《Hunters Of Reality》


 Prologue

    ''Our lives cannot be predicted, as we''re not god.''


    Quite the popular saying, isn''t it? Considering that it is quite ironic, as most people end up the same way. Many hope to have their futures foretold, by people who claim to be able to do so, such as fortune tellers. Even in the 21st century, it is so common that people even believe, and fall for it. But that doesn''t matter. Because nothing can be foretold beforehand.


    But what I mean here isn''t something related to god, nor humanity. It is about time itself. How can you think of predicting something if it hasn''t even happened yet? This is what people fail to understand.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    The problem here isn''t about the uncertain future, but of the ignored past. What if a person, similar to a fortune teller, is able to tell the past of a certain somebody? Or the history of an unknown object, say, an artefact? What if they could use this to learn more about things whose origins cannot be perfectly determined, or deduced? Wouldn''t they be considered god? This is why the quote earlier is useless.


    There is no future to look into, but a past to be known and remembered.


    If you were given an ability to see other people''s pasts, or the history of objects, just by the mere touch of a hand, what would you do? How would you react? Not pleasantly, obviously. But this can never happen. Ever.


    This---happened to me.

 Chapter 1: The man from England

    It''s said that winter is the most beautiful season, especially in Japan. I couldn''t agree more. It means I can wear gloves whenever and wherever I want, and I won''t be questioned or judged. It''s not like I like wearing them. It''s just that I have this ability of ''looking'' into the past of things I make physical contact with. These ''things'' also include humans and animals. It may sound absurd, but it''s true.


    I stay away from people just to avoid prying. As such, making friends was, and still is, kind of hard for me. I do like the occasional karaoke meet-ups organised by our class, but in the end, it''s just to look normal in the eyes of my peers.


    But now, it''s gotten cold, yet no snow. People are eagerly waiting for the first snowfall, though it''s not like it''ll just magically appear out of nowhere, especially not during November in Tokyo. Evidently, it''s for the best, well, at least for me. Heh. Some privacy, to begin with.


    For a 2nd year high school student like me, though, winter is just that. No romance, no fun. Nothing exciting, or amusing. We have studying to do during this time, and complete our homework before the holidays. Even right now, I''m thinking about my miserable life sitting in a classroom, while a lecture''s going on.


    "Yoshida...YOSHIDA RYOU!"


    Mr. Matsuka, our homeroom teacher, started calling out to me. I spaced out again. Pretty sure he''s going to yell at me for daydreaming. It''s almost become a daily thing.


    "He''s done it again..."


    "...He sure has it easy..."


    Ah, the usual whispers. Gotten used to them already, anyway.


    "Yoshida! Will you please answer this question on the board?"


    I''m surprised he didn''t get angry. His usual reaction would be to humiliate me in front of the class.


    "Psst! The answer is 53 radians."


    It was a loud whisper, by my one and only friend, Keisuke Hiro. Almost everyone heard it. Naturally, so did Matsuka.


    "Keisuke! Yoshida! Both of you will be on cleaning duty for today!"


    Good grief. It is bad enough that they make us come to school during such cold days, and now work? Ugh.


    "Let''s do it together, Ryou!"


    "You sure are happy about it."


    "It''s been such a long time since the two of us were assigned cleaning duty. It''s going to be fun!"


    His eyes kept glimmering while talking, like a hungry puppy. Ah, it''s such a drag. Honestly. Cleaning was not the kind of thing I was expecting to be doing on this lazy Friday.


    A few minutes later, the bell rang. This marked the commencement of the final week of school, before the winter break. Others have already started making plans about ways to spend the holidays. Nothing in it for me.


    For an entire hour of proper cleaning, it was really quiet. But I knew sooner or later someone had to break the ice. And that wasn''t going to be me.


    "Say, Ryou, you got yourself a girlfriend yet?"


    Ah, the most popular question among high schoolers. Why is like this everywhere around the world? It''s obvious that I don''t have one.


    "No."


    "Don''t lie, you sly bastard. You were ogling at the class rep, right?"


    He sure loved to pull my leg. But I can clearly see that he''s trying to create a conversation, just to get me to talk to him more. Although it''s a bit annoying, I appreciate that he''s actually trying. Others normally just talk to me for borrowing my homework or so.


    "No, I wasn''t."


    Again, with the glimmering eyes, filled with expectations.


    "What are you guys doing, other than cleaning?"


    "AAAAHH! Class rep!"


    "Hey Keisuke! And you too, Yoshida." She greeted.


    It was the representative of our class, Shizuha Yui. Quite the silent approach. Typically, reps are always smart, good looking, and extroverted. That is the case here as well, except for the smartness part, but athletic, yes. She calls me ''a man of many secrets''. I wouldn''t disagree, but she only assumed that from my demeanour.


    "I think I''ll be helping you boys out today, since I''m free."


    "Really!? You''d do that? You''re like a princess helping her subjects! I, Keisuke Hiro, am forever in your debt."


    "Hahaha, you''re funny as always, Keisuke."


    She was definitely not supposed to be free. A popular class rep, and not busy? Nah.


    Her eyes were wet, but not much. She seems to have cleaned her face thoroughly. But the slight redness under her eyes were obvious. She was crying---so much that she had to wash her face. This is not good. Keisuke''s too dumb to realise it, and won''t be able to read the atmosphere. She''s obviously come here to get her mind off of the things troubling her. Hmm.


    This has peeked my interest. I must know what''s troubling her. Of course, normally, you''d directly ask the person. In my case, though, all I have to do is take this glove off of my hand, and touch her.


    But touching a person abruptly isn''t normal. They''d think I''m weird, or some sort of a pervert. And the worst part of this ability is that the more time I maintain contact, the clearer information I get. Therefore, touching for a split second will give me almost nothing. I need to signal Hiro. He needs to know that something''s up with her.


    I slightly started pointing my eyes towards her, all the while looking at Hiro, so as to give him a hint. He nodded back, so that must be a good sign.


    "Say, Shizuha, did you know that Yoshida really wants to be your friend?"


    What. An. Idiot. How can he be such a clueless moron? Why? Did he actually just assume that I was trying to ask him to set us up? Doesn''t matter. This idiot just did it.


    "Really, Yoshida? You mean it?"


    Shizuha seemed really happy hearing that. Now''s my chance! I have to grab her hand... or so I thought. She charged at me and tightly grasped mine.


    "Aww, you''re such a sweet guy, Yoshida."


    I could barely hear those words. I was able to remove my right glove in the nick of time. In a matter of seconds, loads of information of the past two hours travelled to my brain. It won''t be good if she keeps maintaining contact. I have to have her stop clinging onto my hand.


    "Shizuha, if you keep doing that to Ryou, he''ll die of embarrassment. Hahaha!"


    "I''m so sorry, Yoshida! I didn''t know you were the shy type."Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    She''s finally let go. Thank goodness. ''Shy type''? What is she getting at? Although, Hiro''s actions actually seem like he might know about my ability. He''s scary, sometimes. But that is impossible. He''s a dumbass.


    "...PLEASE! BELIEVE ME! I WANT YOU BACK IN MY LIFE..."


    "No, I''m sorry, I can''t. I have to move on. I want you to do the same. It''s for the best..."


    Ah, the voices. Can''t stand them much. The info I''ve collected is... Not so interesting. She was confronted by her ex-boyfriend, the captain of the basketball team, and was asked out again, and she had to turn him down---several times. So apparently, they both still like each other, but she doesn''t want to be with him? Good grief, she actually cried for this? Maybe. Who am I to judge?


    Another problem is that I can only ''see'' what she was seeing, that is, from her point-of-view. Plus, considering the amount of time we were in contact, I only vividly saw some images. But I also get additional information, such as sounds, and her emotions during that time. She was feeling bitter, but it gave off anit-is-for-the-bestkind of vibe. That means she isn''t regretting her decision. Good. Not a particularly interesting deduction, though. I don''t know what I was expecting. I guess I like to pry into people''s personal lives.


    This is what I basically do---look into people''s pasts, just for my amusement. I am smart enough to know that helping them too much will make matters worse in the long run. I have to let things run their natural course. For example, I can only act according to what the situation demands. I will have to go along with Hiro for now.


    "I don''t want to ask, but you don''t seem okay. Are you?"


    I said it. Crap. I know the answer, yet this is all I can come up with, like a normal person would.


    "So, I''m really that easy to tell, huh? I thought I could act normal, but I just can''t. I just went through a bad experience a while ago, and am still trying to clear my head.


    It''d have been funny if she lied about it. I would''ve certainly been amused. Poor Hiro, on the other hand...eh, not so much.


    "Just tell me what is it, and I, Keisuke Hiro, shall help you go through it!"


    "No, it''s nothing, really. But I appreciate the concern. You two are really nice, you know. I''m just regretting now that even though we''ve known each other since middle school, we''ve never talked that much. Plus, you and I are neighbours, aren''t we, Yoshida?"


    She had relocated next to my house a year back. I never bothered to visit her, due to my busy schedule, but I''m sure my dad loves to flirt with her ridiculously hot mother. Mommy and daughter---both alike, I guess.


    "You and Shizuha are NEIGHBOURS!? HOW!? WHEN!? Is that why you rarely let me into your house?" Hiro shrieked.


    That isn''t the reason, but it''s something I can go with. I never invite people much, thanks to this power of mine. But the main reason is because I work at our bakery shop after school. We have a small setup, so it''s not much, but it''s enough for two people to fend off of. My mom passed away when I was a kid, and so I''ve been supporting the two of us by working here almost every day. Her mom is actually a regular at our store, but she rarely visits during my shift.


    After talking about our middle school days for thirty minutes while cleaning, it seems she''s fine. I always get this sense of satisfaction when I see people smile after experiencing something bitter, because I am the only one who''d know the things they would have gone through. Although this power has mostly given me trouble, I sometimes am grateful for it. It''s a sad and mysterious world, and we need to look out for each other.


    Finally, the work is done. It seemed like ages, but only felt like minutes while talking to the two. Who knew that chatting with an acquaintance would prove to be not boring? It''s already 7:30 PM. Ah, I''m late.


    "See you boys later! Take care!" She waved us good-bye.


    There she went. She might be happy right now, or perhaps trying to put on a mask. Either way, she''s more stable than before. I wonder if she''s looking for a relationship at this point? Heh. What am I even thinking? Even if the goddess of luck shines upon me, it''s impossible. Hiro has a far better chance.


    "She''s really cute, isn''t she? A bit of a klutz, yes, but also pretty reliable. No wonder she''s the class representative." Hiro said.


    He actually said that with a straight face. He admires her quite a lot. I should respect that. Wonder if I''ll ever admire a person the way he does?


    I have to get to the shop. Dad must be having his hands full...Is what going on in my mind the whole time while returning back home.


    The best thing about my school is that it is very close to my residence, hence my choice of this academy. No need to constantly be in contact with strangers in trains. Just plain old walking.


    Finally made it. And it only took me 12 minutes.


    "Where the hell have you been!?"


    "A-Akane... Hey there. Sorry, got caught up in cleaning duty."


    Harumi Akane, our employee, and another neighbour. A 23-year old woman who''s been working for us since the past 6 months. She''s the probably the closest to what I can say as ''a person I admire'' in my life---a final-year college student, earning money to cover her living expenses. Her parents live in Osaka, and she''s here by herself. She''s got a lot on her plate, yet finds the time to complete her work, without any complaints. Truly, a remarkable woman.


    "Now that my shift''s over, you better meet your dad. He''s been waiting for your arrival for quite some time now. He''s at the back. And besides, I had to cover for you while you were absent. You owe me three bowls of ramen. Got it?"


    "Y-yes. I understand. Thank you very much."


    "Don''t sweat it. All right, I''m off. See you later, kiddo."


    I still don''t get how she converts debts to ramen, but whatever. I need to see dad. He''s never the type to get angry, but he definitely isn''t the sweet type either, and he won''t be pleased by my punctuality.


    "You¡¯re awfully late. Cleaning duty, I''m assuming?" My dad asked.


    "Yes, dad. Sorry for the delay. Had unexpected company."


    "That''s all right. There weren''t many customers today. Plus, I had Akane helping me out in your stead, so don''t sweat it. The cold weather sure makes people lazy, though. I''m going to head back to my room, so close the shop by nine."


    "Understood."


    Our house is just beside the shop, so it''s super convenient to change shifts. Thanks to this, we have enough time to work, as well as take breaks.


