit sins for the sake of others.¡±


    Zizu looked at him with suspicion and breathed out heavily, exhausted by Asashi''s constant riddles. ¡°You seriously need more sleep, man. Look what insomnia has done to you. You¡¯re losing your mind.¡±


    ¡°Can''t argue with that,¡± Asashi reluctantly said, chuckling with amusement.


    ¡°You truly are helpless,¡± Zizu covered her face with a groan.


    ¡°Yep, can''t argue with that.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not supposed to agree!¡±


    ¡°Well, can''t argue with th¨C¡±


    Asashi felt a light strike his gut, which felt more like a small flick rather than a punch. He eyed the green-haired assistant, who had expected the attack to affect his sturdy body. Upon her failure, Zizu retreated and cleared her throat from humiliation while meandering away.


    ¡°Ahem¡­ I uh¡­ forgot you had a very sturdy body because of Touch. You¡¯re lucky.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Asashi said, feeling a thin smile form on his face.


    ¡°Anyway,¡± Zizu attempted to switch the subject, her cheeks turning red with embarrassment, ¡°Your daughter should be in the middle of the first challenge any minute now¨C¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Asashi mumbled, which perked Zizu''s ears.


    ¡°For?¡± she asked, her back to him, far too embarrassed to look him in the eye.


    Asashi took one last puff of his cigarette, or stick of death as he liked to call it, and dropped it on the stone ground, firmly crushing it with his dress shoes as it let out a small sizzle.


    ¡°These conversations,¡± he replied, then smiled wryly. ¡°Let''s have them more often.¡±


    Zizu snorted. ¡°You have too much time on your hands.¡±


    ¡°Well, can''t argue with that.¡± He shrugged slyly.


    ¡°You bastard.¡±


    Asashi laughed, barely able to keep a straight face at his own joke.


    Entering the castle¡¯s massive door, marble floors spread across the interior, glimmering white as his shoes made clank sounds upon contact. The high ceilings towered above him, with a skylight illuminating the gleaming marble as well as the statues that were precisely placed on each side of the large room. Balconies with railings were visible on the second floor as knights of various ages leaned over to observe the people below. Centered in the main room was a stunning fountain that shimmered, creating soothing sounds of splashing water as people chatted with each other.


    The center of the castle was a hotspot for all knights to converse and share experiences with each other, and when people got hungry, there were even caf¨¦ and food courts to choose from, completely free of charge. Even now, he spotted a few low-ranking Knights¨C judging by their badges¨C sitting and eating at marble tables stationed in front of the stores. This particular castle was more of a mall than a practice ground for training or missions.


    As Asashi walked by, the knights in their clean white and red uniforms, adorned with the academy-embossed insignia, bowed to him, noticing the gold badge on the left of his chest, which represented Asashi¡¯s rank.


    ¡°Why do you always refuse to wear the Academy''s uniform?¡± Zizu wondered, walking beside him. ¡°Better yet, how did they allow you not to?¡± She noticed Asashi¡¯s long black trench coat, which made him stand out among all the other uniformed Knights.


    ¡°Well, why do you wear a black one-piece business suit with leggings?¡± Asashi countered.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s because I¡¯m not a Knight, I¡¯m a manager and assistant. It''s not required to wear it.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m a high-ranking Knight, so I get to wear whatever I want,¡± he retorted rebelliously.


    ¡°Aren''t you conceited.¡±


    Behind his sarcasm hid an ulterior reason for abandoning it. He simply couldn¡¯t stand wearing it more than he already did. It reminded him too much of the missions he carried out when he served. The instant he was promoted to the board of directors, he stopped wearing the memory-jogging uniform.


    Asashi passed the splashing fountain and followed a broad marble staircase to the second level before entering more corridors. He noticed that the white marble floor vanished beneath him and was replaced with thin red carpet.


    ¡°Why are you following me again?¡± Asashi decided to ask, realizing that Zizu was still tagging along.


    She fixed her glasses. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to watch the challenge from the security cameras? Am I not allowed to or something?¡±


    ¡°No, no, just wondering,¡± He glanced at her from his peripheral vision and quickly looked away when she caught him. It wasn¡¯t too far-fetched that Zizu wanted to see how his daughter did in the challenge. After all, she would often stop by their house after work to say hello.


    He went through a sunlit hallway with windows replacing the side walls, exhibiting the colorful and beautiful green gardens outside that flaunted below. The bright passage connected to another castle, which only a select few, including him and Zizu, were able to enter.


    Two knights stood at their post, guarding the entrance to a large door as they approached the end of the hallway.


    ¡°Mr. Asashi,¡± a young blonde-haired Knight on the right bowed, ¡°And Ms. Zizu, please go ahead.¡± Upon recognizing them and opening the wooden doors with a creak, the two Knights respectfully showed them in.


    Asashi nodded his head at them, ¡°Thank you, Johan, Daichi.¡±


    Entering the new castle, there was an obvious shift in the atmosphere. The corridor''s artificial lights were white and duller, while the walls lacked any paintings or d¨¦cor, feeling more like a motel than a prestigious castle. But he couldn¡¯t blame the budget for being a little lower, considering the rest of the castle was constructed as part of the first challenge, with expensive trap doors and tunnels.


    ¡°I saw Kaiyo when she started the first challenge before I talked with you, actually. That¡¯s the main reason I tried finding you. Hopefully, you didn¡¯t intend to miss it,¡± Zizu asked.


    He followed her silently, unsure whether to respond truthfully. Knowing Zizu, she was perceptive enough to ask that question.


    ¡°Me and her got into a little argument the other day when I told her I tried convincing the board of directors to pass her no matter what happens¨C¡±


    ¡°You what!?¡± Zizu gaped.


    ¡°I know, I know,¡± Asashi sighed. ¡°It wasn¡¯t the best move, and she¡¯s still been a bit distant since she brought that infant home. I just thought it might be better if I didn¡¯t involve myself any more than I already have.¡±


    ¡°What does that have to do with cheering her on? You''re not interfering or giving her the upper hand?¡± Zizu said, stopping by a door in the hallway and unlocking it.


    ¡°I guess,¡± Asashi murmured gloomily, following her into a vast dark room where screens were the only source of light¡ªthe security room. Dozens of individuals with Bluetooth headsets monitored different screens to ensure the challenge went smoothly, shouting out commands in real-time.


    ¡°Alright, make wall B34 Sense Proof. I mean, scratch that, make it Sense Weak,¡± one person commanded another at the control panel.


    ¡°Team Hugro just got into tunnel 44. Shit, more people are fighting their way in, forcefully shut the door!¡±


    Asashi murmured in amusement as he watched the staff coordinate the challenge.


    ¡°It looks like they''re having fun,¡± Zizu commented. ¡°Even Mr. Storm seems intrigued this year. He even asked for a private room to watch the contestants.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s rare,¡± Asashi furrowed his brow.


    ¡°You should have seen him at the opening of the first challenge, too,¡± Zizu giggled. ¡°He was quite the character.¡±


    Asashi grimaced at the thought of the creepy masked man. No one even knew what he looked like, which was probably for the best; he likely looked as deranged as his personality suggested.


    That man is severely unhinged. Asashi wasn¡¯t even sure how he got such a prestigious rank when he only acted like a comedian, never taking anything seriously. However, having seen it firsthand, Asashi had to admit that his strength was no joke. The only word that came to mind was ''destruction.''


    ¡°Let''s see how Kaiyo is doing,¡± Zizu said, approaching one of the security members. ¡°Could you check on Team Sen? I think that¡¯s the team she joined for the challenge.¡±


    Her words didn¡¯t fully register with Asashi. That name had been echoing in his head for so long that he hadn¡¯t thought much of it until it finally dawned on him.


    ¡°Team Sen?¡± Asashi blinked at Zizu, who returned his gaze with a puzzled tilt of her head.


    Asashi''s throat felt dry. ¡°TEAM SEN?!¡±

 Chapter 45– The White Storms Truth

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    Asashi furiously walked through the dimly lit corridor, his face twisting in anger and puzzlement as Zizu attempted to catch up to him. He had left the security room without a single explanation, heading to the Whitestorm''s office that was stationed in another castle.


    Like the lounging quarters, he entered a long, sunlit tube/passageway that connected to another building. The new castle was mostly utilized as an office and living quarters, standing at a reasonable ten stories. Gorgeous medieval architecture was the main emphasis, similar to the rest of the buildings but a bit more luxurious. It wasn¡¯t an apartment for students, either. Most occupants were high-ranking Knights or indispensable employees like Zizu; even Asashi had his own office there.


    Facing two Knights who guarded the entrance, they gave him a respectful nod before allowing him into the castle, the large Sense-proof door creaking as it opened.


    ¡°W-wait for me!¡± Zizu wheezed from behind. He grudgingly waited for her, his hands crossed and his dress shoes tapping impatiently on the marble floor.


    ¡°Jesus, why are you in such a rush?¡± she panted beside him, crouching to catch her breath.


    He massaged his eyes, unsure if he could explain half of what he desired to say. He wanted to lash out on impulse but restrained himself upon recognizing it wasn¡¯t really her fault to begin with.


    That¡¯s right. I had never told her about Sen and my relationship with that family before. I can''t blame her for not telling me. Asashi kept his thoughts to himself, especially anything involving that family. The only people who were even aware of his caution were his wife and Jen.


    ¡°It¡¯s a personal issue,¡± Asashi said, walking away into another corridor. On the right, windows let in sunlight, while on the left, numbered doors stretched along before sharply turning left.


    ¡°Bullshit, you talk about your experiences in war, but not this?¡± she scowled, then mimicked Asashi¡¯s tone, ¡°TEAM SEN? TEAM SEN? What was that all about?¡±


    ¡°You really are pushy,¡± he remarked, seeing a public elevator and stairs going down and up in sight. We need to take the private elevator that¡¯s in the lobby; this public one won¡¯t take us to Mr. Storm''s office. Let''s go down the stairs.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m aware of that,¡± Zizu deadpanned. ¡°I¡¯m his assistant. Do you think I haven¡¯t been there? Why are you even going there to begin with?¡± Asashi rolled his eyes as he trotted down a spiral of marble stairs. He hadn¡¯t forgotten Zizu was his assistant, but rather, he attempted to switch subjects to no avail.


    It didn¡¯t take long before the spiral stairs eventually ended with a door. Upon unlocking it, the front lobby of the castle greeted Asashi after exiting the ''staff only'' access. A gorgeous waterfall with a wishing well displayed behind the front reception desk.


    It felt akin to a very expensive apartment or hotel lobby, gold and pear-white being the preferred color palette, which only alleviated its prestigious appearance. Tapestries hung on the walls, depicting the first-ever Knights who came into existence in the early 800s, way before humans even developed Super Senses to begin with.


    To match that, statues of stoic knights stood alongside the front desk, towering menacingly over the employee, as two massive staircases on both sides arched upwards to a second level. There, employees and high-ranking Knights had access to a luxurious buffet. And straight ahead of him, two elevators were visible. One was listed as Public, and the other as private.


    Only a few individuals registered in the system could enter because artificial intelligence would monitor those who sought access to the private elevator.


    ¡°Ay Ay, Mr. Asashi!¡± the front desk employee saluted, his two fingers drawn to his brow, a customary salute for modern-day Knights. Asashi gave a salute in return, even though it was unnecessary because the receptionist wasn¡¯t a Knight to begin with.


    Just by looking at the young, bulky, brown-haired, and blue-eyed man, Asashi could tell he respected Knights by the burning passion in his eyes. The poor guy looked like a kid who met their hero.


    Asashi debated if he should give him a response since he had places to be, and fast, but finally gave in, realizing it was only polite. He didn¡¯t want to be labeled as a douchebag who acted above everyone.


    ¡°Loid, hope you''re well,¡± Asashi nodded.


    ¡°N-no way. I can''t believe you remembered my name,¡± Loid''s eyes sparkled.


    Asashi decided not to say that he had a tag with his name on it. ¡°Um yes, of course, I wouldn¡¯t forget you. You¡¯re always hard at work,¡± Asashi lied as Zizu snorted. He scowled, making her regain her composure and adjust her glasses.


    ¡°T-thank you, that means the world to me,¡± Loid¡¯s voice cracked, giving another salute.


    ¡°Uh, no need for that, really¡­¡± Asashi sighed.


    ¡°Where to today?¡±


    ¡°The White Storm¡¯s office, I have an important meeting to attend to,¡± Asashi truthfully answered. But that answer just seemed to ruin the kid''s mood. Maybe Loid wanted to use this rare opportunity to chat with a high-ranking Knight, and it almost made Asashi feel sorry, but he had priorities. He could always chat later¨C


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Loid lowered his gaze, putting on a fake smile, although Asashi could tell he was utterly crushed. ¡°Sorry, I won''t hold you up.¡±


    The more he looked at the boy''s depressing expression, the more he caved. Asashi sighed.


    Fine. You might have a few more minutes in the challenge, Sen, but I''ll throw you out if it¡¯s the last thing I do. You¡¯re dangerous. He clenched his fist.


    ¡­


    ¡°No need to apologize,¡± Asahi composed his anger and forced a smile. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be participating in the exams? I can tell how passionate you are about Knights.¡±


    ¡°Oh, no, no.. I¡­¡± Loid stammered as he waved his hands, a shadow falling on his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s not possible for me to be a Knight. I¡¯m far too weak.¡±


    That¡¯s the right call; don¡¯t go down this path, is what Asashi truly wanted to say, but he bit his tongue to prevent it. After all, not everyone would experience what he had been through. WWIII was devastating, cutting a deep and painful wound in a whole generation that had yet to be healed. But now, a new generation has been raised, one not tainted by the sins of the past. There won¡¯t be another one anytime soon. Asashi truly hoped so. He didn¡¯t want his daughter to live through the same hell he did.


    ¡°How so?¡± Asashi asked. ¡°You don¡¯t look weak to me.¡±


    ¡°I¡­I have Taste as my Sense,¡± Loid admitted, his fists clenched. Now Asashi understood the young man¡¯s burden. Due to the lack of actual usability, many people with weaker senses like Taste or Smell were ostracized and bullied. It almost reminded him of a certain white and black-haired boy.


    ¡°That¡¯s no reason to give up,¡± Asashi stated, as Loid gradually met his resolved gaze. ¡°We all have Sense Energy within us; it''s just what we do with it that truly defines our strength.¡± He rested his hand on the young man¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Touch, Hearing, Sight, they all don¡¯t matter if you can¡¯t protect those less fortunate than you. Don¡¯t focus on what you can¡¯t do, focus on what you can. In fact, many people with Taste and Smell have entered the academy and have become successful Knights, it''s not impossible. You might lack the physical abilities that others have, but there are many Sense weapons that you could master to save lives. Don¡¯t let this small hiccup stop you from attaining your dream, if you truly want it.¡±


    Loid only managed to gawk at him, admiration shining like a dazzling star in his eyes. ¡°Y-Yes sir!¡± He saluted.


    ¡°Good man,¡± Asashi chuckled, ¡°Now if you¡¯ll excuse me, I have a meeting.¡± Before walking towards the elevator, Loid exclaimed behind him.


    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Asashi!¡±


    With an amused murmur, he raised his hand and waved without looking back. Zizu didn¡¯t utter a single word about the conversation until they were finally accepted by the AI camera and marched inside the Private Elevator. Soft jazz started playing in the fancy metallic room as they moved upwards. He could tell she was looking at him with her peripheral vision.


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    ¡°What?¡± Asashi broke the silence.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Zizu cleared her throat. He didn¡¯t like that smirk on her face. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­¡± Zizu fumbled her words, reluctant to say what was on her mind.


    ¡°Spit it out already.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a kind person,¡± she murmured.


    ¡­


    He exhaled after a long pause. ¡°You may see me as a kind person, but the enemy''s children see me as a monster.¡± The elevator abruptly opened on the tenth floor to another hotel-like hallway with different doors.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you a little old to be in the edgy teenager phase?¡± Zizu joked, stepping out of the elevator and walking to the door at the very end of the corridor.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Asashi mused at the lighthearted joke. Facing a door that had The WhiteStorm embossed on it, he knocked.


    No answer¡­


    ¡°He¡¯s in the monitor room, so he probably won''t hear us¨C¡± Zizu¡¯s words were instantly cut off as the door opened.


    A tall man with long black hair appeared before them. He was wearing a baggy hoodie that covered the top of his head and a blank white mask hiding his features. An aura of pure power radiated from him, leaving them both motionless and fearful. This was exactly why Asashi hated talking with Mr. Storm. His name was more literal than one thought; he really gave him shivers.


    ¡°Jesus, you really thought I couldn¡¯t hear you guys yapping away in the hallway? I don¡¯t even need to use one of my senses to hear that.¡± Despite his intense aura, the mystery man remained as nonchalant as always. ¡°Aight, come on in and chillax. Don¡¯t mind the mess, though,¡± he yawned, opening the door to reveal his office. Before Asashi could take notice of his surroundings, something else caught his eye.


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± He stared downwards at Mr. Storm, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you wearing any pants?¡±


    The masked man followed his gaze, looking at his flannel underwear, and shrugged.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I just felt like it. Ya know, once you¡¯re the strongest, you kinda stop caring about what people think of you, hahaha,¡± he laughed. Zizu raised her tablet to cover her face, too embarrassed to look. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t act like you haven¡¯t seen me in my underwear before Zizu,¡±


    ¡°Huh? Wha, I¨C¡± Zizu''s face turned red as a rose as she stammered out an incoherent response.


    Asashi massaged his eyes. ¡°Seriously how old are you? A teenager or something?¡± He was like this every goddamn time he had a meeting with him. It irked Asashi that a person this powerful was this retarded.


    ¡°Ah, I don¡¯t know. l stopped counting after I reached the thousands,¡± he joked. ¡°Just kidding, of course. I think I¡¯m what?¡± Mr. Storm put a finger on his mask in thought, ¡°Wait, sixteen minus four, which is twelve, now add thirty¡ªoh, forty-two.¡±


    Asashi blinked. The math made absolutely no sense, but then again, nothing about this man made sense. The most surprising thing was the fact that Mr. Storm was one year older than Asashi. He couldn¡¯t frankly believe it.


    ¡°Take a seat, my dear guests!¡± the masked man said fruitfully in a high-pitched voice.


    The office was nothing to awe over, but it was still impressive. Many large arched windows were situated throughout the square room, displaying a great view of the large fields and the silhouette of the skyscrapers miles away. A fancy wooden desk with two monitors and an expensive chair sat in front of the beautiful sight, facing the front door, while scattered documents and soda cans covered the floors wherever he stepped foot.


    ¡°He really needs to clean this place,¡± Asashi muttered under his breath. But not unpredictably, Mr. Storm heard that from a mile away.


    ¡°A clean environment means you¡¯re not working, but a dirty one means you are!¡± he retorted.


    I hate that he has hearing, too. He always chose to ignore that Mr. Storm had all five senses, although it wasn¡¯t fully public knowledge and was just a rumor.


    It wasn¡¯t because he was jealous in any way, either, but mainly because of how Mr. Storm had attained his powers. It also happened to be the same exact reason why he had so much caution for Sen.


    ¡°Sooo,¡± Mr. Storm started, sitting down on his chair with his sockless feet up on the desk, ¡°what can I help you with today? Or should I say what I can¡¯t help you with today?¡± he cackled at his own joke.


    Asashi''s forehead popped out as he took a seat on an empty chair, his features firm and uneasy. ¡°This is urgent, and it requires immediate attention.¡±


    ¡°Well, it''s sure not immediate because you¡¯re taking your sweet time saying what the actual problem is,¡± Zizu frowned.


    ¡°Because you wouldn¡¯t get it.¡±


    ¡°Um, excuse me? Is that an insult or¡­¡±


    Asashi shook his head. ¡°No, it¡¯s not. It¡¯s something that only Mr. Storm and a few others are aware of.¡±


    ¡°Well why the hell did you say it like that?¡± Zizu puffed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t take offense to that, I was just sa¨C¡±


    ¡°Oh, this is because of Sen Ano, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡­ He froze at Mr Storm¡¯s words. ¡°What?¡± Asashi blinked. ¡°I¨CI mean, yeah, it is, but how did you know?¡±


    Why had he not stepped in if he had known all along then?


    ¡°Yeah, I saw him in the security cameras a little while ago. Zizu even helped me confirm it, too,¡± he yawned under his mask. Asashi officially realized he must be going insane.


    ¡°B-but then you must know we need to throw him out!?¡± he stood up from his chair and faced the masked man with a raised voice. Mr. Storm started picking at his toenails.


    ¡°Nah, but that¡¯d be no fun, man.¡± He gritted his teeth.


    ¡°With all due respect sir, but that¡¯s irrelevant. You must know the dangers if he¨C¡±


    ¡°If he¡­ what? That¡¯s just an anecdotal prediction. Nothing¡¯s going to happen. He was a failed Vessel a long time ago.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Asashi growled. ¡°Yami was a madman. Who even knows what the failed Vessels are capable of?¡±


    ¡°Sadly, It''s not like we have too much to go off of,¡± his voice turned sour as if remembering disturbing memories. He grimaced.


    ¡°Yeah, but¨C¡±


    ¡°Um, sorry to disturb you,¡± Zizu raised her hand, ¡°but what in the world are you guys talking about?¡± They both sighed in response as their conversation was suddenly derailed.


    Mr. Storm took off his feet and grew serious. ¡°Zizu, you¡¯ve heard of the White Tiger Monster, no?¡±


    Adjusting her glasses unconsciously, she replied, "I¡¯ve heard about it. Isn''t that the Apex Monster that was discovered after the world war? The one that''s said to have control over all monsters?¡±


    ¡°Almost all monsters. It never achieved that goal,¡± Asashi chimed in. ¡°You see, the Monster''s unexplained ability was to drain energy from its opponents when they feared it, and in return, it grew stronger. But in the end, it never had enough power to fully control every monster, the whole population would need to be sucked dry in order for that to happen.¡±


    ¡°Ha! Sucked dry¡­ funny.¡± Mr. Storm laughed. Asashi decided to ignore his immature comment.


    ¡°Ahem, not to mention the White Tiger was a gifted monster, too, controlling all five Senses.¡±


    Zizu turned pale as a radish. ¡°T-that¡­. cant be true. How can a monster even be that strong? That sounds like something out of a fairytale."


    ¡°Oh, trust me, it truly possesses those powers,¡± Mr. Storm confirmed. ¡°In fact, I got my powers from that monster.¡±


    ¡°I still find it hard to believe it, though, a monster being able to¨C wait, what did you just¡­?¡± Zizu didn¡¯t seem to process what the masked man had said. ¡°IM SORRY WHAT?¡± she dropped her tablet on the ground, the screen glitching as it cracked down the middle.


    ¡°Oh boy, you didn¡¯t tell her, did you?¡± Asashi was a bit surprised, knowing how much he blabbered about nonsense. No secrets were safe around him.


    ¡°Huh? I thought you knew already?¡± Mr. Storm extended his disgusting feet on the desk again, sighing. ¡°Well, I¡¯m not really lying. I did get all my powers from that monster.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but you can''t just say that and expect me to agree. What the hell is going on!¡± Zizu''s frustration was evident.


    Mr. Storm grumbled rebelliously, ¡°Fine, fine, geez, women are so complicated.¡±


    ¡°This doesn¡¯t have anything to do with being a wome¨C¡±


    ¡°Yami Huya,¡± Mr. Storm started, cutting her off. ¡°He was a hard-working scientist working for the AOK, dealing with various research on monsters. He was quite a genius who contributed a lot to the academy¡¯s and the public''s knowledge, but in retrospect, he was a little too smart for his own good. After the AOK had captured the White Tiger Monster¨Cwhen it was classified as a national threat¨CYami pleaded with the administration to allow him to research and conduct experiments, stating, ''This could very well crack the code in eliminating all monsters.¡¯ And well, he did, except they weren¡¯t just simple studies and research; No, they were human experiments,¡± he revealed.


    Zizu¡¯s puzzled expression turned into disbelief.


    ¡°One after another, Yami experimented on children and young adults, attempting to splice their DNA so that, hopefully, a human would be able to harness the White Tiger¡¯s ability to control Monsters. But sadly, almost every vessel he experimented with¡­¡± Mr. Storm paused, ¡°Died¡­¡±


    Zizu gagged, covering her mouth with revulsion as he continued.


    ¡°It turned out that trying to splice DNA resulted in the person rejecting the monster and being defeated by it. However, some vessels were outliers. Can you guess who they are?¡± Mr. Storm made a cute gesture with his hands, but Zizu was still frozen in shock. ¡°Bingooo, that''s right! You just won a fully paid vacation to the Bahamas!¡±


    ¡°T-then that means you can control monsters?¡± she stammered out a response, still trying to process what she was hearing.


    ¡°Nope, I have all five senses, and I can suck fear from people to restore my energy. HA, suck, funny word...¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s why I always feel an evil presence from you. I thought I was imagining it.¡±


    ¡°Yep, sorry about that. It¡¯s the White Tiger Monster''s doing,¡± Mr. Storm prayed apologetically.


    Asashi was growing impatient. ¡°Enough discussion. What do we do about Sen? We can¡¯t just leave him be?¡±


    ¡°Why? Just because he¡¯s Senseless? Do you know how bad the PR would look if we threw him out? He¡¯ll probably get disqualified anyway. It''s not like he¡¯s going to go ape-shit suddenly. Besides, If we remove him, I would need to disqualify all the other failed vessels participating in the challenge.¡±


    ...


    ¡°Other vessels!?¡± Asashi couldn¡¯t believe what he was hearing. ¡°Just how much were you doing behind my back?!¡± He spat while seizing Mr. Storm¡¯s hoodie, his eyes gleaming blue as he unlocked his Sense. Lifting the black-haired man in the air, Asashi glared furiously at him before suddenly feeling Mr. Storm grip his hand.


    ¡°Oi¡­¡± Mr. Storm said emotionlessly, ¡°That¡¯s quite enough¡­¡±


    Asashi felt a sharp pain on his wrist as the masked man gripped it. Cursing in pain, Asashi let go, leaving Mr. Storm plummeting back into his chair. Adjusting his hoodie again, Mr. Storm cleared his throat with a cough.


    ¡°Anyway, I hope that answered your question. No disqualification for today! Now, if you guys can, could you leave? I¡¯m going to play some Parkour games; I swear it¡¯s my four-hundred-and-forty-second attempt!¡± he smiled under his mask while Asashi glared at him.


    ¡°I¨CI have one more question,¡± Zizu managed to whimper out. Her eyes were sagged and distant, almost like she had been lied to all her life. ¡°This Sen kid, is he¡­ a vessel too?¡±


    Mr. Storm stayed silent, then snorted amusingly. ¡°Well, not really; he¡¯s just lucky to be alive after his mad father experimented on him.¡±


    Zizu eyes widened. ¡°You don¡¯t mean¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, the same scientist who gave me these powers... experimented on his very own son¡­¡±

 Chapter 46– Super Nova and The White Tiger

    "There are no predetermined futures or fates, only various paths leading to different outcomes,"¨C Senseless


    ¡°Congratulations, Team Sen, you have passed the first challenge in 56 minutes and 45 seconds,¡± the Techo watch informed Sen as the sun''s light momentarily blinded him. He began to adjust to his surroundings, shielding his eyes from the glaring light with one hand.


    Hmm¡­ well, I certainly wasn¡¯t expecting this scenery. Large medieval castles surrounded a picturesque, colorful garden that stretched around the team, with precisely cut and maintained hedges and trees symmetrically placed for onlookers'' admiration. Fountains in the middle of small ponds, swimming with koi fish, caught his eye with their beautiful, dazzling water. Archways cut from thick foliage invited you to the garden''s center, which contained a massive stage encircled by hundreds of people.


    I see. So those are all the contestants who passed the challenge? He tilted his head, looking at the massive crowd below the tall stage.


    By a quick estimate, he reckoned almost half the people had been eliminated. Many appeared ragged and tired, as if they had run a marathon, which wasn¡¯t quite surprising to him. The challenge was quite brutal.


    Of course, he couldn''t really know if they had had it harder or easier than Sen¡¯s team. As Gyro stated, each tunnel contained different obstacles.


    That guy still rubs me the wrong way¡­ As shocked as I was by Baru¡¯s combat abilities, it''s clear Gyro gave up the key on purpose. And he seemed to be going quite hard on us, which I don¡¯t believe would have happened if we were another team. Something''s fishy. Perhaps Asashi figured me out and tried to indirectly eliminate me from the exam? That would definitely make sense if he wasn¡¯t allowed to outright expel me. Or it could very well be Gyro¡¯s own volition. So many possibilities, but so little information. Instantly, Sen found himself entangled in questions that he had no answers to.


    ¡°I can''t believe it¡­¡± gasped Hana, ¡°We actually did it,¡± collapsing to the floor, she let out a great sigh of relief.


    ¡°You mean, I did it,¡± Baru puffed his chest out arrogantly, attempting to spark some drama with her. But surprisingly, Hana didn¡¯t seem bothered by that statement at all. In fact, she was quite happy.


    ¡°It¡¯s true, without you we wouldn¡¯t have passed,¡± she agreed as Baru gaped at her. ¡°I know we might not get along too well, but you really saved us, so thank you.¡± Realizing what she had just said, Hana reddened with embarrassment and tried to avoid his gaze.


    ¡°Uhhhh¡­¡± Baru seemed unable to process her words for a moment. ¡°Appreciation doesn¡¯t look good on your face; I prefer it when you¡¯re angry.¡±


    ¡°Take the f*cking compliment!¡± Hana punched Baru in the gut with her Sense, catching him off guard. Coughing up a mix of mucus and blood, Baru gasped for mercy.


    ¡°Chill, it was just a joke, just a joke. You look hot either way.¡±


    That statement certainly didn¡¯t help his case.


    ¡°Shut the hell up!¡± She threw more flustered punches at him, which did nothing because he opened his Sense this time, not taking any chances of getting hit unprepared.


    I see, Sen observed how differently Baru¡¯s body responded to Hana¡¯s punch. Although a person with Touch can strengthen their body without needing to unlock their Sense, it''s significantly weaker. When Hana punched him in the stomach while he was off guard, it dealt some damage, but now, with his Sense open¡­ He watched Hana''s futile attempts to harm Baru. It was barely a tickle fight for him, highlighting their stark strength difference. They were on completely different levels. Just how strong is he?


    ¡°Good job, everyone! I knew we could do it!¡± Hono clapped her hands with delight. Sen watched her closely, recalling his strange conversation with her during the final obstacle. Sen couldn¡¯t really test his concerns; all he could do was wait and observe her more.


    ¡°Stop hitting me! I just came back from a big fight, I¡¯m tired!¡± Baru complained from the ground, his Sense giving in to exhaustion.


    Hana kept kicking at him, ¡°No, I¡¯m going to make you go through hell and back!¡±


    ¡°I never saw Hana so angry before,¡± Kaiyo murmured fearfully beside him.


    ¡°She¡¯s scary,¡± Hyo shivered.


    Although she was weaker than Baru, her attitude alone ranked her at a Diamond-Level of destruction. While the two hot-blooded teens fought and yelled, a cold voice suddenly called out to him.


    ¡°Hey, snowhead!¡± someone said insolently.


    Sen debated whether to turn his head. Here I was, beginning to think we finally got rid of them. Sighing, he met the gaze of a beautiful, though unfriendly, blue-haired girl, accompanied by her brother.


    ¡°Ayame, Genkai¡­ uh¡­¡± When Sen noticed them, he saw something clearly different.


    ¡°Why are you guys drenched in water?¡± Kaiyo asked before he could.


    Gritting her teeth, Ayame grimaced, water droplets falling from her silky hair. ¡°Long story¡­¡± she muttered while wringing out her clothes. Sen could almost see her bra through the wet fabric but decided not to focus on it. After all, he wasn''t particularly interested in such things.


    ¡°Woah, if it isn¡¯t the blue-haired chick and blue-haired guy!¡± Baru called out to them, finally free from Hana¡¯s abuse. ¡°And woaaaaaahh¨C¡± His eyes drifted downward at Ayame, which was the exact spot Sen refused to pay attention to.


    Men are men, I guess, Sen realized. Before Ayame could say anything to the perverted red-haired emo, Sen cleared his throat.


    ¡°More importantly,¡± he eyed Baru, hinting at him to shut his mouth. ¡°How did you pass the challenge? You guys were right behind us, so how are you even here?"


    Ayame frowned, ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about it.¡±


    Her brother rolled his eyes with a tired sigh. ¡°After we finished fighting the Bearwolf, we followed the other tunnel, but lo and behold, there was a dead end.¡±


    ¡°Dead end?¡± Hyo echoed his words, confused. ¡°How¡¯s that possible when Hana smashed the wall? You two should have seen us.¡±


    Genkai and Ayame exchanged glances before he replied, ¡°We figured out the whole wall trick, but the dead end didn¡¯t budge at all, so we searched for one that could break under our sense.¡±


    Ayame chimed in with a rather bitter tone, ¡°And when we did find one, we were thrown into a maze of booby traps and¡ª¡±


    ¡°Let me guess, water,¡± Baru chuckled.


    ¡°...I¡¯m really, really disappointed that you didn¡¯t fail,¡± Ayame gave him a death stare.


    Sen didn¡¯t pay any more attention to the conversation but was more focused on how the tunnel seemed to have closed off when Ayame and her brother followed them. It''s not like they used a different tunnel, so why does it seem like we weren¡¯t even there to begin with? After contemplating for a moment, a light bulb went off inside his head.


    ¡°I see,¡± he murmured, catching the attention of the icy girl. ¡°The walls are manually placed depending on the team''s location and predicament. So, in this case, a Sense-proof wall was placed between us to prevent you from following us.¡±


    ¡°That means every wall could be either weak or resistant to Senses, depending on when the academy sees fit,¡± Hyo observed, tailing off of Sen¡¯s well-grounded theory. He nodded.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why did we pass before you guys?¡± Ayame asked. ¡°We were waiting here for a good ten minutes.¡±


    Sen shrugged. ¡°Long story.¡±


    ¡°Touch¨¦.¡±


    Sen kept his thoughts to himself. That statement alone proves how oddly difficult the last obstacle was. All I can do now is be thankful that we passed, but next time, I doubt we¡¯ll be as lucky. Sen was paranoid that Asashi might appear from the shadows and kidnap him or something. His lack of involvement almost seems too good to be true.


    His thoughts were abruptly cut off when he felt his Techo watch buzz and announce¡ª


    ¡°Your time is up. All remaining contestants, please gather below the stage located in the center of the garden and wait.¡±


    Every watch from what seemed to be a couple of blocks radius announced at once, making the electronic voice resound throughout the garden. Upon hearing the direction, the two teams entered the garden''s arched foliage and gaped at the amazing scenery.


    ¡°This garden is beautiful,¡± Kaiyo said, staring at the fountain to the right of the cement path.


    Birds of all kinds chirped in serene melodies, landing on the fountain ring and calmly sipping water. Perfectly manicured vegetation was ubiquitous, creating different patterns, while trees lined the sides and arched high up, slightly blocking the sunlight. It surprised Sen how they managed to keep the garden so green and colorful in early November. Or maybe he shouldn¡¯t be surprised at all; after all, technology was always improving rapidly.


    ¡°This could almost make a grown man cry,¡± Baru held back tears.


    ¡°You¡¯re not a grown man yet,¡± Hana retorted.


    ¡°I¡¯m seventeen!¡±


    ¡°Still not there yet, sucks to suck.¡± Hana still seemed scornful over his last comment.


    ¡°Actually, since you¡¯re eighteen and are considered an adult, isn¡¯t it considered child abuse if you hit me?¡±


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    ¡°Yes, it''s child abuse because you act like a child.¡±


    Hyo suppressed a laugh. ¡°You walked right into that one.¡±


    Baru gritted his teeth and scowled. While the team was lightheartedly bantering with each other, Sen noticed Kaiyo¡¯s anxious face.


    Her lips moved with unease, and her eyes were aloof in thought. Although she tried to hide it when noticing him stare, Sen could already tell what was wrong. It was most likely the same reason he was apprehensive.


    Her father¡­ Sen deduced. Although she promised me that she¡¯d threaten to pull out of the challenge if he tried to throw me out, it finally dawned on her if she could actually do it or if it would even work in the first place.


    Sen had thought if this simple tactic would work against her father since the beginning, and although there wasn¡¯t a hundred percent definitive answer, Sen knew where Asashi stood. He wouldn¡¯t abandon his daughter''s dream just because he disliked someone. Even he wouldn¡¯t stoop that low.


    That¡¯s why the plan is foolproof; Asashi might be tough on the outside, but he¡¯s weak emotionally. I can tell when I look at him. Sen recalled his past interactions with Pantherman, and in each one of them, Sen could feel something hiding behind his gaze. I don¡¯t even dislike him either, but if he gets in my way of finding information about my father, then well, he''s an enemy, I suppose. Sen wasn''t the type to label anyone as an enemy; that seemed quite childish, and he couldn¡¯t frankly care what reason Asashi had for disliking him. Sen wasn¡¯t inclined to change their relationship either.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry if you¡¯re feeling nervous because I¡¯m here,¡± Sen said beside her, walking down the cement path in the massive, beautiful garden. Kaiyo was startled by his sudden statement and quickly grew flustered.


    Sen was genuinely apologetic for putting her in the position, which was odd, given that he felt next to nothing before starting the challenge. He wasn¡¯t sure what it was, but his feelings felt jumbled lately, as if he could barely recognize them.


    The realization brought him back to when he laughed in front of Gyro, something he rarely did, or what he said to Hono during the challenge. It didn¡¯t make sense at all, it felt like something was meddling with him on the inside, and he couldn¡¯t understand what¡­


    ¡°W-why are you apologizing? I¡¯m completely fine,¡± she stammered.


    ¡°No, I can tell you¡¯re worried, and I¡¯m the reason for that, so I apologize for that. No use in trying to sugar-coat things.¡± Sen had to be careful with how he worded things just in case someone was using their Sense, or even the newer teammates at that.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine¡­ really,¡± Kaiyo reassured him, unable to look at him. ¡°It was my decision, not yours. I just need to prepare for the consequences of my own choice.¡±


    Sen couldn¡¯t help but think that he might have influenced her decision more than she knew.


    ¡°Well¡­ I feel like our worry is going to end if we manage to make it to the second challenge,¡± he mused, looking at how the garden opened up to a large circular clearing with a marble stage settled in the center. Hundreds of people had gathered underneath it, murmuring with each other as they waited for something to happen.


    ¡°I wonder what the next challenge will be,¡± a contestant whispered to his teammate in front of Sen.


    The partner grimaced. ¡°I have no idea, but the first challenge was brutal. There¡¯s no way we''re going to pass all three challenges. We¡¯ll die before then.¡±


    Sen somewhat agreed with their fear. He himself wasn¡¯t sure if he would be able to complete two more challenges, especially if they were as difficult as the first. Only time will tell.


    ¡°Yeah, especially since we''re in the same challenge as Nova. There''s no way he passed that challenge so fast, right?¡±


    ¡°I mean, it''s pretty much a fact that he was the first to pass, but the time he did it is still yet to be confirmed.¡± The stranger¡¯s conversation piqued Sen¡¯s interest.


    By the way they''re talking, it almost sounded like this Nova guy passed the challenge alone. It could be similar to Ayame, who separated from her registered team. So, in that case, this guy must be incredibly strong if he managed to pass the challenge alone and be the first. Sen was interested in meeting this person.


    And it seemed he would be getting his wish sooner than expected.


    ¡°REEEEE!¡± a familiar old announcer stood on the stage, looking down at the contestants as the megaphone in his hand gave an awful screech as it turned on, making the contestants wince. ¡°Ahem, can I have your attention, please!¡± the lanky man said through the device, twirling his salt-and-pepper mustache. The audience showed their discontent from the loud screech but instantly quieted down as he glared at them.


    ¡°First off, I would like to congratulate you on passing the first challenge. You all should be very proud!¡± His statement made cheers erupt from the crowd, which Sen noted to be much lower than at the start, due to the reduced number of people. The announcer raised his white-gloved hand to silence the ruckus.


    ¡°But¡­¡± his voice grew ominous, ¡°the next challenge will not only test your raw strength but your mental fortitude as well. The first challenge was by far the easiest. It was just meant to shave off the weaklings, the overoptimistic, untalented, and worthless people¡­¡±


    What a way to put it, Sen mused at the old man''s words. He wasn¡¯t sure if the statement was meant to demotivate the remaining contestants or boost their egos. Maybe both, depending on who they were.


    ¡°But now that those weaklings are gone, the real challenge shall begin¡­ Before that, however, I would like to invite the first three teams who managed to pass the challenge onto the stage.¡±


    You ask, and you shall receive, Sen thought, surprised he would be seeing the Nova person so quickly. Upon the invitation, the first team scaled the marble stairs and bowed their heads to the large crowd.


    Sen noted six individuals: four men and two women. Being at the rear of the crowd, he couldn¡¯t quite see their features from afar, but one blonde-haired individual stood out. He could practically see his rich, arrogant smile as he waved at the competitors like a celebrity. If Sen had to guess, the blondie was likely the team representative.


    ¡°Please give a round of applause for third place, Team Yior!¡± The announcer raised his hands to signal applause, and the audience responded with enthusiastic clapping. However, this only seemed to inflate the blondie''s ego;


    "Oh please, I don''t deserve you''re clapping..." Yior covered his face modestly but quickly reconciled, "Hahaha, on second thought, please do continue!"


    He really seemed to enjoy all the attention. Sen, quite frankly, disliked those kinds of people.


    ¡°God damn, I hate that guy,¡± Genkai muttered beside him, to which Sen raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Genkai glanced at his sister as if communicating through thoughts. ¡°Before our father went to jail, he used to invite his influential friends over to our mansion. That blondie, Yior, is the child of a political family who often visited us. I don¡¯t even know how he managed to place so high, but it''s probably because of his team.¡±


    ¡°And he happens to be a spoiled, rotten, arrogant bastard,¡± Ayame added bitterly.


    ¡°Ah, I see. It looks like that''s the norm for rich people,¡± Sen said with a deadpan expression, which made it even funnier. Behind his sarcastic remark, he noted what Genkai had said about their father.


    Hmm, I don¡¯t recall an aristocrat by their last name going to jail; I¡¯ll have to do some digging when I get back home.


    ¡°I... You...¡± Ayame couldn¡¯t form a coherent sentence while her brother tried suppressing his amusement. Before she could come up with a retort, the announcer continued¡ª


    ¡°Next up, give a round of applause for the second-place team¡­ Team Ze!¡± Four people made their way up the stage this time, three males and one female, although one towered over his teammates like some sort of gorilla.


    Again, Sen couldn¡¯t quite see his face from where he stood, but the sheer muscle mass of the contestant was a defining feature on its own. And for some reason, Sen felt an odd sensation when looking at the large contestant...


    Thump¡­


    Thump¡­


    Thump¡­


    His heart began pounding viciously in his chest, so aggressively it took his breath away. It felt like something was trying to eat his heart out and rip open his chest. With a cough, Sen leaned over and spat out a glob of mucus before attempting to catch his ragged breaths.


    ¡°Sen?¡± Kaiyo rushed over in alarm. ¡°Are you okay? What¡¯s wrong?¡± She stroked his back to reassure him, but Sen was certain that wouldn¡¯t help. It doesn¡¯t feel like a stomach problem. It feels like¡ª


    Thump...


    Sen didn¡¯t respond; rather, he felt that he couldn¡¯t. The cheering sounds of the contestants as they congratulated the second-place team seemed so blurry and distant, and his mind became mushy and feeble.


    Thump...


    Am I having a heart attack? His thoughts echoed in his own mind. I need to calm my heart down. Worrying will only worsen things. Breathe... breathe... I need to think to keep my brain from losing oxygen.


    Thump...


    ¡°Last but not least, give a round of applause for the first-place team¡­¡± Sen couldn¡¯t even fully recover his breath before the announcer called out.


    The aura in the air changed, Sen was sure of it. The cheering felt eerie and slow to him as his eyes widened at the first-place contestant. Sen''s hearing became impaired, and his heart ceased to beat.


    Sleek, long, scarlet blood hair, coupled with black obsidian eyes. His familiar dark aura alone made Sen shudder, making him incapable of even breathing.


    He was looking at him...


    Thump...


    Thump...


    Thump...


    Sen felt those familiar black obsidian eyes look at him. Even behind the hundreds of people, he could feel his scorching gaze.


    ¡°Finishing the challenge in a world record time of three minutes and thirty-two seconds! Nova!¡±


    ***********


    Sen gagged with a cough, finally able to breathe out for what seemed like minutes. His eyes were wet from the tension, and his heart sore from the constant shuddering. He flopped on the pavement and covered his eyes from the sun, trying to process what had just occurred.


    ¡°S-Sen?! Do you need me to take you to the hospital?!¡± Hana exclaimed, his team surrounding him and panicking.


    Sen didn¡¯t respond between his ragged pants, this time not because he couldn¡¯t, but because he had no idea how to.


    What a dumb question. He chuckled to himself, still having trouble recovering. That must have been a heart attack¡­ No other explanation. He told himself that, but a lingering doubt still stuck. But if that¡¯s the case, why did it only start when Team Ze went on stage, and I¡¯m not going to even think about when Nova appeared.


    ¡°DON¡¯T DIE ON ME, MAN!¡± Baru cried, shaking his body back and forth. ¡°I know CPR, don¡¯t you worry.¡±


    Sen opened his eyes immediately, leaning away from Baru¡¯s puckered lips. ¡°No, really, I¡¯m fine, I¡¯m fine.¡± It didn¡¯t matter how bad in shape he was, as long as he was conscious, he wouldn¡¯t find that necessary.


    Groggily attempting to get up by himself, he stumbled before Hyo and Baru helped him stabilize. Sen could almost feel his forehead vein start pulsating while trying to massage his eyes.


    ¡°What the hell happened, are you okay?¡± Ayame ambled to him, appearing more concerned than he would have guessed.


    Sen sighed. It was getting really hard to find excuses for all these weird things that happened to him.


    ¡°I think I was really fatigued from the challenge, sorry for making you worry,¡± Sen tried to shrug it off.


    He definitely knew that wasn¡¯t the case. It could have been a massive coincidence that his instant shuddering started when looking at the top two teams, or¡­


    Sen took a chance and cocked his head to the stage, the hundreds of contestants still hollering and congratulating the teams. He took another look at Team Ze and then moved to Nova.


    Nothing...


    His heart didn''t pound out of control, and no abnormalities were present. He sighed in relief. It was just a fluke then, maybe my body was under more stress than my mind could even process. Nonetheless¡­ it happened to me before when I bumped into Nova when the first challenge began. What the hell is going on?


    ¡°Thank God,¡± Baru put his arm around him, ¡°I thought you were going to die, man¡­¡±


    Kaiyo nodded, her hand on her chest rather cutely. ¡°M-me too, don¡¯t scare us like that.¡±


    Sen wasn¡¯t fond of Baru invading his personal space. ¡°More importantly,¡± he pointed at the long red-haired man on the stage, trying to move on from his episode, ¡°you all heard that correctly, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Hyo grimaced, adjusting his glasses. ¡°Three and a half minutes, that¡¯s unbelievable.¡±


    Ayame and her brother weren¡¯t too convinced either. ¡°There has to be some sort of error.¡±


    ¡°Having a team is one thing, but passing all alone?¡± Hana gawked in awe.


    Sen agreed with all of them; it felt too good to be true. The only possible conclusion he could muster up was, perhaps, Nova had insider information on how the challenge would go.


    Breaking off from his thoughts, he noticed the crowd being silenced by the announcer as he continued his speech.


    ¡°There¡¯s a reason I called upon the first three teams to come up on stage. And no, it wasn¡¯t for a confidence boost, it''s actually quite the opposite.¡± The salt-and-pepper-haired man grinned.


    ¡°The real reason is¡­ to be explained by a very, very special Knight."


    Sen had a bad feeling.


    ¡°Give it up for one of the most respected Knight in the Academy,¡± the old man paused and turned to his right, where he met the sounds of dress shoes marching up the marble stairs and the audience''s voices hanging silently in the air. ¡°Asashi Yahish!¡±

 Chapter 47– Father & Daughter

    The past, which you cannot change, is more frightening than a future which you cannot predict¨C Senseless


    Sitting by the window sill, warm rays of the rising sun painted Asashi¡¯s stoic face orange while he slowly sipped his strong black tea. It had rained the night before, so droplets of dew were visible on the foggy window due to the humidity. Watching how the water beads raced each other was quite mesmerizing, and Asashi found himself rooting for one in the back, watching as it slowly made its way to the bottom. Sadly, his dew drop of choice didn¡¯t win, but watching it finally make it to the end was satisfying.


    He let out a rough sigh mixed with a laugh. What was he doing? Watching dew drops race each other on the window?


    He had too much time on his hands. But it wasn¡¯t like he had anything better to do today, mostly because it was his birthday. He had no work or obligations and, quite frankly, hated it because it made him think. It forced him to dig deep into his thoughts and give them the light of day. He tried avoiding them, and working at his job usually did the trick, but on days like this, he was lost on what to do or even think.


    "How old am I again?" He asked himself between a few sips of tea. Everything was a blur after twenty, but if he did some quick math, the answer would be thirty-three. He was never the type to celebrate his birthday because it reminded him that he was alive.


    It was redundant, and he was aware of that himself, but the realization that he was alive scared him. Do I really have a right to be at peace? The fog slowly disappeared from the window, and he was met with the scenic orange sky.


    He wasn¡¯t sure who he was calling out to. Maybe it was God, or maybe he was trying to ask himself that question, hoping for some answer. Truthfully, he didn¡¯t have a solution to his dilemma, so why was he still asking himself?


    Maybe it was a ploy for a higher power to lead him to some answer, any answer. Perhaps it would take pity on his internal turmoil and help. But if an entity like that truly did exist, why had it never helped him?


    "If you truly knew that the choices I made on the battlefield would result in my pain, why couldn¡¯t you change that?" He clenched the handle of his cup. "What was the point? Everything that I¡¯ve been through, it¡¯s pointless. You turned me into a murderer, it was all for your fucking amusement, wasn¡¯t it?!" His hand shattered the teacup, and the glass scattered over the floor. "You greedy God!"


    ...


    No matter how much Asashi asked or yelled, no one answered back. "I see," he said, half chuckling. Relaxing his body, he flopped back into the chair, too tired to clean up his own mess. "It looks like I won¡¯t be getting an answer."


    What did he expect? An old voice to suddenly murmur in his head? Or perhaps be transported into the past to fix his mistakes?


    In the end, he was in control of his own decisions. He had just sought someone to pass the blame onto. He was a pathetic excuse for a person.


    At that moment, he heard two sets of footsteps approaching downstairs. The slender shape of his wife Rin came into sight, and behind her, eight-year-old Kaiyo followed. His young daughter seemed hesitant to talk to him, as if she was scared that he would start yelling. Sighing in regret, he accused himself of yelling out loud. He shouldn¡¯t let his emotions get the best of him. This was exactly why no one could leave him with just his thoughts.


    "Dear," Rin said warmly, her face sympathetic, "Kaiyo wanted to give you a birthday present." Rubbing her head, she urged her daughter to give the gift, yet she didn¡¯t move. Kaiyo¡¯s eyes were gleaming from the streams of orange light outside, and he could tell she was holding back tears...


    Asashi gave in to a smile, his anger slowly melting away. "It''s okay, Dad¡¯s not mad anymore. He was just having a conversation with an invisible man," Asashi assured her. Tugging the shirt of her mother, Kaiyo peeked with fear and sniffled.


    "A-are you sure you¡¯re not mad?"


    Asashi left his chair and, while crouched down, met her at eye level. "I¡¯m sure¡­" He stroked Kaiyo¡¯s hair, trying to comfort her. Rubbing away stray tears, Kaiyo gradually extended her small arm, revealing a small green jewelry box in hand.


    Taking it, he gave her another pat on the head before sitting back on his chair with a groan. He sure was getting old; his body had begun feeling stiff recently. Even with his Sense, aging was inevitable.


    Opening the small green box, Asashi was met with a silver necklace with his name engraved on a heart-shaped pendant. The silver reflected the sun¡¯s light with a beautiful shimmer, making him speechlessly stare at it, lost in its beauty.


    "H-happy birthday¡­" Kaiyo leaned in and wrapped her arms around him. His wife smiled, as if it were the most precious thing she¡¯d seen in her life.


    And it truly was¡­


    Asashi¡¯s throat felt dry as he battled to compose himself. He embraced his daughter, his face hidden in an attempt to hide his wet eyes.


    No¡­ everything wasn¡¯t pointless, he thought to himself. It¡¯s not about me, or what I¡¯ve been through; it''s what I choose to do for others that truly matters. I¡¯m selfish¡­ I always grieve the past and take pity on or hate myself for it, that I end up losing sight of what''s truly important. My family¡­


    <hr>


    Kaiyo could feel her heart thud in her chest. A lurid ring that never seemed to end kept replaying over and over again, making her ears feel as if they were bleeding. She couldn¡¯t control her anxiety. She would never be as calm and collected as Sen. How could she?


    How could she keep her composure when she could see¡ªNo, hear her father''s footsteps as they trailed onto the stage like a stalking panther? Amidst the hundreds of people muttering quietly to themselves, she could hear him. His unmistakable suppressed coughs due to his smoking addiction and his ragged breaths while ascending the stairs.


    The announcer bowed his head at the tall man. Asashi¡¯s glowing emerald eyes blinked in appreciation with a slight nod, then turned his head to the star-struck crowd.


    ¡°Please give a round of applause for the Academy¡¯s gold-ranked veteran!¡± the salt-and-pepper-haired man ordered, and the crowd reacted with claps and cheers that almost felt forced to her. Upon glancing at the tall man, even the crowd could feel his intimidating, fierce, predator-like aura, his short hair getting slightly ruffled from a sudden gust of wind.


    The audience clapped and cheered, but Kaiyo couldn¡¯t take any notice of it. They were drowned, drowned by the sound of her own heart thumping and ringing in her ears, which continued to last unpleasantly no matter how many times Kaiyo attempted to shut off her Sense. Her emotions simply refuted the control of it.


    Would Dad really throw me out? The more she thought about it, the more she shuddered with fretfulness. She tried forcing down the impulsive thoughts, but they were impossible to suppress. I know my dad better than anyone; he wouldn¡¯t do that. He cares about me more than anything in his life. He wouldn¡¯t just throw me out, would he?


    But one quick glance at Asashi¡¯s apathetic face, as their eyes met amid the crowded people, gave her second thoughts. His scornful eyes and his overly cool composure made her eyes shut, feigning that she couldn¡¯t see him.


    W-would he?... She stood still with her hands covering her ears and her eyes tightly shut.


    He¡¯s going to expel me¡­


    He¡¯s going to expel all of us!


    It¡¯s going to be over, I¡ª


    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Kaiyo, calm down,¡± Sen¡¯s voice, alongside the feeling of his hand on her shoulder, snapped Kaiyo out of the anxiety attack. Just looking at his pale blue eyes made her feel more relaxed. But something was behind his usual composed demeanor. Something that she¡¯d never seen before.


    Maybe she was imagining things, but how he looked at her felt different than their usual interactions. The more Kaiyo thought about it, the more she realized that Sen had been acting oddly ever since the challenge started. Although he still remained the same, it didn¡¯t feel like she was staring at Sen at all, but a whole different person. Maybe I¡¯m imagining things.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t worry about what he¡¯ll say,¡± Sen said hushedly. ¡°He won''t do anything, not in public, at least. He won''t even humiliate me because he¡¯s aware it puts you and the team in the center of attention. He had a chance to throw us out at any point during the first challenge but didn¡¯t. That could mean he was willing to let us continue the first challenge and expel us privately later on, or it means something else is stopping him.¡±


    Sen¡¯s familiar logical explanation made her feel at ease, yet she could still picture her father¡¯s burning gaze when he¡¯d looked at her across the crowd. But It wasn¡¯t her father¡¯s anger she was scared of. It was his disappointment¡­


    ¡°Hello, contestants,¡± her father''s low and almost growling voice abruptly escaped the megaphone. Taking his glaring eyes aside, even his tone felt targeted at Kaiyo. ¡°I¡¯ve been assigned to explain the next challenge, but that¡¯s not all I came here to do.¡± Between his words, Asashi carelessly puffed his cigarette between his two fingers and exhaled a cloud of smoke. ¡°I¡¯ll be blunt with you all; I came to discourage you from joining,¡±


    The audience needed a few moments before giving any sort of reaction, expecting some sort of follow-up. But to their surprise, no follow-up came.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Is he joking?¡±


    ¡°Does he think we''re fools?¡±


    ¡°Who does this guy think he is?¡± Some contestants shouted their puzzlement while others talked in low voices, and Kaiyo couldn¡¯t blame them. In fact, she herself had no idea what her father was up to.


    ¡°Settle down, settle down,¡± Asashi silenced the crowd, almost like a parent scolding their child. ¡°Take some advice from a veteran who¡¯s been in the business for quite a while; maybe you¡¯ll learn a thing or two.¡±


    ¡°Tsk, just get on with it. I have no time for listening to old people talk about their experiences,¡± Ze, the muscular young man and leader of the second-place team, growled on stage, out of earshot from the rest of the crowd.


    Asashi paused and turned to meet the enormous, brown-haired boy. He gave him a cold death stare, his eyes burning fiercely. Without even saying a single word, Ze reluctantly looked away, intimidated by his glare. Clearing his throat, Asashi returned his attention to the crowd and continued his speech.


    ¡°In no way are you obligated to listen to me, and I, quite frankly, wouldn¡¯t care either way. But as a good gesture, I wanted to give you a little disclaimer on the path you are headed, just in case you¡¯re not aware.¡± He inhaled and puffed another cloud of smoke.


    ¡°I have a question: Why do you want to be a Knight? Let''s start with you,¡± Asashi said, pointing to a random girl in front of the contestants.


    Starstruck that she had been chosen, the girl fumbled out an answer: ¡°T-to¡­ um¡­ to make the world a safer place from monsters, sir!¡±


    Asashi acknowledged the answer with a nod before pointing at a random boy and asking the same question: ¡°What about you?¡±


    ¡°To protect innocent lives,¡± the contestant saluted Asashi, which he acknowledged with a nod. One after the other, Asashi moved down the line of people below him, asking the same exact question. The answers differed, but all shared equal amounts of enthusiasm.


    ¡°To make my family proud and protect them!¡±


    ¡°To give back to the world and be renowned like you!¡±


    ¡°So I can retire my family while defending people from monsters!¡±


    ¡°To fight monsters!¡± ¡°


    To be strong and famous!¡±


    After he felt he had received enough answers from the participants, Asashi took one last puff of his cigarette almost sorrowfully. He grimaced as he said¡ª


    ¡°This wasn¡¯t a trick question. In truth, not a single one of you is wrong or mistaken. I will never convince someone that their dream isn¡¯t worth it or that they shouldn¡¯t pursue it. Having an end goal in mind is what keeps us pushing forward until we are satisfied with the results, and it''s always a good thing. But I stand before you now to ask a simple question...¡± Asashi''s eyes reflected the sun¡¯s light, hundreds of memories flashing in his retinas. ¡°How far are you willing to go to achieve your goals?¡±


    ¡­


    Kaiyo wasn¡¯t sure if her ears had stopped working, but not a single pin drop was audible once her father had asked those words. No one dared to speak, or maybe they couldn¡¯t answer the simple question. Only the sounds of birds tweeting provided an escape from the unbearable silence.


    ¡°If you¡¯re unwilling to throw away everything to reach your goals, your goals will eventually crush you before you even get a taste of it.¡± Asashi broke the silence. ¡°Are you willing to take another life in the name of justice? Are you willing to watch a child¡¯s head get ripped off by an Arokai? Are you willing to go to war and kill other humans? Or better yet, are you truly willing to sacrifice your own life for your comrades?¡±


    Kaiyo realized with her father''s last sentence that this was much bigger than her. How could she have thought this was all about her? Asashi was responsible for hundreds of lives. She was just a small part of the bigger picture. And the more she dwelled on his words, the more she doubted her motives to become a Knight. This was much bigger than just honing her Sense. She would be responsible not only for her own life but also for the lives of others.


    Am I willing to throw my life away for the sake of someone else? Kaiyo thought.


    ¡°Saying something and actually doing it are two different things. To reach your goals, you need to break and rebuild yourself over and over again,¡± Asashi¡¯s fists clenched almost instinctively. ¡°One more thing I want to make very clear is that the AOK doesn¡¯t care about your ambitions. If you do not follow orders as expected, you will fail. We aren¡¯t gardeners who nurture you until you bloom; we are monsters in human flesh, raising you to be soldiers. Having a moral goal is cute, but make no mistake, your resolve to achieve it will be tested every single painstaking day. It¡¯s your choice if you truly want to take the risk. Is having your fantasy dream of being a mighty Knight worth the dangers?¡±


    Asashi¡¯s speech wasn¡¯t meant to motivate, and Kaiyo recognized it wasn¡¯t supposed to be from the very start. Her father wasn¡¯t attempting to discourage them without reason. Everything he said came from his real experiences.


    That meant regardless of how traumatic her father''s past was, he¡¯d done nothing but support her dream, knowing full well what a treacherous path it was. Kaiyo suddenly felt regretful, as if she had taken her father''s support for granted. Even when they had the argument on Sen¡¯s birthday, it was over something meant to help her, not to make her life worse.


    Not only am I weak...


    Not only am I average in school...


    Not only am I sensitive...


    But I¡¯m also... She already felt bile rise in her throat as she struggled to control her emotions.


    No, she suddenly stopped, disregarding everything she normally would do. In her peripheral vision, Sen''s blunt and stoic face. That¡¯s right, he wouldn¡¯t worry about something he had done. He would just figure out how to fix it.


    Drying her wet eyes with the sleeve of her shirt, it took everything out of her to look down at her father on the stage. She couldn¡¯t quite see him clearly, but she could still feel his burning gaze as he looked through the crowd of speechless contestants.


    What good does crying do? Again and again, it always leads to the same place¡ªnowhere. I don¡¯t have time to cry.


    All her life, Kaiyo''s first response to stress was to ball her eyes out. She was sick of it, sick of always being this helpless flower that needed nurturing. For once, she wanted to be strong, to protect others instead of her weak emotions.


    Kaiyo¡¯s grandmother always said that a kind heart would always be stronger than a sword, but as the challenge went on, it became clear that wasn¡¯t the case. Her heart was too kind, too weak to stand its ground, like an infant deer in a cold winter.


    To be a Knight who protected others, she needed to have a strong will. If losing a bit of herself meant she could grow stronger, she would accept that.


    I¡¯m sorry, grandma, but you are wrong. I need to be strong... If Dad isn¡¯t throwing Sen or me out, I can¡¯t just disregard this opportunity. I have to be a Knight...


    ¡°No answer, huh?¡± Asashi¡¯s static voice from the megaphone cut the brutal silence like a sword. ¡°If you feel like you aren¡¯t fit for this... leave; if you cannot sacrifice anything, you won''t achieve anything.¡±


    Silence... not even a tiny murmur was audible, until movement started scurrying through the hundreds of people.


    What were they doing? Were they... leaving?


    Sure enough, accompanied by their terrified expressions, groups of participants began breaking off from the crowd. Scared of what was to come, they were quitting. Without even knowing what the next challenge would be, Asashi¡¯s words were powerful enough for them to abandon their dream in a split second.


    But was it really a dream if they weren¡¯t willing to sacrifice anything for it?


    Seeing how so many contestants were really quitting, the salt-and-pepper-haired announcer was in shock. ¡°I-I uh¡­ with all due respect, Asashi, your job was to give the details about the next challenge, not to¡ª¡±


    ¡°To what, Kyuya?¡± Asashi replied coldly to the old mustachioed man without the megaphone, not wanting the contestants to hear their conversation.


    ¡°Well, you know, to cause contestants to drop out! You know how mad the higher-ups are going to be¡ª¡±


    Asashi instantly cut off his mutter. ¡°Why would they be mad? Because I refuse to deceive children about what¡¯s to come? Because I want to warn them? The academy has grown too used to manipulating the lives of the younger generation. I will do as I please¡­¡±


    Kyuya was left speechless, struggling to find the right words to even be deemed a good argument. But he came up with nothing. Sighing, the old man bowed his head, realizing it would be useless to argue with his superior.


    ¡°Very well¡­¡± he grimaced.


    ¡°One more thing,¡± Asashi raised his megaphone. ¡°I won¡¯t be explaining the next challenge¡­¡±


    Kyuya blinked as if he had gone insane. The one thing Asashi was meant to do, he abandoned, and the remaining contestants were equally as confused.


    Asashi grinned. ¡°In the next challenge, are you willing to risk your life without knowing what you''re going into?¡± he asked, crushing his cigarette on the marble stage. ¡°Now I stand before you with the same question in mind¡­ How far are you willing to go to achieve your goals?¡±

 Chapter 48– Scars of The Past 1

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    People often forget what is important and remember what is insignificant. The act of reminiscing is difficult, so choose wisely¨C Senseless


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    "What if...?"


    "What if...?"


    "What if...?"


    <hr>


    #10 Years ago


    Baru woke up to the soft chirps of a bird announcing it was morning. The beautiful melody it played almost put him back to sleep, but after smelling the sweet and sour scent of breakfast being prepared, Baru suddenly flicked open his eyes in anticipation.


    "SHIT, THAT SMELLS SO GOOD!" he lavished. "Dad''s cooking is alright, but mom makes the good stuff." He hopped out of bed with a large, happy grin across his face. Due to his parents being stingy, he tiredly brought himself to the bathroom and started brushing his teeth.


    "Blech, I hate brushing my teeth. This toothpaste tastes like poop." Which was an obvious lie; he had never tasted poop before, so there was no way of knowing. It still smelled like it, though.


    "Curse this organic toothpaste shit..." He often caught himself saying curse words, which he never really wanted to say. It just came out naturally to him, even though he was just seven years old.


    Hmm, I wonder who I got that from. I don''t know. (It most definitely was his dad.)


    Warm light streamed from his window, which was stationed above his bed, casting warm rays across his floor. It felt cozy and warm, not to mention it was a Saturday! So, no school!


    "I can''t wait to watch and play video games all I want!" Leaping on his bouncy bed, he reached out to his window and, with a small grunt, managed to open it. His face lit up with a childish smile.


    "Today is so beautiful!" A lush and green farmland that was being illuminated by yellow streaks from the morning light spread across farther than the eye could see! Ripe apple trees stood tall next to his house. So close even, Baru contemplated if he should jump out of his window and grab onto a branch.


    "Ughh, nah, mom''s not gonna like if I even get a scratch on myself." Baru heard that people with touch had really durable bodies that withstood a lot of damage.


    I can''t wait until I go through puberty. I wonder what Sense I¡¯ll get! I want a powerful one like Touch or Hearing! Sight would be pretty cool, too. I don¡¯t know about Taste or Smell, though, that would suck.


    Splash!


    Baru suddenly felt a wet splash on his nose. Looking up with confusion, he realized the morning rain was the cause. The dew still hung above his window, occasionally dripping down rhythmically. Letting out a laugh, he washed the water drops off his face.


    "Oi Baru! Good morning!" While leaning close to his window, Baru noticed someone calling his name from below. Squinting his eyes, an old lady with a large farmer''s hat looked up at him with a glowing smile while holding a large basket of freshly picked apples.


    "GOOD MORNING, MRS TSUYA!" Baru exclaimed from his window.


    "Okay, dear, I might be getting old, but I haven''t lost my hearing that badly. No need to scream." The old lady let out an amused laugh.


    "Oops, sorry!" Baru scratched the back of his head, embarrassingly letting out a laugh.


    "Hey, Baru, after you''re done with breakfast, do you think you could help me do some farm work? I hired some robots that have been doing wonders for me, but I still miss having you around," the old lady croaked.


    Baru gave an eager nod. "Of course! I love helping you, Mrs. Tsuya¡ª" Too excited to help her, Baru''s hand slipped while he leaned over the window, causing him to dive head-first into the ground!


    "You''re such a good ki¡ªOH DEAR!!¨C" the old lady dropped her basket of apples and lunged below Baru before he made an impact. He covered his eyes with fright as he felt himself fall, his heart jumping out of his chest. He waited for a few moments, but nothing happened.


    DON''T TELL ME I''M DEAD ALREADY?! Baru wanted to cry. But as soon as he opened his eyes, he found himself in the arms of the old lady.


    "Phew! Baru dear, you have to be careful! The windows are all slippery from the rain we had in the early morning." She worriedly set him down from her arms, pulling him into a warm hug. Baru''s eyes were wide open from shock.


    "I¡ªI," he stuttered as tears started welling up in his eyes. "I''M SORRY!!!" Baru let out a frightened cry as he rubbed his eyelids with his fingers, trying to stop himself.


    "Oh dear, it''s alright. There''s no need to cry, young one," the nice lady gently stroked his head as she embraced him firmly. "Good thing your mom didn¡¯t see this. She would be like¡ªOh no! did you get hurt?! No more school for a whole month!!" she let out a chuckle while impersonating Baru''s mother.


    Baru sniffled his congested nose and then giggled in response. "You¡¯re right, and then she¡¯ll say, like, let me kiss your bruises. That¡¯s the only way to make the pain go away!"


    Forgetting how scared he had just felt, they laughed together while the orange sunlight illuminated brightly on their faces¡ªthis time, crying tears of laughter and not fright.


    "Now, now, I need to go back to work," Granny waved her hand at him. "And you need to get breakfast, young man! I smell your mother''s cooking all the way from here! You don¡¯t want to get her mad, now," she teased Baru with a playful pinch on the cheek, then trotted away with the large basket of apples.


    "I¡¯ll see you in a bit!" Baru waved his hand, smiling brightly as he watched her go.


    Baru entered the front door of his small farmhouse. Around him stood similar buildings that many other farmers owned, and some just being poor individuals who couldn¡¯t afford to live in the city. He didn¡¯t mind it here at all. He¡¯d never been a city boy. Besides, he always liked helping out with his neighbors'' farms!


    My family always warns me about monsters, but I''ve never seen an aggressive one. I would often see RaBats, or Crowens, trying to eat the stock, but they would always leave after someone shoots a warning shot with a gun.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    He believed people were just making a big deal out of nothing. Eagerly taking off his shoes once he smelled the aroma of his mother''s cooking, Baru scampered into his living room.


    His father, Kenzo, sat by the breakfast table, occasionally sipping hot coffee as he read from his transparent phone device. His father was tall and had a broad, sturdy body with dark, short red hair coupled with plain and rather blunt brown eyes. They both looked so much alike that it usually only took someone a second to realize he was the son.


    "Woah, is that the new Ephone 100?! Where''d you get that, Dad!?"


    Startled by his sudden appearance, his father jerked, causing his hot coffee to spill on his white dress shirt. Right when Baru had exclaimed, he knew he¡¯d messed up.


    "FUKING SHIT! THIS WAS A FUKING NEW SHIRT! I JUST GOT THIS FROM THE GOD DAMN CITY! IT COST ME A FORTUNE! FUUU¨C"


    Baru grew pale. Knowing how mad his father became, he was too scared to face him. Baru quickly retreated out of the living room, hiding behind a wall for fear of getting caught.


    "BARU YOU BETTER GET YOUR ASS HERE! IF YOU DON¡¯T I''M GONNA SMACK THE SHIT OUT OF YOU!" Kenzo called out.


    Baru gulped behind the wall. "NUH UH! YOU CAN''T FOOL ME, OLD MAN! YOU¡¯RE GONNA BEAT THE SHIT OUT OF ME EITHER WAY! I''M SMARTER THAN THAT!" he exclaimed in return.


    "Tsk, good grief, that kid..." Kenzo let out a tired sigh.


    "Now, dear, no need for your vulgar language. He didn''t mean to scare you; he was just excited," his mother, Aoi, giggled in amusement, cracking eggs in a pan and continuing to slice vegetables with her large squared knife.


    Aoi had a sense of elegance no matter what she did. It could be cooking, cleaning, or simply telling him a bedtime story, but it always felt soft and gentle, and her appearance was a sure reflection of her tender personality. With long blonde, silky smooth hair and understanding greenish hazel eyes, she never seemed too concerned with such tantrums; after all, they happened quite frequently.


    Kenzo gave a scornful expression where his son had just left. "This shirt cost me so much though¨C"


    "Doesn¡¯t matter," Aoi cut him off, still bearing a smile on her face as she continued cooking. "Money will come and go, but relationships and memories don''t, no matter how small or large they are. Money doesn''t have emotions or memories; Baru does."


    Kenzo covered his face with his palm and gave into a sigh.


    "I suppose you¡¯re right," he momentarily laughed, then stood up from his chair and walked behind the wall where Baru was hiding fearfully.


    Seeing his father reach his hand out, Baru flinched and shut his eyes, expecting a smack, but instead, he felt Kenzo¡¯s hands pat his head reassuringly. Opening his eyes gradually, tears started brimming once again.