    The clock struck nine, and god, was it cold. I''d be surprised if there was no snow piled up by morning. I was just about to finish up, when a customer entered.


    "Excuse me, but are you closing?"


    It was a middle-aged man, probably around in his late forties, and was definitely not from this country, yet somehow perfectly uttered that sentence in Japanese. He was even dressed in a suit, and a trench coat, with a hat on.


    "About to. What do you need?"


    "I''d like two croissants, thank you."


    "I''m sorry, but we''re out. Anything else?"


    "That''s too bad. Then what aboutyakisoba bread?"


    A foreigner who knows about yakisoba? That is impressive. I believe most non-Japanese people aren''t aware of it. He must have been in Japan for a while, or perhaps learnt it from watching anime? Nah, not possible.


    "Yes, here you go."


    "Oh, thank you. Do you mind if I eat here? It''s really cold outside, after all."


    "Sure, sir. Suit yourself."


    This is probably the first time a foreigner has visited our shop. I''m curious to know where he''s from.


    "Say, young man, are you a high school student?"


    "Yes."


    "Oh, a part-timer, then?"


    "No, this shop is run by my family. I help out, that is all."


    "Oh, that''s impressive. Students in this country really work hard."


    Judging by what he said, he''s definitely a tourist, but his clothing makes it seem like he''s come here as part of some business, and not for the view.


    "Which country are you from, if I may ask?"


    "England. Beautiful place, I tell you."


    "How come you know Japanese? You''ve lived here before, haven''t you?"


    "Ah yes, way back in the Showa period. I was still a young man then." He replied, with a nostalgic expression on his face.


    That explains his fluency. Impressive, nevertheless. He''s even got the accent right.


    "I''m Henry Turnwallace. Pleased to make your acquaintance, young man."


    "Yoshida Ryou. Nice to meet you, sir."


    "Ah, no honorifics please, just Henry will suffice."


    He seems to be a friendly man. He''s clearly used to travelling, and meeting new people. He doesn''t waver while talking to a stranger like me at all.


    "So, what brings you here? Business? Holiday?"


    "Business, actually. Tiring, as you can see. I wouldn''t mind a nice holiday, though."


    "Don''t mind me, but what business, exactly?" I asked.


    Daring question, if I say so myself. I won''t be surprised if he ignores it.


    "Ah, sorry, can''t really talk about it. It''d take a good while to explain. May be some other day.


    Some other day, he says? Is he planning on being a regular here? That''d be killing two birds with one stone. He seems interesting enough. Shall I use my powers? Maybe not. It''s the first in a long time that I''m having a perfectly normal conversation without them. Some other day, I will.


    "It''s gotten late, boy. I better get going. Thank you for the delicious bread. I''m sure we''ll meet again."


    "You''re welcome, Mr. Henry"


    As he left, it suddenly got colder. Or maybe it''s just that I didn''t notice it until after he left. Perhaps such aspects aren''t noticeable when you''re having a decent conversation.


    *Phone ringing*


    CALLER: DAD


    "Ryou, need a hand closing up?"


    "Sorry, I delayed. A customer came in at the last minute. "


    "Delayed? What are you talking about? It''s only 9:01 PM."


    "Have you been drinking excessively again?"


    "Ah, maybe. Just get home."


    "Okay, I''ll be there in a while."


    9:01 PM? How drunk is the man? Let me check the time anywa---WHAT? No, that can''t be right.9:01 PM? Really? Impossible. Is my phone broken? It must be some sort of a glitch. No, chances of it are slim. I have to check the internet.


    I did, and surprisingly, it also showed ''9:01 PM'' as the right time. What is going on? We were conversing for at least ten minutes or so, I''m sure. Or were we? No, I''m positive that I wasn''t dreaming. The smell of the yakisoba bread is still lingering around, but faint. I can even remember our conversation very well. But then how come only a minute? Was I hallucinating? Was it all going on in my head? There''s even a possibility that I might''ve been drugged. Nah, that is absurd.


    I guess we''ll have a lot to talk about next time.

 Chapter 2: Narrow escape

    The winter break has started. It''s been 8 days since I met the man. Nothing''s changed, except for the cold---it''s gotten worse. It took me a day to realise that it wasn''t my imagination---it was all real. My ability to accept reality is good, fortunately. Most would just brush it off as a daydream.


    But these holidays are also a hassle for me, because of increased working hours. We can''t have a proper vacation. Oh, how I''d love to go to Hokkaido for skiing. Instead, I''m stuck in my shop right now, just sitting about. Most of our regulars have gone to enjoy the holidays. The god of envy seems to be devouring me. It''s still just morning... Who would come to buy anything at this time?


    As I kept thinking to myself, two men entered. They were all dressed in suits, and wore hats---which really reminded me of Henry. They were conversing with each other in some foreign language, but looked Japanese.


    "What would you like?"


    "We''re looking for a person, who goes by the name of Henry. Has he been here?"


    Mr. Turnwallace? Why would they be looking for him? Are they his acquaintances? If this were some spy movie, they''d be the bad guys trying to look for the escaped man. Nevertheless, I''m not going to get myself involved. Best to just send them away.


    "I''m sorry, no. Never had any customers with western names before. Anything I can get you?"


    "Well, if it has come down to this..."


    He instantly grabbed my collar, and pulled me across to the wall on the side. OUCH! That hurt like crap.


    "Wh-What are you DOING!? LET GO!"


    "Let me ask again. Has he been here?"


    I need to touch this guy and find out about him. But I can''t remove my glove while he''s watching me. He''ll think I''m reaching out for some weapon, and that won''t end well for me.


    "Hey Ryou, I can''t seem to find your dad? Has he go¡ªOh my GOD! What are you doing to him? Let him go!"


    Oh dear, it''s Akane... Why''s SHE here? She wasn''t supposed to have her shift at this time.


    "Don''t you dare interfere. And you, do NOT let her get out of here!"


    In that split-second moment where he turned behind to look at her, I was able to remove my glove. The only thing left is to touch him. But how do I do that?


    "Ryou, get down!"


    In an instant, she threw her heavy bag she was carrying at the guy holding onto me, and made him flinch. The other guy''s now onto her. Now''s my chance.


    "Maybe I ought to take it up a notch, until you give me proper answers, you little scum. Hey, strangle that woman to death. Now, kid, tell me, he was here, wasn''t he? I need to know when, and I''ll leave you two alive. Is that clear? Until then, I shall choke you too."


    He slowly removed his gloves, and wrapped his hand around my neck. God, did that hurt.


    "AARRRGHHH, LET ME GO, YOU PERVERT!" Akane shrieked.


    "Okay, yes, h-he was here, but that was more than a week ago. Please, that is all I know! Let us go!" I gave in.


    "Oh, no, now you tell me everything. On which day was he exactly here? At what time? Everything, now!"


    "Wait, let us go, and I''ll tell you all the details. Just put me down, and tell him to leave her. She has nothing to do with th-this... Argh!"


    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. If I touch him now, he''ll only assume that I''m trying to make him let go. Okay, here goes.


    Immediately, without hesitation, I touched him, but I actually wasn''t pretending to make him let go. It really did start to make me feel scared.


    As soon as I touched him, I could see a lot of things. Disturbing things, actually. What are these images? This smell? It''s a horrible scent... is this... BLOOD!?


    "...AAAAHHH I DON''T KNOW WHERE HE IS! PLEASE, DON''T KILL ME...AAAAHHHH..."


    "...PLEASE, TAKE WHATEVER YOU WANT, JUST SPARE ME! NOOOOOO...."


    What are these voices? I see people dying. Were they all killed by these guys? These are what he did 3 hours ago, and yet, he''s already killed two innocent people. They''re monsters! Good grief, we''re in deep trouble. We have to make a run for it. But how? They still have me and Akane immobilized.


    "Maybe you ought to let them go, boys." A voice came from near the door.


    Dad? No, he won''t be home for another hour. Who, then?


    "Who the bloody h¡ªit''s YOU! Henry!"


    Where did HE come from!? No, more importantly, is he going to face the two at once? I can''t even talk out of this situation.


    "You bastard, we have orders to bring you in alive! So, unless you want these innocent fools dead, you can run all you want. Your call."


    "Heh. No need for that. I don''t intend to run. Never did. What you two, though, are going to do, is you''re going to let them go."


    "Do you think we''ll be threatened by you? We were informed to not engage in combat with you, but we have leverage. Surrender, and quietly come with us, and these two will live."


    Henry''s pretty calm, for a person being threatened. He''s just walking up to them like he''s been through this numerous times. Who is this man? Why''re they after him?


    The moment Henry was just a few feet away from me, the other guy pulled a gun out, and started pointing at Akane.


    "If you take one step further, I will blow this girl''s brains out."


    "Try, if you will." Henry calmly replied.


    "That''s IT! KILL HER!"


    "YES SIR!"


    "NO, STOP IT! PLEASE, DON''T---" Akane shrieked.


    "What are you doing? Finish the job, you idiot!"


    "I-I''m trying, but I''m not able to pull the trigger. What is going on!?"


    "You''re useless! I''ll show you how it''s do¡ªWhat the? Where''s my gun?"


    "You mean this play thing?"


    There it was¡ªthe gun, in his hands. What is happening? Henry didn''t have a gun when he entered here...


    "You bastard... I''ll kill you for sure. I don''t care about the orders anymore. I''m killing all of you he---Wha--? I-I''m not a-able to move. You, what did you DO!?"


    He''s stiff as a statue. It still hurts, but I can''t feel his grip strength from before. This man, Henry... he''s doing this. Did he inject some paralyzing agent into them? No, that is impossible---I have been watching him the entire time, and he hasn''t done anything. Hell, I can bother with the questions later... I need to break free.


    Although still strong, I was somehow able to escape from his grip. It took all I had to just be able to move his fingers, wrapped around my neck, away from me. Akane saw me do it, and did the same. We both surprisingly sustained minor injuries, but she, especially, was trembling with fear.


    "Akane, it''s all right. Calm down."


    "T-Thank you, Ryou. I''m okay now."


    This is all I can do for now. I regret that I couldn''t protect her, but instead, she tried to protect me. I''m not sure what I feel right now... All I can think about is this bizarre situation right here.


    "How did they escape out so easily? HOW!?"


    "Funny thing, time. Blesses the young, curses the old. It is always equal to everyone, isn''t it? Yet, there are ways in which it can be bent, if not manipulated. It can both heal, and destroy."


    "Y-you... You''re ahistorian,aren''t you? They told us not to fight with you, but they didn''t mention any of this!"


    "You see, they didn''t mention it because it wasn''t an order---it was a warning. And, as to why you''re not able to move your bodies, is because I changed your perceptions of time."


    Changed the perception of time? What is he talking about now? Also, the wordhistoriandoesn''t mean literally in this context. That, I''m sure of. But what now? What is he going to do to the two of them? I have to ask.


    "What is happening to them, Mr. Henry?"


    "Their perception of time has been altered. What is seconds to us will seem like hours to them. However, only their bodies are affected. They can still talk."


    WHAT THE--? Is that even possible? No, I''m the poster boy for abnormal things... Of course it is. So that means, he''s like me? If he can change the perception of time, then that would explain why only a minute had passed that night. Great¡­ as if my powers weren''t weird enough. Akane has this frightened look on her face, like she''s just about to scream for help. Nobody can blame her---there''s too much going on in here, and she''s also the onlynormalperson among us.


    Those two are just standing still---not moving an inch. He really did stun them. Who is Henry, exactly? Obviously not some old man on a business trip---that''s a load of crap.


    "So what now? Are we leaving them here, in this state?"


    "For now, yes. They won''t move. Until then, why don''t the three of us have a little chat?"

 Chapter 3: Yurei

    After he said those words, he took us to a nearby caf¨¦. He even insisted on treating us---Of course, I don''t trust him... But he did save our lives, so I guess once wouldn''t be too bad. Akane looked very uncomfortable. Right now, we''re just waiting for our coffees, in this almost empty place, while maintaining this god-awful silence.


    "So, the boy and I here have been acquainted, but I believe we''ve never met, lady. So hello there, my name is Henry Turnwallace. Very pleased to meet you."


    "H-Harumi Akane... Same here."


    "Now, I get that you two have witnessed some outrageous things today---things that normal people would only brush off as a dream, or some nightmare. I''m sorry you had to go through all that. I truly---"


    "Enough with the hold up. Just tell us... who, no, what are you?" She demanded.


    She didn''t beat around the bush. Hell, she isn''t a coward to begin with.


    "Straight to the point, I see. Okay, listen closely, because what I''m about to tell you is, well, confidential."


    I swallowed a bit of my saliva as he said those words---it all seems like some spy movie.


    "There are 3 types of people in this world---


    Human


    Yurei


    Rekishiya


    Humansare the normal people, whom you see every day---they have no powers, nor are they physically as strong as ayureiorrekishiya.


    Yurei,orghosts,are the special type of human beings, with psychic-like powers. Their abilities aren''t too powerful, but they have enhanced physical capabilities.


    Rekishiya,orhistorians,are a type ofyurei,who possess much more powerful and dangerous abilities. In addition to being more physically enhanced, they can also have more than one power---unlike ayurei.


    All of these people co-exist in one form or the other---Sometimes you might encounter a person with powers, but you wouldn''t know---Exactly like what happened to you, when you first met me.


    Now as for me, I''m a rekishiya too, and I have the power to change the perceptions of people---mainly time, although other factors can also be changed, such as pain, vision, hearing, et cetera. Since I changed the time perceptions of all the people in that scenario, none of you could see me grab the big guy''s guns---Although I was moving at normal speed, you all perceived it as lightning-fast movement."


    That''s too much information to handle---Rekishiya? Ghosts? All new terms for us... for humanity, in general.


    "So, where do I stand here? Am I also a yurei?"Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    "Oh, no, boy. You aren''t. But she is."


    "Argh-M-me!?"


    She spat her coffee in disbelief. Hilarious, really.


    "I only noticed it a while back---you have potential."


    "Are you joking? I still don''t believe you. Powers? Yurei? Load of crap!"


    "Well then, why don''t you ask young Yoshida here? He knows about ''powers'' better than anyone else."


    "Ryou... What does this geezer mean!? Are you saying you believe him? Ryou...? You knew about these so-called powers?"


    She''s staring at me for an answer, but all I can do is sit here with my head faced down, and try to avoid eye contact. I knew this day would come, where somebody close to me would learn about it.


    "Young Yoshida here is a special one, like myself. And that, answers your question, right, young lady?"


    Akane started nodding her head sideways, in denial. Her eyes widened, and she started to sweat rapidly. She gave off a very eerie look---completely freaked out.


    "S-so, what powers do you have, Ryou?"


    I further went on to tell her about my ability---to be able to look into the past of people and objects I make contact with, and also being able to determine other details, such as sounds, pain, emotions, et cetera. As soon as I finished, Henry now looked freaked out.


    "S-so you could tell all the details, like, everything? Even intimate ones?" She asked, with a shy expression.


    "The amount of information I get is proportional to the amount of time I maintain contact---and I have rarely made skin contact with you. I have my gloves on most of the time to avoid doing it."


    He was keenly listening to my conversation with her, taking mental notes. He seemed like some researcher.


    "Interesting, and does this power only work if you touch via hand? What about your leg, or shoulders, or face?" He asked.


    That''s a good question---Why so? I guess I''ve never really kicked a person barefooted, nor have I rubbed my face onto someone, and I never wear sleeveless shirts anyway, so I suppose it''s only natural I''ve only tried to cover my hands.


    "No, sorry. I''m not sure. But tell me---why Akane? How come SHE has powers?"


    "Ah, well, I only discovered it recently. But judging by what you told me, I think it was because of you."


    "Me? What did I do? Gave her powers? I''m not some god."


    "No, but guessing by the power you have, you must have awakened hers."


    "So that makes me--?"


    "Arekishiya,correct. Didn¡¯t I say that you were a special one like me? Your ability is very dangerous---knowing what the enemy must have done, or what his secrets, or plans are, is something which is very risky to exist. It''s been a long time since the appearance of one with this calibre. This will surely change the tides of power."


    I''m a rekishya... great. More trouble. And Akane''s a yurei---worse. And I caused her to become one? What have I gotten ourselves into? This is bad... I need more answers.


    "I''m sure you''re feeling insecure about all of this, but I''d like you to accompany me---both of you. Since you''ve been exposed, we have to move you to a secure location, under supervision. You can decline, but all the people close to you will be endangered if you stay here any longer. Those two earlier who attacked you, know of your residential location, and there''ll be more---a lot of them, and they''ll all be far stronger than them, so it''s your decision."


    "What about our families and friends? My school? What are we going to answer them? My dad will kill me if he comes to know any of this... and Akane''s still a university student... we can''t just leave!"


    "Arrangements regarding these matters will be made. You need not worry about any of it, but the less questions you ask, the better. Trust me, it''s for your own good. There will be a car waiting for you two in front of the shop from 0830 to 0845 hours tomorrow. Your call."


    With those words said, he got up, paid the bill, and left. His words didn''t seem like a joke, and if what he said was true, about others trying to get us, then this is the only option.


    "We''re going, Akane. He said he''ll take care of our arrangements, right? We can''t stay here anymore."


    ¡°You¡¯re agreeing to that!? So easily!? Have you gone mad?¡± Akane asked, shocked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ it¡¯s just that, it all sounded convincing to me. Plus, even if he¡¯s lying to us, we can¡¯t stay here, can we? There¡¯ll be more after us, like he mentioned. We must go.¡±


    "Where do you think he¡¯s going to take us?"


    Come to think of it, where?

 Chapter 4: New lives

    It''s already 8:25 A.M. Yesterday went by in a flash---I obviously didn''t tell dad, nor Hiro, anything. Akane and I didn''t talk on the way home at all---absolute silence, the entire time.


    Today''s Sunday, and quite possibly the best day to ''escape''---dad is still asleep, the shop is closed, and winter break has already started, so at least I''m covered for a few weeks.


    I actually packed early. But I''m not taking much with me---just some clothes, money, and my phone. Hope they don''t make us starve.


    *Phone ringing*


    CALLER: AKANE


    "Hey, Ryou... You ready?"


    "Y-yes, and what about you? Did you get any sleep last night?"


    "I did, sort of. Thanks for asking. So, you still believe that going without telling anyone is okay?"


    "It''s the only thing we can do. I''ve left a letter saying we¡¯ve both gone on a trip your class had organised."


    "Pff--Hahaha, you think that''s going to work? Anyway, I think I see a black car---it has to be them. Okay, see you down."


    CALL ENDED.


    8:30 A.M.---The moment I''ve been so not looking forward to, has arrived. Will I ever get see my dad once I get into that car? Who knows---after what I went through yesterday, I don''t want to make him go through the same thing as well. I''m just a hindrance here... Crap, I feel like crying, but tears won''t come out. Was I always this unattached to this place? Guess I''m about to find out.


    As soon as I climbed down the staircase from my room, I saw my dad, dozing off in front of the TV---must have had a lot to drink, as usual. Now I''m stuck trying not to make even the slightest of sound. I''ll have to tip-toe the hell out of here.


    One, two, three, four, yeah, that''s it---QUIETLY, but it''s hard to do that while carrying a bag. Okay, just a few more steps.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    5 minutes later


    One... Final.... Step, and---I''m out! That took a while. Okay, next step---get in the car. Akane seems to have gotten in---guess I''ll do the same.


    "Get in already, you stupid kid!" Akane shouted.


    "Okay okay! Geez."


    As I opened the door, I saw a man sitting opposite to Akane---Henry himself. He was smoking a cigar, and reading the newspaper---just like some rich, western businessman.


    "What are you looking at? Get in, boy." He said.


    I got in, and the journey began---Actually, more like 10 minutes ago. In all that time, we haven''t talked to each other at all. Any more of this silence, and it''ll drive me insane.


    "So Henry, where are we going, exactly?" I broke the ice.


    "To a safer place. Far from here, I''m afraid. We''re looking at a 9-hour journey at this rate of speed."


    "9 hours? Are you serious!?" We both shrieked in unison.


    "Calm down, we''re almost there."


    Almost there? What does he---Wait, Trees? Mountains? Around here? I swear there were roads and cars all around us---We were driving through a proper city road just a second ago.


    "Surprised? ETA is 15 minutes."


    That''s so cool. He must have changed our perceptions, and made it seem like we only travelled 10 minutes---Wow! His ability is actually amazing.


    "Now that we have a few minutes to spend, I''d like to thank you for considering my offer---You did the right thing. Right now you''re being taken to a place which is filled with people like yourselves---Sort of like a hub for yurei, and rekishiya. And do not worry about your parents and school---they''ve already been taken care of."


    Well, that''s a relief. But,a hub for yurei, and rekishiya? Is it some top secret underground research facility for special people like us? Oh dear, are we going to be part of inhumane experiments? This actually worries me, since it''s highly likely.


    Minutes later, the car stopped. We could all see a huge building right in front of us.


    "Well, here we are." Henry said, with excitement.


    "Where are we---KI-BO-U-YA-MA....Academy?" I wondered.


    "It does read that." Akane said.


    Suddenly, Henry opened his arms, and raised his voice:


    "WELCOME TO KIBOUYAMA ACADEMY! WHERE YOU CAN PEACEFULLY ENJOY A LIFE WITHOUT ANY DANGER OF BEING EXPOSED, OR FEAR OF HURTING ANYONE."


    Huh? A school? This palace-sized futuristic, yet modern looking structure? A SCHOOL? I swear this is just like this book I used to read back when I was a kid. So this is the hub, eh? But, anything''s better than horrible human experimentation.


    "You brought us to a school? Why?" Akane asked.


    "Oh, you didn''t think we''d keep you here without a purpose, did you? Here, you''ll be staying, and learning all about your powers, and the ways to use them. Physical interaction with outsiders is almost impossible here, so there''s no chance of being found out. You''ll also be taught control, and discipline. You two are among us now, after all. So, follow me."


    "To where?" I asked.


    "The principal''s office. Best to not keep her waiting."

 Chapter 5: Kibouyama Academy

    Wait, so this is the safe place? An ACADEMY? Are you serious?" Akane asked, in disbelief.


    "Why not? You can live here---All the facilities will be provided to you, and you can enjoy school life just like you used to." Henry answered.


    "What about the fees? We don''t have the money to study here." I asked.


    "That, you need not worry about. It can be taken care of. You''ll be starting the next week. Besides, assess the situation here---where else can you expect to go now? Your residences have been compromised, and now---"


    "THAT WAS ALL YOUR FAULT! YOU BROUGHT THIS WHOLE SITUATION UPON US!" Akane said, in an angry tone.


    "I understand. And hence, I took it upon myself to make you study here, free of cost. You''ll be safe here, I promise you. So please, co-operate with me."


    He''s right. We have nowhere to go other than here. Guess we''ll just play on. Akane must be thinking the same... I feel bad for her---she was just a few months away from graduating, and now... Wait, will she also be studying in thisschool?


    "I know what you''re thinking, boy, about her place in this academy. We''ll talk about it later, but for now, it''s best if we hurry to the principal''s office."


    "The principal, what is she like?" I asked.


    "Scary wouldn''t even do her justice---How doesworst nightmaresound?"


    School principals are always scary---my former one was himself a tough personality. He was strict, yet compassionate. I guess you''d expect a leader to be so.


    We''ve been walking for the past 10 minutes. How big is this place!? No, I can see more than just the school building---Caf¨¦s, shopping centres, roads... This campus is basically like a miniature town. And it''s really cold here, since it''s situated in the mountain-side. There are even people here walking about---this really does feel like a town. Might not be too bad, here, studying.


    After another 10 minutes of walking, we''re finally inside the building. The hallways seem like that of a normal high school, except, a slight bit futuristic---automated doors, windows, super-cool looking vending machines... Awesome!Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    "We''re here. Now, best if you two don''t talk much. Let me do most of it. And remember, stay calm. Don''t be agitated."


    Henry opened the doors---more like opened the gates of hell... But I could see a beautiful lady standing in front of the window---her long, silver hair waving due to the cold winds, while wearing a kimono, and holding onto a... sword?


    "I''ve been expecting you... Come in. Good job, Henry."


    "Yes. Glad to be of service. Now, I''ll be waiting outside."


    Henry walked out. It''s just the 3 of us in the room now.


    "Come here, Akane. Let me see your face... It''s been far too long. I knew you were alive. I just knew it."


    In that instance, she hugged her, and started crying.It''s been far too long? Do they know each other? Judging by this situation, it looks more like a reunion.