    "I-I''M SORRY!" tears dripped on the floor, as his voice cracked apologetically.


    "It¡¯s okay, son, no need for you to apologize," he reassured, his hot-tempered tone beginning to soften. "I know you didn¡¯t mean to; you were just excited to see the new phone I just got. If anyone is to blame, it''s me. I shouldn¡¯t have taken my anger out on you and reacted that way."


    "A-are you sure you¡¯re not mad?"


    "No, no, Baru, your dad just had a very long week of work and is a bit tired, that¡¯s all. How about it, wanna play with my new phone?" he prompted with a grin.


    Wiping his tears away, Baru gave a small, reluctant nod. Going back to the breakfast table, his mother gave a light-hearted chuckle as he sat on his father''s lap.


    "So, this material is made out..." His father started explaining the material of the device, in-depth explaining how each individual mechanism worked. Baru''s eyes lit up with excitement as he watched how the phone materialized as a hologram out of thin air.


    "Wow, this is so cool!"


    "Indeed, I was finally able to afford this after I got paid this week. Work has been quite brutal, but it''s finally starting to pay off. Not to mention, I¡¯m almost done with a certain project I''ve been working on for the past ten years¨C"


    "Good morning," a soft, high-pitched, groggy voice yawned while entering the room. His father smiled upon seeing a young girl no older than Baru cutely rubbing her eyes to wake up.


    "Good morning, Ami," Kenzo greeted his daughter with a warm tone. Ami groaned in response before tiredly flopping on a chair, awaiting breakfast. Her long blonde hair, similar to her mother''s, was still frizzy and messy as she lay her head on the breakfast table.


    "Morning, sis," Baru brightly replied. Ami was only a year younger than him, so they often played with each other to pass the time. She was a quiet and reserved girl, maybe occasionally showing signs of irritation when he nagged her. But what else could he do? He needed to get a reaction out of her somehow.


    "Goon monen..." Ami murmured back to him, already prepared to fall asleep again on the breakfast table. However, his mother didn¡¯t allow that.


    "Oi oi, Ami, it''s time to wake up. Food is ready!" She sternly demanded, setting plates of food on the table. Ami''s eyes snapped wide open once she heard the ceramic clink of the food being rested in front of her.


    GOBBLE, GOBBLE!


    Barely a few seconds passed before Ami started gobbling the breakfast before her like some sort of animal.


    "A-AMI!" Aoi nipped her by the ear. "Don¡¯t eat that fast. You¡¯re gonna choke!"


    Ami gulped down a large bite before cowering before her mother with a condescending expression.


    "Fine," she puffed. "I don¡¯t get what the big deal is. I¡¯m just a fast eater."


    Aoi wasn¡¯t convinced by that excuse. "Are you sure you¡¯re a fast eater? Or are those bullies stealing your food again in school?"


    Ami turned quiet as her mother made that statement. Her usually pink cheeks suddenly turned pale with foreboding. Noticing a change of atmosphere, Kenzo let out a fake cough.


    "Come on, Baru, go to your seat before the food gets cold."


    Nodding to his father, Baru took his seat and glanced at his plate. It was a simple Western breakfast containing sunny-side-up eggs, bacon, fresh bagels, and broccoli for nutrition. They all gave a silent prayer before eating, except well, Ami, who decided to gobble half the plate before they even had a chance to stop her.


    Rich flavors from the bacon struck his tongue, while the soft, creamy egg yolk added another layer of simplicity that complemented the umami of the fatty pork. And to wash down the combo, Baru chucked a well-buttered bagel into his mouth with delight. As for the broccoli, Baru decided not to bother himself with that. Yuck. He twisted his nose in disgust.


    While eating, he noticed his sister staring at her food with a grim expression, lost in thought. Gulping down a big chunk of bacon, he decided to ask her what was up.


    ¡°Ami? What''s wrong, why aren¡¯t you eating?¡±


    There was a pause for a few seconds before she replied. ¡°I don¡¯t know, I just don¡¯t feel like eating right now.¡± She shrugged off his concern.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that. You were gobbling up the plate before Mom said something about bullies. Is that it?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter¡­¡± Ami muttered under her breath.


    Baru glanced at his parents with confusion, but they both shook their heads with a sigh.


    ¡°It''s best to leave her alone, Baru; let''s not ruin the meal,¡± Aoi said.


    ¡°But, if she¡¯s getting bullied, then we need to stop it¨C¡±


    ¡°Baru¡­¡± his mother raised her tone, ¡°that¡¯s enough.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t sure why they didn¡¯t see the obvious problem. If his sister was getting bullied, they needed to step in. Or is Ami not telling them who it was? Baru wondered. Whatever the case is, I''ll protect her. He clenched his fists with fury; anyone who touches my little sis will get socker punched in the gut.


    ¡°Anyway,¡± Kenzo sighed, placing his new phone in the middle of the table before it expanded into a hologram so the whole family could see. ¡°Let''s watch some cartoons while we eat, shall we?¡±


    ¡°Death tolls by monsters have been at an all-time high, while inflation is making a steady decline,¡± the reporter on a news station remarked. ¡°However, how long is this going to keep up? For the longest time, we thought the death tolls of monsters played a significant role in the spike in the cost of living, which simultaneously causes more inflation. But now it¡¯s the polar opposite? There¡¯s something very shady going on in the government and we need to stand for the truth¨C¡±


    Kenzo let out a loud cough to mask what the reporter was saying and turned it off.


    ¡°Uh, actually, let''s not watch anything¡­¡±


    Baru frowned when his father shut it off. He was getting interested in what the reporter had to say. ¡°Dad? Why are monsters such a big thing? When I go outside, I never see one?¡±


    His father seemed reluctant to reply to his question, but then, after making eye contact with his wife, he gave out a sigh of defeat.


    ¡°You see, Baru. This village is safe. Very, very safe, compared to the rest. Due to that fact, the government keeps a close eye on us in hopes of figuring out why this place, out of thousands of villages, has been void of monster attacks for the past ten years.¡±


    ¡°So why don¡¯t we get any monster attacks?¡± Baru tilted his head.


    ¡°It''s because of me¡­¡±


    ¡°You? What do you mean?¡±


    Kenzo stopped eating and placed his fork down, growing serious. ¡°You see, son, I¡¯ve been working on a project for the past ten years. And due to that, monsters don¡¯t seem to come near this place.¡±


    ¡°What kind of project?¡±


    ¡°You promise not to tell anyone about this?¡± His father eyed him, dead serious. Baru nodded eagerly at him. His father gave a second glance at his family before breathing out.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been working on a Monster barrier¡­¡± Kenzo announced, his fingers interlocking.

 Chapter 49– Scars of The Past 2

    ¡°HUH!?¡± Baru¡¯s eyes lit up with astonishment, then blinked confusedly. ¡°What¡¯s a Monster Barrier?¡±


    His father looked side to side, almost as if he were paranoid that anyone was listening. Getting up from the breakfast table, Kenzo closed the blinds of the windows, making the room abruptly grow disconsolate and dark. Before the blinds were closed, Baru caught sight of rain clouds ominously covering the sun, almost in unison with the mysterious information his father was revealing to them. Turning on the chandelier lights, Kenzo took his seat, sighing with anxiety.


    ¡°Let¡¯s start at the beginning,¡± he glanced at them before starting. ¡°Ten years ago, when this village could barely be considered one, your mother and I got married and moved into a cheap and flimsy shack we now call home. Monster attacks were far more frequent back then, and terrifying if I may add. We were always anxious, barely having any rest at night, fearing those evil creatures would eventually attack us in our sleep.¡±


    Kenzo¡¯s words made his wife shudder uneasily, reminiscing their terrifying history. However, regardless of her fear, their mother nodded and added to the story.


    ¡°I remember when I was giving birth to you, Baru,¡± Aoi started, ¡°I heard violent grunts outside of our house, only to see monsters pillaging our neighbors and eating the little livestock they had left to support themselves. Your father knew this was going to happen eventually, so he planned ahead of time...¡± Aoi made eye contact with her husband, signaling him to continue the story. Clearing his throat with a grunt, Kenzo sustained.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, I built a basement underground, just in case there was an emergency. And it''s easy to recognize that if we stayed in our house for much longer, we would be as good as dead. While your mother was in labor, I carried her into the secret basement under our staircase, where she finally gave birth to you.¡± Kenzo gave him a soft smile as his wife patted his head affectionately. Baru turned red with embarrassment.


    ¡°After surviving the chaos of the monster raid, we began rebuilding our house, along with my secret basement¡ª¡±


    ¡°Why is it called a secret basement anyway,¡± little Ami interjected, who was now engaged in their story.


    ¡°That¡¯s a fair question, which I¡¯m going to answer after I explain how everything began.¡±


    Ami puffed her cheeks condescendingly, waiting until they finally answered her question.


    ¡°I was searching the forest for wood to rebuild our home until I discovered a large claw sticking out from the ground. Honestly, it was a mission for me to even get it out, but I eventually did it. It was a large claw, maybe the size of my whole arm, and I was confused about which monster it belonged to because I had never heard of a monster wielding such large claws before. But my realization came sooner than I thought¡­¡± his expression grew grim as he recalled. ¡°Carrying that same claw with me, I took it back home to examine it. I work as a tech engineer but also studied monsters on the side, so my curiosity was a given. However, on my way home to examine the claw, I encountered a pack of silver-ranked monsters¡­¡±


    Baru and his sister widened their eyes with shock, holding their breath with anticipation.


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember which type they were; I just remembered dread and guilt that I was going to die and leave you and your mother alone¨C Ami wasn¡¯t born yet. Closing my eyes, I just waited for death, swinging the monster claw I had in my hands as a last resort, but¡­¡± his voice trailed away, ¡°f-for some reason, the monster didn¡¯t attack me. I soon realized they would cower before me in fear when I aimed the claw at them, as if I were the alpha.¡±


    ¡°Woah, that means they were terrified of you? I didn¡¯t know you were that strong!¡± Baru¡¯s eyes shined.


    ¡°No, dingus, it was because of the claw,¡± Ami snorted.


    ¡°Well, sorry, Mrs. Smartass, I didn¡¯t know that.¡±


    ¡°HEY, WHO¡¯R CALLING SMARTASS?¡±


    ¡°THAT SHOULD BE A COMPLIMENT, SMARTASS!¡± Baru retorted.


    ¡°Oi, that¡¯s enough, you two. Let your father finish the story!¡± Their mother scowled at them.


    Giving each other a death stare, they smugly looked away with a puff.


    ¡°As I was saying¡­¡± Kenzo shook his head with a sigh, ¡°I ended up coming home unscathed. It truly was a miracle. But as I began studying the monster claw in my basement, I soon realized that it was no miracle to begin with; the truth lay within the claw itself.¡±


    ¡°But how was the claw enough to make those monsters cower in fear? It''s just a claw, after all,¡± Ami inquired with skepticism.


    CRACKLE!


    Moments after Ami questioned her father, a loud boom sounded outside their house, making them jerk up with surprise. Getting up from his seat once again, Kenzo stalked up to the window blinds and opened them yet again. Gloomy grey light from outside brightened the room while thunder and rain poured outside viciously. Baru frowned at the sudden change of weather. It was just sunny a couple of moments ago¡­


    ¡°The White Tiger monster,¡± Kenzo murmured, still facing the downpour of rain.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Both Ami and Baru tilted their heads with confusion.


    ¡°The king of the monsters¡­¡± Kenzo reached his hand to the window with a distanced expression.


    ¡°The king of the monsters¡­¡± Baru breathed his father''s words. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°After WW3, the government discovered a powerful monster. It went by the name of¨C The White Tiger. A devil born from the depths of human sins... It is said to be able to control monsters at will; Its sole purpose simply to eradicate humans from the face of the earth and create a world where monsters controlled and dominated everything." Kenzo¡¯s words made Baru''s heart shudder in terror.


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Fear¡­¡­. It sucks the fear out of a creature and becomes more powerful from it, leaving whoever is in contact weak and shriveled up.¡± Kenzo shivered just thinking about it. ¡°And yet, the Japanese government somehow successfully captured it and began conducting experiments. But it was too much for the monster to handle, no matter how powerful it really was. It soon died within their possession¡­¡±


    ¡°So that means¡­¡± Ami started, looking at their father as he turned around to face them again.


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. I don¡¯t know how or when, but the claw I found that day was from the white tiger monster,¡± Kenzo replied.


    Thunder crackled once again, and the sound of rain trickling down their roof soon followed. Baru could only look at his father with astonishment and disbelief. He wasn¡¯t sure if he could believe a monster being that powerful, only to die at the hands of the government. It sounded unrealistic to him.


    ¡°These past ten years, I''ve been using that claw as the fundamental building block for a new device that will help humanity,¡± Kenzo finally revealed. ¡°I used a monster to save us from monsters¡­¡±


    Ami furrowed her brow. ¡°So that claw is what¡¯s stopping Monsters from coming to our village? They¡¯re scared of The White Tiger that much?¡±


    ¡°Well, it''s partly true. It in itself won''t be enough to stop Monsters altogether, but I figured out a way to enhance it with a new device,¡± Kenzo explained.


    ¡°Isn''t this awesome? Why didn¡¯t you tell anyone yet? You could be a hero!¡±


    A shadow fell across his face. ¡°No¡­ The White Tiger Monster is a closely kept secret within the government. If they find out I have the knowledge that I do, plus that I''m working on a project that utilizes it, I¡¯m not sure what¡¯ll happen to me... or better yet, all of you.¡±


    Baru didn¡¯t understand his father''s logic. Why would the government come and hurt him? Wouldn¡¯t he be a hero that the public would admire? Wouldn¡¯t he save millions of people by telling the government about his device? Baru caught himself doubting how true his father''s words were. Maybe it was just a convenient lie to explain why their town rarely got monster attacks. Maybe he never even made the device to begin with.


    Baru was still an immature and rebellious child; he only believed in things he saw, not what he was told. The same went for the dangers or monsters. Baru didn¡¯t comprehend what his parents got out of lying, but he just couldn¡¯t bring himself to believe everything they said.


    I want to see it for myself¡­


    ¡°Dad,¡± Ami raised her hand, ¡°I have a question about this White Tiger.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead, dear, I¡¯m all ears,¡± Kenzo nodded his head.


    Ami glowered at her plate, unable to make eye contact as her voice quivered. ¡°I-If that monster was truly that powerful and could control monsters before dying in the hands of the government, why did it never try destroying humanity before?¡±


    Baru eyed his sister anxiously. That¡¯s true. Wouldn¡¯t it have destroyed humanity by then?


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Kenzo ran his fingers down on his unkempt beard, ¡°you¡¯re not wrong, but you¡¯re also not right, dear. The White Tiger is an evolutionary phenomenon. It wasn¡¯t the first monster to appear after the meteor crash: the earliest sighting was only a couple of decades ago, after WW3." he explained. ¡°So it could very well mean it simply didn''t have enough time to kill humans, or it wasn''t powerful enough to do¨C"


    ¡°Fear¡­¡± Ami cut off her father''s sentence with hollow eyes, almost piecing together all the hints. ¡°It didn¡¯t have enough fear¡­¡± Ami murmured as if she had seen some ghost.


    Remaining completely silent, Kenzo eyed her before¨C


    ¡°Knock! Knock! Knock!¡±


    The silence that gripped the table ended with three rhythmic knocks being made by their front door. Their father looked through the breakfast window in hopes of catching a small glimpse of the strangers. Upon realizing who it was, Kenzo made a silent curse to himself.


    ¡°F*ck me, out of all the times?¡± His silent curse ended up being heard by his family.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, dear?¡± Aoi asked, noticing his clenched fists as if he were ready to fight.


    ¡°It''s them¡­¡± he gritted his teeth and returned to his two kids. ¡°Whatever happens, do not tell anyone about this¡­ including them.¡±


    Ami and Baru gulped nervously with a nod, unsure what the situation was. Kenzo left the living room and placed his hand on the front door, sighing while fixing his posture. Finally getting the courage to open the front door, Kenzo was met with three tall individuals drenched with rain.


    They all wore the same long black dress coat with a badge on the left of their uniform. It was safe to assume they weren¡¯t in the best mood, judging by their annoyed expressions, the only outlier who smiled being the one in the middle.


    Accompanying their threatening aura, they had a Sense Gun strapped to their waist. It was clear these people worked for the AOK.


    Baru hid behind the wall, eyeing the strangers as his father greeted them.


    ¡°Oi! Good to see you, Larry,¡± Kenzo put on a fake smile and greeted the man in the middle. The stranger took off the drenched fedora that hid his features and returned Kenzo¡¯s welcoming gesture with a handshake. Baru couldn¡¯t help but notice the skin color of the man.


    I''ve never seen a black man before. Maybe there are more in the cities, but out here... I don''t even know if there''s a single one. Baru gawked at the stranger in awe.


    ¡°Hahaha, good to see you, Mr. Jura,¡± the man said in surprisingly fluent Japanese, with just a slight accent being noticeable in his speech.


    ¡°Please call me Kenzo,¡± he replied, a drop of sweat slowly coming down his face. ¡°Say, what brings you to my house this early in the morning? Hopefully, the rain didn¡¯t bother you.¡±


    The man named Larry shrugged while saying, ¡°Meh, I do say it was quite surprising seeing such a drastic change of weather. Some might even call it abnormal, maybe it''s done by a monster who knows.¡±


    Baru couldn¡¯t contain his gasp. Done by a monster? Can a monster even change the weather like that? Maybe it''s not too surprising, considering what Dad said about The White Tiger is true. Just how powerful can monsters get?


    Larry¡¯s ears were sharp. He swiftly heard his inaudible gasp and pinpointed where Baru was, glaring at him with his cold, amber eyes. Upon meeting the man''s gaze, Baru froze with fright.


    Thud¡­ Thud¡­


    Baru¡¯s heart thumped in fear while slowly reeling backward to hide his presence. Only when the conversation with his father continued was Baru daring enough to peek at them again.


    ¡°Hmph,¡± Larry murmured, meeting eyes with the father once again. ¡°Anyway, I apologize for showing up unannounced, but you probably recognized why we''re here, Mr. Kenzo.¡±


    His father tried his best to look unflustered and composed, but even Baru could tell he was apprehensive when speaking.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fully aware, Larry, but is it okay if we do this some other time? I was just having breakfast with my family¨C¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Larry denied. ¡°You do understand you¡¯re the only household we didn¡¯t investigate in this village. We simply can''t hold it off any longer. Trust me, today is a weekend; I want to go back home and unwind, too. I just need to give my boss the final report on this matter. The quicker we do this, the faster it¡¯ll be over with.¡±


    ¡°Bu¨C¡±


    ¡°Kenzo,¡± Larry¡¯s voice grew grimmer, ¡°carefully plan your next words. Look around you; you¡¯re in no position to turn us down.¡± He crooked his head at Baru, signaling to Kenzo what he meant.


    Gritting his teeth with resentment, Kenzo could only face Larry without a word. Baru thought momentarily that his father would throw a punch, breaking the awkward silence after Larry¡¯s blunt threat, but to his surprise, Kenzo let out a sigh and shrugged his shoulder as if nothing ever bothered him to begin with. His father was good at hiding how he was feeling.


    ¡°Of course, feel free to come inside,¡± he smiled, resentment hiding in his auburn eyes. The three individuals¡ªwho Baru guessed were private investigators¡ªnodded apprehensively before entering their house, their boots sodden from the rain, making a puddle of water at the entrance.


    Only after the investigators invaded their privacy did Baru fully understand the situation. ¡°The government keeps a close eye on us in hopes of figuring out why this place, out of thousands of villages, has been void of monster attacks for the past ten years,¡± he echoed his father¡¯s words. Does this mean what Dad said is true?

 Chapter 50– Scars of The Past 3

    Trepidation shuddered through his body as he watched the investigators remove their coats to begin their search. Two of them separated from Larry, who remained stationed, and made their way upstairs with hands grasping their guns, a clear indication that they were cautious of someone ensnaring them.


    Leaving his partners to do the grunt work, Larry stalked into their breakfast room, eyeing the family with an eerily wide smile. Baru and Ami scampered close to their mother and tugged at her clothing, seeking some reassurance. Noticing their frightened, twisted lips, Aoi caressed their heads and pulled them closer.


    "It''s going to be fine," she kissed them both on the foreheads as she sternly met Larry''s eyes. He let out a fake cough, attempting to clear his throat while bowing at them to break the awkward silence.


    "I assure you there''s nothing to be afraid of," Larry said with a light tone, then added more grimly, "If we don''t find anything, that is. But I''ve known your father for a few years, and I doubt we''ll find anything related to the case." Although his remark was meant to soothe them, it only fueled more questions and fears in Baru''s innocent, childish mind.


    If we don''t find anything, that is? What does he mean by that? What would he do if he found something? What then? Baru''s forehead tensed with distress until his father marched into the room with a protective grimace.


    "Ahem," Kenzo grumbled, pulling his family close to him. "Larry, why aren''t you inspecting with the others?"


    Larry shrugged and sat on an empty chair facing the opposite direction it was intended to be used. He was taking the term "Make yourself at home" quite literally.


    "Hmph, they can do the investigating without me. There''s really no need for three people to do it at the same time. I''d rather talk with the family of the residence; it''s standard protocol," he stated, then glanced at Ami, who was half-hidden by her mother''s body. "Say, little girl, do you know why we''re here?" he smiled, a horrifying undertone noticeable in his question.


    Ami held her tongue, shuddering with fear as she moved behind her mother, almost in an attempt to hide from the man.


    "Guess that''s a no," he chuckled. "Not that I expected you to know either; I''m sure your parents just want you to live a peaceful life here. Hell, even I''m envious."


    Baru didn''t know why Larry was trying to act friendly with them, but something told him to be cautious, regardless of his friendly demeanor. Something about him seems wrong, and I don''t know what it is.


    "Anyway," Larry yawned before continuing. "Hopefully, once we figure out the reason why Monsters haven''t attacked the village in so long, it''ll help this place become a new safe haven. Maybe even a city, perhaps. Just imagine all the lives that could be saved if we¡ª"


    "Tsk¡­" Kenzo clicked his tongue condescendingly, his nose twitching with a scowl, while Larry raised an eyebrow at him.


    "What was that?" Larry bluntly stared at Baru''s father. "Did you find my words amusing? Funny perhaps?"


    "It''s nothing¡­" Kenzo shrugged as he turned his head to the window, staring off into the distance, his eyes obscured in thought. Baru wondered what was going on in his father''s brain to react that way. He was scared of the investigator, but the words themselves posed no problem; even Baru could recognize that. But yet, his father had almost thought it was funny. Almost as if it were ironic.


    Why? He stared at his father''s eyes as they remained dull and distanced. He''s hiding something. Something only he knows. I want to figure it out¡­ His eyes shined with genuine curiosity despite the grim atmosphere that the inspectors had created.


    After long minutes of eerie silence, Baru finally heard the squeaking of wooden stairs as the other two inspectors returned downstairs. "We couldn''t find anything," remarked one with a suppressed deep voice. Baru eyed the man, feeling a shiver run down his spine from an unknown reaction.


    This investigator had thin, long black hair that extended all the way down to his chest, and a large fedora hat obscured half of his head, making it difficult to discern his features. It almost seemed like the man was trying to avoid his gaze. After observing the investigator with the unusually long black hair, Baru decided not to dwell on it too much and turned his attention to the other inspector.


    Unlike his colleague, this man was hatless and easily distinguishable. With a rough beard, he coldly looked at Baru as if warning him to look away. Baru submitted to his intimidating stare and looked back at Larry.


    "Well¡­" Larry began, "I told you guys there was no need to worry so much. We just needed to do a little check, that''s all."


    "It appears so," his father said, almost surprised that they hadn''t discovered the secret basement. "If that''s all, could you please see out the guests?"


    With a gulp of anxiety, Baru reluctantly nodded and showed the three men out of the house.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    "I appreciate your cooperation, young man. Have a good day," Larry said, dipping his head as he stepped out the front door. The investigator with the rough beard followed soon after, leaving the long black-haired man last.


    His features still obscured, the man paused as he stepped out of the house, then suddenly stopped midway as if he wanted to say something.


    "Huh?" Baru tilted his head, unable to close the door because the man was blocking it. "Do you need something, Mr.?"


    "No," the man replied, his back to Baru, "Just sorry¡­"


    Baru blinked. "Huh? Why are you apologizing..." His voice trailed off as the long-haired investigator walked away from him, holding his fedora against the fierce wind and rain.


    "Hey¡­" Baru stuttered, reaching out his hand as he watched the strange man hop into the car and soon disappear from sight. The only thing that remained was his vacantly raised hand, still attempting to catch the attention of someone long gone.


    "Just sorry?" Baru murmured, his hand slowly lowering as he realized the man had truly left. "What...does that mean?" he asked himself as a gust of wind and rain hit his face. Larry had exuded an eerie aura the moment he walked in, while the bearded fellow seemed colder than anything. However, the long-haired man was neither of those¡ªit almost seemed like he was sympathetic.


    "Oi, Baru, close the door. The wind and rain are getting into the house!" Kenzo called out with a hint of irritation and fretfulness in his voice. It took a couple of seconds for Baru to process his words, but he eventually swung the door shut, still facing it even after closing. Noticing his son''s odd behavior, Kenzo, while nervous himself, sought to understand what was troubling him.


    "Baru?" he said, resting his hand on the young boy''s shoulder. Lifting his head to meet his father''s eyes, Baru felt a tear form. His vision grew blurry and hot, but he couldn''t allow himself to cry again. Better yet, he wasn''t sure why he felt the urge to cry in the first place. A wave of emotions overcame him as he watched the black-haired investigator leave.


    Why do I want to cry? Why do I feel sad?


    "Baru, are you scared? Don''t worry, I understand. I''ll protect you. Those were the same people I warned you about before¡ª"


    "I¡­ I was scared," Baru interrupted, "but that''s not why I''m crying¡­"


    "Why are you crying then?"


    "I don''t know why," he admitted, a tear splashing onto the floor, his voice choked with emotion. "I just feel like¡­ like someone''s abandoning me again."


    "Again?" Kenzo echoed as he knelt on the floor, reaching both his hands to grasp his shoulders solemnly. "What do you mean?"


    Baru stared blankly, his eyes tedious and despairing. "I¡­ I¡­ don''t know." He gripped his own shirt unconsciously.


    My heart hurts. Why does it hurt so much? He couldn''t stop crying at that moment. It felt like he had a reason, too, but he couldn''t find it in his memory. I don''t understand. It feels like someone stabbed my heart, but no matter how hard I try, I can''t remember it.


    His father sighed, slowly stroking his hair to comfort him. "You don''t need a reason to cry. Everyone has different levels of stress they can take, but that doesn''t mean you''re inferior to them in any way. Stay true to yourself. Cry if you feel like it, smile if you want to, and express your anger if you have a good reason to. These emotions are different and similar to each other in many ways. Some affect you, like crying, and some affect others, like anger. Choose wisely how you want to show them, but promise me one thing¡­" his father looked deeply into his eyes, "Never fake them¡­" His grip tightened, "Emotions make us human¡­ without them, we are no different than the monsters who kill us. Remember, always stay true to yourself, this world needs that more than anything. There are enough lies already to keep those who are at the top, protected."


    Baru''s tears came to a halt as he searched for words to respond. His father had never spoken to him this way before. The deep significance behind the words was oddly comforting, although he still couldn''t fully understand them.


    "Come, Baru," Kenzo stood up and walked away from the front door to the bottom of the stairs, signaling his son to follow. "It''s about time I showed you something¡­"


    Peering closer, Baru gaped in confusion as his father bent down to grasp the bottom staircase. With a slight grin, Kenzo persisted in lifting the first step with a low grunt of effort. A loud creak echoed through the house as the first flights of stairs opened like a treasure chest, revealing a hidden entrance to the secret basement. Wiping the remnants of his tears, Baru''s sadness was overshadowed by a wave of curiosity and anticipation. His eye bags were hot and red from his tears as he approached the entrance in excitement.


    "I want to see it too!" Ami exclaimed, hopping from the breakfast table to join them. Before she could proceed, Aoi grabbed her hand and stopped her.


    "No, you may not go down there," she sternly told her daughter.


    "But why can big brother go and I can''t¡ª"


    "You''re too young to go there, no exceptions!"


    "He''s only a year older than me! That''s not fair¡­" Ami pouted with a frown. Baru had to admit it didn''t quite make sense why his parents were allowing him to go and not his sister.


    "I''ll take you down there one day," Kenzo promised, "but today is not that day." With those words, his father gazed down the entrance and flicked a switch, illuminating the path down with artificial lights. The path seemed more like a tunnel with steps rather than a modern basement. But Baru should''ve expected that, given his father had built everything from scratch.


    "Follow me," his father instructed, entering the hole and walking down the jagged path.


    Giving his sister a sympathetic glance, Baru didn''t think twice and followed his old man. Once he entered, the staircase automatically shut, as if by a mechanism of some sort.


    "Yes, I made that, too," his father noticed Baru''s curiosity. Since I''m a tech engineer, I learned a few things in my studies over the years. That also includes the infrastructure of homes and how they operate," he explained while walking down the steps. "However, I had to learn them separately. The mechanics of houses are far different than the standard tech that I was used to, so it was a massive learning curve even to create this."


    "It''s amazing¡­" Baru breathed. The tunnel leading down was more of a tunnel than he had thought. The ceiling above him was comprised of real soil that had been dug up to create the path, now dry and solid¡ªbulbs of lights lined from above, reaching all the way to the end.


    Reaching the conclusion of the ragged stairs, Baru and his father were met with a solid steel door. Beside the entrance was a keypad of numbers, presumably only opening once the correct combination was entered. Without hesitation, Kenzo swiftly put in the correct order of numbers, the door giving a slight jolt as it unlocked.


    Grabbing the handle, his father paused and looked at him intently.


    "Tell no one what you see after this point on¡­"

 Chapter 51– Scars of The Past 4. What If?

    ¡°Woahh¡­¡± Baru couldn¡¯t suppress his gasp. It took a lot out of him not to swear out of habit in front of his father. The room wasn¡¯t very large, but it was the contents that made it jaw-dropping. On the left side of the squared room were a dozen monitors displaying complex scripts and blueprints of devices that Baru couldn¡¯t even begin to describe. And also¨C


    ¡°Wait a minute¡­¡± he scrutinized one of the monitors on the top right. ¡°Dad, why is that girl shirtless? And why is she bending dow¨C¡±


    ¡°AHUMMMMM!¡± Kenzo rushed to his keyboard and deleted the screen, quickly replacing it with the default wallpaper of a green hill and blue sky.


    ¡°Nothing!¡± his father¡¯s voice jumped up an octave, a drop of sweat running down his forehead. ¡°I was doing research for human anatomy, son. Don¡¯t get the wrong idea.¡±


    Baru tilted his head with a shrug. ¡°Okay.¡± That certainly explained why the girl was shirtless. But something dawned on him. ¡°Wait, Dad, what does that have to do with Tech?¡±


    ¡°Ahh, what a good question indeed¡­¡± He turned pale, then twisted his head around, ¡°Woahh, look at that! This is one of the first devices I created way back then! Sure brings me back!¡± Kenzo pointed to a large cylindrical device on a workbench on the opposite side of the room.


    ¡°Dad, you didn¡¯t answer my question¨C¡±


    ¡°Woahhhh, look at this! Do you know what this is, son? This was the very first attempt to replicate a Sense Gun that utilizes the power of one''s Sense to create physical bullets! Isn¡¯t this neat? I remember using this one on a Hoggrin¨C A Hog monster¨C way back when it stumbled into our village. Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah¡­¡±


    His father was clearly trying to avoid the question. Why do I get the feeling he didn¡¯t want me to see that?  In any case, Baru was more curious about the technology and his father''s work.


    The room was grim, most of the light being produced by the monitors on the left side, but there was just enough to see everything on display. Shelves cluttered with various tech parts and empty energy drink bottles added to the chaos, reflecting how messy his father was. Workbenches laden with tech tools¨Cnot human anatomy tools as Baru suspected¨Cwere scattered throughout the room. There was also a small shelf with an array of different figurines, oddly unclothed¨C


    ¡°DON¡¯T TOUCH THAT!¡± Kenzo saw him reaching out to one of the figures in curiosity. ¡°I mean¡­ these very expensive figures help me when I¡¯m trying to draw in different angles¡­¡± he regained his composure with a cough.


    ¡°Wow, you have so many hobbies that I never knew about. Why¡¯d you never tell me?¡±


    ¡°That is a very fair question, my son,¡± he knelt in front of him with a smile, ¡°one day, you¡¯ll inherit these hobbies too.¡±


    ¡°But I don¡¯t like drawing¨C¡°


    ¡°SHHHHHHHHH¡­¡­¡± Kenzo put his index finger over his mouth to shush Baru. ¡°You¡¯ll understand, one day, my child, you¡¯ll understand.¡±


    ¡°Is Ami also destined to like these hobbies too?¡± asked Baru.


    ¡°Ehhhh,¡± Kenzo avoided his gaze, ¡°It''s more of a boy thing, ya know¡­ Anyway¨C¡±


    Baru was confused about why drawing and anatomy were only for boys, but his father knew a lot more than he did, so maybe he would understand when he got older.


    ¡°Dad, are you going to show me the claw of the White Tiger monster yet?¡±


    Kenzo, still flustered and slightly regretful that he hadn¡¯t cleaned up sooner, nodded to his son. ¡°Yes, it''s time I showed you what I¡¯ve been working on for the past ten years, and also what¡¯s causing monsters to stay away from this place.¡± His father grew serious as he marched over to one of the shelves and pulled out a standard book. Laying the book on the cluttered workstation, he opened it.


    ¡°A book? Why?¡± Baru stood beside his father as he began flipping through the pages.


    I thought I was about to see the claw¨C Baru¡¯s impatience running thin suddenly stopped as a cluster of pages in the middle of the book refused to be turned. Baru''s eyes widened in realization.


    ¡°The middle part of the book is an empty compartment that looks like regular pages. But if you go to page four hundred and forty-two, you¡¯ll see a magnetic page that opens up the hidden space, just like this¡­. Click!¡± Kenzo flipped open a thin magnetic page only to reveal¨C


    ¡°A key?¡± said Baru, slightly underwhelmed.


    ¡°Yes, a key.¡± Kenzo reached out and took the modern key from the hidden compartment. ¡°What? Did you think I was going to put the device in here? Of course not,¡± he chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ll show you where I put the claw. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Kenzo walked up to the room''s brick walls with strained eyes, looking for something while grasping the key in hand. Scratching his head embarrassingly, he murmured slightly.


    ¡°Shit, where is... Maybe I hid it a little too well.¡±


    ¡°Did you forget where you put the¨C¡±


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t!¡± Kenzo cut him off. ¡°I-I was just admiring what a great job I did hiding it. That¡¯s all.¡±


    That sounded like a lie. But his father was much more knowledgeable than he was and had so many unique hobbies like anatomy and drawing.


    ¡°Ahah!¡± Kenzo exclaimed with triumph, finally finding the keyhole. ¡°I mean¡­ Yep, this is where it is, son. I was testing to see if you would find it! It looks like you failed, sorry bud.¡±


    Giving out a cough, Kenzo¡¯s key slid inside an unnoticeable hole in the wall. Turning the key, something audibly clicked before a large square chunk rolled out of the wall like an office drawer.


    A hidden storage drawer? Baru was expecting the key to unlock a safe or something along those lines, but this was so simple and blunt that no one would care to look for it. Unless the basement caved in, then it would be over.


    ¡°Ah, my beauty!¡± Kenzo exclaimed as he pulled out a necklace from the storage compartment. Attached to a long metal chain was a small cylindrical pendant, barely the size of his pinky, filled with an odd green luminescent liquid swishing inside. Baru couldn¡¯t help but feel underwhelmed again.


    ¡°So, where¡¯s the claw?¡± he frowned at his father.


    ¡°This is it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re joking? Where¡¯s the claw part? That¡¯s just green liquid inside a pendant.¡±


    Kenzo¡¯s nerve twitched. ¡°That¡¯s the reaction I get after showing you? Come on, a little more enthusiasm would have been nice!¡± he lamented.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Dad, this just isn''t what I had in mind when you said a claw from the king of monsters.¡± Baru shrugged. Maybe his father was a liar all along.


    Kenzo sighed. ¡°If you would let me explain a thing or two, I think you would have a different reaction. The green liquid you see here is the claw,¡± Kenzo revealed as he shook the pendant.


    Baru blinked in confusion while his father continued his explanation.


    ¡°Sadly, the only way to amplify the claw¡¯s potency was to break it down into a powder and conduct various tests. After long months of trial and error, I was left with barely scraps from the arm-sized claw I found that day. But eventually, I succeeded in amplifying the little DNA I had left,¡± he explained, then muttered darkly, ¡°But my research wasn¡¯t exactly all too pleasant either¡­¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Kenzo shook his head, his expression becoming distant as if recalling something dreadful. ¡°In any case, Baru, I want to make one thing very clear. There is a reason why I won''t share my invention with the government that goes far beyond my concern for my family''s safety.¡±


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°Like what?¡±


    His father looked at him intently and chuckled. ¡°Hmph, it¡¯s not something a kid should get himself involved in.¡± Kenzo patted Baru¡¯s head with a soft smile.


    ¡°Is it something perverted?¡±


    ¡°Wha¨C wait, you knew that I was¡­.?¡± Kenzo froze as his son innocently looked up, not understanding why he was so flustered. ¡°I mean, no, it''s not perverted.¡±


    ¡°Okay, Dad,¡± Baru beamed, not a single corrupted twinkle in his eye.


    ¡°Scared me there for a second,¡± his father chuckled amusingly.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, but I won''t lie this time. It is perverted.¡±


    ¡°Dad''s a pervert?¡± Baru gasped, then wondered confusedly. ¡°I don¡¯t know what a pervert means. I just know that girl across the street keeps calling me that.¡±


    ¡°Oh lord,¡± Kenzo massaged his eyes with a sigh. ¡°I really need to keep a better eye on what you do.¡± Although he was worried about his son¡¯s behavior, he couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°Sure do remind me of myself when I was your age. Aoi called me a pervert, too, when I first met her. Yeesh, I got an ass-beating from my mom that day.¡±


    ¡°Being a pervert isn¡¯t good, is it?¡± Baru noticed.


    ¡°Definitely not, but it¡¯s a part of our nature, whether we like it or not,¡± Kenzo reassured him. ¡°Just don¡¯t let it get the best of you.¡±


    ¡°So, is it like anger?¡± wondered Baru.


    ¡°I suppose every emotion and impulse can be a good and bad thing to some extent. Just like being too perverted is bad, being too kind is also just as destructive.¡±


    ¡°Why? What bad can come from being too nice?¡±


    Kenzo pointed at his heart, ¡°This¡­¡± he poked him, ¡°there will be some who take advantage of your kindness.¡± Fidgeting with the White Tiger pendant, his father continued. ¡°I¡¯m not saying you shouldn¡¯t be kind; I¡¯m saying you deserve respect just like anyone else. Don¡¯t sell yourself short or willingly take hate from others to be the better person. By not acknowledging this, you¡¯re telling yourself that it''s alright to be in the center of hate and humiliation.¡± Baru felt the pendant being placed in his hands by his father. ¡°Don¡¯t hate anyone, not because they deserve your empathy, but because you deserve peace.¡±


    Baru felt the rough steel of the cylindrical pendant as he fidgeted it between his fingers. The green liquid swished back and forth as if it had a mind of its own.


    Baru smiled. ¡°I didn''t understand a word you said, but this pendant is kinda cool now.¡±


    ¡°Of course, you didn¡¯t,¡± Kenzo snorted. "I wasn¡¯t expecting a seven-year-old to understand that. But maybe one day you will.¡± He proudly ruffled his hair.


    ¡°Dad, can you stop doing that? My hair always gets messed up!¡± he puffed.


    ¡°Whoops, sorry, it¡¯s just a little hard to resist because you have the same exact hair as I do. It''s like patting myself on the head!¡±


    ¡°Why would you want to pat yourself on the head?¡± Baru suspiciously glanced at him.


    He cleared his throat. ¡°Fair enough.¡±


    Putting his father''s annoying embraces aside, Baru wanted to ask one last question.


    ¡°Can I test this out¨C¡± Before Baru could finish his sentence, a loud creaking noise erupted from the staircase entrance. Someone had opened it.


    ¡°Dear, come out here quick!¡± his mother¡¯s voice sounded from the tunnel¡¯s stairway. ¡°There¡¯s a mouse in the house!¡± She squealed in fright.


    ¡°Great,¡± Kenzo sighed, ¡°your mother hates rodents. It''s a good thing she hasn¡¯t seen an Arokai yet. She would flip out.¡± Kenzo rushed to the stairs, but halfway, he paused and exclaimed to his son. ¡°Baru! Put the pendant away, and I''ll lock it when I come back!"


    ¡°Okay!¡± Baru answered while his father disappeared from the basement.


    Clutching the pendant in hand, Baru took another glance at the hidden compartment in the wall and thought to himself.


    What if¡­ I took it? Just for a little bit? I just want to see if a monster will stay away from me in the forest. As long as I''ve got this, I''m protected, right? He pondered the idea of playing it off like he put it away and returning it later. His father wouldn¡¯t know, would he? All he had to do was sneak the pendant back into the basement without his father knowing he had taken it outside.


    What if¡­


    Baru snuck the pendant into his pocket and closed the compartment as if he had put it away. He rushed up the stairs with an excited smile, putting his hands in his pockets so his parents wouldn¡¯t notice anything.


    What if¡­


    ¡°Baru? Where are you going?¡± his mother asked him as he reached for the door knob.


    ¡°The storm is over! I¡¯m just going to go play with my friends for a bit!¡± he said.


    What if¡­


    ¡°Oh, okay, well, be careful. It''s slippery out there,¡± she warned him while Kenzo was giving loud grunts in the kitchen as he attempted to catch the mouse.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be too long,¡± Ami pouted, ¡°you promised we were going to play.¡±


    What if¡­


    ¡°I¡¯ll play when I get back!¡± he replied to his sister, barely being able to control his heart from pounding.


    He opened the door, rays of sun peering through the dark grey clouds and the wind coming to a halt. The storm had finally stopped.


    What if¡­


    <hr>


    ¡°What if¡­ I didn¡¯t take the pendant¡­¡± Baru stared at the entrance of his house with horror when opening the door.


    His heart stopped, and with a convulsion, he vomited.


    ¡°Blood¡­¡± Baru noticed the pools of blood on the ground. ¡°Why is there blood on the ground?¡±


    Crunch! Snap!


    His mother''s head was being eaten. Why¡­ Why was his mother being eaten?


    Gruesome sounds of snapping bones and flesh being torn apart rang in his ears. Three bodies were piled onto each other in front of the staircase of his house. A large monster the size of a bear and with the features of a raccoon skillfully tore his mother''s head from her body. It licked its chops and salivated, chucking the head of a beautiful blonde-haired woman into its mouth.


    It was gone... just like that, the woman he had known all his life was gone. She was crushed in the jaws of the monster like it was a grape.


    ¡°Mama?¡± Baru gagged, his legs failing to keep him upright as he fumbled to the ground. He couldn¡¯t move his body. It was useless. He felt as if he were in a dream; No...this couldn¡¯t be reality. He couldn''t accept it.


    ¡°Dad?¡±


    Tears... they just couldn''t stop. He didn¡¯t even know when he had started crying. Just like his mother, the monster snapped and twisted his father''s head, chucking it into its mouth. Blood spurted out of Kenzo¡¯s neck like a shower of rain, a few drops landing on Baru¡¯s young cheek.


    His throat went numb.


    He wasn''t sure if he was screaming, even though he felt his vocal cords burn in agony.


    The only thing he was able to hear was the violent ring in his ears, overriding his ability to hear his own screams of anguish.


    Baru''s cries... they were muffled, but they existed. But why was he crying? Why couldn''t he do anything else? He was just standing there like a statue, watching as his family were torn to shreds, as if they were fresh-farmed chickens.


    Hate... he felt so much hate at that moment, yet he wasn¡¯t able to lift a finger to help his family.


    He was weak, he was dumb, he was a childish boy who only thought about himself.


    In the midst of the ringing in his ears and the soundless screams, he managed to think to himself. Or maybe it wasn''t actual thoughts.


    No.


    They were feelings. His mind couldn''t form a sentence. The emotions he felt were preventing him from doing such a simple task.


    Selfish.


    Take pendant.


    If only.


    Didn''t do that


    The pain he was feeling was far bigger than simple concepts of grief. It was the simple realization that his life had grown meaningless.


    In life, the only thing all humans wanted... was a connection to others. Without that, life had no purpose in living.


    The only ones who were able to live on were the ones that had a connection to themselves.


    And most people didn''t.


    He didn''t.


    Alone... He thought


    Alone...


    Pain...


    Al#n?...


    P@?n...


    A!o?e...


    .


    help


    <hr>


    ¡°¡­Big¡­brother¡­¡± Ami¡¯s voice shut off the never-ending ringing that engulfed him. Baru jerked up to meet his sister¡¯s dull eyes staring at him. Ami¡¯s legs and arms were stripped away from her body as if the monster specifically wanted to torture her and watch as she screamed in agony. Blood was dripping from her eyes as if they were a manifestation of tears.


    ¡°AMI!!!!¡± Baru screamed with the last ounce of energy he had. Gripping the pendant with such anger, it broke, and the liquid burst in his clenched fist. His anger overrode his body, giving him enough strength to get up.


    Gasping for air, Baru let out an ear-piercing cry and threw his clenched fist at the monster. The fiend growled with fear as Baru swung at it, its long grey hair spiking up threateningly. Its mouth bared in defense, making its long teeth that had crunched his parents visible. Its long, misshapen snout pointed down as if cowering before him, and its long raccoon-like tail curled. Before Baru could make contact, Ami¡¯s last words whispered from the puddles of blood.


    ¡°Fight¡­¡±


    That''s right... It was already too late. What could he do? What could he say? Apologize? Cry? Scream? Beg for forgivingness?


    It was all...


    so...


    so...


    Meaningless.


    Even so... a seething hatred that he couldn''t suppress bubbled inside of him, like vomit that couldn''t be released.


    Those simple words they.... they made so much sense to him.


    At that moment, all he could think about was sinking his short nails into that monster''s flesh until he reached its organs and felt its heart burst like a balloon in the palm of his hands.


    He wished to hear its cries of pain, Its cries of pitiful helplessness as he tortured it over and over again, the same pain it had inflicted on the people he loved.


    Baru was overwhelmed by it. He was drowning in his own hatred, and it was impossible to escape.


    Just fight.

 Chapter 52– What is a monster?

    We seek the truth when we¡¯re at our lowest and seek a comforting lie when we¡¯re at our happiest¨C Senseless


    In a dark room, the only source of light was an old TV. "The city¡­ such a beautiful place, isn¡¯t it?" a man with short blonde hair and a wide, eerie smile said through the screen, his voice slightly distorted. "With its high glistening glass skyscrapers, futuristic automobiles in all different shapes and sizes, and occasional robots in front of stores advertising products and services, it¡¯s quite remarkable how far humanity has advanced in only a matter of a hundred years." The rather spine-chilling anchor showcased many picturesque stock photos to accompany his speech.


    "Oh, were there other things worth noting? Well, I guess it would be careless not to include the more minor changes that so happen to appear alongside humanity''s improvements, such as the beat-up city streets littered with dirty homeless people who can''t get a job no matter how much they try, or some who even have jobs but still can¡¯t afford housing due to inflation."


    The anchor continued smiling¡­ and smiling.


    "Ah, what else doesn¡¯t seem too important? Perhaps the crimes that go unreported and get no news coverage if they don¡¯t fit a specific narrative the government wants. Of course not, that¡¯s not important at all. Perhaps the astounding spike in illegal drug usage such as Meth, Fentanyl, Cocaine, LSD, and many more?"


    Abhorrent photos of overdosed victims'' sprawled out bodies were displayed as if they meant nothing at all. "Want more? Well, okay then, how about the underground human and monster trafficking that the news acts like doesn¡¯t exist? HAHAHA LOOK AT ALL THOSE CHILDREN GETTING KIDNAPPED!" With his hand covering his face, the anchor laughed comically, only for his cackles to be distorted by the old TV.


    "Can''t forget about the rising suicide rates¨C What? Oh, you don¡¯t understand why I¡¯m showing you this? Of course, you don¡¯t! You don¡¯t understand anything, do you?! You¡¯re all brainwashed into thinking single-mindedly. You¡¯re sheep. You¡¯re all sheep! You never once stepped back and wondered why things are like this. Each and every single one of you has just accepted it!"


    Laughing like a maniac, the screen began dripping red with blood while the voice grew deep and demonic. "Monsters? Are monsters truly the danger? Did they cause any of this? OPEN YOUR EYES! OPEN THEM! WE ARE THE TRUE MONSTERS¨CBzzzzzzzzzzzz."


    The screen went static¡­


    #


    The day had become dark, and in the crowded Tokyo metropolitan area, the collective screams of innocent people were heard. Some cried for help, and some were cut short by the sound of snapping bones reverberating from building to building. It was an unlucky day to be alive.


    Civilians going about their day had red alerts on their smartphones, stating the rough coordinates and a threat level of an incident that occurred close by.


    "Oh, great, another monster attack," scoffed a teenage brunette girl with rather revealing clothes. Clearly, she seemed annoyed that her texting session with her boyfriend had been disturbed so rudely. "I swear, what the hell does a gold-ranked threat even mean¡ª" At that moment, the girl accidentally bumped into a stranger, causing her phone to slip out of her hands and crack on the asphalt.


    She gulped in dismay and quickly checked her phone to see if it was broken, and not so surprisingly, it was. Without even seeing the stranger who had bumped into her, she exclaimed, "What the fuck, man? Watch where you¡¯re going next¡ª" her voice trailed off once she eyed the stranger, "...time."


    With a large black trench coat and brown fedora, the tall man had a Starbucks coffee in his hand, slowly drinking it almost ominously. Perhaps his intimidating aura was due to his stature, but the sudden change of attitude in the girl was instantaneous. She swallowed her other remarks almost as soon as they were about to leave her mouth. "Oh¡­" the tall man said in a sonorous voice. He bent his head down, revealing the features underneath the large hat. "Pardon me."


    The girl stayed stationary and bewildered long after the man passed her to continue walking. The only thing she could think of was his wild emerald eyes¡ªthe eyes of a hunter.


    ...


    And so Asashi calmly continued sipping his coffee, humming a tune from a famous boy band from Korea. In his current mood, no one would guess that he was about to risk his life yet again. Perhaps he had grown used to it, who knows, and even he admitted that it almost felt therapeutic. Sirens from ambulances and AOK vans were getting louder and louder the closer he got to the danger, followed by screams of bystanders and high-pitched squeals of creatures he¡¯d grown far too familiar with.


    He had grown detached from all these agitating sounds. Human screams were as common as waking up to birds singing, and the crunching sound of bones were just like the crackling grease when he fried sunny-side-up eggs on his stove. Even when so many things were happening simultaneously, Asashi just couldn¡¯t find it within him to care. The only thought present in his mind was¡ª I just had a strong coffee at night, didn¡¯t I? Hmm, that¡¯s going to cause some trouble for my insomnia. Man, I still have to be present for the second challenge too. Such a pain in the ass. Asashi yawned and came to a halt.


    There they were... in all their mighty glory. Salamacers.


    At least a dozen were slithering and scaling on the city buildings. With a length of about five feet, these salamander-like monsters were smooth, slimy, and orange-red. Coupled with six grotesque limbs, they also had sticky webbed feet, allowing them to swiftly climb walls, or in this case, buildings. Their two blunt grey eyes and creepy thin mouth caused havoc... a lot of havoc.


    Just their size and ability to climb were threats worthy of a high bronze rank, but unfortunately, their danger didn¡¯t stop there. In front of Asashi, green goo covered the road, buildings, cars, and even innocent civilians who screamed in pain as their flesh started sinking into their bones and wilting away.


    Green Acid¡­ Asashi realized.


    The lime-colored substance that Salamacers produced and spewed from their mouths was essentially acid, capable of melting even strong alloys such as steel and brick. One could easily imagine the result when faced with more fragile materials, such as human flesh. Their sneaky, keen combat skills and terrifying acid ability, on top of the fact that they moved in groups, made the combined threat level a Gold Rank minus.


    "Move! Move! Move!" a Knight adorned with a silver-ranked badge ordered his troops as they began flocking out of the vans with an array of Sense weapons. The low-ranking Knights opened fire at the monsters from various angles. Their guns glowed with different colors as beams of energy shot out of them, but sadly, even when shots connected, they ended up doing nothing. That was because the Salamacers'' skin produced a layer of bodily fluid that also happened to be the same one, granting them the ability to scale walls.


    Asashi wasn¡¯t so sure of its science, but he guessed it acted like a hydraulic fluid that could naturally neutralize fire. And since Sense Bullets were basically a condensed form of energy¡ªsimilar to fire¡ªthe hydraulic fluid easily resisted its effects. In other words, it was a natural fluid created by Salamacers that also repelled their weapons.


    But not all... Asashi quickly realized that.


    Realizing their assault wasn¡¯t doing anything, the troops pushed back in fear. Even with special helmets and their uniforms made from synthetic materials that repelled even acid, the danger of being torn apart by the monster''s jaws was just as alarming.


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    Unfortunately, there was an overconfident Knight in the group who continued firing his gun no matter the damage being dealt. Grunting with exhilaration and exhaustion, the young knight blasted a Salamacer a few feet away, and although the bold attack stunned the monster momentarily, the inexperienced Knight foolishly took that as a sign of victory.


    "Did you see that?" the knight shouted to his withdrawn comrades. "I did i¡ª"


    "Kurt! Get back! Our guns don¡¯t work on them!" the group commander roared against the sirens. The young Knight looked back, puzzled, not fully hearing his words.


    "Huh? What did you say?"


    The silver-ranked commander gritted his teeth behind his steel helmet. "I SAID FALL BACK!"


    "Wha? But, why would I fall bac¡ª"


    Too late...


    Asashi sighed and unsheathed his sword.


    Everything happened in a blink of an eye...


    Before the foolish Knight could return his attention to the danger, his hand was completely gone. The sound of blood dripping was the only dreadful reminder that the incident had occurred.


    Kurt glanced at his now severed hand in disbelief, almost trying to comprehend if he was hallucinating or not. Just a mere second ago, his hand was there pulling the trigger of the gun, and the next, it had just vanished. His muscle tissue was ragged and torn, like someone attempted to cut his hand with a serrated knife but failed, and the dark scarlet liquid was leaking out of his veins and vessels, creating tiny puddles next to his boots.


    Then the pain kicked in...


    "What? F-uck! Fuck me! Fuck! Shit Arghh!" his body kowtowed on the floor, either from shock or from blood loss. The only thing Kurt was capable of doing was screaming in pain, like a helpless wounded deer. Closing his eyes, he hoped everything was just a harrowing dream. But the more the pain pulsated, the more apparent the answer became.


    "Aghh shit, it hurts! HELP! PLEASE ANYONE!!!" He couldn¡¯t defend himself, not with the excruciating pain. In fact, where was his gun? The realization dawned on the boy quicker than he had wanted.


    The same monster who had bitten him...


    He didn¡¯t dare open his eyes, not with the brutal reality of knowing a dozen monsters were waiting to chow down on the rest of his body. He gave up before the fight even started. How could he have been so stupid? So weak? So¡ª


    Curling up into a ball, his hand and the other decapitated half covered his tears of agony. The stress and burning pain in his hand had got to him, the only solution he came up with was to whisper out a cowardly plea.


    "I-I don¡¯t wanna die..." he sobbed, smelling the iron stench of his own blood as it dripped into his helmet.


    "I DON¡¯T WANNA DI¡ª"


    "Just shut up already..."


    Then, someone spoke back.


    ...


    Kurt slowly opened his eyes, only to find¡ª


    "Next time, don¡¯t go in so rash. First time on the battlefield, huh?" Asashi mused. He slashed his sword in empty air to release the blood stuck on it.


    Kurt blinked wordlessly. The Salamacer who had attacked him... was already dead.


    Asashi tossed the decapitated lizard-like head of the monster as its body grew limp and toppled to the ground.


    As I thought, the monsters can''t deflect blades like they do with bullets, Asashi thought. He gripped his custom-made Sense-Katana and admired it, remembering all those battles he had used it in. With its signature curved blade and shimmering grey-black metal from the Damascus steel, it was his main weapon of choice. One that remembered the taste of hundreds of different monsters and people alike. Just like Asashi, his sword wore the weight of his sins along with it. The beautiful and magnificent sword that had once been was now tainted by the blood of people he couldn¡¯t even remember the faces of.


    The sword alone knew him more than any other person on the planet did. Because his sword was an echo of himself. Monster after monster, human after human, skull after skull, it remembered the feelings of digging into his opponents. The day he had chosen it, his soul had been split into two. One that bore a human appearance and one that only knew the concept of killing. A slave to killing.


    Asashi felt it come alive as he poured energy into it. A small buzzing sensation erupted from the sword''s handle, one that he had felt thousands of times when feeding it his power. A green light hue zigzagged across the sword''s blade as it fully activated.


    Come on¡­ it¡¯s time for another battle. He clenched his katana, seeing his own tired reflection on it. Some might call him crazy or schizophrenic, but he heard his sword respond, not in ordinary audible words, but a feeling, a distant echo¡ªa distant plea for help.


    I know¡­ Asashi understood those soft cries. I¡¯m tired, too.


    But he had to¡ªThey had to. They had a duty to protect innocent lives, and no matter how cold and dull Asashi became over the years, no matter how meaningless the concept of human life had become, he wouldn¡¯t abandon it, no matter what.


    This is¡­ my atonement.


    ¡°Thank the gods! Asashi is here!¡± A knight from the retreated group recognized him, breathing in relief. ¡°There were no high-ranked knights close by, so we were forced to engage. But now, since he¡¯s here, we''re saved!¡±


    ¡°Are you an idiot?!¡± The commander bellowed at him. ¡°We''re not leaving everything up to one Knight? That¡¯s madness! I called a supply truck with Sense Swords, we¡¯re re-engaging right when we get the new weapons¡ª¡±


    ¡°Hmph¡­¡± Asashi couldn¡¯t help but find that funny. ¡°That won''t be necessary,¡± he replied, perhaps a bit too arrogantly, because it obviously ticked off the commander.


    ¡°There is no time for your condescending attitude. I''m the commander of this group, and I order you to protect our team until we prepare for an attack!¡±


    Asashi knew that was impossible. More Salamacers were coming out of the sewers and dark alleys, presumably attracted by all the commotion and blood from their own species. If Asashi listened to the commander and waited for the monsters to attack while attempting to defend the Knights, he would be overwhelmed by them and succumb to defeat. He had to be the one to attack and chip off the numbers separately in order to secure a victory. That was the only way¡­


    ¡°How about instead,¡± Asashi started, lifting the wounded young Knight who had lost his hand from the Salamacer and carrying him to the Knight corps, ¡°you give him some medical treatment while I clean up here? Thanks.¡± Setting down Kurt who went unconscious from blood loss, the commander gave him an infuriated gaze. He could see his angry narrowed brows and wrinkles from the two eyes holes in his helmet.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get cocky, who do you think you are? You don¡¯t even have any gear on. What if the Acid hits you? You¡¯ll be melted alive!¡± The commander growled, attempting some gotcha moment.


    Apparently, he didn¡¯t know Asashi that well. Turning his back on the infuriated Knight, he didn¡¯t respond.


    After all, actions spoke louder than words.


    ¡°Wait, what are you doing? Wait I sai¡ª¡±


    Asashi jolted into the battlefield, completely exposed and unfazed. On the glass windows of a building, a Salamacer spat out Green Goo, seeing as a tall human was coming after it. With a bucket full of the green substance impending in his direction, Asashi swiftly dodged the attack like a paintball game. The asphalt gave a dying sizzle and split as the acid made contact. Unfortunately, as fast as Asashi was, a bit of acid splattered his black coat, instantly forming a small hole.


    ¡°Aww¡­¡± Asashi was genuinely distraught, ¡°I just got this new coat yesterday. How unfortunate.¡± He made eye contact with the slithering monster on the structure, readying his sword. ¡°How unfortunate¡­ that you got on my bad side.¡±


    That was a lie.


    In truth, no matter which side the monster was on, albeit good or bad, Asashi would have killed it regardless. Asashi felt strength flow through his legs as he propelled himself into the air, scaling the ten-story building like an eagle. Arriving mere inches away from the monster''s blunt face, Asashi''s muscles tensed as he gripped the handle of his sword and brought it above his head, poised and ready for a clean and powerful slash. The monster could only stare at him, frozen in confusion on how a human could be so agile. At that moment, Asashi saw those two oval black eyes change.


    They changed ever so slightly before Asashi took the life out of them.


    Helplessness.


    He almost hesitated for a moment, but that moment wouldn¡¯t be enough to change the outcome.


    His sword sliced the monster directly in half¡­


    Its brain and organs now split into two perfect halves, they gurgled and oozed with blood as the body came plummeting to the concrete floor, making a disquieting bloody mess.


    Gravity doing its work, he fell ten stories and landed on the asphalt with a loud boom, creating an impact crater due to his immense strength. He breathed out calmly, trying to catch his breath a little before moving on to the next monster. But as he was trotting away, an intestine of the Salamacer he had slain suddenly squished underneath his boot.


    Looking down, he made no effort to make a disgusting expression or an annoyed groan that the guts of a vile creature now ruined his favorite pair of shoes. His reaction was quite different, or perhaps it wasn¡¯t one at all, but simply a sudden realization that entered his mind.


    ¡°We¡¯re all made from blood and flesh. It doesn¡¯t really make a difference if you¡¯re human or a monster when your guts are tangled and mismatched on the ground,¡± he said, picking up the intestine and feeling the blood and heat emanating from its slippery flesh. Perhaps it was an inhuman way of looking at things, but without human intelligence, they were no different from the monsters who caused havoc on the streets.


    The only thing that separated them was their emotions. The ability to feel guilt when you do something wrong. The ability to feel sad over the smallest thing. The ability to feel joy over something so trivial as getting ice cream from your parents, and the ability of love and compassion. If someone were void of all those things, would they still really be human? Or would they be considered a monster?


    It was funny. There was a time when he viewed himself as a monster, a time before he met his wife and raised a child¨Ca time when he thought he was void of all human attachments. But that was a long time ago. Although he looked back on his mistakes and frowned, he realized that feeling guilt was a gift.


    It was a reminder that he hadn¡¯t become a monster just yet.

 Chaper 53– I know what we did...

    ¡°Let''s finish things up, buddy.¡± A slight smile reflected off the blade of his katana as he charged forward. Two Salamacers lunged after him, mouths wide open and revealing their hundreds of small serrated teeth. Instinctively, Asashi ducked to the ground, and oh boy, was he glad he did. Two shots of green goo narrowly skimmed above his face the moment he dropped, but the danger wasn¡¯t finished yet. Two fast and rather giant mouths were upon him, ready to easily chomp off his body parts as they did to Kurt. But as they should have known by now, he wasn¡¯t an average Knight.


    He slammed his fist on the ground as the concrete broke into pieces, and the monsters lost their footing. Seeing a slight crack in their timing, Asashi drove his glowing green katana inside one of the monster''s mouths, making it cry in pain, similar to a pig''s squeal. It was a tad off-putting, to say the least. All of his other victims simply hadn¡¯t had time to cry because they were dead before even realizing it. Their squeals seemed too similar to humans for his liking¡­


    With his sword now occupied, he had to deal with the other incoming monster the old-fashioned way. With a clean left uppercut, he smashed his fist under the monster''s chin with all the strength he could muster at one time. The sheer impact of his punch blew a direct hole through its flat muzzle while its body was sent flying through the air like a rag doll. Successfully defending himself from their attack, Asashi pulled his sword out from the monster''s mouth mid-scream, the unpleasant sound of grinding metal in contact with its teeth soon following. Seeing as it wasn¡¯t fully dead yet, he decided to put it out of its misery with one final slash across its throat.


    Splat!


    Seeing the lifeless corpse resting in a pool of its blood, he eyed his surroundings to find more and more Salamacers appearing out of thin air. This time, a handful came after him, shooting goo in the air, which turned into a rain shower of Acid. Seeing the droplets coming at him with no way to escape, he sighed.


    I¡¯m sorry for what I have to do.


    His gaze stirred towards the half-dissolved body of a civilian who was unlucky enough to be caught amid the battle. The body of a young woman with short blonde hair, her face now unrecognizable from the hollow eye sockets, and her red mushy skin. The nose was gone entirely, and an empty hole remained in place. A girl with her whole life ahead of her, now half-alive and waiting for someone to put her out of misery. Even though Asashi knew she couldn¡¯t see him, he could tell by the shake in her fingers that she was calling out for help¨Ccalling out to someone who¡¯d just end the pain.


    And he granted her that pleasure... by plunging his sword into her head.


    A slight crack was audible, but against the sirens and squealing monsters, it was just an afterthought.


    Asashi had no time to think or process his actions. He quickly grabbed the girl''s body and held it above his head. The sizzling sounds of the acid rain connecting with the girl made him close his eyes, temporarily at least. He knew it was useless; it wasn¡¯t his eyes he should have covered, but his ears.


    But he wanted to cover something, and with his hands above his head, currently occupied with blocking the acid, he had no choice. In this brief second of obscurity, his mind could only think of one thing. Forgive me.


    Asashi knew he wasn¡¯t at fault. If he had just stood around waiting, she would have suffered a more painful death. But even so, he used her as a shield¡­ a tool. His quick decision to shove his sword into her skull was to make her suffer less¡­before he inevitably used her as a human shield that is. The realization of his intent left a bad taste in his mouth.


    I haven''t changed, did I? It''s hard to think about humanity or compassion when forced into a life-or-death situation. Once the rain of acid stopped, Asashi gently laid down the girl, who had now become a mess of bones and flesh. The gruesome sight made him grimace. It''s been a long time since he had seen such a brutal sight after being promoted to the board of directors for the AOK. Naturally, he went on fewer and fewer missions and only took the ones that needed his immediate help, and maybe that accidentally made him less used to the disturbing sights than he once was.


    But it soon went away.


    Maybe his old self kicked in, but his mind didn¡¯t allow him to dwell on that fact for more than a few moments. He was still in survival mode; everything else came second. Instead, he unsheathed his glowing emerald green sword and pointed at the monsters while patiently waiting for them to lunge.


    His blunt eyes stared them down, his composed stance exuding cold power, and his coat ruffling in the wind. This was the confidence of a man who had seen death.


    The Knights on standby could only watch in awe as he cut down every single monster in front of him with precision attacks and calculated movements. One after another, heads of monsters dropped on the ground, followed by the silent footsteps of a Knight running on puddles of their blood. The sight of the man single-handedly slaying a colony of high bronze-rank monsters at once, silenced anyone who dared challenge his capabilities before.


    ¡°T-this can''t be real¡­¡± breathed the commander of the knight corps, trying to comprehend what he was seeing. ¡°Who is this guy? He shows up out of the blue without a uniform or a badge and slays every single monster? Ridiculous.¡±


    ¡°You really don¡¯t know who he is?¡± the same Knight who had recognized Asashi before inquired.


    ¡°If I remembered every single Knight¡¯s name, my brain would fry. Out with it!¡± he retorted bitterly. The Knight didn¡¯t take his remark to heart and simply watched as Asashi continued slaying the monsters with superhuman speed and strength.


    ¡°He goes by many names¡­¡±


    Asashi threw a flurry of raw jabs at the creatures, dodging the acid they spat out. It almost seemed like he was toying with them by not even using a weapon.


    ¡°But there''s a name that every single Knight had heard at least once¡­¡±


    The light blue hue of his super sense, mixed with his natural eye color, created a glow of pure wild intensity. The eyes of a person who had seen hell. The eyes of a person who had killed. The eyes¡­ of a beast.


    ¡°They call him¡­ Panther.¡±


    #


    Asashi continued drinking his coffee, only this time in his office, overlooking the green grass that stretched for miles, stopping only at the sight of half-visible skyscrapers obscured by fog. This was the center of the Tokyo metropolitan area, the safe haven, the prestigious home of countless Knights, countless heroes¡ªincluding Asashi himself.


    At least, that¡¯s how the public viewed them. To Asashi, this peaceful plot of land in the city''s center was hell. But it was also a hell he¡¯d grown used to.


    ¡°I¡¯m tired¡­¡± he yawned, leaning back in his recliner chair, which overlooked the scenery through a tall glass arch window. His office was similar to Mr. Storm¡¯s, with massive library shelves made from old polished wood from the 1930s, filled with books of all kinds, and a luxurious and spacious private bathroom where he spent too much of his time, often scrolling through social media. Unlike his superior, he was clean and organized, never allowing himself to succumb to the filth that could sour his usual, unfriendly mood.


    No papers on his desk were left unchecked, no empty cans or takeout boxes scattered on the ground, and he certainly wasn¡¯t in his polka-dotted underwear. That guy¡­ He gets under my skin, and I don¡¯t even know why. Of course, he could instantly point out the traits he found annoying, but¡­ there was something else about Mr. Storm that he didn¡¯t like. The caution and seething annoyance he felt around him almost felt familiar.


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    Then it hit him. Sen¡­


    After all this time, he never put the two together. But his disdain for both came from one similar source¡ªthe white tiger monster. It suddenly made sense why he felt the way he did towards the two of them. They both have the monster in th¡ªNo, no, that¡¯s incorrect. There is no proof that any part of the Whitetiger is within Sen; in fact, it almost seems as if the experiment permanently damaged his ability to have a sense. Asashi corrected himself but still couldn¡¯t help but ponder on that thought for a moment.


    But perhaps a small fraction of its DNA is still there? Maybe that¡¯s why I feel the similarities between the two. But then again¡­ I have my other reasons for disliking Sen. Ones that aren¡¯t related to some superficial aura that the Whitetiger monster has.... I still don¡¯t know why Sen did that¡­ His thoughts trailed away as he clenched his fist, turning his skin pale white.


    Releasing his grip, he sighed out.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t really matter.¡± He took a sip of his coffee and put it on his desk. He had already gone through his fit of anger after being informed that Sen had somehow snuck in to participate in the challenge. Not only that, but other surviving vessels of the Whitetiger monster. Just thinking about it sent him through another fit of rage, but he quickly composed himself, not allowing himself to be angered that easily. He actively tried holding back his anger because, apparently, it was a problem. Whatever that meant. It wasn¡¯t like he could control all of his impulses.


    ¡°I can sit back here and mull over the fact I can''t disqualify him. But it won''t achieve anything. I don¡¯t even have any evidence to prove that Sen was responsible for that incident shortly after the disappearance of his father. Not like Storm would ever believe me. He has a soft spot for all the vessels.¡± Mr. Storm had far more control over the academy, being one of Japan''s only diamond-rank Knights. His word was almost law itself, so regardless if he had receipts to prove his point, it would be futile. In the end, Storm seemed inclined to protect any of the surviving vessels.


    Diamond rank, my ass¡­ he put no effort. He had those powers handed to him with a silver spoon! Asashi couldn¡¯t lie, it was frustrating to acknowledge his rank because, in truth, he was very new compared to Asashi, who had almost two times the experience.


    How long has it been since he joined? Asashi scowled. Twelve years, too, huh? What a joke. He gets gene-spliced with a monster and becomes an unstoppable force, and at the same time, his scientist, Yami, disappears and apparently experimented on his own son right before?


    He slammed his fist on the mahogany table, accidentally making his drink topple over. The liquid leaked on the table, activating his computer''s hologram screen. The starting song of his unlocking computer made him slam his forehead on the desk. He couldn¡¯t put up with this anymore.


    ¡°Bz bz, Welcome, Asashi¡­ please provide a password before logging¡ª¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t make sense¡­¡± He groaned, taking no notice of the hologram screen. ¡°Nothing has made sense in a while. If only that¡­ that bastard Yami didn¡¯t run away, then I could finally get some answers¡­¡±


    He had known Yami far more than he should have. In fact, at one point, he called him a friend. But he was more than just that. He was a comrade, a brother to him.


    They fought in the last world war, side by side, with their guns pointed at their enemies'' heads, ready to pull the trigger at any sudden movement. The scene of tangled organs and the revolting iron stench of blood never left his mind. Even though it was long gone, he could still smell the vague scent in the air.


    Asashi didn¡¯t miss those times, and he would give everything to erase those traumatic memories from his mind. But it didn¡¯t change the fact that they survived that¡ªTogether.