    "Wait, wait, lady! Stop crying! I don''t know you!" Akane said, while pushing her away.


    "It''s me, Yuriko-sensei!"


    "Sensei? What the hell do you mean, crazy lady? Get a hold of yourself!"


    Sensei? Is she serious? So it IS a reunion.


    "Who are you, exactly?" I asked.


    "Ahem... Sorry for that. Got a little emotional. My name is Motomi Yuriko. I''m the principal of Kibouyama Academy. Regular classes will start next week---You''ll be provided with your uniform, so you need not worry, boy. As for you, Akane, we''ll work on fixing that brain of yours. It seems you''ve lost your memories. But I''m so glad you''re alive... You had me worried for such a long time! Do you know how hard these past six months have been for me without my favourite student?"


    "Memories? What do you mean? I clearly remember that I don''t know you." Akane said.


    "Perhaps this will make you believe."


    She showed us a photograph---And what do you know? Both the principal, and Akane were in it. She''s so young in this... It''s definitely been taken quite a few years back. What happened, exactly?


    "I-It''s me, and you... What am I doing here in this photo? Who took this?"


    "Six months ago, you went missing while on a mission, and we all thought that you might have died. But I didn''t give up hope. I knew you''d return someday."


    "So, was I a student here?"


    "Until 5 years ago, yes. And, not just ANY student---the President of the Student Council. You were a prodigy. Even for a yurei, you were amazingly strong. Even after graduating, you were a role model for a lot of students. I personally trained you to become stronger. I still remember you wanting to become an instructor here."


    "No, I don''t trust you. I-I... I don''t know what''s going on anymore."


    She''s trembling. This is her reality now. One surprise after another... She was a yurei all along. Then why did Henry claim that I was responsible for awakening her power?


    "For now, you''re going to stay with me, Akane. As for you, boy, Henry claims that you''re a rekishiya---I don''t. It''s unheard of him to make mistakes. Surely, his age must be getting the best of him. Let''s test you, shall we?"


    She''s about to draw her sword out. And not just any sword---akatana. Is she planning to cut me!?


    "The rules are simple--survive my strikes for 30 seconds. Any kind of underhanded move is allowed. Just go all out."


    "What happens if I get cut, or stabbed?"


    "Worst case scenario---you die."

 Chapter 6: Test of qualification

    "Die? You''d be willing to kill me?"


    "I never said I wanted to kill you, just saying that I won''t be at fault if you die." She replied, with a smirk.


    "Fair enough."


    This room... It''s big enough for combat. It must have been specifically made for this purpose. I accepted her challenge, even though I''ve never fought before. And this isn''t some ordinary brawl---it''s pretty much a death match. And what''s worse, my opponent has a goddamn katana. What do I do? Should I yield?


    "The test hasn''t started, so you can still give up and run, or, you can man up and face me. But once it does start, there''s no backing off. Your choice."


    If I''m being realistic, then there''s no benefit in giving up now. If I don''t get into this school, then, like Henry mentioned, I''d be hunted down by the other bad guys. I have to try.


    "Oh, taking a defensive stance... So you''re ready to face me? I''ll admit, you''re not spineless. As such, I''ll give you another condition---just block any 2 of my strikes, and you''ll still pass, but with no time limit, or, there''s still the 30-second mark, where you just have to endure. Which approach is it going to be?"


    Mind games, huh? She''s making the advantage sound so easy, but I know real well that blocking a katana with bare hands is almost impossible---it''s one of the sharpest types of swords ever forged. Surviving for 30 seconds, however, means that I have the option to dodge.


    "I''ll choose to survive for half a minute."


    "Oh, I really must admire your courage. Okay, get ready then, boy."


    She slowly drew her sword out as she completed her sentence.


    "Akane, keep count of the time."


    "O-Okay."


    Good grief, this is the first time I''m seeing a katana---in the worst possible situation. The scabbard''s red and white colours match with her kimono.


    "Let''s go!" Yuriko initiated.


    With a swift charge towards me, she swung her blade---I barely dodged it, but I swear I could hear the air being cut. How much force did she put into that swing!? I would have definitely died, had it hit me. This is bad.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    "Didn''t expect you to dodge it. You have good reflexes. But you won''t stay lucky for long."


    "Ryou, look OUT--!" Akane shouted.


    She charged forward with a barrage of strikes---I went from dodging to running. I did get hit two or three times, but they didn''t cause much bleeding, since they only grazed me. Her speed is monstrous---I can barely keep up. All it''ll take is one proper slash to kill me. I have to buy myself some time.


    "15 seconds are up! Another 15 to go. You can do it, Ryou!"


    "You''re doing well for a novice. Maybe I''ll take it up a notch."


    She started swinging her sword even faster---I cannot even see some of the strikes.


    "Tch. I''ll end this in one strike."


    Her eyes, they look... cold, as if ready to kill. She''s been toying with me the whole time, and now she''s gotten serious. This is bad. I''m already sweating like crazy, in fear---one can practically smell it.


    "YUUKINOKEN!"


    "RYOU!!"


    She slightly jumped up, and swung her sword.


    I feel like closing my eyes, and letting her strike... but knowing that I''ll get killed if I get hit, I have to block it!


    At that instance, I don''t know what came over me, but I blocked that blade with my hands---in between my palms, more specifically. I read in a manga once that the samurai used to block this way with their palms, if they were disarmed. But they never mentioned the pain, goddammit. I''m standing right now, blocking a sword which is about a few inches away from killing me. She struck with incredible force---my shoulders and knees feel like they''re about to shatter.


    "How did you block that?! You lucky brat... I''m going to slice you up real good."


    "T-Ten seconds more..." Akane reminded us of the time.


    She''s still exerting an absurd amount of pressure... she''s still n---my gloves... they''ve been cut, at the bottom end of my palms. Oh crap, not at this time. If that blade touches my skin, I won''t be able to concentrate anymore.


    "Nine, eight..."


    "How are you still standing?! Just collapse already! And let go of the blade, dammit!"


    She gave a good push to the blade---and that touched the exposed skin at the bottom of my palms.


    "...My name is Sgt. Coldy Bimore...."


    "... Please take them, and keep them safe. No one must know about this... especially Lord Iemasa."


    I can''t determine how old this is. AndSgt. Coldy Bimore? The name sounds very familiar. Wait... It can''t be... No, it has to.


    "T-The hilt, it''s glowing? Who the hell are you, kid?"


    "Aaand... ZERO! Time''s up."


    She withdrew her sword. Finally, I''ve come back to my senses. I survived? Huh, who''d have thought? I feel so tired. But why is her sword''s hilt glowing? It''s---no wait, it''s fading... it''s... stopped now.


    "I-It stopped. What was that?" Akane asked.


    "There''s a stone embedded in the hilt. It glows in the presence of incredible power, such as that of a rekishiya. It hasn''t shined in a long time...at least not since that day."


    "Thatday?" I asked.


    She didn''t answer. Clearly, not a question to be asked as of now.


    "What was your name again, boy?"


    "Yoshida Ryou."


    "You''re interesting, Ryou... I like you. I suppose you''ve passed. You can start going to classes from next week. Akane will be staying with me, and I''ll be working on fixing that amnesia of hers. Meanwhile, fix those hands of yours. You''re bleeding quite a lot."


    After I patched myself up, she opened the doors of the room, and Henry was waiting outside.


    "Welcome to Kibouyama, kid."

 Chapter 7: Roommates

    "You were here the whole time?" I asked Henry.


    "Doesn''t hurt to wait. Besides, I was waiting for the touching reunion."


    "You knew? Why did you lie about not knowing about her power? Why didn''t you say so before?!"


    "Silence, boy.¡± Yuriko interrupted. ¡°He was indeed sent on a mission to bring her back, and so he did. Obviously, some drastic methods, such as not mentioning her actual identity, or lying, were used. You just got caught up in the process. But, now that everything''s been sorted, he will show you to your dorm."


    "I still have a lot more questions, but until that time, take care of Akane. She''s like a big sister to me."


    "Heh, I should thank you for keeping her safe. But, as to how she ended up with you, I don''t know. We''ll be having a conversation about this soon."


    "I doubt you''ll get any answers."


    We shook hands, and left the principal''s office, while Akane stayed with Ms. Yuriko. But, I couldn''t help but wonder about that vision I got after touching the sword---I had NEVER been able to see anything beyond 24 hours, until now. Normally, I can pin-point a certain event if it has occurred within 6 hours, but I have done my own little set of experiments, and have concluded that I can only see things that have happened within 24 hours. But, if my guess is right, then the vision I had was perhaps about 70 years old---which is impossible. Plus, I rarely get visual information by touching objects---that too shabby looking visuals, as if some baby had scribbled on a paper with crayons.


    "You seem perplexed, kid."


    "Her sword, how old is it?" I asked.


    "How would I know? Even if I did, I wouldn''t tell you, for the principal would then kill me, haha."


    "You must have a rough idea."


    "Just between you and me, it is at least a few centuries old. Why do you ask? Don''t tell me you saw thepastof that blade."


    "Spot on. And I even got visual information---not very clear, but easily visible. Plus, the sounds weren''t clouded, either. And I don''t know if this is important, but there was this stone-like thing embedded in the hilt, and it was glowing. Does this mean anything to you?"The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    "You''re a curious kid, I''ll give you that. Maintain it, and you''ll blend in. I can''t answer all of your questions, but, you can, however, go to the academy library---they have tons of books to refer to."


    He''s not even trying to hide the fact that he''s dodging my questions. Guess there''s time for everything. I''ll just wait for classes to commence.


    We walked for another ten minutes, and finally reached the boys dormitory. It wasn''t too big, like the other buildings---just consisted of 6 floors.


    "This is the boys¡¯ dorm, kid. Your new home."


    My new home, huh? The sound of that isn''t too bad. I feel bad doing all of this without my dad knowing about it, but hopefully, it''s all for the best.


    "Your room is the first one on the fifth floor---Room 501. You''ll be having a roommate too, so cooperate. I''ll be taking my leave, so if there''s anything else you need to know, just ask the teachers, they''ll be in the dorms too. Good luck."


    He left, waving me goodbye. I''m on my own, then. This shouldn''t be too bad. 5th floor, was it? Okay, then, off to my new home.


    I took the elevator to the 5th floor---the inside of the dorm looks like a damn hotel. I did not see this coming. The passageways look so neat and organised. And it seems so quiet, I might just like it here. Now, where''s my room, the first one, was it? Ah yes, this one. Huh, it''s open?


    There''s nobody inside. But, good grief, this room! It really looks like a hotel room. Two separate beds, and amazing air conditioning. There''s even a TV, and the bathroom looks good too. I''m already liking this.


    "Oh, so you''re the new guy?"


    "Ah, yes. You must be my roommate." I replied.


    "Hey, the name''s Yosuke. Miyata Yosuke. Welcome, roomie."


    "Yoshida Ryou. Nice to meet you, Miyata."


    "Yosuke''s fine. So, you like video games, Ryou?" He asked, with a big smile on his face.


    I nodded yes. He reminds me of Hiro. I can''t believe I left without telling my only good friend. Nevertheless, nothing can be done now. I guess I''ll just help myself here.


    We played video games until next morning. I''ve never played this much in one stretch before---it was crazy.


    "Wow, you''re the only guy who''s been able to keep up with me. I''m impressed, Ryou."


    "You''re a tough opponent to beat. I couldn''t help but get a bit competitive."


    "So, how come you''re joining during this time of the year? Last-minute admission, eh?" Yosuke asked.


    "Yeah. Henry brought me here."


    "Henry? Who''s that?"


    "Henry Turnwallace? The guy in the suit? I thought he''d be a teacher here...?"


    "I know every teacher in this school. Even my PDA has zero results. In fact, there are few foreign teachers too, but Henry isn''t one of them. Although, the name does kind of ring a bell."


    "What is that thing... PDA?"


    "They provide all the students with this. Check your cupboard, it should be in there, along with some other stuff."


    I did, and there it was---a smartphone-like device, along with my uniform, and a bag. That''s convenient.


    "Try using the PDA. Its database contains the names of all the teachers and students."


    I searched for Henry''s name, but nothing popped up. Strange. Principal Yuriko treated him like an important colleague. I just assumed him to be a teacher---he did introduce us to this academy like a teacher usually would. Never mind, I''ll just find out next week.

 Chapter 8: Beginning of a new semester

    A week later - Monday


    It''s finally happening. My first day at this bizarre academy. It is 6:30 A.M now---I don''t know if I had enough sleep. The entire week, I spent most of my time gaming with Yosuke, not that I regret it. I have been trying to contact Akane, and dad, but they both haven''t picked up my calls, nor have they replied to my texts. I can¡¯t seem to be able to find out about a way to contact Henry either. Horrible human experimentationwas what was going on in my mind the whole time in these last few days.


    But I have been researching about the vision I had. If I am right here, which I most likely am, then that sword is the Honjo Masamune---Japan''s most valuable treasure, and one of the greatest swords ever made. It went missing about 70 years ago, whenSgt. Coldy Bimoretook the sword, and to this day, hasn''t been seen or heard of since. I guess watching that historical documentary back in middle school really paid off. But goddamn---it''s in the hands of principal Yuriko! How did she find it? Also, Coldy took several other swords with him too, so it might just not be the Honjo Masamune, but it is one of the missing ones. I need to learn more about her past. Fortunately, I''m a specialist at that.


    "Mmhmm--... Good morning, you''re an early bird, Ryou. What time is it?" Yosuke mumbled.


    "6:45, now get up. School starts in 45 minutes."


    I''ve never attended a single class here, yet I''m acting like some honour student.


    Now that I''m about to wear my uniform, it''s unusual---black long jacket, black long-sleeved vest up to the neck, black pants, and black gloves. It''s all black.


    I literally look like an assassin. But it''s really easy to move in this, plus the fabric seems quite durable. I guess this much clothing is necessary for the cold, and combat. Thank god they''ve provided gloves.


    Getting ready, and having breakfast took us nearly 40 minutes---the rush at the cafeteria was unreal. At least the main building isn''t too far from here. If we make a run for it, then we''ll reach in time.


    "Hey Ryou, you know your classroom?"


    "Ah, come to think of it, no."


    "Check your PDA. You have it with you, right?"


    "Yeah. Uh... Class 1-3."


    "Oh, same as mine. Nice!" Yosuke said, with a delightful expression.


    The PDA actually isn''t too bad---it has the function to call students and teachers, free of charge, and also has all the details about the subjects, and periods. Too bad you can''t use it to call anybody other than people affiliated to this academy. But, it is an interesting little device.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    *PDA ringing*


    CALLER: UNKNOWN


    "Hello? Who''s this?"


    "Henry. I want you to keep something in mind---do not tell anyone that you''re a rekishiya."


    "Why not?"


    "It''ll cause an uproar. Just be careful. Oh, and one more thing---try not to mention about how you got into the academy. Especially, don''t mention about me. Got that?"


    "I don''t know why, but I don''t see why not. Don''t worry."


    "Good. Best of luck."


    CALL ENDED


    The database didn''t contain his name, and now he''s asking me to keep quiet about him. All of this seems too strange.


    "Are you coming or not? The bell just rang." Yosuke reminded me that we were late. Great. First day at an unknown school, and I''m late---so clich¨¦. But, I can see a lot of people still heading for the main building, so I''m not alone.


    The girls have an interesting uniform too---black military trench coat, with stockings. It really feels like I''m going to a rich business school, and it''s awesome.


    After running for 5 minutes straight, the two of us made it to the classroom on the 3rd floor. The school building is enormous from the inside! If it weren''t for Yosuke, I''d be lost.


    "You two, are late, I hope you know that."


    "S-Sorry, Mariko-sensei... I swear we didn''t do it on purpose." Yosuke apologised, while having a terrified look on his face.


    "You... you must be the new student. Why don''t you introduce yourself? And you, Yosuke, I''m leaving you off the hook for today, since it''s the first day after winter break. Go grab your seat."


    "T-thank you, sensei!"


    Okay, time to introduce myself. Be calm, you. Take a deep breath. Don''t screw it up.


    "My name is Yoshida Ryou, and I''m going to be a part of this class as of today. I am in your care."


    I said it! Didn''t mess it up like I expected.


    "Good. Take your seat... There''s one empty in the middle, next to... him, Miyata Yosuke." She said, with a disappointed face.


    Yosuke started smiling like an idiot---roommates sitting beside one another, must be too good to be true for him. Oh well, at least there''s somebody I can interact with during class.


    "Now, students, in this semester, three new mandatory subjects have been added, and two elective ones. You have to choose one of the two subjects for this semester. You will be having the respective classes accordingly today. Since it''s the first day, I plan to make you all aware of the things to be expected. Now, open your PDAs and check the list of subjects.


    I opened my PDA, and saw the list:


    <ul>


    <li>MANDATORY:</li>


    </ul>


    Mathematics


    English Theory


    Historical Events


    Battle Terrain (BT) Theory


    Battle Terrain (BT) Practical


    Ability Theory


    Home Economics


    <ul>


    <li>ELECTIVE:</li>


    </ul>


    Advanced BT-Practical


    Advanced Ability Theory


    There are some subjects I recognise, and a lot of new names too---which I have no clue of. So I''m supposed to choose one elective subject, huh? But how do I do it?


    "Don''t worry, Ryou. These are news subjects for us too. We only had normalhumansubjects like social studies, and such until a few weeks ago. This time, it''s serious. It''s getting me pumped!" Yosuke said, with excitement.


    At the very least, I''m glad I''m not the only one. This makes it really convenient.


    She continued with the discussion regarding the new semester, until the period was over. The first hour was highly informative. Five more periods to go. What''s next... BT-Theory, and after that, BT-Practical? Shouldn''t be too bad, I think.

 Chapter 9: Battle Terrain

    2nd period - Battle Terrain Theory


    "All right, you little newbies, this subject is entirely new for you. I''m sure some of you already must have figured out about this---it''s calledBattle Terrain.And now, it''s theory time, and the next hour will be the practical. I, Mariko, will be teaching you both theory and practical, along with a bunch of other subjects. Without further ado, let''s begin."


    "Hey Ryou, I heard it from asenpaithat this is the most fun subject." Yosuke whispered.


    "Quiet, Yosuke. Another word, and you''re cleaning the entire classroom yourself."


    "Y-yes, Mariko-sensei."


    He sure is scared of her. And, if I didn''t know any better, I''d say she''s had some experience in the military---she has a commanding voice, looks disciplined, and hot, for that matter, and also, she seems experienced in battles, like Henry.


    "Now, listen carefully. How many of you have powers based on contact?"


    More than half the number of students have raised their hands. I should too.


    "You see, unlike those withnon-contact-based,orenhancement-basedpowers, you all will be at a huge disadvantage if you were to face a strong opponent in anopen field---you won''t be able to touch anything to make use of your powers."


    Good point. I guess bynon-contact-basedpowers, she''s referring to powers similar to Henry''s---he changed the perceptions of those bad guys without even touching them.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    "And similarly, in a place, such as a forest, or building, the ones withcontact-basedpowers will have a great advantage. So, what do you do in situations like these, where your odds of winning are low? This is where this subject comes into play. We will teach you combat techniques, and other fighting styles, which will get you prepared for the worst. As for the theory part, we will test your knowledge about the different terrains of battle---about its advantages, and disadvantages. But believe me when I say this---It isn''t like any other subject you had in the first semester---it is brutal, and could even cause some serious injuries, which may even prove to be life threatening. This is a mandatory subject, and since I''m in charge, EVERYBODY has to clear both theory, and practical. Fail in even one of them, and you will have to retake the exams for both. Got it?"


    Everything sounded really exciting, until the last part---I''ve never fought before in my life. How am I going to survive this?


    "This is going to be really fun!" Yosuke exclaimed.


    Theory might not be too bad, but practical? Nuh-uh. No way. All of these students here---no, everyone here is a yurei, or a rekishiya. I''m screwed.


    "You seem troubled, new guy. Relax." said the girl sitting next to me.


    "Huh? Oh, no, it''s nothing, I''m fine. Thank you."


    "Hey there, I''m Maekawa Ayase. Looks like we''ll be sitting next to each other, until the seat rotation next month. Nice to meet you."


    "Yoshida Ryou, pleased to meet you as well."


    She''s friendly, and cute to boot, with her short, brown hair. I guess sitting right in the middle of the class proved to be not too bad.


    "Hey Ayase, decided on the elective subject? Which one are you going to choose?" Yosuke asked.


    "I''m going for Advanced BT-Practical. I just want to get stronger real quick. What about you, Yoshida?" She asked.


    "I... haven''t really decided yet."


    "Elective classes won''t be conducted until tomorrow. So you have some time. Choose carefully." She said.


    "Got it."


    "Just so you know, I''m also going to choose Advanced Battle Terrain Practical. I''m going to leave you in the dust, Ayase." Yosuke said, while pointing at her.


    "Try me, punk." She retorted.


    These two seem like rivals. I guess a healthy competition is really good for progress. I wonder what their powers are. I suppose I''ll have the answer to that in the 3rd period.

 Chapter 10: Match time

    3rd period - Battle Terrain Practical


    It''s the hour I have been so not keen on attending. What am I supposed to do?


    "Hey, you look like crap. Are you sure you''ll be fine?" Yosuke asked.


    "Y-yeah, I''ll be okay." I replied, obviously lying.


    We got changed into our combat gear---actually, we just removed our long jackets. They haven''t provided us with protective gear of any sort. Henry did mention that yurei and rekishiya have enhanced physical strength, but there is no point in having super strength if everyone''s going to have it.


    *PDA VIBRATING*


    MESSAGE: MS. MARIKO


    "All students to assemble at the open field in 10 minutes."


    "The open field? Where''s that?" I asked.


    "It''s a nearby training ground... A lot of students usually go there to test out their fighting skills after classes. But, it is usually occupied by the seniors, and they rarely let us first-years train." Yosuke replied.


    10 minutes later - Open Field


    "All right, now that you''re all here, let me explain what we''re going to be doing here---form a pair, and fight against other pairs. Simple as that. The condition to win is to defeat at least one of the two opponents. Losers will have to attend supplementary training classes on weekends for a month. Got it?"


    Good grief, that''s the worst possible luck I could have.


    "You can pair up with anyone, and I will choose the match up."


    Everyone''s frantically looking for someone to pair up with. There are 28 students in total, so 14 pairs---that is, 7 matches. I only know two people so far, so maybe I can ask them to---


    "I''m going to kick your ass, Yosuke!"


    "I''m going to make you regret that you didn''t pair up with me, Ayase!"


    Eh, maybe not. Those two have already paired up with other students, anyway. And now that I look---everybody''s in a group. I''m literally at a disadvantage, since it''s my first day. Nobody else knows me, and---oh wait, there''s a guy left out. Maybe I should ask him.


    "I''d advice you to stay away from him. He''s umm... kind of weird." Yosuke said.


    "Weird? Why? Just because he has slightly long hair?" I said in a joking manner.


    "He rarely talks to anyone, and acts like a hotshot. And, he keeps ignoring those around him. But surprisingly, he''s had the best test scores so far."


    "I don''t really have a choice, so I''ll have to make do."


    I went, and stood next to him, and he didn''t even bother to turn and look. I could see why people would want to stay away from him, due to his intimidating looks---long, blonde hair up to the shoulders. He¡¯s also tall, to boot. He seems like a delinquent.


    "Hey, want to team up?" I asked.


    "You''re the new guy, aren''t you?" He asked.


    "Yeah. I''m Yoshida Ryou. Nice to meet you."


    "Utsumi Takashi. I''ll join you, under one condition."


    "Okay, go on."


    "Only dodge and run. Understand?"


    What kind of a condition is that?Dodge and run only? Actually, now that I think about it, that''s the only thing I can do. So, does he know that I have zero experience regarding this?A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    "I don''t really have a choice, so I''ll accept it."


    "Good. Now, we wait until our opponents are decided."


    We paired up, and are now waiting for the line-up of the matches. I don''t know most of them, so I can''t form a strategy either. There seems to be a slight commotion regarding a pair. I wonder what it is...?


    "Ah crap, this is the worst." Yosuke panicked.


    "What isworst?" I asked.


    "The monster pair. The class rep, Tsujihara Fumika, and the strongest male student in our class---Yoritaka Izumo. They are both the strongest students in our class. There''s no way anybody can win against them."


    Strongest, huh? Doesn''t matter---I''m going to lose.


    "This is such a waste of time." Utsumi said.


    "You don''t seem worried."


    He didn''t answer. He''s too quiet. I can''t believe I''ve become the talkative one, now. Delinquents never really give much thought to things, do they?