    They saw their friends die¡­


    They saw bombs fall towards them¡­


    They saw the skeletal remains of the people they once knew¡­


    They both cried, then sighed in relief that it was over¡­


    And that¡¯s what made Yami¡¯s betrayal all the more painful. The only thing he left behind was a monster in human clothing and a boy that he hated¡­


    ¡°What truly happened?¡± Asashi looked up at the sky. The perfect blue expanse and fluffy clouds were comforting, but it didn¡¯t give him any liberation from the constant doubts and questions that repeated in his mind. ¡°You really left at a bad time, Yami. You still haven¡¯t finished what you wanted to do,¡± he said reminiscently, bitterness noticeable before he quietly muttered to himself. ¡°¡­Coward.¡±


    Asashi remembered those words very well. They have stuck with him ever since their war days. In fact, he tried to forget them every single day, but they kept coming back like an infectious virus. Asashi disliked the words because they made him feel¡­ inspired.


    It made that innocent passion come back for a moment¡ªthat small ray of hope. The hope that the world could be saved one day¡­ But he rejected it. Because that same passion was what drove Yami to madness. And Asashi refused to be blinded by that false hope.


    Yet¡­ it simply wouldn¡¯t leave his mind.


    Asashi groaned as he stirred backward in his recliner, staring at the tall ceiling.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want this anymore, Asashi,¡± Yami¡¯s voice called out in his thoughts. He gripped his head and began aggressively shaking and pounding it. Asashi couldn¡¯t allow himself to be fooled once again, to be blinded by such a delusive idea.


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Grunting in retaliation, he stood up and banged his head on the wall.


    But it was useless. Asashi¡¯s voice was drowned by the message of his ex-comrade.


    ¡°The world isn¡¯t going to change if we just sit around waiting for a hero.¡±


    ¡°SHUT UP! There¡¯s nothing I can do, okay? I just want to live.... fucking, I don''t know, peacefully. I don¡¯t have time for your delusional dream. You¡¯re a man who was so enthralled with his vision that you stripped away your humanity even more than I did!¡±


    Asashi found himself battling his own mind. There was not a person in sight¡ªjust a tiny figment he had created. But the voice was real to Asashi. He felt it whisper in his ear like the devil seducing his next victim with a sweet, tempting voice. In actuality, the words of Yami weren¡¯t any different. He was a devil coming back to haunt him.


    ¡°Asashi, aren¡¯t you sick of this world? Don¡¯t you want it to change?¡±


    ¡°Shut up! Shut up! SHUT UP!¡± he bellowed. ¡°Of course I am! But there''s nothing I can do, alright? Everything is meaningless! No matter how many wars happen, more will come! How do you expect me to help? I¡¯m powerless¡ª¡±


    ¡°I want to create a world¡­¡± Yami said in his mind, leaving him frozen. ¡°A world without selfishness. A world where only the humbled live¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Asashi slumped against the wall, lying as he tried to catch his breath. A drop of sweat ran down his forehead. Battling an invisible person proved more difficult than any monster he had slain. It was almost funny, so funny in fact that he couldn¡¯t help but laugh at it.


    ¡°Hahahaha!¡± he covered his eyes hysterically, but his smile showed no joy.


    No, his smile was filled with bitterness and refusal to agree. Yami''s ideology was courageous and proved to be nothing but a positive vision, but it was also one that he threw away his humanity in an attempt to achieve. Asashi would never forgive him for what he did, and for that reason, he negated Yami¡¯s vision for that future because it just proved how a ridiculous idea could drive someone into madness.


    ¡°I will never be as foolish as you, Yami,¡± Asashi whispered. ¡°Never.¡±


    A shard of light shot through the arched window and glistened on his face, making him drop his hands to relish the warmth it brought. Leaning his head against the cream-colored wall, Asashi finally felt the voice of his former friend gradually disappear. These types of episodes had become more common as time had passed. It felt like a clock was in hand, feeling its constant tick as if he were running out of time. It¡¯s all in my head. He concluded. Almost all of his worries were just a fabrication. At that point, was it even his fault?


    Asashi realized that it was like a black hole in his brain, slowly eating away everything he had left. More or less, that¡¯s what trauma was: a black fragment in one''s brain that consumed everything around it, feeding itself until it grew larger and larger. Until¡­ there wouldn¡¯t be anything left to consume.


    Well, there was only one age-old solution to that problem, and that was taking a simple nap.


    Albeit he wasn¡¯t really planning on it, but, feeling the warm ray of the sun, mixed with the mental exhaustion of his episode and the physical fatigue of slaying monsters, he unknowingly started falling asleep while lying on the ground, his head slowly slumping forward like a zombie.


    Sometimes, the best solutions were the most simple ones.


    Sometimes, people overcomplicated things by creating vigorous methods that make things worse.


    Sometimes, just a simple nap would do.


    And nap Asashi did. Not before long, low, mumbled snores escaped his breath as he embraced the warmth of slumber.


    But, in the midst of his rest, he whispered something unconsciously, something that had been troubling him for the past twelve years.


    What was it?


    ¡°Sen¡­¡± Asashi groused mid-snore, calling out the name of his former friend¡¯s son. ¡°Sen...why¡­¡±


    Asashi was simply speaking gibberish, so his words held no actual meaning. Perhaps thinking of Yami had led him to grasp his anger toward his son. They both resembled each other, so it wasn¡¯t a foregone conclusion.


    ¡°Why did you, trynnnmm¡­¡± Asashi mumbled before he sprawled out on the floor, leaving his slumped position. It seemed that his attempt at forming a coherent sentence ran short.


    But yet, as Asashi tossed and turned in restlessness, groaning feverishly, he refused to keep silent. Asashi wanted to scream, he wanted to shout from the bottom of his heart, the words that sat in the pit of his stomach, they yearned to escape¡ª


    And out came a small whisper, barely audible to the human ear. Words so soft, that someone would doubt if they were even said in the first place.


    ¡°Sen¡­¡± Asashi murmured. ¡°Why did you? Try to kill. Your own mother.¡±

 Vol 1 Epilogue– The Rules

    The world was a dangerous place. But why was it? The answer most individuals gave was simple and straight to the point, never thinking twice about their words or understanding the dangers that were outside of their grasp. They only understood things thrown in front of them, like a fresh raw steak in front of a dog.


    ¡°Monsters¡­¡±


    Yes¡­ they were the root cause of all humanity''s struggles and desolation. The unwillingness to live in such a cruel world, fearing wherever you walked, that you could lose your life in an instant. Fear, despair, anxiety, and isolation¡ªall caused by the sinful creatures created by God as our divine punishment. Whatever God was, it wanted them to suffer and see their numbers slowly dwindle as their wills for a better future were crushed in the process.


    It enjoyed it¡­


    Watching with an amused grin like some comedy show...


    ENCORE! ENCORE!


    MORE! MORE!


    MORE AMUSEMENT!


    But see¡­ the world wouldn¡¯t be exciting if it were all pain and suffering. Then, it would become quite bland and repetitive after a while, wouldn¡¯t it? The gift of balance and the unknown of what tomorrow could bring made the world spin.


    Where there was a shadow, there was a beam of light creating it. One couldn¡¯t exist without the other. They were two sides of the same coin.


    Darkness and light.


    Pain and pleasure.


    Sadness and happiness.


    Anxiety and peace.


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    Life and death.


    It was pretty simple. It didn¡¯t know why humans had such difficulty understanding such a simple concept. They complained and complained, whining and whining about why they had to live in such a hell. It was as if people only wanted peace and happiness? That was quite a common thought almost everyone found themselves thinking about at least once, and it had merit going for it. Except it was simply incorrect, unmathematical even.


    If everything was peaceful, then peace had no meaning. It was just there, existing. Nothingness. That world seemed far scarier than suffering. But, of course, the rules were still in place; it wasn¡¯t all suffering. There were heroes out there, protecting and facing danger without a care about their own safety. The brave that risked their lives for a better future, there were only a few words that could describe these souls: Saints!


    But yet, it was odd¡­


    What made them feel so passionate about being the light in such a dark and allegedly hopeless world that many thought it was? Of course, that was because¡ªThe rules were in place.


    The rule of Balance¡­


    The rule of the Unknown¡­


    The rule of Time¡­


    The rule of Life¡­


    And the fifth and final one¡ªThe rule of Freedom¡­


    These five rules lived simultaneously, spinning around in perfect harmony like the atoms in a human body. Like brothers and sisters, they relied on each other to exist. They were the rules that the universe abided by. Without them, the fabric of existence would be thrown into turmoil and obscurity.


    However, these rules¡­ were growing quite boring.


    What if someone paved their own reality without the need for such earthly bounds?


    What if someone were able to break these golden rules?


    It grinned¡­


    Just then, an infant''s cry was audible¡ªa baby giving its calls for life in a small hospital in Japan. A long white-haired mother panted out with exhaustion, smiling tenderly once she embraced her son, whom the doctors had passed to her. The child continued to cry despite the mother''s best efforts to soothe them, but it was expected; every baby had the same reaction when suddenly being brought into life¡ªit was quite scary after all. However, the child''s cries were different. His wails were heard throughout the fabric of the universe, shuddering time and space itself, which normal humans were oblivious to. A cry so powerful it made the world suddenly freeze.


    "Yes, a soul free from the constraints the universe had bound itself with. Someone who had broken the rules¡­"


    "Let me out! Let me out of this hell... please just kill me already, take mercy!" ¨CSen

 Book 2– Me & I/Prologue– War

    ¡°War is but a fool''s game that no one wins."


    Japan: 2068


    Bombshells erupted all around the soldiers. The ground beneath their feet juddered continuously, throwing them off balance. The loud, ear-splitting sound of sirens blared all around them. Screams of the fallen were engraved in the surviving soldiers¡¯ minds. Even if they got out of the battlefield alive, the memories of their allies¡¯ dying wails would be buried in their minds forever. They were in the midst of a cold and bloody war¡­


    I¡¯m scared¡­ Why? Why am I fighting? For what? a soldier thought to himself. His eyes were lifeless and dull. Not simply due to his wounds but because he had witnessed everyone around him die as if they were merely ants. Until this point, the soldier had had a good and peaceful childhood. He had many aspirations and dreams of the future. He wanted to be successful, start a business, start a family, have children, and be a kind, gentle father.


    Yet¡­


    All that had been taken from him in an instant. For what? He gazed dejectedly at the war-infested scene in front of him. What¡¯s the point of this? For power? Control? Will there really be peace beyond this bloodbath?


    ¡°All reporting Knights, prepare for an ambush incoming from the southeast...¡± The Knight heard a brash and cold order from his female commander via a Bluetooth hearing device. Yet he didn¡¯t react to her urgent order right away.


    He hid inside an abandoned office building, helplessly watching his allies drop below him behind a large glass window. The enemy was drawing near, armed with state-of-the-art tanks and other military artillery. They were heavily outmatched. He accepted his fate; he was going to die sooner or later. But yet¡ª


    ¡°SHIT! A monster hit our base in section 23. Just when things couldn¡¯t get worse, a monster decides to attack us,¡± the commander cursed violently. The pressure was getting to her. ¡°We have no more time. All units spread out and defend section 6¡ª¡±


    ¡°What if I don¡¯t want to, Commander Geta.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± she blurted out, clearly caught off guard by his soft and miserable refusal.


    ¡°What the hell are you talking about, Officer Arthur? This is not the time for second-guessing¡ªTHIS IS WAR!¡± she roared through the device. Arthur let out a dead and defeated smile upon hearing her voice.


    ¡°What¡¯s the point¡­ What¡¯s the point of all this death?¡±


    ¡°We''re fighting for our freedom, Arthur! Have you no shame in giving up on that?¡±


    ¡°Freedom from who?¡± Arthur asked, despondently looking down from the building.


    ¡°From... from...¡± Commander Geta took a long pause. The simple and reasonable question that Arthur asked planted a seed of doubt in Geta.


    ¡°Will this cause freedom? Will all these deaths change a thing in our cold world? What do you think will happen after we all die? What then?¡± he muttered. Arthur¡¯s cold, black eyes didn¡¯t move from observing the war below him. ¡°Soon enough, there will be another war. It¡¯s never gonna end¡­ So why even try to help? My useless life won¡¯t make any difference in this battle,¡± Arthur let out a small laugh, but his expression didn¡¯t move from its depressive state.


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    ¡°Selfish...¡± Geta let out a small whimper. ¡°YOU SELFISH SHITHEAD!¡±


    Arthur felt the quiver in her voice. It truly broke his heart hearing her cry, even more than seeing his allies die in front of him. ¡°What about all the lives that were lost? Were they all meaningless to you? Did they all die in vain?! Are you going to let that happen, Arthur?!¡±


    ¡°They did die in vain¡­¡± Arthur replied softly, feeling a tear start welling up in his broken eyes. ¡°They all died in vain. None of their lives will make a difference in this battle. They didn¡¯t deserve this. No one¡¯s going to remember them. Even if we win, will they get the credit? No, not a single one of us will. Life has to be more than this never-ending cycle of death.¡±


    Arthur''s words shook the commander into silence. Her usual brash and hot-blooded tone was now covered in small whimpers of her cry.


    The person he¡¯d gotten to know since getting drafted into war was crumbling right in front of him. He knew her better than anyone else. She was scary at times and very demanding. One time, sheep punched him in the nuts for not sweeping the floors in their dorm. She would also get mad at him when he asked her for coffee in front of other people. She was a Commander, after all. Asking a person of higher rank for something wasn¡¯t the best look. But regardless of all that, he¡¯d loved her. He broke down the walls she placed before him and got to witness her soft, gentle, and caring heart. Reminiscing on those memories warmed his soul.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay to cry sometimes, Geta,¡± he murmured, still hearing her attempt to cover her tears. ¡°You¡¯re so strong. Even when the odds were stacked against you, somehow you managed to push forward and succeed. You made me into a better and stronger person, Geta. Thank you for everything.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s next?¡± she blubbered. ¡°What are you planning on doing now? If not fighting, then what¡¯s the best option?¡±


    He expected that question. And for the first time in a while, he felt optimistic.


    ¡°I know a place,¡± he smiled. ¡°A place where there¡¯s no war. No monsters. No hunger. A warm place where we can talk for as long as we want. A place where we can start our own family.¡±


    ¡°Does such a place actually exist?¡± Geta¡¯s voice had a hint of hopefulness.


    ¡°Do you trust me, Geta?¡± he asked. It didn¡¯t take long for her to answer.


    ¡°I trust you with all my heart¡­¡±


    ¡°Well then¡­¡± He let out a hopeful sigh. All of his worries suddenly vanished. Arthur smiled brightly as he smashed the window in front of him. A gust of wind blew in his face pungently and he took a step forward to the broken window. He was high up¡ªperfect for the job.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you soon. I love you¡­¡±


    He stepped off.


    Time seemed to slow down as he took his leap of faith. He could see his memories flashing before his very own eyes. Huh, they weren¡¯t joking. I guess your life really does flash before your eyes. But he wasn¡¯t scared; he was comforted. Soon, he would leave this sinful world. At the final moment of Arthur¡¯s life, he was finally content.


    He had no regrets.


    Arthur was lucky he¡¯d experienced life, even though it was more short than he had imagined. In truth, he could have lived in a much different world where he wouldn''t have met the love of his life.


    He didn¡¯t resent the world; he just didn¡¯t want to see the cruel future that would inevitably come. But still, he wished for a peaceful and happy future¡ªa world much different from this one.


    As he tumbled to the earth at a rapid pace, bombs collided with the ground. He witnessed a beautiful bright red and orange explosion, and the next moment, everything around him turned to ash.


    I see now... so there is a Go¨C


    ¡°......¡±


    All Geta heard was static coming from his earpiece. Her heart dropped, and she lost all strength in her body. She dully looked at the screen as more and more of her comrade''s signals were being wiped out. It felt safe inside the military tank¡ªthe dark and suffocating space made her feel like she didn''t exist at all, but the static from Arthur''s earpiece was a brutal reminder that everything was real.


    At that moment, she had never felt so alone. It was as if everything had suddenly grown meaningless.


    I truly hope that place exists, she thought to herself.


    Geta grasped the handle of the gun that lay beside her in the darkness. ¡°I love you too¡­¡±


    <hr>

 Book 2/ Chapter 1– Father & Son

    Hope isn¡¯t something you get, it''s something you already have. you just haven¡¯t found it yet¨C Senseless


    It was odd, the small yet piercing sting in his arm. At first, Sen wasn¡¯t too sure what to think of it. Or, in better terms, he couldn¡¯t think of anything. His head felt so muddled and distorted as he attempted to form a coherent thought in his brain. Words were popping up, but they simply didn¡¯t want to go together. It was as if his brain were pleading for freedom, trying to escape a jail cell that it was confined in. There was a feeling of peace, though¡ªa break from his constant overthinking.


    Even though he was just four years old, there were so many difficult problems he sought to solve. Things that he really never needed to worry about, but yet he was troubled by them. Were they able to pay rent this month? And in case they couldn''t, where would they go? Did they have any family or friends who could take them in? What would they eat? What if a monster attacked his parents on their way to work? Could he provide for his sister all alone?


    Sen always overthought these scenarios and questions on a day-to-day basis. He wasn¡¯t even sure when it started, but words stayed in his brain the moment he heard them. It wasn¡¯t clear if that was normal, so he often just assumed everyone else could think the same way he did. But how wrong he was¡­


    Yet again, a small prick could be felt on his forearm¡ªthis time even more painful than the last. Something was wrong. His brain was screaming in danger, but he simply didn¡¯t have the energy to push back. Only after the third pierce did a small glimmer of consciousness return. And then more abruptly¨CSen¡¯s brain flicked on like a computer.


    Where am I?


    A fair question to ask, given he had no recollection of what happened before blacking out. Usually, he could recall going to bed, but in this case, there was nothing to go off of. His first instinct was to open his eyes, but suddenly¡­ he heard someone breathing above him. He didn¡¯t need to look to know they were staring directly at him, judging by the faint feeling of their breath.


    ¡°Alright, last one¡­¡± the person spoke, his tone quiet, almost as if he were talking to himself. ¡°Finally¡­ It''s time for the real deal. I had to make sure you can handle the final version.¡±


    Sen froze¡­ He knew that voice. The equidistant yet optimistic tone, always filled with a burning passion and eagerness to learn. He heard that voice whenever he did well in school or showed off how talented he was at things most kids his age couldn¡¯t do. He heard that voice every single morning when he woke up and went to sleep. He heard that voice whenever he was being reprimanded for not doing things that his mother told him to. Because that voice¡­ was his father¡­


    ¡°¡­D-dad?¡± Sen weakly groaned. Half opening his eyes, his father''s face was hidden by the light of a surgical lamp while his squared glasses gave a relating shimmer and blinded the four-year-old boy.


    ¡°Shhh, shhh,¡± Yami shushed him, taking on a calm and collected tenor. ¡°Just stand still for a moment. It will all be over in a second.¡± He reached for a large syringe with an unusual sparkling blue liquid and released the useless water within with a slight squirt.


    Something within Sen screamed with defiance. No, it screamed with fear. The moment Sen locked eyes on the syringe, a fierce juddering that wouldn¡¯t stop came over him. His hands started to shake and soon the rest of his body followed. This was the first time¡­the first time Sen had felt true fear. Even after being face to face with grueling monsters before, it stood no comparison to the mere sight of the blue liquid in his fathers fingers. While Yami approached closer and closer, Sen could only stare soundlessly, not able to utter a single word. The feeling of terror and the emotions that followed was so overwhelming he wasn¡¯t so sure how to process them. The purest form of fear was in that bottle.


    Sen knew.


    He felt it with every single fiber in his body. Yet he couldn¡¯t do anything to stop it. Steel cylinders fastened his wrists, ankles, and even neck, forbidding movement. In his moment of panic, Sen could only think¨C Why was his father doing this? Why was he fastened to a doctor''s table with such brutal measures in place? What was his father hiding? Or¡­ who even was his father?


    His eyes were wide open in shock, slight blood veins could be seen in his sclera as he whispered to his approaching father¨C ¡°¡­Stop.¡±


    The syringe¡¯s needle halted a mere inch from his forearm, and Yami looked at his son with confusion. Sen held his breath, before long moments of quietness arose. He wasn¡¯t sure what to expect from his father''s mouth, but it definitely wasn¡¯t the wide, amused grin that was plastered all over his face. Yami almost seemed interested in his rejection, which made it even more terrifying.


    ¡°What are you feeling right now?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°What are you feeling at this moment¡­¡± Yami repeated, his voice going flat. ¡°The emotions, I sense you going through a lot of them, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Sen¡¯s throat felt parched as he struggled to come up with a response. He wasn¡¯t sure how to respond to such a daunting question, especially in his current situation. And just like that, his mind went blank¡­ his smart brain was overwhelmed by emotions¨C emotions that would soon be locked away.


    ¡°I¨CI¡­ want to go home,¡± Sen¡¯s voice broke.


    He tasted something salty and wet, running down his cheek and dripping in his trembling mouth. Sen¡¯s face reflected off Yami¡¯s squared glasses, revealing the expression of a child who¡¯d been betrayed. The expression of a child who wanted their parent''s embrace. The expression¡­ of a crying child. However, Sen¡¯s display of emotions only seemed to sour his father''s mood, not in a sympathetic way either.


    ¡°Crying? What use does that have?¡± Yami settled his syringe down and reached toward his face, picking up a falling teardrop with his finger. ¡°You don¡¯t need any emotions, my son. They are useless. After all, you must become the perfect vessel.¡± Yami voice steadily started to rise the more time went on. ¡°You have to, don¡¯t you see? The world is counting on me¨C the world is counting on you!¡±


    A tear dripped down Sen¡¯s cheek once again. ¡°I want¡­ to go home.¡±


    ¡°Why cant you understand? Listen, you¡¯re such a smart kid. You¡¯re more than just a perfect vessel; you''re a genius, a prodigy! So why can''t you understand how important this is? We¡¯ve been over this! You must save humanity, Sen! DO YOU HEAR ME?!¡±


    ¡°¡­ from, from what?¡± his voice was barely a whisper compared to his father''s scream. No reply came, and instead was the sound of his father picking up his syringe from the metal table beside him.


    ¡°No¡­¡± he whispered. ¡°G-Get away from me!¡± Sen begged, his wrist bruising when he struggled to escape and his neck feeling choked by the steel cylinder¡¯s clasp. But it was all useless.


    ¡°Listen to me, my son¡­¡± Yami said, ¡°You must become a monster to protect us all.¡±


    ¡°Dad, please, I¨C¡±


    ¡°A monster who humbles the greedy. A monster who rules them all! Hahahaha!¡± Yami cackled, not an ounce of sanity audible in his mad voice. ¡°You must fix humanities mistakes!¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°I want to go home¡­¡±


    Then Sen felt it, like the world''s weight had been transferred to the tip of a needle and pierced in his forearm. Instantly, Sen started to scream¡­ he screamed so loud that his ears became deaf, and his vocal cords collapsed from strain. An action so defining and irreversible that it changed the fabric of time itself.


    The face of a wild monster appeared in his mind. A white and furry monstrosity covering every inch of his imagination with bloodshot eyes and fangs that were ready to devour his mind. A deep and low growl so vile it entered and broke Sen¡¯s brain altogether, taking shelter in the cracked fragments of his consciousness. Sen cried and cried, but nobody came to his aid¡­. Except for his own self.


    #


    Sen felt a small prick on his forearm as he studied how a nurse in her mid-thirties injected him with some sort of vaccine. He understood how many people feared needles; it seemed to be one of the more common fears amongst people his age, but he didn¡¯t mind. However, Sen couldn¡¯t help but feel a small shiver run down his spine the moment the nurse injected the fluid into his arm.


    Hmm¡­ that¡¯s weird, he thought to himself. He didn¡¯t feel scared, yet his body reacted on its own. Almost like muscle memory. Whatever the case was, the unsettling feeling soon vanished when the rather attractive lady pulled out the syringe and searched through her bag for a band-aid. She was wearing typical medical scrub clothing, yet even with the most bland attire, her figure and brunette hair made all the male contestants around Sen gawk at her. I really dislike being cramped in here, Sen couldn¡¯t help but sigh at his predicament.


    Sen was riding in a luxurious train with the contestants who had passed the first challenge. It was probably one of the single longest things he had seen in his life, roughly around ten thousand feet if he could put a number on it. Though the contestants weren¡¯t confined to single-file seats that went on forever, the train was separated into different sections or single trains linked to others. The train he was riding was a B7, holding roughly fifty contestants. That number seemed to be the average capacity for all the linked trains that were riding to the same unknown destination.


    In terms of comfortability and quality, Sen didn¡¯t have the right to complain. Three soft and padded pairs of seats were arranged in a face-to-face configuration, while a wooden table lay in the middle¡ªperfect for talking to your teammates while drinking or chowing down on snacks. The layout seemed to go on for the rest of the B7 train, so he guessed the configuration would be similar to the others.


    Sen also noted that each table could fit six people, the same amount that was required to enter the first challenge. Of course, it could be coincidental, but he couldn¡¯t help but feel impressed by the academy''s forecasting. Before he had time to analyze his surroundings properly, a band-aid was placed on his forearm, making him shift his attention to the eye-catching lady.


    ¡°Alrighty, you¡¯re all set!¡± she cheerfully beamed at him.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Sen curtly said. However, before the lady could move on to the next team, Baru, who sat opposite from him with the rest of his team, suddenly asked.


    ¡°Why do we have to take a vaccine before continuing the next challenge, anyway? Not that I¡¯m complaining or anything.¡± A hint of perviness in his smirk. Sen knew the answer but decided to let the nurse reply for him.


    ¡°The place we¡¯re headed for is far different than the cities you¡¯re used to,¡± she began, ¡°and I don¡¯t just mean in terms of scenery or population; I mean other viruses and germs that are harmful to us.¡±


    Baru¡¯s cogs were slowly moving in his brain, but alas, he still couldn¡¯t figure out the reason alone.


    ¡°Huh?¡± he blinked. Left of Sen, Hana sighed, her legs crossed on the soft cushion and her lips twisting with irritation from Baru¡¯s inability to think.


    ¡°What she means is¡ªsince most people have gotten used to living in cities, our body naturally grew weak to common germs that are present in nature,¡± Hana clarified.


    ¡°Wait, so people are weak to plants? HA!¡±


    She rolled her eyes. ¡°Yes, and no. The main problem is the germs other monsters carry. Scientists say that if all monsters were to vanish, it would take a few years before humans could safely live in the danger zones without fear of sickness.¡±


    ¡°And this vaccine prevents that from happening,¡± the nurse added brightly. Although that was common knowledge, Baru didn¡¯t seem too convinced for some odd reason.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never gotten sick when I lived outside of the city.¡±


    They blinked at him with bewilderment, feeling the thundering wobble of the train grinding on the railing as sights of skyscrapers zipped past them with staggering speed. Baru¡¯s words piqued Sen¡¯s interest. He was never really interested in knowing his past, but it was hard to ignore how impressive Baru¡¯s strength was in the first challenge.


    He stood his own against a Gold Rank Knight while being just a rookie. That alone made him believe that Baru had a little more than just talent. The nurse hesitantly dipped her head and moved on to the next team, which sat right behind them. Sen couldn¡¯t really blame her; she wasn¡¯t getting paid enough to listen to kids gossiping about nonsense. Yet he could tell the nurse seemed bothered by Baru¡¯s statement, maybe even sympathetic. After all, not many lived outside of cities and were alive to share their experiences.


    Baru blinked. ¡°What? Why are you guys staring at me like that?¡±


    Kaiyo, who was to Sen¡¯s right, was the first to break the odd silence. ¡°N-nothing, it''s just¡­¡± she struggled with how to compose her sentence.


    ¡°Surprising,¡± Hyo finished Kaiyo¡¯s words, gazing out the window and taking in the beauty of the tall skyscrapers¡ªones that seemed sturdy and expensive¡ªand also ones that common folk had no right to step foot in. Chatter from the other contestants'' conversations seemed to fill in the gaps of silence, yet it wasn¡¯t any more comforting.


    ¡°Why so quiet all of a sudden?¡± Baru wondered, drinking a glass of ice-cold water that rested on the table. Sen thought for a moment if he should give him the obvious answer to that, but it seemed Hana was already on it. This time, however, she had a softer expression than usual, most likely from realizing that Baru had lived outside the city. Even Hana could recognize when to soften her hot temper.


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    ¡°Well, not many people live outside the city, that¡¯s why,¡± she finally managed to say. ¡°And when people do manage to escape, they usually endure a lot of trauma from the struggles in the danger zones.¡± Judging by her tone, Hana was trying to be sympathetic, but Baru didn¡¯t seem to care too much.


    ¡°Oh, well, I don¡¯t know how other places are, but where I lived, monsters rarely attacked our small town.¡±


    Hmm, what¡¯s this? Sen noticed a small discrepancy in his sentence. The words themselves posed no other meaning, but the way he paused between words seemed almost¡ª


    ¡°How come?¡± Hono asked suddenly, pushing her short black bob-cut hair out of her scarlet eyes. Almost immediately, Baru froze mid-drink. A crack of an ice cube could be heard from his mouth as he chopped down. His expression turned dark¡­ really dark; he practically looked like a different person, but that miserable gaze quickly melted away into a comedic smile.


    ¡°Must have been luck!¡± he chuckled.


    It didn¡¯t seem that anyone had noticed that change in demeanor, but Sen wasn''t inclined to call Baru out on it or anything. After all, it wasn¡¯t his business to pry into someone else''s personal life, and he certainly didn¡¯t wish for anyone to do that to him. Albeit, it was still intriguing nonetheless.


    I don¡¯t see why he would want to lie about not having any monster attacks. It doesn¡¯t seem like a very beneficial lie. There''s definitely something more to it.


    ¡°I see,¡± Hyo mused, almost reluctant to go further into the topic than it already was. But of course, Hono ruined that plan almost instantly.


    ¡°What was it like?¡± she asked him. This time, Baru seemed to get ahold of himself far more easily and answered the question imperturbably.


    ¡°It was really peaceful¡­¡± he said, his finger circling the rim of the glass cup. ¡°The air there is fresh, so much so you can smell the rain.¡±


    ¡°The rain?¡± Sen caught himself murmuring out. How could someone smell the rain?


    Baru nodded sentimentally. ¡°Yep¡­ you¡¯d be surprised how many things you can smell when they¡¯re not tainted by the city''s pollution. Flowers even bloom on trees and bushes, unlike the mass-produced ones that are grown in facilities. Every day when I woke up, I would open my window to breathe in the fresh air. It really was something else.¡±


    ¡°Lucky¡­¡± Hana breathed from the descriptions. ¡°I wish I could breathe that fresh air¡­ without fearing that monsters would eat me whole.¡± She sighed. ¡°Sen, wouldn¡¯t you want to?¡± Hana asked, nudging him.


    ¡­


    ¡°Sen?¡±


    Sen''s eyes were wide and lost in thought, staring at the crowded seats and tables that were lined in front of him. With tapering eyes, Hana waved her hands to catch his attention, but yet again, he conjured no response.


    The smell of rain¡­ he wondered, his nostrils twitching almost instinctively. Why does that feel so familiar?


    ¡°HELLO!¡± Hana raised her voice, ¡°Earth to Sen?¡±


    Suddenly being yanked back to reality, he stared brusquely at his sister. Sen wasn¡¯t sure why the topic of the rain¡¯s smell absorbed him so much. Perhaps he was curious about how it smelled, but he rarely zoned out like that, so it was still quite odd.


    ¡°Sorry, I was just thinking of something.¡± Giving his head a quick shake to clear his brain, he wasn¡¯t interested in Baru¡¯s subject anymore and observed the contestants that sat at their respective tables. They didn¡¯t seem too nervous like they did in the first challenge, or maybe that had to do with the individuals Sen was looking at. The remaining contestants showed their worth and capabilities and were more confident in their power, so their demeanor was a sure reflection of that.


    Furthermore, most seemed to have the standard six teammates like Sen¡¯s, but surprisingly, quite a few had less than that. He guessed it was more or less the same reason why Ayame had gone rogue with her brother. In reality, the whole team system could be easily avoided, they just need to register as a team. Everything after that was fair game. It¡¯s still odd, though. The first challenge didn¡¯t really require a team, yet they still wanted us to.


    Was it in preparation for the second challenge? Whatever it is, it seems to be taking place outside of the city, given how everyone on the train was forced into receiving a vaccine. But would they really take us to the danger zones? From my knowledge, the government doesn¡¯t seem inclined to take back territory with a mass population of monsters to make it safer for us. And to be honest, I¡¯m not sure why they don¡¯t try. Monsters are constantly overpopulating the danger zones, and although the government says they¡¯re trying their best, the sheer contrast of resources being used in military artillery for wars greatly outweighs the resources being used to exterminate monsters. In short, that¡¯s why the general danger zones continue to grow more dangerous without the government putting any measures into place. I always found it odd¡­


    Sen was thrown into a flurry of questions. One led to another and created a domino effect of unanswered problems. Whatever the reason the government had, it didn¡¯t help Sen in his attempt to prepare for the following challenge. All he could conclude was that it would be dangerous¡­ very dangerous.


    Sen stood up. All the sitting was making his legs ache, so he wanted to stretch them out for a bit.


    Hyo noticed him leaving and broke away from his chat. ¡°Where are you going, Sen?¡±


    ¡°There seems to be a small food counter on each train for water and snacks, I was just going to check it out.¡±


    Hyo raised his brow as if not believing Sen¡¯s reasoning. And he was completely right. Always sticking to a balanced and healthy diet, Sen was never a snack type of guy; he was leaving for another reason. I have to remind myself that Hyo is one of the more intelligent people in this group. Sen couldn¡¯t do the same excuses as he did with the rest of them. However, Hyo didn¡¯t question him and simply gave a curt nod, which Sen couldn¡¯t help but admire.


    Walking between two rows of seats and tables, a few individuals gave him a wary look before continuing their conversation. He didn¡¯t take it personally, after all, everyone on the train except their teammates was an enemy. And to be frank, Sen would even argue that fact.


    The real enemy always hides as a friend. It was a dramatic saying, but it was undoubtedly true in many cases. With that in mind, at the end of the tables of seated contestants, Sen was faced with an automatic door. Sensing his body, it opened up, revealing another small room on the train.


    A middle-aged man with auburn hair and blue eyes greeted him in a simple room with a round bar counter and stools. Wearing a white dress shirt, he dried cups from behind the counter with a rather bright attitude, which Sen wasn¡¯t sure why. It was obvious he was the server, not much of a bartender as Gyro was, unfortunately. However, besides the worker, Sen wasn¡¯t alone.


    A familiar, long, blue-haired girl sat on the stool. Drinking a glass of orange juice with a straw, she chowed down on a bag of unhealthy chips. Mid-bite, she saw him approaching and gave a scornful look from the corner of her eye. She wasn¡¯t expecting him¡­ but he was expecting her.


    ¡°You know,¡± Sen began, sitting on the stool beside her. ¡°Those chips are very unhealthy.¡±


    Ayame gave a sigh before drinking the orange juice. ¡°It¡¯s unfortunate that we landed on the same train. Out of a few thousand people, somehow, I¡¯m assigned to the same one? Ridiculous.¡± It appeared she still had her usual smug attitude. ¡°And by the way, this is the first time I¡¯ve had any junk food in years.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe that,¡± Sen replied bluntly and looked at the attendant. ¡°Could I have some black tea, please?¡± Giving him a nod, the worker snatched a tea packet and dropped it in a small mug with hot water. Sen let it seep momentarily, watching the water slowly turn red and then to a darker scarlet.


    ¡°What do you mean by you don¡¯t believe that?¡± she said with a mouthful of chips. Taking a sip from his tea, he gave her a moment to retract that obvious false statement. But it appeared Ayame was quite confident. It was too bad Sen was a bit smarter than that.


    ¡°The flavor of the chips you¡¯re having,¡± Sen pointed at the bag, ¡°Wasabi Orange is a very niche and uncommon flavor. The odds are if this were your first time, you would go for the more popular and appetizing ones, like spicy or cheesy garlic. You seemed to enjoy that flavor almost as if you had eaten it or have grown accustomed to its unique taste.¡± He gauged her reaction to that info.


    She just stared at him blankly¡­.


    ¡°I hate you.¡±


    Sen shrugged, ¡°Sorry, but when there''s a lie, I can¡¯t help but call it out.¡±


    ¡°A lie, huh?¡± Ayame gave him an almost victorious grin, which Sen wasn¡¯t expecting. What¡¯s she up to? Sen wondered, judging her expression. He explored the possible scenarios or reasons for that smug look and realized the most likely cause.


    ¡°You say you can''t help but call out lies,¡± Ayame belittled, ¡°so does that mean you¡¯ll call out yourself?¡±


    The air grew awkwardly silent¡ªeven the eavesdropping attendant attempted to keep himself busy by washing perfectly clean dishes. But yet, Sen couldn¡¯t help but find Ayame¡¯s open call-out entertaining. He decided to play dumb for a little. ¡°Oh? A lie, you say. Please tell me what you mean.¡±


    Ayame didn¡¯t appreciate his response. ¡°Don¡¯t act dumb with me.¡±


    Legs crossed, Sen¡¯s arm leaned on the table with his head relaxing on his palm indifferently. ¡°Hardly, I think it''s reasonable to ask what I¡¯m lying about. After all, there are quite a lot.¡±


    Dumbfounded, she attempted to search for the right words against his deadpanned responses. Sipping on his black tea, he patiently anticipated and never broke eye contact with her. The number one rule of confidence was always to look in the person''s eyes. That way, they would doubt if they were true or not.


    Sen knew exactly what she meant and what she knew. He was simply trying to play a small game.


    ¡°You¡­ you don¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t what?¡± he asked.


    Faced with his confidence, Ayame began doubting her assumption. Sen questioned if she would even say it at this point; that was the power of confidence, it didn¡¯t take quite a lot. However, much to his surprise, Ayame opened her mouth again¡ª¡°You don¡¯t have a Sense, do you?¡±


    Sen was shocked, not from the question, but more or less the fact she was brave enough to call him out on such a thing, publicly at that. At this point, the attendant was sweating bullets, and Sen knew it wasn¡¯t from the heat, either. Quite interesting. He got out of his resting position and turned his body to face her.


    ¡°What are the odds that I am?¡±


    Ayame blinked with confusion. ¡°I don¡¯t get what you mean?¡±


    ¡°Senseless people are very rare, aren¡¯t they? Barely zero point zero one percent exists of the genetic mutation. So, what are the chances I¡¯m part of the point one percentile? There are roughly three billion people as of twenty-eighty-eight, meaning there would be roughly three hundred thousand senseless people worldwide. Now, that would seem like a large number, but if you compare it with how many do have Sense¡¯s, it¡¯s practically a drop of water in the ocean.¡± Sen explained, almost smiling, but not at the same time. ¡°Now tell me, what are the odds that you encountered a Senseless person in an academy that practically requires them for success? And if that¡¯s true, what would be my motive in doing so? What would I gain out of risking my safety even though it¡¯s a sure fact I¡¯d fail?¡±


    ¡­


    Sen took the peace as a response. That was his best move, not denying her claim or accepting it, simply giving her the facts that would eventually make her doubt herself. He had to admit that the sheer odds of meeting a senseless person in an entrance exam for a prestigious academy were so small that he might be the first one to do it. Maybe the first one that ever will. So he couldn¡¯t blame Ayame for doubting her conclusion, even though it was actually spot on. If Sen were to meet another senseless person, he would struggle to accept it.


    ¡°I just have a gut feeling,¡± Ayame finally admitted, continuing to eat her chips and orange juice.


    ¡­


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Sen narrowed his eye. She gave the most impractical and faltering of all the responses she could have given. Didn¡¯t she realize how bad that looked?


    ¡°I have no evidence. I can''t do anything about it, so I just figured I¡¯d at least ask,¡± she shrugged. ¡°What''s the worst thing that can happen? I¡¯m wrong?¡±


    He blinked, wordless, not being able to understand such logic. But yet, he couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at it.


    Ayame glared with arrogance. ¡°You find it funny?¡±


    He dismissed that thought with a wave of his hand. ¡°No, no, I¡¯m actually quite surprised. That was the only answer I wasn¡¯t expecting.¡±


    ¡°Wow, I¡¯m honored.¡± She deadpanned. ¡°If I¡¯m that wrong, you could at least tell me.¡±


    With a shrug, Sen rested his head against his hand once again, his eyes facing hers. ¡°Sometimes, probabilities don¡¯t matter,¡± he implied. That alone was an answer, and Sen was hoping that she would catch on. Thankfully, it appeared she understood, and without trying to press on the topic more than she already had, Ayame gave him a snort.


    ¡°You¡¯re an odd guy.¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°I get that a lot.¡±


    ¡°Why though?¡± Ayame asked out of context.


    ¡°Why I¡¯m an odd guy? Well, I guess I was born like tha¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, not that!¡± Ayame sighed, ¡°I meant, why join if¡­¡± her voice trailed off, suggesting at what she meant. It was funny that she now, out of all times, was being thoughtful with what to say. Maybe Ayame truly wasn''t confident in her theory before, but now that it was confirmed, she was oddly respectful to him. Which was very out of character.


    Before Sen replied, he had to remind himself to keep it as vague as possible in front of others¡ªlike the attendant who was still washing clean plates to eavesdrop. But at this point, he wasn¡¯t worried at all. Even if someone were to confirm he was Senseless, it wouldn¡¯t be too much of a big deal now that Asashi had let him continue the exam. The only downside of someone overhearing him was that he would be looked down upon, and in some cases, that would actually be a good thing. It meant people underestimated him, not considering his cognitive abilities but just the absence of a simple power that others should have.


    ¡°Just trying to find someone,¡± Sen replied truthfully, yet that answer alone possibly made the least amount of sense out of the whole conversation.


    She paused mid-sip on her orange juice, almost choking. It was clear that wasn¡¯t the answer she was expecting. ¡°That¡¯s it? All this for that?¡±


    ¡°It would be a lie if I said there was any other reason. I''m just trying to find information on someone I used to know.¡±


    ¡°Who the hell is this someone that would warrant all the trouble, though?¡±


    Sen grew distant for a moment. There was a tiny spark in his heart, a small fragment that was reverberating against his soul. It was very dull, but it was there. Sen couldn¡¯t help but find it oddly reassuring, although it was a painful feeling, almost like an ache in his chest. He wasn¡¯t sure what it was, but perhaps it was sadness. He had never really felt that, so he couldn¡¯t say for sure, but the feeling was similar to the description of that emotion. It was always difficult to distinguish his feelings; it felt like he should know them, but they never wanted to know him. He remembered a time when it was different, though¡­ but those memories never materialized.


    ¡°Who knows,¡± Sen said.


    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious.¡±


    ¡°Who knows.¡± He wasn¡¯t inclined to reveal everything to her. It was a personal thing.


    ¡°Stop that!¡± She snapped, then, with an exhalation, continued eating. ¡°Whatever, I¡¯m surprised you even told me so many things to begin with. Why?¡±


    It was quite simple. When he entered the room, he had one objective in mind: to gain her trust.


    ¡°No reason, I just came here to get some tea to begin with,¡± he lied.


    Her light eyebrows furrowed, trying to digest Sen¡¯s reasoning. Her heart-shaped pastel face judged him, and then a strand of her long hair fell in front of her as she quickly put it off to the side. ¡°Huh? But what would you¡ª¡±


    Sipping the last of the black tea, he cut her off by leaving the stool and making his way out the door. Already sensing his body, the automatic doors opened, revealing the familiar layout of seats and people. But before he did, he paused midway, twisting his head to catch a peek of Ayame, who still glared at him with wide eyes. Ayame and Genkai are strong. They¡¯ll be good allies.


    With that, the automatic door closed behind him as he returned to his table. Most of his team looked to be sleeping oddly enough. Baru was leaning against the table, his mouth drooling and his hands crossed like a pillow, while Hono rested behind, lying between him and the seat''s backrest with her feet on Hyo¡¯s lap. Hyo, on the other hand, sat straight and hands crossed. A very formal sleeping position, which almost reflected his personality. Meanwhile, Kaiyo was simply leaning on Hana''s shoulder who was awake, staring through the train''s oval window.


    ¡°That was quick,¡± Sen looked at his teammates.


    Hana stroked Kaiyo¡¯s sleeping head. ¡°Turns out they¡¯re pretty tired from the first challenge.¡±


    ¡°I can''t blame them.¡± He sat in his empty seat next to Kaiyo. ¡°The second challenge is going to be even harder if I were to guess.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, no shit, of course, it''s going to be harder,¡± she rolled her eyes humorously. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to go through four more of these challenges¡­ I don¡¯t think anyone could.¡±


    ¡°The worst thing that can happen is you fail, it¡¯s not so bad.¡±


    ¡°Gee, thanks for the pep talk, big bro.¡±


    ¡°Just being realistic,¡± Sen supposed, staring through the window. But that¡¯s when he saw something. Something that he¡¯s never seen before. He had to rub his eyes just to make sure he wasn¡¯t seeing things.


    Hana yawned. ¡°I¡¯m gonna go take a nap¡ª¡±


    ¡°Hana¡­¡± Sen breathed, ¡°Do you see what I¡¯m seeing?¡± He pointed at the outside. His sister looked at him skeptically and then followed where he was pointing.


    She froze. But it wasn¡¯t just her, dozens of people let out small gasps of surprise as they gazed through their windows.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way¡­¡± a contestant murmured in shock.


    ¡°They¡¯re taking us here?¡±


    ¡°Are they mad?!¡±


    The sheer commotion from the train woke the rest of Sen¡¯s team as they stretched and groaned.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on¡­ geezus. Quiet down, fellas.¡± Baru yawned. Sen pointed through the window, which Baru and the others looked at¡­ only to have the same reaction. ¡°Oh, we¡¯re so fucked¡­¡±


    It was the outside world¡­ the danger zone.

 Book 2/ Chapter 2– Mother & Son

    A lie doesn¡¯t solve the problem; it just delays it¨C Senseless


    Jen had always tried to be a good mother. Although she could sometimes be demanding and hot-tempered, she was mostly gentle and caring. However, Jen was also easily scared and often stressed over the smallest things. It was quite embarrassing to admit, but sometimes it felt that her young children were more fearless than she was, especially Sen. Even at the young age of four, somehow he could hold a conversation with an adult without stuttering or searching for words. But as much as he was different, he was still a kid.


    A kid who could get hurt¡­ a kid who could cry. And she wanted to be there whenever that happened, with her arms open, ready to embrace the poor thing. That went for Hana, too, although she seemed to be quite strong already, taking on more of her mother¡¯s hot temper than her anxiety. She was just thankful. Thankful to have such amazing kids.


    But they weren¡¯t the only people she was thankful for. Yami, her husband, always helped and supported her, even with his busy schedule as a scientist for the AOK. It would be an understatement to say it was love at first sight. His always understanding, cool-headed personality perfectly contrasted hers and kept her modest. She couldn¡¯t imagine a more perfect father for her kids.


    But it would be a lie to say there weren¡¯t any difficulties in their relationship. Yami was an amazing man¡­ who had been crushed by the world''s cruelty.


    She would often listen to Yami¡¯s stories from the world war that happened a little over eight years ago, before she met and married him. Stories of how he had killed his first adversary and times when he had almost died from a bullet in his abdomen. He always told those stories with a smile, almost as if he was reminiscing a nostalgic memory, but his actions told a completely different story. Constant nightmares would leave him screaming and begging for someone who¡¯d save him. Sleepless nights left him sleep-deprived and ghoulish, refusing to relive it in his dreams.


    Those were just some of the things that came with being together with someone with such deep wounds. But she never once regretted her choice. She wanted to help him and give him the love he deserved. No matter what he had done¡­ she would always love him.


    ¡°Mommy¡­¡± the young voice of Hana brought her back from her thoughts. The six-year-old girl was tugging her mother''s skirt while she sat on the living room couch, holding a cup of Lotus Flower Tea. She smiled at her daughter, noticing how much they resembled each other. With her long white hair and pale blue eyes, she was certain they would look like sisters when she grew older. If Jen didn¡¯t age too poorly, that is.


    ¡°Yes, dear?¡± Setting aside her tea, she stroked Hana¡¯s silky hair, placing a hand on her cute rounded cheek.


    ¡°I¡¯m bored, when is Senji coming back home?¡± Hana pouted, hopping on her lap while relaxing her head on Jen¡¯s chest. It almost knocked the air out of her, given how heavy she was becoming, but Jen didn¡¯t complain at all; the fact Hana still wanted to hug her was more than she could ask for.


    ¡°Your father took Sen to his workplace to teach and spend more time with him,¡± she replied.


    That response only seemed to worsen her mood. ¡°Aww, it''s been like two days! Why couldn¡¯t I come too?¡±


    Jen wasn¡¯t too sure about that, but it would have been wise to devise a valid excuse before Hana threw a tantrum. ¡°Well umm¡­ I heard he¡¯s planning to take you next week.¡±


    Sorry, Yami. Jen did a silent prayer. When they came home, she was going to need to convince him to take her next week as well.


    ¡°Really?!¡± Hana¡¯s eyes shone.


    ¡°Really!¡± She agreed with a kiss on the forehead. ¡°But in the meantime, let''s play a game. Draw something, and I''ll try to guess it, okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah! Let¡¯s do it!¡±


    Seeing the bright and childish smile on Hana meant the world to her. She could die happy if things were like this for the rest of her life. With a narrowed brow and tongue sticking out, Hana struggled to draw as her mother patiently waited for her to finish. A few minutes later, with an excited giggle, Hana proudly showcased the drawing. Jen studied it for a moment.


    ¡°Is that a tree?¡± Jen wondered, looking at the depiction of a large brown trunk and green foliage.


    Hana nodded eagerly, ¡°And what else?¡±


    She looked at it again and finally noticed a small stick figure beside it. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s a person, well done.¡± But the more she examined it, the quicker she realized that the stick figure had a frown. ¡°Who is that? Why are they¡­ sad?¡±


    Hana placed her index finger on her lips in thought, looking above. ¡°Hm, I don¡¯t know. I had a dream about it.¡±


    ¡°A dream about¡­?¡± Jen blinked in confusion, looking at her daughter¡¯s drawing again. ¡°A sad man next to a tree?¡± She wasn¡¯t aware that a child could dream something like that. Usually, children had odd and incoherent dreams due to their embryonic brains, or on rare occasions, just very simple ones.


    ¡°Yep.¡± Hana nodded keenly. Soon, however, her optimistic attitude became dejected and gloomy. ¡°It was a very sad dream. I felt so sorry for him.¡±


    Jen grasped the drawing again and eyed the stick figure she had illustrated. ¡°Did your dream show why he was sad?¡±


    Hana shook her head, which only made Jen more muddled. Dreams are often unexplainable, so it''s unsurprising, but having such a sad, realistic one at her age is uncommon. ¡°Must have been a show you watched¨C¡±


    ¡°He was crying when he looked at me...¡± Hana¡¯s voice became soft as a mouse; It seemed like, at any moment, she would break down in tears. But yet, she stood strong, almost as if someone had told her so. ¡°All he wanted was someone to talk to.¡±


    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    Jen felt a shiver run down her spine. Hana''s sad and eerie words frightened her beyond her usual concern. The words themselves could be dismissed, but the more disturbing fact was that Hana meant every single word she said. No¡­ it almost felt like Hana believed every word she said.


    Her daughter was never this serious, and at this age, even if she were to be influenced by something, she would have a hard time processing and grasping it, so it couldn¡¯t have been something as simple as a movie or a show she had watched. This was something much different, and that simple realization terrified Jen.


    ¡°Hana¡­ when did you have this dream?¡± Jen turned seriously at her, putting her hands on her tiny shoulders. Meeting her mother¡¯s gaping expression, she replied disconsolately.


    ¡°Yesterday, I think.¡±


    ¡°Yesterday?...¡± Jen whispered. What happened yesterday? I took Hana to school, and we had lunch. Yami took Sen to his workplace in the AOK, where he said they¡¯d return in a few days. Then, after, I read a bedtime story to her. I don¡¯t understand what could have caused her to have a dream like that. Jen wondered. Maybe she was overthinking things. After all, it was just a dream¨C


    ¡°Ring¡­ Ring¡­ Ring.¡±


    Amid her conflicting thoughts, the sound of the doorbell rang throughout the house. Sighing in relief, she realized it must have been her husband and Sen. Patting Hana one more time on the head, she stood up from her chair and leisurely left the living room. Facing the large wooden door, she didn¡¯t even bother checking who it was through the peephole before twisting the knob and opening it.


    ¡°Good day¡­ Jen Ano.¡± A voice spoke in a low and forced tone. Wearing a long black trench coat, a broad-shouldered man stood there, his face hidden by an oversized brown fedora slanted downward. The only feature she could see was his silky, long black hair. Before she even had a chance to say hello back, she screamed.


    ¡°SEN?!¡±


    The man was holding her four-year-old child in his arms. And he was unconscious¡­


    Her first instinct was to grab him out of his grasp and check if he was alive. And that¡¯s precisely what she did. Her body reacted on its own, unlocking her Sense, Touch, and power spread throughout her body as a blue hue flickered in her eyes. In these situations, a sense almost unlocked itself when faced with a dire situation.


    Ripping him free from the man''s possession, she held him up and carried him inside without asking any questions. Gently laying her child on the hardwood floor, she slammed the door before the black-haired man could explain.


    ¡°Miss, I¨C¡± his reaching hand vanished along with his words as she locked the door.


    Jen quickly knelt on the floor to check her son¡¯s pulse. She was expecting the worst, but thankfully, a regular thump was felt reverberating against her fingers. Jen sighed in relief, attempting to steady her own pounding heart.


    Almost instantly, her Sense started to flicker away, soon being replaced by her normal white-blue eyes. The adrenaline had momentarily masked the ache, but as she calmed down, the throbbing became evident, leaving her breathlessly hunching over her son¡¯s body.


    It felt excruciating... the pain in her chest. She always ignored how weak and frail she had become, but this moment made it clear she was sick¡­ But it didn¡¯t matter. She had to make sure her son was alright. If she collapsed at this very moment, no one could defend him.


    I have¡­ I have to take care of my baby.


    Groaning in agony, she wobbled and stood up, leaning her hand against a small console table. At that moment, Hana heard her and rushed into the front corridor, looking at her little brother¡¯s limp body in utter horror. Her daughter wasn¡¯t even sure what to make of the situation before screaming out.


    "M-mommy? What happened?!"


    ¡°Shh, shh¡­¡± Jen grumbled. ¡°It''s okay, dear. I overreacted. Sen is just sleeping.¡±


    Hana looked uncertain of her mother¡¯s words and Jen couldn¡¯t blame her. After all, she was struggling to keep a brave front herself. So, she kept lying. ¡°A kind man dropped him off, that¡¯s all. Could you please lay him down on the living room couch? Your mother is going to thank him.¡± Smiling hazily, a drop of sweat ran down her forehead.


    It felt impossible to utilize her Sense; she simply was too weak to do so. At any second, it felt as if she could faint on the spot, but something kept her going; some protective instinct refused to admit defeat. It refused to leave her children in danger. Faced with her mother''s unusual certainty, which she rarely portrayed, Hana calmed down and followed her orders, soon taking her little brother to the living room in safety.


    Once Jen was sure they were out of harm¡¯s way, she let out a large sigh. Whipping her head back to the peephole and looking through it, she found the same man standing just like he had a few moments ago. His finger tapped the railing by the front door impatiently, but surprisingly, he seemed fairly unthreatening and docile. Like he had done this a hundred times. His demeanor didn¡¯t look like that of a scary or malicious man but more of a composed gentleman.


    There was an urge to open the door. Jen wasn¡¯t certain from which source, but that urge was overpowering. She wasn¡¯t even sure if she was in control of her own body, but before she knew it, the door was wide open, revealing the silhouette of the long-haired man.


    ¡°I apologize for the scare, Ms. Ano,¡± he bowed courteously.


    ¡°It¡¯s Ms. Huya¡­¡± Although the man only seemed polite, that didn¡¯t change her tone from being bitter and cold. She would need a very good explanation for why a random stranger had her son.


    ¡°I see.¡± He murmured almost with amusement. ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to be passive-aggressive or anything. I just only know that name.¡±


    ¡°I could care less about what you call me. Even ¡®bitch¡¯ would do,¡± she spat, trying to lean against the door frame to support herself. She felt hot¡­. Uncomfortably hot, even though it was April. ¡°Just tell me what the hell you were doing with my son.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re ill,¡± the man said, straying away from the topic. ¡°Very ill.¡±


    ¡°I am not,¡± Jen blinked in surprise and tried to remain stable and stern, but it felt useless. Releasing her support from the door frame was all it took for her to start fainting. Almost instantly, she lost strength in her body and felt the cold air whisp around her face as she plummeted face forward. However, the man didn¡¯t take this as a lurching attack. It was quite the opposite.


    The next moment, Jen was in the arms of the mysterious person. He had supported her from falling face-first, grabbing her shoulder with one hand and his other securing his fedora from revealing his face. Why? Why is he so kind to me? She barely had the energy to keep her eyes open, but Jen managed to ask one question.


    ¡°Who. Are. You.¡±


    He didn¡¯t reply at first. Instead, he simply placed a piece of paper in the palm of her limp hand and whispered close to her ear. His words were filled with bitter hatred and sorrow. She had never heard such a tone before, such a sad and empty voice¡ªone that had no faith.


    ¡°I¡¯m someone you¡¯ll know,¡± he whispered. ¡°More importantly, your husband has been conducting human experiments with your son. He¡¯s trying to make him into a monster. I brought him back so he wouldn¡¯t undergo any more inhumane tests ever again.¡±


    There was no energy to gasp or even reply; there wasn¡¯t even a strand of will to think. But yet, she understood how important it was to listen.


    ¡°All the proof is in that note,¡± he stated. ¡°All I need you to do is believe that Yami Huya died today. In a fatal car crash.¡± The warmth of the man¡¯s hands slipped away as he settled her by the front door he shut. Her head leaned against the front railings, barely conscious. No¡­ don¡¯t leave me, her thoughts echoed. Don¡¯t leave me in the cold.


    In the next moment, her wish suddenly became a reality. The man took off his jacket and placed it on the unconscious mother, her mouth quivering and slowly turning into a smile when comforted by the sudden warmth.


    ¡°In a few hours, I want you to tell a big lie to your daughter and son,¡± the man said, his voice growing softer and familiar. ¡°A lie that will change everything¡­¡±

 Book 2/ Chapter 3– Friend

    The cold, crisp air of November made the repulsive smell of the city¡¯s pollution a little more bearable. Though it was quite a low bar to compete with, for Jen, it made a world of difference as she ran along the sidewalk. Startled bystanders sidestepped out of her way, looking back at the rushed woman in confusion. Homeless people were rudely awakened by the sound of boots hurrying across the pavement right next to their heads. To think that she could run after being ill for so long was quite evocative, but sadly, she had no time to relish that feeling.


    There was no time¡­


    Why was she running? Perhaps she had some business to attend to? No, that couldn¡¯t be right¡ªJen was a stay-at-home mom. Was she running away from something? A monster, perhaps? No, then the crowd would be panicked alongside her. What could possibly be the cause for such urgency?


    In truth, Jen couldn¡¯t answer that simple question for most people. Most didn¡¯t mean all, though. Some individuals knew, and maybe even more than she did. Yet, she was reluctant to talk to them because of that fact. It seemed like a lose-lose situation in her head, but here she was, running to those very individuals. She had to¡ªthere was no other choice.


    Jen hadn¡¯t expected this predicament, even though the thought had crossed her mind countless times. Perhaps it was wishful thinking that Sen wouldn¡¯t notice it. He knew from that day something wasn¡¯t right. That child was far too smart to be fooled by someone like her...


    But what else could I have done? It¡¯s not like I did it to deceive him. It was to protect him...


    Her running slowly came to a halt as she stared down at her soft white winter jacket, lost in thought. The city''s loud ruckus and the voices of pedestrians began to fade away until it was just her and her mind. To protect him. From whom? she asked herself. The answer to that question had been apparent to Jen since that day.


    A chilly shiver, far colder than the air, ran along her spine as she brushed that thought off as best as she could, reminding herself of one major thing. ¡°That wasn¡¯t my son¡­¡± she whispered, taking another step before running again, ¡°that was a monster.¡±


    Jen walked through a gate, revealing a brown building looming above. It wasn¡¯t very big or fancy; just a simple, rectangular, modest house, typical in large cities. Stalking up the entry steps to the front door, there was a moment of hesitancy right before her finger could touch the doorbell. She hadn¡¯t been at this house in years, not because she couldn¡¯t, but because she didn¡¯t have the courage to face them.


    How would they react if she suddenly asked for help? Would they consider it? Shun her away? Mock her? Her finger never touched the doorbell¡¯s button¡­


    But somehow, the door creaked open, revealing a silhouette of a person Jen hadn¡¯t talked to in years. Her heart skipped a beat as their eyes locked, both equally shocked to see each other. She wasn¡¯t prepared to face her just yet, but now it was too late to turn back.


    A lady with short dark scarlet hair and deep blue eyes had answered the door. Her simplistic home garments seemed snug on her relatively robust features, but she maintained a petite figure.


    ¡°Rin, I¡ª¡± Before Jen could say anything else, the door was shut in front of her face, leaving her wordlessly staring at a brown plank of wood, a wave of regret and shame falling upon her. I knew it, Jen gritted her teeth. I should have never come here. Not after what Yami did.


    Jen knew she had no part in it; she had never done anything wrong, but yet it was her responsibility. It was shameful to acknowledge that her very own husband had tried to turn their son into a monster. And now she had been lying to Sen for years that his father was dead. How could she possibly face Rin after that?


    Sighing, Jen turned her back on the door, taking a few steps down. Then, the hinges creaked once more.


    ¡°Jen, is that really you?¡± Rin finally asked, her tone soft and oddly friendly. Jen froze, not knowing if she should turn around. ¡°Sorry for shutting the door on you; I was just¡­¡± Rin tried searching for the right words. ¡°Surprised, that¡¯s all.¡±


    Jen spun her head, locking eyes with her. What could she say? What should she say? Rin didn¡¯t seem angry at all. Why was that? No matter how hard she tried, Jen couldn¡¯t utter a sentence, even if her life depended on it. However, the lost look in her eyes and trembling mouth told Rin everything she needed to know. Rin gave a small sympathetic smile. ¡°Come in, have some tea. It¡¯s cold out.¡±


    #


    The house was cozy. A blanket enveloped Jen¡¯s back, and her hands grasped a warm cup of chamomile tea, relishing its warmth. It felt nice after running through the cold city streets. A slight burning sensation struck her cheeks from the sudden temperature difference caused by exposure to the frigid wind. But it wasn¡¯t just the warmth that made it comforting. Soft orange lights were stationed across the room, along with the older style of furniture, which wasn¡¯t standard today.


    Most households felt bleak and cold, almost depressing. Perhaps that contributed to the growth of suicides and anxiety; it was common knowledge that the atmosphere could affect a person¡¯s mind. Of course, Jen had made sure that her own harbored a pleasant environment, but it was still uncommon to see it.


    Looking more closely, Jen noticed a dozen physically framed pictures of Rin¡¯s family placed on a console table, which was more than abnormal. Nobody used real pictures anymore. It was usually a framed screen where someone could input any image they captured on their phone. Even Jen hadn¡¯t owned any since she was a kid. It was quite a sad realization, but it was just the common evolution of technology. Soon, what they thought to be advanced would be recalled as a relic in the near future.


    ¡°Y-you¡­ have quite a cozy house,¡± Jen finally broke the silence. Sitting on the opposite side of the coffee table, Rin sat calmly, drinking her tea. Her old friend gave her a downcast smile, almost as if she were reminiscing.


    ¡°Thank you. It was more or less a gradual change,¡± Rin¡¯s grip on the mug tightened. ¡°I wanted Asashi to feel a bit more at home here. You know, since his work can be¡­ quite taxing on his mental health.¡±


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    Jen suddenly understood Rin¡¯s mood change. That topic was something they both knew far too well, and just thinking about it sent her through an abyss of suppressed memories.


    ¡°He¡¯s still working for the AOK?¡± Jen asked. ¡°After all that?¡± To find someone willing to continue their career as a Knight after the world war was second to none¡ªthose who¡¯d lived through the battlefield, at least. High-ranking officials who worked behind the scenes were more than happy to continue their privileged job, not understanding the true struggle soldiers had to endure during those dark times.


    ¡°Unfortunately,¡± Rin sighed as she set her cup on the coffee table. ¡°I keep telling him he should quit. But in the end, he always ignores me. He has this sick interpretation of amends, like he has to go through more pain to make up for what he did. It''s plain stupid.¡± Her words were bitter, but they came from a place of concern. Jen had felt the same way Rin did, but in all honesty, she would pay a million dollars to feel that worry again. Those old problems. Those old arguments with her husband. Those old struggles in raising their first daughter. They were something she looked back on warmly now that she wouldn''t be able to experience them anymore.


    It¡¯s funny how time works, Jen thought. It can make someone look back fondly at the most troubling times, because although they¡¯re upsetting, something far worse could be on the horizon that humbles you, leading to a longing for what you used to have¨Cwhat you used to feel.


    ¡°I understand that feeling,¡± Jen said quietly, reminiscing. ¡°Yami had the same struggles, but he never liked to acknowledge them. I guess that¡¯s one of the many reasons he went mad. I just wish I could¡­¡± Her words trailed off, and there were no signs of them returning. A shadow fell across Rin¡¯s gaze, knowing fully what Jen wanted to say.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Jen cleared her throat and attempted to form a smile. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have brought it up.¡±


    There was an awkward silence between them, but it was comforting in an odd way. The silence spoke louder than any words Jen could muster at that moment.


    ¡°You know, I¡¯m glad you came here,¡± Rin suddenly said as Jen raised her head, blinking in confusion.


    ¡°¡­Why?¡±


    Rin¡¯s expression softened as she smiled. ¡°I don¡¯t speak for Asashi, but I never once viewed you in a bad light. It wasn¡¯t your fault.¡±


    Jen felt more ashamed than relieved. Suddenly, she felt guilty, as if she had gotten herself into this position. Instead of asking for help or simply talking about it, she was too afraid to confront what had happened. I¡¯m the reason why we haven¡¯t spoken in years. Rin would reach out, but every time, it wouldn¡¯t be more than a simple hello. After a while, I convinced myself that it would be best if we cut ties. It was never her fault. I¡¯m the problem.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I always wanted our daughter and your son to remain friends, even after Yami betrayed us,¡± Rin explained. ¡°But it was difficult. Asashi, he¡¯s¡­ very cautious about that boy, so I understand why you kept your distance all this time. In truth, I think Asashi is afraid of your son, and it¡¯s not your fault at all.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s right to be.¡±


    Rin blinked, confused. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Jen''s heart began to beat faster, and her breathing grew hasty and jagged. The more the thought became vivid in her mind, the more her hands couldn¡¯t stop shuddering. Jen didn¡¯t want to remember that petrifying memory; she refused to believe that it was real. She refused to believe that was her son. But the more time passed, the more she couldn¡¯t ignore how Sen grew colder and more ominous. She was scared of her own son, and that realization disgusted her.


    ¡°My son¡­ there¡ªthere¡¯s something wrong with him.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? Is he sick?¡± Rin tilted her head.


    ¡°No¡­¡± Jen shuddered. ¡°It''s far worse. I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m so sorry I kept it from you guys, but I was worried that something bad would happen to him if Asashi found out.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t mean.¡± Rin¡¯s expression turned dark and motionless, her eyes wide. It was apparent she had pieced together what her friend had hinted. Jen nodded, feeling her throat turn dry with anxiety.


    ¡°I believe my husband¡¯s experiment was successful¡­¡±


    ¡­


    Rin wasn¡¯t sure how to process the information. At first, she was speechless. Then, she paused to gather her thoughts, and finally let out a large, defeated sigh. ¡°This is bad.¡±


    ¡°I know!¡± Jen panicked. ¡°That¡¯s exactly why I came here!¡±


    Rin raised her brow. ¡°I¡¯m guessing something happened¡ªfor you to suddenly rush here out of all days.¡±


    She was observant, and at the moment, Jen knew that any more lies would just dig her into a deeper hole. However, lies weren¡¯t required in this case because she was certain Asashi had already found out. But his silence was what scared her.


    ¡°I believe that¡­ Sen is trying to enroll in the academy,¡± Jen admitted.


    Rin paused again, blinking. ¡°Somehow, it keeps getting worse.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not making this easy, Rin!¡± Jen groaned. ¡°Oh dear, it¡¯s all my fault! He''s just trying to enter to get information on his father.¡±


    ¡°Wait, just a second,¡± Rin¡¯s head was swirling. ¡°How the hell does he know his father had connections to the AOK?¡±


    Jen couldn¡¯t handle the surge of emotions at once. Her Sense unlocked as the familiar feeling of strength poured into her muscles and nerves. She wanted to hit something, really badly. No, not here. She couldn''t just suddenly start breaking things right after finally meeting her friend after years. Clenching her fists, Jen reached for her hot tea and took a big gulp, burning her tongue. That slight pain knocked her out of the panic, and she somewhat regained control. Sighing in relief, the light in her eyes flickered away.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t break anything in the house,¡± Rin begged, almost jokingly. ¡°It cost a lot.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try not to,¡± Jen said. ¡°But no promises.¡±


    They stared at each other, not breaking eye contact, then couldn¡¯t help but give a small, suppressed laugh. Although she panicked moments ago, being with her friend felt reassuring, like she had someone else to share her problems with. And that light-hearted joke, although inappropriate for the situation, made her laugh at the irony. Jen couldn¡¯t remember the last time she laughed. Perhaps it had been stolen by her husband. But no matter how many times a smile would be taken away, a new one would always appear. She had forgotten that.


    Once the laughter died down, Rin sighed and wiped the tears from her eyes. ¡°I miss this.¡±


    Jen nodded. ¡°Me too.¡± Then, that smile suddenly vanished. ¡°We would have had this a lot sooner if I just hadn¡¯t¡ª¡±


    ¡°Jen¡­¡± Rin cut her off as she firmly glared at her. ¡°What¡¯s done is done; we can''t change the past, so it¡¯s useless to dwell on it. If my daughter turned out to be an active vessel for a monster, I would be afraid to let anyone know, too. Who knows what kind of vile experiments they would have him undergo.¡±


    Jen gradually nodded. It was true; if she had told Asashi or the AOK about Sen, they would have undoubtedly taken him away and conducted tests on him. And regardless of how afraid she was of her child, she couldn¡¯t bear losing him. She loved him, and no amount of fear would change that because she knew, deep down, that the real Sen was somewhere inside him.


    ¡°More importantly, you said something¡¯s wrong with Sen?¡± Rin asked. Her friend thoughtfully leaned over the table to embrace her hand. ¡°Tell me what it is. What¡¯s happened?¡±


    Jen couldn¡¯t muster up a response. It almost felt like she suddenly lost the ability to speak. The moment she said the true reason, what would happen?... What would happen to Sen?


    It was too late.


    Rin was aware that Sen was an active vessel, and now that he was entering the exam, it wouldn¡¯t be too long before Asashi knew as well. What if I¡¯m wrong, though? What if that was just a freak accident? she asked herself. However, her common sense instantly refuted that. Sen¡¯s gaze grew colder and colder as the years went by, and his malevolent presence became ever so noticeable. Jen couldn¡¯t deny what had happened anymore. She had already done that for years.


    ¡°It happened two days after I lied to my children,¡± Jen remembered. ¡°The day Sen tried to kill me.¡±

 Book 2/ Chapter 4– The Second Challenge

    Our mind is a foreign land, yet to be explored. It will take time until you discover everything.


    "The danger zone," Sen breathed in the frigid air.


    Whatever he was expecting, it sure was blown out of the park. The green expanse of tall trees went farther than his eyes could grasp. He had never seen so many at once before, the most being the garden at the end of the first challenge.


    But it was unfortunate that he witnessed such a sight at the winter¡¯s initiation and not in the summer. It would have been quite interesting to see how the trees would look at their peak condition. Sen frowned as he noticed a few branches become brown and bare. But that thought gave him a pause.


    I was never interested in trees before. But now it¡¯s like there¡¯s a certain feeling when I look at them, enjoyment perhaps. Odd. What a mundane thing to be fascinated over, at least, that¡¯s what he would usually think, but now it was somehow different.


    His gaze slowly lifted above the forest and locked on a half-green-white, pyramid-like structure. So jagged and towering it was hard to believe it was real. No machine or human could ever make something like it. Even the tallest building in the world would pale in size and durability. In truth, this wasn¡¯t a man-made structure¡ª but a creation of the earth.


    "Mount Fuji," Hana said in amazement beside him. "I never thought I¡¯d get to see it one day."


    "Neither did any of the contestants," Sen pointed out, looking around him. The train had come to a halt beside a flat dirt clearing stationed above a cliff. It gave them the leverage to take in the forest¡¯s beauty, yet the trees still managed to tower above them. Sen knew the real reason they had chosen this place: it was the perfect area to drop off many people.


    Now, it was pretty obvious what they were planning, although Sen couldn¡¯t really say that much for other people. The remaining contestants who hopped out of the linked trains were fearful and confused. They spun around themselves, paranoid that some monster was staring at them. Their worry was warranted because Sen himself was confused about why they would drop them off in such a dangerous area. Although, for some reason, he still wasn¡¯t afraid. He never was.