    "Attention, students. I''ll be demonstrating a technique which you can incorporate into your battles. It''s calledfast-step---easy to use, and very reliable for escaping, or reducing the gap between you and your opponent. It requires very less energy too. Now, Tsujihara will be helping me show you how it''s done."


    The two of them---Mariko-sensei and Tsujihara, got into positions, far away from each other.


    "Okay, I''m about 20 metres away from her, and my goal is to reduce the gap to about 7 metres---almost one-third the distance. But I have to make sure that I do it quickly. So, follow my movements. Here I go." Mariko-sensei said.


    In a flash, she rocketed towards Tsujihara, completely closing the gap---what incredible speed! She left a huge trail of dust behind. That took less than a second. Amazing.


    "What I did was simple---exerted energy onto my dominant leg, and in one step, I charged. Normally, using this technique multiple times in a day will cause extreme fatigue, but I''m still not tired. Hell, this was nothing for me. Once you train long enough, you can use this on a daily basis. Remember, one step is all you need."


    That was fairly simple to understand, but how do I exert my energy onto my leg?


    "You seem perplexed, new guy." Utsumi guessed right.


    "I''m not sure about theexerting energypart. How is that done?"


    "Just do what I told you to do during our match. That was the only condition we agreed upon. Now, relax."


    So much for asking.


    "Okay, all pairs will be assigned names, such as A, B, and C. And, matchups will be decided in a few moments." Mariko-sensei said, as she started assigning team names.


    There are 14 pairs---all the way from A to N. We''ve been assigned asTeam C.


    "Here are the matchups:


    Team A vs Team N


    Team B vs Team M


    Team C vs Team L


    Team D vs Team K


    Team E vs Team J


    Team F vs Team I


    Team G vs Team H


    I''m sure we may not be able to finish all the matches in an hour, so we will continue the remaining matches next week. Am I clear?"


    "Yes ma''am!" Everybody said in unison.


    Yosuke''s in Team A, and Team G has Ayase. Guess they won''t be fighting each other. And my opponents are from Team L... crap---the class rep and the big, muscular guy, who is apparently the strongest male student in our class. The goddess of luck has finally left me hanging out to dry.


    The first match is about to begin, and Yosuke looks pretty confident, consistently fixing his spiky hair---but he also looks serious, and not having his usual goofy expression. His opponents are... I have no clue, honestly. I will have to watch this one closely.


    "Okay, ready? Begin!" Mariko-sensei initiated the match.


    Using fast-step, one of Yosuke''s opponents charged towards him and punched him in the face. Ouch, that must have hurt. But the charging speed wasn''t as much as Mariko-sensei''s---in fact, even I could easily see the movement, but it was faster than running.


    Yosuke''s constantly taking hits---why? He could dodge them, but isn''t. He''s even bleeding.


    "I know what you''re thinking---he isn''t trying to avoid the attacks, right?" Ayase read my thoughts.


    "Y-yeah... He''ll lose at this rate---no, he¡¯ll be hospitalised."


    "I''ve known him since we were 8. Trust me, he''s fine. He''s not that weak. In fact, calling him weak is a mistake."


    "DO YOU HAVE A DEATH WISH, YOU IDIOT?!" Yosuke''s opponent shouted.


    "Defend myself?¡± Yosuke replied, while spitting out blood, ¡°You hit like a baby."


    "Grr... You asked for it."


    In that very moment, the opponent started launching a barrage of punches and kicks at some serious speeds, but... Yosuke is dodging all of them? How? He was not able to dodge against slower attacks, but now he''s avoiding them like it''s nothing.


    "It''s begun. Yosuke''s finally using his power." Ayase said, with a smirk on her face.


    "HOW ARE YOU DODGING MY ATTACKS!?"


    "Your attacks are fast, I admit it. But, your position is horrible. You''re standing way too close to me, and you''re using attacks meant to hit an opponent at least a couple of metres away from you. You suck."


    In that moment, Yosuke used fast-step---at very close range from the opponent, and charged right at him, and struck him with a punch to his chin, and knocked him out---and it was almost as fast as Mariko-sensei''s!


    "As one of Team N''s members is knocked out cold, the winner is Team A. Good work." Mariko-sensei said, with a delighted face.


    ¡°WHAT ABOUT MY MOMENT!?¡± Yosuke¡¯s teammate shouted. Nobody listened to him, though. He was getting beat up pretty bad. Good thing the match ended quickly.


    "You took your time, moron. This guy should have been a piece of cake." Ayase said.


    "I didn¡¯t count on my teammate for doing much, so I had to use my brains a little. Besides, Ryou is the one whom you should worry about. His opponents are those two monsters."

 Chapter 11: Monster

    "Oh crap... how did I forget that?" Ayase wondered.


    "So, how did you dodge those attacks so easily? Surely, it wasn''t luck." I asked.


    "Guessed it right. It was thanks to my power. I call itDistance Accuracy---I can accurately determine the distances between any number of objects, up to a certain range. It''s very handy during battles. With it, I determined the speed at which he was attacking, by calculating the distance between his hands and my body, and the amount of time it took to make contact. I had to take those initial few hits to do so, though. But obviously, he wasn''t properly making use of his position, and started attacking me relentlessly again, as soon as I provoked him. He stopped defending his body thereafter, and I was able to hit him using fast-step. Damn, that felt good."


    "Informative. So, why didn''t your opponent use his power?" I asked.


    "He must have anenhancement-typepower. His attacks were real fast. Must be some speed-enhancing ability."


    "Sensei did mention this earlier... What is thisenhancement-typeability?" I asked.


    "It''s just the enhancement of any part or sense of your body. You''ll learn about it in Ability Theory tomorrow." Yosuke replied.


    This isn''t so bad at all. I''m actually getting interested by all this.


    "Are you sure you''ll be okay with supplementary classes during the weekends?" Ayase asked, in a funny manner.


    "It''s not your fault you have to face the two monsters---it''s just bad luck. Hahaha!" Yosuke said, while laughing with Ayase.


    But, Utsumi seems calm. He must have already accepted his defeat beforehand. No, that is never the case with delinquents---they¡¯re too thick-headed.


    "So, how did Tsujihara become the class rep?" I asked.


    "15 students volunteered to be the representative,¡± Yosuke replied, ¡°And since only the strongest was to be chosen, they had an official battle royale---all 15 at the same time, on this very open field. 13 of the contestants were defeated by Yoritaka and Tsujihara alone, in just a matter of minutes. The two of them then fought hard, until Tsujihara came out as the victor. I''m not sure as to why the two teamed up for today, but whatever it may be, it isn''t looking good for you, Ryou."


    So, the two strongest in our class, are my opponents.Dodge and runseems like a really good option now.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    10 minutes later


    "Team M is the winner. Good work." Mariko sensei congratulated them.


    The second match wasn''t all that impressive to watch---I''m not sure if they even used their powers that much. Nevertheless, it''s time for my match---against the monster pair. Even though it''s so cold out here, I''m slightly sweating due to the fear building up inside of me. Okay, I can survive this... I can... Just take a deep breath...


    "Stop mumbling to yourself, new guy. It''s time. Hope you fulfill your part." Utsumi said.


    Everybody''s looking at us---they know we''re screwed. They have also started whispering to each other. My first impression is going to be really bad.


    "All right, take your positions, teams. Aaaaaand... BEGIN!"


    Yoritaka and Tsujihara blasted towards me using fast-step---what incredible speed! I can¡¯t dodge it in time¡­


    "What a waste..."


    In that split second before contact, Utsumi appeared in front of me, and punched the two of them in their stomachs, and knocked them out. I could barely see his hands move at that speed. What the hell?


    Everybody''s silent---Absolutely. I can even see some wide open mouths. What just happened? Utsumi suddenly appeared in front of me, and knocked the two of them in one strike. Weren''t they the strongest? And why does Utsumi look so cool about all of this? Who is this guy?


    "So much for dodging and running, new guy." Utsumi said, while slowly walking away from the open field. Everybody was making way for him, and couldn''t even look him in the eye.


    "T-The winners are Team C. Good work. That''s it for today, you can go have your lunch break now. We''ll wrap this up next week." Mariko-sensei said, with a shocked expression.


    "What IN THE WORLD WAS THAT!? He beat two of the strongest in our class! In less than half a minute... That was insane!" Yosuke shouted in awe.


    Yoritaka and Tsujihara have been knocked out cold---they''re not even getting back to their senses. That¡¯s some display of power right there.


    "He was the actual monster. Who knew?" Ayase said.


    "Did any of you see his movements? I couldn''t see how he got in front of me in that short time frame." I asked.


    "It wasside-step,¡± Mariko-sensei interrupted, ¡°A variation of the fast-step, where you blast yourself sideways. It isn''t hard to pull off, but it is extremely tough to learn. It is mainly taught to military cadets, or sometimes to some of the shining students in Advanced BT-Practical, due to the serious injuries it can cause while executing. While moving sideways at high speeds, your body uses most of its muscles just to maintain proper posture during the landing, and if too much force is exerted for traversing small distances, then muscle tears, or even some fractures, are imminent. It won¡¯t matter even if we¡¯re physically much stronger than normal humans---the force will be too much. And by the way, I came to tell you that you''re being summoned to the Principal''s office, Yoshida. And the rest of you---go have your lunch. Dismissed." She left, as she said those words.


    "But, Yoshida and Utsumi weren''t too apart from each other just before the start of the match" Ayase implied, while whispering.


    "3.9 metres to be exact." Yosuke answered.


    "You could tell that? Oh right, your power." I said.


    "He not only executed a side-step, but was also able to land perfectly in that short amount of distance and time frame, and pull off two powerful punches at once. And they weren''t just nobodies---the strongest." Yosuke said.


    I need to know more about him. It''s time I start using my own power.


    "Hey, the principal called you, you better get going." Ayase reminded me.

 Chapter 12: Imperium

    The Principal''s Office - Lunch break


    Back in this room again---Akane isn''t here, but rather, an old yet sturdy looking man is. Judging by the way he''s standing near principal Yuriko, I can only assume that he''s her butler, or her bodyguard.


    "Glad you could make it this quickly, boy. I''d like you to meet this man here---his name is Taniguchi Reizo. He''s been serving my family for generations. And Reizo, this is Yoshida Ryou, the new student." Yuriko introduced us to each other.


    "It''s very rare of Henry to recruit students, and it''s absurd that you passed Motomi-sama''s test. Nevertheless, it wasn''t my decision." Reizo said.


    He''sserved her family for generations? Is she that rich?


    "May I enter?" Someone spoke from behind the office''s door.


    "Come on in, Henry. We were just about to start the discussion."


    Henry''s also here. This must be thetalkshe said she''d have with me regarding Akane''s case.


    "Now, what I''m about to tell you must not leave this room, unless I permit it. Got it, boy?" Yuriko said, in a threatening manner.


    "Y-yes, but why isn''t Akane here?" I asked.


    "She''s undergoing treatment, so I can assure you that she''s fine. I won''t let anyone even harm a hair on her head." Yuriko responded.


    "Why don''t we get this discussion going?" Henry insisted.


    "All right. Listen closely, boy. Six months ago, Akane was sent on a solo mission to an enemy base to spy for intel. But, she got caught in the process, and was presumably dead, until Henry tracked her down---working part-time, along with a rekishiya such as yourself, and having no memories of her past, including her powers. We can only assume that it was the enemy''s doing."


    "Whatenemy? You mean like those who attacked me and Akane?"


    "Correct, but they were just expendable pawns of the enemy. They were only sent to confirm one thing---Henry''s existence."If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    "What do you mean by that? Is he officially supposed to be dead, or something?" I asked, with a puzzled expression.


    "No, not quite. I believedormantis the word you''re looking for. Henry is one of their biggest threats---has been for a long time. Sending him to find Akane proved to be successful in drawing out the enemy, but at the same time, compromising his existence. We interrogated those two men, and were able to gather some good enough information---They revealed that Akane was abducted by a certain someone after she was captured by the enemy. They also mentioned thathesingle-handedly wiped out the entire base effortlessly---no ordinary fighter could pull off such a feat." Yuriko explained.


    Now that we are talking about this, what about her university? Her parents? Were they all lies? No, that can''t be. And who is thisenemy?