    Are the danger zones truly not as dangerous as we thought? Sen wondered. No, that can''t be it; just living in the city is a hazard, so the outskirts can''t be any better. What do they have up their sleeve?


    Just then, Sen could¡¯ve sworn he had seen an odd shimmer in the sky. Squinting his eyes and scanning through the blue expanse, he tried to find that same sparkle. But sadly, his search was unsuccessful, the only new sight being an ordinary bird soaring through the air. Maybe I imagined it.


    "I¡¯m scared." Sen found that voice to be Hono, trembling in her skimpy outfit. He grimaced as the short bob-cut girl talked with her teammates.


    "I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll be fine, Hono." Kaiyo tried to put on a confident face, but her voice was also quite shaky. "T-there has to be a good explanation for this, right?" Her head turned to Sen, almost as if seeking an answer from him. Unfortunately, unlike most of the time, Sen had no clue. He already had an inkling that they were going to arrive at the danger zones; however, the reason for it was beyond him.


    The only reasonable conclusion I can draw is that the AOK is somehow making this safe. I don¡¯t have a clue how, though.


    "I can''t answer that," Sen replied truthfully, "However, placing our trust in the AOK would probably ease our worries in the long run. I don¡¯t see how they would benefit by sending a few hundred people to die in the danger zones."


    Not only was that a loss on their end, but it would also start a public uproar, and the AOK wouldn¡¯t want that. Any publicity was certainly not good publicity, especially for a government body.


    Sen turned his attention to Hyo, who was a bit calmer than the rest but still blatantly tense from their predicament.


    "I swear to god, where the hell are the announcers? Are we supposed to stand here in the cold for hours?" On the other hand, Hana seemed more impatient than scared, but perhaps that was her defense mechanism, and judging from the small drop of sweat running on the side of her forehead, it appeared his theory was correct. Sen eyed around him once again, blinking in confusion. Someone was missing from their group.


    "Did any of you see Baru by chance?" Sen asked. His team members shook their heads. Usually, Baru stuck around to them like a dog on a leash, which Sen might be partially responsible for. He recalled their first meeting, taking in how long ago that felt. It was hard to believe it was only a day since the first challenge had begun. So much had already happened.


    Walking past a crowd of frightened people, Sen retraced his steps back to the train and searched from within. Unfortunately, there was no sign of him in their seat cubicle.


    Sen grimaced in confusion. "Where the hell¡ª"


    "Clank."


    Sen stared at the train''s metal ceiling. Was something above it? Following that odd metallic sound, footsteps trailed along the roof before stopping altogether. Sen guessed the source of the commotion before leaving the train¡¯s automatic door. And sure enough, his suspicion was correct.


    Baru sat peacefully on the edge of the train with his legs dangling and arms resting on his lap. He gazed at the view with a distinct expression. It was neither sad nor happy, and Sen couldn¡¯t exactly distinguish his manner. Most of the time, Baru seemed like an open book, mostly having a simple, happy expression, but now, he appeared melancholic. His eyes slumped down, and not from exhaustion either. Sen realized that he was peering at something in the sky. Is it the same sparkle I saw earlier? Sen thought. It surprised him that Baru was so alert to his surroundings.


    "Why are you up there?" Sen asked below Baru¡¯s hanging legs. He must not have known he was there because Baru¡¯s body jolted in surprise. With a thud, his foot accidentally kicked the side of the train, creating a significant dent in the metal.


    "Oh fuck, that¡¯s gonna be expensive," Baru cursed under his breath as Sen bluntly blinked at him.


    "Do you open your Sense every time you get surprised?" Sen asked.


    "Huh?" He took offense to the observation. "N-no, what? Of course not. Why do you sneak up on me like that?" Sen didn¡¯t understand why he was embarrassed. Perhaps he didn¡¯t want Sen to look at him while he wasn¡¯t in his usual mood.


    Why does Baru do that? Sen wondered. Why put on that happy, comedic face if that¡¯s not what he feels? It was apparent to Sen that Baru wasn¡¯t everything he portrayed himself as. He wasn¡¯t stupid¡­ or, at least, as much as he showed, although he still wasn¡¯t anywhere near Smart either.


    "You still haven¡¯t answered my question," Sen said.


    Baru sighed. "Well, you got me. Whenever I get scared, my Sense does activate¡ª"


    "Not the question I was referring to," Sen interrupted. The red-haired boy gritted his teeth in response, fully knowing what he meant. Yet, despite Sen''s urging, he wouldn¡¯t utter a word.


    "Well, it is what it is," Sen silently murmured to himself before telling his teammate. "I didn¡¯t come here to interrogate you or anything, so sorry if I came at the wrong time. But it''s best if we stick with the team. Who knows the dangers out here." With that, Sen turned around to rejoin his team, who were now lost amid the crowd of contestants. Before he could attempt to find them, however, Baru spoke from behind, putting Sen to a halt.


    "It won¡¯t be dangerous," Baru brashly said. Sen turned his head halfway, only to glimpse Baru¡¯s expression from the corner of his eye. This wasn¡¯t Baru¡¯s usual hot-blooded and snobbish attitude he portrayed. No, he seemed coolly confident this time, almost as if he knew it was a fact, and that only increased Sen¡¯s curiosity.


    "What makes you say that?" Sen asked, still half turned away from him. His teammate hopped down the train as the ground slightly broke from the impact. A few pebbles of dry dirt were thrown in Sen¡¯s direction, stopping at his feet. Just a slight jump was able to damage the ground. He couldn¡¯t help but be impressed. Strolling to him with an overly cheerful expression, Baru patted his shoulder.


    "Just a hunch," he replied. "Anywho, where¡¯s the rest of the team? It looks like they are about to announce something." Sen was left unsatisfied by his answer but forced himself to focus on the more important thing. As Baru pointed out, the remaining contestants assembled at a specific part of the dirt clearing, a tall structure standing in the middle of the crowd, which Sen could only guess was for someone to announce the details of the second challenge.


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    After a few minutes of searching, both of them found their team, and they all gathered by the podium, waiting for something to happen.


    "Do you think The WhiteStorm will show up again?" Hana murmured in his ear. Sen wasn¡¯t too optimistic. He doubted that one of the most prestigious Knights would go all the way to the danger zones to announce a few details about a challenge. If Sen were him, he sure wouldn¡¯t.


    "Doubtfully." However, he did have a hunch on who would show their face today. And by the looks of things, Sen wouldn¡¯t have to wait too long to find out if his prediction came true. A tall broad-shouldered man climbed the podium¡¯s stairs, his sharp eyes glaring at them. Next to him, Kaiyo''s breathing audibly stopped, practically like a reflex, before gradually continuing again. Sen nodded in approval. Kaiyo learned that she was not in danger of being expelled anymore.


    There he was, with his short black hair ruffling in the wind and his trench coat protecting him from the bitter cold. The man¡¯s green emerald eyes hushed the impatient crowd, intimated by his presence. Asashi.


    This time, Sen instantly felt eyes preying upon him. He wasn¡¯t even trying to hide it anymore. After Sen finished the exam, he could tell they would have an interesting conversation. Judging by his glare, he seemed more angst-ridden than last time. Sen remembered how confident and unwavering he portrayed himself when giving them the closing speech of the first challenge. But that same level of poise certainly wasn¡¯t there.


    Sen could tell something happened¡­ or was it something else? Perhaps anxiety? Asashi didn¡¯t allow much more eye contact from Sen and regarded the massive crowd with his usual straight face and collected stance. Asashi was good at hiding his true emotions, except for anger. Sen knew he had a tough time dealing with that from experience, as any person with touch did.


    ¡°Ahumm¡­¡± Asashi cleared his throat in the small wired mic next to his mouth. Sen wasn¡¯t sure how or where the sound came from, but speakers were amplifying his voice somewhere. ¡°First off, I¡¯d like to acknowledge your bravery in entering the second challenge, regardless of not knowing what awaited you.¡± The crowd erupted with cheers of accomplishment, but it sounded more hesitant than before. Sen assumed the hesitancy was because of where they were. Although they succeeded in the first challenge, the unknowns of being in a danger zone quickly squashed their optimism.


    ¡°I know all of you must be concerned and are asking many questions,¡± Asashi noted, ¡°After all, your worries are not without merit. You are indeed in the danger zone¡ªan area the government classifies as too dangerous for humans to live in. This is due to a multitude of reasons: different viruses from plants, unnatural weather, or infestations of¡­ monsters.¡±


    Then why exactly did you bring us here if it¡¯s so dangerous? Sen wanted to shout out. Mount Fuji is a cultural landmark that the government pays close attention to. So I¡¯m assuming they have a few bases here to conduct research, but, regardless of that, allowing a few hundred aspiring Knights in such an area? That¡¯s bold.


    ¡°Now I say to the nine hundred seventy-seven of you, this will be the most dangerous and harshest challenge you¡¯ll likely face in your life,¡± Asashi said. ¡°This is no competition to win a medal. Nor a competition for praise. This is a competition against yourself and your mental fortitude. Out here, your mind is your only friend. And your greatest enemy. It will plead with you to give up and reject that burning passion to keep pushing forward.¡±


    Just as Sen expected, Asashi was a natural speaker. Regardless of how he felt on the inside, he wouldn¡¯t fold under pressure. Judging by the crowd¡¯s facial expressions, he could already tell that his speech moved them. Their eyes were filled with a sense of vigor and excitement.


    ¡°Furthermore, I would like to address the second challenge''s official rul¡ª¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re all gonna die!¡± Before Asashi could finish his speech, a male contestant cried in fear. The crowd moved from the distressed individual to give him some space. ¡°The monsters¡­ T-the monsters are going to eat us. We¡¯re all gonna die!¡± The stranger, who appeared to be around twenty, covered his head with his hands, jerking back and forth while kneeling on the earth. Sen noted how the man¡¯s eyes flicked from one end to another, giving in to the urges of anxiety. He was having a mental breakdown.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be here! I don¡¯t want to be here!¡± Curling into a ball with his knees drawn to his chest and face buried, he slowly rocked himself, murmuring incoherent words.


    ¡°Good grief.¡± Asashi sighed, climbing down the podium stairs to meet with the distressed young man. Sen wondered how Asashi would try to ease the situation, if at all. He wasn¡¯t the type to take sympathy for weak, overly dramatic people. Sen certainly wouldn¡¯t care less. Upon seeing his descent, the crowd dispersed so Asashi would have an easy access line. He stopped before him, judging the distressed and curled-up individual with a flat expression.


    Sen half expected Asashi to slap him out of the episode, but he didn¡¯t. Instead, he put his hand on his shoulder in reassurance. The panicked contestant lifted his head, seeing Asashi''s calm, deep emerald eyes. Eyes that have seen more than many would in multiple lifetimes. Eyes that had seen hell over and over again. But yet, underneath that resilience and pure power hid struggles and desolation. Deep down, Asashi was no more than the frightened person below him. Because that frightened person was still there, just buried beneath layers of memories and experiences.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay to be afraid,¡± Asashi¡¯s voice, amplified by the mic, sounded loud enough for the whole crowd to hear. ¡°Fear is necessary for survival. Without it, we would all have died a long time ago. But you know what? Sometimes, fear is a pain in the ass. Sometimes, it doesn¡¯t help you but instead prevents you from achieving something you want. It gives you the illusion that you can''t overcome it, so you must concede.¡± Asashi wasn¡¯t speaking to the individual, he was speaking to everyone¡­ to himself.


    But something was off. And the contestants felt it.


    ¡°Sen?¡± Kaiyo murmured close to his ear, breaking Sen¡¯s train of concentration. She seemed worried, and he noticed it wasn¡¯t her usual anxious questions either.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    She looked around them. ¡°I¡¯m hearing something, like a flapping noise. And¡­ I''ve noticed other people looking around as well. I think they¡¯re people with Hearing as well.¡± Sen noted her concern and observed the crowd, noticing a few people jolt their heads to the sky as if hearing something odd come closer. Something is definitely off if everyone is hearing the same thing, I¡¯m hoping it¡¯s not what I think it is.


    ¡°What are you suggesting?¡± Sen asked her. Kaiyo looked at her father through the swarm of people and then back at him, distress showed from her furrowed brows.


    ¡°I think it may be a monster.¡±


    Hana heard their conversation and gaped. ¡°A monster?¡±


    Soon, the discussion of a monster spread throughout the crowd as more and more people began eyeing the sky and murmuring amongst themselves. However, despite the apparent concern, Asashi kept up his speech.


    ¡°I stand before you to say,¡± Asashi said, ¡°you don¡¯t need fear when a monster is tearing your mother apart. You don¡¯t need fear when a comrade is yelling for your help¡­¡± his voice trailed away as one of the supervising AOK Knights walked up to him. They wore a white and red-lined suit adorning a silver badge. Now that Sen was aware of it, he noticed many knights dispersed around the crowd.


    ¡°Mr. Asashi, we¡¯re reporting a few strange sounds coming from the air. We¡¯re not prepared yet, and neither are the contestants,¡± the Knight whispered next to Asashi¡¯s ear, out of hearing range of other people. However, Kaiyo seemed to pick up a few words with her Sense, confirming her suspicion. Yet Asashi did not respond to the Knight; he remained beside the curled-up contestant, who looked even more petrified after overhearing what other people were saying.


    ¡°Mr. Asashi?¡± the knight asked.


    ¡°There is only one emotion stronger than fear.¡± Asashi turned around and continued his speech to the crowd, his voice being carried across the mass.


    The knight was stunned. ¡°A-Asashi, this needs immediate attention, what should we do¡ª¡±


    ¡°The most dangerous emotion,¡± Asashi cut the worried Knight again, ¡°an emotion of destruction.¡±


    Kaiyo held her breath, not understanding why no one was doing anything. ¡°It¡¯s coming closer¡­¡±


    Sen eyed Kaiyo with a frown. Asashi knew something was coming, so why wasn¡¯t he worried about the contestants?


    ¡°Flap! Flap!¡±


    Then, at that moment, Sen began hearing the supposed flapping noises. He jerked his head upwards, only to see the silhouette of a snake-like creature circling above. He couldn¡¯t see all the repulsive features, but he noticed the massive pink, skin-textured wings upholding its elongated, scaly form. Sen saw its eagle-like hind legs extend, while its dusty gray eyes scanned the human crowd, poised to hunt its next target. Numerous small horns protruded from its lengthy body, only adding to its already terrifying and hideous appearance.


    It¡¯s a Snajer, Sen realized. It was pretty easy to distinguish the monster''s identity because of his extensive research on them. He remembered this monster, in particular, to be quite fascinating to him due to its abhorrent appearance. From the images he had seen, its squashed snout was that of a bat/pig, but it was difficult to match exactly what it resembled due to the small, distinct features. Apart from that, though, Sen remembered the monster as being of a silver rank, according to the internet, and known to only habitat the central part of Japan.


    Audible gasps and mutters arose from the crowd when they eventually spotted the monster circling above them. Most weren¡¯t screaming like that odd contestant who had a meltdown. After all, these were the more capable out of the few thousand who entered the first challenge.


    ¡°What emotion, you may ask?¡± a voice continued.


    Taken aback, Sen looked back down to Asashi, only to hear him continue his speech. Sen was left puzzled. Asashi didn¡¯t even care to glance at the monster above, knowing very well of the danger. Slowly and calmly, Asashi walked up the podium stairs, regarding the participants with his arms open.


    ¡°Once you feel this emotion, every worry, every hesitation goes down the drain,¡± he dully smiled, finally looking at the heavens above. He taunted the monster, glaring at it with his cold, bitter grin. And the monster knew¡­ It could see the tall man clearly, standing beyond the others.


    It felt as if he was mocking.


    Why was the human not afraid?


    It didn¡¯t like that.


    ¡°SCREEE!¡± An ear-rapping sound so loud and excruciating took their ears hostage. Like a thousand needles penetrating the membrane over and over again, people covered their ears. And a few who had Hearing, let out groans of pain as blood dripped from their ears.


    The monster dove down like an eagle, but before anyone could process what was happening, everything ended in a mere second. One moment, the monster had attacked, and the next, a metal sound was heard, making contact.


    Most didn¡¯t see it¡­


    They weren¡¯t quick enough to realize what had happened¡­


    They could only see the bloody outcome of the serpent-like monster, lying limp on the ground, its whole body sliced directly in half. Even its brain was precisely cut into two parts, creating a pool of blue blood. Its grey eyes, already dull from the beginning, didn¡¯t show a single fragment of consciousness now. The moment it had screeched its battle cry was the moment it had succumbed to a brutal death.


    But Sen had seen what happened. He couldn¡¯t quite fathom it at first, but there was no denying it.


    Asashi killed the monster in a split second.


    ¡°It¡¯s anger,¡± Asashi said, sheathing his katana. He looked directly at Sen, and for the first time since he could remember, his heart skipped a beat, a deep and chilly shiver running down his spine. ¡°Anger is the most powerful emotion.¡±

 Book 2/ Chapter 5–Everyone is a monster

    When does someone become a monster?


    When They''re born?


    Or when they''re sick of living?


    Sen¡¯s lunges hurt. His knees felt disjointed, and they ached with excruciating pain. But he didn¡¯t stop running. He wouldn¡¯t stop running. Sharp branches grazed his cheek, drawing blood, but he ignored them. Even when his boots got stuck in the mud, he quickly freed them and kept going. He knew if he stopped, he would most likely die.


    This is what happens when you don¡¯t have a Sense. It¡¯s not like that sword is going to work. As he ran through the forest under the night sky, he glanced down at his hip, where a sheathed sword with a shiny gem in the center of the pommel hung. He had a Sense Sword, but he couldn¡¯t use it properly.


    Sen grimaced as he leaped over a fallen tree trunk, wincing at the pain in his abdomen. No, he shouldn¡¯t complain. It didn¡¯t matter what got him into this position. All he could hope for was to outlast the chasing monster or be heroically saved by someone. I don¡¯t really like the thought of being saved by someone.


    Maybe I do have pride. Besides, I lost my communication device, so I doubt anyone would save me even if I wanted them to.


    He still had some energy left to create a plan. Even if he was the only person in the vicinity, he didn¡¯t like looking weak in front of himself. He had standards, after all. But what could he do in his current position? Twigs crunched beneath his feet as he looked around for anything that might help. So how am I going to deal with this, Crydan?


    Resembling its closest cousins, the wolf and the crocodile, the monster was classified as a bronze-rank. Due to its furry, lizard-like body, it didn¡¯t run well on solid ground but could chase prey for hours. Not to mention its long snout, powerful jaws that could snap a deer in half, and sharp, sword-like horns on the side of its mouth for close combat. Their keen nose was also problematic. They all inherently had Smell as their sense, allowing them to track prey miles away.


    Seriously¡­ I feel like the ranks don¡¯t do that hideous monster justice. The first day of the challenge was a rollercoaster, and in all honesty, feeling on the brink of death was exhilarating. He had never felt something quite like it before. A constant stream of thrill flowed inside his veins, dulling any noticeable pain. It felt as though he couldn¡¯t feel the gaping hole in his chest anymore. Sen had grown used to it, but now he doubted if it were normal.


    His emotions¡­ he couldn¡¯t recognize them anymore.


    At that moment, he spotted a half-slanted tree leaning against others. It was the perfect elevation for someone to climb. Sen couldn¡¯t ignore this opportunity. He needed to put it to good use. Stalking up the slanted trunk, Sen looked at a large branch from another tree a few feet above him. Still grasping the fallen tree with his hands and feet, struggling to keep his balance on such a steep elevation, Sen took a deep breath and sprang upwards. He wasn¡¯t certain he would reach it, but his hands gripped the sharp bark, and he pulled himself up. Gasping, he sat on the branch''s ledge.


    That worked out better than expected¡­ He wiped the sweat from his face with the sleeve of his white, red-lined tracksuit. Now, all I have to do is wait. It would have been cold to sit around and wait in this weather, but the special suit the academy gave all the contestants kept him oddly warm, even though it was paper-thin and light. He pulled the white tracksuit hoodie over his head and sighed, his warm breath creating a small cloud of fog in the cold air.


    He wasn¡¯t sure how long he was waiting, but it only felt like a few moments before he heard the sound of stomping paws dashing through the forest floor. Sen saw the furry, lizard-like creature escape the undergrowth, its red eyes glaring angrily. The monster wasn¡¯t running anymore. It stopped directly below Sen, lifting its flat alligator snout and sniffing the air with confusion. The monster must have realized that Sen¡¯s scent suddenly stopped with no trace. Which must have been unusual for the monster¡¯s other prey. They never disappear. They merely run away.


    Sen crouched on the branch to lower his profile right as the monster looked up, almost wondering if the human had grown wings and flown away. Puzzled, the creature circled the space, trying to find any scent trail. Sen waited and waited for the monster to give up its search, but it was stubborn. Hunkering below him, the monster would rather wait than accept a failed hunt.


    Sen gritted his teeth impatiently. It doesn¡¯t seem inclined to leave at all. What a stubborn monster.


    He paused abruptly, recognizing something he never really thought about. A stubborn monster¡­ He watched the creature again as it shook its fur and yawned like any other dog would. Can monsters be stubborn? he asked himself.


    It was a simple question, but he struggled to answer it. The government''s scientists always recognized monsters as devils incapable of any human emotions. But how true was that? If monsters were the embodiment of evil, then didn¡¯t that mean they felt anger? If they felt anger, then who¡¯s to say they didn¡¯t feel sadness, too? Or even stubbornness.


    Sen chuckled at that thought. Who am I to care about what a monster is feeling? He¡¯s trying to kill me. Sen¡¯s fake chuckle slowly flattened out. He steadily stood up on the branch and gripped the sword''s handle, silently unsheathing it. He wasn¡¯t going to get another chance. He was in perfect striking distance from the monster, and it had no idea he was there. If he didn¡¯t do it now, he would be dinner. Sen bent his knees and clenched his sword.


    But yet¡­


    Moments passed by, and he didn¡¯t strike. Sen blinked in confusion, wondering why his legs weren¡¯t jumping. Was his body fatigued? Maybe he had no energy left. No, it¡¯s something else, he realized. I¡­ just don''t want to do it.


    Shaking his head, his breath grew unsteady for some reason. Sen¡¯s mind began feeling muggy and cloudy, as if he were stranded in a dark, eerily calm ocean. Everything was so dull¡­ and distant until an eye opened amid his foggy mind. An evil, ferocious pupil, one of a tiger.


    Do it¡­ A voice almost identical to Sen¡¯s spoke.


    Do it¡­


    Sen groaned, trying to bang his head with his fist to make that odd voice disappear. But it didn¡¯t. It remained there, like a part of him. It didn¡¯t matter if Sen closed his eyes; he still saw the eye staring at him, commanding him to do something he didn¡¯t want to.


    Do it, the voice said.


    Sen tightened his grip on the sword. ¡°Why.¡±


    Do it¡­


    Sen¡¯s eyes began flickering a blue hue, and an inconceivable aura exuded from his body. Pure evil and malice¨Can aura that could be felt from miles away, making any creature cower before it.


    The Crydan below, oblivious before, now jumped in fear, sensing that horrid and vile atmosphere. But it couldn¡¯t run away. It was frozen in fear¡ªthe same fear that humans felt. It could only stare helplessly and dreadfully as it locked eyes with Sen¡¯s blue ones. Those were not the same eyes of the human it had chased. No, they were the eyes of a monster. A monster born from the depths of humanity¡¯s hatred.


    ...


    Before Sen was aware of his surroundings, it was already over. His sword was lodged in the monster¡¯s head, and his boots were covered in blood. Sen gasped for breath as he collapsed on the ground, kneeling beside the limp monster. The blue flicker in Sen¡¯s eye vanished as quickly as it had come, leaving him mind-numbingly staring at the night sky.


    ¡°Identifying monster, please wait¡­ Monster confirmed¨C Crydan.¡± His techno watch beeped in a robotic voice. ¡°Fifteen points added to Team Sen.¡±


    He stood there in silence, way longer than he should have but shorter than he needed. Sen reached for his face, wiping off the monster¡¯s blood splatter, and eyed the substance on his hand. He rubbed the blood between his fingers and saw the stuck expression on the Crydan¡¯s face. It was scared¡­the very same way many people in his life were of him.


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    ¡°What happened¡­¡± Sen asked himself, looking at his blood-stained hands. ¡°Who am I?¡±


    # A few hours before


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind the monster, everyone,¡± Asashi said, standing on the podium indefinitely. The crowd wasn¡¯t sure how to process what they¡¯d just seen. They wordlessly eyed the Knight, trying not to notice the dead corpse of the monster that had been sliced in half a mere moment ago. Sen wasn¡¯t sure if the contestants felt safer or more anxious. He sure didn¡¯t know himself.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you a summary of the rules if everyone is ready.¡± He scanned the contestants for objections. No one dared speak out; they were too dazed to protest how uncomfortable they felt. No one is going to stand up and disagree with what he said after all that. Sen snorted. They would have to be borderline suicidal to do that.


    Asashi¡¯s display of power vindicated his status as a gold-ranked Knight. Those who didn¡¯t know his name and capabilities had his image burned into their minds now. Sen couldn¡¯t help but think it was planned to a certain extent. He recalled Asashi ignoring the other Knight¡¯s panic. Asashi knew the danger of the monster but chose to handle it himself. But for what reason? The answer was quite simple.


    Asashi wanted to strike fear into certain contestants while also creating a sense of intrigue and admiration for the others. I see what he¡¯s doing. To think he came up with such a complex psychological ploy at that moment is impressive. It''s only a matter of time before he gives the contestants one more chance.


    Sen waited for Asashi to continue speaking, and surely enough, his theory turned out to be true.


    ¡°Before that, though, I would like to ask you young Knights a simple question,¡± Asashi said, his expression unreadable and flat. The contestants murmured among themselves as his silence stretched.


    Asashi allowed a few moments of anticipation before unsheathing his sword and pointing at the bloody monster corpse below his podium. He was dead serious. Sen could feel it from where he was standing. ¡°Could you really slay that monster if it attacked you?¡± he asked, giving the people time to absorb his words. ¡°If it lunged at you, what would you do? What could you do?¡±


    Sen crossed his arms and listened intently. Most people felt two different ways when Asashi slew the monster. One group, of course, would feel alarmed, but that would quickly be drowned by their adrenaline and admiration for Asashi. These people seek power and are fearless, not worried about their own safety as long as it means they achieve their goals.


    The second group of people, however, would feel differently. They¡¯re scared¡­ and regretful that they even came here. Wishing nothing more than to curl up in their bedsheets and scroll through social media. They were the ones who didn¡¯t have that burning ambition inside of them.


    Those people are exactly the ones whom Asashi wanted to expose. He¡¯s giving them another chance before they make a brutal mistake. Meanwhile, others who are naturally ambitious are left with even more driving motivation.


    And before he knew it, the results were in. Many of the contestants confidently raised their hands, fully thinking they, too, could slay that monster, just as Asashi had. They were the ones who would inevitably continue to the second challenge. Sen, along with his friends, forcefully followed and raised their hands too. However, there were people who didn¡¯t. Those people had no drive.


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Asashi said, scanning the crowd, then gave a rough sigh. ¡°Everyone who didn¡¯t raise their hand. The train will leave for Tokyo in the next ten minutes. Feel free to leave.¡±


    Instantly, people shouted protests, most likely those who hadn¡¯t raised their hands when Asashi asked his question.


    ¡°This is unfair. You didn¡¯t tell us the circumstances of the question!¡± one shouted.


    ¡°You manipulated us!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not leaving just because you said so¡ª¡±


    ¡°Enough.¡± Asashi¡¯s loud voice from the microphone silenced the protests. ¡°I said, feel free to leave, did I not?¡±


    Sen was amused by Asashi¡¯s methods. He¡¯s putting the pressure on them. It¡¯s all up to the individual if they want to continue the challenge. And the people who didn¡¯t raise their hands most likely don¡¯t have the power nor the drive to endure being a Knight. They just don¡¯t like that their uncertainty is being exposed, so they get defensive. Asashi¡¯s method was simple¡­ but flawless.


    What puzzled Sen, however, was Asashi¡¯s motive for the method. He didn¡¯t seem like the type to care about the lives of others, yet his actions showed the opposite. Why did Asashi care so much about people he didn¡¯t even know? Was it out of concern or some other ulterior motive? Perhaps it made him feel more superior. What''s the real reason? What does Asashi have to gain from this?


    ¡°If you are not confident in slaying a monster, then you¡¯re a fool to continue,¡± Asashi stated. ¡°The second challenge will consist of one main objective. Survive seven days in the Mount Fuji forest, and gain as many points as you can for your team. If you cannot slay a single monster, there is simply no way you can participate.¡±


    Sen frowned. Surviving a full week in the forest? Surely, that¡¯s not all there is to pass the challenge. Asashi¡¯s explanation only seemed to demotivate people who were uncertain, and they began murmuring with each other, debating what they should do. But Asashi wasn¡¯t done speaking just yet.


    ¡°Specifically calculated points will be assigned to you and your team whenever you slay a monster. To keep things fair, the points are calculated based on your Sense and overall skill. People with Touch obviously have the advantage when it comes to combat, so their points will generally be less if they kill an identical monster to someone with, let¡¯s say, Taste. Of course, if someone is very inexperienced with Touch, the Techno watch¡¯s AI automatically accounts for that and gives points based on their aptitude,¡± revealed Asashi.


    He needed to give credit where credit was due. Whoever came up with the points system was clever. Of course, how many points you gain in total will still set you apart from the rest. This is still a performance-based challenge. If a person is incompetent and unable to slay enough monsters, they will still be beaten by others. The points are given to set an even playing field for those who are genetically stronger.


    ¡°Furthermore, each day that you survive, your team will receive one hundred points at midnight. This will give you an incentive to stay in the challenge, even if you are not capable of slaying any monsters. And at the end of the week, the top fifty percent with the most points move on to the third and final challenge.¡±


    The last bit of information sent a ripple of gasps through the participants, which Sen didn¡¯t share. He knew there was some sort of catch from the start. Just surviving for a week didn¡¯t sound right. The stakes weren¡¯t high enough. Although just surviving in the danger zone seems tough on its own, I feel like they''re hiding something from us.


    That thought made him remember his short conversation with Baru, on how he said the challenge wasn¡¯t going to be dangerous. Either he was stupid as he usually was, or there was some merit to his statement. Sen had no way of knowing.


    ¡°Two more important things before we move on,¡± Asashi hushed the noise. ¡°One, you will be granted the appropriate weapons and supplies for the week. Keep in mind that it''s very limited, so use what you have wisely. Two, and most importantly, under no circumstances will you jump the wall.¡±


    The wall? Sen blinked.


    ¡°I know you may be confused about what that is, so please listen carefully. There is a wall circling a large part of the forest, including this one; if you attempt to go beyond this wall, you will not only be disqualified from the challenge but also be taken into custody by the AOK. Is that clear?¡±


    Asashi¡¯s clear-cut words threw Sen for a loop. So, is it against the law for someone to go over the wall? No, then he would have said that. Someone would be taken into custody, which doesn¡¯t necessarily mean breaking the law; it just means going against the AOK and their interests. But why?


    Beside him, Baru snorted comically. Shifting his attention towards his teammate, Baru was almost holding in his laughter. It certainly wasn¡¯t out of character, but it wasn¡¯t appropriate timing for something like that.


    ¡°You find something amusing?¡± Sen asked him.


    Baru dismissed it with a shake of his head, chuckling. ¡°No, no, it''s nothing, really. It¡¯s just funny, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°Funny?¡±


    ¡°Yep, it¡¯s funny because it¡¯s like we''re chess pieces on the board. We keep on moving and killing, thinking we¡¯re the ones making the decisions. But we¡¯re really not.¡±


    Hana grimaced. ¡°That sounds awfully cryptic and unlike you.¡±


    Baru stuck out his tongue childishly. ¡°Kidding, of course. I just thought I¡¯d lighten up the tense mood.¡±


    ¡°How was that supposed to light up the mood? Idiot!¡±


    ¡°What? Should I have said something sexist, or?¡± Baru asked as Hana deadpanned threateningly. ¡°T¨Cthat¡¯s a joke too¡­¡± He gulped.


    She rolled her eyes. ¡°At least that¡¯s more like you.¡±


    Sen kept his thoughts to himself. There was no need for him to ask for an explanation because Baru wasn¡¯t going to give him one¡ªnot in public, at least. He was simply giving him a hint, implying that he knew something that Sen didn¡¯t. We¡¯re just chess pieces on a board¡­ he wondered what that meant.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take the silence as a yes, I suppose,¡± Asashi said to them. From the corner of his eye, he spotted a signal from one of the AOK Knights in the back of the gathered people, telling him it was time. ¡°Oh, and ahead of schedule, too. It seems the train to go back to Tokyo is ready. This is your last chance.¡± He warned, his tone almost challenging. ¡°Participate in a challenge where it''s guaranteed that half of you will be eliminated, or snuggle in your bedsheets and have a warm home-cooked meal?¡±


    The people had made their choice, and Sen was half-expecting the outcome¡­


    Roughly a hundred people from the nine hundred and seventy-seven had chosen to quit, breaking off from the rest with their heads lowered in shame. The small group of deserters waited beside the linked trains, not even interested in what Asashi had to say next. Or, to put it into better words, they were too ashamed to listen further. Less than one-tenth, huh? Looks like Asashi¡¯s method ratted them out.


    Sen watched them disperse inside the trains and slowly dwindle away before there wasn¡¯t a single person left. Sen had recognized a few of them from his own train, and before the second challenge started, they celebrated passing their first hurdle¡­ only to give up moments after, seeing a glimpse of what was to come. Was it pathetic? Or was it expected?


    ¡°I commend the rest of you for staying,¡± Asashi¡¯s gaze locked onto Sen¡¯s. He normally could discern Asashi¡¯s scrutiny, but this time, it was different. It wasn¡¯t his usual irate expression, but more¡­ worried, perhaps? Why would Asashi be worried for him?


    ¡°I bid you all good luck,¡± Asashi bowed respectfully to the aspiring Knights. "The challenge will be something you¡¯ll likely never face again. With that, I¡¯d like to finish off with a quote I¡¯d like you all to remember." Asashi closed his eyes, breathing in the cold mountain air.


    ¡°We''re all monsters. Some just show it less than others.¡±

 Book 2/ Chapter 6– Something is not right

    As Sen expected, the air was quite unfriendly, making his nose drip with snot and his cheeks feel numb. Luckily, the AOK supplied all the contestants with specially made white and red-lined tracksuits that insulated the body¡¯s heat. Sen was even confident enough to say that his body was at room temperature, except his face, of course.


    However, the hood of the uniform was helpful in keeping his ears warm, and it could be tightened to cover his whole face, albeit at the expense of his sight. It was also stated that the suit could block jabs with a sword or a claw from a monster, depending on the assault¡¯s strength. He wasn¡¯t sure how they could afford such advanced gear for roughly nine hundred people, but he certainly wasn¡¯t complaining.


    Along with protection, they gave them all Sense Swords to slay monsters, which unfortunately wouldn¡¯t be much use to Sen. For the exam, at least, he somehow convinced the receptionist to register that he had Hearing as his sense, and the Swords in most cases didn¡¯t need a specific Sense to activate; they just needed Sense Energy. And Sen didn¡¯t even have that, so the benefits of the weapon were stripped away.


    Worse comes to worse, though, he was fine using it as a regular standalone blade for self-defense. Not that he was really planning on getting himself into dangerous scenarios; he knew not to overestimate his strength. Only a fool would do that, and Sen was not.


    Dipping his head underneath a bare tree branch, Sen walked into a small dirt clearing surrounded by the same towering trees, which he could barely see the end of. Two triangle-like tents were in the process of being set up, while a small hole had been dug close by to start a fire pit.


    Sen carried a few logs he had found near their campsite and threw them into the pit. The rest of his teammates were hard at work, prioritizing their shelter before night crept up on them. Just like the specially made uniforms, the academy assured them that the tents were just as safe, preventing monster attacks from occurring in the middle of the night. Something Sen was apprehensive about, to say the least. However, they hadn¡¯t spotted any monsters an hour after the challenge had officially begun, which was supposed to be a good sign, but Sen couldn¡¯t help but think that was quite odd.


    It¡¯s clear that the walls are somehow protecting us. I mean, even a blind person could put together the implications. But yet, there are monsters close by as well. I can feel it. So wouldn¡¯t that be counterintuitive to their goal? The academy isn¡¯t telling us something. That¡¯s all I know.


    Hidden information was nothing new. At the core of every government or large corporation, there was deception. Sometimes, it was for the greater good, and other times, it was for power.


    ¡°Hey, Sen, can you hold this side of the tent for a moment?¡± Hana called out to him. He nodded and did what she asked. Hana and Kaiyo both took a dark green cloth and slowly attached it to a triangle-shaped structure comprised of metal poles, which formed the framework of the tent. Slowly but surely, the cloth roofed the scaffold and took the shape of the finished product. Now, all that was left was to pin the four sides of the tent so it wouldn¡¯t blow away from the harsh wind.


    Hana puffed, already breaking into a sweat. ¡°Great work, guys!¡±


    ¡°How are you sweating?¡± Sen asked. His sister tilted her head, confused.


    ¡°What do you mean? It¡¯s pretty hot in these clothes. I can feel my body drenched in sweat.¡±


    That remark made Baru¡¯s ears perk up as he pretended to look busy, setting up the other tent next to them with Hyo. Sen sighed. He knew Baru had a field day imagining that.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. You people with touch have bodies different from ours. Was it not cold for you when we first got here?¡±


    ¡°Um, excuse me, what do you mean by you people? Sen, I¡¯m your sister. We¡¯re the same!¡±


    Maybe his words were misunderstood. ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m segregating you based on your Sense. I was just saying people with Touch have different bodies, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the same as if I said you Senseless people had a bland ass personality¡ª¡± Hana stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes wide with guilt. Just looking at her petrified expression, Sen could understand every word she was about to say. Sen shook his head, sighing deeply. He looked over his shoulder to Baru, who was trying to act like he didn¡¯t hear anything by avoiding his gaze at the last moment.


    The only person who didn¡¯t know he was Senseless was Baru. Even Hono, unfortunately, knew his so-called secret. Hyo cleared his throat and shifted his squared glasses, almost trying to distance himself from the conversation as he continued working on the tent.


    ¡°All of a sudden, I have an urge to take a shit. Huh, isn¡¯t that strange,¡± Baru joked, slowly backing away.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go just yet, Baru,¡± Sen raised his hand to stop him, making Baru grimace and freeze in place.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, I heard it¡­¡± He raised his hand as if he was being arrested. ¡°You can kick me out or punish me or something. I accept anything.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Sen blinked. ¡°No, we¡¯re not doing any of that.¡±


    ¡°You mean you¡¯re not going to beat me half to death for hearing something I shouldn¡¯t have?¡± His eyes shone. ¡°Thank you for taking mercy. I don¡¯t deserve your kindness,¡± Baru cried as he knelt down.


    He reverts to comedy whenever he¡¯s in an uncomfortable position, Sen noticed. Not to mention, he didn¡¯t really seem confused either. That means he suspected me of being Senseless beforehand.


    ¡°I shall never forget your generosity. Please, will y¡ª¡±


    ¡°You knew that I was Senseless, didn¡¯t you?¡± Sen said to the kneeling red-haired boy. Baru was taken aback by his question, his face tense. Sen took that as a sign of culpability. Baru was smarter than he let on, but he didn¡¯t know how to hide his emotions one bit. ¡°It¡¯s fine if you did. I don¡¯t mind you knowing now that the first challenge is over. I just never had a proper time to tell you yet.¡±


    Getting up from his embarrassing position, Baru dusted off the dirt from his clothes and shrugged. ¡°No, I really didn¡¯t know. I¡¯m just not surprised, that¡¯s all.¡±


    Sen narrowed his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re not surprised? What do you mean by that?¡±


    Picking his nose with his pinky, Baru squatted. To him, it didn¡¯t seem like his teammate was trying to cover his guilt with a nonchalant attitude. Baru was just being himself in this case.


    ¡°I truly didn¡¯t know you were Senseless. But since the moment I met you, you just seemed different from all the other people.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t just say different and expect us to understand!¡± Hana interjected.


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    ¡°Whoa, whoa, chill, I¡¯m not the one who revealed his secret now, did I?¡±


    His sister cursed under her breath as she realized he had a fair point. Sen was still puzzled by what Baru meant. He was self-aware of his differences from others, but no one would be able to tell if they didn¡¯t have information about him. So how could Baru, out of all people¡ªnot exactly smart or rational¡ªcome to that conclusion without any indications?


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Just my instinct,¡± Baru replied when Sen asked him. The team deadpanned him, truly not understanding what went through that thick skull. ¡°What? Why are you guys looking at me like that? My mommy always told me I have a good instinct for things.¡±


    ¡°I guess we can¡¯t really argue with that,¡± Hyo admitted.


    ¡°All of you are surprised by me, but what about bob-cut chick? How the hell does she know?¡±


    Hono shyly peered her head from behind one of the tents. ¡°I-I overheard them when the first challenge started.¡±


    Sen vigilantly observed her since their odd interaction back at Gyro¡¯s bar, and so far, she hadn¡¯t raised his suspicion any further. In fact, Sen was more suspicious of himself than her, given the odd way he was acting from time to time. However, nothing similar to that instance had occurred recently, which prompted him to believe it may have been just in his mind. Still, he couldn¡¯t shake a sense of familiarity when seeing Hono¡¯s terrified expression¡ªthe glee as her face turned pale. Lost in thought, he gaped at his hands, almost as if trying to distinguish if they were his or someone else¡¯s. Sure enough, he could freely move each individual finger. The silly thought made him shake his head. I¡¯m surely becoming schizophrenic.


    Baru snorted at Hono¡¯s explanation. ¡°Ha, I wonder who was the blabbermouth when Hono found out, huh?¡± He cast a provoking sideways glance at Hana, which worked quite well. Her face turned red like a tomato, and not from embarrassment, either¡ªjust pure anger.


    ¡°More importantly,¡± Hyo interjected with a tired shake of his head, ¡°now that we have that out of the way, Sen, I created a list of all the food rations and supplies we have and calculated how much we can use each day. Mind if you look at it?¡±


    Sen couldn¡¯t help but feel impressed as he looked through the hologram spreadsheet that projected from his techno watch. Hyo evenly distributed how much everyone was allowed to eat, as well as keeping track of their everyday necessities such as toilet paper and cooking pots.


    ¡°It¡¯s like you¡¯ve done this before,¡± Sen mused as he scrolled through the list. Hyo let out a small chuckle, viewing the expanse of trees and mountains around them.


    ¡°My dad used to take me out camping in the less dangerous parts outside of the city. He was well-trained, so he wasn¡¯t afraid of danger. Back then, we would only go out with a few coolers of food, a tent, and some self-defense weapons. It was so much simpler back then. Once you¡¯re not in the city, you become alive.¡±


    ¡°Until you¡¯re dead,¡± Sen said humorously. Unfortunately, his joke didn¡¯t seem to land too well with Hyo. Even though he clearly didn¡¯t find it funny by the hollow look in his eyes, he let out a fake chuckle.


    ¡°That¡¯s true. It¡¯s hard to ignore the dangers of living outside the cities,¡± Hyo agreed. ¡°But even when we encountered monsters from time to time, I wouldn¡¯t really be scared. I found them quite fascinating, actually; I never understood why people feared them so much.¡±


    Sen had a quite blunt answer to that. ¡°Because they kill humans.¡± It was quite obvious. They were a threat to humanity and killed on sight. There wasn¡¯t much more of a reason to fear something other than that. Hyo shrugged at his response.


    ¡°I suppose that makes sense, but in the end, the monsters are just doing what humans have done since the dawn of time. But nobody walks around in fear when other people pass by them.¡±


    Sen found his words eerily similar to someone else¡¯s. Someone who once let him sit on his lap while he blabbered about god and other things. God gave us power and, in return, punished us for our greed. No matter how much he tried to forget, his father¡¯s sayings always seemed to return and intrude on his mind.


    Sen scowled. What an irrational way of looking at reality. Of course, it may be stubborn that I¡¯m denying it so quickly. I just don¡¯t like excuses for why things are the way they are. Not everything needs to have a reason; sometimes, problems just exist, and no matter what excuse people like to pull out, it never changes anything. That was why I thought the whole concept of a god seemed imprudent.


    ¡°So you think monsters are not all bad?¡± Sen asked Hyo, closing off the neat hologram list.


    For a few moments, they silently watched their team bring sleeping bags and food supplies into the finished tents so they wouldn¡¯t get rained on later. Baru slipped on what seemed to be a muddy part of the clearing with his hands full of items, tumbling on his rear; he let out a flurry of swear words Sen had never even heard before. The girls tried to contain their laughter but failed when they heard Baru continue to blurt slurs out of annoyance. It was amusing to Sen, almost funny. He even let out a small suppressed chuckle.


    ¡°That¡¯s new,¡± Hyo said in amusement, noting his chuckle. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen you laugh before.¡±


    Sen was just as confused as he was. ¡°Me neither. To put it simply, I¡¯ve felt off these past few days. Sorry to interrupt.¡±


    Hyo shook his head. ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. In truth, your question is a tough one that I often think about. On one hand, I don¡¯t have enough evidence to suggest that not all monsters would try to attack me if I were in a cage with them. On the other hand, I believe monsters have every right to live on this planet, just as we do.¡±


    ¡°Even if they¡¯re considered aliens who came from a rock and outer space?¡±


    ¡°I believe everything happens for a reason,¡± Hyo said candidly. ¡°I¡¯m not religious or anything, but I believe with how far humanity has evolved over time, it just can¡¯t be a simple fluke. So, in a way, I believe the existence of monsters is simply how it¡¯s meant to be.¡±


    Sen realized it would be rude to try to deny his claim, but even if Sen wanted to, he wasn¡¯t sure he could. It was a fair point, even if Sen disagreed; the chances of such a complex universe being born from an accident almost seemed as silly as suggesting there was a god. Now, the question of whether monsters were a grand plan of this deity was another story.


    ¡°I suppose there¡¯s some level of truth in that,¡± Sen admitted. ¡°Whatever the case is, I hope you¡¯re okay killing a few monsters if we need to.¡±


    Hyo snorted. ¡°I might think they¡¯re not all bad, but if I¡¯m between life or death, I¡¯m picking life every time.¡±


    ¡°Good to hear,¡± Sen nodded. ¡°Me, on the other hand, I might not be as useful, unfortunately. The sword the academy gave me is as good as useless, but I¡¯ll try my best.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t really expect you to fight, if I¡¯m being honest,¡± Hyo said. ¡°Just leave it to us. I wouldn¡¯t want you getting hurt trying to protect us.¡±


    ¡°I promise you I¡¯m not the type to risk my life over something I have a clear disadvantage over,¡± Sen assured him. ¡°By the way, have you ever used a Sense Sword before?¡± Sen noticed Hyo carrying the sheathed sword on his waist.


    He nodded.¡°My father taught me before my Sense had awakened, and after, I just taught myself the rest.¡±


    Maybe Sen had imagined it, but he could see Hyo¡¯s expression change for a split second when he said that he had taught himself the rest¡ªit was solemn and dejected. Now that Sen had thought about it, he had never asked Hyo about his childhood or past, and judging from the small micro expression, he guessed something had happened during his adolescence.


    ¡°What?¡± Hyo caught him staring at him.


    ¡°Nothing, just thinking about something.¡± If Hyo didn¡¯t want to speak about his experiences, Sen wouldn¡¯t force them out. He shouldn¡¯t really care either, but for some reason, there was a pang of curiosity.


    These odd feelings and impulses annoyed him. He wasn¡¯t his usual self anymore.


    Before the first challenge, Sen only cared about his objective, which was finding info about his father. Details about someone else''s personal life had never concerned him in the past. And now, all of a sudden, things had become amusing to him¡ªsomething so simple as Baru falling.


    Sen clenched his fist as he grew more and more confused about his emotions. Hyo noticed his unusual behavior and lightly prodded him, concerned for his teammate.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You look quite pale?¡±


    Sen¡¯s breathing became shallower, and his body felt scorching hot even while being close to the frigid mountains. Sweat dripped down between his academy tracksuit and his skin, making it irritatingly uncomfortable. One moment, his body felt extreme heat, and the next, a familiar cold chill ran down his body. But it proved to be temporary as the sudden cold was instantly melted by his body¡¯s heat once more.


    His mind was muddled and feverish; he wasn¡¯t able to form a comprehensive sentence to answer his teammate. Sen was well aware that something was off. It was as if he had thrown his head in an oven, unable to escape. It was getting to him. He wasn¡¯t sure if he had the energy to continue standing¡ª


    ¡°Sen, do you need hel¡ªSen!¡± Hyo yelped in disbelief. Sen¡¯s body faltered, landing on Hyo¡¯s shoulder as he helped him avoid hitting the ground. Sen¡¯s irregular breathing was noticeable while sweat dripped down the side of his face. Without much more thought, Hyo instantly checked Sen¡¯s forehead to gather his temperature, and it didn¡¯t take a rocket scientist to understand that it wasn¡¯t good.


    ¡°Fuck¡­ this is bad.¡± Hyo never cursed, but when he did, something was terribly wrong. ¡°Everyone quick!¡± Hyo called out, catching the attention of his team. ¡°Sen is sick!¡±

 Book 2/ Chapter 7– The Walls

    ¡°I remember it was raining that day, just like it is now. It''s funny how things come full circle, isn''t Sen?¡±¨C Mr. Storm.


    Asashi walked briskly through a cold steel hallway, his shoes clanking against the floor as his pace quickened. He turned right, continuing down another passage, noting how dull the interior seemed. He shouldn¡¯t have been bothered by it; the building was specifically designed to withstand monster attacks so that the AOK could investigate and research the area accordingly¡ªmonitoring monster behavior, developing new vaccines to combat viruses found in nature. But the facts didn¡¯t quite change the building¡¯s cold atmosphere.


    His wife had spoiled him with such a comforting and warm household that being away from it too long was unpleasant. The stark contrast between the two made him realize just how thankful he was. The saying was true: you don¡¯t know the value of something until you lose it or are separated from it.


    Artificial white lights shined from above, lining the hallway until it curved to the left, opening up to a large room where many AOK employees worked on massive screens displaying data and security footage of the forest. There were many rooms like this, monitoring different sections inside the forest where the contestants were engaged in their second challenge. But this room, in particular, piqued Asashi¡¯s interest. He eyed one of the many large screens displaying unfamiliar code he couldn¡¯t grasp. But something he did understand was the illustration of a map, with a red circle outlining the perimeter of a barrier.


    This was something he had limited information on, and even the higher-ups were reluctant to say anything about it. From the information he could gather, the government had developed new technology that would deter monsters¡ªa dome of energy, in other words. This could be used not only to deter monsters but also to trap them in a specific area, and it was already being put to the test. The academy would never be so reckless as to send out a bunch of novices to fight for their lives in a monster-infested danger zone; that would simply be ludicrous. Asashi wouldn¡¯t have permitted his daughter to participate under those conditions.


    The academy''s board of directors had proposed the idea of trial-running this newfound technology during the exams, which Asashi was skeptical about at first, to say the least, but they had assured him that extensive testing had been done to warrant a mass-scale trial run.


    He was still apprehensive about such new technology, even though officials had told him they had a full two decades'' worth of data¡ªwhich alone had raised many questions for him. Asashi had been with the AOK for a long time, and he had never even heard a peep about this technology they were developing. However, it didn¡¯t matter much where the device originated; the results were what mattered, and he was reluctant to admit it, but they were quite astonishing.


    So far, no monsters, above or below, dared to step foot within the walls, and the monsters they had hand-selected for the challenge had all stayed like livestock trapped in the confines of a farm. They also made sure not to include any monsters that would be deemed too powerful for the competitors to kill. The academy didn¡¯t want a slaughter on their hands.


    Nonetheless, they were still expecting some casualties, as almost all exams had¡ªafter all, it was still brutally dangerous. That was why Asashi, on multiple occasions, tried explaining the dangers to the contestants and identifying the weakest links to prevent needless deaths. But somehow, Asashi wasn¡¯t worried about the monsters at all.


    They seemed so paltry in comparison to the actual danger.


    ¡°Yami¡¯s experiment was successful, huh?¡± Asashi clenched his hand into a bitter fist. ¡°So I was right about that day.¡±


    Asashi had received a very important phone call just an hour before the second challenge had officially begun¡ªa call that cleared up years of gnawing contemplations and theories. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was good that he knew the information he did, because the more he knew, the angrier he became, knowing he could do nothing.


    ¡°S-sir, would you like some coffe¡ª¡± A helper broke off her sentence as Asashi snapped his head, his emerald eyes erupting with anger. Noticing it was just a simple helper, he sighed, forcing himself to cool off and adopt a friendlier demeanor.


    ¡°Apologies,¡± Asashi dipped his head. The young girl had brunette hair pulled back into a ponytail, with two strands loose on the sides of her forehead. Her beauty wasn¡¯t that of a model, plastered with makeup and surgeries. No, she had a natural beauty, and it stood out to him¡ªnot in a weird way, either. ¡°You don¡¯t seem the type to work for the AOK,¡± Asashi said honestly.


    The girl was jumpy, almost flinching with every word he said. Asashi eyed the name tag on her chest, which read Miku Mahama.


    ¡°I-I guess so. I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t really know how to respond to that,¡± she stammered.


    Asashi shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t mind me. Say, what are you doing all the way out here?¡±


    ¡°They needed more hands at this base in preparation for the exam. So, I managed to get a small job here, serving people when I can. My family''s finances took a big hit, so this helps a lot,¡± Miku said with a forced smile, but behind it, Asashi could tell she was hurting more than words could describe. It was more than finances, he knew just from one glance. Nevertheless, he didn¡¯t want to intrude with any more personal questions.


    ¡°Very well,¡± he nodded and added with a slight smile. ¡°And yes, a coffee sounds splendid.¡±


    The girl¡¯s nervousness seemed to melt away as she returned his positive request with a bright nod. Before she could walk away to prepare his drink, Asashi spotted a silver-ranked Knight in the room calling out to her.


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    ¡°Hey there, pretty, give me a coffee with two sugars. I¡¯d prefer it be done quickly as well.¡±


    Asashi didn¡¯t appreciate the arrogant tone with which the young Knight spoke. Of course, Asashi recognized how angry he¡¯d seemed a few moments ago, but at least he had tried to correct himself.


    ¡°Oh. Y-yes, of course, I¡¯ll be right back.¡± The girl said before scurrying out of the busy room.


    Once it was clear she was out of earshot, the man snorted, walking up to Asashi and leaning against the steel wall, watching how the employees frantically typed on hologram keyboards. ¡°Pathetic,¡± the young man said.


    Asashi scrutinized him, taking in his features. He was a handsome man with a defined jaw and short, black, middle-parted hair. He had an air of self-confidence, but something even more overpowering was the arrogant smirk that he carried. Real Knights didn¡¯t have name tags, so Asashi didn¡¯t know his name¡ªbut he did have a sparkly silver badge that represented his rank, and by the looks of things, he seemed new. Asashi could tell by his age and, more noticeably, by the badge itself. Newer Knights had a new rendition of badges, while the older ones were outdated.


    Of course, as usual, Asashi refused to wear the uniform along with the useless badge of honor¡ªor whatever people liked to call them.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you agree?¡± The man asked.


    Asashi blinked with confusion. ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t catch that. Were you talking to me?¡±


    The Knight twitched. ¡°Yes, you lowlife. Wouldn¡¯t you agree that these people here are just wasting their lives away? Like seriously, what kind of honor does sitting behind a computer really have?¡±


    It was obvious a few people had heard his rude statement, but they all seemed to know better than to speak out against it. Asashi didn¡¯t like this cocky fellow, but he tried to remain composed.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that. They¡¯re doing fantastic work¡ªcompiling data, making sure the contestants are saf¡ª¡±


    ¡°Cry me a river.¡± The man cut him off. ¡°Who cares about the safety of those rookies? I think we should let them learn the dangers of the wild. If they can''t manage to survive, then they simply weren¡¯t strong enough.¡±


    Asashi was getting close to his tipping point. ¡°What¡¯s your name, young man?¡±


    ¡°Ryan,¡± he replied. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°So, Ryan, what is your point?¡± Asashi asked bluntly, his tone growing firmer from the boy¡¯s disrespectful attitude.


    Ryan didn¡¯t seem to like that response at all. He curled his lip and looked at him with an air of disrespect. It was clear he had no idea who Asashi was.


    ¡°Hmph, I thought you old people could understand words better. But fine, let me put it in simpler terms. The academy has grown soft. Back when I took the exam, it was much harder and more dangerous than what these kids have to go through. But I guess you wouldn¡¯t understand that. You don¡¯t look like a Knight.¡± He insolently eyed Asashi up and down, noting his simple black trench coat.


    This fucking asshole. Asashi wanted to punch a hole through his face, which he could if he truly wanted to. Unfortunately for him, killing someone was kind of illegal.


    ¡°So what if I¡¯m not a Knight? How would that change things?¡± Asashi decided to play a little game with the stuck-up cocky Knight.


    ¡°Well, a lot of things would change,¡± Ryan snorted. ¡°First and foremost, it would mean you¡¯re weak. Second, it would mean¡­ you¡¯re weak. And third, quite controversially, it would mean you¡¯re weak.¡±


    Yeah I''m going to kill him. I wonder if I can frame it as an accident? Wait, no, that wouldn''t work there are too many witnesses, he sighed sadly.


    No amount of words could make Asashi feel better. Only his fists.


    The moment he felt like he¡¯d finally snapped, the young lady returned with two cups of coffee in her hands. Miku had quite literally saved him from committing a crime, and he was grateful for it.


    ¡°I¡¯m back,¡± she said cheerfully, handing both of them their cups. He nodded in appreciation, taking the first sip of his coffee. But then he noticed something odd. Sweet? He realized.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± Ryan exclaimed, making Asashi snap his head toward him. Ryan spat out his coffee, making a small puddle on the floor. With a repulsed face, he wiped his mouth clean with the sleeve of his uniform, only to realize he¡¯d accidentally stained his clothes by doing that.


    ¡°This coffee isn¡¯t sweet!¡± Ryan spat at Miku, making her too shaken to respond. ¡°And now my uniform is stained, you bitch.¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, I must have mixed them up¡ª¡±


    ¡°How do you mix them up?!¡± Ryan growled. ¡°You had one fucking job.¡±


    He began marching toward her with hate sparking in his eyes¡ªa small flicker of blue light materialized in them. Backed against the steel wall, Miku kept stuttering out incoherent apologies that only seemed to fuel Ryan¡¯s anger even more, his face red with rage and a vein visibly pulsing.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that hard!¡± Ryan spat, his saliva landing on her forehead. ¡°This is exactly what I mean. Everyone¡¯s grown soft or stupid. How about doing the bare minimum and getting your job done?¡±


    Tears started welling up in Miku¡¯s eyes as she tried her best to find words. ¡°I¡ªI will, I promise, I¡ªI¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m so sorry!¡±


    ¡°Huh? Are you sure? Or are you just saying that so I¡¯ll let you off the hook?¡±


    ¡°No, really, I had no right to mix it up.¡±


    ¡°Say it again¡­¡± Ryan muttered threateningly, his anger slowly manifesting into cold malice.


    ¡°I¡ªI had¡­ no right to mix it up,¡± Miku sobbed, tears starting to fall, making an even bigger puddle than the coffee spill.


    ¡°Huh? Why the hesitation¡ª¡±


    Before Ryan could lurch his fist at Miku, Asashi calmly seized his drawn forearm before he could attack.


    ¡°Huh? What the fuck do you think you¡¯re doing, old ma¡ª¡±


    Asashi squeezed.


    Ryan let out a bloodcurdling shriek of agony as Asashi tightened his grip, making him fall to his knees in pain. Panicked, Ryan tried loosening Asashi''s grip with his other hand, but it was useless as Asashi seized it too, grasping even harder. Yowling, Ryan¡¯s arms turned bloodshot, then pale white as his circulation cut off. With both arms now in his control, Asashi lowered his head to meet Ryan¡¯s wide, throbbing eyes. Asashi stared with a flat, callous face.


    ¡°Who do you think you are,¡± Asashi muttered in Ryan¡¯s ear, his tone almost resembling the low growl of a panther, ¡°saying those things to a young lady?¡±


    Ryan couldn¡¯t answer through his screams of pain.


    With no reply, Asashi tightened his grip further, beginning to feel the hard shape of his skeleton. The sound of Ryan¡¯s grinding bones would have been heard if it weren¡¯t drowned out by his pathetic screams for mercy.


    ¡°AGHHHH! PPP¡ªPLEASE STOP; I¡¯LL DO ANYTHING!¡± Ryan cried, his pitiful eyes also starting to well up with tears. Asashi heard horrified murmurs from the staff as they paused their work to look at the commotion. He couldn¡¯t make out what they were saying, but the fact that no one tried to help the young man proved he wasn¡¯t exactly liked among them. Who would¡¯ve thought?


    Before long, Asashi suddenly noticed Ryan¡¯s screams had stopped. With a confused blink, he looked at Ryan¡¯s slumped head, only to find out that he had gone unconscious.


    Releasing Ryan¡¯s arms from his grip, his whole body went limp, flopping onto the steel floor and landing directly in the puddle of coffee.


    ¡°Oopsie, looks like he might get a stain, huh,¡± Asashi mocked flatly. He checked Miku, who was still too stunned to understand what had just happened. But behind her shock, he noticed a slight smile of relief. And for Asashi, that was well worth the amount of trouble he was about to get himself into.


    ¡°It¡¯s a shame,¡± he said to Ryan''s unconscious body, ¡°I wasn¡¯t even using my Sense too.¡±

 Book 2/ Chapter 8– Counterfeit Needs

    Asashi inhaled the rancid, bitter tobacco smoke and exhaled, watching it gradually fade in front of his eyes. He knew it wasn¡¯t healthy, but seeing the smoke dissolve in the air was therapeutic. The problems that had bothered him just moments ago now seemed meaningless, irrelevant¡ªlike a morning dew drop in a vast ocean.


    But maybe that was just the tobacco talking. Maybe this feeling of temporary relief would soon disappear, leaving him yearning for it once again. He was stuck in a loop of counterfeit needs, always depending on short-term solutions without the willpower to truly solve the problem.


    In truth, that was simply the reality he lived in. No one actually tried solving their problems. It was easier to rely on something that could dull the pain for a bit. And he was just as guilty¡­ everyone was just as guilty.


    ¡°Man¡­¡± Asashi shivered. ¡°It¡¯s way too cold.¡±


    He overlooked the tall forest from a steep, rocky mountain, the wind chill making him shudder even with Touch activated. Asashi leaned against the steel railings of the research facility, which separated him from a several-hundred-foot drop into the sharp outcrops below. It was a childish, fleeting thought, but he wondered if he could survive if he decided to jump. Of course, with his Sense activated. But upon inspection, he quickly erased the thought of survival. Some rocks were as sharp as daggers, capable of piercing through anyone before they could even tumble further down.


    ¡°Who the hell had the bright idea to build it in this place?¡± Asashi grumbled, looking at the square and sturdy steel facility behind him.


    ¡°Certainly not you,¡± a familiar voice said as the door opened with a screech. He wanted to pretend that he didn¡¯t see the outline of a woman, so he simply turned back around and continued taking in the scenery as if no one had said anything.


    ¡°Wow, you¡¯re just going to ignore me like that?¡± she said, annoyed.


    Asashi sighed. ¡°Zizu, what are you doing here?¡±


    The green-haired woman puffed impudently and joined him by the railing, though she quickly thought twice as she stepped back, seeing the steep fall. Asashi couldn¡¯t hide his amusement.


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s so funny?¡± Zizu shakily asked, clearly still uneasy where she stood. He shook his hand, dismissing his attempt to hide the laughter.


    ¡°Nothing, nothing,¡± he denied. ¡°More importantly, you still haven¡¯t answered my question.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask me,¡± Zizu shrugged with an annoyed expression, taking a few steps back and leaning against the wall. Out of all places, Zizu had no reason to be at the research facility, especially in a danger zone. For a short period of time, he¡¯d thought he would have some peace and quiet without her constant nagging. But even being a few hundred miles from the academy, she had somehow managed to ruin his vision.


    ¡°You¡¯re supposed to be Mr. Storm¡¯s assistant, correct?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Um¡­ yeah?¡± she responded warily.


    ¡°Then why aren¡¯t you assisting?¡±


    ¡°I am, you asshole!¡± Zizu snapped. ¡°He told me to be your assistant for the next week. Trust me, I¡¯m not too thrilled about this either.¡± She pompously rolled her eyes and rubbed her arms, fighting the cold air. Zizu was too proud to admit that she was freezing, but her trembling body was quite telling.


    After a few moments of silence, he exhaled the last puff of his cigarette and crushed it beneath his dress shoe, a slight sizzle escaping. At this point, Zizu was going to be frozen solid. She wasn¡¯t letting up either. It was as if she were trying to prove something to him.


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Asashi faced the shivering woman. ¡°Looking cold, huh?¡±


    Words were barely able to escape her icy mouth. ¡°S-S-Shut it. I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Asashi ambled toward Zizu. Her eyes were shut from the wind chill, unaware of his approach. ¡°That¡¯s no way for an assistant to speak, now, is it?¡±


    When she opened her eyes again, an oversized trench coat was thrown on her face, making her stumble back in confusion. She wrestled with it since it was almost two times her size, but with a grunt of frustration, she got it off.


    ¡°What the hell was that for!¡± she exclaimed at Asashi, who was now leaning against the steel wall next to her, only this time, without a coat.


    ¡°You were freezing to death, for Christ''s sake,¡± he sighed, his hands tucked into his pockets.


    ¡°I told you, I¡¯m fine!¡±


    ¡°Clearly, you aren¡¯t,¡± Asashi pointed toward her legs, which shook like leaves. She flushed in response, trying to gather her words but ended up failing miserably. Giving up, Zizu accepted his kind gesture and struggled to put on the coat properly.


    ¡°Ya know, you''re awfully considerate for such a mean-looking guy. Aren¡¯t you cold?¡± she asked, finally settling into his clothes. Asashi cringed at her compliments. He hated being appreciated for doing the bare minimum just because he seemed like the type not to care. Ever since he was a kid, people had generally avoided him because of his threatening look and strength.


    Maybe that¡¯s why he succeeded in climbing the ranks of the AOK. For someone to achieve his status, they needed to have a certain air about them, and unfortunately, he recognized that maybe he had that. He wasn¡¯t proud of it, of course. Who liked being feared by people who weren¡¯t even their enemies? Well¡­ perhaps evil people, he presumed.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not cold, but I can still feel it a little. I''ll just turn on my Sense and dial the strength back so it lasts a little longer.¡±


    ¡°You can do that?¡± Zizu gaped.


    He nodded, surprised she didn¡¯t even know that. But then again, he had to remind himself that she didn¡¯t have Touch. There were many things he didn¡¯t know about other Senses too.


    ¡°The same way someone can intensify their strength for a punch, the opposite is also true. The lower the strength of your Sense, the longer it lasts. It¡¯s like a candle. The bigger the flame, the quicker the wax melts, and vice versa. However, it takes a long time to control the intensity of Touch. Beginners usually don¡¯t have that ability. Typically, once they open their Sense, they use it to the max. That¡¯s why it runs out so quickly. It¡¯s generally the same for all Senses, so I assume your Sight works similarly.¡±


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    Zizu frowned as she thought about it. ¡°I guess I can see further the harder I try, and the less I try, the easier it becomes. It''s the same with seeing things in pitch black, too.¡±


    ¡°And what happens when you try harder?¡±


    ¡°My eyes hurt, and it causes my whole head to strain.¡±


    Asashi nodded. ¡°Exactly, so in general, all Senses are fundamentally the same. We have a certain amount of Sense energy in the tank that can be used before it runs out. And the more someone trains, the bigger the tank of energy becomes.¡±


    Zizu couldn¡¯t help but snort in amusement. ¡°This is exactly why you¡¯re a Knight, and I¡¯m an assistant.¡±


    ¡°It just comes from experience,¡± he replied bluntly. He didn¡¯t quite find his knowledge of Senses a good thing. For some odd reason, there was a deep contempt whenever he learned more about them. As if he were committing a sin.


    When did it start? Asashi asked himself. No, I always felt it since the day my Sense awakened. The better question is, when did I acknowledge it? When did I acknowledge this feeling of bitterness whenever I used my powers?


    Asashi grabbed another cigarette from his pocket and brought it to his mouth. But before his lighter could ignite it, Asashi gaped at the beautiful scenery from the base of Mount Fuji.


    The forest¡ªalthough quite bare¡ªgave off a certain calm emotion. The bright sun escaped the confinements of the clouds and shimmered on a lake, making the chilling whispers of the wind die down. It was hard to think such a beautiful place could be so dangerous. Gazing at the sight gave him a pang of hesitation.


    Maybe¡­ he¡¯d had enough cigarettes for one day.


    With a deep sigh, Asashi returned the unused cigarette to the box and thought briefly, trying to dig into his memories. That¡¯s right¡­ that¡¯s when it started, Asashi suddenly realized. Perhaps the self-restraint of not smoking granted him some clarity, but he finally understood¡ªThe moment I started detesting my Sense.


    It was a memory of a person he¡¯d tried to erase from his mind. Someone who not only betrayed him, but his very own family as well. Someone who had gone mad, destroying the lives of countless innocent children and adults alike just for his foolish vision of the future.


    ¡°Zizu, I have a question,¡± Asashi suddenly asked, his eyes closed, bathing in the sunlight.


    Turning to look at him, her body stopped shaking due to the sun''s warm rays. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°How do you think humans received their Super Senses?¡± he asked her. It was a straightforward question that even a toddler could answer, but he wanted to understand how a normal person saw the world. The way he saw things differed from the rest, whether it was due to the things he¡¯d been through or the knowledge he had attained.


    She frowned. ¡°Uh, we started awakening Senses after a meteorite crashed into central Europe. Then monsters started appearing, believed to be caused by some alien-type gene that began affecting and mutating real animals, and it just worsened through evolution.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a fair conclusion, but how did we gain such power? Just from the existence of the meteorite?¡±


    ¡°I¡ªI never really thought about it,¡± she confessed. ¡°But it¡¯s not really worth mulling over, to be honest. There are many mysteries in the world that we¡¯ll never have answers to. How does one thing simply be? How does it exist? Doesn¡¯t everything need to have a creator? That¡¯s why many revert to religion¡ªbecause it answers their questions.¡±


    Asashi didn¡¯t utter a single word. The only thing that could be heard was the faint, beautiful chirps of birds in the distant but fast forest. The assistant grew hesitant from his odd reaction but offered no further words. Then, finally, Asashi opened his eyes, taking in the scenery with a healthy, deep breath.


    ¡°He gave us what we desired the most and, in return, punished us for our greed,¡± Asashi whispered an ominous quote, his face remaining dreary as he looked onward.


    Zizu blinked. ¡°He? Who is he?¡±


    ¡°God,¡± Asashi answered bluntly. ¡°God gave us power and, in return, punished us for our greed. It¡¯s a saying Yami often told me when we served in the war. Back then, I wrote it off as him trying to seem philosophical, but I still remember it. And although he was a man who went insane, I can¡¯t help but find those words stuck in my head as if they¡¯re yearning to be proven.¡±


    ¡°Oh boy¡­¡± Zizu sighed. ¡°Asashi, I think you need some rest. You¡¯re under too much stress.¡±


    He gave a half chuckle. ¡°I suppose you''re right. I have a lot of things on my mind. I guess I¡¯m just a bit worried.¡±


    Zizu wanted to laugh as if he were being sarcastic, but seeing his distant expression, her smile slowly faded. ¡°Worried... You? What happened? Was it because you beat the shit out of that one guy a little while ago? Are you afraid that the higher-ups will not like that or something?¡±


    ¡°You know about that already?¡± He narrowed his eyes.


    Zizu snorted. ¡°News travels fast around here.¡±


    He shrugged. Asashi wasn¡¯t worried about that, given how high he was in the ranking. In fact, the altercation was way worse for Ryan than it was for him. Asashi would make sure he was taught a lesson on proper conduct. That arrogance and vulgar attitude had no place in the AOK, no matter how much he despised the administration. As long as he was in a position of power, he would try his best to eliminate those snobs. Again, not by killing them, because that was unfortunately illegal.


    ¡°No, I deal with those people more times than I would like to admit. There are other things that are more worrisome.¡±


    Zizu rolled her eyes, fed up with his vague answers. ¡°Like?¡±


    Instead of replying, he pushed himself from the wall and walked to the railing. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his lighter and extended his arm over the ridge.


    ¡°Asashi, what are you doin¡ª¡±


    He let go. His lighter plummeted into the rocky outcrops below, swirling in the harsh wind, then soon vanished. But he didn¡¯t stop there. Asashi pulled out his cigarette box, eyeing it flatly as if saying a brief farewell to an old friend, and released it from his grasp. He wasn¡¯t concerned about watching it disappear into the rocky abyss below. He knew it did.


    It was time that he pushed aside everything that numbed and deceived him to focus on the more crucial things. He was done with it. Done trying to hide his unease behind a lighter and cigarette. He¡¯d rather face the pain head-on and overcome it. He was ashamed to admit that he had fallen into such a deep hole of fabricated necessity. But not anymore. A hot, bubbling sensation in his chest started stirring. He was angry¡­ very angry.


    Asashi twisted around, returning to lean beside the wall, with Zizu gaping at him as if he¡¯d broken the law or something.


    ¡°Asashi¡­¡± she started. ¡°What the fuck. Why did you throw your lighter and cig¡¯s away? Are you okay? Is this a sign for hel¡ª¡±


    ¡°I got a call from my wife today,¡± he said.


    ¡°Okay¡­ did something bad happen to her?¡± Zizu¡¯s tone shifted to one of sympathy, as if expecting something horrible to have happened. She sighed in relief when, thankfully, he shook his head.


    ¡°No, she¡¯s fine. But someone visited her recently. Someone our family knew for quite a while, and she talked with me on the phone for the first time in years.¡±


    It appeared Zizu was picking up the hints as he laid them down. Asashi only knew a few people whom they had known for a long time or spoken about, so it was easy to deduce who it was.


    ¡°Jen? That¡¯s quite surprising, given how you both stayed distant for quite a while. And your, uh¡­ relationship with the kid.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t hate him. And I don¡¯t want to hate him either.¡±


    She frowned at that answer. ¡°It¡¯s because he was a test subject for Yami, isn¡¯t it? Stop worrying about that. As Mr. Storm said, he was a failed vessel, and¡ª¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not a failed vessel.¡± His words were sharp, cutting off her sentence.


    ¡°Pardon?¡± She froze.


    ¡°Jen asked me to remove Sen from the exam. And her reasoning wasn¡¯t because she was afraid for her little Senseless boy, it was something else, I could tell.¡±


    ¡°What did she exactly say?¡± Zizu asked, still not entirely convinced by his statement. Asashi stared Zizu down, his green emerald eyes slanted and grim.


    ¡°Something only I would understand,¡± he murmured. ¡°Nobody had broken into my house that day¡­¡±

 Book 2/ Chapter 9– Im a monster

    The endless pursuit of happiness only brings dissatisfaction.


    Cherish fleeting moments instead of wishing for more.


    Sen found himself floating in a vast expanse of darkness. No light was detected, nor was any life palpable. His body occasionally swayed and rocked in the black void, his head growing dizzy as if he were seasick. He wasn¡¯t sure where he was, but it didn¡¯t feel real. He¡­ didn¡¯t feel real.


    It was terrifying not being able to think clearly. After all, his mind always tended to run a marathon, not stopping for a single rest or water break. Having this moment of hazy solitude was alien to Sen, and it was petrifying. He couldn¡¯t bundle it up in words as to why it felt this way, and his brain wasn¡¯t capable of doing so either, but a deep voice within him told him he should be afraid¡­ that it was normal to be afraid.


    But what did it mean to fear something? Was what he felt truly fear? Or was it merely a figment of what it was supposed to feel like? What if it was all just an elaborate lie? For longer than he could remember, he had no concept of what it meant to truly feel something. His hands would grasp mundane items to feel their texture, but how was it possible to grasp something that lay inside of him? Something beyond the materialistic world that people were trapped in. Something that even scientists had no thesis on.


    "Scared..." Sen¡¯s voice reverberated through the dark expanse of nothing. "I¡¯m scared."


    The awareness of helplessness stirred him. He opened his eyes, only to find nothing to perceive, and flailed his arms, finding nothing to embrace. Sen was alone in the darkness... or perhaps it wasn¡¯t even darkness to begin with. For darkness to exist, light must have been present.


    But this¡­ this felt different¡ªthis was simply nothingness.


    "Somebody help¡­ somebody, please help!" Sen screamed, but his voice only echoed in a place where nothing existed. He refused to give up. His voice needed to be heard, no matter how long it took to reach someone. He shouted again and again until his vocal cords started to bleed, making him choke on his own desperate pleas for help.


    But once more¡­ nobody heard him.


    Blood leaked from his mouth, though he couldn¡¯t see where it had landed¡ªif it had landed anywhere at all. He was left only with excruciating pain in his throat, and even more within his soul. Had nobody heard him? Or were they simply ignoring him? Perhaps they didn¡¯t care about him. Who would?


    After all, he was a monster.


    "I don¡¯t want to be¡­" he murmured, "a monster anymore¡­" Sen¡¯s throat burned as he muttered to himself. His words echoed in the void, forcing him to hear his voice repeatedly, as if his own self were mocking him.


    "Please free me¡­ from this cage," his voice was as quiet and defeated as a mouse¡¯s. This time, the echo didn¡¯t mock him; it stayed silent, as if listening to his words of hopelessness.


    Then Sen felt it¡­ water. Where was the water coming from? He turned around, trying to find it, only to be left empty-handed and senseless once more.


    "Oh¡­" Sen almost laughed when he realized where it was coming from. He reached for his eyes.


    "It¡¯s just me."


    #


    Sen didn¡¯t wake up in a pleasant way. He awoke with a searing pain shooting through his forehead, his entire body aching and numb. Not ideal, to say the least. Instead of feeling rejuvenated, his muscles were tense and worn out, as if he had just done an intense workout. He swallowed hard, feeling the pain of a sore throat.


    I¡­ I need some medication. It''s in the kitchen cabinet. I¡¯ll ask Hana to fetch it for me.


    With his eyes still closed, Sen groaned as he propped himself up in the bed, only to realize it didn¡¯t feel like the usual soft bedding he slept on. His blanket felt elastic and rubbery to the touch, almost like a raincoat. Frowning groggily, Sen finally opened his eyes.


    It took him a few moments to adjust to the darkness, but eventually, he made out the cramped, triangle-shaped structure in which he lay. The tent whirled nauseously around him, making it difficult to keep his eyes open and properly take in his surroundings. With a painful exhale, he lay back down, knowing that if he kept his eyes open for too long, he¡¯d likely end up vomiting on the sheets.


    "Sen?" Kaiyo¡¯s concerned voice abruptly entered the tent, startling him. "Are you¡­ okay?"


    He groaned in response, "Barely."


    Kaiyo quickly knelt beside him, ringing out a hand towel from a pot of ice-cold water and placing it on his feverish forehead. He winced from the sudden cold, but as the heat from his forehead started to drop, he relished the soothing feeling.


    "You were out cold for a few hours," Kaiyo said, patiently kneeling on the tent floor.


    "A few hours?" he weakly echoed her words. The more awake Sen became, the more he remembered how he had passed out in Hyo¡¯s arms. Everything after that was a blur.


    "You don¡¯t have to worry too much. You didn¡¯t miss anything major, just a few low-ranked monsters."


    "Monsters?" Sen choked in surprise, trying to sit up. But Kaiyo firmly pressed her hand against his forehead, keeping him from moving. Given how weak he was, he couldn¡¯t put up much of a fight against her strength.


    "Shush, will you¡­" she grimaced. "It¡¯s fine. Just a few low-ranked monsters, that¡¯s all. Hana and Baru handled them so quickly, it wasn¡¯t even a fight."


    "What monsters were they?" he asked.


    "A Hinder, and an Urna."


    Sen recalled reading about those monsters, but as Kaiyo had said, they weren¡¯t anything noteworthy.


    A Hinder was a silver-ranked minus monster, similar to a common deer but with an absurdly long jaw and fangs. It usually had a thick, long white pelt of fur, accompanied by a deer¡¯s typical slim body structure. The most dangerous aspect of a Hinder was its poisonous antlers, which could kill if not treated quickly. It was safe to assume they didn¡¯t mind eating a few humans if given the opportunity.


    An Urna, on the other hand, was a spider that could grow up to ten feet long and usually lived in freshwater lakes or ponds. Thankfully, it wasn¡¯t venomous, but its sheer size and fangs were enough to pose a threat and scare any ordinary person. It was classified as a bronze-ranked plus monster.


    "How many points did they get from that?"


    Kaiyo held up her wrist and checked her techno watch, which displayed the points. "Oh. It was ten for the Urna, which Hana killed, and seven for the Hinder that Baru took down."


    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    The stats confused him. From an objective standpoint, a Hinder was the more dangerous monster, yet Baru had received fewer points. Then Sen remembered what Asashi had said before the challenge.


    "To keep things fair, the points are calculated based on your Sense and overall skill."


    That meant that although Baru had killed the stronger monster, the gap in strength between him and his sister was factored into the point system. If that didn¡¯t reflect Baru¡¯s true power, Sen wasn¡¯t sure what else could.


    "Sorry for making you guys worry," Sen told Kaiyo. His sudden apology made her blink, furrowing her brow in confusion. He wasn¡¯t the type to apologize privately to anyone. Not only because he rarely did anything worth apologizing for, but also because he didn¡¯t show guilt very often. Kaiyo, who had known him for most of her life, quickly picked up on his strange behavior.


    "That¡¯s not like you. What are you apologizing for?"


    Her simple question made him pause. That¡¯s right¡­ why am I apologizing?


    Perhaps it wasn¡¯t just because he felt guilty for making them look after him. That wasn¡¯t the reason at all. Beneath his short apology lay a hidden reason¡ªsomething he hadn¡¯t acknowledged at the time. But now, like hot bile stuck in the back of his throat, it grew ever more noticeable to him. Thinking about this odd sensation, Sen recalled a book he had read years ago on human psychology. He hadn¡¯t truly understood it then, but he had picked up a few key points for future reference. The book said:


    "Humans are expressive creatures, but they are also just as cunning. This combination leads to a multitude of ways to hide what they¡¯re feeling. Nobody simply expresses their emotions to another¡ªbecause those same emotions are what stops them from communicating. Embarrassment, guilt, anger, sadness. Each one has its reasons for closing itself off from others. Even happiness has its reasons. A person might be so happy and content with their life that they fear anything that could spoil or jeopardize their mood, leading them to shut themselves away. So, people often end up communicating in roundabout ways¡ªdoing something unusual or apologizing for something small in the hope that the other person will recognize the underlying implication. Often, this stems from guilt."


    "I see¡­" Sen murmured, finally understanding, years after reading that sentence. It was almost funny.


    "What?" Kaiyo asked, growing a bit annoyed that he wasn¡¯t sharing. "Stop talking in riddles¡ª"


    "I¡¯m sorry to you, personally then," he muttered.


    Kaiyo stared, dumbfounded, at Sen¡¯s face, half-covered by the ice-cold towel. She couldn¡¯t tell what he was thinking, or even feeling, in that moment. A long silence filled the tent, until Kaiyo finally spoke again.


    "Huh? For what, Sen? You didn¡¯t do anything wrong to me."


    He didn¡¯t respond. He simply didn¡¯t want to. Maybe Kaiyo was oblivious to what he had done before the challenge, but he certainly wasn¡¯t. And he didn¡¯t want to explain it to her. That would only make things worse. All he wanted was to get rid of the hot bile in the back of his throat¡ªthe newfound guilt gnawing at him.


    "Sen?" Kaiyo asked again, prodding him gently to see if he had fallen back asleep. But Sen hadn¡¯t; answering her question was just too difficult, so he remained silent.


    "Well... I guess you''re forgiven, whatever it is you did." Kaiyo let out a soft laugh, deciding not to push the subject further. She removed the towel from his forehead, dunked it back into the cold water, and placed it on him again, creating another wave of coolness that washed over him.


    "I had an odd dream when I slept," he said as Kaiyo began to prepare his medication from the aid kit.


    "Oh, now you¡¯re talking, huh?" she sighed, amused. "Fine, what was it about?"


    "I..." Sen began, then quickly trailed off, unsure himself. "I don¡¯t remember."


    Kaiyo frowned. "Well, you never talk about your dreams, so it must have been important."


    She was right. He never shared his dreams because he always thought they were irrelevant and not worth mentioning. What¡¯s gotten into me? Why am I starting to talk about such trivial things?


    Yet¡­


    When Sen tried recalling the dream, he couldn¡¯t shake the feeling of deep uneasiness. It was as if he could hear the indistinguishable remains of a quiet, defeated voice calling out to him from somewhere. Was that from my dream? Sen wasn¡¯t sure, and he doubted he would ever know.


    "It¡¯s okay, you don¡¯t need to remember it," Kaiyo said gently. Although Sen couldn¡¯t see her face, he could tell from her tone that she was giving him a comforting smile. "Sometimes it¡¯s alright to forget things, you know?"


    Sen didn¡¯t quite understand. "How so? Remembering things is important."


    "True, but sometimes it has its downsides," she said, popping a tablet out of its plastic case. "Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to remember everything. I think how helpful it might be, but in the end, I¡¯m kind of glad I don¡¯t."


    "Why?"


    "Because then I¡¯d be forced to remember the painful things. I think you, out of all people, would understand that."


    Sen stayed quiet, unsure of how to respond. But as soon as his mind began recalling memories uncontrollably, a painful ache thumped in his chest. The memories of when his mother broke down into tears, saying that Yami was dead, came rushing back too clearly. Hana¡¯s crying voice as she tried to comfort their mother echoed in his head. The despair in his mother¡¯s eyes as she slumped against the front door¡ªit all felt as fresh and raw as if Sen were living through it again, but in just a fraction of a second.


    But most of all¡ªthe memory he couldn¡¯t shake¡ªwas the moment his mother looked at him with pure contempt.


    "You don¡¯t acknowledge it much," Kaiyo started again, "but I think remembering everything is more of a curse than a gift. I feel sorry for you."


    "Don¡¯t feel sorry for me," he replied quickly. "Because even I don¡¯t know whether I should feel sorry for myself or not."


    Kaiyo gave him a sympathetic frown and lightly nudged him to sit up so he could take his medication.


    "I know it¡¯s hard, but try to sit up a little so you can take the pills with some water."


    Sen dismissed her hand, which tried to help prop him up, telling her he could do it himself. His hand towel fell, but he kept his eyes closed, not wanting to deal with the vertigo. Kaiyo placed a cup of water in one of his hands and the pills in the other so he could easily take them.


    "Thanks," Sen said after he finished. "I think it¡¯ll help me get some rest."


    Kaiyo smiled and stood up. "I¡¯ll leave you to rest, then. Call me if you need anything. Oh, and Baru and Hyo are going to switch places to keep watch, just in case any monsters come close to the area."


    Sen was both thankful and surprised that they¡¯d volunteered for that. He had begun to think he had to be the one calling all the shots for everyone¡¯s survival, but he was wrong. And it was actually a nice thing to be wrong about, he had to admit. Sen laid back down and took a deep breath.


    I wonder, he thought, if I¡¯ll have that dream again.


    #


    Sen¡¯s next dream was far more realistic than he expected. Before he even opened his eyes, the chilly wind bristled his face, and the crispy crunch of leaves echoed with every step he took. He wasn¡¯t sure why he was walking, but dreams rarely made sense, so he didn¡¯t think too much about it. His mind was foggy, muddled, almost as if he was in the process of waking up but had decided to stay in bed for a few extra minutes. It was a comforting feeling.


    Even the sounds felt so clear and lifelike¡ªthe rustling branches, the wind howling in the distance, and the distinct melody of crickets.


    But as more time passed, the more peculiar it felt. Dreams didn¡¯t usually feel this long or realistic, and as the wind grew colder, he began to shiver. He had never shivered in a dream before.


    Soon enough, though, the false reality broke apart when a branch scraped his hand, making him flinch. With his eyes slightly burning, he opened them, confused. The area he found himself in was visibly dark, but a familiar white light cast shadows above, illuminating what had been impossible to see before.


    "I¡¯m in the forest?" Sen murmured groggily, noticing his surroundings. The familiar expanse of bare trees extended around him, while dark shadows prevented him from knowing what lay beyond in the forest.


    He quickly noticed that his Sense Sword was sheathed in the scabbard on his waist¡ªsomething he had no recollection of bringing with him. Or, to be more precise, he had no recollection of going for a walk to begin with.


    He yawned. When did I even¡­ did I sleepwalk? That was one possible explanation, but if that were the case, how come neither Baru nor Hyo had spotted him? Had he unconsciously sneaked past them? Was that even possible while half-conscious?


    His questions about how he got there nearly made him overlook something else entirely.


    My headache¡­ He raised a hand to his forehead to feel the temperature. It¡¯s gone. Not only that, but any remnants of dizziness or nausea had also vanished. Not that he was complaining, but the current situation didn¡¯t allow him to feel relieved. He then reached up to his ear, finding that the ear device¡ªwhich kept everyone in contact¡ªwas gone.


    And right when I need it the most, too. At this point, his life must have been a dream with how little sense it made.


    "I¡¯m tired. I want to go back to sleep," he sighed. Unfortunately, no matter how exhausted he was, it didn¡¯t change the fact that he was in the worst possible position¡ªlost in the middle of a forest, with no communication with his team. Things couldn¡¯t get worse.


    But they did.


    A threatening croaking hiss came from the undergrowth of the forest. And Sen knew that it wasn¡¯t just a cricket or the wind. Out of all the times he could have been wrong, he truly wished this was one of those moments.


    Unfortunately, he was completely right.


    Out of the forest¡¯s shadows, a hairy lizard-like monster appeared, illuminated by the moonlight. Its long snout raised threateningly, and its distinct straight horns protruded from the sides of its mouth. The eyes of the monster were just like any other. Red and hungry¡­


    "A Crydan."


    <hr>

 Book 2/ Chapter 10– Nurturing & Care

    Humans and plants have more in common than at first glance.


    We all need the same things, but just in different forms.


    ¡°A wise man once stated that for a seed to grow, it needs a pot and soil to be buried in. Without a vessel and a proper environment, a seed would always remain just a seed,¡± an old man said, as he stared at a plant pot. A green bud had surfaced from the soil, barely noticeable to the naked eye. ¡°However, there¡¯s more to it than that. It¡¯s not as simple as giving it the environment and necessities it needs. More so, it requires constant care and nurturing.¡±


    On the short coffee table, the man grabbed a watering can and, with great caution, gently poured water onto the plant. He watched as the water slowly rained onto the bud, which he could almost feel sigh in relief¡ªrelishing the water that had been bestowed upon it. Though he was no god by any means, he was just doing his duty to make the plant flourish and live a fruitful life.


    All plants should receive this level of attention and care, regardless of how dull or vibrant they appear.


    He glanced across his traditional Japanese room, the sliding doors open to flaunt the bright summer day. Many plants of different colors and sizes covered his small open room, so much so that he began thinking he would need a larger space to store them all. His children were growing quite large indeed. He meant the plants, of course, but with how much time and care he spent on them, they might as well be considered family.


    The sun¡¯s rays spread across his face, concealing his features, and he knelt beside the plant bud, initiating a small prayer. As he murmured under his breath, the sunshine eventually reached the growing bud that rested on the low coffee table. Slowly rising from his prayer position, his smile widened as he saw it basking in the sunlight. Turning his head toward the outdoors, he murmured, "Thank you for your blessing, sun. Thank you for providing us with the warmth and life we cannot live without. There will never be a moment when we are not reliant on you. So, I thank you for your selflessness in seeking nothing in return.¡±


    As if the sun had heard his prayer come to an end, the light slowly shrank out of the open room. His pleased gaze drifted as he watched it withdraw from him, his features becoming clear as the overexposure from the sun faded.


    The wrinkles on his oval-shaped, narrow face bore years of wisdom and experience. His long silver hair extended to his shoulders, and he stroked his V-shaped grey beard with a charming smile, his eyes creased from age. Wearing a simple black-and-white traditional robe, the old man wasn¡¯t one to care about fashion or expensive accessories. Not many people lived in his area, so he had no real reason to show off or impress others. As it turned out, many were scared to live on the city''s outskirts. Perhaps that was warranted, given not many were skilled at defending themselves from monsters. It was only natural to fear something so prevailing. He, out of all people, should know the dangers of those devils.


    After all, they had taken his daughter from him.


    He often dwelled on what he could have done differently to prevent that incident from occurring. Maybe he should have forced his daughter to learn more about the art of the blade. But his daughter would always complain about the lessons, saying she despised them. He had only wanted her to pursue something she wanted and not feel forced to follow a path he had chosen.


    ¡°Maybe that was my mistake,¡± his cheerful smile flattened. ¡°If I had taught her to become a samurai, she would have never died.¡±


    The old man took a big breath and lifted his right foot to support himself as he stood back up. Walking out of his open room, a large courtyard extended around him while trees circled the space, granting privacy from onlookers¡ªif there were any. Different training gears and obstacles lay on the courtyard grounds, made explicitly for samurai. Sure, they were outdated, but sometimes, the simplest equipment was just as good as extravagant ones if used correctly. The gear didn¡¯t matter if the person behind it had no direction or knowledge of what to do.


    In the flat and dry courtyard, the old man breathed in the sweet scents of the summer day, raising his hand to block out the bright sun. ¡°I know¡­¡± he said, as if talking to the sun. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what I could have done differently, does it?¡± Crickets began singing their melody as he closed his eyes.


    ¡°People have a habit of trying to rewrite the past in their minds, wishing for some relief from their guilt. But in the end, it only proves to hurt you more, like reopening an already fresh wound.¡± He brought his hands together and prayed once more. However, this time it was slightly different. Who was he praying to now? Was it the sun or something else?


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, isn¡¯t it?¡± the man said as a small greenish bird landed on his left shoulder, perking its head with interest while chirping. ¡°It¡¯s okay not to be okay.¡±


    He opened his eyes and reached out his finger for the bird to perch on. Without hesitation, the bird jumped onto his finger, chirping a beautiful tune. He ruffled its chest with his other finger, smiling.


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°Mr. Mushi?!¡± a voice called out from his open room. The bird fluttered away as Mushi turned his head to meet his helper, who struggled to get past all the pot plants to greet him. The rather beautiful brunette girl tiptoed around the room until she accidentally bumped into a large tree-like plant, startling her. Before the plant could fall, she quickly grabbed the stalk.


    ¡°Oh dear,¡± Mushi sighed. ¡°Kiro, would you mind being careful? Those plants are very fragile.¡±


    Kiro quickly bowed her head. ¡°S-sorry, it won¡¯t happen again, sir.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s quite alright. A mistake is simply a mistake. If you knew, you would have never done it. All we can do is learn from them and be more careful in the future.¡± Walking back into his room, Mushi reached out his hand and safely led the girl into the courtyard.


    ¡°Sorry again, sir,¡± Kiro said, embarrassed when they got out. ¡°I know how much you care about those plants. I should have gone around the house to get to the courtyard.¡±


    Mushi dismissed her worries with a gentle pat on her head. ¡°I never liked the words ¡®should have.¡¯ There are many things that we should have or could have done, but in the end, that¡¯s not what happened. And I¡¯m telling you once again, it¡¯s alright. You always help out in the house. A few accidents are quite common,¡± he said truthfully, to which she gradually nodded. ¡°Now tell me, what did you want to say before?¡±


    ¡°Oh yes, I almost forgot. Well, um¡­ the verdict is in from the court. It¡¯s finally over.¡±


    The information left Mushi a little stunned, but he had been expecting it¡ªit was long overdue. He lifted his head and sighed in relief. ¡°I see¡­¡± He eyed the large clouds swirling above. ¡°How long did he get?¡±


    ¡°Forty-four years and, well, two months if you count the time he spent when he was arrested and waited to go on trial,¡± she replied.


    He couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°They went soft on him. He¡¯ll get out when he¡¯s eighty or so. Unfortunate.¡±


    Kiro nodded in agreement, frowning slightly. ¡°It¡¯s just how the court works. But besides that, I think you¡¯d be delighted to hear that¡ª¡±


    ¡°I often wonder,¡± Mushi cut her off, thinking aloud, ¡°if I saw that man before me, what would I do?¡±


    The pretty brunette helper tilted her head in confusion. ¡°You mean Mr. Shinzu?¡±


    He nodded reluctantly, staring at the sky and averting her gaze. ¡°Yes¡­ he took so much from me and forever ruined the lives of those poor innocent children. They may never recover from what they experienced. So I often dwell on useless scenarios, wondering what I''d do if that man stood right in front of me.¡±


    Mushi could vaguely see a swirly silhouette of the evil man being formed by the sun''s heat waves. He could see the illusion stare at him, its eyes glowing ruby red¡ªthe eyes of a monster.


    However, the mirage disappeared before Mushi could contemplate whether it was real, and his hands were already placed in an offensive position, ready to unsheathe his sword to cut his enemy down.


    ¡°Would I kill him? Would I break the oath that I¡¯ve placed on myself?¡± he murmured, his voice calm and veiled with prudence. Kiro fumbled with her words, gathering what she should say.


    ¡°I¨Cwell¡­ I don¡¯t think, sir. You¡¯re a kind man.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Mushi from the past isn¡¯t the person you see before you. Mr. Mushi was the heir of a well-known samurai clan who tried to overthrow the AOK¡ªand a person who betrayed his family. My mistakes run deep. Deeper than any blade could pierce.¡±


    ¡°You only did what you thought was right at the time,¡± Kiro contested.


    ¡°You¡¯re correct¡­¡± he agreed. ¡°There are many things I could have done, but in the end, that is not what happened. I carry my mistakes with me, for each one makes me who I am,¡± Mushi gave a thin smile, signaling Kiro not to worry. ¡°The best thing about making mistakes is that you now understand how to prevent them from occurring, and with that comes the ability to guide others. Such as yourself,¡± he finished, giving her a pat on the head.


    ¡°Is that referring to when I almost knocked over the plant?¡± Kiro frowned.


    He chuckled in amusement. ¡°Possibly.¡±


    ¡°I take it back, you¡¯re mean!¡± she joked. However, she had more to say. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ve been trying to tell you that both ki¡ª¡± Before she could finish the sentence, two young voices entered Mushi¡¯s room, creating a disturbance. ¡°Oh dear, it looks like they found you first.¡±


    Mushi blinked, confused. ¡°They? You don¡¯t mean¡­¡±


    Kiro nodded with a wide grin. ¡°That¡¯s right. You got custody of the kids.¡±


    He was left even more stunned than when he found out the court had come to a verdict. He at least thought he would have some time to prepare.


    ¡°What¡¯s with all these plants?¡± a boy squeaked in the room.


    ¡°I can barely move past them,¡± a girl replied.


    Mushi could see two small light blue heads struggling to move between the large plants. He had grown nervous to greet someone for the first time in years. What should he say? How should he leave a good first impression? However, it seemed the kids would leave their first impression, just not the one he was expecting.


    ¡°Hey, look at this one¡ªOh no¡­¡± the girl shrieked, and the sound of glass breaking followed. With wide eyes, Mushi rushed over from the courtyard and through his open doors, only to see one of his favorite plants tipped over with shards of a broken ceramic pot scattered across the floor.


    Two light blue-haired figures stood guiltily below him. Their features looked so alike that they would be indistinguishable if they had the same hairstyle, and those deep blue eyes sent a wave of painful but happy memories. They were the spitting image of their mother when she was that age. It almost fooled him so much that he began murmuring the name of his dead daughter under his breath.


    ¡°Oh no,¡± Kiro gasped. ¡°That was Mushi¡¯s favorite plant.¡±


    That information only made them pale even more. The two kids were too afraid to greet the old man, fearing he was mad. The girl dreadfully hid behind the boy and peeked, her eyes slightly tearing up.


    ¡°I-it was an accident,¡± the boy protected her, assuming the old man would suddenly hit them. ¡°I¡¯ll take the punishment for her. So please¡­¡±


    Mushi stared into the eyes of the children, who bore memories no kid should have. And it shook him into silence. The fact that they were so scared of a man they knew nothing of spoke to their deep-rooted hostility and alertness toward others. Those were not emotions people were born with. They were created¡­


    Mushi kneeled down, startling both of the kids. Without asking another question, he embraced both while tears streamed down his face. They were too shocked to even reply or process what was happening, unsure why this old man was hugging them. His helper stood in silence, watching them with a relieved smile.


    Pulling back to face them, and with both hands on each of their shoulders, he sobbed¡ª


    ¡°Welcome home, Ayame, Genkai¡­¡±

 Book 2/ Chapter 11– The Fool & The Monster

    A young, lanky man ran through the forest. His blonde hair was messy and ruffled as a drop of sweat escaped his chin. Breathing profusely, he jumped over a fallen tree, only to lose footing and tumble into the earthy dirt face-first. He groaned in pain, but the feeling of absolute terror gave him the strength he needed to pull himself up and continue running. He wouldn''t stop running. Or, to be more precise, he couldn¡¯t afford not to, simply because¡­ a monster was chasing him.


    The young man wasn¡¯t able to identify the monster. The moment he heard the bushes rustle and the red, bloodthirsty eyes glowing in the darkness, he ran faster than he had thought possible. It was funny how the fear of death could motivate someone to push past their limits.


    There was no greater test than this.


    As he ran, the bright morning sun cast its rays through the canopy of trees, and as the branches moved from the wind, the sunlight flickered, making him dizzy. Momentarily blinded, he lost his sense of direction and ran into a tree trunk with a big thump. Dazed, he cursed in pain while he lay on the dirt. He had felt as if he had just met with the forest earth a few moments ago, and here he was, somehow bonded to it once again. It was almost comical, he had to admit.


    Staggering as he stood up once more, he reached for his nose, only to see blood on his hands. At this point, it almost seemed as if running away did more damage than facing the monster head-on, and judging by the rustling of the undergrowth behind him, he realized he wouldn¡¯t really have a choice but to face it. He turned his head and unsheathed his Sense-sword, aiming it at the menacing sounds.


    Heart thumping in his chest, he gulped as the growling of the monster became closer and closer.


    ¡°Y-you got this,¡± the blondie blurted to himself. ¡°I¡¯ve trained for this moment ever since I was a child.¡±


    All his life, he had dreamt of being a powerful Knight, always roleplaying and training, even before his sense had awakened. And when he found out he had Touch, he grew even more eager. He would always tell his friends and family that he¡¯d become a diamond Knight. But as reality became ever more real, doubt began stirring within his mind.


    No¡­ he shouldn¡¯t think like that. The battle hadn¡¯t even started yet, so how would he know if he didn¡¯t try? His eyes glowing a familiar blue hue, he activated his sense and saw the gem on the pommel of his sword flickering with light. He had successfully transferred his Sense energy into the weapon.


    Now all that was left was¨C


    The monster was upon him before he had a chance to fully prepare. However, he also wasn¡¯t so sure if he¡¯d ever be for what he saw. Standing at a staggering eight feet tall, a white-furred bearlike monster stood on its hind legs from the scrubs, towering over him. Its snout was flat as a pug and had an eerie and terrifying flat mouth, neither opening nor closing it. But to his horror, the young man realized that the flat mouth underneath its squashed nose was fake. The real one was hidden under its neck, beneath the dirty white fur.


    At first, it couldn¡¯t be noticed; however, now he could see its massive lips grotesquely move by its shoulders. It was scarily skinny as well. If not for the fur hiding it, the monster would look like a tall, skinny man in the darkness, ready to devour you inside its weirdly placed jaws.


    As if everything the young man learned in his life disappeared, he paled before the monster, frozen in fear. The pointed sword trembled, and his wide-open, bloodshot eyes were gaping. He couldn¡¯t even retreat even if he wanted to. His legs would simply not move out of terror.


    The monster growled from its actual mouth, its red eyes almost showing pity for the poor, frightened human. But in the end, the monster was hungry. And for its empty stomach to feel at ease, it did what any monster would. Pounce.


    The young boy didn¡¯t know what happened, but something else controlled his body, screaming in defiance and fear of dying. On its own, his body lurched out of the way, causing the monster''s attacking paw to smash into the ground. Gasping for air, the young blondie looked at his hands as if he couldn¡¯t believe he was alive.


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    ¡°I¡¯m not¡­ I¡¯m not dead?¡±


    Not only that, but he was able to evade the monster¡¯s attack. Was this god telling him not to give up? He gripped his sword again, facing the monster, only this time without quivering. An odd shimmer of resolve burned in his eyes, making the monster tilt its head with puzzlement. Neither the monster nor the young man knew why he chose to fight.


    Growing annoyed, the monster lunged at him, opening its wide mouth under its shoulders, revealing lines of sharp, dagger-length teeth. Although the sight was horrific, the young man stood his ground, piercing the creature¡¯s belly before it could bite him. Feeling his sword lodge in its flesh, the monster let out a growl of pain similar to a dog¡¯s. But he didn¡¯t care what the monster sounded or looked like. As long as he lived and kept fighting, that was all that mattered.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m gonna kill you¡­ you disgusting swine!¡± he groaned out, shoving his sword even more.


    Then the blade went through the monster¡­


    Feeling the sword protrude from the body, he stood there in silence, not daring to move. All of a sudden, the monster became still, lacking any life. Slowly lifting his gaze, he eyed the creature to double-check whether it was dead¡ªand judging by its awfully motionless standing position¡ªhe was only left with one conclusion...


    ¡°I did it?¡± he murmured to himself. ¡°I¡­ I actually did it. I killed a monster.¡±


    Until now, he had only gotten lucky, primarily relying on his teammates for help. Although he had a strong sense, he didn¡¯t know how to use it correctly and lost control frequently. So when he got separated from his team by accident, he was sure he wouldn¡¯t survive. But, maybe he underestimated himself this whole time and could achieve the dream that he brazenly told everyone would come true.


    ¡°Maybe I do have what it takes to be a Knight,¡± he breathed.


    With newfound confidence, he tried freeing his sword from the belly of the monster. However, regardless of how hard he tried, he just couldn¡¯t pull it out. Opening his Sense again to assist him, it was useless. After a few moments of struggle, an obvious idea dawned on him¡ªto transfer his Sense Energy into the sword again, which would surely do the trick.


    Feeling the energy escape his fingertips, charging the pommel¡¯s gem, he tried once again while pushing his leg against the stationary monster. Heaving with all his might, the boy eventually managed to pull his sword out.


    ¡°Finally¡­¡± he heaved out a sigh. But something was odd. It felt like something was lacking from this battle, and it definitely wasn¡¯t because the challenge wasn¡¯t hard enough. It was something else entirely. Then it dawned on him. Blood¡­


    He wondered why the battle felt odd, and when looking at the large gash on the monster¡¯s belly, it was pretty clear that no blood was present. He crept forward to get a better look at the wound, reaching his finger in awe¡ª


    A hot, rancid breath puffed on his leaned-over neck, accompanied by a low, deadly growl. The young blondie froze. He had to be hearing things. But then why did he feel hot air on his neck? They were in the cold mountain¡­ so it wasn¡¯t as simple as a gust of wind. He shouldn¡¯t look up¡­ no, he mustn¡¯t¡­


    But he did.


    Slowly lifting his petrified face, he met eyes with the monster¡¯s¡ªvery much alive¡ªruby stare.


    It was over. The young man had nowhere to run and no confidence to contest the monster¡¯s lurching claws. Soon, his vision would disappear and reopen in a much nicer place. Perhaps this wasn¡¯t a good time to muse whether heaven existed, or not, but he truly hoped it did. A place not flocking with vile creatures but a peaceful land in which he could spend eternity exploring.


    He closed his eyes, waiting for death.


    But death was late.


    Instead of feeling large claws tearing him open and fangs ripping his head off, a small thud sounded.


    No, it was just another trick. It was useless to look because his fate had already been decided. In fact, perhaps he was already dead but just got lucky with a painless death. Yes¡­ that had to be the case. There was no other way to explain why the monster hadn¡¯t eaten him yet, so he must already be dead.


    Yet, when he opened his eyes, the cloudy gates of heaven didn¡¯t stand before him, and neither were any angelic songs played by angels. Instead, he was face-to-face with the same monster, only this time, it had no head¡­


    By his feet, the dull-eyed head of the monster lay, making him scream in utter terror. ¡°AGHHHH!¡±


    ¡°Will you shut it?¡±


    ¡°AGHHHH!¡±


    ¡°Hello? I said will you please stop screaming?¡±


    ¡°AGHH¡ªhuh?¡± The young boy barely heard the voice against his own screams. He twirled his head around in bafflement, trying to pinpoint where the voice came from. But yet, he found no one.


    ¡°An angel¡­¡± he gaped. ¡°An angel saved my life!¡±


    ¡°I appreciate the compliment, but I¡¯m no angel by any means.¡± A slim shape of a girl emerged behind the decapitated monster¡¯s body. However, the boy found it hard to believe she wasn¡¯t because of her long, silky blue hair and gorgeous ocean eyes¡­


    ¡°You really are an angel¡ª¡±


    ¡°For the last time, I¡¯m not,¡± the blue-haired girl sighed. ¡°I¡¯m just a human called Ayame.¡±

 Book 2/ Chapter 12– Giving up

    Ayame watched as the young man kneeled before her, crying tears of joy. ¡°Thank you... thank you! You saved my life!¡±


    Ayame didn¡¯t know if she deserved the praise. After all, she hadn¡¯t intended to save the stranger at all. She just so happened to see the monster at the right time and dash behind it, not knowing she had saved the man in doing so. Well, all''s well it ends well, I guess, she thought to herself, looking at her techno watch.


    ¡°Identifying monster, please wait,¡± the watch said, a hologram popping up, circling as it processed. ¡°Monster confirmed: Bearst. Eight points added to Team Ayame. Total points: One hundred and fifty-five.¡±


    ¡°Not bad, for only day two,¡± she mused. Though she had a rather indifferent reaction, the young boy stood still, gawking in shock after hearing the points from the watch.


    ¡°O-O-One hundred and f-f-fifty-five points?¡± he stammered, eyes wide.


    ¡°It¡¯s really not that much,¡± she insisted. ¡°We got our one hundred points for surviving day one at midnight.¡±


    ¡°That still means you got fifty-five extra points from slaying monsters!¡± the boy exclaimed. ¡°That¡¯s incredible. How are you so strong?¡±


    Ayame could deny that he was boosting her ego, but she couldn¡¯t bring herself to enjoy the compliments as much as she wanted to. If she had been just a few seconds slower, the boy¡¯s body would have been mutilated. Just thinking about the hypothetical scenario made her shiver.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± she replied, sheathing her personal sword back in its scabbard. The sword she carried wasn¡¯t like the ones the academy had given out. Ayame had refused theirs, saying she was perfectly fine with her own weapon. After all, her sword was made from the finest materials and forged by a master with decades of experience. However, nothing could compare to the sword Genkai had been given. Even after all these years, she was still jealous that her grandfather had gifted him the family sword and not her. It was for that reason alone that she was participating in the challenges in the first place.


    ¡°Say, what¡¯s your name?¡± she asked the gaping blonde-haired boy.


    ¡°Oh, my name is Jamie.¡±


    From his European-looking features, Ayame concluded that one of his parents must have been European, though he had no accent, suggesting he was born and raised in Japan. The most obvious clue was simply his name.


    ¡°Well, Jamie, you got quite lucky,¡± Ayame told him, turning away to look at the limp body of the Bearst. Jamie¡¯s expression darkened, and he lowered his gaze to the ground.


    ¡°Yeah, I know... but I was actually fighting pretty well at the start. I¡ª¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not good enough.¡± Ayame cut off any excuse that the boy could come up with. Her firm words took Jamie aback, and it told her that he simply didn¡¯t know the severity of the situation he was in. ¡°You probably noticed the lack of blood, correct?¡± she asked, and Jamie slowly nodded. ¡°It¡¯s because the body of a Bearst works far differently than normal monsters. As you know, blood is necessary for the function of a body, yet a Bearst is completely absent of it.¡±


    ¡°No blood?¡± he echoed. ¡°Is that even possible?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, it is. However, its body is not infallible either. It still has a nervous system running through its body, but if a hand or foot gets chopped off, it bears no damage aside from the fact it¡¯s now lost a limb. That¡¯s because the brain constantly distributes something similar to sense energy throughout its body, allowing skin and flesh to grow without blood and stem cells. However, this particular monster is a rare case; it is not a gifted monster with a Sense, but more or less just a genetic phenomenon. To this day, no scientist has figured out its odd body.¡±


    Jamie¡¯s head was swirling with a question before he uncertainly said, ¡°I did manage to land a strike to the belly. So, did the stomach get damaged?¡±


    Ayame faced him, thinking with a frown. ¡°Yes, it most likely did. Did the monster act strangely after you did that?¡±


    Jamie nodded, shivering as he reminisced about the moment he had almost died. ¡°The monster suddenly went still for a minute as if it had died, and after I pulled my sword out, it jolted back to life. That¡¯s when you came along and slayed it.¡±


    ¡°I see, that¡¯s why.¡± Ayame understood now, with more context of what happened. ¡°When you hit its stomach and intestines, its brain forcefully tried to repair the damage made, prioritizing that over attacking you. It¡¯s a tricky monster to get rid of. Even if you manage to get a good hit, the brain will repair the damage with its unique energy. That¡¯s why the best way to kill it in one go is to aim for the head.¡±


    The information made Jamie fall silent as he thought of what would have happened if Ayame had never saved him. He quickly began to realize that he was bound to lose the battle no matter how many hits he inflicted on the monster due to his lack of knowledge. Ayame didn¡¯t blame such a reaction.


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    Many people face death foolishly only to be taken by it. In the end, a dead person can never reflect and understand their mistakes. However, when a person faces death and, by some miracle, survives, it changes them. Ayame had experienced that many times when training with her grandfather.


    It wasn¡¯t something that could be put into words, but the closest thing Ayame could say to contextualize the aftereffects of facing death was that life just felt more real afterward. Things you would never have noticed before became palpable¡ªlike the colors of trees or nature¡ªthey stood out more. But just like many things, the feeling disappears after a while once someone gets used to living again. However, the memory of the terror one felt at that moment would always remain.


    ¡°This is not a game,¡± Ayame stalked toward the kneeling blondie. ¡°You have no second chances.¡±


    The boy¡¯s slumped-over head jerked up as he faced her defiantly, tears welling up in his eyes, teeth gritting. ¡°I know it¡¯s not a game, okay!¡± he snapped, then soon averted his stare, unable to keep eye contact with her cold scrutiny. ¡°This is the moment I¡¯ve been waiting for my whole life; I can¡¯t just back out now.¡±


    ¡°But is it the moment you were prepared for?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I...¡± Jamie offered no reply, asking himself that very same question. Yet, after moments of consideration, Jamie didn¡¯t want to admit defeat, even after coming to an answer. He was stubborn. ¡°I... I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Ayame shook her head with a sigh. It couldn¡¯t be helped. ¡°Just because you wait for something doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re any more prepared for it,¡± Ayame told him truthfully. ¡°You can¡¯t wait for strength. Strength waits for you.¡±


    With that, Ayame turned her head from him, heading back into the forest¡ªbut before she could disappear, she stopped when she heard Jamie sob. It was difficult listening to his cries and even tougher trying to get away from them. She wasn¡¯t heartless as many thought. If she were, it would be quite easy to leave the crying blondie be¨Cbut it simply wasn¡¯t. Ayame had seen the desire in his eyes¡ªthe passion to be a Knight. Yet Ayame knew far too well that passion wasn¡¯t the only thing that created Knights. They needed discipline and strength. That boy simply had none.


    ¡°Techno watch... I forfeit.¡±


    Ayame almost didn¡¯t hear his words in between the cries. Twirling, she saw a screen projected out of Jamie¡¯s Techno watch, depicting a yellow triangle alert and emitting a beeping sound. Ayame opened her mouth to say something, yet nothing came out. She knew the best thing for him was to quit, though she hadn¡¯t expected him to follow through with it.


    ¡°Request granted... Please go to these coordinates or wait for our personnel to arrive.¡±


    ...


    ¡°You¡¯re right...¡± Jamie said loud enough for her to hear, his voice defeated. He lifted his head, eyeing the clouds while he knelt on the forest floor. ¡°Next time... I won¡¯t wait for strength.¡±


    <hr>


    Ayame stood on the bloody corpse of a monster, its features unrecognizable from her precise cuts. Only chunks of sliced furry body parts remained of the beast. She couldn¡¯t even find its head if she tried. The sun glowed on her bright blue hair, and her primarily white tracksuit was stained with blood.


    ¡°Monster confirmed: Kuhoo. Five points added to Team Ayame. Total points: one hundred and seventy-eight.¡±


    Ayame breathed out, sweat dripping down her cheek even though it was quite cold out.


    ¡°You¡¯re really going at it,¡± Genkai noted, sitting on the ground against a tree trunk. ¡°That¡¯s like five monsters in the past hour.¡±


    She hopped down from the pile of monster parts. ¡°I mean, you¡¯re helping out too, so it¡¯s not like I¡¯m the only one contributing to the points.¡±


    ¡°True, but honestly, I can¡¯t even keep up with you. I¡¯m already exhausted,¡± Genkai yawned, rubbing his wet eyes. Ayame didn¡¯t believe him. She knew he was far stronger than her, so his compliments seemed forced. But that was common for Genkai¡ªhe always did that¡ªand Ayame wasn¡¯t a fan of it. Although it might hurt her ego, she¡¯d rather somebody tell her the truth than sugarcoat things. But her brother always tried to be supportive, so she would look like dick if she ever told him that. Well... she was already kind of a dick, so she didn¡¯t know why she was concerned about that.


    ¡°On another note,¡± Ayame started, ¡°have you noticed anything odd? About the monsters, I mean?¡±


    Genkai¡¯s smile faded into a thoughtful frown. ¡°Hmm, I guess so, now that you mention it. They seem kinda...¡±


    ¡°Weak,¡± she finished his sentence. ¡°I thought it must have been some coincidence, but not a single monster I¡¯ve encountered has been over a silver rank so far.¡± Ayame deduced. She could understand encountering a few weak monsters in a row, but every single one so far had been a silver rank or less.


    ¡°Same on my end, too,¡± Genkai agreed, then shrugged. ¡°I can¡¯t really say I¡¯m surprised they decided to pull a little stunt on us. There was no way they¡¯d put a bunch of newbies in an actual danger zone. We could probably manage because we''re... you know... us.¡±


    She wasn¡¯t so convinced. ¡°But how are they able to only give us low-ranked monsters? That¡¯s impossible to keep track of.¡±


    Genkai pointed toward the depths of the forest that extended beyond the small clearing where they rested. ¡°Remember that wall we saw a little while ago when we were hunting monsters?¡±


    Ayame slowly nodded. ¡°Yeah, but a small wall like that is not going to stop monsters from coming in.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right, but if you remember how serious that Asashi guy was about not going over it, it makes you wonder why. I actually think the walls are keeping us safe, but they¡¯re more of an outline of a bigger thing that¡¯s being put into place,¡± Genkai guessed, piecing together the hints so far. ¡°Allegedly, of course.¡±


    ¡°Bigger thing?¡± Ayame echoed silently. What could be so powerful as to both trap monsters and deter others? That sounded too far-fetched to her.


    ¡°Quite an interesting hypothesis,¡± a voice said.


    ¡°Why thank you, Ayame. Quite rare that you give me a complimen¡ªwait a damn¡ª¡± Genkai stood up from the tree trunk, looking around in confusion.


    Ayame had never said those words... and she was just as confused as to where the voice had come from. Eyeing the trees that encircled the small glade, Ayame caught movement behind a tree to her left. She unsheathed her sword defensively and pointed, scrutinizing the shadowy figure that was veiled in the forest.


    ¡°Hey! Who are you? Get out of there and show yourself!¡± Ayame growled, as her brother put his hand on her shoulder, signaling her to compose herself. It didn¡¯t matter if it was a person or a monster; she needed to be wary in these situations.


    ¡°My, my, no need for such hostility,¡± the stranger said, his shadowy figure raising his arms unthreateningly. ¡°I¡¯m no monster.¡±


    The man revealed himself, causing both Ayame and Genkai to gasp audibly.


    ¡°Yior?¡±

 Book 2/ Chapter 13– The Rumor

    Standing with a smug smirk, his hands in the air, a young man around their age faced them¡ªhis hair thin and light golden, coupled with hazel eyes.


    ¡°Yep, it¡¯s been a while, huh?¡± he said, lowering his hands and putting them into his tracksuit''s pockets.


    Ayame sheathed her sword with an annoyed click. She had been riled up over nothing. It was just the spoiled rich kid whom they were forcefully made to hang out with when they were children. Though, in some ways, she would rather take on an actual opponent or monster than Yior; that¡¯s how much she despised him.


    ¡°It has, I guess,¡± Genkai responded, putting on a more friendly tone than Ayame could ever fake. ¡°Since we were seven, right?¡±


    Yior shook his head. ¡°Nah, once after as well. But I guess you guys wouldn¡¯t remember since it was a rather difficult time for you both.¡±


    Yior''s insinuation made Genkai¡¯s fake smile slowly vanish, no matter how hard he tried to keep it. At first, Ayame wasn¡¯t sure what their old ¡®friend¡¯ meant by that, but as she dug into her memories, she regretted it.


    ¡°By the look on your faces, you must have realized what I mean.¡± Regardless of knowing the situation they were in back then, Yior put on an almost mocking expression, and it disgusted Ayame more than she could describe. Almost instinctively, she reached for her sword again as raw memories raced through her mind, only to stop when Genkai cleared his throat. It was evident he had felt her anger.


    ¡°Yeah, you and your family were summoned by the court to give your testimonies on the person our father was. And if my memory serves me right, your family was one of the very few that denied the allegations of his domestic abuse and sexual assault.¡±


    Ayame didn¡¯t know how he did it... she didn¡¯t know how her brother could stay so calm and collected when faced with the individual who took the side of their father¡ªno, that monster.


    ¡°Hmm... I¡¯m not too sure. I was quite young at the time, so I don¡¯t remember the context all that well.¡± Yior frowned as he looked up at the sky, thinking. However, Ayame could tell he was faking it. He knew very well.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s quite true indeed,¡± Genkai said with a grin, but his eyes remained cold. ¡°Your family were big business partners with my father. If he suddenly went to prison, that would mean your family would suffer a substantial financial and political loss. His connections with other political individuals and companies would go down the drain. Any family would want to keep that relationship running.¡±


    The arrogance on Yior¡¯s face slowly melted into an annoyed, deadpan expression, the air suddenly shifting. Yet Yior managed to keep his composure.


    ¡°Ah yes, now that you mention it, I do believe you¡¯re correct. But you must keep in mind that my family was speaking honestly, solely on their own experiences with him. It¡¯s not their fault they had no bad first-hand encounters. Hopefully, you don¡¯t hold a grudge against me for that. I had no say in it. I was only eight back then, after all.¡±


    ¡°Oh, of course not. I don¡¯t form my grudges simply by association,¡± Genkai assured with a quick wave of his hand. ¡°I form them by experiences. And it so happens that I recall you slandering my sister, framing her as a liar who only wanted attention.¡±


    Ayame remembered. It was shortly before the court began, and both of them had overheard Yior talking with one of his family members, calling Ayame a liar and worse. She didn¡¯t fully remember exactly what he had said, since Genkai had put his hands over her ears. All she remembered was being so hurt that she began doubting herself¡ªas if she had been at fault.


    What if she was making everything into a big deal? What if it was normal to be abused the way she was? Was she simply complaining? Was she the problem? Those were just some of her thoughts when Yior blamed her.


    However, as always... her brother¡ª


    ¡°Yes...¡± Yior admitted with a cold glare. ¡°You also happened to punch me in the face after overhearing our conversation.¡±


    Just like always... her brother always stood up for her.


    ¡°Ah yes, now that you mention it, I do believe you¡¯re correct,¡± Genkai mimicked Yior¡¯s words. ¡°Hopefully, you don¡¯t hold a grudge against me. I was only nine back then, after all.¡± He smiled widely, chuckling.


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    Yior didn¡¯t follow Genkai with a light-hearted chuckle, nor did he pretend to be unbothered.


    Now Ayame was glad she had never opened her mouth to speak so far. Genkai was far better in these situations than she was.


    ¡°Now, now, no need to look so fierce,¡± Genkai mused. ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s get down to business. What would you like to discuss with us aside from our past? I find it hard to believe we just happened to bump into each other in this large forest. Also, where is your team?¡±


    Yior cleared his throat, undoubtedly trying to control his annoyance from Genkai¡¯s sly remarks.


    ¡°Quite perceptive, aren¡¯t you? Yes, I wish to speak with you about a rumor I''ve been hearing. Oh, and as for my team, three of them are currently out there battling monsters for points. The other two decided to forfeit once Mr. Asashi gave them the opportunity. I¡¯m actually quite glad¨C because they were weak. It just lessened the burden for my worthy teammates. Since I¡¯ve been gifted with both Sight and Hearing, it¡¯s quite difficult to find people up to my level, ya know?¡±


    That was news to Ayame. She hadn¡¯t known he had two Senses. However, there was no way she could have known, as they had lost contact with him before kids usually started awakening their powers.


    ¡°A rumor, you say? What is it?¡± Genkai completely ignored Yior¡¯s brag about his Senses, which seemed to irk him immensely. Acknowledgment and attention were exactly what he craved, so it was best to deprive him of the pleasure.


    ¡°You... never mind,¡± Yior gave a tired sigh. ¡°Yes, a rumor. I¡¯d like to know if you have any specifics on it.¡±


    Genkai raised his brow. ¡°Aren¡¯t we too old to be gossiping?¡±


    ¡°I would agree under normal circumstances, but this one is quite interesting. And from what I hear, it could grow quite serious if it escalates.¡±


    Ayame gave her brother a skeptical glance before facing the arrogant rich kid. ¡°Alright, spit it out.¡±


    Smiling with an amused twinkle in his eye, Yior bowed slightly. ¡°Glad you could make time with your very busy schedule. As for the rumor, have you seen a person named Sen Ano before?¡±


    The twins froze. This wasn¡¯t the question they were prepared to answer¡ªno, this wasn¡¯t a question she was prepared for. Ayame had told her brother about her meeting with Sen back on the train, confirming that his suspicion was most likely true. But more importantly, she didn¡¯t understand why Yior was interested in Sen¡ªsomeone who hadn¡¯t stood out at all in the challenge.


    ¡°And why would you like to know?¡± Genkai questioned, keeping a neutral face.


    Yior scoffed. ¡°Hmph, I knew you wouldn¡¯t give me a straight answer. Alright then, what if I told you that the person you may or may not know is in grave danger?¡±


    Danger? What the hell is that supposed to mean? Ayame swallowed her words. More importantly, how the hell do you know who he is? But she couldn¡¯t just say that; if she did, it would be a confession of association. Her mind was racing.


    ¡°Grave danger? Why?¡± Genkai said flatly.


    ¡°Because the rumors say that he¡¯s...¡± Yior paused before grinning. ¡°Senseless.¡±


    ...


    ¡°Never heard of him.¡±


    ¡°Oh really? Even though you both were spotted talking together before the second challenge started?¡± Yior asked.


    Ayame went silent, the wind howling above the trees, making them rustle ominously. The darkness in the depths of the forest grew all too noticeable, sending an uneasy shiver down her body. The only thing she could blurt out was, ¡°How did you know?¡±


    Yior answered simply with a shrug. ¡°As I said, it¡¯s just a rumor. You¡¯d be surprised how quickly news travels around here. It only takes one person to light a match for a whole forest to burn down. And once the damage is done, it¡¯s impossible to uncover where it started...¡±


    ¡°When and who started this rumor? And why would he be in danger?¡± Ayame demanded.


    Yior sighed. ¡°I guess my metaphor didn¡¯t come across all too well. I told you, I don¡¯t know who started the rumor.¡±


    ¡°For fuck''s sake, you¡¯re useless!¡± Ayame snapped. ¡°At least tell us why he would be in danger! Can you at least answer that simple question?¡± She marched toward him, a throbbing vein on her forehead, before stopping just inches from his face. ¡°Let me reintroduce myself, because a lot has changed since the last time we met.¡±


    Ayame unsheathed her katana, its blade reflecting the sun¡¯s light as it veered toward Yior¡¯s head. The arrogance that once plastered his face was now replaced with pure dread. However, Ayame¡¯s blade never made contact. Instead, it stopped a mere inch from his ear. The scare was enough to shock the rich boy into silence¡ªa nervous drop of sweat trailing down his chin.


    ¡°Now, now... let¡¯s not let our emotions get the best of us¡ª¡±


    ¡°Why. Would. He. Be. In. Danger?¡± Ayame coldly asked again, her blade edging closer.


    ¡°Listen, I¡¯m not too sure myself. But there are some radical people out there. People who wouldn¡¯t mind harming another just because they¡¯re different. We live in a messed-up world.¡±


    ¡°Rich, coming from you.¡±


    ¡°Oh come on, I¡¯m bad, but I¡¯m not that bad.¡±


    After what seemed like an eternity of staring him down, she finally lowered her katana with an exhale.


    ¡°Alright, get out of my sight,¡± she ordered, her eyes flickering with the light of her Sense.


    Yior cleared his throat. ¡°Well, this was a lovely reunion, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Very.¡±


    He didn¡¯t try pressing further. He had gotten the information he wanted from her reaction. But before he could disappear into the depths of the forest again, Genkai called out to him.


    ¡°Before you go, let me ask you one thing you must know...¡±


    Yior abruptly stopped, but he didn¡¯t even attempt to turn around to face them again. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°When did you hear it?¡± Genkai asked. ¡°The rumor...¡±


    ...


    Yior turned around and told them truthfully, not a single error detectable in his voice¡ªand yet, it sounded like a complete lie.


    ¡°Before the academy even opened its doors...¡±

 Book 2/ Chapter 14– Nova & The white rabbit

    No matter how well you describe a rumor, it¡¯s bound to be warped and twisted. Humans are the only creatures capable of lying, after all.


    Sen sprinted across the forest floor, twigs snapping under his durable shoes. It was surprising that they weren¡¯t dirty yet, but then again, this was the AOK he was talking about; they had the funds for it. It was midday, and the sun shone directly above him, granting more light than usual under the canopy of trees. At first, Sen had been claustrophobic and unnerved by the trees and the lack of light; however, now, it made him feel oddly safe. Patches and clearings were also scattered across the forest¡ªwhere their camp resided¡ªgiving some alternatives, so it wasn¡¯t as bad as one might think.


    ¡°Will you slow down, for Christ''s sake!¡± a voice panted from behind.


    Sen slowly stopped his sprint, looking back. ¡°Aren¡¯t people with Touch supposed to have better stamina, Hana?¡±


    His sister leaned over to catch her breath, barely able to blurt out words between her huffs. ¡°Yeah, but¡­ you know¡­ I¡ªI¡­¡± she rambled. Either she was just bad at cardio, or he had improved drastically. He had to admit it did feel unusually easy running through the forest, not that he ever had before. Since he mainly ran on a treadmill, it was hard to gauge how fast he was going with the change of setting and without the right equipment. All he recognized was that he wasn¡¯t really putting in much more effort than he normally did.


    ¡°Seriously¡­¡± Hana wheezed. ¡°What the hell is up with you lately?¡±


    That was something even he didn¡¯t have an answer to.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Sen answered truthfully. ¡°Weird things just seem to keep happening.¡± His gaze drifted, remembering last night with a shudder. Exhaling one last breath, Hana straightened up again, noticing the uneasy expression on her brother¡¯s face.


    ¡°We were worried sick, ya know,¡± Hana¡¯s usual harsh tone melted into genuine concern. ¡°And when we tried using our communication earbuds, we couldn¡¯t reach you at all. I actually thought a monster had snatched you right under our noses. But in actuality, you ended up¡­¡± she trailed off, struggling to convey what she wanted to say as if even she didn¡¯t quite believe it.


    ¡°Killing a monster,¡± Sen finished before sighing. ¡°No, I just so happened to get lucky, that¡¯s all.¡±


    Hana wasn¡¯t convinced. ¡°How the hell do you kill a monster with just luck? This isn¡¯t just a game of poker, Sen.¡±


    As he expected, Hana wasn¡¯t going to let go of this topic that easily. Additionally, it was getting more difficult to argue against it due to how bizarre the circumstances were. For someone to win an argument, they had to believe what they were saying, and it would be a lie to say that he did. Sen shared his sister¡¯s concerns more than he would ever like to admit.


    Something is wrong with me. Yet, he didn¡¯t want to tell anyone. It was a scary feeling not to be in control of his own body. In truth, it was far beyond that. It wasn¡¯t just his body but his thoughts and feelings¡ªthey were different¡ªso alien and unrecognizable. That was the scariest part¡­ it was as if he were losing a part of himself, yet, at the same time, discovering something completely new.


    He simply didn¡¯t know. And that¡¯s exactly what terrified him¡ªthe unknown.


    He was growing more and more used to the feeling of fear. Whenever he felt it, his heart would pound out of his chest, and he noticed that his mind would draw a blank, prohibiting him from controlling his thoughts. He had never felt it to this extent before, and when he did, it felt so dull and cloudy.


    Now, it was stark and clear as day.


    It was as if he had blurry vision his whole life and had grown complacent, only to put on glasses and see everything in a completely different light.


    ¡°Alright, fine,¡± his sister conceded. ¡°Just please do not go out alone just because you want to, okay? It¡¯s dangerous. You don¡¯t know if you¡¯ll be able to get lucky a second time.¡±


    I didn¡¯t go because I wanted to¡­ Sen wanted to say, but held his tongue. He couldn¡¯t share that piece of information just yet¡ªonly once he figured out the answer.


    ¡°And when I¡¯m battling a monster, please just wait in a safe space.¡±


    He sighed. ¡°It¡¯s like you¡¯re my mom or something.¡±


    Hana rolled her eyes. ¡°Buddy, just because you defeated one monster doesn¡¯t give you the right to be cocky. The only reason you¡¯re here to begin with is because everyone else is busy slaying monsters for points. Trust me, if I could leave you behind, I would. But I can¡¯t, since leaving you alone is arguably more dangerous than watching me slay monsters.¡±


    Sen had to admit that was fair. If he found out that his Senseless sibling had wandered off and could have been killed, then he would react the same way. Although Sen didn¡¯t leave of his own volition, playing it off that he did was more reasonable than telling her he had just woken up in the middle of the forest and that a voice told him to kill a monster.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get going then.¡± Hana nudged him by the shoulder, taking the lead. Sen found that humorous.


    ¡°What¡¯s funny now, dear brother?¡± She turned her head back to scowl at him.


    He decided to keep his remarks to himself. It was just ironic that after struggling to keep up with him, she still insisted on leading. It didn¡¯t matter in the end because Hana seemed to get the hint.


    ¡°Haha, very funny, man,¡± she deadpanned, sighing with defeat.


    Once they started moving again, Sen felt strange. An uneasy tingle ran down his spine, telling him something wasn¡¯t quite right. Shaking his head, he tried to overlook it, but as he continued his quick pace with Hana, it only became more noticeable. This sensation¡­ he realized, ducking below an imposing tree branch to tail his sister. I felt this once before, though it¡¯s a bit too vague to fully tell.


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    The trees began to thin out, giving them a bit more room to run without needing constant caution regarding their surroundings.


    ¡°Man, this sucks,¡± Hana huffed while jogging. ¡°The moment I actually want to find a monster, there are none.¡±


    ¡°Well, to be fair, slaying monsters is only one part of the challenge,¡± Sen noted beside her. ¡°The most important part is just surviving the harsh environment.¡± Nonetheless, Sen had to admit that the so-called Danger Zone, which everyone feared, had been way more lackluster than he had expected.


    ''It¡¯s not going to be dangerous,'' huh? Sen remembered Baru¡¯s words when they had arrived at the self-proclaimed Danger Zone. The more the challenge went on, the more Sen was convinced Baru knew more than he presented. It could all be a fancy coincidence, of course, but combined with the hints he had picked up along the way, Sen was inclined to believe it.


    ¡°True, but¡­ it¡¯s better to be safe than sorry. I thought we already decided on the strategy?¡± Hana panted. They had, but Sen wasn¡¯t exactly thrilled about it. The rest of the party had come to an agreement while he was asleep from his headache to prioritize killing monsters instead of attempting to survive the already challenging conditions.


    ¡°Well, if you think you guys can handle it, then there isn¡¯t much I can say to stop you. It just seems rash to me,¡± Sen said while they both stopped to catch their breath and continued by just walking, inspecting for any signs of monsters.


    ¡°I wouldn''t worry about our safety too much,¡± Hana assured. ¡°Every monster we¡¯ve encountered has been relatively easy to beat, at least for us. I mean, our hundred and fifty points are evidence alone.¡±


    Her statement piqued Sen¡¯s interest. ¡°What rank would you say the monsters you killed were?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not too familiar with what rank each monster is, but the ones I did recognize were mostly bronze and occasionally silver.¡±


    ¡°Not one gold?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. If it was, I think I would have had a hard time. Not to mention, it would probably give us a big chunk of points,¡± Hana answered. Based on the points of the monsters they killed, it wasn¡¯t a stretch to say a gold rank would reward them substantially more.


    ¡°Interesting¡­¡± Sen made a mental note.


    ¡°Why do you ask?¡± Hana tilted her head.


    Sen shook his head. ¡°Nothing much. Just gathering all the info I ca¡ª¡±


    A loud shriek of a person cut him off, startling both of them. They swung their heads in all directions, trying to find where the horrifying scream came from. A monster is close¡­


    ¡°Where... where did that scream come from?¡± Hana blared anxiously, her long white hair messy from running. Sen shushed her with his finger, gesturing for her to be quiet. Noticing what her brother had in mind, she perked her eyes, not uttering a single word.


    ¡­


    ¡°AGHHH! AH, I¡ª¡±


    Sen found it. ¡°It¡¯s coming from the right!¡± Without hesitation, they both began rushing between the trees in that direction. Sen noticed the ground becoming steeper and the trees thinning as they scaled the hill¡ªthe dirt slowly changing into rockier terrain. Sen guessed they were scaling one of the many rocky hills at the base of Mt. Fuji. He saw the large mountain towering in the distance, but it was way too far for them to actually be climbing it. Not to mention, the walls of the AOK were placed to prevent them from getting too close to the mountain.


    ¡°Remember, make sure you stay at a safe distance!¡± Hana exclaimed breathlessly as she trekked.


    ¡°Of course¡­¡± Sen said but kept his honest thoughts to himself. That sensation¡­ it¡¯s getting stronger.


    As it grew more evident, Sen couldn¡¯t help but start recognizing the feeling, and he truly wished he was wrong. This feels so similar to the start of the second challenge when I saw them¡­


    They halted.


    The steep slope gradually led to a flat, rocky clearing encircled by trees. From this height, one could even overlook sections of the forest. But the scenery didn¡¯t matter to him, or better yet, he didn¡¯t have time to appreciate it because of what he saw in front of him.


    They both gaped at the scene in disgust, shocked into silence. Lying lifelessly in the clearing were three mangled bodies¡­ human bodies at that¡ªtheir limbs stripped away and tossed like detachable toy dolls.


    Sen could barely recognize the familiar white tracksuits, which were nothing more now than torn-up cloth stained with scarlet. It was as if it had rained blood from above, forming puddles of crimson liquid.


    Yet, that wasn¡¯t the most shocking sight.


    Accompanied by the contestants'' bodies, the corpses of two furry monsters lay unrecognizable next to them¡ªsliced and disfigured. And at the center of all the death was one standing figure¡­


    His clothes soaked in blood, he stood tall unwaveringly. At first, Sen thought his hair had also been sodden with the disgusting bodily fluid, but it wasn¡¯t at all¡ªhis hair was naturally long and red.


    The figure turned to face them¡ªhis oddly black eyes almost staring into their souls.


    Thump¡­Thump¡­Thump¡­


    Heart thrashing in his chest, a loud, putrid ringing blared in his ears, putting him on his knees. His vision blurred when he stared at the ground, the world feeling like it was whirling.


    Make it stop¡­ Sen groaned. However, his useless plea was cut off, and before he knew it, he was throwing up in front of his leaned-over hands. Disgusting, half-translucent liquid mixed with chunks of his past meal violently escaped his mouth, making him gasp for air.


    But it just wouldn¡¯t stop¡­


    His wish just to breathe refused to be granted from the constant vomit.


    ¡°Sen!¡± Hana exclaimed, rushing to her bent brother in horror, panic flashing in her eyes as she sought a way to help. How could she stop someone from vomiting? Was that even possible?


    Hana began tapping her brother¡¯s bent back to make him throw up more, concluding that the vomiting wouldn¡¯t last forever. The quicker he let it out, the better. Sen, at least, started doubting whether the vomiting would ever end. Red dots formed on his face from the pressure, and his eyes rolled back from pain. There was only so much he could take¡ª


    ¡°Ah¡­ I think I recognize you¡­¡± the long, red-haired young man said in the center of the mangled bodies. And as if he had said some magic words¡ªSen stopped vomiting. He gasped for air, trying to catch his breath. He¡¯d never missed simply inhaling in all his life. Only when something was snatched away does it begin to be appreciated¡ªsomething that many wouldn¡¯t even care to notice before¡ªsomething as simple as just breathing.


    ¡°Sen¡­¡± Hana murmured, nudging him to see if he was alright. ¡°Are you o¡ª¡±


    ¡°I see, so your name is Sen, isn¡¯t it?¡± the bloodied young man said in an overly composed voice.


    Sen felt it again. He could tell by the way his mind drew a blank and how his heart pounded out of control. It was fear.


    With the world spinning around him, Sen saw the blurry figure stalk toward him¡ªbarely being able to distinguish his features. Yet¡­ Sen could see this faint outline of a face. The more Sen strained his eyes, the more that outline formed into something entirely different. No, it wasn¡¯t the face of a human at all.


    Sen was sure of it. The young man was no human to begin with. He was¡­


    ¡°No!¡± Sen shouted at the figure, scrabbling on his feet to run. ¡°Get away from me!¡± However, all the energy was sucked out of him, making him trip and stumble on the rocky ground as if he were a baby deer trying to find his footing.


    ¡°S-Sen, it¡¯s okay. What¡¯s wrong?¡± his sister tried to help him up.


    How could she not see it?¡ªthat horrifying face in front of them, slowly closing the distance as if he were about to pounce at any second.


    ¡°We have to leave!¡± Sen squirmed out of Hana¡¯s grasp, frantically trying to crawl down the rocky slope to escape. His fingers became bloody and ragged with each failed attempt to run away.


    ¡°Stop it!¡± Hana begged, chasing after him. Her Sense activating, she heaved him up on her shoulders, holding him with only one hand. Flailing his arms in panic, he eventually gave up, slowly feeling unconsciousness battle him.


    ¡°No need for such apprehension,¡± the young man said, only a few strides away. ¡°I mean no harm. In truth, I was battling the monsters over there. Unfortunately, I was too late to save the contestants. It is indeed quite a gruesome sight, so I can fully understand your brother¡¯s fear. I apologize that you were forced to see that.¡±


    ¡°Are you¡­¡± Hana trailed off.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he nodded. ¡°My name is Nova.¡±


    Sen didn''t even have the energy to look up. Their voices were suddenly becoming more and more muffled.


    No¡­ he couldn¡¯t fall asleep. Not next to that thing. They needed to escape¡­ or else¡ª


    ¡°Actually, it¡¯s quite funny we bumped into each other,¡± Nova said. ¡°I had just overheard a rumor about a Senseless contestant¡­¡±

 Book 2/ Chapter 15– Team Baru

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s quite a predicament, isn¡¯t it.¡± Hyo heaved a sigh. With an almost defeated expression, he tossed some extra wood on the crackling flames of the campfire, a few embers fluttering out. One even got so close that it landed on Sen¡¯s crossed leg, then slowly died when it made contact with the expensive white tracksuit. It occurred to him that perhaps he shouldn¡¯t be this close to the campfire, but the warmth comforted him. And right now, he wanted¡ªno, he needed¡ªto calm down. His brain couldn¡¯t think straight anymore. Not after all that.


    It was as if he had been sleep-deprived for months on end, not even able to critically process things as he normally should. Huh, normally¡­ That was an amusing thought. He didn¡¯t know what that even meant anymore. Objective conclusions were a foregone thought¡ªthings he once knew meant nothing now.


    Around Sen, crouching beside the campfire, was his team. Noticing his distant expression, Hana frowned thoughtfully yet offered no words of comfort. He couldn¡¯t quite blame her either; there wasn¡¯t much to say. He should be the one talking by any means. How could he even begin to explain his reaction to Hana? That he saw this devilish face that she couldn¡¯t see? That he kept hearing this voice in his head? That he wasn¡¯t even in control of his own body?