    "Regarding the two men, they are part of an organisation calledImperium. It''s believed that it was formed just before the First World War, and they are, to simply put, the enemy of humanity. After almost 5 years of tracking, we were finally able to pinpoint the location of one of their research bases---naturally, we sent our then-best soldier, Akane, to investigate, and to gather valuable information. We did get something from her---an audio transmission just before she got captured. Here, listen."


    She picked her phone up from the table and played the recording.


    "...This is bad. Real bad. There are people here, in captivity, being used for experiments. They look lifeless. Blood is being extracted out of them through tubes attached to them, and they''re leading to... another room...? Wha---there are people in here too, and they are... being fed with the blood!? There seems to be a small paper here, regarding the research... What could it b--...."


    The audio stopped. Akane sounded so much different---but it was undoubtedly her voice. So, she really did work for these guys.


    "We have no clue as to what was truly going on, but all we know is that they were conducting heinous experiments on people---experiments that are considered taboo, even among us. They are illegal to be performed as well." Yuriko said.


    "What kind?" I asked.


    "That''ll be a conversation for another day. What I want you to do is to use your powers---on Akane. Henry told me about your ability, and it''s too valuable. I plan to make good use of it. You can consider this as payment for studying here." Yuriko said, with a sadistic smile.


    Of course, I knew it was too good to be true, to be freeloading. But then again, they aren''t using me for anything shady. I suppose I''ll give in.


    "I don''t see why not. We have a deal."


    "Good. All I need you to do is to glance into Akane''s past and tell us what you see. Simple as that. This is very sensitive information that we''re looking for, so we need you to do well."


    "I''ll do what I can. Meanwhile, tell me something... Is your sword theHonjo Masamune?"I asked.


    "So, I presume you saw the past of this blade?"


    I nodded yes.


    "It''s... not the legendary blade. It is one of the other ones that went missing, along with the Honjo Masamune. I''m impressed, nevertheless."


    "Then what''s that gem-like stone embedded onto the hilt?"


    She threw a serious expression.


    "Do you really want to know, boy?"


    "Yes." I replied.

 Chapter 13: Source of all

    "Pfft... Hahahaha! Relax, kid. It''s not some mystery---just go refer to a book or something." Principal Yuriko said.


    Come to think of it, even Henry told me the same thing once.


    "But, since you asked me so earnestly, I''ll tell you. It''s calledreorbis---an extremely rare and valuable material. Once embedded into a weapon of choice, it can make the weapon part of you---instead of making skin contact with your opponents, you can just attack them with it, and use your powers."


    "Woah. That is incredible. But then, a weapon is generally in contact with the opponent for hardly a second, so how does that all map out?"


    "A layer of the wielder''s power is formed around it---so, when it pierces through the skin, it causes prolonging effects, and hence, you won''t have to constantly maintain contact. The deeper the cut, the more lethal the effect. However, I''m surprised that you weren''t really affected much by it, during our little sparring." Yuriko said.


    "So, you really did put your power into the weapon, I mean, thereorbis?" I asked.


    "Very little, of course. I''m not sure why it didn¡¯t, but it''s interesting. Besides, a proper stab would have resulted in a much more different scenario. And also, for contact-based power users like me, such weapons are best suited."


    "And this sword... Is it as lethal as the Honjo Masamune?"


    "This one was supposed to be an exact copy of the actual legendary sword, but obviously isn''t even close to it."


    Copy? So there were knock-offs, huh? But where''s the real one?


    "Looking at your face, I can definitely tell that you''re wondering the whereabouts of the actual blade." Yuriko was spot on.


    "So... Where, then?" I asked.


    She got up, opened her huge cupboard, and there it was---a magnificent looking sword at the centre, along with several other weapons, likenaginata,wakizashi,yari... It''s an entire arsenal of traditional weapons. The Honjo Masamune''s hilt does have a stone embedded in it, but it''s larger than the other sword''s---almost the size of a 100-yen coin.


    "T-That, is the actual blade? The one in the middle?" I asked.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    She looked at me, screaming "yes"through her eyes.


    "Oh my lord. That is INSANE!" I exclaimed.


    "Apart from being a splendidly hardworking lady, she''s also a collector of the sorts." Taniguchi added.


    "C-Can I look at it up close?"


    "Nope." She said, and immediately closed the doors of the cupboard, "I only opened it to answer your question, kid. It''s not something I can just let anyone touch. I think you should go and have your lunch. We''ll be relying on your power to cure Akane of her amnesia. That''ll be all."


    I guess I understand her position. Nobody would want a national treasure to be in the hands of some random person. But the big question arises---How did it end up here?


    "I know you want to ask a lot more questions, but not now, kid. Maybe, in the upcoming days. For now, let there be some mystery." Yuriko said.


    "I suppose you may leave now, Yoshida. Yuriko-sama has matters to attend to." Taniguchi said, while opening the door.


    "All right, fine."


    "Don''t have that look on your face, boy. I even took the liberty to change the perception of everybody in the room. Go enjoy your first day." Henry said.


    He''s right. It''s only been 3 minutes. So, I still have time for lunch. That''s good to know. I''m getting used to it, now.


    Lunch break- Class 1-3


    "Why did principal Yuriko call you, Ryou?" Ayase asked.


    "Uh, nothing much, just wanted to ask me some questions. By the way, do you guys know anything about this thing calledreorbis?" I asked.


    "Everybody knows that. Even kids do." Yosuke answered.


    "Don''t you?" Ayase asked.


    "Umm... Let''s just say that my knowledge is a bit rusty for now. Could you enlighten me, then?"


    "It is the source of our powers---it is believed that the first yurei and rekishiya were created thanks to the stone''s power. It''s very common knowledge." Yosuke explained.


    Source of all power? Why didn''t the principal tell me such an important fact earlier!? So that stone is what started everything?


    "What about embedding it into objects?"


    "I don''t know much about that. The only thing I''ve heard is that these stones are used to channel your powers into the weapon it is embedded in. But, in order to achieve that, rather than a reorbis, areorbiumis required." Ayase said.


    "Reorbium?"


    "Subcategory of a reorbis---without any power. A reorbis usually has to have some kind of power, but those which have lost theirs, i.e. run out of juice, tend to become what we call asreorbium---capable of accepting powers, but not holding or storing them. Although with the slight difference, people still call it a reorbis, since you can¡¯t really find an actual one. Plus, they look basically the same. Over the course of thousands of years, mankind has almost only found reorbiums." A voice came from behind.


    It was the class rep, Tsujihara Fumika.


    "Oh. Class rep, right? I''m really sorry about the battle." I apologized, while bowing down.


    "That''s all right. It was a fair win. I need to greatly improve as well, if I''m going to stay as the representative."


    She sounds really modest. Exactly what you¡¯d expect from a representative. No wonder she¡¯s the strongest¡­ well, was, until today. Now that I''m reminded of it, I need to know more about Utsumi---That guy is too mysterious.

 Chapter 14: Oblivious

    "You''re thinking about Utsumi, right?" Tsujihara asked.


    "Yeah.¡± I responded. He defeated the two of you in an instant. He''s just sitting there, as if nothing happened."


    "You really can''t judge a book by its cover---That''s something I realised the hard way."


    She''s taking her defeat positively. That''s commendable. But deep down, she must be feeling humiliated, and overpowered, since her position as thestrongest in the classhas been threatened. What a first half it''s been---mad.


    The next 3 periods were Mathematics, Historical Events, and English Theory---all of which werenormalsubjects. The last 3 hours went by in a flash. My first day was... strange, I suppose.


    Room #501 - Boys Dormitory, after classes.


    It''s been over a week---I haven''t been able to contact dad even once. That lousy reason of a "college trip" won''t work anymore. He''ll start worrying. I think I should give him a call.


    *Ringing... Ringing...*


    CALL ENDED


    He must be real busy right now, with me and Akane gone. It''s strange that he hasn''t tried calling me yet---was I really that bad of a son? Heh. Henry did mention that he''d take care of it for me, so I''m assuming he must have convinced my dad...? Ah, I don''t really know. I''ll try calling him again sometime later.


    "So, enjoyed your first day?" Yosuke asked.


    "I didn''t get bored, so you can say that. But I''m worried about my upcoming BT classes, because I don''t know crap."


    "Say, I wanted to ask you... What power do you have? I mean, it''s kind of a weird question to ask, but do you mind...?"Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    What now? Henry did tell me to not reveal my status as a rekishiya, but did he mention anything about revealing my powers? Wait a minute... I''m going to reveal it anyway during the practical sometime in the future, so am I safe here?


    "Ummm---"


    "It''s okay. It''s better if you show it to me during classes, rather than just telling me."


    "O-Okay...?"


    Saved. I''m just recalling what Henry mentioned regarding rekishiya---yurei with much stronger types of powers are classified as rekishiya. He would have found out about it if I had told him.


    "At the very least, can I ask you one more thing?"


    "Go on." I replied.


    "You looked really shocked when you heard about reorbis---you really didn''t know about it? It''s actually, like, the first thing that we, as yurei, are told about. Didn''t your mom or dad tell you about it?"


    "Wait---your parentsknowabout your powers?"


    "Of course. They taught me how to fight---well, technically, my older brother did, but sometimes, also my parents did too. Didn''t they teach you?"


    "N-No, they didn''t. And speaking of which, are all the students'' parents aware of their children''s powers?"


    "I guess, yeah. Besides, you can''t really get an admission here on your own---you need money, and consent from your parents, or guardian, after all."


    Okay, this is news.Consent? Is this what Henry meant, when he said he''d "take care of it"? Then, my dad must be knowing about this...? Either that, or I''m being lied to.


    "And in case you didn''t know, most parents here are alumni of this academy. That''s how they train their kids---they know about all the stuff regarding the admission, and the entrance test."


    Why wasn''t I told about any of this? Parents? Alumni? So that''s how all the students found out about this place. I really thought they might have been the same case as I am. Then, I''m at a huge disadvantage here---my parents never trained me. Hell, they didn''t know about my powers. And, I apparently don''t know the "basics".I suppose I''ll give the library a visit.


    "That was very informative. Thank you."


    "Hahaha... You sound like a military guy. Relax, man. And, you''re welcome."


    "Anyway, will the library be open at night? And, where will I find it?"


    "Oh, it is open 24/7. Just keep walking left from the main building, and you''ll find it." He replied.


    "Thanks."


    Outside the main building, 9:00 P.M.


    Holy crap, is it cold. This place is like a hill station. How in the world did they construct this whole place without anyone knowing about it? Anyway, I''m supposed to go left, and according to my PDA, I''m about 120 metres away.


    5 minutes of walking, and I can already see the library---it''s a small building. Wow, that is neat. Let me---wait, there''s someone entering... That looks like... Utsumi? Yeah, that''s him---his slightly long, blonde hair is easily recognisable from afar. What is he doing here at this hour? Now that I think about it, this is perfect---I can find out more about him.

 Chapter 15: The Founders

    The Academy Library


    I followed him in---now what? I''ve been sitting here for the past 10 minutes, and I haven''t even approached him. Maybe I''ll just read a book for a while, and see how it goes.


    The inside of this library is quite big---there are a lot of genres of books, likehistorical, study-related, student-published---? So, students here also publish their own books? Well, not that I''m going to read those, so I''ll just pick one from the historical section. I need to find out more about thisreorbis.


    Okay, how about this one, "When It All Began"? It sounds like I''ll get some info from this book.


    Table of contents... Reorbis... Reorbium... There isn''t anything about it. What''s with the misleading title?


    "That''s because you''re reading the wrong book, moron."


    "Ack---Utsumi? What a coinciden---"


    "I already saw you follow me in, Yoshida. You''re terrible at acting, by the way."


    Busted. Yikes.


    "So, how''d you know what I was trying to find?"


    "You and your friends were talking about the reorbis today during lunch---quite loudly, if I must say so. It''s logical that you''d come here to read about it. But, I''ve already read the book you¡¯re holding, and it doesn''t have anything regarding the stone." Utsumi replied.


    "So, where can I find the actual book I''m looking for?"


    "It''s probably in some other section of the library, but definitely not in the historical one. Nevertheless, it''s a useful read. Try it."


    "If you say so."


    "The academy was founded on the 1st of June, 1946, almost a year after the second World War, by three key figures---Motomi Hikari, Henry the Unscathed, and Behemoth. These three are widely recognised as one of the strongest to have ever lived. Each of them were also heavily involved in WW2. Over the course of time, the founders started disappearing one by one, except for Henry. No one knows what has become of the other two. Some say that they might have died of old age, while others believe theymight have gone looking for more answers regarding the origins of our kind, just to never return."