    I need to figure it out¡­ It wasn¡¯t necessary for them to know; in the end, it just made things more difficult for him. Having more people know about an issue didn¡¯t solve it any quicker; it just convoluted the solutions. Or maybe he was hesitant. Hesitant that if he said too much, they would look at him as if he were crazy. Which, on a scale of possibilities, was high up there. All the side effects of having schizophrenia were present. But something deep down told him that he didn¡¯t have it. If it were all in his mind, then how was he able to kill that monster? Or if it were all in his head, why, in the past, did other people view him differently¡­ almost with fear? It was true¡­ this issue hadn¡¯t just simply popped up out of nowhere¡ªit was always there¡ªjust in different forms. He had just refused to acknowledge them.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s try to discuss what happened again. Just so we¡¯re clear,¡± Hyo suggested, crossing his legs and joining the circle.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not push it, okay? I don¡¯t know if Sen is ready to talk,¡± Hana glanced worryingly at her brother. She had brought him back to the camp by herself, with his unconscious body slung over her shoulders. And shortly after using their communication device, she had urgently told everyone that there was an emergency. Sen wasn¡¯t sure what she had told them while he was unconscious, but judging by Hyo¡¯s confused expression, there was still much to discuss.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯s fine,¡± Baru said, lying on his side on the forest floor, his hand propped to support his head. Hana didn¡¯t appreciate his unworried attitude, shooting an angry glare at him. Surprisingly, however, he didn¡¯t start an argument. Maybe, to some extent, she also yearned to know why Sen had acted so oddly back then. Which was only fair. Sen couldn¡¯t remember the last time he had audibly screamed. He just simply never did that.


    ¡°It¡¯s perfectly reasonable to be troubled after what he saw,¡± Hyo said thoughtfully, prodding the campfire with a long stick and breaking the scorched logs. ¡°It¡¯s not every day that you see three mutilated bodies. I think everyone here can share that sentiment.¡±


    The team slowly yet reluctantly nodded in agreement. However, that wasn¡¯t exactly what troubled Sen. Those dead bodies were nothing compared to that¡­ that face he saw.


    ¡°Yeah, It was¡­¡± Hana trailed off, then sighed, deciding not to continue that thought, ¡°We were just talking about how easy the challenge seemed, too. I guess that¡¯s karma.¡±


    Baru had a more indifferent opinion. ¡°A few deaths are common in the Knight exams; they probably weren''t as experienced in battle. Asashi gave everyone a lot of chances to leave, and they could even forfeit whenever they wanted as well.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s cruel to say, don¡¯t you think.¡± Usually, there would be anger in Hana¡¯s tone¡ªthis time, there was just dread.


    ¡°It is cruel,¡± Baru agreed, his eyes darkened, focusing on the fire. ¡°But it¡¯s just the truth, and we can¡¯t let it intimidate us.¡±


    ¡°Baru is right,¡± Sen breathed out, looking at the orange sky above from the campsite. It seemed as though the day had just begun, yet now it was already over, becoming dusk. This was a good time to play it off as if Sen had gotten over the sight he had seen, even though it wasn¡¯t exactly why he had vomited or screamed. Still, the dead contestant bothered him way more than it should have.


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about the more important issue,¡± Sen firmly said.


    Hyo nodded his head, almost waiting for him to say that. ¡°The rumor, I presume?¡±


    Maybe Sen imagined it, but he could have sworn he saw Hyo glance quickly to the side at Hono.


    ¡°Yes, before I went fully unconscious, I heard Nova say that there was a rumor about a Senseless contestant. And the most obvious questions are: Who spread the rumor? Just how and when?¡± Sen gauged his team¡¯s reaction. He was confident most of his team would never voluntarily spread a rumor about him. Even Baru, although very odd, didn¡¯t seem the type to do that. Not to mention, they had only told him very recently. That wouldn¡¯t be enough time for a rumor to spread so far, even to make the number one team/person aware of it. Meaning it must have been when the second challenge started or perhaps even before. I hate to admit it¡­ Sen thought, but the timing was too convenient.


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    There was another person he had indirectly told he was Senseless, too. And that was Ayame. Only a fool would look at the timing and write her off. As much as Sen was urged to deny it, he simply couldn¡¯t. His gut was telling him no, but his brain was saying yes.


    ¡°Does it really matter?¡± Baru yawned, tired from slaying monsters all day. ¡°I mean, so what if they find out? It¡¯s not like you have an advantage over others.¡±


    What Baru said was true, and at first, that¡¯s what Sen had thought. There shouldn''t be a problem with him competing. Theoretically, others wouldn¡¯t care. But now that he had discovered a rumor was spreading, he was beginning to doubt that sentiment. Hyo adjusted his glasses, almost as if he wanted to say something, but debated whether it was appropriate. With a conflicted frown, he eventually exhaled.


    ¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t say everyone wouldn¡¯t care,¡± he said at last.


    Kaiyo tilted her head, her knees drawn to her chest, and her arms wrapped around them beside the crackling fire. ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°I mean, just take why people bully Sen, for example. It¡¯s not like they envy him, no offense Sen¡ªit¡¯s quite the opposite. People like to bully others who are different. And the very fact this is a rumor is worrisome. Usually, people don¡¯t make a rumor without some sort of ulterior motive.¡±


    Hyo ripped Sen¡¯s thought straight out of his mind. The worrisome part wasn¡¯t that someone knew, but rather that there was a rumor about him, and usually, it meant there was controversy at the root of it.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that this person, or people who spread the rumor, are planning on doing something bad to Sen?¡± Kaiyo asked with a quiver in her tone.


    Hyo and Sen exchanged glances. ¡°Well, there¡¯s a chance of that, of course. The person who spread the rumor is bound to have some ill intent toward us, that¡¯s a given,¡± Hyo said. Once again, he quickly glanced at Hono, who remained quiet most of the time, listening in the circle with an unreadable expression. He suspects her. Sen caught the hints. However, it would be a lie if he said he didn¡¯t. Sen had been keeping an eye on her for a long time, and many things felt out of place. But she was with us the whole time. I just don¡¯t know when or how she would have had the time to spread a rumor like that. Purely on the probability range, Ayame and her brother are at higher suspicion.


    ¡°What Hyo is trying to say is that the biggest problem is if the rumor gets heard by the wrong people,¡± Sen clarified. ¡°That being said, it¡¯s all speculative. There is a chance that nothing is going to happen, even if this rumor spreads further. But the best thing for now is if Hana and I try to remain unseen. It¡¯s better not to make other people associate me with the rest of you for the time being.¡±


    Baru picked his nose, inspecting his booger, then flicking it away. ¡°What if the people who started the rumor already know who the rest of the team is? Is keeping you hidden going to help at all?¡±


    ¡°The person who¡¯s at the bottom of this might know, but from what it looks like, the rumor itself is only about me.¡±


    ¡°How are you so sure?¡± Kaiyo wondered.


    Sen wasn¡¯t sure, but his gut was telling him that it was true. ¡°Back when we saw Nova, he was only interested in me and had no clue of Hana¡¯s name, leading me to believe I¡¯m the only one known yet. But, after seeing us together, it¡¯s only a matter of time before descriptions of the Senseless contestant¡¯s sister start to surface as well.¡±


    Although Sen was terrified out of his mind after seeing Nova, he still recalled everything in detail. He wished he couldn¡¯t, though. He tried to get that face out of his mind, but¡­ it just wouldn¡¯t leave.


    ¡°Hana, did that Nova guy mention anything else?¡± Hyo asked.


    She shook her head. ¡°No, he just mentioned that he had overheard a rumor of a Senseless contestant and asked if it was true. I obviously denied it, but he didn¡¯t seem inclined to get more information out of me.¡±


    Hyo frowned and scratched his head with a sigh. ¡°Okay, well, that doesn¡¯t help much. What do you think, Sen? What should we do?¡±


    There was only so much they could do.


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Sen breathed in the crisp air, a ray of orange light hitting his face from the setting sun. ¡°Hana and I will refrain from being seen in the forest, so we¡¯ll be here most of the time. I¡¯m counting on the rest of you to keep piling up points¡­¡± He scanned his team as they all nodded in agreement, except for Hono, who seemed distracted. Sen decided it was a good opportunity to test and study her reaction.


    ¡°Hono?¡± Sen asked her. She jerked up, meeting his stare. There was a hint of nervousness in her expression, though she kept it hidden behind her bright smile quite well. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    She blinked. ¡°What do I think? You mean about what to do?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°You¡¯ve been quiet, so I would like to know your thoughts. We value your input just like anyone else on our team.¡±


    She flushed. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m not too sure. It¡¯s an interesting situation, but you guys are always smart, so I¡¯m sure everything will work out!¡± she sustained with a cheerful expression.


    She¡¯s blushing? Sen thought with confusion, wondering why. The answer came to him instantly. That¡¯s right, she¡¯s still awkward around me ever since I kissed her. Remembering that event all of a sudden made him feel weird. For some reason, he wanted to forget that ever happened as quickly as possible.


    ¡°But there is something I think is worth a shot,¡± Hono said unexpectedly. The team eyed her with intrigue. ¡°If you want to be extra careful, I think it¡¯s possible to change the name of your team.¡±


    Sen wasn¡¯t expecting that method and certainly wouldn¡¯t have ever thought about it. He assumed that the naming of teams was final. The only reason he had boldly named the team under Sen was to throw off Asashi, but now that it wasn¡¯t needed anymore, it would help them greatly in their predicament.


    ¡°Is that even possible?¡± Hana probed Hono, and she simply shrugged, unsure herself.


    ¡°It¡¯s worth a shot. If a team leader gets disqualified, it¡¯s only natural that the techno-watch would allow you to change the team¡¯s name to someone else. In this case, I also think it¡¯s possible,¡± Hono noted.


    How is she so sure that the team gets to change its name if a leader gets disqualified? Sen wondered.


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Hyo met eyes with Sen with a shrug. ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯ll work, but it¡¯s better than nothing.¡±


    ¡°Hope you name it Team Baru this time, for crying out loud!¡± Baru lifted himself from his laid-down position, stretching his arms out. ¡°I don¡¯t get the respect I deser¡ª¡±


    ¡°Sure, if it works.¡± Sen didn¡¯t exactly care who got the title. It just couldn¡¯t be him or Hana, since she was seen with him.


    Baru froze mid-stretch. ¡°¡­Huh?¡±


    ¡°No objections here,¡± Hyo lifted his hand.


    The rest of the team voiced their agreement, except for Hana, who just tried to pretend she didn¡¯t hear anything. Baru¡¯s jaw hung, and his brows raised in pure disbelief. After begging the first time and being shut down instantly, he finally got what he wished for. Baru almost cried. ¡°Holy shit.¡±

 Book 2/ Chapter 16– Fleeting Moments & The Truth

    Night inevitably arrived, and a white moon hung charmingly above their camp. Shadows consumed the depths of the forest, leaving no way of knowing what lurked beyond the clearing, dimly lit by the small campfire. However, Sen had to remind himself that someone like Hyo wouldn¡¯t have the same issues as he did because of his Sense. He had read in books that Sight had many utilities¡ªseeing in the dark, seeing a hundred times farther than others, and even, in rare cases, seeing into the future. He assumed that was an exaggeration, but it was still impressive.


    Sen had trouble sleeping in his sleeping bag, constantly twisting and turning with restlessness, so he decided to get some fresh air. When he did, he noticed Baru sitting cross-legged beside the fire, his arms leaning behind him. Staring at the starry sky, Baru had a somewhat melancholic expression¡ªneither sad nor happy. Sen had seen this side of him before, and it, quite frankly, didn¡¯t suit his usual comedic attitude at all.


    But that¡¯s what made Baru so fascinating. The contrast in his behavior didn¡¯t seem as if he was trying to fake it and fool those around him¡ªsomething Hono often did¡ªbut rather, it seemed almost like an effort to fool himself. Not to mention the mystery of his strength, which didn¡¯t seem feasible for someone his age.


    ¡°Thank you for being on watch,¡± Sen said, approaching the fire, which slightly startled Baru.


    ¡°Sure, no prob. Hyo is sure taking his sweet time getting up. It was his shift like ten minutes ago,¡± Baru yawned, giving in to a slight stretch before laying down flat on the earthy floor.


    ¡°I could keep watch if you¡¯d like,¡± Sen offered.


    He shook his head. ¡°Nah, we already agreed on who¡¯s keeping watch. Me, Hyo, and Hana will switch off every couple of hours. Don¡¯t take offense, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s exactly safe for you, ya know.¡±


    ¡°Fair,¡± Sen couldn¡¯t argue against that. He was self-aware enough to know he was weak.


    ¡°The same goes for Kaiyo and Hono. Although they can use the Sense Swords and all that, they just don¡¯t have the combat abilities we do. So it doesn¡¯t have anything to do with you being Senseless, to be honest.¡±


    Sen had some combat abilities, and if he had any Sense, he was confident he¡¯d be quite skilled, but he didn¡¯t want to seem egotistical, so he held his tongue.


    ¡°Hey, I mean, that¡¯s why you were selected to be the team''s new leader.¡±


    Baru didn¡¯t seem comfortable with the praise. ¡°It¡¯s just a name, really. You¡¯re still the one with the brains. I¡¯m just good at fighting stuff. I¡¯m just surprised that it worked, honestly.¡±


    Sen nodded in agreement. A few hours ago, they asked the techno watch whether it was possible to change their team name, and despite his doubts, it was. The new name would be registered automatically and updated in AOK¡¯s system, while everything else would remain the same. It helped them tremendously to hide that Sen was part of their team. However, only if the person behind the rumor didn¡¯t begin spreading information about the other teammates. If they did, they would need to face whatever happened.


    That¡¯s why we need to keep an eye on Hono, just in case she¡¯s the one. If it¡¯s Ayame, then we¡¯re screwed either way. I don¡¯t understand why she hasn¡¯t revealed who the other teammates are yet. I feel like that¡¯s as important as my identity. Same with Hono. If she¡¯s the one, then why hasn¡¯t she done that? Maybe I misread Nova¡¯s words, but I¡¯m certain that¡¯s not the case. Everything simply didn¡¯t add up. There was something fishy about the origin of the rumor. Unless¡­ There was a stray thought. What if Asashi is the one behind this? No, it can¡¯t be. He would understand that it also puts his daughter at risk if the motive for spreading such a rumor is what I think it is¡­


    ¡°Staring at the stars is kinda relaxing, ya know,¡± Baru said, snapping Sen out of his thoughts. ¡°I think it will help alleviate the stress.¡±


    Sen stared at him. ¡°How can you tell that I¡¯m stressed out?¡±


    Baru almost laughed. ¡°What do you mean? It¡¯s pretty evident. I don¡¯t know how to explain it, but it¡¯s just your expression. Your eyebrows are all tense and shit.¡±


    ¡°I never noticed.¡± He usually kept a very blunt expression. In fact, that was one of the many reasons why people bullied him in school.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m telling you to lay down and just look at the stars,¡± Baru urged. Sen forced a sigh. He didn¡¯t quite get how looking at stars could alleviate someone¡¯s stress levels. Doing as Baru suggested, Sen laid down next to him, eyeing the dark expanse above. After moments of patiently waiting, Sen felt no difference.


    ¡°It¡¯s not working.¡±


    ¡°Well, are you constantly thinking about how it will remove your stress?¡± Baru asked, and then Sen slowly nodded. ¡°You¡¯re doing it wrong then. If you constantly think about what¡¯s bothering you or how to fix it, it¡¯s never gonna disappear. Just¡­ I don¡¯t know, look at the damn stars and see what you can connect, and don¡¯t think about anything.¡±


    ¡°Connect?¡±


    ¡°Like connecting the stars together to make a thing.¡± Baru pointed somewhere in the sky. ¡°See, like that one looks like a tiger.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see it. Where?¡±


    Baru snorted. ¡°You really don¡¯t see it? It¡¯s like the most obvious thing.¡±


    Sen squinted, trying to make out something that resembled a tiger. ¡°Is it the body or face?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the face of a tiger. C¡¯mon man, you gotta be kidding me.¡±


    He gawked at the stars again, scanning for anything that connected, but he inevitably failed. ¡°I just don¡¯t see it.¡±


    Baru rolled his eyes with a sigh. ¡°Alright, what about that rabbit? Right around there.¡± Baru moved a little too close to Sen and pointed his finger in Sen¡¯s field of vision. ¡°It¡¯s literally right there.¡±


    ¡°For the last time, I don¡¯t see it.¡± Sen was getting a bit annoyed now. After Baru saw his irritated face, he let out a hysterical laugh. Sen blinked at the red-haired boy in confusion, not understanding the humor. ¡°I don¡¯t see what¡¯s funny here.¡±


    Baru slapped his hand on the ground in laughter, almost tearing up. ¡°See, it worked.¡±


    Sen blinked. ¡°What worked?¡±


    ¡°You stopped being stressed out ¡¯cause you were too busy trying to connect the stars. I was just speaking out of my ass. I didn¡¯t see anything!¡±


    Sen paused, almost wondering how he was so easily fooled. But now that Baru mentioned it, Sen realized it was true. His stress had stopped briefly because he was using all his effort to find a shape that didn¡¯t even exist. ¡°That was a smart way to make your point,¡± Sen noted with a small chuckle. ¡°You know, you¡¯re much smarter than you let on.¡±


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    Baru snorted. ¡°I¡¯m not smart by any means.¡±


    ¡°Well, I never said you were. You''re just more than you show.¡±


    Baru gawked. ¡°Wow¡­ that¡¯s fucked up.¡±


    Sen dismissed his worries. ¡°That was a joke.¡± Well¡­ maybe it was. Sen wasn¡¯t too sure if he was lying or not. ¡°Say, why do you always act like a fool in front of everyone?¡±


    Baru didn¡¯t respond for a few moments¡ªinstead, he looked at the stars with a lost smile. But eventually, he answered. For the first time, he felt comfortable sharing his true thoughts with someone, even though they had just met a few days ago. ¡°When you try to go to sleep, what do you do?¡±


    Sen was confused. ¡°What do you mean? I don¡¯t know, I guess go to bed and turn off the lights?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Baru nodded, drifting off. ¡°You first pretend to sleep, and eventually, it becomes true.¡±


    ¡°But people need sleep one way or another, so eventually you are going¡ª¡±


    ¡°Listen to my damn point!¡± Baru snapped. ¡°I¡¯m trying to say that if you try your best to make light of things, it becomes a reality.¡±


    Sen mused over his words. ¡°That¡¯s quite the quote.¡± Yet, the statement struck Sen as almost sad. This wasn¡¯t something that was discovered after maturing¡ªthis was a product of past experiences. The wish of fooling yourself into making light of everything could only be created if you once only saw darkness. The intent of wanting to escape that hopeless point in his life is what inevitably caused him to have such an outlook. It was a hopeful way of looking at things¡­ yet, at the same time, sad. Perhaps that expression he saw before greeting Baru described his state better than he first thought.


    ¡°You mentioned that you lived outside the city, right?¡± Sen asked, rather out of the blue. Baru reluctantly nodded, slightly apprehensive. ¡°You said there were rarely any monster attacks. Why is that?¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°I¡¯ll be honest with you,¡± Baru¡¯s tone changed¡ªit was filled with bitterness, yet barely felt steady. ¡°It¡¯s a tough subject. I¡¯d rather not talk about it.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Sen noted. He guessed that already. But he was asking for a much larger reason. Something that he knew Baru had some information on. ¡°In that case, what do you think about this challenge? Doesn¡¯t it feel a bit strange?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a bit random. In what way?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not too sure¡­ I guess it feels controlled and isolated, if that makes sense. It¡¯s ironic since I just saw three dead bodies recently, but something is missing. Something the AOK is not telling us.¡±


    There was another tense minute of silence.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect someone to figure it out other than me.¡± Baru finally admitted. ¡°But let me ask you this: How did you manage to correlate that with my past?¡±


    Sen answered truthfully. ¡°It was a guess. You once said that there weren¡¯t many attacks in your village, which is very abnormal, leading me to believe it was due to something. Second, you said very confidently that this challenge wasn¡¯t going to be dangerous. Because those two instances shared a similar theme, I believe they were somehow connected, although I¡¯m not sure how. But the implications are clear.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°For fuck¡¯s sake, man,¡± Baru groaned, ruffling his hair in frustration. ¡°You¡¯re ridiculous.¡±


    Sen raised his brow. ¡°I presume I got it right then?¡±


    With a sigh, Baru jerked his head forward from the ground and sat there, watching the fire crackle as he tossed in a stick that was near him. ¡°Even if I denied it, you¡¯re smart enough to see through it. I¡¯m not good at analyzing words like you do. In fact, I¡¯m quite ignorant at times. That¡¯s how you were able to read me like a book, I suppose,¡± Baru sighed dramatically.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that,¡± Sen shook his head. ¡°Actually, out of many people, I had trouble understanding you the most. You¡¯re very¡­ different, I suppose.¡±


    ¡°Well, my mom did say I was a special boy,¡± Baru chuckled. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because I act a little retarded.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I¡ª¡± Sen was about to answer that, but Baru stopped him.


    ¡°Yeah, you don¡¯t have to reply to that. I know.¡± He put out his hand. ¡°Listen, I don¡¯t like talking about my past, but I¡¯ll give you a rough answer to your question.¡± Baru caved in. Sen perked his ears.


    ¡°My village was a quaint and peaceful one. Each house had a lot of land, and barely any monsters stepped foot there. Some of the farmers could even afford robots to help out with the labor. But it wasn¡¯t always like that¡­¡±


    Why did that... sound familiar?


    Sen tried his best to concentrate on what Baru was saying, but for some reason, he couldn¡¯t. An image was materializing in his mind, and it just wouldn¡¯t leave. It was like an unreachable memory, yet he could vaguely remember it. A lush green farmland, so peaceful and serene it couldn¡¯t even begin to compare to the city¡ªfarmers raising their stray hats with pleased expressions as he belted by inside a car. What is this?


    This wasn¡¯t his imagination¡­


    Abruptly, the world blearily swiveled and twisted into a different setting.


    Sen was standing by a front door entryway leading into a rather comfy, wooden, cabin-like house. A staircase led up to the second floor parallel to the front door, and to the left was a small kitchen and living room. By the dining table, two young kids¡ªa boy with red hair and a girl with blonde hair¡ªhid behind two parents who seemed apprehensive. A large, stocky black man in a black trench coat interrogated them, a wide smirk on his face as he talked. The words¡­ they were muffled. And the faces¡­ they were fuzzy. The more Sen looked around him, the more everything blurred and began twisting. The world was bending out of existence¡­


    This was something he wasn¡¯t supposed to see.


    The memory felt vile and disgusting, as if he were committing the worst imaginable sin.


    ¡­


    Sen convulsed back to reality. The familiar forest ground and the warm firelight were clear again. To his relief, nothing felt blurred or distorted. His heart thrashed in his chest, and he struggled to catch his breath. Every single hair on his body seemed to stand on end from uneasiness. His body felt hot¡­ way too hot to be normal in this weather.


    ¡°Sen?¡± Baru noticed his audible gasp for air. ¡°You okay, bro?¡±


    Sen coughed, taking a minute before responding. ¡°Yeah¡­ I-I¡¯m fine¡­¡± His heart managed to stabilize after calming down. Baru looked at him, unsure if he was telling the truth.


    ¡°You sure? That seemed like a mini panic attack.¡±


    ¡°No, no, I coughed because a fly just flew into my throat, that¡¯s all,¡± Sen assured him.


    What was that? he thought, shuddering. That couldn¡¯t be just my imagination. I actually heard voices, although they were muffled. It was like I was really there. Like I¡­ I was there.


    ¡°The flies are a pain in the ass,¡± Baru agreed. ¡°Anyway¡­ as I was saying. My father made a pendant from the claw of a monster.¡± Sen was thrown back into the conversation but slowly nodded like he had been listening the whole time. ¡°I didn¡¯t believe it at the time, but that claw prevented monsters from coming to my village. They were scared. It was the claw of the White Tiger Monster¡­"


    A shiver ran down his spine the moment Baru uttered those words. He had heard that name before, yet no matter how much studying he conducted¨Cthe monster was still shrouded in mystery. Out of all of them, the White Tiger was the only monster whom he had no information, aside from rumors that it welded the power of all Sense''s.


    "I haven''t heard that name in a while. But are you sure that''s the case? I just don''t see how a simple claw would stop monsters from attacking your village."


    Baru grew silent, and when Sen looked at his face¨C it was covered with pure horrific dread.


    "...I know it works..." he murmured to Sen, "because when I took it, a monster killed my whole family."


    Sen froze, unsure of what to say. But now, he finally understood why Baru didn''t want to share anything about his past. He couldn''t help but feel guilt gnawing at him for trying to push the subject. It was an annoying feeling.


    "...I''m sorry. I didnt mean to¨C"


    "It''s okay," Baru cut him off before he had a chance to explain. "You don''t have to apologize. I can''t blame you for not knowing."


    "No," Sen shook his head. "I let my curiosity get the best of me. I''m sorry." Sen meant it. He really did.


    A lost smile formed on Baru''s face, listening to his words. "That''s thoughtful of you. Thanks."


    They sat beside the fire for a while longer, allowing the comforting silence to continue, listening to the croaks of the frogs and the beautiful melody of crickets. It was....calm, and Sen enjoyed that. They didn''t need to share any more words to understand what the other thought¨Cthey just knew.


    "There were government officials..." Baru blurted out softly.


    "Pardon?" Sen didn''t understand.


    "The Aok were already searching for my father''s technology," Baru went on. "And after my mistake... they..." His tone collapsed, choking on his own words. If he uttered anymore, he was going to cry... and he didn''t want to cry in front of Sen. With an arm to hide his eyes, he pointed his finger to the sky.


    That''s all Sen needed to understand.


    "I see. You don''t have to tell me anymore." Sen stood up with a sigh, patting Baru on the back.


    The Aok stole your father''s invention... and is using it in this challenge as we speak...

 Book 2/ Chapter 17– What did you do, Sen?

    Asashi scrolled through his thin, translucent phone. Videos of AI cats dancing made him chuckle, but after a while, it became boring. Scrolling further, a clip of an old man falling on his back appeared, making Asashi laugh more than he should have. What was he even doing? Wasn¡¯t there anything better he had to attend to? He threw his phone on his desk and leaned back in his chair with a sigh.


    His temporary room at the base of Mount Fuji was more lackluster and claustrophobic than he expected. It was barely a quarter of the size of his office at AOK headquarters and lacked any natural light. The walls were made of soulless steel, making the room feel as if he were in a prison¡ªperhaps the absence of decor also contributed to it. The only furniture in the room was a low coffee table and another chair facing him, as if he were supposed to have meetings with people, which he didn¡¯t foresee happening anytime soon.


    ¡°Maybe I should go check on what Kaiyo is doing,¡± Asashi murmured to himself. He had seen security footage of them building their campsite, and he knew their exact location thanks to the Techno watch. Of course, that went for everyone throughout the challenge. The academy was very adamant about knowing precisely what was occurring in case of emergencies or casualties. The best way to do so was by releasing hundreds of self-automating robot insects to survey the area.


    When notable updates occurred, the AI sent the data to AOK servers, and another line of AI software sifted through it¡ªquicker than any human could¡ªto ensure everyone was safe and following protocol. In this case, Asashi had asked for any footage from Sen¡¯s team to be broadcast to him. For no particular reason at all, of course. In truth, he just couldn¡¯t help but feel anxious about his daughter.


    This method was commonly used in cities to alert people, while also classifying danger levels via their phones. The AI devices also surveyed the general area and alerted Knights of Monsters that needed to be slain. However, it wasn¡¯t infallible. If it were, there wouldn¡¯t be any monster attacks.


    ¡°I¡¯m bored¡­¡± he groaned. But I guess that was a good thing in this case. It meant nothing terrible was happening.


    ¡°Mr. Asashi?¡± a voice abruptly said after the door opened.


    He spoke too soon, perhaps. Surprisingly, it wasn¡¯t Zizu this time, which slightly disappointed him for some reason. Instead, it was a stocky, tall young man. His brown hair was short, and his thin beard well-kept, showing that he was a rather fine gentleman.


    ¡°Kira, what can I help you with?¡± Asashi asked. This wasn¡¯t their first time meeting¡ªin fact, it had been quite often as of late. Kira was his personal courier, updating him on certain things that occurred during the challenge. And by the look on his face, it wasn¡¯t positive.


    ¡°Well, sir,¡± Kira breathed in with hesitation, ¡°I just got notice that there have been some casualties.¡±


    ¡°Casualties?¡± Asashi stood up urgently. There was a stray thought kindling in the back of his mind, but he quickly shook it off. He was getting too ahead of himself. This was inevitable. Some casualties were bound to occur in such an extreme challenge. Still, a line of regret made him doubt whether he should have allowed his daughter to participate in the first place. The more the challenge went on, the more anxious he became. It¡¯s okay. Her team has a lot of capable people, so she¡¯ll be alright. The monsters aren¡¯t that strong¡ªmainly bronze rank and, in some cases, silver rank. With all the tools they have, I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll manage. But the fact there were casualties meant there was still more risk than he¡¯d like to admit.


    ¡°Alright¡­¡± Asashi sat back down, sighing briefly with his elbows on the desk and fingers crossed. ¡°Show me the footage.¡±


    Kira nodded reluctantly and ambled his way to Asashi¡¯s desk. Pulling a zip drive from his pocket, he inserted it into a hand-sized cylindrical device on the desk. A screen projected out of the tube, and the young man navigated to the zip drive¡¯s content. Eventually, after finding it, Kira opened the file to reveal video footage from one of the insect¡¯s cameras. Asashi watched with patience¡­ then that patience soon turned into confusion¡­ and finally disgust.


    Two monsters that seemed to be Brailings¨Ca goat-like monster, ironically¡ªstood beside three mangled bodies, covered in blood. Oddly enough, the monsters almost looked confused and lost. However, to Asashi¡¯s surprise, that was not where the clip ended.


    Almost inhumanly, the monsters were cut into pieces faster than he could even fathom¡ªa stream of scarlet gushed, forming a small river of blood. A red-haired figure stood in the center of all the death. Seemingly too calm and collected, Asashi doubted whether that was even a human. Perhaps it was a shapeshifting monster¡­ but when reality sank in, he reminded himself that those didn¡¯t exist.


    ¡°Team Nova?¡± Asashi breathed, recognizing the person.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s almost a stretch to even mention a team,¡± Kira said frankly. ¡°Nova is entirely by himself. The rest of the members didn¡¯t even try to participate after registering as part of his team.¡±


    ¡°Not a single one?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Kira confirmed. ¡°It¡¯s very abnormal if you ask me. You¡¯d think at least one would try, but no, they all lounged in the room of doors, even after Nova had found the exit.¡±


    Asashi found that highly suspicious. ¡°Is there any evidence to suggest Nova knew these people before the first challenge started?¡±


    ¡°No, unfortunately. They met up randomly like most of the people in the challenge.¡±


    ¡°That sounds even more absurd then,¡± Asashi grumbled as Kira nodded in agreement. Who was this person? More or less, a child. ¡°He passed the first challenge in three minutes, correct?¡± Asashi asked.


    ¡°Three minutes and thirty-two seconds, to be exact.¡±


    Asashi snorted. ¡°Like that makes it any more believable.¡± He needed to go back and watch the security footage of Nova passing the first challenge to get a better scope of his abilities, but right now, the video in front of him was more important. ¡°So, is that all from the footage?¡±


    Kira frowned, as if debating whether they should continue watching or not. ¡°Well, that¡¯s the most important part. Unfortunately, our AI insects did not capture the moment the contestants were killed, which I¡¯m half glad about, but regarding the incident, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°I can tell there¡¯s something else, isn¡¯t there?¡± Asashi noticed Kira¡¯s narrow face frown in thought.


    ¡°Yes. I thought I¡¯d fast forward a bit and show you what else I found rather odd about this incident. Two people appeared after Nova had killed the monsters, and the interaction was, well¡­ I¡¯ll just show you.¡±


    With a quick swipe of his finger across the projected screen, the footage fast-forwarded until two white-haired contestants stepped in front of the gruesome scene.


    Asashi froze. ¡°You have to be fucking kidding me.¡±


    Out of all the people who could appear in the incident, it was Sen and his sister¡­


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Asashi¡¯s phone buzzed as he tried calling someone. No one was present in his soulless office, and Kira had withdrawn to sleep a few hours ago after showing him more footage upon his request. Although late night was approaching, he was still wired up, his dress shoes tapping the steel floor impatiently while sitting, his teeth gritting crossly. His phone responded with a robotic voice. ¡°Sorry, the person you¡¯re trying to dial is unavailable. Please try again later¡ª¡±


    Asashi angrily threw his phone on the desk and scrambled his short black hair with his hands, groaning in frustration. ¡°Pick up the goddamn phone, you bastard¡­¡± he muttered. What good was a phone if no one picked it up? But this was Mr. Storm he was talking about; he expected nothing less from that lazy excuse of a man. I need to calm down. Maybe I¡¯m overreacting. Still, in the back of his mind, something was urging him, like a ticking clock slowly counting down until something terrible occurred. He felt it. And he knew Sen was going to be in the center of it. He just knew.


    Just then, his phone started vibrating on his desk. It was Storm. Leaping off his chair, he quickly grasped his phone and answered.


    ¡°Yello!¡± a cheerful voice said. ¡°What can I not help you with today?¡±


    ¡°Cut the bullshit, Storm,¡± Asashi demanded. ¡°This is a serious matter.¡±


    ¡°You say that all the time. Listen, if it¡¯s another one of your requests to throw out Sen, consider it denied already. I¡¯m too busy to listen to your yapping!¡± Storm snapped. In the background, Asashi could have sworn he heard the growl of monsters and people screaming. ¡°Oh shit¡­ This little bastard tried to kill me! Bad boy, down! Down!¡±


    Asashi blinked. ¡°Are you seriously fighting monsters while talking to me?¡±


    ¡°Aw man, this monster is kinda cute. Could I keep him?¡±


    ¡°What? Of course not, no. Why are you fighting monsters while talking to me?¡±


    He heard Storm yelp from the other end of the phone. ¡°Well, you forget that I¡¯m a Knight, too. I have responsibilities! Plus, I¡¯m the strongest there is, and I can multi-task¡ª Holy fuck, that was close!¡±


    Asashi couldn¡¯t believe he even tried calling him. He pressed his eyes with a sigh. ¡°Listen, if you''re not available yet, I''ll talk to you later.¡±


    ¡°Nah, I¡¯m only available at this exact moment. Everything after that, I''m going to be busy doing¡­ things.¡±


    ¡°Like?¡±


    There was a moment of silence. ¡°There¡¯s a new game releasing, so I¡¯m gonna pull an all-nighter and play it after I¡¯m done cleaning the streets of these pesky little cute vermin.¡± The sound of bullets rang, and the metal clink of swords connecting with the ground was heard. ¡°Come here, kitty kitty¡ªoh wait, wrong one. Come here, doggy doggy!¡±


    Asashi was going to lose it. But at this point, his anger just turned into acceptance. This was just how Storm was and always would be. He just needed to live with it.


    ¡°Listen, Storm¡­¡± Asashi began. ¡°Nova is one of the failed vessels, correct?¡±


    After some more extensive research into Nova¡¯s background, Asashi found that many things simply didn¡¯t add up. He never went to school¡ªthere were no records of his parents or even records of himself¡ªthey were all lost or deleted. Judging by Storm''s silence, Asashi knew he was on the right track. Nova¡¯s participation in the first challenge and record in the first challenge alone raised a lot of suspicion. This was the only possible conclusion¡ª


    ¡°Yep,¡± Storm said indifferently. Asashi stood dumbfounded with his phone raised to his ear.


    ¡°What?¡± He blurted out. ¡°That¡¯s it? Really? You¡¯re not even going to try to deny it?¡±


    ¡°Why should I care to keep it a secret? I already told you that I don¡¯t permit the removal of any contestants just because they were previously failed vessels. Anyway, so why do you ask? I can sense you called me for more than just to confirm the identity of one of the vessels.¡±


    He gritted his teeth. ¡°You¡¯re quite keen. Yes, I¡¯d like permission to remove Sen from the challenge again.¡±


    He heard Storm sigh from the other end. ¡°For the last time, I told you already, I¡¯m allowing that boy to continue. You say this as if he poses a threat to the academy. He is a senseless boy, Asashi. Show some pity. Hold that thought¡ªa monster is attacking. Ughh!¡± Asashi waited in silence until he finished. ¡°Alright. Anyway, as I was saying. This is the last time I¡¯m going to humor you. You¡¯re only interested in the vessels because Yami was involved in it. It¡¯s like you and Yami were some closeted lovers with how much you obsess over him, Jesus. Leave the poor failed vessels alone¡ª¡±


    ¡°Sen is not a failed vessel.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°And what¡¯s your proof of that claim, good sir? You know you can¡¯t make statements without proof.¡±


    Asashi grew silent before finally blurting out¡ª ¡°Sen tried to kill his mother a few days after his father went missing.¡±


    ¡°Again, where is the evidence?¡±


    ¡°Jen confirmed it with me over the phone. But I had no power to remove Sen, so the only thing I could do was sit back and accept I was completely useless. But after seeing what Sen did, I have undeniable proof that I¡¯m correct.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re about to do an info dump on me, aren¡¯t you?¡± Storm sighed. Asashi heard him huff as he ran away from some monsters. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m letting the rest of the Knights handle the fighting for a little while. What exactly did you see?¡±


    ¡°There was a monster incident that occurred during the challenge, taking the lives of three contestants. Right after they were killed, Nova immediately showed up and slayed the monsters.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s my boy! He¡¯s quite the skilled fighter.¡±


    Asashi sighed. ¡°I want you to take a wild guess of who also showed up¡­¡±


    ¡°Probably Sen, by the burning rage of your tone. So? Wow, Sen so happened to meet Nova. It¡¯s the end of the world. Call the police!¡±


    Asashi was getting annoyed. ¡°You didn¡¯t see his reaction to meeting him, Storm! It was abnormal! That boy was screaming for help and vomited upon seeing him. I suspect there is some weird connection between the failed vessels.¡±


    ¡°¡­Connection?¡± Storm echoed. ¡°That is highly speculative, Asashi, and you must recognize that. For all we know, Sen could have thrown up because he just saw three fucking mutilated bodies and Nova, who was completely drenched with blood. It¡¯s perfectly reasonable to scream and be frightened in that scenario. For all Sen knows, Nova could have been the one who killed the people. Maybe that¡¯s why he was so afraid of him. Think critically, Asashi, instead of trying to manipulate things that occurred to fit your own agenda.¡±


    Asashi clenched his hand into a fist, making it slowly turn pale white. ¡°That¡¯s not all¡­ Storm. I asked one of the agents to give me more footage of Sen¡¯s team. And I mean all of it. I spent the last couple of hours skimming through everything Sen has done so far, and one of the AIs captured something I think you¡¯d love to hear¡­¡± Asashi sat back in his chair and threw his feet on the table. ¡°Sen killed a monster. I saw it¡ªand I saw those eyes of his¡­ although the quality wasn¡¯t ideal. They were glowing blue, Storm¡­ Tell me, why would they glow blue?!¡±


    Storm became eerily quiet, although the frantic shouts of civilians in the background could still be heard.


    ¡°¡­ There could be a number of reasons why his eyes glowed, Asashi. You act as if it¡¯s normal for Sen to be senseless in the first place. It¡¯s far more unusual that he never had a Sense. For all we know, he could be going through a late activation of his Sense. I¡¯ll consult with him at the end of the challenge if that¡¯s the case. Until then, I forbid you from making any actions to throw them o¡ª¡±


    ¡°How long are you going to ignore the signs?!¡± Asashi snapped.


    ¡°The signs of what? That he may or may not have some lasting effects from Yami¡¯s experiment? Who cares? You¡¯re making a big deal out of nothing, Asashi.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand!¡± He slammed his fist on the wooden table with his Sense activated, breaking it in half as shards of wood scattered across the floor. ¡°He tried to kill his very own mother! That¡¯s proof that he¡¯s out of control!¡±


    ¡°What did his mother say, Asashi? Did she actually say her very own son tried to kill her? Or is this one of your moments where you conflate things to fit what you want to think? You don¡¯t understand what it¡¯s like surviving Yami¡¯s experiments. The fact that boy is even alive is a miracle that should be cherished. You have zero clue of how much pain and suffering he went through, not understanding why he was senseless, why his father had died, or why his very own mother had been lying to him his whole life. You don¡¯t have one fucking clue!¡±


    For the first time, Asashi noticed Storm''s anger. His comedic fa?ade was slipping.


    Taken aback, Asashi stood motionless, wondering why Storm cared so much. Perhaps he knew firsthand how brutal it was being a test subject for Yami and simply wanted to protect a person who went through a similar experience. Asashicould recognize that. He knew it all too well. It wasn¡¯t as if he wanted to hate Sen and be cruel towards him. No, he just wanted to keep everyone safe. And the more he learned¡­ the more his fear grew that Sen was responsible for that day.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. I have no substantial proof that Sen tried to kill his mother, and Jen didn¡¯t flat-out say it either, probably out of fear of what the law of administration would do to her son. She told me something that only I would understand. If I say it, you¡¯d call me a lunatic again, so I won¡¯t even bother. But all you need to know is that there is something wrong with Sen. He isn¡¯t the failed vessel you think he is,¡± Asashi said, forcing himself to calm his tone.


    ...


    ¡°Give me all the evidence and reasoning you have to suggest Sen tried to kill his mother, even if it¡¯s ludicrous like I expect.¡± Storm finally sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll investigate this matter myself. Until then, my orders stand. Alright then, catch ya later alligator. I got some gaming to do.¡±


    With a beep, the call ended just like that.

 Book 2/ Chapter 18– A simple question: Why

    In front of Baru loomed the shadow of a large creature. It stood before the sun¡¯s bright rays, which escaped the canopy, obscuring its features. He could roughly distinguish the muscular silhouette of its body¡ªalmost like a standing badger, but with two extra arms by its torso, each paw bearing lengthy claws. But Baru didn¡¯t need to know what it looked like, and frankly, he couldn¡¯t care less.


    The wind whistled quietly as he faced the monster¡¯s shadowy figure, hearing it growl jaggedly under its breath. Neither of them moved, each waiting for an opportunity to counter the other¡¯s attack. Baru was impressed, even though he shouldn¡¯t have been. He had to acknowledge that the monster was intelligent, quite contrary to the narrative the government told the people.


    He knew why, of course. If people knew they were killing something that had consciousness and emotions, it would be harder to do it. In the same way that people didn¡¯t want to kill animals because it was deemed inhumane, taking away intelligence and emotions made it easier¡ªlike chopping vegetables. Vegetables that could move and wanted to kill you, anyway.


    Then Baru saw it. The monster lunged at him, its four paws outstretched to claw him down, its eyes gleaming ruby red. Baru¡¯s image reflected in the creature¡¯s oval eyes as he activated his Sense and dodged to the left, evading the attack effortlessly. The monster turned, its eyes fixed on Baru¡ªhis reflection facing it confidently, Sense Sword hoisted.


    Then Baru disappeared from the monster¡¯s vision. Fear was palpable in the creature as it stiffened, its eyes slowly dulling. The burning rage and will to attack were utterly extinguished in a mere second. The last feelings the monster had were confusion and¡­ pain.


    Baru exhaled, pulling his Sense Sword from the monster¡¯s furry back, the abhorrent sound of flesh and blood squelching. The monster fell limply to the ground as he slashed his sword in the air to release the blood clinging to it.


    ¡°Identifying monster, please wait,¡± said his watch, a hologram popping up. ¡°Monster confirmed: BanBan. Eight points added to Team Baru. Total points: three hundred and two.¡±


    He yawned, stretching. He¡¯d been battling a lot lately. Not that he was complaining; it was undoubtedly his expertise, but it was draining. He only had so much Sense Energy in the tank. He looked at the lifeless monster corpse sprawled on the ground, his expression bearing neither anger nor satisfaction. Some might think he took pleasure in killing monsters because he was naturally good at it, and he would admit that in the past, he had. He¡¯d been hung up on seeking revenge on the creatures that ruined his life¡ªthe ones that took away everything he ever cared about.


    But the more he killed, the duller it became and the less satisfaction he received. At a certain point, he realized he¡¯d just been pushing the blame onto something else, even though he was responsible for his family¡¯s massacre. Of course, he could sit back and complain, wishing monsters never existed, and ask why they wanted to hurt humans, but in the end, that wasn¡¯t reality. He needed to take accountability and move forward. That was why he stopped hating monsters, and when he let go of that anger, he almost grew sympathetic toward them.


    He knelt, looking at the dull eyes of the BanBan he¡¯d just slain. Its face was that of a badger, but its snout was oddly split in two, with small horns lining the top, stopping right before its nose. It had long, pointy ears as well. Regardless of its strange features, Baru recognized that frozen, twisted expression on its face¡ªhe knew it very well.


    A twig snapped to his left in the forest, making him jerk his head. He expected another monster, but instead, Hyo, Kaiyo, and Hono emerged. The three were grouped to slay monsters while Baru worked alone. Sen and Hana had remained at the camp. He didn¡¯t fully understand why he was left alone, but it was probably due to their skill difference. Besides, he preferred slaying monsters alone.


    ¡°Ahoy there, partners!¡± Baru called cheerfully. Hyo waved, while Kaiyo and Hono smiled in greeting. They looked rather scruffed, judging by the dirt and blood stains on their tracksuits. Their hair was frizzy and unkempt, their faces tired from battle. Baru hadn¡¯t really noticed it before, but looking at them now, he realized his suit didn¡¯t even have a single blood mark on it.


    ¡°How many monsters did you guys rack up today?¡± Baru asked.


    Hyo frowned, thinking. ¡°About two, I think.¡±


    Baru had to hold in his laugh. He couldn¡¯t just laugh in their faces for trying; that would be like laughing at a disabled person for not being able to walk. He¡¯d always had a very low sense of humor¡ªprobably from the online games he played. He cleared his throat. ¡°Nice! Nice! Way to go, guys, let¡¯s shoot for four!¡±Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I¡¯m feeling really tired right now. We were kinda planning on heading back to camp,¡± Kaiyo groaned. ¡°How many did you get today?¡±


    Baru opened his mouth to answer, then paused. ¡°I forgot, to be honest.¡±


    ¡°How do you forget that stuff?¡± Hyo murmured in amusement.


    He shrugged. ¡°Ya know, when you¡¯re strong like I am, you just forget such trivial things,¡± he joked. Though the joke held some truth. Kaiyo let out a soft laugh.


    Baru always found her cheerful and gentle¡ªperhaps a little too much for such a dangerous challenge. It made him uneasy for her, not because he was particularly attracted to her romantically¡ªHana was more his type¡ªbut because he felt an instinctual urge to protect those weaker than him, though he wasn¡¯t sure where it came from.


    ¡°You can just ask the watch, I think. I¡¯m pretty sure they keep a record,¡± Hyo suggested.


    Baru yawned dismissively. ¡°Eh, there¡¯s no need. I probably killed four or something.¡± The true answer was likely in the tens, today alone. But if he said that, it would lower their spirits, so he kept it to himself. There was one thing joking about being strong and another actually being serious about it. He wasn¡¯t that conceited. At least not yet.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go back to camp! You guys deserve a nice rest. I¡¯ll head back out later to slay some more, but I think we¡¯re doing great so far. I have a hard time believing the other teams have more points than us,¡± Baru said confidently as they navigated through the depths of the forest, pushing away obstructive branches as they followed a trail back to camp.


    The forest was plastered in dark green, as if a giant shadow had been cast above them, mostly from the canopy of trees blocking out the sun. However, occasional rays of bright light broke through the cracks in the awning as they traveled. It was somewhat ominous but also comforting at the same time, like hiding in a small space. In reality, though, there was nothing small about the forest, even with walls surrounding them. Perhaps the sheer size of the playfield was why they hadn¡¯t seen many other contestants.


    But it still struck him as odd. Although this enclosed dome was big, you¡¯d think they¡¯d have seen more contestants by now. He¡¯d seen some dead monster bodies here and there, but never actual people. Well, maybe the place really was that big. They¡¯d probably just bypassed them.


    ¡°I wonder how Ayame and her brother are doing,¡± Kaiyo said out of the blue as the group walked down a grassy slope. ¡°How many points do you think they have by now?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s difficult to say, but they¡¯re strong, that¡¯s for sure,¡± Hyo said.


    ¡°Yep, I agree. That blue-haired chick is hot,¡± Baru murmured under his breath. Kaiyo gave him a side-eyed glance. ¡°I mean¡­ that blue-haired chick is strong. Of course,¡± Baru coughed to clear his throat. ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯re doing just fine, even without teammates. I mean, they took on a Bearwolf back in the first challenge. They seem capable enough to pass this one.¡±


    Kaiyo frowned. ¡°Maybe, I just thought¡­¡± Her words trailed off, and she stopped walking. With her eyes closed, her brows tensed in concentration. Baru could only assume she was activating her Sense. Oddly enough, he glanced to his side and saw Hono doing the same thing. The answer was clear: They were hearing something.


    ¡°Hono?¡± Kaiyo asked, turning back with her eyes glowing blue. ¡°You too?¡±


    The bob-cut girl nodded as she awoke. ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s a few people close by.¡±


    ¡°A few?¡± Hyo narrowed his brow.


    ¡°A group of five to the west, moving closer, and four to the northeast, who seem stationary for now. And¡­¡± Kaiyo closed her eyes again, trying to make out the distant footsteps. ¡°Two to the right, but they¡¯re not running toward us; they¡¯re heading straight ahead.¡±


    ¡°Straight ahead? That¡¯s where our camp is,¡± Baru murmured, a chilling thought beginning to form in his mind. Just when I said we hadn¡¯t encountered a lot of people too. God sure works in mysterious ways. It was almost humorous, but he knew this was no laughing matter. It was odd. Odd enough to make him worry. ¡°Alright¡­ let¡¯s get back to camp," he said to them. "And quickly." His comedic tone vanished, replaced with urgency. They nodded in agreement.


    Brown tree trunks blurred past them as they darted north, the cold air making Baru¡¯s eyes water. Stray rays of sunlight flickered above, making him feel dazed, but he shook his head, focusing on what lay ahead. Yet Baru¡¯s mind continued to drift, thoughts muddled by his worry for his friend. Even the reason he was running in the first place confused him. The world seemed to slow down, his heart thudding sluggishly in his chest.


    ¡­


    I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m in a situation where my friend could be in danger from others just because he¡¯s Senseless. It¡¯s disgusting, Baru thought, the world around him moving sluggishly. I once thought that if you were weak, people would protect you and work together. But instead, there are people who take advantage of the weak, enjoying seeing someone lower than them crawl. I wonder why things are like that, he asked himself.


    Perhaps it was a childish question, but as he thought more, an odd epiphany emerged.


    I always thought people should protect those weaker than them, but that wouldn¡¯t make sense even in a perfect world. If everyone is strong and protects those who are weaker, then who are they protecting against? No one. The meaning of protecting something would become worthless if there weren¡¯t someone trying to harm it.


    It was as if the world went by a set of rules, making it so one thing couldn¡¯t exist without the other. Most would take this logic as negative, because it almost felt as if nothing mattered¡ªthat it was futile. Justice would never prevail, and evil people would inevitably be born again to challenge those seeking peace. But Baru had a different outlook. Instead of making him feel unmotivated, it fueled him. He took it as a challenge. A burning sensation stirred in his heart.


    So that means the best option is to keep fighting, no matter what, huh? He grinned. Ya know, that¡¯s pretty deep. Maybe I should be a philosopher.

 Book 2/ Chapter 19– A weight lifted. A weight added.

    Baru¡¯s way of thinking hadn¡¯t come out of nowhere. In fact, for as long as he could remember clearly, he had always felt this way. No matter the situation, fighting his way out had always been the answer. When cornered by thugs. When a gang found out he had hurt one of their members. When city monsters attacked him. Or¡­ even when his family had been massacred. Now that Baru thought about it, that was when he adopted that mindset. When his sister groaned her last words to him. Fight...


    Although he hadn¡¯t forgotten that day for a second, it was easy to overlook when exactly his mindset had begun, especially after having it ingrained into his brain for most of his life. Due to his fixation, the years of his life before the death of his family had become distorted¡ªreplaced by the mentality he had now.


    After holding a certain mindset for so long, the human brain almost fools the person into thinking they¡¯d always thought that way, making the origin of those feelings slowly become muddled and uncertain. However, it didn¡¯t matter when or how it started¡ªall that mattered was that he kept his promise¡ªa promise not only to his family but to himself.


    Preoccupied with his own thoughts, Baru suddenly realized his team was slowing to a complete halt. He opened his mouth to ask what was wrong, but the answer lay right in front of him. Standing between them and the trail, four contestants blocked their path. They were the ones Kaiyo had mentioned being northeast. All of them had their white tracksuit hoodies down except for one¡ªa handsome, defined-jawed man with short brown hair. If Baru had to guess, the man looked around twenty-five, and judging by the firm, confident air about him, he was likely their team leader. He could roughly see the other three who were shrouded within their hoodies¡ªtwo females and another male, stocky and tall.


    ¡°Oh,¡± the leader turned left to meet Baru¡¯s eyes. They looked as if they were simply passing through, unaware another team was nearby. ¡°Hello there. It¡¯s been quite a while since we saw other contestants, hasn¡¯t it?¡± the leader crooked his head toward his team. One of the girls in the group nodded. ¡°Yeah, it has.¡±


    Maybe I was too paranoid. They seem like normal contestants to me, Baru realized. Maybe all that talk about Sen¡¯s rumor got me riled up for nothing.


    ¡°Ahoy there, how¡¯s it going, big man?¡± Baru said, smiling. He had no reason to respond with apprehension. In fact, that would only make the situation worse. Being friendly was always the smartest mov¡ª


    ¡°I''M NOT BIG! I''M... I''M JUST... I''M NORMAL, OKAY!¡± the stocky man in the group grunted with a hoarse voice.


    ...


    Baru¡¯s jaw hung slightly in confusion.


    ¡°Now, Grun, he was talking to me, not you.¡± The leader reassured the big contestant.


    ¡°You... you think so, Reen?¡± the stocky fellow croaked shyly. The leader¡ªReen, as Baru heard¡ªturned back with an apologetic smile.


    ¡°Sorry, he¡¯s a bit self-conscious about his size. But don¡¯t worry, he doesn¡¯t bite,¡± Reen joked.


    Baru wasn¡¯t so sure about that, but the big man seemed oddly shy and vulnerable¡ªquite the opposite of what one would think, judging from his muscular stature.


    ¡°Um... yeah, no, it¡¯s alright,¡± Baru dismissed his worries.


    ¡°Let¡¯s introduce ourselves properly then,¡± Reen suggested with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m Reen, the leader of the team, and the big fellow here¡ª¡±


    ¡°I''M NOT BIG!¡±


    ¡°I mean, the very fit fellow to my right is Grun, and these two young ladies are Jennette and Haruno.¡±


    ¡°Pleasure,¡± the two young women said in unison. Both had long blonde hair, so Baru assumed they were sisters. Baru¡¯s team introduced themselves, giving a quick bow, though still slightly apprehensive, likely for the same reasons he was. But the brief interaction soothed Baru¡¯s worries. They seemed rather normal... well, perhaps that wasn¡¯t the correct word. Baru glanced at Grun. Unthreatening was a better interpretation.


    ¡°How has the challenge been treating you? You all seem rather... roughed up,¡± Reen observed, looking at their dirty clothing. Then, after seeing Baru, he added, ¡°Most of you, I should say.¡±


    Baru stood out from the rest because of his spotless clothing. However, that could lead people to believe he wasn¡¯t doing any work, which might damage his pride a bit. But he¡¯ll recover.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say it¡¯s easy, but I expected worse,¡± Hyo replied, chiming in with an outgoing tone. It seemed he was following Baru¡¯s lead in trying to make their team seem less threatening.


    ¡°I mean... now that you mention it, it does seem kinda strange,¡± Reen frowned, looking up thoughtfully.


    Baru raised a brow. ¡°What does?¡±


    The leader shook his head. ¡°Nothing important. It¡¯s just, I¡¯ve expected the danger zone to be more...¡± He trailed off.


    ¡°Dangerous?¡± Hyo guessed.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°Well, I guess that would be a fitting word for it.¡±


    Baru had the answer to that, but he bit his tongue. When Baru first entered the danger zone, he felt something familiar, like he¡¯d been here before. That was obviously impossible since he had never once stepped foot near Mount Fuji, but the eerie feeling still lingered. On top of that, he noticed an odd sparkle glimmering in the sky as he sat on the train at the beginning of the challenge¡ªone he had seen before. The directions all pointed to one conclusion, but he refused to believe it, not because it was too outlandish or absurd to be true, but because he knew it would make him angry.


    Very angry.


    For his own mental state, he tried to ignore the blatant signs and fool himself into not caring, but last night, it all came out. When Sen had asked him, it felt like the last thread that held him up had been snipped by invisible scissors. He was forced to face reality¡ª


    The government had stolen his father¡¯s idea and replicated it. That was what they had wanted from the beginning. They knew his father had been hiding something, and after Baru caused his family¡¯s death, it was only a matter of time before the government discovered the basement and all of his father¡¯s research. His whole life, Baru had always worried they¡¯d find out, and in truth, it was foolish to think otherwise. However, he always sought to push that thought out of his mind, regarding it as something needless to ponder. Today, Baru was forced to face that reality... regardless of how he felt.


    This time was different, though. He had someone with whom to share his thoughts¡ªsomeone who¡¯d listen without judgment. Perhaps that¡¯s why he was able to wake up and continue the challenge relatively unbothered today. Sharing his thoughts had slowly lifted a deep weight off his shoulders. He never knew talking to someone could achieve that. After all, he normally suffered alone. Quietly and unnoticed.


    ...


    ¡°Well, in any case, we have a lot of slaying to do yet, so stay safe out there, alright?¡± Baru made a small farewell gesture with his two fingers. ¡°Even if it¡¯s easier than expected, you never want to underestimate monsters. That¡¯ll end up ugly.¡± With those words of advice, Baru¡¯s team attempted to leave, but Reen had something more to say.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Reen called. ¡°Um... I know we¡¯re technically rivals in this challenge and all, but do you guys mind sharing something?¡±


    Baru narrowed his brow skeptically, unsure if he liked the sound of that request. ¡°What do you have in mind?¡±


    ¡°Only if you guys want to, of course. I know it¡¯s quite foolish to even ask. But it shouldn¡¯t change anything drastically if you do. I just wanted a bit of intel to gauge how my team is doing. In fact, I think it will benefit your team as well,¡± the handsome leader smiled. Baru had a feeling where this conversation was going.


    ¡°You want to know how many points we have, I assume?¡± Hyo questioned before Baru could speak. Reen nodded eagerly.


    ¡°Naturally, we¡¯ll do the same. I¡¯m only asking because, by the looks of it, you guys don¡¯t seem as hostile as others we¡¯ve encountered, so I thought this was a good opportunity to gather some information. Sorry if this feels sudden.¡±


    Baru glanced back at his team, gauging their expressions. They were blatantly hesitant, and Baru couldn¡¯t blame them. However, this was an opportunity for them as well. Who knew when they would find a friendly team willing to share their points? This was valuable information, even for someone as simple as himself.


    ¡°How would we know if the other side isn¡¯t lying?¡± Baru wondered aloud.


    ¡°Simple,¡± Reen said confidently. ¡°We ask our techno watches. They can¡¯t lie, can they?¡±


    Baru looked back at his team again, focusing on Hyo, who almost felt like the second leader of the team, aside from Sen. Hyo shifted his glasses with a sigh and shrugged slightly, hinting that Baru could make the final decision. After mulling over the options for a few moments, Baru decided. ¡°Sure... let¡¯s do it.¡±


    Reen smiled delightedly, and his team shared his enthusiasm. ¡°Thank you. Since I suggested the idea, it¡¯s only fair that I share our points first. Is that alright?¡±


    Baru nodded. He had wondered how many points the other teams had for a while now, and as Reen asked his techno watch for the information, Baru couldn¡¯t help but expect a large number that greatly surpassed theirs.


    ...


    ¡°Team Reen¡ªtwo hundred eleven points.¡±


    Baru was shocked, but not for the reason he had expected. Their points are... that low? The two hundred points were just from surviving the challenges. The other eleven must have been from monsters, which couldn¡¯t be more than two. That means we¡¯re doing pretty well, Baru thought. But he had to remind himself not to get overconfident. After all, this was just one team. Perhaps other contestants had more.


    ¡°So... would you mind sharing yours?¡± Reen urged slightly.


    ¡°Oh, yeah. Of course,¡± Baru said, pulling up his watch to ask it. ¡°Techno Watch. How many points does my team have?¡± A faint hologram popped out of the watch¡¯s screen, showing a gear circling as it processed.


    ¡°Team Baru¡ªthree hundred two points.¡±


    The bright smile on Reen¡¯s face slowly disappeared, replaced with a slight frown of disappointment. However, that expression was only momentary.


    ¡°...Three hundred two points?¡± Reen breathed, shock evident on his face.


    ¡°That can¡¯t be right,¡± Jennette blurted out. Haruno¡ªher twin¡ªnodded, sharing her skepticism.


    ¡°That¡¯s... a big number,¡± Grun said in his low, croaky tone.


    ¡°And here I thought we were doing well with just slaying two monsters,¡± Reen shook his head in defeat.


    They looked... pretty demotivated. But then again, it wasn¡¯t his fault. They were the ones who had asked in the first place. Baru shrugged. With the other team¡¯s points revealed, he was even more certain that these people posed no threat to them.


    Not only was Reen¡¯s team stunned at the number, but Baru¡¯s team was as well. They were holding back their surprise. They probably hadn¡¯t seen their team¡¯s points since they last took down a monster, which was likely quite a while ago. In the meantime, Baru had been putting in some work.


    The air grew awkward quickly as Reen¡¯s team fell silent, at a loss for words.


    ¡°Well, uh...¡± Baru scratched his head. ¡°It was nice meeting you guys. Stay safe out there, alright?¡±


    It was an abrupt end to their meeting, but Baru didn¡¯t see any need to continue talking. The awkward silence was too much to salvage. Baru signaled his team to follow him as they slowly walked toward the contestants to return to their camp. Noticing their movement, Reen and his team withdrew, making way, even though there was plenty of space to pass by. They were intimidated by his team.


    ¡°Yeah... likewise,¡± Reen responded slowly. Their eyes locked for a few moments until Baru passed them.


    However, Reen¡¯s voice called out from behind as his team traveled down the path with a few strides.


    ¡°Hey... before you go, I have one last question!¡±


    Stopping, Baru turned his head to meet the leader once again. He was surprised because, by the looks of it, Reen had been too intimidated to offer any other words¨C but oddly enough, not now.


    ¡°Have you guys heard?¡± Reen began. ¡°About the rumor?¡±

 Book 2/ Chapter 20– My Future Self

    ¡°I killed myself. I killed others. I killed and killed until the meaning of human life was no different than squishing an ant. And it was all to get to this point. My final attempt¡­ Attempt four hundred and forty-two.¡±


    Sen¡¯s legs moved on their own. His breath ached as he inhaled the chilly air. He realized he could not control any part of his body, no matter how hard he tried. It was as if he was a puppet, controlled by invisible strings from above. Yet he could see everything around him¡ªwell, almost everything. It felt as if he didn¡¯t even get to control when he blinked or where he looked, like watching a man running in a movie from the comfort of theater seats.


    But why could he feel his throat ache from the icy air as he ran? Why could he feel the drip of snot rolling down his nose? Why did it feel like he had been here before?


    He was not running in the dark forest as he once remembered. No, this was a much different land¡ªa land filled with tall skyscrapers lined beside shoddy streets crowded by pedestrians. Orange light from the rising sun cast shadows along the city and its people, drowning everything in its glow. Sen¡¯s body ran on the sidewalk towards the horizon, his hand reaching to grasp the sun, but to no avail.


    And then, the world started to shift. Sen could feel his consciousness slipping, losing sensation in the body he couldn¡¯t even control. The world around him bent and whirled, growing dizzily blurry, his head aching with sharp pain and confusion. But it didn¡¯t last forever.


    The setting shifted amid the twisting chaos¡ªfrom the city to a large metallic doctor¡¯s operation room, lit by lifeless white lights on the ceiling. Shelves filled with doctor¡¯s equipment lined the walls, while two low metal workbenches stood on opposite ends of the room. Most strikingly, a metal operation table stood in the center, and a young child was strapped to it with steel rings that fastened his whole body, eliminating any movement. He was a well-defined young boy, no more than four or five years old, with predominantly white hair and a touch of black. His eyes were closed in sleep.


    It was him. He was looking at his younger self.


    Just like before, his tall body moved on its own, reaching for his younger self to free him from the operation table. With just a pinch of his fingers, Sen¡¯s body snapped the metal cylinders that fastened the boy as if they were mere twigs. He quickly grabbed his unconscious young self and held him. Sen could only watch it all, unable to control anything, dismayed and confused.


    Then Sen¡¯s body turned to something at the end of the operation room. A person sat in a revolving chair with their back facing him, wearing a pure white hazmat suit. Against his will, Sen¡¯s body spoke, but Sen himself couldn¡¯t hear what he was saying. The words were muddled and distorted. Yet he knew he was talking because he could feel his vocal cords vibrating as he spoke.


    "...don¡¯t know what you¡¯ve done¡­" Some words were vaguely distinguishable.


    The man in the white hazmat suit replied murkily. "...know¡­created the perfect¡­"


    Sen¡¯s body responded, "...deal with¡­later."


    The world began twisting again, sending another sharp pain deep inside Sen¡¯s consciousness. It bent until the world fell still, transforming into a different setting. Sen¡¯s body was back in the city streets, running beside the sidewalk, his black trench coat fluttering as he ran. Resting in his arms was his younger self. Sen¡¯s body¡ªor whoever¡¯s body it was¡ªmoved with a sense of urgency, as if he needed to be on time.


    The faces of onlookers blurred past as he took a left onto another street. Apartment buildings and stores lined both sides¡ªsome newer and cleaner, others older and worn down. Sen¡¯s body pushed past small circular robots that advertised businesses and others patrolling on behalf of the AOK. The more he ran, the sturdier and cleaner the buildings became¡ªa sign of a wealthier part of the city. Finally, he stopped. Or rather, his body did.


    In front of him stood a simple two-story building with a fenced front entrance. Sen recognized it. One hand grasped the child, the other opened the gate. His body walked to the door and rang the doorbell. At first, no one answered. With a tense silence, his body waited until finally, a beautiful woman with pale blue eyes and white hair answered.


    Her cheerful smile faded, and she screamed.


    It was around noon, and the sun hung brightly above the campsite. Beside the fire pit, Hana prepared lunch for their team while they were out slaying monsters and gaining points. She cracked open a few cans of beef soup and dumped them into a pot, then correctly allocated slices of bread onto disposable plates. It was simple and much easier than fixing a feast from scratch. However, the trade-off was the bland taste.


    Nevertheless, Sen recognized there was no room to be a picky eater in the wild. The food was simply fuel to subside the aching hunger and give energy. Pleasure and the ferocity of nature could not coexist. Even what they were having tonight was something to be thankful for. Others who were truly in their position¡ªwithout it being a game¡ªweren¡¯t as lucky. Sen couldn¡¯t imagine how hard it would be. Even he was starting to grow tired of the challenge, even though it was only the third day. It felt much longer than that.


    He sighed as he carried a few wood sticks across the clearing to the dug-up fire pit. He threw them in and watched as the weak flames latched onto their new victims and grew stronger, crackling.


    ¡°You look¡­ dazed,¡± Hana observed as she lifted the pot of beef soup and set it on two metal rods positioned over the circular pit, creating a makeshift stovetop. Sen fell silent, watching the soup slowly come to a boil.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m just tired.¡±


    Hana frowned, sitting cross-legged across from him. ¡°You¡¯re having trouble sleeping or something?¡±


    ¡°Something like that.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t blame you. It¡¯s freezing out here. Not to mention, the bugs are a pain in the ass. I wake up every goddamn day with a bite somewhere on my body. I can¡¯t wait until this stupid challenge is over. I hope the last one is indoors, maybe like a written test or something.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Sen said distantly. Hana looked at him suspiciously, clearly seeing something was wrong. ¡°You¡¯re not listening to a word I¡¯m saying, are you?¡± she sighed. ¡°Seriously, what¡¯s wrong? It¡¯s not like you can¡¯t handle a bit of sleep deprivation. You¡¯re a strong guy.¡±


    Sen wasn¡¯t exactly lying when he said he was tired. But that term lacked context. He was tired of a lot of things. The fact he couldn¡¯t recognize how he acted anymore. The fact he had no explanation for the weird things that kept occurring to him. And the dreams¡­ especially the dreams. Dreams that simply made no sense.


    The last one was still fresh in his mind, though only in fragments. The full dream began to gradually fade away despite how hard he tried to remember. He once prided himself on having a good memory. What a joke that was now. But he remembered the main events: I saw my younger self strapped onto a doctor¡¯s table and a man with a white hazmat suit sitting in the room. And then¡­ I¡­ I¡¯m not too sure. Sen searched every inch of his brain for fragments of memory but to no avail. The events that occurred confused him to no end. It was so outlandish that he told himself to ignore it. He¡¯d had many dreams in the past that made no sense, so this one had no reason to be the exception.


    Yet, there was a feeling. A feeling he simply couldn¡¯t shake off. The dreams¡ªor sometimes even daydreams¡ªhe¡¯d been having felt too real. Too raw.


    It was like remembering a distant memory. He could still feel the sting in his throat from the cold air and how his finger effortlessly broke the steel latches that confined his younger self. And how¡­ Wait¡­ what happened after?


    I was running back into the city, wasn¡¯t I? Yes, that¡¯s it. The houses looked more run down and destroyed than they are today. It almost looked like how Tokyo was post-World War. I was running while holding my younger self, and¡­


    That was the farthest he could piece together. The rest was lost and blurry. He sighed. What am I doing? Constantly dwelling on a dream won¡¯t achieve anything. I have more important things to worry about. Like passing the challenge and¡­ Sen paused. Right, finding information about my father.


    Now that he thought about it, the primary motive for even being in the challenge wasn¡¯t on his mind as much as it used to be. The hole in his chest was not the same as before. He had thought that if he found information about his father, it would fill that gaping space within, but now, as the challenges went on, that was merely an afterthought.


    He was constantly bombarded with more questions that he had no answers to, slowly filling the place where his desire to find his father had once been. He didn¡¯t know what to do anymore. His whole life, everything he did had logical reasoning¡ªevery problem he faced had an answer. Now, there wasn¡¯t a way out of his issues because those very issues didn¡¯t even lie within reality.


    I feel¡­ Sen thought slowly.


    What did he feel? Was it sadness? Stress? Depression? Emotions he couldn¡¯t even recognize, perhaps?


    No¡­ none of them were it. I feel lost.


    The light of the auburn fire reflected off Sen¡¯s pale blue, distant eyes, and the twigs crackled in the pit, sending embers fluttering out. One landed on his sitting leg, but he offered no reaction. He decided to simply admire the fire and keenly listen to the noises of the forest in an attempt to clear his mind. Just like Baru had taught him yesterday, he began searching for ways to distract himself, soon settling on guessing how many crackles the flame would give within a minute. He put in a mental guess of twenty and patiently waited for the results.


    One crackled.


    Then another, and soon a dozen more. As the number was inching closer to his guess, another crackle sounded more loudly than the rest. But something about the sound was odd, and even Hana lightly jolted from the noise. Sen soon realized it had not been the fire at all.


    Someone had stepped on a twig in the forest.


    Immediately, Sen rose to his feet, signaling his sister to be cautious. Without questioning him for even a moment, she stood next to him, her hand gripping the sense sword around her waist. To an outsider, their defensive reaction would look unwarranted. It could just be their friends returning from hunting monsters. Except Sen knew it wasn¡¯t, because they had explicitly agreed to call via their ear device before returning to the campsite so they would recognize intruders. Luckily, Sen found his earbud inside his tent, which he thought he had lost when he had sleepwalked in the forest. In this case, neither Sen nor Hana received a warning call, meaning the person or people nearby were most likely not their team.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Are you sure this is the way?¡± A male voice said close by in the forest, followed by another pair of footsteps. Sen recognized it.


    ¡°Yeah, I scanned the area for a while with my Sense. This is definitely where they are.¡±


    Both Sen and Hana glanced at each other with a sigh, and she released her firm grasp on the sword.


    ¡°Well¡­ I sure didn¡¯t expect them,¡± Hana looked at the newcomers.


    ¡°On the contrary, I expected to see them at some point,¡± Sen shrugged.


    Soon, two blue-haired individuals appeared at the edge of their camp. It was Ayame and Genkai.


    ¡°Wow, I guess you were right,¡± Genkai said to his sister, almost sadly. Ayame sneered back.


    ¡°Told you. Give me my twenty dollars!¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t have it on me now. I¡¯ll give it to you after the challenge,¡± Genkai cleared his throat.


    ¡°You always forget, though!¡±


    ¡°I have no idea what you mean. I always give you the bets you win, fair and square.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a lie,¡± Ayame glared at her brother.


    ¡°No proof. Where is the evidence? Everything you do or say will be used against you in the court of law.¡±


    Sen and Hana blankly gaped at their argument.


    ¡°Do we fight like that?¡± Hana asked him, still staring.


    ¡°Maybe, but it¡¯s usually one-sided.¡± He always won every argument he had with his sister, since he was right in most cases. Usually, it was just Hana being hot-tempered.


    ¡°True¡­¡± Hana murmured slowly, then frowned. ¡°Wait a minute¡ª¡± Sen didn¡¯t allow her to process his statement fully. He greeted the twins with a wave.


    ¡°This is a surprise,¡± Sen eyed them suspiciously. He couldn¡¯t help but feel cautious; after all, he still didn¡¯t know who was responsible for his rumor. The timing was lined up too perfectly not to suspect Ayame or her brother¡ªif she had told him by now, which was most likely the case. He didn¡¯t want to believe it, and his gut told him it wasn¡¯t true, but he¡¯d always been realistic. The odds were simply too high to ignore. ¡°You guys were looking for us, I¡¯m guessing?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, why would we be here if not that?¡± Ayame replied candidly.


    So blunt¡­ Sen thought. If they were the ones responsible for the rumor, showing up in front of us is a pretty bold move. Maybe a bit too bold.


    ¡°How did you guys manage to find us?¡± Hana asked curiously, perhaps sharing a bit of his concern.


    ¡°On top of my already good vision, I can also briefly see heat patterns, though it does take a lot of energy. Our camp is also on high ground, making it easier to spot people, but we did run into at least half a dozen contestants before finally getting it right,¡± Ayame responded, half boasting about her skill.


    Sen did find it impressive. It was known that being able to perceive heat patterns was incredibly rare and difficult to learn, even for advanced Knights with Sight. Most went their whole lives without ever achieving it.


    ¡°I should have canceled my bet with you after the fifth fail,¡± Genkai grumbled.


    ¡°Your loss,¡± Ayame scoffed. ¡°In any case, that¡¯s not important right now. We came here to talk to you about something.¡±


    Sen sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t like the sound of that.¡± He had a bad feeling about what they had in mind. There goes the thought of distracting myself for a bit.


    ¡°You guys probably haven¡¯t even heard about it yet,¡± Ayame said. ¡°It¡¯s a rumor about you.¡±


    <hr>


    Sen told himself that there couldn¡¯t possibly be something that could make the situation any more confusing. Yet, constantly¡ªalmost out of spite¡ªsomething out there yearned to prove him wrong time and time again. It was almost comical. Opposite Sen and Hana, the two twins quietly sat beside the fire pit, the stew slowly boiling and their expressions shrouded with confusion. He recognized that his own face wasn¡¯t any better either. Kneeling with her feet tucked beneath her, Hana opened her mouth.


    ¡°So let me get this straight¡­¡± She massaged her eyelids with her fingers. ¡°Sen told you he was senseless when you were on the train?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a bit of a stretch,¡± Ayame retorted. ¡°It was more like he implied that he was.¡±


    ¡°Implied?¡± Hana echoed. ¡°What the hell is that supposed to mean? Just answer the question. Did you, or did you not realize that Sen didn¡¯t have a Super Sense after your conversation?¡±


    Ayame scowled from her brash question, refusing to make eye contact. In all honesty, Sen couldn¡¯t blame Hana for her skepticism because the timing was too suspicious to ignore. However, his sister was missing something very important.


    ¡°I suppose,¡± Ayame muttered loudly enough for Hana to hear. ¡°But why should that make a difference?¡±


    Hana looked at Sen, then twisted toward the twins as if they had gone mad.


    ¡°Sen, do you not see the issue here?¡± Hana demanded. ¡°They¡¯re the ones that started the rumor. The timing adds up! This only started at the beginning of the second challenge. Do you know what happened before that? You blabbered about being Senseless to an enemy!¡±


    Her remark struck a nerve within him. And you revealed that I was senseless on at least two different occasions. Who knows how many more times you would have if I wasn¡¯t there to keep you quiet?


    ¡°HUH?!¡± Ayame jumped from her crouched position, her eyes flickering blue threateningly, fists clenched. ¡°What the hell are you talking about? Why would we even start a rumor like that? We have nothing to gain.¡±


    ¡°How should I know what goes through your sick brains?¡± Hana matched her stance.


    ¡°Sick? What am I, a villain? This is so childishly ridiculous. Grow up, will y¡ª¡±


    ¡°Enough, you two¡­¡± Sen sighed, breaking off the argument. He was growing tired of this. ¡°Hana, they¡¯re not the ones who spread the rumor. They already told us that their friend said he¡¯d heard it before the first challenge even started. It¡¯s not possible.¡±


    ¡°Sen, that¡¯s obviously a lie to cover up their tracks! Do you honestly believe a word they say?¡±


    He wasn¡¯t so sure himself, but his gut told him that they were telling the truth. Not just that, however, it also wouldn¡¯t make any sense why they would even come here to warn them. Genkai pulled his sister back down to sit peacefully around the fire as her glowing eyes eventually flickered away. Exhaling, Genkai rubbed his chin in thought, attempting to devise something that would convince them they posed no threat.


    ¡°I understand your apprehension towards us, and I won¡¯t tell you to trust us by any means, but let me ask you this at least. Why would we go out of our way to meet with you right now?¡± Genkai asked. Hana opened her mouth to respond, but no words came out. Faced with no reply, Genkai continued calmly.


    ¡°At the very least, you must recognize how stupid and rash it would be for us even to come here if we were at the bottom of this rumor. I think staying distant and quiet would have been a much better move, so why didn¡¯t we do that?¡±


    Hana conjured no response to his question again.


    ¡°Of course, you could point out that perhaps we were using the most unconventional method of clearing suspicion. Maybe we¡¯re specifically putting ourselves in a risky position to come here so both of you won¡¯t suspect us. But even if that¡¯s the plan, wouldn¡¯t you say that¡¯s quite bold? Maybe even a bit too bold? Again, there are plenty of better ways to go about this that are way less risky,¡± Genkai said.


    He¡¯s smart, Sen noted. Smarter than he carries on. He and Baru shared remarkably similar traits. Genkai was more academically advanced, and it showed, but in terms of strength, Sen could only wonder how much he was capable of.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Hana started but trailed off, embarrassment showing from her redness. ¡°I may have¡­ overreacted. I¡¯m sorry.¡± With a sigh of relief, Genkai smiled thankfully.


    ¡°Well, no harm done.¡±


    Sen looked at both of the twins. ¡°Why did you want to warn us anyway?¡±


    Genkai shrugged, then looked at his sister. All the eyes were locked on Ayame, making her visibly uncomfortable. ¡°What? Why are you guys looking at me?¡±


    Genkai snorted. ¡°Well, to be quite honest, it wasn¡¯t my idea. I said that, most likely, you guys were already aware of the rumor, so it would be useless, but Ayame insisted on coming here.¡±


    Ayame¡¯s usual pale white face was growing redder and redder as Genkai explained. ¡°She looked so worried, not to mention serious too. She was going to come here even if I agreed or n¡ª¡±


    ¡°SHUT UP!¡± Ayame punched her brother on the arm, making him yelp in pain. ¡°I¡­ I thought it was only fair to send a warning since we worked together on the first challenge. Our truce had never officially ended, you know.¡±


    It most definitely did, but Sen didn¡¯t bring it up. Judging by her flushed face, Sen couldn¡¯t help but wonder something. Girls often get defensive and lash out when they¡¯re flustered, or so I¡¯ve heard, at least. Kaiyo is a different case since she¡¯s a more timid and reserved person. But Ayame¡­ is it possible that she likes me? Romantically, that is? Maybe it¡¯s a stretch, but the psychology books I¡¯ve read do match. I don¡¯t know how to feel about that.


    He¡¯d had his fair share of confessions in the past. Usually, it was only because they didn¡¯t know he was senseless at first. When they did find out, they would avoid him, feeling embarrassed that they had just confessed to a Senseless person. Sen had no interest in them from the start, and quite frankly, didn¡¯t care back then. But looking back on it now¡­ he couldn¡¯t help but grimace at that fact.


    ¡°In any case, it¡¯s appreciated,¡± Sen finally said. ¡°It definitely wasn¡¯t useless. Thanks to you guys, we now know roughly when the rumor started.¡±


    Genkai nodded. ¡°Any clue about who it might be?¡±


    ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t have the faintest clue,¡± Sen said tiredly. ¡°The only person I could suspect is Hono since she overheard us before the academy opened its doors, but after that, my team didn¡¯t allow her to leave on her own anywhere.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I was with her the whole time. She didn¡¯t even talk to a single person there. So there¡¯s no way that she started the rumor,¡± Hana agreed.


    ¡°This is making very little sense¡­¡± Genkai ruffled his hair. ¡°But, at this point, it doesn¡¯t even matter who did or didn¡¯t. What¡¯s concerning is the lengths people would go to once they hear this rumor. From what Yior said, it didn¡¯t sound too promising. I would be careful,¡± Genkai told him.


    Sen nodded in appreciation. ¡°We already planned out what we can do. All there is to do now is hope no one tries to kidnap me or something.¡± Sen bluntly joked, although it wasn¡¯t all that far from reality either.


    ¡°You have your work cut out for you. Remember, you still have the monsters to worry about.¡±


    Sen chuckled. ¡°I almost forgot.¡±


    Just then, Sen felt a slight buzz in his ear. He double-tapped his inconspicuous ear device and heard Baru reporting to him.


    ¡°We¡¯re heading back,¡± Baru said through the earpiece. ¡°And boy, do we have some things to share.¡±


    Sen snorted. ¡°Same on our end. Some familiar faces decided to show up.¡±


    ¡°Blue-haired chick and her brother?¡±


    Sen was glad Ayame couldn¡¯t hear him. ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± Sen could feel him grinning on the other end.


    ¡°Well, say less. Now I gotta get there quicker!¡± Just like that, the call ended. Sen couldn¡¯t help but snort in amusement. When he turned back to Ayame and Genkai, they were looking at him with puzzled expressions.


    ¡°When did you¡­ get that?¡± Ayame asked.


    Sen pulled out the blueberry-sized device from his ear. ¡°Oh, this? We sneaked this one in as a precaution, just in case we get split up. It has come in handy quite a bit.¡±


    Ayame and her brother blinked at him. ¡°Isn¡¯t that cheating?¡± Ayame said.


    ¡°Perhaps a little, yes,¡± Sen shrugged. ¡°Technically, the very fact I¡¯m in the challenge is a risk on its own, so might as well make the best of it, wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡±


    ¡°¡­You¡¯re unbelievable.¡±


    ¡°I get that a lot.¡± He wouldn¡¯t exactly say he¡¯s rash or anything¡­ well, perhaps a little. Above all else, he was just as calculative. However, recently, he had been having trouble being his usual self. If the word ¡°usual¡± even meant anything, that is. He frowned inwardly in thought as the two twins got to their feet for some reason. He judged them with a narrowed eye.


    ¡°You¡¯re leaving?¡± Sen asked. Genkai nodded his head.


    ¡°Yes, unfortunately. We¡¯re still in a challenge, after all. There¡¯s a lot of slaying that needs to be done.¡±


    ¡°How far have you come?¡± Hana probed to get an answer, wondering how many points they had acquired. Sen was quite interested, too. He wondered how different it was from their team, which included more than triple the people. Right now, they had three hundred and two points, leaving Sen to assume they couldn¡¯t possibly have more while being so shorthanded.


    ¡°I think around three hundred and fifty,¡± Genkai answered indifferently. Sen and his sister gawked at them, lost for words. Once the number began to process in his brain, he breathed out¡ª


    ¡°Incredible¡­¡±


    Ayame shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s not that impressive, really. Many of the monsters in the forest are no greater than silver rank, so they¡¯re barely a challenge. Surprisingly, we¡¯re having a problem finding enough monsters to fight. You¡¯d think there would be more in the infamous danger zone,¡± she deduced skeptically.


    Sen knew the answer to that but held his tongue. He wasn¡¯t going to share what Baru had told him yesterday. It was too personal and, above all else, seemed too farfetched for someone even to believe.


    ¡°That¡¯s still impressive, nonetheless. Our team has only around three hundred, and we have triple the amount of people on our team,¡± Sen said, and his sister slowly nodded in agreement, almost reluctantly.


    Ayame¡¯s face only grew redder as Sen made eye contact for some reason. She twisted her head and avoided his stare, clearing her throat.


    ¡°In any case, I¡¯m glad we could share some information that you needed,¡± Ayame said, nudging her brother and signaling him to start leaving. ¡°Stay safe.¡±


    ¡°Would you like to have some stew before you leave with the rest of our team?¡± Hana suddenly asked, to even Sen¡¯s surprise. Either she is inviting them out of suspicion, to keep a closer eye, or she¡¯s trying to fix her reputation after that blowout, Sen thought curiously. The two twins froze in the middle of their departure. Ayame specifically didn¡¯t want to stay here any longer for some reason. Perhaps it had something to do with her flustered behavior around him, but he wasn¡¯t sure.


    ¡°¡­No, no, that¡¯s not necessary. We really should get going.¡± She didn¡¯t turn around to face them to answer before she started walking away again. However, Genkai grabbed his sister by the shoulder to stop her and grinned as he turned back to them.


    ¡°Sure,¡± he replied, and Ayame turned pale. ¡°We would love to.¡±

 Book 2/ Chapter 21– The Catalyst

    ¡°That¡¯s pretty much about it,¡± Baru said between bites of his sliced bread. He had just finished explaining everything that had occurred to the team while they were away from the camp slaying monsters. The entire team sat around the campfire in a symmetrical circle, the boiling pot of soup now nearly finished after everyone had their fair share. The beef stew was vanishing quicker than she had expected, and it was because of their new guests, Ayame and Genkai, who sat beside them slightly awkwardly.


    Well, to be more accurate, Ayame was mostly the awkward one. Her brother was relaxed and conversed with the rest of her team as if he had known them for years. Whether that was forced or genuine, Hana wasn¡¯t so sure. All she knew was one thing¡­ I don¡¯t trust Ayame one bit, she bitterly thought.


    That was mostly why she had invited them for lunch¡ªto keep an eye on her. Her weird interaction with them also didn¡¯t help her suspicion. She had guilt plastered all over her face. Although she could admit that Genkai had won the argument a little while ago¡ªforcing her to publicly resign her suspicion¡ªshe still suspected Ayame.


    No amount of rational thinking could change her mind because, in the end, there was no solid evidence to disprove her claim. And she could acknowledge that there most likely would never be evidence, but that was all the more reason why she clung to her suspicion¡ªuntil something happened that confirmed who started all this, at least.


    ¡°In short¡­¡± Sen started, eyes lost in thought, ¡°the rumor is spreading.¡±


    ¡°Mhmm, pwetty mucc,¡± Baru said, chewing. ¡°Yum, I got a big chunk of beef in mine. Lucky.¡±


    ¡°Not only that, though¡­¡± Kaiyo said apprehensively, trailing off as if contemplating whether she should continue. Sen raised a brow at her.


    ¡°Is everything alright, Kaiyo? Did something else happen?¡± Sen asked. Kaiyo¡¯s mid-length hair was down, and a strand fell in front of her eyes. She shook her head, letting the silence persist for a few moments. The team eyed her curiously.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that something happened, but more or less, because it didn¡¯t¡­¡± Kaiyo finally said.


    Baru¡¯s spoon paused halfway to his mouth. ¡°Sorry if I¡¯m a dumbass, but what does that mean exactly?¡±


    Baru wasn¡¯t the only one confused; Hana shared this confusion, and she rarely agreed with Baru on anything.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been hearing a lot of people around this area today. And they never come close to us,¡± Kaiyo noted.


    Hana frowned. ¡°Isn¡¯t that a good thing?¡±


    If people weren¡¯t coming to their camp, that was good. It meant they could hide her brother better. But surprisingly, even Sen shook his head.


    ¡°No¡­ not at all. I¡¯ve been wondering why we haven¡¯t met a lot of people around here, but I just brushed it off. Now that Kaiyo confirmed she heard a few teams close by, it might mean that we¡¯re being spied on. Or, to be more accurate, I¡¯m being spied on. Kaiyo, do you hear anyone close by now?¡±


    Kaiyo shook her head. ¡°No, at least not within my capabilities. I¡¯ve been constantly checking as much as I can with my Sense. Honestly, it¡¯s becoming very draining. I don¡¯t know how much longer I can keep it up.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself too hard,¡± Sen told her.


    It¡¯s weird¡­ Hana thought. Maybe it¡¯s just me, but Sen looks at her differently. His words didn¡¯t seem forced or out of character¡ªhe was simply concerned for her. She had rarely seen him act this way, and when he did, there was an air of uncertainty and oddness in how he said it. Now, when he did¡­ it felt natural.


    Kaiyo flushed and stammered out a response. ¡°I-I¡¯ll manage¡­ no need to worry about it.¡±


    To the side, Ayame looked at Sen with a pang of bitterness, and when she realized Hana was staring at her, she hastily averted her gaze, continuing to eat. Hana eyed her suspiciously, opening her mouth slightly but deciding to hold her tongue. Things like that were the exact reason why she suspected Ayame.


    ¡°Hmm, well, we have encountered quite a few teams in the last couple of days,¡± Genkai added, his finger on his chin in thought. ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s because we covered more ground, so naturally, we¡¯re going to meet more people. But it¡¯s still rather odd.¡±


    Hyo adjusted his glasses, a sign that he was apprehensive. ¡°Our team has only met one team, and that was just today. I¡¯m not an odds guy, but for our whole team to just so happen to miss all of the contestants near us would be very rare. Almost impossible, if I¡¯m going to go out on a limb here. And the fact that not many would even step foot in our vicinity would mean they¡¯re specifically avoiding us.¡±


    Hana could sense his point, but she was unsure if she wanted clarification. Because if true, that meant they were in a bad position¡ªa very bad one.


    ¡°I don¡¯t even want to ask, but what are you implying?¡± Hana asked. Their short-haired and stocky teammate took a side glance at Sen, who nodded in understanding. Sen took a deep breath and sighed, his hands intertwining thoughtfully.


    ¡°The fact that even all of you¡ªwho I thought didn¡¯t play a role in the rumor before¡ªare being avoided as well can only mean one thing. They know you¡¯re a part of my team.¡±


    The circle of people fell silent.


    ¡­


    ¡°Now that you mention it.¡± Ayame broke the silence, her tone uncertain. ¡°Yior did mention that he saw us together at the end of the first challenge when we pretended not to know any of you. And the rest of your team was also there, so I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if¡­¡± she trailed off.


    ¡°They already know exactly who¡¯s a part of our team,¡± Sen finished her sentence. The new information was dreadful, and it worried Hana to no extent. However, above all else, her suspicion grew. What a convenient thing to forget, huh? It¡¯s almost like she¡¯s trying to make stuff up. I don¡¯t buy it. Not even for a second.


    Hana took the last spoonful of soup in her bowl and wiped the residue off her mouth with the sleeve of her jumpsuit. She sat up straight, stuffing the disposable bowl in a garbage bag close to the fire pit, her eyes flashing glances at Ayame that were filled with distrust. The circle of people grew oddly quiet when Hana decided to clean up after herself. Perhaps they were waiting for her to return to continue their conversation, or simply they had nothing more to say. If it was the latter, Hana couldn¡¯t quite blame them. It was quite tiring to always talk about what could happen and fill the missing gaps in the story. But in the end, none of them knew what would happen. None of them knew the motive of the culprit who started the rumor.


    The unknown scared the group into silence¡ªyet the silence wasn¡¯t just derived from fear but also from a realization that they simply didn¡¯t know what else to do. What else could they do to make sense of their predicament? They were simply lost. Or better yet, cornered¡ªas if they were prey stalked by a vicious predator that sought their throats. But something else about their position made it all the more dreadful. The perpetrator was playing with them. With silence. Making them paranoid as they waited for something to happen. Seeking joy in seeing them wonder what the motive for the rumor was. Waiting for the perfect opportunity, and yet not acting on it to stir them up even further. Something about this plan was far more than it seemed to the naked eye¡ªfar more than any of the team even thought of. And even Sen¡¯s sister had fallen into the grasp of its control.


    Hana frowned as she collected everyone¡¯s empty bowls and went down the circle. She stopped at Baru, who refused to let go of his bowl. Hana cleared her throat, pulling the bowl towards her again, but no matter how hard she tried, it wouldn¡¯t budge. Judging by the blue glow in Baru¡¯s eyes, he had defensively activated his Sense. Hana glared at him as he avoided her scrutiny.


    ¡°Give it¡­¡± Hana said.


    ¡°I want seconds,¡± he blurted out.


    ¡°Baru, you know we can¡¯t afford that. We have only so much food, and it needs to be properly rationed out. This is not an all-you-can-eat buffet,¡± Hana sighed as Baru twisted his head to meet hers.


    ¡°Listen, I¡¯m contributing quite a bit to the points. I think having a second serving is fair, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    While they both glared at one another, Genkai came from the side and extended his bowl to Baru. ¡°Here, have mine. I barely touched any,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m not that hungry to begin with. The breakfast me and Ayame had was quite filling.¡±


    Baru froze like a statue, gawking at Genkai as if he were his savior. ¡°You would do that¡­ for me?¡± He almost teared up as he accepted the bowl from Genkai, immediately beginning to slurp the soup. Although it was scorching hot, Baru had no problem downing the whole soup in one go. Because Touch not only gives an individual immense strength when activating the Sense, but also strengthens the body''s natural state, hot liquids posed no damage or discomfort to him.


    Hana was similar. The sensation wasn¡¯t as if the heat was dull or anything, but more as if it simply stopped right before the tongue would burn. It took a long time to get used to after her Sense had awakened during puberty. She had felt almost¡­ invincible. However, as with almost everything, she got used to it and began simply relying on her new powers until they lost their original mystique.


    ¡°It¡¯s really no biggy,¡± Genkai waved his hand as he sat back down on the ground cross-legged. ¡°I mean, you guys were the ones who gave us food in the first place, so I don¡¯t see why you would need to thank me. We should be the ones who are.¡±


    Hana couldn¡¯t help but cringe at his kind gesture¡ªnot because she had anything against it, but because it showed good faith, which gave her grudge less weight. Hana was a very stubborn person.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ um, kind of you,¡± Hana managed to put on an appreciative face. Genkai nodded with a slight smile. Getting mad or suspecting someone as bright as Genkai was difficult¡ªshe was only human, after all. It was much easier to feel justified in suspecting Ayame, who had a naturally unlikable attitude. Or at least it felt more justifiable in Hana¡¯s head.


    After she picked up everyone¡¯s empty bowls, she threw them in the trash bag and keenly sat back down inside the circle between Baru and Kaiyo. To her surprise, a few moments passed, and no one even let out a peep. Maybe they¡¯re too preoccupied with thinking about the challenge and the rumor, Hana thought. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m any different, either, though. There are so many unanswered questions.


    Regardless of how stubborn she was, she could recognize that there was a big chance she was wrong. Pinning the blame on Ayame gave her a little peace of mind. Perhaps it was meant to fool her into thinking she had found the one at the bottom of this. If she had simply let go of her suspicion, that would mean the problem was left unsolved. And that terrified her.


    ¡°Hey blue-haired chick and her brother,¡± Baru said, lying on his side with an arm propped up to rest his head. Out of all the people who could have broken the silence, she wasn¡¯t expecting Baru to be the one who did it.


    ¡°You guys said that you were some sort of samurai back then, right? What¡¯s it like?¡± Baru picked his nose with a pinky finger. It was apparent he was attempting to stir the conversation in a different direction, to distract the team from their worries, and Hana couldn¡¯t help but admire that. Because it was coming from Baru, the question didn¡¯t even feel forced since he always asked dumb questions and liked to go on tangents. He¡¯s more self-aware than I thought¡­ Hana thought as she gazed at Baru¡¯s lying form for a few moments. She quickly looked away before he noticed her staring and unconsciously began playing with her own long white hair. He¡¯s¡­ still stupid, though.


    All of a sudden, the chilly air of Mount Fuji began to melt away, leaving her feeling oddly uncomfortable. She wasn¡¯t sure what caused such a difference in temperature, but perhaps she was sick or something.


    ¡°Well¡­ yeah,¡± Ayame nodded slowly. ¡°We come from a clan of samurai from our mother¡¯s side.¡±


    ¡°What are they called, if I may ask?¡± Sen questioned curiously. Ayame opened her mouth, yet no words came out. She was afraid to tell them. Genkai put a hand on her shoulder reassuringly and looked at them assertively. ¡°It was the Akagawa clan,¡± he replied.


    Sen froze. Hana eyed him with confusion. She had not seen her brother speechless many times since he was mostly quiet¡ªhowever, this time, the shock was visible in his expression. All she knew was that the clan¡¯s name meant Red River in Japanese. Other than that, she assumed there was more to the clan than she knew of.


    ¡°I¡­ see,¡± Sen said. ¡°I wasn¡¯t aware you were a part of such an infamous clan.¡±


    ¡°Infamous?¡± Baru repeated, and then Sen nodded.


    ¡°Very infamous, actually¡­ just unfortunately not for the right reasons.¡± For some unknown reason, Sen hesitated to continue. That was¡­ until Genkai broke the silence.


    ¡°Most of the Akagawa clan was slaughtered by the hands of our government. My grandfather and mother just so happen to be the lucky ones.¡± Genkai¡¯s face flattened as the group eyed them silently. He didn¡¯t need a signal to know what they wanted to know. ¡°The clan was one of the most powerful, prominent, and, quite frankly, the only clan in Japan. They had a strict code of honor, openly condemning government authority, and believed citizens should be treated fairly. From what my grandfather told me, they were also traditionalists. Even with technological advances, they sought to teach a simpler and less obstructive lifestyle, absent from many devices. They stated that humankind was growing too attached to the digital world and would eventually fall due to their carelessness¨C¨Cor rather, blindness to the world around them. Well, turns out their words aged like fine wine, but in any case, they were revered and respected throughout Japan. Some even speculated that the whole clan included more than a hundred thousand people. They were¡ªin some words¡ªan army to be reckoned with.¡± Genkai paused for a moment, breathing in. ¡°And our grandfather was the heir to that clan.¡±


    ¡°So he¡¯s the one who¡­¡± Sen trailed off, eyeing him as if wondering if he wanted to talk about it. Genkai gave him a forced smile.


    ¡°Yes¡­ our grandfather¡­ he was the reason our clan was slaughtered by the government. But also the reason why we were even born in the first place.¡±


    The team hung onto his words, although it almost felt as if mere threads held them up.


    The sun¡¯s light began fading from the canopy opening as it slowly sank in the direction of the horizon, leaving their clearing to grow darker and darker as more time passed. The large fire pit, now weakened and exhausted, still cast its orange glow to illuminate their faces, and the flickering auburn light reflected off Genkai¡¯s deep blue eyes as hundreds of images flashed within them in symphony with the fire. Images of mothers screaming out to their children as government officials took them away. Images of men with long katanas standing up to those with AOK uniforms and armed with guns. Images of children crying, men shouting, and blood spilling.


    ¡°Right before the world war, something else had gone terribly wrong. Some even blame the event for causing the world war soon after, but there isn¡¯t any conclusive proof of that, and besides stories that my mom and grandfather told me, it might not even be true, so take what I say with a huge grain of salt,¡± Genkai said. ¡°But according to textbooks, at least, they say the Akagawa clan staged a coup against the AOK. They reasoned that the AOK was a bunch of tyrants who would inevitably cause the downfall of everyone¡¯s freedom and enable another World War. They were right in some ways, but they ended up being more involved in that prediction than anyone knows about¡­¡±


    Sen¡¯s ears perked, and he listened intently. History was one of his favorite subjects, so he valued any information about it, especially this kind. Hana didn¡¯t understand how he could enjoy reading about it, but even she had to admit the story Genkai was telling was fascinating¡­ and sad.


    ¡°According to my grandfather, the clan had been colluding with other foreign countries for political help in overthrowing not only the AOK but also the Japanese government. Albeit, most likely, the moment the AOK falls in a country, the government will eventually fall along with it due to how imperative it is. The AOK is like another government working alongside a central government. Some countries have more control over them; some countries grant them control. At the very least, they¡¯re important, and at the very most, they¡¯re the most important. And the Akagawa clan planned to overthrow them¡­¡± There was a pause.


    ¡°It always bothered me,¡± Sen said, almost eager to put together the pieces of the story, ¡°that a clan, regardless of being a hundred thousand men strong, would take on the AOK to overthrow the country. Unless¡­ they were planning on having other foreign countries help them. Although there isn¡¯t any proof, it makes much more sense. I¡­¡± Sen looked at Genkai, stopping himself from carrying on. ¡°Sorry, continue. I got carried away.¡±


    Genkai shook his head. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I also shared the same sentiment when I first heard the story.¡± Then his eyes grew dark. ¡°The next part is bitter for me to say, so I won¡¯t go into too much detail. However, the AOK was growing suspicious of the political speeches and hostility. Eventually, the internal war could happen at any moment¡ªit just came down to who struck first. And my grandfather did. But instead, he struck his very own clan. He betrayed them by selling their tactics and plans as long as his own family was safe and not associated with the clan anymore. He despised his own father, calling him just as much a tyrant and power-hungry fool as the people in the AOK. But he wasn¡¯t expecting such a¡­ slaughter¡ªthat over fifty thousand people would be killed.¡±


    ¡°And yet your father is painted as a hero by the government in the textbooks, calling him a righteous defector of the Akagawa clan who had saved Japan from being overthrown and having their democracy taken from them. While the clan¡ªor whatever is left of it¡ªviews him as the devil and traitor,¡± Sen recalled slowly. ¡°Do you think what your father did was the right decision?¡±


    ¡°Sen¡­¡± Kaiyo interjected, obviously apprehensive about the question. ¡°Let¡¯s not pry too deep into this subject anymore. It¡¯s obviously a very tough subject for him and I doub¡ª¡±Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    ¡°There is no right or wrong decision,¡± Ayame answered, staring at the forest floor, her eyelids lowered and dejected. ¡°When innocent lives die, it¡¯s foolish to think otherwise. In every war, there is blood on both sides if you look back far enough. War and politics is a game that no one wins. The more it pursues, the more lies pile up, and the more blood eventually spills. It doesn¡¯t matter which side attacked first, which side wanted to, or what they did in the past¡ªit all doesn¡¯t matter when innocent lives die on both sides. Who would ever call that a win? War is all pointless.¡±


    Her words hung in the air, giving the group time to digest what she meant. Hana was the most surprised out of all of them. She didn¡¯t expect such a compassionate viewpoint from Ayame, presuming she shared a more self-centered and indifferent way of thinking, judging from her cold attitude.


    It¡¯s not really what someone would say, would it? Hana thought. If she was the one who started the rumor, that is. God¡­ why does she have to make things so difficult? Why can¡¯t she just¡­ pretend to be the problem¡ª is what she wanted to think, but she stopped herself, realizing that even for her, it was a foolish way of thinking. Childish. She didn¡¯t know if Ayame was responsible. She wanted her to be responsible.


    ¡°Well¡­ it¡¯s an interesting and honest way of looking at it,¡± Baru said abruptly, picking his nose again and looking at his booger. ¡°But it¡¯s also foolish.¡±


    All eyes fell upon Baru, and Ayame narrowed her brow begrudgingly. Again, out of all the people who would have said that, Hana would never have picked Baru once.


    ¡°Listen, I''m not that¡­ uh, ya know, intelligent, or a history nerd like Sen is, but I don¡¯t need none of them to know that people fighting, wars happening¡ªthey¡¯re just gonna happen, even if we like it or not. Saying wars and conflict are pointless might not be false, but if they were truly pointless, no one would go to war in the first place. We all have something we want to protect, something we want to fight for. For your clan, they wanted to fight for a different future, a more reformed and respectful one. The AOK wanted to fight for how things were and continue the path they thought was better, even if you agree or disagree with it. And for your grandfather, he wanted to fight for the safety of his family, even if it meant betraying his whole clan. Even the soldiers had something to fight for. Their country, their way of thinking, their freedom, even if their perspectives might be flawed,¡± Baru said, fidgeting with his booger between his fingers.


    Hana could only stare at Baru in¡­ was it shock? Amazement? She didn¡¯t know.


    No¡­ I¡¯m not that surprised, she realized. When Baru had been fighting Gyro, his other self had shown¡ªa more mature and understanding person than one could see at first glance.


    The air around her grew hotter once more¡­


    ¡°You know¡­¡± Genkai said after moments of silence as he heard the conversation. ¡°Gramps always talked about how guilty he was about betraying the clan. That his mistakes ran deeper than any blade could pierce.¡± He paused. ¡°But when I asked him what he would do differently, he simply said: Nothing. It was a mistake to the entirety of my clan, to the fallen, and I¡¯ll live with the guilt for the rest of my life, but yet, I¡¯d still do it. Because if I didn¡¯t, I would never get to enjoy the sunrise with my grandchildren. If he hadn¡¯t betrayed his clan, he and our mother most likely would have been killed by the spies on both sides or even his own father,¡± Genkai said, finally understanding a little more about his grandfather''s words.


    ¡°His own father?¡± Sen asked, and Genkai nodded.


    ¡°Yes, the leader of the clan¡ªour grandpa¡¯s father¡ªstarted becoming suspicious of his rebelliousness to the clan¡¯s plan and most likely would have killed him for treason, along with our mother. Meaning that if he hadn¡¯t done it, we might have never been born. He couldn¡¯t simply run, either. The AOK and his very own clan were watching his every move, so he was forced to pick a side, a side that would save his family but result in fifty thousand soldiers dead¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Sen said suddenly. ¡°I don¡¯t think your father was responsible for all the deaths. In fact, he made the death toll four less than it would have been.¡±


    Genkai frowned. ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡±


    ¡°The war between the AOK and your clan was already going to happen in the first place. There was nothing anyone could do to stop the inevitable bloodshed, and your grandfather saved four people from being a part of those casualties: himself, his daughter, and both of you. I don¡¯t think this is something he should be guilty of. In fact, I think it should be praised. Not in the way the textbooks present it, but the actual outcome of all of it¡ªboth of you have a chance to retell his story,¡± Sen said sincerely.


    Hana looked at her brother with soft eyes. This wasn¡¯t the same brother she had once known. Or perhaps she hadn¡¯t known her brother to begin with¡ªmaybe instead, she got used to just one part of him. The way he looked at them, it didn¡¯t feel dull. It felt real.


    Genkai and Ayame glanced at each other and then smiled softly. ¡°Perhaps you have a point,¡± Genkai admitted. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if the clan hates him or us by association. Because in the end¡­¡±


    ¡°He saved us¡­¡± Ayame finished her brother¡¯s words. ¡°More than once, too.¡±


    Genkai¡¯s smile widened, but his eyes didn¡¯t follow. He was trying his best to compose himself.


    ¡°Yep, he did,¡± Genkai said. ¡°He did.¡± Behind the layer of his smile, Hana could see something else that she couldn¡¯t quite recognize. Perhaps it was grief. Maybe even anger. Or even¡­ relief.


    ¡°That¡¯s a story for a different day, though.¡±


    Hana frowned as she wondered what that could mean. Sen did say that their mother was killed by a monster a little while ago if I remember correctly. They also said their father was very well off, too, she recalled. Other than those pieces of information, what their life had been like was a mystery to her. Hana could only assume that their grandfather had trained them in the swordsmanship of the Akagawa clan since their skills were far beyond any standard Knight. She wasn''t sure what training was involved in granting them such skills, but she sure would love to know. Maybe it¡¯s some sort of cheat code to get stronger.


    ¡°Sorry if my question seems random,¡± Genkai said suddenly. ¡°But what were your reasons for entering a challenge like this?¡±


    Sen raised a brow. ¡°Who are you asking?¡±


    ¡°I guess all of you.¡±


    Hana paused. For the first time since the challenge started, she had the chance to reflect on everything that had occurred over the last few days. The room of doors, the bearwolf, being paralyzed by Gyro, and finally, this challenge¡ªthey were all so recent, yet felt so long ago. But what did they actually mean to her? Did it change her at all? Did it make her resolve to be a Knight any more? Any less?


    She wasn¡¯t sure.


    ¡°I just wanted to be stronger¡­¡± she answered. ¡°I know it¡¯s a pretty basic answer, but it¡¯s true. I want to protect myself, my mom, my brother. I just want them to be safe, although it sounds pretty cringe when I think about it.¡± Beside her, Baru murmured in amusement.


    ¡°Why should that be cringe?¡± he said. ¡°I think that¡¯s a great reason. It''s much better than mine. One day, my friend was talking about it in the orphanage, and I just decided to do it.¡±


    Hana blinked at him. ¡°You¡¯re an orphan? I¡­ never knew.¡± It wasn¡¯t that she was shocked he was, but she certainly couldn¡¯t believe that he hadn¡¯t said anything about it to them this whole time. He was such a blabbermouth that something like that would have been said by now.


    ¡°Oh, I never did mention that, did I?¡± he put a finger on his chin in thought. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s not all that important anyway. After all, there are a lot of kids with no families or homes in this day and age. The lifespan of people is only going down too, either from monster attacks or mental illness, making more and more kids without any families. I so happen to be a lucky one that got sent to a good orphanage.¡±


    Lucky? In what case is that considered lucky? Hana thought with a frown.


    ¡°What about you guys?¡± Baru asked the twins. They looked at each other briefly, then back to the fire. ¡°Entering this challenge wasn¡¯t exactly my main priority, to be honest. I mainly entered because of my sister,¡± Genkai said with a shrug, then slightly nudged Ayame to respond.


    ¡°To put a name to our strength, I guess,¡± Ayame said. ¡°Unfortunately, the role of a Samurai wasn¡¯t an option. Our clan has a similar process and its own ranking system, but unsurprisingly, they rejected us.¡±


    ¡°Huh, I wonder why.¡± Baru chuckled. It was a dark joke, but the group couldn¡¯t help but laugh at it. Even Ayame, who didn¡¯t smile much, shook her head as she turned sideways, hiding her smirk.


    ¡°So insensitive,¡± Ayame attempted to clear her throat in between a few half-scoffs.


    ¡°Sorry, sorry, too soon, I guess.¡±


    Hana tried her best not to participate in laughing, but she couldn¡¯t hold it in either. Not only was it bad to join in on the joke, but also because of who the joke was about. She couldn¡¯t simply laugh at a joke about someone who was her prime suspect¡­ yet that worry wasn¡¯t on her mind all of a sudden. She even caught her brother smiling beside her. It was funny how quickly the fearful and solemn atmosphere could melt away when an oddly ironic joke presented itself. And it wasn¡¯t as if they intended to make fun of it¡ªthey were simply making light of a sad predicament.


    ¡°Going back on topic,¡± Genkai was forced to compose himself. ¡°What about you?¡± He looked at Hyo.


    Hyo adjusted his glasses. ¡°My father always wanted me to become a Knight, so I guess I just want to make him proud, that¡¯s all. Plus, Hana was also entering, so it was a convenient excuse.¡±


    Hana frowned thoughtfully at him. To the others, they wouldn¡¯t fully understand his answer as well as she would. After all, they had been friends for a few years in high school, so they had gotten to know each other very well. Hyo was a calm and composed young man for a reason. He had gone through a lot in his life, and that included the passing of his father, who had been eaten by a monster. Yet Hyo still remained compassionate toward monsters for some reason beyond her understanding. He still showed sympathy and forgiveness for something that had taken a chunk of his life away. Sometimes, Hana wondered if she hated monsters more for what they did to his father than he did himself. Regardless, that aspect of Hyo was commendable, and Hana admired him.


    Next down the circle was Kaiyo, who sat respectfully on her knees with her legs folded. Her rose-thin lips frowned as she thought. ¡°I guess it¡¯s similar to Hyo, but I wanted to make my father proud,¡± she softly answered. ¡°He¡¯s a high-ranking Knight, so I felt like I should follow in his footsteps, although he tells me that I don¡¯t have to. I¡¯m¡­ or I guess¡­¡± Kaiyo trailed off, trying to find the right words. ¡°I just want to be braver and stronger.¡±


    To her, Kaiyo always came across as fragile and innocent. Her personality, since a very young age, had been mellow and considerate¡ªso much so that she was a quick target of bullying. Hana wasn''t sure whether that played a role in her choice, but she could at least understand how awful it was to be looked down upon. I would despise being treated like a flower. Fortunately, Hana never experienced that. Her temperament and Sense were a quick deterrent to those problems. However, when bullying happened to her on rare occasions, well¡­ they never usually happened again after she took care of it. Sometimes I wonder if I¡¯m the bully, she mused.


    Next up to answer Genkai¡¯s original question was Hono, who remained relatively quiet throughout the whole conversation. Her legs were drawn to her chest as she sat, and her arms wrapped around them, almost protectively. Her bob-cut hair covered her eyes, hiding her expression. Hana had suspected she could be responsible for the rumor at one point. However, Hono appeared to be at the bottom of the list of possible suspects since she had never left their team alone throughout the entire exam.


    There was simply no time for her even to attempt to spread the rumor. At least Hana had some excuse for suspecting Ayame, so her paranoia didn¡¯t refute all the obvious facts. She could at least recognize that Hono was most likely not the one responsible. Hono lifted her head slightly, revealing her dark, rosy eyes. ¡°I¡­I¡¯m not too sure, actually,¡± Hono finally said. The team eyed her, puzzled.


    ¡°You don¡¯t even have one reason why you¡¯re here?¡± Baru asked.


    ¡°I personally don¡¯t, but I was told to enter by someone else. It¡¯s, uh, a long story.¡±


    ¡°Your parents?¡± Kaiyo guessed. But Hono slowly shook her head.


    ¡°No, no, I don¡¯t really know what happened to my parents. I grew up on the streets, so I never got to know them. Maybe they did look after me for some time, but I was probably too young to remember.¡±


    There was a pause. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ sorry to hear that,¡± Hyo said, adjusting his glasses. He always did that when he was nervous. ¡°How did you¡­ ya know, survive?¡±


    ¡°Other homeless people often looked after me,¡± she replied. ¡°They protected me from other bad people and taught me how to beg. I''d often go to restaurants at the end of the day and ask them for free food before they threw it out. You¡¯d be surprised how easy it is, but maybe it was because people pitied me since I was a young girl. If a middle-aged man did the same thing that I did, it would be a lot harder, I think.¡±


    Judging by her bubbly and outgoing attitude, Hana never expected her to have faced such hardships. She always assumed that Hono was someone who grew up privileged and spoiled, but how far off she was. Growing up without any parents on the streets, with just a few homeless people to help you? That¡¯s fucked up, and she acts like it was no big deal, either. My problems compared to hers¡­ they seem so¡­


    Hana¡¯s thoughts trailed off. She knew she shouldn''t compare herself to others, but listening to these stories reminded her how lucky she was. Yes, she had lost her father and virtually grew up without one, but at least she had a mother and a brother who loved her. She had gotten into a good school, received a powerful Sense, and had a decent house in the horrible economy¡­


    She cringed when she remembered all the times she acted ungrateful or mad at her fortunate life.


    ¡°So then, who told you to enter?¡± Sen asked.


    Hono paused, freezing up, as she looked directly at Sen with oddly wide eyes. Hono seemed distant suddenly, as if she had seen something beyond Sen¡ªor even inside of him, perhaps. Her lips moved to answer, yet her words couldn¡¯t follow. Hana wasn¡¯t able to recognize what that expression was¡ªall she knew was that it sent a shiver down her spine.


    ¡°It was the same person who saved me from the streets,¡± Hono finally said, looking down as her bangs fell. ¡°He gave me a roof over my head and made sure I never went hungry. Although he never officially adopted me, he didn¡¯t need to for me to know that he loved me like his own child. My life was nothing more than wanting a warm bed when it was cold, but when he saved me, I got a chance to wish for things¡ªto act greedy for the first time in my life. I got¡­¡± her voice became weak. ¡°I got a toy for the first time when I was ten. He was kind¡­ very kind to me, so when he asked me to participate in the challenge, I didn¡¯t think twice,¡± she softly said.


    ¡°But did you want to become a Knight?¡± Hyo asked, sympathy hinted in his tone.


    ¡­ ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Did he force you?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    The circle grew silent. Hana pitied her; it was clear she was in a rather tough predicament¡ªshe did not want to be a Knight but felt as if she had to, out of principle. The person who had given her a good life and saved her hadn¡¯t asked for anything in return, so such a small request was as powerful as an order.


    ¡°I¡¯m just glad that I could meet such good friends before I¡­¡± Hono trailed off. ¡°It would have been difficult without you guys, so thank you.¡±


    What was she going to say? Hana thought to herself.


    ¡°In any case, enough about me,¡± Hono said, putting on a forced smile. ¡°What about you, Sen?¡±


    Sen nodded, understanding her attempt to switch topics. He opened his mouth to reply, then stopped¡ªas if he had rehearsed an answer but didn¡¯t want to say it. Hana saw Sen stutter in frustration, annoyed that he wasn¡¯t able to even formulate a sentence. But all of a sudden, Sen grew still as ice. His eyes were bloodshot and open as he gaped straight ahead, beyond any of the people in the circle¡ªat simply nothing. Then he gagged, bending over as a convulsion of coughs suddenly became rampant. Blood escaped his dry coughs and landed in the fire pit, causing a hiss to echo as embers fluttered out.


    Hana jolted from her sitting position, exclaiming, ¡°Sen!?¡± She knelt at his side, not knowing what else to do except lightly tap her brother¡¯s bent-over back as he continued to aggressively cough.


    ¡°Wh¡ªWhat happened?¡± Hyo joined her side, talking over the loud noise.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Hana stuttered, looking at her brother¡¯s horrible state. ¡°I don¡¯t know! Just¡­ just bring me the medical kit now!¡± She urged him as Hyo scampered across the clearing to one of the tents. Sen¡¯s coughs started to gurgle with liquid, and vomit began splattering all over the forest¡¯s earthy floor next to his leaning hands. The team around her could only watch in horror and confusion.


    Then Hyo returned with the medical kit. Hana gasped in relief as he began rummaging through all the medicine that could help Sen.


    ¡°Fuck! Ibuprofen, no! Bandages, gauze¡ªnone of these are going to fucking help! Where is the¡ª¡± She stopped as she found a small bottle labeled Food Poisoning Relief. That had to be it! There was no other reason for Sen to randomly start vomiting if it wasn¡¯t the food he just had. She put the bottle aside and silently waited for Sen¡¯s vomiting to stop, even for a moment. When the moment happened, Baru and Hyo assisted in making him stand, then she manually poured the medicine into his slightly open mouth, followed by tons of water that Hyo had also brought. Sen gagged again, ready to throw up.


    ¡°Force it down, Sen!¡± Hana demanded brashly, splashing some fresh water on his face to cool him down.


    ¡°I¡­¡± a dark voice, far different from Sen¡¯s, spoke out of his mouth. ¡°I need more water,¡± Sen replied in his normal voice again. A few moments passed with Sen forcing down his gags, then a few minutes, and finally, it stopped.


    Hyo and Baru gently set him down on the ground, eyeing him worryingly as he sat with legs crossed. Sen drew heavy gasps, attempting to catch his breath from the constant vomiting. He let out a tired sigh, his eyes closed.


    ¡°Sen?¡± Hana crouched beside him, gently stroking his back.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± he answered. Hana raised her eyebrow and then frowned.


    ¡°What do you mean fine? You just threw up a shit ton. Are you still sick? Have you not recovered from last time and decided to play it off that everything was fine so we wouldn¡¯t worry about you?¡± Although Hana¡¯s words seemed harsh, they were still laced with worry for her brother. She did not like seeing him ill, and she wasn¡¯t used to it either since he rarely got sick.


    Three times in the past couple of days? Hana thought to herself. What are the odds of that happening? First, he fainted out of the blue for some unknown reason, and then he vomited when she saw Nova, and now this? Is it really just a sickness?


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I just got food poisoning,¡± Sen replied bluntly, yet he avoided her gaze. ¡°And no, I got over my sickness a little while ago, but I guess my immune system is still weak. Sorry for wasting the food.¡±


    ¡°Sen, that¡¯s the least of our worries,¡± Kaiyo said. ¡°Please go to the tent and rest. The sun¡¯s almost gone anyway. It doesn¡¯t matter what made you throw up or how. In the end, you did, so you need to recover,¡± she demanded.


    Sen frowned and looked at her slightly stubbornly, which was unusual for Hana to ever see. However, Sen knew better than to argue, probably realizing that Kaiyo¡¯s words had some truth to them. He staggered while standing up. Baru reached out to help him, but he denied his aid and addressed the rest of the team.


    ¡°Apologies for the disgusting sight,¡± Sen¡¯s words were mostly directed to Ayame and Genkai, who stood to the side awkwardly.


    ¡°No it¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s fine. I hope you get better,¡± Ayame said uneasily. Sen nodded to them as he left the clearing, slipping into the tent¡¯s zip-up entrance. Hana frowned, watching her brother go.


    ¡°Say, what if we stay here for a little while and help you guys out?¡± Genkai asked to Hana¡¯s surprise.


    Hyo and Baru glanced at each other and shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t see why not. Any help is good help,¡± Hyo said. ¡°Maybe it will discourage other teams from coming to our camp with an extra two people.¡±


    Hana expected Ayame to look anxious about this decision, but instead, she looked almost¡­ relieved? Why was she relieved? Didn¡¯t she want to leave the camp as quickly as possible a little while ago?


    ¡°I have no objections,¡± Kaiyo nodded, and Hono slowly followed the trend, oddly uneasy.


    ¡°Alright then, it¡¯s decided.¡± Hyo nodded gratefully at them. The two twins looked at each other with a slight smile. Well¡­ I guess it works better for me, too. It¡¯ll be easier to keep a closer eye on them¡­


    ¡°Hey, Hana,¡± Baru walked up to her. ¡°I suggest you get some rest, too, while you can. It¡¯s gonna be a long night on watch duty for us,¡± he noted.


    She frowned and opened her mouth to argue but stopped herself. ¡°Yeah¡­ maybe you''re right.¡±


    ¡°Woah, what the hell, you''re listening to me? That¡¯s surprising.¡±


    Hana rolled her eyes. ¡°Oh, shut it. I don¡¯t ignore everything you say if it¡¯s actually good advice. Unfortunately, most of the time, it¡¯s not.¡±


    ¡°Here, I thought you hated me.¡±


    ¡°Huh? No, I don¡¯t hate you, I¡­¡± Hana paused herself, wondering why she felt so hot all of a sudden.


    Baru raised his brow and grinned. ¡°You what? Please, I cannot handle another love confession at this time. There are far too many to choose from.¡± He laughed. Hana gritted her teeth as she flushed.


    ¡°You fuckin¡ª Ya know, I¡¯m not gonna even start. I¡¯m just gonna listen to your advice and get some rest.¡±


    ¡°Sign of true love right there,¡± Baru teased while Hana turned around to her tent. She didn¡¯t respond.


    Before Hana could enter her tent, she saw Kaiyo and Hono attempting to leave the clearing. She eyed them with confusion, then shouted to them.


    ¡°Hey, where are you going?¡± she asked, and Kaiyo turned around.


    ¡°I needed to go to the little ladies¡¯ room, and Hono suggested coming with me in case of any monsters¡­¡± Kaiyo shifted embarrassingly. She noted the Sense sword around Hono¡¯s waist and nodded in understanding. ¡°Good idea!¡± She gave a thumbs up and watched them leave the clearing.


    Entering her tent, she flopped on her sleeping bag to the left, sighing tiredly. She hadn¡¯t realized how exhausted she was until Baru had mentioned it. All of a sudden, all the missed hours of sleep came crashing down onto her when she gave herself a chance to rest. The constant worries about who the perpetrator was and the dangers of being in such a challenge kept her going. But now that her prime suspect was in their control, she felt oddly more at ease. Or maybe that¡¯s what her mind fooled her into thinking.


    Her thoughts drifted for a little while, as she thought about everything that had happened over the last few days. They began to feel lighter and jumbled as the tent grew darker, and sleep eventually took her.


    Hana finally closed her eyes.


    <hr>


    Sen opened his eyes to the abrupt sound of panicked voices. His tent¡¯s door unzipped, revealing Hana¡¯s scurrying silhouette. He jolted out of his sleeping bag, still feeling slightly woozy from his episode.


    And he knew it wasn¡¯t because of the food. It was the same feeling as before. He was losing control over his body, by something else.


    ¡°Hana?¡± Sen asked his gasping sister, still not adjusted to the darkness. But yet he could feel her worry.


    ¡°It¡¯s Kaiyo! She was¡­. She¡­¡± Hana stuttered out. Sen comforted her, placing his hands on her shoulders.


    ¡°Hana, calm down,¡± Sen demanded. ¡°Tell me what happened, slowly.¡±


    Hana exhaled deeply, taking a moment to gather her thoughts.


    ¡°Kaiyo hasn¡¯t returned ever since she and Hono went out!¡±


    Sen paused. They left alone? And she was with Hono? he thought, a shiver creeping down his spine.


    ¡°And the communication device?¡± he asked.


    ¡°We tried to contact her, and it went through, but it was all static. That only happens if it¡¯s broken!¡± Hana panicked. ¡°I think¡­ I think Kaiyo has been kidnapped!¡±

 Book 2/ Chapter 22– The Culprit

    ¡°In the mirror¡¯s reflection, it proclaims that I am young while it gazes at my pale skin and sturdy body. However, I have seen more than anyone has or will, for I am neither a human nor a monster anymore. I merely exist, following the faint determination my past self once had.¡±


    The forest was drenched in midnight darkness. Ordinary bushes and small trees rustled as a gust of wind traveled through them, startling Kaiyo into petrified silence. She had mistaken them for a monster or even an enemy participant due to the lack of natural light created by the canopy of trees. A few rays of moonlight did pass through occasionally, but it didn¡¯t ease the unnerving and chilling feeling she had while walking. Even if the forest were to explode with light, Kaiyo wasn¡¯t sure if her anxiety would disappear either, for darkness wasn¡¯t the reason she was afraid in the first place.


    Kaiyo stopped in the middle of the forest¡¯s pathway, looking at the shadow that followed right next to her. Unlike the rustling branches, this shadow was much more alive. It watched her when she paused, its ruby-red eyes glowing despite the darkness.


    ¡°Keep on moving,¡± the shadow said in a soft yet icy cold tone. Kaiyo would have never imagined she would hear that from her. ¡°Please peacefully listen to my orders. I do not want to harm you.¡±


    ¡°Why did you do it?¡± Kaiyo asked. ¡°Why did you spread the rumor, Hono?¡±


    Hono stepped into a small ray of light that escaped from above, her young and innocent face illuminated by the moon¡¯s cold glow. She didn¡¯t wear her smile anymore. That had been nothing more than a piece of old clothing that could have been thrown out at any time. How long was she wearing that mask? Who was beneath it? Who truly was Hono?


    ¡°Why would I tell you?¡± Hono asked, taking her arm and steering her to keep moving. Words were stuck in her throat as she reluctantly complied.


    ¡°Because¡­ well, I¡­ need to know,¡± Kaiyo uttered. She felt the grip of Hono¡¯s hand tighten, making her cringe in pain. Kaiyo didn¡¯t want to believe it. She didn¡¯t want to believe that someone so friendly to them, so willing to be a part of their team¨C


    ¡°Why would you do such a thing?¡±


    Hono stayed silent.


    ¡°We were talking about your horrible childhood around the fire,¡± Kaiyo said. ¡°We were comforting you. Are you just able to throw that out? Was it all a lie?¡±


    ¡°Please stop asking questions,¡± Hono said with a solemn and flat face. ¡°It¡¯s for the best.¡±


    Kaiyo couldn¡¯t accept that answer. ¡°Is it¡­ is it really that hard to answer one question? Don¡¯t you think we at least deserve an answer after you betrayed us like that?¡± No matter how hard she tried to raise her voice, Kaiyo couldn¡¯t. She was too afraid. Even though her mind was running blank with bitterness, the fear overpowered the courage to speak up.


    ¡°My hands are tied,¡± Hono said. Kaiyo glanced at her with confusion.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Hono paused. ¡°Do you honestly think I care enough to do this on my own free will? All the reasons why you think I¡¯m doing this, erase them. None of them are the answer,¡± Hono said bluntly. ¡°I understand how you must feel. I bet it¡¯s frustrating. Infuriating even. You must hate me right now, don¡¯t you? You¡¯re probably quietly thinking that you wish you¡¯d never met me. I bet I¡¯m right, aren¡¯t I?¡± Hono barked bitterly. She flinched, a putrid ring starting to echo in her ears from the loud exclamation. Kaiyo covered her ears with a whimper.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Kaiyo started, waiting for the sharp pain to fade away. ¡°I don¡¯t wish that at all. I enjoyed my time with you. Before this, at least,¡± Kaiyo said truthfully as Hono fell silent. ¡°The fact I feel betrayed means I found you as a friend in the first place.¡±


    ¡°A friend?¡± Hono whispered, staring at her. ¡°You viewed me¨C someone you¡¯d just gotten to know¨C as a friend? Are you dumb?¡±


    ¡°Maybe I am. Maybe that¡¯s why I''ll never be a good Knight, no matter how much I try to change my personality. But I¡¯d rather be a fool who trusts everyone than a scholar who only doubts those they meet.¡±


    Hono didn¡¯t respond; she just gripped Kaiyo more tightly by the arm and continued charting up the forest toward the mountain. Kaiyo knew she couldn¡¯t run even if she wanted to. Hono made it quite clear that their team would face consequences if she even attempted that. She had no idea whether that was true or not, but she¡¯d rather not test it. I don¡¯t know what she¡¯s capable of, nor do I know her motive either. This isn¡¯t someone that I should get mad at, Kaiyo thought to herself, shivering as a chilly gust of wind streamed through her, undoing the hoodie she had over her head.


    The silence that persisted as they paced through the clustered trees was more bitter than the cold air, it seemed. She had never been in a situation as uncomfortable and confusing in her life. On the one hand, Hono was her enemy¨C the one responsible for the rumor and the one who was kidnapping her at this very moment¨C yet when Kaiyo occasionally glanced at her face, it didn¡¯t appear to be one full of hate toward her. In fact, she felt as if Hono was almost sad, no matter how blunt her expressions may seem.


    If Ayame told the truth, that would mean Hono knew Sen didn¡¯t have a Sense even before being part of our team. How is that possible? Kaiyo wondered, almost in denial, even though the proof that Hono was the culprit lay before her eyes. Maybe she¡¯s a part of Sen¡¯s school? Is that it? That¡¯s the only explanation for knowing he was senseless before entering the challenge. But if that¡¯s the case, why did Sen not recognize her? He has a relatively small school, and he¡¯s known to remember everyone he sees. I just can¡¯t believe that he would overlook something like this. How did you know Hono? she asked internally, knowing she wouldn¡¯t get an answer from Hono¡¯s mouth. Perhaps if she asked a different question?


    ¡°Where are you taking me?¡± she asked after building up the courage to speak. Nothing. I don¡¯t know what I was expecting. Kaiyo frowned. That was the first question she had asked when Hono first threatened her, and the answer had always been bitter silence, so she shouldn¡¯t expect anything more¨C


    ¡°I¡¯m scared,¡± Hono whispered.


    Kaiyo froze mid-step as Hono came to an abrupt halt. The hand that was tightly gripping hers had loosened slightly and was oddly¡­ trembling. Why was Hono¡¯s hand trembling? Shouldn¡¯t Kaiyo be the one worried, given her situation?


    ¡°Hono?¡± she asked with uncertainty, the quivering only getting worse as they stood in silence. ¡°What do you... mean? Why are you scared?¡±


    Hono turned to meet her, her blunt expression breaking into twisted terror. However, it was more than just that. There was utter helplessness¡ªthe look of someone close to the gates of hell, catching a glimpse of the devil who lay dormant across from her. This wasn¡¯t just fear, Kaiyo recognized. This transcended such a simple term. Hono saw something beyond what Kaiyo could perceive.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°Kaiyo¡­¡± Hono¡¯s voice was no more than a whisper. ¡°This world is not as simple and black and white as you think. I¡¯ve seen things... things you never would have thought were possible.¡±


    ¡°Seen things?¡± Kaiyo echoed, suddenly becoming all too aware of the chilly air. ¡°What are they?¡±


    ¡°Things that made me look at the world differently. Even now, as I stand, I wonder if I truly am or if everything is merely someone else''s creation. The burden I hold is something that no one can relieve me of; it¡¯s something that I must hold alone. Because he entrusted it onto me.¡±


    ¡°Who did? Who entrusted what to you? I¡­ I don¡¯t understand. Please tell me instead of playing with words that I can¡¯t understand. I can help you, Hono. I really can if you just give me the chance to understand what you''re saying.¡±


    Hono raised her hand, pointing behind Kaiyo. She turned, following the direction of the finger with confusion. Who was she pointing at? Who was behind them? There were only a few Kaiyo knew for certain. And that was her team. But why would she point at the team?


    ¡°He told me,¡± Hono said, ¡°He told me that in fourteen years, you will throw a welcoming party to the one who saved humanity. To the one whom you thought was dead.¡±


    Her words sent a shiver down her spine¡­ no, they sent a shiver down into the pits of her soul. Hono spoke in tongues, and Kaiyo couldn¡¯t understand even a fraction of them, yet a part of her believed¡ªor, better yet, urged her to believe them. No, I can¡¯t listen to a word she¡¯s saying¡­ I¡¯m being fooled again, just like last time. If I keep trusting everything she says, I''ll just be taken advantage of again and again, Kaiyo told herself.


    But then why? Why were Hono¡¯s terrified eyes so real and genuine? Why did Kaiyo feel the urge to believe everything she was saying? Was she truly this weak in rejecting someone¡¯s lies?


    Maybe she¡¯s not lying¡­ Kaiyo thought. Maybe she went insane. That has to be the reason why she looks so genuinely afraid. She truly believes what she¡¯s saying is the truth because her mind is playing tricks on her. The person who¡¯s telling her to do these things must simply be the voice in her head.


    ¡°Hono,¡± Kaiyo said softly. ¡°I understand now. Please, just stop it; there¡¯s no need to listen to that voice anymore¡ªto the person who¡¯s telling you to do these things. Trust me, this is not going to help anyone. You need to reject it¨C¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand anything,¡± Hono muttered, gripping Kaiyo¡¯s wrist tighter. ¡°He told me that I needed to do this in order to save the world.¡±


    Once Hono said those last words, Kaiyo¡¯s mind came to a firm conclusion. Hono had gone mad.


    ¡°This¡­¡± Kaiyo began struggling to come up with the right words. She had to tread carefully. It was very easy to upset a person that was mentally not there. ¡°This is not going to save the world, Hono. You¡¯re being tricked. You know me well enough to understand that I don¡¯t lie to anyone. Please believe in me.¡±


    Hono¡¯s tensed face relaxed a little as she stared at Kaiyo¡¯s sincere eyes. And then¡­ she smiled slightly.


    ¡°You¡¯re a good person,¡± Hono said, to Kaiyo¡¯s disbelief.


    ¡°Then why are you doing this? Why are you tormenting my friends?¡± Kaiyo demanded.


    She didn¡¯t respond automatically; she merely continued to eye Kaiyo with soft and understanding eyes.


    ¡°Because if I don¡¯t do this,¡± Hono started, ¡°All humanity will die.¡±


    Kaiyo frowned. She wasn¡¯t sure why she thought it was possible to snap Hono out of her mental state, but it ended in utter failure. It was clear that she was too far gone to save.


    Both of them continued arching their way up the forest¡¯s slope to a destination that Kaiyo doubted existed, yet she silently followed, unsure what to do next. She contemplated whether to run away and hopefully reach her team before Hono caught up to her. However, she was still fearful of what Hono had implied¨C that their team would face consequences if that ever happened. Now that she was certain Hono was simply mentally insane, it also meant that, most likely, the consequences were an empty threat just to scare her.


    So why did she still hesitate? There was no other room for making decisions. She had to run¨C


    Kaiyo paused. Her sense automatically picked up dozens of footsteps shuffling against the forest floor. Kaiyo could tell they were not the footsteps of a monster but something far more coordinated and calculative.


    They were people.


    She picked up very low voices being shared between the unknown contestants, but they were too far away to distinguish what was being said. Her heart started to quicken as she realized Hono did have a destination to arrive at. With no option left, Kaiyo attempted to release her wrist from Hono¡¯s grasp with a quick pull. Yet nothing even moved. Hono¡¯s hold was so firm it almost felt like she had been handcuffed with steel. How was that possible?


    How was Hono so¡­ strong?


    Her internal question was answered when Hono looked back at her, noticing her futile attempt to escape. Kaiyo¡¯s heart dropped.


    Hono¡¯s eyes were glowing¨C they glowed with a brilliant blue.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Kaiyo breathed out. ¡°You don¡¯t only have Hearing, do you?¡±


    Hono didn¡¯t respond and began moving again, but the silence was as good as any answer that Kaiyo would have ever gotten. The voices and footsteps up ahead became more and more audible the closer they reached their destination. A large protruding branch blocked their path, but only for a mere instant, as Hono broke it with a swift swipe of her hand, clearly not caring to hide her other Sense that she¡¯d hidden from them all this time.


    As they traveled through the thick mass of trees, Kaiyo tried focusing on the growing voices she heard up ahead. The more she concentrated, the more her heart thumped in her chest, slowly drowning the ability to hear clearly. The sounds went muffled and blurry¨C replaced by an eerie ring and the soft thuds of her beating heart as it reverberated.


    Kaiyo suddenly began to doubt¡­ whether Hono had been insane at all. What if everything she¡¯d told her was the truth? But if that was the case, then what did her words truly mean?


    ¡°Kaiyo¡­¡± The muffled sounds faded when Hono quietly called her name. Kaiyo''s Sense gave out from exhaustion. Hono didn¡¯t even turn around to meet her eye¨Cmaybe out of guilt or carelessness¨Cshe wouldn¡¯t know. ¡°I¡¯m glad that I got to meet you,¡± Hono said, continuing to lead the path. They were getting closer, and the voices grew with every stride. ¡°I didn¡¯t make a lot of friends in my life¡­ well, actually, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever made a friend.¡±


    They got closer.


    ¡°Tell me, Kaiyo, how many friends did you make?¡± Hono asked. Kaiyo stuttered out a reply.


    ¡°I¨CI¡¯m not too sure. I don¡¯t remember.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good thing,¡± Hono said. ¡°That means you made so many friends that you aren¡¯t able to count them all. I wish I had that problem.¡±


    Kaiyo¡¯s eyes were still locked at the back of Hono¡¯s head as she led. ¡°Are you¡­ mad at that?¡± Kaiyo asked. Hono fell silent, making Kaiyo regret even saying it in the first place. Maybe that wasn¡¯t the best thing to say¨C


    ¡°I¡¯m not¡­.¡± Hono said. ¡°I¡¯m envious, but I¡¯m not mad.¡±


    They got closer.


    A part of her wanted to feel sympathetic, and the other told her to refuse it. I¡­ I can¡¯t trust her. It doesn¡¯t matter how nice she may seem. I can¡¯t allow myself to get manipulated by her again. This is all part of her game, right? It has to be, Kaiyo¡¯s thoughts raced.


    ¡°Hey Kaiyo? Answer truthfully this time. Did you actually view me as a friend at one point?¡± Hono asked.


    ¡­


    ¡°I didn¡¯t lie to you before. I really did. Even right now, I¡¯m struggling to hate you.¡±


    They got closer.


    ¡°I see,¡± Hono said, almost contently. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m glad that I was able to find at least one friend before I¡­¡± Her words trailed off. Kaiyo wondered what Hono had wanted to say before she stopped herself.


    There was a sadness intertwined with the silence that persisted¡ªa grieving silence. It was as if Hono had an urge to say something, yet something stopped her. Kaiyo opened her mouth and immediately closed it. Not because she was scared this time.


    But because they were no longer alone anymore. They had arrived.


    The trees abruptly stopped, opening to a large, earthy clearing ridden with people. She counted at least two dozen, and they all wore academy tracksuits with their hoodies up, making their features almost unrecognizable in the dark. Yet Kaiyo didn¡¯t need to see their eyes to know that they looked at her with shivering coldness and scorn.


    Kaiyo could feel it¡­ but maybe that was simply the cold air.


    One dozen flanked her right, and the other flanked her left, as she just stood there, not even attempting to run or hide, knowing that it would be a waste of her effort. Kaiyo didn¡¯t even know their motive, and she was already prepared to give up.


    One tall and muscular contestant stood alone in front of her, silently¡­ like a predator judging its prey. Kaiyo thought that at any moment, he would pounce. She didn¡¯t know why he would do that, but she expected it. However, that moment never came. Instead, the large contestant pulled back his hoodie, revealing his stocky, blockish face. Kaiyo wasn¡¯t able to tell exactly who it was at first due to the darkness, but then¡ªwith a streak of good luck¡ªa cloud that covered the moon ran away, making a giant ray of light stream down as if to aid her.


    The moon¡¯s rays illuminated the tall man¡¯s face, and she gasped.


    ¡°You?¡­¡± Kaiyo whispered. ¡°I recognize you.¡±

 Book 2/ Chapter 23– Fear, I need more fear

    ¡°Hana, it¡¯s gonna be alright,¡± Baru said. He had been watching her go from one end of the campsite to another in panic after Kaiyo¡¯s disappearance. He tried to reassure her in front of her tent that most likely, everything was fine and it was just an overreaction. However, his attempt at reassurance just seemed to anger her even more.


    ¡°Baru, I swear to God, if you tell me to calm down one more goddamn time, I will smash your balls into fragments!¡± she barked. Baru felt an odd pain down there just thinking about it, but because he was a good friend, he tried to understand where she was coming from¡ªminus the ball-smashing part.


    ¡°Well, I could try using my Sense to search for heat patterns, but it will be difficult since there is no vantage point to overlook. I won¡¯t be able to see the patterns if a huge mass is blocking them,¡± Ayame said next to her brother, leaning on the closest tree with her arms crossed. Hyo nervously adjusted his glasses.


    ¡°Um¡­ I have Sight too, but I¡¯m not nearly as talented, so I think you should count on them more than me. I¡¯ll still help when I can, regardless,¡± Hyo said, clearly not confident in his capabilities.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Hana said, trying to stand up straighter and calm herself. ¡°We¡¯ll go in groups. I¡¯ll go with my brother, Baru will go with Hyo, and Ayame will go with Genkai.¡±


    Hmm. What about the suspicion that she¡¯s the culprit? Baru thought amusingly. He wasn¡¯t oblivious to it; Hana clearly suspected Ayame, but he wouldn¡¯t say it out loud. It wasn¡¯t appropriate for the situation. In any case¡­ It looks like Hono really might have been the one all along, huh? I would have never guessed. No, I would have¡ªI just simply can¡¯t believe a person like her would do such a thing. A few hours ago, she was sharing her traumatic childhood, which should have been a sign of some sort of trust, but maybe that was a lie too. Who knows. Maybe I¡¯m just too easily fooled by women, but that¡¯s not news.


    Yet Baru couldn¡¯t help but feel he was missing something¡ªsomething important to the puzzle that simply didn¡¯t add up. Not that he was very good at puzzles, to begin with. It just felt¡­ odd and out of place. Baru just didn¡¯t feel as if Hono truly hated them. If there was one thing that always proved him right no matter what, it was his gut. And not in terms of food either.


    ¡°Let¡¯s try to cover as much ground as we can, and remember, if you find her, use the ear device to tell us,¡± Hana ordered them. Ayame and Genkai looked at each other uncertainly, and Hana noticed it.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right, you guys don¡¯t have one. Well, um, just try your best, and if you do find her, just bring her back here,¡± Hana clarified, her face looking a bit flushed from anxiety.


    Baru had received an extra one from Sen before the second challenge started as a sign of trust. Unfortunately, that was the only spare they had, so they would have to make do in this situation.


    ¡°Right, let¡¯s get going. Hey Sen, are you ready?¡± Hana asked her brother. ¡°You don¡¯t have to go if you don¡¯t want to, but I do think I might be safer if you did, since at least I would be by your side.¡±


    ¡­ No answer.


    ¡°Sen?¡± Hana scanned the area in confusion, but he was nowhere to be seen. ¡°Where the hell is he now?¡± she growled in frustration.


    ¡°Maybe he went back in the tent,¡± Baru said.


    ¡°In this situation?¡± Hana asked impatiently. ¡°I feel like I¡¯m the only one goddamn worried around here!¡±


    Baru watched as Hana stalked toward the second tent, which had been for the boys only. She entered through the zipped-up entrance and returned a moment later, albeit obviously without someone.


    Hana¡¯s face changed from frustration to dismay as she looked at Baru. I don¡¯t like that look, he thought.


    ¡°Sen,¡± Hana froze up. ¡°Sen¡¯s gone too!¡±


    <hr>


    Sen¡¯s body was moving independently as he whipped past the shadows of trees and undergrowth. Or at least, that¡¯s what it felt like. In truth, he was in control of every movement he enacted¡ªyet it was as if he were attached to a long string, pulling him to a desired place. He thought of himself as logical, putting objective reasoning over his emotions, and he was usually successful in doing that. Now, however? Well, it would be quite illogical to say he still did.


    He had foolishly sneaked out of his camp amid the panic when he had heard Kaiyo had been kidnapped. Why had he done that? Well, he wasn¡¯t so sure. His logical brain urged him to turn back and regroup with his friends. After all, he relied on them for his safety. Or at least, that¡¯s what his team thought, and to some extent, he did too. However, he was beginning to doubt that. He wasn¡¯t sure why, but he had no fear as he ran through the dark, clustered forest. The danger of monsters wasn¡¯t even a reality to him anymore. It was getting quite concerning¡ªperhaps he had lost his mind¡­


    No. I took that monster down at the start of this challenge¡ªwhen I heard that voice in my head. There¡¯s one thing hallucinating, but killing things is another. And I do have evidence that I actually did, according to our Techo watches. This isn¡¯t as simple as my mind playing tricks on me. I¡¯m certain.


    In the end, it was a risk¡ªand for some reason, he voluntarily still took it.


    He felt a small buzz in his ear. It appeared his team had finally noticed his absence and tried calling.


    He did not pick up.


    Sen wasn¡¯t sure why he decided not to, but out of all the foolish things he had already committed, this was the least surprising.


    His heart pounded viciously in his chest, and it wasn¡¯t all due to the running. He was worried¡ªworried about his friend. Sen had never felt this way before, and that was becoming a common occurrence, apparently. Why am I so worried? he asked himself. Why is it only now that I feel this way?


    These questions were pointless; he knew that, yet he couldn¡¯t help but foolishly ask them in his mind as if someone would whisper the answer in his ear.


    He was always a solemn person. Sometimes snarky to compensate for his bluntness, but still serious nonetheless. His mother constantly worried about him in school due to that, wondering how her rather unsociable child would be accepted in society. In short, Sen wasn¡¯t accepted well at all. He often even wondered if his lack of Sense contributed to why people gave him the cold shoulder. That was the common assumption, but perhaps it had more to do with the person he was. He was closed off from the rest of the world, so how could he expect to be welcomed with open arms?


    No¡­ in truth, back then, he didn¡¯t care to be welcomed or brought in. His sense of humility and shame had been dull his whole life. He didn¡¯t have the capacity to feel those emotions that should have prompted him to try to escape his warped worldview.


    Was I a fool back then, or did I simply not have the capability to grasp it? What changed within me from the person I was to who I am now? He stared at the brilliant moon between the gaps of the canopy above, his throat aching from the cold mountain air. If there is a god, I hope that someday, he will tell me the reason for the way I feel¡ªthe reason for my sudden raw pain and shame.


    The pain he felt was sharp, leaving no time to prepare for its iron grasp. It was as if he were an infant just born into the world of uncertainty¡ªscared and unsure. It wasn¡¯t the pain of a blade or any weapon, for it felt as if they wouldn¡¯t be able to cut deep enough compared to the pain of uncertainty. The helplessness of not understanding was like being thrown into a pitch-black void, with no light to lead him nor any footing to get a hold of. Simply floating is what it was¡ªfloating in the depths of his empty consciousness.


    Alone.


    He stopped, a twig snapping beneath his shoes as he gaped ahead. An ethereal dark shape awaited him, its red eyes gleaming even in the darkness of night. It was half his size but broad and stocky, likely weighing five times as much as he did. It stood upright on three furry legs, exposing its belly, which revealed two extra limbs with claws. Disturbingly, the sides of its belly were not fully covered in fur like the rest of its body¡ªinstead, rib cage bones protruded grotesquely from the flesh. Above its disturbing body, a small round head with a squished nose looked at him.


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    And then it pounced.


    Its speed was far greater than he had expected. The body swerved in the darkness, raising one of its limbs by its chest to claw at him. However, his body moved on its own before his mind could even process what was happening. Sen¡¯s hand was already gripping the handle of his Sense sword, swiftly unsheathing it and hoisting it toward the pouncing monster.


    Then, a light suddenly appeared, catching Sen¡¯s eye¡ªthe brilliant blue gem on the sword¡¯s pommel. It erupted with light, painting Sen¡¯s face with its beautiful radiance and stunning him into silence. He wished to stop time to take in the magnificence¡ªhowever, his body had different plans. The attacking limb of the monster hit thin air as he dodged to the side. He ducked into a roll, feeling the rough forest ground scrape against his spine. As Sen found his footing, the monster made no effort to give him time to prepare. It attacked again, its claws outstretched, its squished nose snarling ruthlessly.


    Sen did not fear its battle cry, nor did he dodge the attack. He plainly stood still as the monster veered towards him, his sword pointing straight ahead.


    "Kill."


    A voice, eerily similar to Sen¡¯s, whispered in his mind as if it were right beside him. It was the same voice as before¡ªthe same one that had spoken when he killed his first monster.


    Who¡­ Who are you? he asked the voice. Are you the one controlling me?


    "Kill," it repeated.


    Before Sen had a chance to form a thought, his sword was already lodged deep into the monster¡¯s belly.


    It let out a shrieking cry of pain as it thrashed, dislodging the sword from its stomach. Sen watched as the monster convulsed on the ground, its grotesque body drenched in dark blood from its gushing wound. For a moment, Sen was thankful that it was night¡ªit meant he wouldn¡¯t have to see the vile red color of the liquid. However, his appreciation ended there¡­


    He started seeing the color of the blood.


    Beyond that, the green foliage of the bushes and grass. Even the earthy brown dirt. They were all blooming with color as if it were day.


    Then¡ªSen felt a stabbing pain in his eyes, throwing him to his knees as he groaned. The grueling pain was as if a needle was continuously stabbing his retina over and over until he would eventually go blind. Yet, darkness didn¡¯t await him, or at least, not the one he was expecting. He pounded his eyes with his fingers in hopes of making the pain go away, and when he blinked next, the obscurity of night welcomed him once more. The colors and pain that had once been there flickered away. He knelt on the ground for a few moments, panting, trying to calm his mind as best as he could¡ªor, better yet, process what had just happened.


    I saw colors, he thought, shocked. Colors, in the night. How is that even possible? And the gem of the sword too, it¡­ He reached to the side where he had dropped the sword in the fit of his episode, gazing at the once-shining gemstone embedded in the pommel.


    ¡°It glowed,¡± he whispered to himself, unable to believe it. That could only mean one thing, and Sen was scared even to say it¡ªto even mutter the thought to himself¡ªyet deep down, he had a feeling it was true.


    ¡°I have Sense energy.¡±


    ....


    "Kill."


    Sen covered his ears as the voice came back to him, shaking his head violently. Who was that voice? Why wasn¡¯t he in control of his own body? The realization of having Sense Energy had already been inconceivable, but maybe there was even more to it than that. As far as he knew, people who had a Sense didn¡¯t have a voice that spoke in their thoughts and controlled their body with incredible skill.


    ¡°Get out of my head!¡± Sen grunted as he struck his forehead against the ground, feeling bitter pain with every thrust. He lost count of how many times he did it. All he knew was that, at a certain point, it was beginning to feel numb. If it were up to him, he would continue until blood was drawn or he had fainted. However, his head abruptly stopped a few inches from the ground as if he had second thoughts. And it wasn¡¯t him who did it.


    No, it was his body¡ªor rather something inside of him, something that felt every ounce of pain he inflicted upon himself and shared every breath that he inhaled. Something that growled with bitterness and scorn from within him, although it was as faint as a water drop in a vast ocean. He felt it. He wasn¡¯t crazy. Sen was not alone.


    ¡°Why?¡± Sen whispered, frozen in place against his will. ¡°¡­ Won¡¯t you let me¡­ hit myself?¡±


    The voice didn¡¯t respond. Perhaps out of hatred and bitterness, or simply because it couldn¡¯t understand him.


    Sen crouched there, his head right next to the forest floor, yearning for its touch and the pain it could inflict in hopes it would wake him up from this dream. Sen knew it wasn¡¯t, but he truly dreamed that it was.


    ...


    Then, like a rude awakening, his head slammed against the ground, the swollen wound on his forehead beginning to sting and throb. He groaned in pain and wobblingly tried to lean his chest up. Sen lay there alone¡ªor not¡ªhis heart thrashing inside his chest as he tried tensing his fingers, testing if he was in control again. Commanding one of his fingers to move, it obeyed, and the rest followed suit. After a mere few moments of abandoning his body, it almost felt strange to be in control again¡ªlike a glove that felt awfully too loose. He took a long sigh of relief and lay on his back.


    It listened to me? Sen thought to himself, his breath coming in harsh huffs as he gazed above. Seeing the darkness once again felt comforting after the forest had burst into unusual colors¡ªones that felt forbidden to perceive at night. Sen laid a hand on his eye, feeling it pulse in rhythm with his thumping heart. The pain he felt was so fresh in his mind that thinking about it made it come back. He cringed, trying to forget the feeling. There were more important things to worry about other than the horrific agony that struck him.


    The voice¡­ Sen propped himself up with his arms, looking at the limp monster ahead. It disappeared when I killed the monster. Is it trying to help me? Now that Sen thought about it, all the times that voice appeared, it had only helped him. Did that mean it was controlling his body to save Sen? Or was there something else?


    There was movement up ahead, catching Sen¡¯s eye. Without thinking, he gripped the sword off the ground and jumped, hoisting it into the shadows. Silence persisted, and nothing happened. Sen frowned, eyeing his surroundings. As dumb as it sounded, perhaps it was the wind. He waited for a few more moments just to be sure, keenly watching for any movement. The wind rustled the leaves, and the cicadas sang quietly in the night. The little bugs had once only appeared during the spring and summer, but now, after generations of evolution, they boasted their beautiful tune throughout the year.


    Something moved again.


    This time, he was sure it wasn¡¯t simply the wind. It was¨C


    Sen stalked a few feet towards the limp body of the monster, regarding it carefully. The monster¡¯s protruding rib twitched slightly, prompting Sen to tense up.


    ¡°It¡¯s not fully dead yet,¡± Sen sighed, relaxing and feeling slightly relieved after discovering the origin of the ominous movement. No wonder I didn¡¯t hear the Techno watch announce the points. I was too caught up dealing with¡­ everything, to notice. Sen shivered, lost in thought. Let¡¯s get this over with. I¡¯ve already spent too much time fighting when I should be trying to find Kaiyo.


    Granted, it was a bit out of his control. A bit was an understatement, actually. It was physically out of his control. He couldn¡¯t control his body like he used to¡ªsomething else did. The voice.


    He had always rejected superstition and sought the most logical answers. If there was a voice in his head, that meant he had gone mad. If his body moved against his will, that meant his mind was tricking him into thinking he had no control. If the gem of his sword glowed, and he saw colors at night¡­


    That¡¯s where the excuses end.


    If he did not have a logical answer to one question, his excuses for all the others would also be jeopardized.


    ¡°The truth that I once knew¡­.¡± Sen¡¯s whisper grew louder with every word he proclaimed. ¡°The reasoning. The logic. The fucking knowledge¡­ It means nothing now!¡±


    For the first time in his life, Sen felt true anger and angst. Clenching his sword, he drove it with incredible strength deep inside the monster¡¯s skull, a crack resonating.


    ¡°Identifying monster, please wait,¡± the watch said, a hologram popping out. ¡°Monster confirmed, Ribbon. Ten points added to Team Baru. Total points¡ªThree hundred and twelve.¡±


    Sen¡¯s fingers did not leave the handle¡¯s grasp; he simply soaked in the sudden... feeling in the air.


    Something had been escaping the monster this whole time¡ªsomething that filled the invisible hole inside his chest with contentment.


    Fear.


    That¡¯s what the voice inside of him had truly wanted. It never sought to save Sen. No. It desired to harvest the fear.


    Suddenly, Sen¡¯s body became relaxed and rejuvenated. The wounds that had been plastered across his body and the aching of his bones¡­ they vanished. However, not only had his injuries vanished, but something else. His anger. His worry. They were suddenly muffled¡ªreplaced by his unquenchable thirst for the sweet sensation that exuded from the monster.


    Then Sen¡¯s eyes started to flicker a light blue.


    He solemnly gazed at his lodged sword and pulled it out, standing dizzily. He looked up at the sky, a stray ray of the moon landing on his face and reflecting his glowing blue eyes. Sen inhaled slowly.


    ¡°I need more¡­¡± he muttered to himself, oddly calm. ¡°I need more fear.¡±


    The want, the urge for more fear, had consumed him. There was nothing on his mind except for that.


    Kaiyo suddenly became an afterthought to him. He didn¡¯t even care to think why he felt so tunnel-visioned, all that mattered was to consume more fe¡ª


    He paused.


    Something moved inside the forest, making Sen¡¯s eyes gravitate toward it...


    A monster circled him with immense agility and speed, waiting to pounce from the shadows. However, the monster¡¯s movements were hesitant¡­ almost fearful. It knew that something was wrong with the human it had planned to prey upon. After catching a glimpse of Sen¡¯s eyes, the creature¡¯s heart thumped in its chest and cowered before his presence. Its leopard-like body began to shake and slowly started to retreat from him.


    Unfortunately for it, Sen had other plans. He grinned. ¡°You¡¯re not leaving.¡±


    ...


    ¡°Monster confirmed, Pardd. Ten points added to Team Baru. Total points¡ªThree hundred and twenty-two.¡±


    ...


    ¡°Monster confirmed, Rabat. Eight points added to Team Baru. Total points¡ªThree hundred and thirty.¡±


    ...


    ¡°Monster confirmed, Arokai. Twelve points added to Team Baru. Total points¡ªThree hundred and forty-two.¡±


    ...


    ¡°Monster confirmed¡ª¡±


    ...


    ¡°Monster confirmed¡ª¡±


    ...


    ¡°Monster confirmed¡ª¡±


    ...


    ¡°Monster confir¡ª¡±

 Book 2/ Chapter 25– Asashis Conviction

    ¡°I know you must be confused. After all, even a madman would stop after a hundred times. Well, I am no man, to begin with, so perhaps that explains my resilience.¡±


    The steel corridors of the academy¡¯s research and monitoring facility were lifeless as always. Asashi wished there could be some windows along the walls, but alas, the only light source was the white artificial bulbs set into the steel ceiling. He realized his complaint was somewhat unjust. After all, if there were any windows, they would create a vulnerability in the stronghold''s security against monsters.


    Plus, they were stationed outside the barrier, meaning they were not protected like the contestants were from high-level monsters. Granted, he was not really worried about their safety in that regard. Asashi had even heard from one of his associates that the structure could withstand a diamond-rank monster. Now, if that monster happened to be a gifted one with a Sense, then they might pose some trouble. However, that hypothetical was just that¡ªa hypothetical. From his knowledge, none roamed in Japan or even the world, for that matter. A diamond-rank monster was already incredibly rare to encounter, but asking for a gifted one? Well, that was almost impossible.


    In Asashi¡¯s whole life, he had only encountered a diamond-rank monster twice, and on both occasions, he and his knights managed to take them down. He recalled the brutal fight, a loud ringing starting to echo piercingly in his ear. It was nauseating.


    The cries¡ªthe screams¡ªthe sheer terror of his comrades were still fresh and palpable in his mind, as if it had just happened a few moments ago. Their final screams resonated, yet no matter how hard Asashi tried, he couldn¡¯t remember their words. It brought him immeasurable shame, but maybe it was for the best that he couldn¡¯t. Knowing him, if he remembered the words, he would be haunted by them. He didn''t want to be awoken in the middle of the night to the clear whispers of his fallen comrades. He had enough of that.


    Asashi shook his head.


    His mind often drifted into unpleasant thoughts. However, he believed that was normal for someone with his experiences. He simply needed to cope with it. Not that he had a real choice, though.


    Asashi drifted through the hallways and ended up entering the food court. The large room had bench-like tables and seats lined symmetrically throughout as a dozen or so knights enjoyed their dinner and relaxation. To the left of the wall, a buffet counter was stationed, and a few knights lined up, waiting for their turn. Asashi suddenly became aware that all of them adorned the knights¡¯ white academy attire, which meant he stood out like a sore thumb with his black trench coat. He felt their glares the moment he walked into the room, making him awfully uncomfortable. Asashi was never one to like being the center of attention. It was preferable to be on the sidelines and simply do his job. But his status made that very hard.


    ¡°Good evening, Mr. Asashi,¡± a young knight greeted him from the side. By his badge, the knight seemed to be a silver rank, which was respectable at such a young age. Asashi nodded to him in acknowledgment and stepped aside to let the knight exit the room.


    I guess people know who I am now, Asashi sighed inwardly. I can¡¯t say I¡¯m surprised. After that fight¡­ well, it wasn¡¯t really a fight, in all fairness, but after I stopped that maniac Ryan from harassing that coffee girl, rumors of who I am spread quickly. Maybe I should use an extra uniform to blend in more so people stop bugging me, Asashi thought, then paused. Actually, on second thought, maybe not. Then my rank will show, so that won¡¯t help much.


    It was a lose-lose for him, so as usual, he would just have to live with the peering eyes of people. Asashi had wanted to get some dinner, which was the main reason he was here in the first place, but after seeing how crowded it was, he was discouraged.


    ¡°Seriously,¡± he murmured to himself. ¡°Why is it so busy at ten o¡¯clock at night? Maybe I¡¯ll just starve.¡±


    He knew the answer to his question. The facility was constantly working twenty-four-seven to monitor the challenge. Even now, as a good chunk of knights were taking a break, many filled their shifts. There was no room for leniency in such a dangerous challenge¡ªnot when lives were on the line. However, despite that, sometimes, Asashi wondered why the AOK made such dangerous challenges in the first place. In his mind, a questionnaire would do just fine. Deep down, though, Asashi knew firsthand how demanding the job of a knight was. They simply couldn¡¯t hand out the title to anyone, and it was imperative that the contestants were thoroughly tested to understand their capabilities. That way, unnecessary deaths of people unfit could be avoided.


    With a sigh, Asashi turned to exit the food court entrance, only to pause when a familiar green-haired woman blocked his path. Her square glasses judged him, and her arms folded demandingly. He decided to turn the other way again.


    On second thought, maybe getting food isn¡¯t a bad idea.


    ¡°Hello?¡± Zizu said behind him as he cringed.


    ¡°Yes, how can I help you today?¡±


    Zizu eyed him flatly, unamused. ¡°Asashi, I¡¯ve been looking everywhere for you. I¡¯m still your temporary assistant, you know. I can¡¯t have you walking around willy-nilly all over the facility.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, I know,¡± Asashi waved his hand dismissively. ¡°I was simply getting some dinner. Can a man eat in peace?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re quite blunt, aren¡¯t you?¡± Asashi said, then looked at Zizu¡¯s cold glare and sighed. ¡°Fine, fine, you can eat with me if you want.¡±


    Zizu raised her brow. ¡°What? No, I don¡¯t care about that. I just don¡¯t like it when you run off¡ª¡±


    ¡°Looks like the no food got you a little hangry,¡± Asashi joked. Unsurprisingly, she didn¡¯t like it too much. ¡°Tough crowd¡­¡±


    However, regardless of Zizu¡¯s hard eyes, she did not deny his invitation. So, after waiting in line for a few painstaking minutes, they both sat down at one of the many tables in the room with their dinner¡ªif he could even call it that at this hour. He had decided on a few chicken cutlets with a side of rice and curry. In the cold mountains of November, it was a rather comforting food¡ªthe flavor, on the other hand, was a bit generic, but if it wasn¡¯t broken, there was no reason to fix it.


    ¡°Why so little?¡± Asashi asked between bites, gawking at Zizu¡¯s plate, which had a very small portion of salmon and an even more pathetic side of vegetables and rice. Zizu¡¯s fork paused a short distance from her mouth, and she scowled at him.


    ¡°I have to watch my weight. My figure doesn¡¯t just mold together out of thin air, you know.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see,¡± Asashi tried to hold himself back from retorting. He suspected that another one of his remarks would land him a good sucker punch to the face. Not that it would do anything, though.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t understand my struggle,¡± Zizu let out an exasperated sigh. ¡°I heard you folks with Touch can stay lean pretty easily and grow muscle practically by thinking about it. Oh, how I wish I were gifted with that privilege.¡±


    Asashi took another mouthful of rice and curry, then followed it with a bite of chicken cutlet. ¡°Well, it is easier to put on muscle when you have Touch, that¡¯s true, but it still takes time and dedication. Have you ever seen a fat person with Touch?¡± he asked.


    Zizu put a finger on her chin in thought, then shook her head. He sighed at that, knowing it didn¡¯t really support his point. ¡°Well, I definitely have. I¡¯ll just leave it at that. In fact, it¡¯s more common for someone with Touch to be a little bulky since they eat more to restore their Sense Energy.¡±


    ¡°Maybe, but overall, I¡¯m just saying that you people¡­¡±


    Asashi raised a brow as Zizu trailed off. ¡°What do you mean by ¡®you people¡¯? What are you, Sensecist?¡±


    She rolled her eyes. ¡°I am not Sensecist, you idiot, but let¡¯s not ignore the privilege that comes with receiving Touch.¡±


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Asashi had never considered it a privilege¡ªquite the opposite. From the moment he awakened his Sense in his early years, it had brought him nothing but stress and burden. If he had never had it, he most likely would never have enrolled in the AOK in the first place. Back then, he had been swayed by his ego and confidence in his superior power¡ªbut without it, he might have led a much more peaceful and mundane life, one without the mental agony that haunted him still.


    Noticing Asashi¡¯s change in mood, Zizu cleared her throat. ¡°Ahem¡­ I didn¡¯t mean it like that, sorry.¡±


    Asashi shook his head with a slight chuckle. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s alright. I know how cancel culture is, so don¡¯t worry about it. You¡¯re just jealous,¡± he teased.


    There was no point in getting upset over a simple poor choice of words, so he decided to make light of it instead.


    ¡°Cancel culture?¡± Zizu snorted, though he could see the relief in her eyes that he hadn¡¯t taken offense. ¡°I¡¯m the last person who supports that.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, because you¡¯d be the first one canceled,¡± Asashi agreed.


    He expected her to deny it, but surprisingly, she nodded. ¡°Well, you¡¯re not wrong. I¡¯m just glad the AOK didn¡¯t see the text messages I used to send my friends when I was a teenager. If they did, I¡¯d probably be blacklisted.¡±


    ¡°I think we¡¯d all be blacklisted, in all honesty.¡±


    Zizu chuckled at his comment. ¡°Anyway, have you been watching the challenge at all?¡± she asked.


    Asashi gave a hesitant nod. ¡°Maybe a little too closely, to be honest. I¡¯ve been cooped up in my office for what feels like days, watching my daughter¡¯s team and especially that... boy.¡± His tone turned bitter.


    ¡°Still trying to kick him out, huh?¡±


    ¡°Not anymore. I gave up on that,¡± Asashi sighed. ¡°Storm is doing everything in his power to ensure that Sen is allowed to continue the challenge. There¡¯s really nothing I can do right now except keep an eye on him.¡±


    ¡°And how¡¯s that going for you?¡±


    ¡°Great,¡± he said sarcastically. ¡°I¡¯m growing more and more convinced of my worries as time goes on, and I¡¯m helpless to stop it. It¡¯s infuriating.¡±


    It felt like being the captain of a sinking ship in a storm. No matter how much he commanded and tried to save his crew, the waves would eventually consume them. He¡¯d been keeping a close eye on Sen, and all the signs led to the same conclusion¡ª


    ¡°I still don¡¯t get what you meant back then,¡± Zizu said, poking at her food with a yawn. ¡°Something about him not being a failed vessel or something¡­¡±


    She trailed off once she saw his flaring eyes.


    ¡°Um, I''d prefer if we didn''t talk about that part in public,¡± Asashi said through gritted teeth.


    Zizu flushed, fidgeting with her thin square glasses. ¡°Sorry. In any case, I¡¯m sure things will work out,¡± she said. ¡°I mean, we¡¯re already closing in on the fourth day in a few hours. It¡¯ll be over before you know it.¡±


    Asashi glanced at his watch. The screen showed that it was 10:13 p.m.¡ªless than two hours until the fourth day officially began. He felt uneasy, like something was going to happen, yet he didn¡¯t know exactly when, or even if it would. Still, an inaudible whisper told him so.


    His shoes tapped the metal floor impatiently as he sat, too preoccupied to even finish his meal, regardless of his empty stomach.


    Something felt off about the atmosphere. Like a sudden pressure was enveloping the world¡ªor the uncomfortable feeling that someone was watching him. Stalking him.


    ¡°Zizu, do you feel odd?¡± Asashi asked.


    She looked up at him from her plate with a frown. ¡°I always do.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m serious. Do you feel any abnormalities at all?¡±


    Noticing his serious expression, Zizu exhaled and leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms. Her eyes closed in deep thought. ¡°I... don¡¯t know, maybe. I guess my head feels a bit heavier than usual, but that¡¯s probably just stress and¡ª¡±


    ¡°How does the heaviness feel?¡± Asashi sat up from his chair, his hands pressing against the table urgently.


    She was slightly taken aback by his odd fixation on her feelings, and his attentive stare made Zizu avert her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s like a pressure weighing down on me. It feels ominous, yet familiar, for some reason. I really can¡¯t explain it¡ªit¡¯s like asking how stress feels.¡± She shrugged indifferently.


    ¡°Familiar¡­¡± Asashi breathed, and Zizu tilted her head in confusion. ¡°That¡¯s right. It does feel familiar.¡±


    ¡°Asashi, I think the lack of sleep is getting to you again. You should take a nap¡ª¡±


    His watch beeped urgently, interrupting Zizu. He quickly pulled back the sleeve of his trench coat to reveal the flashing screen¡ªa semi-translucent red alert projected from it.


    Zizu sat up in concern, but above all else, confusion, since he was the only one who received the alert. Every knight in the food court eyed him as the beeping continued to persist.


    ¡°Is that¡­¡± Zizu trailed off.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Asashi gritted his teeth, feeling a cold sweat. ¡°It¡¯s an emergency from the control center.¡±


    <hr>


    Asashi ran through the steel corridors, his dress shoes clanking against the floor with every hurried stride, the back of his trench coat fluttering. Behind him, Zizu followed closely, albeit out of breath. Asashi couldn¡¯t blame her; keeping up with him in heels was quite the challenge. He turned sharply to the left, following another soulless steel corridor, and pushed past startled knights who glared at him with narrowed eyes. He would offer an apology, but he simply had no time.


    Asashi feared his suspicions were slowly materializing. The worst part? If they turned out to be true, it would mean he could have prevented them to some degree, despite his lack of authority on the matter. I truly hope I¡¯m wrong. For everyone¡¯s sake¡ªand least importantly, for my pride.


    He turned left again, and the corridor suddenly opened into a large room filled with hundreds of screens displaying real-time footage of the forest. Dozens of workers assigned to monitor the challenge scrambled beside a large steel counter along the left wall, frantically tinkering with various modules and buttons he didn¡¯t understand. One operative with short brown hair and glasses slammed his fists on a hologram keyboard, cursing in frustration.


    ¡°This doesn¡¯t make any sense!¡± the man exclaimed to his coworker. ¡°We¡¯ve never had this problem since we started using them. I checked for internal server damage, but I found none. I simply can¡¯t accept that this is the drones¡¯ failure.¡±


    ¡°Have you tried looking at the red gate frame and restarting it?¡± another asked.


    ¡°Yes, I tried, but it made no difference. If that were the issue, all of them would lose connection. However, only a small portion in a specific area is affected¡­¡± The operative trailed off once he noticed Asashi staring at them, dumbfounded. ¡°Oh¡­ I-I apologize for my brash behavior, Mr. Asashi¡ª¡±


    ¡°Never mind that, Scott,¡± Asashi interjected, glancing at the man¡¯s name tag. ¡°Tell me what¡¯s going on. And in simple terms, please.¡±


    Scott nodded nervously, trying his best to stay composed. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll try. To summarize, a small portion of the insect drones suddenly lost connection out of nowhere. And all of them seem to be in one specific part of the forest, as if it were coordinated.¡± Scott pointed at a few monitors displaying static grey screens. ¡°We¡¯ve run every protocol we can think of, but none are working. Worse, when malfunctions occur, data about the cause is usually sent to our server. This time, nothing.¡±


    ¡°Maybe the drones are defective,¡± Asashi suggested.


    Scott shook his head frantically. ¡°No, sir, that doesn¡¯t make sense! Why would they all shut down in only one part of the forest? It¡¯s like there¡¯s a small barrier preventing them from entering.¡±


    A barrier? The word unsettled Asashi, though he couldn¡¯t pinpoint why.


    ¡°Then what do you think is the cause¡ª¡± Asashi¡¯s question was cut off by a loud gasp from one of the operators beside him¡ªa woman with brunette hair tied in a ponytail. She covered her mouth, staring at a monitor with wide eyes, as if she had seen a ghost.


    ¡°This¡­ this can¡¯t be real,¡± she muttered.


    Asashi stalked over and leaned down to look at the screen. It displayed a map of the forest, with a red circle indicating the placement of the barrier. Inside the circle, countless small red dots moved across the map¡ªthose represented the monsters selected by the AOK. The Blue dots marked the contestants.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Asashi asked.


    The woman pointed at some of the red dots. They were oddly¡­


    ¡°They¡¯re disappearing?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she slowly nodded. ¡°Someone is slaying them.¡±


    ¡°Who? And more importantly, how? I just saw two¡ªno, three¡ªdots vanish in seconds!¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know who. There seems to be something interfering with tracking, just like the drones Scott mentioned,¡± she deduced.


    Scott¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡± he whispered. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me the monsters are being killed in the same area where the drones lost connection?¡±


    The woman reluctantly nodded, causing Scott to scramble beside her, gaping at the map with a growing conviction that his suspicion was right.


    ¡°Wait a minute...¡± the lady said. ¡°Although I can¡¯t track the person who is killing all of these monsters, I can look at all the team''s points to see which ones have grown substantially more. The point system that is integrated with the techno watches, as well as the monsters themselves, shouldn¡¯t be affected by this weird error because the data is not being transferred to the servers, but rather, it¡¯s being stored on its own. So, when we try to search for the team¡¯s points, the techno watches should still populate the points regardless of the interference.¡±


    Asashi hesitated. ¡°So¡­ can you figure out who¡¯s doing it?¡±


    The woman didn¡¯t answer immediately. Her fingers flew across the keyboard as she checked various monitors. Asashi didn¡¯t even attempt to understand what she was doing¡ªhe simply waited.


    ¡°There!¡± she finally exclaimed, pointing at the screen. ¡°This is the list of teams and their points, and one of them has¡­¡± She paused, as if double-checking the numbers. ¡°Five... Five hundred and twenty points. A¨CAnd it¡¯s still rising.¡±


    Asashi¡¯s gaze landed on the name of the team¡ªand he froze.


    Thump. Thump. Thump.


    His heart pounded in his chest. He wondered if his eyes were deceiving him, but at this point, he was half expecting it.


    He turned immediately to Zizu, who stood against the wall, waiting for orders. Asashi took a deep breath to steady himself, his expression shifting into cold confidence and authority. It was an odd reaction to what he was feeling. Maybe his years of leading knights had trained him to suppress the stress to focus. Deep down, however, he was angry¡ªand above all else, fearful.


    ¡°Zizu, put me in contact with the one in charge of deploying knights,¡± he said bluntly.


    She blinked in confusion. ¡°S-sure, but for what reason?¡±


    Asashi turned back to the screen displaying the team rankings. His eyes locked onto the top name:


    (Team Baru¡ª526 points)


    ¡°¡­I need to tell him we need a squad deployed in that area immediately,¡± he said, turning sharply to exit the control room, his trench coat lifting slightly with the movement. His emerald-green eyes were cold and placid.


    ¡°As a security and safety precaution, of course.¡±

 Book 2/ Chapter 26– My Scream of Despair

    Sen¡¯s eyes glowed a brilliant blue in the darkness of the looming forest. However, that was not how he viewed it¡ªor at least not fully. When his head darted from side to side, the world flickered with color, then returned to darkness once more¡ªas if his very own eyes were confused about how to perceive the light around him.


    His body wasn¡¯t really any different, either. With every stride he took, he outpaced an ordinary person fivefold, but that didn¡¯t come without cost. Striking pain shot through his muscles in retaliation. They begged him to stop¡ªto rest for a moment and take it slow.


    And yet, Sen did not listen to their silent screams of agony.


    For he couldn¡¯t even listen to his own mind at the moment. It was overwhelmed with bloodlust, with an unquenchable drive to harvest the fear that could be squeezed out of a creature¡ªany creature. It didn¡¯t matter how he was able to get it; all that mattered was that he succeeded.


    It was more addictive than any drug that had plagued the world in its history. As strong as Sen thought he had been, it was impossible to simply resist the sweet scent of fear and the addictive feeling it awarded him. And so, he didn¡¯t stop.


    He shot through the trees, ducking under branches and leaping over shrubberies with his strong but aching legs. Even the moon itself, as it gazed down upon the earth with its watchful regard, couldn¡¯t keep up with Sen¡¯s devilish speed. It was, for lack of better words, otherworldly.


    More... Sen thought with a sense of detachment as he lunged over a fallen tree trunk. More fear.


    Then he halted suddenly, his aching muscles finally getting a brief rest. Sen smelled it in the air. His next victim was near.


    Springing into action, his muscles began their fruitless cries once more¡ªwhich he bluntly ignored. His eyes picked up a faint blue trail of fear amid the flickering surroundings that changed color. There were many blue lines, in fact, leading in different directions; however, he picked the strongest and nearest one.


    Sen¡¯s mere presence had caused a dark pressure to envelop a portion of the forest¡ªa pressure that made any creature run in terror, although they had no understanding of exactly what it was they were fleeing from. And Sen was following the faint blue trail of fear they left behind.


    Sen skirted across the forest so swiftly it almost looked as if he were flying, breaking large branches that dared to block his path. He twisted to the left, fighting his way through a large bramble bush that caught him by surprise. Unfortunately, it didn¡¯t slow him down at all. With a quick wave of his hand, the bramble bush imploded from the sheer force of his attack¡ªlike a tiny shock wave being released, causing the massive bush to splinter and scatter in all directions. The scratches he had received from the bush¡¯s thorns were gone before he even dashed in the fear trail¡¯s direction once more. His body¡ªonce frail compared to others¡ªwas not the same anymore. Any external wounds he had sustained were healed automatically, as if from a fairy tale. Even those with Touch didn¡¯t have the ability to fully regenerate existing wounds like he had, regardless of their strong bodies.


    Sen was no longer human, or perhaps he had never been one to begin with.


    He halted as the fear trail he followed ended before the looming figure of a white-furred monster. It stood on two large, bunny-like legs, with a muscular torso and upper body. Its arms hung limply like a gorilla¡¯s between its spread legs, and the long claws on its paws grazed closely against the ground.


    Its face bore a long, pointed snout, with its jaw open, letting its tongue loll loosely over its line of sharp teeth. Most distinctively, it had comically large, bunny-like ears that ended with a sharp point.


    It was a silver-ranked monster.


    Although it towered over him menacingly, easily able to eat a creature of his size, it made no effort to attack him. Or, more accurately, it simply couldn¡¯t. It was frozen with fear as Sen stalked toward it.


    The monster trembled, the fear it exuded growing with every stride Sen took, and it was hopeless to run away. It couldn¡¯t move. It couldn¡¯t think. It couldn¡¯t even grasp how a human could make it feel such a way. All it could do was give in to the bitter fear that was quelling inside of it.


    ¡°Yes...¡± Sen sighed, relishing the feeling. ¡°Give it all to me.¡±


    Within a blurry second, the head of the monster thudded onto the ground, blood spurting from its neck, as Sen drew his sword back into its case. The decapitated body of the monster stood still for a moment, the muscles working on their own. However, it was futile. The reality of death reminded the muscles, and they eventually admitted defeat. The body tumbled to the ground pathetically.


    Sen sighed, sucking in the last ounce of fear that oozed out of the monster. He needed more. There wasn¡¯t an end to his thirst for it, nor did he want there to be. The thrill, the excitement of harvesting fear, was irresistible to any entity.


    ¡°Monster confirmed, Buntai. Eight points added to Team Baru. Total points: Five hundred and thirty-four points,¡± his techno-watch confirmed.


    Sen¡¯s mind didn¡¯t care about that; he barely even noticed. All that truly mattered to him was the pursuit of that feeling¡ªa feeling so profound that it easily overshadowed any other pleasure in the world.


    Better than sex, better than self-pleasure, even better than uncovering information about his so-called deceased father.


    Sen¡¯s obsession with finding his father came from his feeling of longing¡ªthe hole inside his chest. He believed that if he ever found his father, the gaping space within him would close up. However, faced now with the exhilarating sensation of fear, perhaps Sen would not agree anymore.


    At least... once he returned to reality.


    Currently, Sen didn¡¯t have the capacity to even think about anything, much less a compelling thought of his emotions. As he whirled like a shadow through the forest, a small rabbit beneath the shrubs perked its ears in confusion, wondering what had passed it with such inconceivable speed. Leaves from trees and bushes rustled from the wind he created when running. He was following another trail of fear.


    And it was close.


    Perhaps saying he was close was an understatement due to his swiftness, as the immobile figure of his next victim stood before him. It was much smaller than the last monster; however, the threat surely did not diminish. It had the long, slender, elegant body of a mountain cat, featuring black fur with white spots. Long, mighty horns of a deer grew from its round face alongside its straight cat ears, and spikes resembling the tips of arrows lined sharply along its back. As Sen veered closer, the black mane along its neck bristled, standing on its end. Once again, the magnificent sensation of fear coursed inside of Sen, leaving him groaning with pleasure.


    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Yes¡­¡± he whispered, slowly marching toward the frozen monster. With every stride, the fear grew, and so did the sensation along with it. He closed his eyes to relish it, even as he was too overwhelmed.


    The next moment he opened his eyes, the monster was gone. His muddled mind couldn¡¯t wrap around why it had escaped when all the other monsters had stayed frozen in fear. Perhaps he had been so absorbed in pleasure to notice, or he simply didn¡¯t know how exactly he could control them. It was controlling his powers with instinct rather than understanding.


    He growled in frustration, but before he could begin trailing the monster again, a loud ringing sound filled his ears, bringing him to his knees. The noise was so excruciating that he could feel the tiny sensory hairs in his eardrums bursting from the agony. He struck his own ears in hopes of stopping the ringing; however, that only seemed to make things worse. Blood dripped from his ears between the fingers that futilely tried to block out the invisible sound. No matter how hard he struggled, the sound only intensified, indicating it couldn¡¯t be coming from outside, but rather... from his own ears.


    Then everything went silent. Not a single cricket nor rustle of leaves created by the wind was audible. It was as if the world¡¯s volume had been manually turned off by a mighty deity. After the excruciating pain he had just endured, it was a welcome break. Unfortunately, this moment of peace didn¡¯t last.


    A flurry of tens, if not hundreds, of sounds immediately assaulted his ears. It wasn¡¯t just a simple ringing anymore. No, it was a combination of individual noises. The sounds of the nearby river, an owl hooting, crickets chirping, a monster slowly growling, the wind rustling leaves, and even the leaves themselves. It was all so loud, and he heard it all happening at the exact same time¡ªlike every sound within a few miles radius was assaulting him.


    But one sound was the most prevalent. It was the voice of a screaming girl¡­ and it sounded familiar.


    ¡°Someone... please help.¡±


    Why did the voice make him pause? What was it about that suddenly made his heart lurch?


    Sen¡¯s muddled mind, blinded by the addiction to fear, couldn¡¯t quite grasp it. Yet his body yearned to hear her voice once more. His ears instinctively fixated only upon her, drowning out the countless other sounds. How he managed to do that remained a mystery, but perhaps a small part of him fought against the blinding addiction and remembered the voice of his dear friend.


    ¡°Anyone,¡± the voice whispered in his ears as if she was right next to him. ¡°Sen... help me.¡±


    Something painfully snapped within him, bringing him to his knees. This time, the pain didn¡¯t come from his ears, eyes, or even muscles, for that matter. It emanated from deep within¡ªlike someone had flicked off a light switch that connected to his soul.


    ¡°K¡­¡± Sen gasped out, almost fighting back control over himself. ¡°Kai¡­. Kaiyo...¡±


    The dark, cold voice that plagued him melted away as he whispered the name of his friend.


    He barely had a chance to think before he leaned over and started profusely vomiting. Fortunately, he hadn¡¯t eaten much, so the sight wasn¡¯t more than translucent slime with chunks of indistinguishable food. His eyes turned bloodshot as he forced out the last bit of vomit, then flopped against the ground, panting from exhaustion. There were a few moments where not a single thought came to his mind, or perhaps he simply didn¡¯t want to process what had truly occurred in the last few minutes. However, he was forced to face it sooner or later.


    ¡°Well...¡± he murmured to himself. Then, for some odd reason¡­ he began laughing. Maybe it was from irony. Maybe it was from desperation. Or maybe he found his position humorous; he wasn¡¯t so sure, yet the laughing didn¡¯t stop. ¡°This sure is becoming a handful, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    His laughter died down as he lay on the ground, staring at the sky through the opening in the forest¡¯s canopy. I heard Kaiyo... he mustered a thought. She must be near then. Or maybe not; I don¡¯t know how far my ears picked up, but I still heard her. And not only her, either, but every single sound that comes out of this stupid forest. He reached for his ear and felt the sticky substance of blood on his fingers. Sen flinched, flopping his arm back down. What... what am I even supposed to think right now? Should I even try to make sense of what happened?


    Sen wasn¡¯t sure if he wanted to face reality just yet, but the facts slapped him in the face like a rude awakening. I¡­ I don¡¯t really know what happened. One moment, the voice within me was controlling my body to fight the monster, and the next, I went on a killing spree. But worst of all¡­ I was the one who was doing it. Every movement I enacted was done by me¡ªby my brain. So why didn¡¯t I stop? Why did I continue instead of searching for Kaiyo? he wondered in horror. Then he remembered the sensation.


    ¡°Fear,¡± he said out loud. ¡°When I first killed that monster, I felt fear oozing out of it, and I... lost control? No, that¡¯s not right. I wanted more of it, and my mind went blank. I didn¡¯t care about anything else in the world except feeling it again. I... I was... addicted to it?¡±


    That realization scared Sen into silence. However, it didn¡¯t last long before he coughed, spitting out the last remnants of his acidic vomit.


    He groaned in pain as he leaned against the nearest tree, feeling every muscle in his body scream in resistance. Sen pulled one leg to his chest, resting his arm on it as he tried to catch his breath. His heart continued to thud in his chest, no matter how much he attempted to relax. The strain of running with such incredible speed and agility in his unusual form had finally caught up to his body.


    While most people, upon awakening their Senses, had time for their muscles and bones to adapt to the new power and grow alongside it, he had no time to adjust or prepare. The immense strength was carelessly thrust into his control, leaving his body torn and broken. Yet, no matter how much it hurt, Sen couldn¡¯t help but remember the feeling of being invincible. Every monster he faced had pathetically frozen before he took their heads. Sen wasn¡¯t sure if any knight could have managed that with such proficiency and speed.


    And¡­ that was why it scared him.


    He eyed the palm of his left hand as if trying to decipher whether it was truly his or someone else¡¯s¡ªsomething else¡¯s. It was terrifying. How could he even attempt to stand up, knowing that something inside him could control his movements? That there was a chance he might lose his mind again and go on another rampant killing spree, chasing the addictive sensation of fear?


    He clenched his hand, feeling his nails dig into his skin. It trembled before a drop of water splashed on top of it, making him relax his grip. Sen was confused about where the water had come from. He reached for his eyes, wondering if his emotions were out of control again, yet he found no tears.


    No¡­ it was simply the rain.


    Another drop fell before a flurry of others accompanied it, turning into a downpour. Sen didn¡¯t move¡ªnot because he couldn¡¯t, but because he didn¡¯t want to. The tree was good enough to shield him from most of the rain, but a few drops still managed to slip between the canopy, one landing on Sen¡¯s cheek. The raindrop trailed down to his chin and splashed on his hand, which was gripping his tracksuit out of desperation.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do¡­¡± he said, the rain pattering down on the forest floor. ¡°What am I?¡±


    He was Sen, but who was truly under that alias? Was he simply another layer in front of someone else deeper inside of him? His heart thudded, and his grip tightened. Then he screamed.


    But it wasn¡¯t a scream of pain. No¡­ it was a scream of despair.


    Both of his hands grasped his head as if trying to prevent it from exploding, while his ears felt muffled from the strain of his violent screams. Each one was worse than the last¨C each one confessing more than words could ever convey.


    Unlike words, a scream could reveal someone for who they truly were. No matter how reserved, happy, or carefree someone may seem, it all collapsed when a genuine scream emerged. It cannot lie.


    Only in the moment of a pure scream was a person''s true self revealed. And Sen had exposed himself¨C


    Deep down, he was nothing more than a frightened, lost, and desperate boy who yearned for someone¡¯s comfort¡ªsomeone who could reassure him that he would be alright, someone that would stroke his hair and embrace him.


    Did he have a person like that?


    He had his family, but what if they were just as frightened with him as he was with himself? He could never forget the look on his mother¡¯s face. The look of fear.


    Perhaps she had known all along that he was¡­ a monster.

 Book 2/ Chapter 27– That Day. Part 1

    ¡°Nobody had broken into my house that day¡­¡±


    # April 4<sup>th</sup> 2076


    Asashi¡¯s eyes snapped open as his head jerked up from the bed. His hasty breath came in large gasps, and his hands gripped the blanket aggressively, his veins popping visibly. With wide, frightened eyes, he sat half-leaning up longer than he should have¡ªbut he couldn¡¯t quite help it. The nightmare was still vivid in his mind. At least... he called it that.


    That wasn¡¯t a nightmare, Asashi sighed, massaging his eyes. No, everything truly happened. That sick son of a bitch, he did all of it.


    Asashi gritted his teeth and pushed the blanket aside as he sat up. His muscular, toned body, sculpted from hundreds of hours of training, was exposed since he usually slept shirtless. He groggily found his way to the bathroom and took his electric toothbrush from the levitating cup holder on the counter. He sighed, turning on the sink to wet his toothbrush. Asashi silently brushed his teeth in front of the bathroom¡¯s large mirror, unfortunately noticing the scars that covered his body¡ªone being a large purple slash across his chest, and others being different-sized stab wounds that appeared smaller on the surface but took much more time to heal due to how deep they were.


    Many assumed that people with Touch were invincible, but that was far from the truth. There was no such thing as an invincible man, and his scars were proof of that.


    After finishing, he walked into his large closet to select his wardrobe. Examining the various suits hanging in a beautiful wooden armoire, he admired the quality of both the closet and the attire. Adjusting to this change in lifestyle was going to take a long time since he had recently been promoted to a Gold-Rank Knight. Consequently, the association upgraded his personal room inside the AOK headquarters. Although the spacious room¡ªor even apartment, if he could call it that¡ªwas significantly more prestigious than his own home, it was hard to adapt. This place is too fancy for me, Asashi thought, and cold.


    His wife had made their home cozy and warm to the point where even the most lavish mansion seemed dull and lifeless in comparison. But perhaps he was being too greedy and complacent. He disregarded the white Knight suits that he should be wearing and took a black trench coat instead. Asashi found it far more relaxing to wear these days. Besides, he wasn¡¯t going on a mission today, so it wasn¡¯t mandatory; he planned to meet someone. Someone who had witnessed the betrayal of his best friend.


    <hr>


    Asashi hurried through the high, vaulted-ceiling hallways of one of the many AOK castles. This particular castle mainly contained offices and living quarters for important AOK individuals like himself; once again, adapting to being permitted to enter was quite difficult. He turned left, stepping into a rather large steel elevator, and pressed the button for the tenth floor, the highest level in the castle. Soft jazz played as he waited, arms crossed and black dress shoes nervously tapping against the steel floor. The higher the elevator ascended, the more his heart raced in his chest. I don¡¯t want to believe what I heard. There has to be some sort of mistake.


    Asashi clenched his fists as the elevator doors opened to reveal a smaller hallway¡ªdoors with name tags lining both walls. Asashi proceeded to the last door on the level, where the name tag displayed: Kira Yun


    Chief of the AOK base stationed in the heart of Tokyo.


    Before Asashi could knock, he suddenly paused, feeling an overwhelming pressure wash over him. It was as if a hundred pounds had been placed on his shoulders, forcing him to the ground. But it wasn''t the weight of the pressure that silenced him; rather, it was the sinister and eerie presence within it.


    Asashi knew that no one was looking at him, yet for some reason, he felt eyes upon him¡ªthe gleaming and hungry eyes of a monster. He gritted his teeth, battling his muscles that cried in resistance, and finally knocked on the door. A second later, a bald-headed man with a white mustache answered.


    Unlike many of the Knights who wore white uniforms, Kira wore a pure red one, though similar in style. He had no badge indicating his rank due to his current status as Chief. However, Asashi had heard that he had climbed his way all the way to a Gold-Rank Knight with two Senses under his will.


    ¡°Sir,¡± Asashi pulled his two fingers just above his eyebrow in a customary salute.


    Kira¡¯s eyes creased as he smiled. ¡°Asashi, good to see you again. And please, no need for such formalities, boy. You¡¯re a Gold-Rank Knight now. Come right in.¡±


    Asashi didn¡¯t know if he liked being referred to as a boy, especially since he was twenty-nine. He nodded appreciatively as the man opened the door, revealing his office. Like his own, the room featured tall, arched windows that showcased a scenic view. A broad mahogany desk faced the door, and a hooded figure sat patiently across from it, waiting for Kira¡¯s return. Asashi froze as the malicious pressure intensified, pounding against his very soul and preventing him from taking another step. He didn¡¯t even know what the man looked like except for the back of his hoodie, and yet he was petrified.


    So this is the culmination of Yami¡¯s illegal experiments... Asashi gritted his teeth. He managed to suppress his fear and took his seat beside the hooded man. Asashi wasn¡¯t sure how the man would look, but he certainly wasn¡¯t expecting to see an eerie white mask.


    ¡°Um...¡± Asashi said, eyeing him to his side. The masked man turned to him, absent of any facial expressions that would indicate how he was feeling.


    ¡°Hey there, nice to meet ya. I¡¯m Storm.¡± Storm extended an arm as they sat. Asashi was too shocked to accept the gesture for a moment, but once reality dawned on him, he nodded and shook his hand.


    ¡°Likewise, I¡¯m Asashi.¡± Out of all the possibilities imaginable, Asashi would have never expected the man to sound so young and oddly joyful, especially in contrast to his menacing aura. It was very off-putting.


    Kira smiled as he sat on his desk, resting his elbows and interlocking his fingers thoughtfully. ¡°I appreciate both of you for coming today; I only wish we would have formally met under better circumstances.¡± Kira¡¯s eyes grew serious. ¡°As you may know, Asashi, your friend Yami Huya has committed vile crimes in secret, ones that truly pain me to reiterate. Are you aware, or would you like to be briefed on some of them?¡±


    Asashi grew silent, a shadow falling over his eyes. ¡°No need, I was briefed by the detective.¡±


    Stolen story; please report.


    Kira nodded. ¡°Good, now¡ª¡±


    ¡°Human experimentation, kidnapping, endangerment, entrapment, drugging, bribery...¡± Asashi cut him off as he let the long list of crimes roll off his tongue. ¡°And most importantly of all, first-degree murder while conducting human experiments. A lot of it.¡± Asashi clenched his fists as Kira stroked his white mustache thoughtfully.


    ¡°I¡­ appreciate the summary, Asashi,¡± Kira sighed. ¡°Then you must know that Storm was one of the lucky survivors of his cruel experiments and escaped just yesterday. Storm, if you may retell what occurred and what led up to this point to the best of your ability, that would be much appreciated. After all, there are still many unanswered questions that we need information on.¡±


    Storm grumbled under his breath but nodded. ¡°As you may know, Yami was hired by the government to research the White Tiger monster they had captured some time ago. He continued his research under their watchful eye, and they trusted his capabilities as a newly recruited scientist. But it was all for show.


    ¡°Simultaneously, he conducted illegal experiments underground, attempting to gene splice the White Tiger with humans to create a vessel that shared its powers, likely because the government prohibited him from doing so.¡± Storm paused. ¡°Hearing that alone would make any person condemn him. However, in my eyes, that isn¡¯t nearly the most egregious thing he has done.¡±


    Asashi¡¯s ears perked, curious about what else there was on the list of crimes he had committed. He felt like he had gone through all of them and doubted there was one that could make it even worse.


    But he was horribly mistaken.


    ¡°He¡¯s experimented on his very own four-year-old son¡­¡± Storm said emotionally.


    ...


    Asashi¡¯s face froze in dismay as he stared at Storm, his pupils shrinking and his body becoming stiff like a plank of wood. Sen? he thought absentmindedly. The smart four-year-old child he often met when visiting Yami¡¯s household, and also someone his own daughter was quite fond of¡ªthat Sen? Was there another son Yami had never told him about?


    ¡°I-Is¡­ Jen¡¯s son¡­¡± Asashi blurted out, fumbling his words.


    ¡°Yes, he¡¯s fine. I managed to free him and return him to his mother without any substantial injuries. You¡¯d be surprised, but he¡¯s a very resilient young boy.¡±


    Asashi¡¯s eyes flashed blue as he clenched his fists, a wave of Sense Energy exuding from him.


    If I ever find him¡­ Asashi thought. If I ever find Yami, I will kill him.


    Asashi forced himself to compose his emotions and slowly nodded his head. This wasn¡¯t the time to show impatience and recklessness in front of a prominent Chief. However, he couldn¡¯t help but think there was something missing from Storm¡¯s context.


    How did he know where Sen lived?


    ¡°I see.¡± Asashi decided not to ask for clarification and moved on to the next question. ¡°How did you escape, if you don¡¯t mind me asking?¡±


    Storm let out a tired sigh, sick of retelling the same story. ¡°I¡¯ve told this to multiple detectives and government officials already, but tenth time¡¯s the charm, I guess.¡±


    Asashi didn¡¯t like how arrogant and carefree Storm was when retelling such a serious event. It rubbed him the wrong way, but unfortunately, he was in no position to call him out on it.


    Storm continued. ¡°Although Yami knew the possible outcomes, he wasn¡¯t prepared for my retaliation. Actually, perhaps he didn¡¯t even care if I did, or if he got caught for that matter¡ªas long as his experiment was successful.


    ¡°In the end, he never truly achieved his actual goal, but in the process, he created us¡ªthe supposed failed vessels.¡±


    ¡°Failed vessels¡­¡± Asashi whispered under his breath. ¡°What kind of powers do you have, exactly?¡±


    Storm remained silent, not a trace of expression on his blank mask.


    Asashi waited patiently for a response, his arms folding uncomfortably and his eyes closing. When Storm finally revealed his powers, they seemed too absurd to fully comprehend. It sounded so ridiculous that not even a foolish child would joke about it.


    Asashi slowly opened his eyes and glanced at Kira, who was frozen in utter shock.


    ¡°Why so silent? Cat got your tongue or something?¡± Storm joked at their silence.


    ¡°Sorry¡­¡± Kira cleared his throat, fidgeting with his mustache. ¡°It¡¯s just very hard to take in. Thank you for your cooperation, Storm. We are indebted to you.¡±


    Asashi noticed what Kira was trying to do. He was trying to gain Storm¡¯s trust, knowing what a big asset he could be if he decided to help them, as well as the dangers he could cause if they ever provoked him.


    Right now, the AOK was a slave to the hooded man standing before them.


    And it was all his best friend¡¯s fault.


    ¡°No need to thank me, really. I¡¯m only trying to rewrite the wrongs that Yami committed,¡± Storm said.


    Kira nodded his head in appreciation and then sustained the conversation with more questions.


    ¡°When you escaped yesterday, did you manage to gather any information that may tell us where Yami ran away to?¡±


    Storm shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t have the faintest clue. I should have finished him off when I had the chance. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°No, no, it¡¯s best that you didn¡¯t, actually. We need to interrogate him to get the answers that we need, and¡­ I¡¯m not too sure if a dead corpse could do that,¡± Kira said uncomfortably.


    Although Asashi¡¯s heart was filled with rage and hatred for his former friend, it was still strange to see him discussed in such a cruel manner. He had to remind himself that Yami deserved everything that was coming after what he had done. However, all the memories Asashi had shared with him simply couldn¡¯t fade away so easily, and that made his emotions so conflicting.


    ¡°Moving on,¡± Kira said, slapping Asashi back to reality. ¡°Asashi, I assume that the detective asked you all the questions regarding your ties with Yami, correct?¡±


    Asashi slowly nodded, recalling the rigorous number of questions he was asked.


    Storm turned his head slightly and tilted it. ¡°I was wondering exactly why you were brought here, but it seems you both were close, yes?¡± Storm asked. ¡°Tell me, what kind of relationship did you have with him?¡±


    ...


    ¡°He was like a brother to me.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Storm nodded, his fingers interlacing thoughtfully as his elbows rested on the wooden chair¡¯s arms. ¡°You must feel very guilty right now, thinking you could have done something to stop him from going down this path.¡±


    Asashi gritted his teeth, but Storm persisted.


    ¡°You¡¯ve known him for so long, yet there was a secret even he kept from you. If you view him as your brother, that means he was there for you in your darkest times¡­ yet even so, he betrayed the most important part of brotherhood¡ªtrust.¡±


    Asashi stood up from his chair, his green eyes mixing with the blue hue of his sense activating, creating a glowing teal color.


    ¡°If that is all for today, I¡¯ll be taking my leave.¡± Asashi bowed his head to Kira, who looked at the escalating tension between the two.


    Asashi whipped around, heading toward the office door, his trench coat fluttering. Before he could reach for the door, however, Storm called out to him.


    ¡°Before you go,¡± Storm said, ¡°I¡¯d like it to be known that I¡¯m considering becoming a Knight for the AOK. If my power scaling is correct, I¡¯m easily over a gold-ranked Knight, perhaps even a diamond rank.¡±


    ¡°And what does that have to do with me?¡± Asashi said, still facing away, just like Storm as he sat.


    ¡°Because I would like certain conditions to be met.¡±


    Asashi chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re asking for compensation to join us? What makes you think you¡¯re entitled to that? People train for years just to have a chance at becoming a Knight, and yet you have the audacity to demand something in return for your strength? Excuse my language, but fuck off with that.¡±


    ¡°N-Now, now, settle down, you two.¡± Kira cleared his throat, obviously nervous. ¡°Storm, I¡¯m sure we can work out some sort of compensation for your help.¡±


    As expected, Kira is infatuated with Storm¡¯s abilities and potential usefulness to the AOK. Pathetic. No person with the arrogance of that man should have the opportunity to be a Knight while expecting all of us to bend the knee to his demands¨C¨C


    ¡°I don¡¯t want money. I don¡¯t want fame. I don¡¯t want status¡­¡± Storm cut off Asashi¡¯s thoughts. His words gave him a pause of confusion. When Storm said he wanted certain conditions met, what else could that mean except one of those three things?


    ¡°As I said,¡± Storm¡¯s voice grew awfully cold, compared to his normally exaggerated tone. ¡°I am merely here to rewrite the wrongs of my creator.¡±


    There was something about Storm¡¯s words that sent a cold shiver through Asashi¡¯s body. He wasn¡¯t overwhelmed by fear as before; instead, it felt like the weight of significance. Something inside him urged him to listen closely to Storm¡¯s words. Asashi¡¯s hands froze around the doorknob because, deep down, he oddly sensed that ignoring Storm¡¯s request would lead to consequences beyond his imagination. The black panther was cowering before the mighty white tiger.


    ¡°So¡­ what is it that you want?¡± Kira managed to blurt out.


    Storm stood up, reaching his arms over his head in a deep stretch, and for some reason, Asashi felt as if he were smiling underneath that blank white mask.


    ¡°I want Yami¡¯s existence to be wiped clean from any records¡­¡±

 Book 2/ Chapter 27– That Day. Part 2

    Asashi walked along the city''s sidewalk, beside the grossly unkempt streets littered with dirty Coke bottles and various indistinguishable plastics haphazardly piled together, showing no signs of ever being picked up. It was a rather bleak sight, especially as homeless people lay beside the brick walls of buildings, with nothing more than a few stained blankets that had likely never been washed since their purchase.


    He often wondered exactly how it had all come to this point when seeing such a mess.


    War was definitely a big factor, and surely, no one could ignore the damage caused by monsters as well, but in his opinion, they all seemed inconsequential to the real issue.


    Greed.


    The people with the most power wouldn¡¯t care that others were starving and dying unless they, too, were living in those dire circumstances. Unfortunately, that wasn¡¯t the case. All of them lived lavish lifestyles, and with it came a detachment from being able to sympathize with those who suffered.


    And the worst of all¡­Even he was a product of that.


    As he walked, he grew more and more used to the horrible sight. Although he didn¡¯t live as extravagantly as others, he could never truly sympathize with these people unless he succumbed to their lifestyle as well. He was precisely what he despised, and being self-aware of that was truly sobering.


    Scrawny and malnourished people looked at him with disdain and hatred as they judged his clean and expensive black trench coat, and worst of all, he didn¡¯t even offer them a glance of sympathy before walking past them.


    It wasn¡¯t because he didn¡¯t care¡­ not at all. It was simply because he was ashamed.


    Asashi sighed as he took a right at the road¡¯s intersection, finally walking down a sidewalk where no people eyed him with contempt¡ªat least none that he was aware of.


    I¡¯m extra agitated today, he thought with a frown.


    The meeting with Chief Kira and Storm unsettled him, especially Storm¡¯s odd request for Yami¡¯s information to be removed. Obviously, the AOK didn¡¯t have the power to erase someone¡¯s documents, but they did have connections with the government, so arrangements could surely be made. What truly troubled him was the person making the request¡ªand exactly why.


    Storm had mentioned that he simply wanted to rewrite the wrongs of his creator, which in this case was Yami, yet Asashi couldn¡¯t help but feel he had an ulterior motive.


    The problem was, no matter how hard Asashi tried, he couldn¡¯t muster up a well-grounded theory of what it was.


    On the surface, the request was quite blunt and simple. It was to reduce the chances of the public being aware of Yami¡¯s background and, on top of that, to save his family from the shame. It was reasonable, especially coming from a person like Storm, who had been a victim of Yami¡¯s treacherous experiments.


    Then why do I feel so uneasy? Like¡­ Storm is hiding something? Maybe I¡¯m looking too much into it. It could very well be that I simply dislike Storm¡¯s attitude, Asashi thought.


    At least, that¡¯s what he hoped.


    At that moment, Asashi felt his phone buzz in the pocket of his trench coat. He sighed, hoping it wasn¡¯t from work again. Pulling out the thin, transparent phone, he paused when he saw the name that was calling him.


    It was Jen.


    He frowned, realizing she must want to talk about what had happened to her husband and, most of all, what he had done. If Asashi had to guess, detectives must have shown up at her door to investigate whether she had any involvement in Yami¡¯s crimes, and in the process, they likely briefed her on the current situation just as they had done with him.


    So, did he really need to answer the call at the moment?


    Asashi knew he was going to have to talk to her about everything that had happened sooner or later, but he didn¡¯t know if he had the confidence to face her just yet. He was still processing the dire situation himself, so he didn¡¯t know if he could be the anchor that Jen needed him to be.


    He silently stood on the busy sidewalk, staring at the incoming call as crowds of people walked past him. Some cursed under their breath that he was blocking traffic, but Asashi made no effort to move away. As he contemplated whether he should answer or not, the incoming call disappeared, making him sigh in relief. He didn¡¯t want to deal with it now. Maybe he¡¯d call her back once he got home¡ª


    His phone buzzed again before he could put it back in his pocket, making Asashi narrow his eyes.


    ¡°For the second time?¡± he whispered to himself, seeing that it was Jen again. ¡°Fine¡­ I guess I¡¯ll just get this over with.¡±


    With a reluctant swipe of his finger, he answered the call.


    ¡°Um, hi, Jen. Listen, I know you probably have a lot of questions right now, but rest assured that everything is being taken care of¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡­help.¡±


    Asashi froze when he heard Jen''s weak and frail voice over the phone. Instantly, his heart seemed to sink to the bottom of his stomach, and his brain whispered to him that something was wrong.


    ¡°Jen?¡± Asashi asked, panic settling in. ¡°Jen, are you okay?¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°¡­just please, come¡­¡±


    Her feeble voice was muddled with sobs as she pleaded for his help.


    ¡°Fuck it all¡­¡± Asashi cursed under his breath, breaking into a run.


    A group of teenage girls chatting with each other yelped in surprise as he charged through them, the force of his thrust making them flail to the ground. Asashi could hear them swearing at him, but he didn¡¯t care one bit.


    Eyes glowing a blue hue, he activated his sense, feeling his muscles strengthen and tighten with every breath he took. His stamina improved as well, the thumping of his heart stabilizing even though he was running at full speed.


    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°Jen!?¡± Asashi screamed through the phone. ¡°Jen, are you still there?!¡±


    The call was still ongoing, yet he didn¡¯t hear a single peep from her. He wasn¡¯t sure if that was a good or bad sign.


    On one hand, it meant that whoever harmed her wasn¡¯t there anymore; on the other, it could mean that they had already finished their job and left. Both were terrifying, but Asashi wasn¡¯t even sure if that was the case yet. Perhaps Jen had passed out due to her sickness, which she had told him about a few days ago.


    Yes¡­ that has to be it. She probably needs help since she¡¯s sick. Of course, I¡¯m most likely overreacting. Asashi gritted his teeth as he pushed through the crowded sidewalk. So then why is there a pit in my stomach?


    He knew the answer to that.


    He had saved people from monsters and taken countless lives in the world war when the AOK had joined the government to defend the country¡ªhe knew the difference between the agonizing screams of people when they were at death¡¯s door and those that were not.


    The helpless, frail voice of someone being torn to shreds. The trembling, panicked words of someone held at gunpoint as they cowered in fear.


    After hearing every imaginable scream a human could conjure, he had an unpleasant feeling that Jen¡¯s plea meant she was in danger from something far worse than just sickness.


    Whichever it was, he was about to find out soon as he navigated through a familiar neighborhood.


    The apartments and houses that lined both sides of the street weren¡¯t luxurious, but they were noticeably cleaner and well-kept¡ªsomething many envied.


    Thankfully, the crowd of people thinned out, making it easier to run and maneuver toward his destination. Asashi stopped at the street¡¯s intersection, whipping his head left and right, scanning the area. He cursed under his breath, realizing he wasn¡¯t sure if her house was on the right or left side of the street.


    He wasn¡¯t exactly certain why he was suddenly blanking out, but maybe the stress was getting to him; usually, he was quite good at suppressing it.


    ¡°Fuck¡­¡± he muttered, then shook his head. ¡°Gut¡­ please don¡¯t fail me now.¡±


    He veered left, straight into the street, causing cars to brake to a halt and angrily honk at him.


    It¡¯s a good thing cars nowadays have sensors and automatically stop before they hit someone, he thought as he lunged across the street to the next sidewalk, barely taking two steps to reach the end.


    An old lady waiting at the light almost fainted from shock as he soared over her head and landed gracefully in a crouched position, like a pouncing panther. Wasting no time, he straightened up and dashed forward again, sometimes leaping over people¡¯s heads when he was certain he could land safely without crashing into them.


    With every jump and landing, Asashi heard audible gasps from the crowd, but he ignored every single one of them.


    He was usually mindful not to cause a disturbance whenever he hunted monsters because he didn¡¯t want to deal with people. But right now, he couldn¡¯t care less if someone saw him as the devil.


    His eyes widened as he noticed familiar buildings and shops beside him while he ran. Thankfully, his gut hadn¡¯t failed him yet.


    Up ahead, to the right of the street, he saw Jen¡¯s building come into view. He grinned as he leaped right over the street with an arch, dodging passing cars with surprised drivers and landing on the opposite sidewalk.


    Asashi dashed for what felt like a long minute before arriving at a cozy, gated two-story house. The moment he opened the gate, he froze, his eyes locking onto the right side of the building¡ª


    The window had been broken, with shattered glass scattered across the lawn. Asashi gritted his teeth. His intuition had been right¡ªsomeone had intended to harm Jen.


    He hurried to the broken window and leaped through it, landing inside the kitchen and dining room of the home. Except for his glowing eyes, no lights were on, casting an eerie and grim atmosphere over the house.


    Although he doubted a bullet could pierce his skin, he cautiously pulled out his Sense gun from its holster beneath his trench coat¡ªjust to be safe. Asashi crouched and moved quietly out of the kitchen, his dress shoes barely making a single tapping sound. He passed the house''s entryway and stairwell, hiding behind the wall that separated the living room.


    With both hands on the gun, he prepared to shoot. There was someone in that living room.


    He knew it.


    A normal person wouldn¡¯t be able to, but with rigorous training, he could pick up Sense Energy being expended from someone¡¯s body in real time. This skill was an essential qualification to be a Silver-ranked Knight and above.


    Whoever was in the living room was eerily quiet, as if they knew he was there. A nervous droplet of sweat dripped down the side of his forehead as he sighed inwardly.


    God, I never ask you for favors because you seem to hate me quite a lot, but even so, if I may be selfish for a moment and ask for your protection, at least just this once¡­ Asashi prayed silently to himself.


    He wasn¡¯t sure why he did¡ªafter all, he wasn¡¯t really a religious man¡ªbut yet, for some reason, the sudden pressure weighing down upon him was more frightening than any monster mission he had embarked on. It was almost similar to¡­


    Storm¡¯s fear-inducing skill.


    Asashi clenched his gun and took a silent breath. Then he lunged into the living room with the speed of a cheetah.


    The force of his pounce sent him flying straight toward the wall, but before he could crash, he caught himself with his left foot and ricocheted off it, bouncing back to the living room entrance. That gave him just enough time to catch a glimpse of who was inside the room.


    Asashi paused, lowering his gun with a sigh. Then, he casually walked into the living room, realizing that there was no danger anymore.


    A familiar slim silhouette sat on the couch, her arms wrapped around a small boy, her head leaning down to kiss his forehead. Asashi¡¯s eyes darkened as he looked at the unconscious pair.


    It was Jen, holding her son in her embrace.


    Jen¡¯s hair was disheveled, and her body was covered in more wounds than he could count. When his eyes adjusted to the dim lighting, he noticed dark red blood plastered all over her, staining the couch in the process. Sen¡¯s white hair, once pure, was now dirty with scarlet and reeked of iron.


    ¡°How¡­¡± Asashi whispered to himself, half hoping Jen would respond, ¡°did you get so hurt?¡±


    Jen was gifted with Touch, and even though she had never pursued becoming a Knight, her strength was still far above average.


    Was the sickness to blame? Could it have weakened her body this much? Or was the enemy even stronger than he expected?


    Asashi moved toward Jen and noticed her phone lying in a puddle of blood on the couch, the call with him still ongoing. He grimaced and pressed the hang-up icon.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m here now.¡± Sliding his arms beneath Jen¡¯s body, one near her head and the other by her feet, he lifted her up as she continued to clutch Sen. He didn¡¯t struggle to hold her, thanks to his Sense, and for that, he was grateful. If he hadn¡¯t been gifted with such power, he would never have been able to save his friends and family.


    With Jen and her son in his arms, he rushed to the door, but before he could open it, a faint whisper murmured.


    ¡°There¡­¡± Jen whispered weakly, her eyes barely opening.


    ¡°Jen,¡± Asashi grimaced, ¡°save your energy.¡±


    ¡°¡­There was a robber¡­ a-and Sense weapon, and¡­ and I¡­ weak. I¡­ I fought off¡­¡±


    Jen struggled to form a coherent sentence, but Asashi understood what she was trying to say.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. You don¡¯t have to explain,¡± he reassured her, carefully opening the door while balancing her body.


    A robber with an illegal Sense weapon had broken into her house, and she had tried to fight him off, but it had been hard due to her sickness. Asashi had already pieced that much together from all the hints.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to be alright,¡± he told her, inspecting her and Sen¡¯s wounds further.


    Most of the blood on Sen seemed to be from his mother by the looks of it, and Jen¡¯s wounds, though severe, looked treatable with proper care. However, it would be a far different story if she didn¡¯t have Touch.


    ¡°Is Hana¡­¡± Jen whispered. ¡°Is Hana still... at preschool?¡±


    Asashi assumed Jen hadn¡¯t picked her up yet, but her mind seemed too foggy to remember.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure she¡¯s safe. No need to worry about her,¡± Asashi said, trying his best to keep her from stressing. ¡°Let¡¯s get you and Sen to the hospital.¡±


    It would be quicker to go there on foot than wait for an ambulance¡ªespecially with his speed and agility.


    There¡¯s one thing I¡¯m still confused about, Asashi thought to himself as he walked toward the gate. He turned his head back, narrowing his eyes at the right window of the house before shaking his head and leaping over the gate.


    If the window had been broken into¡­Why is there no glass on the inside? He looked at Jen and her son before he dashed at full speed to the hospital. Was it truly just a robber?