    TheThree Founders? This is interesting. And,Henry the Unscathed? Could it be Henry? Pfft---nah. This academy was founded after the second World War... No way a man could look this young 70 years later. And,Motomi Hikari---definitely sounds like principal Yuriko''s grandmother, or great-grandmother---that explains why she got to be the head of this academy... Hierarchy sure is great, huh? Lastly, who''s thisBehemoth? I have zero clues.


    "Told you, it''d be useful." Utsumi said.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    "Say, I wanted to ask you something... How come you''re so powerful? Didn''t you participate in the battle for the position of the class representative?"


    "No, I didn''t. I honestly don''t care about it. But, as to how I''m sostrong,that you so dearly imply, I''ll tell you, but first, tell me about yourself---how in the world did you get an admission into this academy without even knowing about the basics? You don''t have combat experience, nor the knowledge regarding simple things... I''m really curious." Utsumi asked.


    "I just happened to be a promising student, and they recruited me. That is all there is." I replied.


    "That still doesn''t explain why they decided to admit a student here at this time of the year. There can only be two possible answers to this---Either you''re too strong, and happened to be too big a risk to be left among humans, and so they brought you here without a choice, or, you''re just some filthy rich kid with a lot of influence, who just strolled in here because you thought it''d be fun. The latter sounds more convincing to me."


    He''s too sharp---crap, what do I do now?


    "No answer? Okay, let''s try this another way. Who brought you here? Your parents? A teacher?"


    I can''t answer that either.


    "I''ll respect your silence. But, I''m not going to acknowledge you yet."


    "Okay I get it. You have your suspicions regarding me. But I assure you, I''m not some rich brat. Hell, I didn''t even know about this academy until a week ago."


    "What the--? So, you''re... somebody powerful, then? That has to be the only possible explanation."


    "Why do you think so?" I asked.


    "They only bring in new students abruptly if they''re really powerful. Who brought you here?" He asked.


    "Oh, you wouldn''t know... some guy named Henry. Actually, I wasn''t supposed to come here... My friend was to. I just happened to become involved, is all."


    "Henry!? HENRY-WHO?" He shouted. Everybody started starting at us.


    "T-Turnwallace. Henry Turnwallace." I whispered.


    "No, that can''t be right... The founder himself? Are you kidding me? You''re not joking, are you?"


    "Founder? No, he''s just this foreigner who brought me h---"


    "Who the hell are you, Yoshida? For a founder to have recruited you... You''re not normal, even amongus."


    "N-No, you''ve got it all wrong. He''s just somebody working for Principal Yuriko. He''s not even a teacher here. Hell, nothing came up when I searched for his name using my PDA--"


    Just then, he frantically started flipping the pages of the book I was reading, and stopped at a certain page, and started pointing at a paragraph.


    "Read this, you idiot." He said.


    "O-Okay..."


    "Out of the three great founders, it is said that Henry Turnwallace, also known as Henry the Unscathed, is supposedly the strongest, and also widely considered as one of the strongest rekishiya in history. Very few have survived in a battle against him. It is said that he''s never lost a fight before. Rumour also has it that he may even be immortal, seeing as how he''s hardly aged over the course of more than 60 years."


    "Convinced now? The names of founders don¡¯t appear on your PDA. I hope you''re not joking about this, Yoshida---It isn''t funny at all, using one of the great founders'' name so casually, and calling himsomebody."He said.


    "N-No, I''m telling you the truth, but,Founder?Henry? I swear I didn''t know."


    "What about thisfriendyou were talking about?" He asked.


    Should I tell him about Akane? Technically, they didn''t tell me to not tell anyone about it... Plus, bringing up her story might clear his suspicion about me being a rekishiya.


    "My friend is apparently suffering from an illness, so Henry brought her here for treatment. She worked as a part-timer at our family bakery store. She was a student here once, too. Alumnus, that¡¯s the word"


    "Aformer student? If the founder himself brought her here, then she must be somebody valuable. What''s her name?"


    "I''m sorry. I''m not at liberty to discuss about it. The principal''s orders."


    "Hmph. Very well. I''ve gained a lot of information today. One last thing, though---you''re a rekishiya, aren''t you, Yoshida?"

 Chapter 16: Busted

    W-What?" I asked, shocked.


    "A rekishiya---are you?"


    How the hell did he get to that conclusion? It''s spot on, nevertheless, but how? I thought I did a good job at not revealing much about myself.


    "I''m almost sure you are one. I actually approached you just to clarify that. Now, is it true?"


    Need to think fast. Can¡¯t sway here.


    "Before I answer, could you tell me what made you arrive at that conclusion?" I asked.


    "During the battle, my hand briefly made contact with your skin. Thanks to my ability, I was able to get a brief idea about you."


    "What ability is that, if I may ask?"


    "Analysis. An ability where you can analyse anything with a mere touch. I can even use my hands to analyse the air for signs of weather changes. And, it is always accurate. Extremely useful for studying your opponent, and the environment. During our battle, my hand slightly made contact with your skin, probably around the neck area, and I felt your power---it was immense. There''s no way a yurei could have this much. I thought I might''ve been imagining things. Hence, I bombarded you with questions about your admission, to make you spill the beans."


    He has one incredible ability. He''s figured it out, anyway. No point in hiding.


    "I''ll admit, I am one. But the things I said earlier weren''t lies, either."


    He started smiling. Not in the pleasant way---more like how a delinquent smiles just before a fight.


    "Damn, a rekishiya in the flesh! No wonder the founder himself brought you here. About time something good happened at this boring crap-hole. So tell me, what''s your ability? Is it super dangerous? Are you not allowed to talk about it?"


    Technically, I wasn''t supposed to reveal my status as a rekishiya, since it would cause an uproar. But right now, it''s just one guy. No harm in that.


    "Fine, I''ll tell you. But don''t say a word about it to anyone---the founder himself said so."


    "You got it."Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    I told him about my ability, about how I could look into other people''s or objects'' pasts. He looked shocked.


    "That is interesting---probably the most unusual type I''ve ever heard of, even among rekishiya. But, that''s one hell of an amazing ability. It''s way better than I expected." He said.


    Normal reaction---that''s good. I was expecting something more dramatic, but this works better.


    "So, you''ve never met a rekishiya before?" I asked.


    "I have, but not somebody this young. No wonder Henry asked you to keep quiet about your identity---you''d cause a whole lot of ruckus."


    "Are rekishiya really that rare?"


    "Oh yes. Very few are born in every century."


    That is rare. It¡¯s almost as if we¡¯re some legendary flowers that bloom every century, or so.


    "Okay, since you answered my questions, I''ll answer yours. Ask away."


    This should be a good opportunity to know about him. He seems to be a bit more friendly, now that I am talking to him.


    "How come you''re so strong?" I asked.


    "My dad trained me. He taught me all the necessary things to survive at this academy."


    "I''m guessing he''s an alumnus."


    "Yeah. Class of ''89." He replied.


    Yosuke was also trained by his family, but he isn''t as strong either. Utsumi must have gone through some hellish training to achieve such strength.


    "So, since we are conversing, how about you tell me the club you''re going to be joining?" He asked.


    "Club? There are clubs here too?"


    "Of course. But, they''re different from the ones the normal schools have---here, clubs need to contribute to this academy in some sort of way. That is the condition."


    "Seems intriguing enough. What kind of contribution, exactly?"


    "Anything---from developing new methods of fighting, to discovering new information regarding our origins. It can be anything. But here''s the catch---there are very few clubs, and there are limited slots for each of them."


    "So, it''s not mandatory to join one?"


    "Nope. Students only join to gain extra credit, and reputation. Those who don''t join usually have to undergo extra classes during semester breaks."


    If the abnormal stuff were to be removed, then this''d be a regular school.


    "They didn''t allow us to join during the previous semester, but this time, it is so. What do you think?" He asked.


    "I don''t know... I''ll have to check my PDA... I have no clue at all, but I can see that you''re trying to tell me about something."


    "You''re not too shabby, Yoshida. I''ll get straight to the point---I plan on creating a club, and I''d like you to join." He said.


    "Me? What good would I do?"


    "You''re perfect for it---the club I have in mind needs a guy like you, and so, I''m asking you."


    "What if I say no?"


    "I''d respect that, but that''d be you just wasting your power."


    "I''m listening."


    He handed over a paper---a letter, and it read:


    "I''d like to revive the TREC: The Research and Exploitation Club. I request you to grant me permission to do so. I, whatsoever, have no ill intentions regarding this decision. Please do consider.


    -Utsumi Takashi."


    "TREC? What''s that?" I asked.


    "It was a club which was founded by my dad back when he was a freshman. The club room has been unused for the past 30 years... My dad''s notes must still be there."


    Son following his dad''s footsteps? That''s a pleasant sight, if I must say so.


    "So, what kind of research club is it?" I asked.


    "Unlike any other."

 Chapter 17: TYB

    "Elaborate, please." I insisted.


    "It''s just a research club regarding the powers of yurei and rekishiya. Nothing much, and it''ll also be totally awesome." He said.


    Research, eh? I like the idea of it. But, who knows what he''s trying to pull off?


    "What do you say, Mr. Rekishiya?"


    "Tell me this---are there not other research clubs? Why not join those? They probably have a lot more members, plus they should be having better equipment, and facilities. So, why the TREC?" I asked.


    "You really should believe me when I say unlike any other. TREC wasn''t the most successful club during its time for nothing. You''ll understand when we get there."


    He seems confident enough. I don''t smell any ill intentions from him---or maybe I¡¯m just easy to be swayed.


    "I''ll join, on one condition---you train me."


    "What? Haha... Okay, we have a deal. But don''t get too hasty---we still need another member to make this happen."


    A minimum of 3, is it? My school also had this similar limitation---minimum of 5 members for the creation and sustenance of a club.


    "Where shall we get another person?" I asked.


    "We''ll see. I do have a certain person in my mind. Anyway, I''ll see you in class tomorrow, big guy. Don''t forget our deal."


    "Got it."


    Room #501, 10:15 P.M.


    "You''re back earlier than I thought you''d be. I reckoned you might have been ready to spend the whole night there, Ryou."


    "What am I, a bookworm? Anyway, I ran into Utsumi."


    "Why the hell would he be at the library at this time? Still, he does have pretty good test scores, so it''s not weird. Anyway, you decided the elective subject you''re going to choose?"


    Good grief. I actually forgot about it.


    "About that... I''m not sure. I might have a vague idea regarding Advanced BT-Practical, but I obviously don''t know about the other one... the..."


    "Advanced Ability Theory? That''s actually the tougher subject. Probably the toughest we have. It''s obvious that everyone''s going to go for the other one---because it''s more fun, and also, will greatly benefit you in the upcoming academic years. But Ability Theory? It isn''t something that we, as fighters, usually choose. Those with ambitions of becoming researchers might be interested, but the entire idea of research has become quite convoluted."


    "Convoluted? How?" I asked.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    "There hasn''t been any sort of progress in the field of research---at least not in the past few decades."


    "So people avoid researching? About powers, reorbis... None?"


    "It''s not a matter of less personnel, but about progress. It isn''t research if there are only dead ends."


    That''s odd. So, was TREC created for the very purpose of promoting this field? That''s what I''m feeling right now. Utsumi did say that it became the most successful club ever, then I suppose the previous members succeeded in getting ahead with the research...?


    "It''s getting late. Better to sleep. We''re supposed to choose out of the two subjects tomorrow, too. Decide well. Night."


    Next morning, Class 1-3


    "All right, you brats, the registration portal will be opened after classes, so just choose your damn subject via your PDA." Mariko-sensei said.


    The first period is Ability Theory---I need to see what it''s about.


    "And let me introduce you to a new teacher---He''ll be teaching you Ability Theory, and the advanced one as well, if at all you''re going to choose."


    A man opened the door, and entered the classroom. He looked like a foreigner, notably due to his blonde hair, and distinguished face.


    "Everyone, this is Brett Kayne. A lot of you might be aware of him, and must be knowing that he''s more than capable of handling this subject. Be nice to him." Mariko-sensei said.


    I can hear a lot of whispers, with surprised expressions on everybody''s faces. He''s obviously somebody famous---whom I have no idea of.


    "Yo, Yoshida... That''s Brett Kayne, the man himself, in the flesh! Holy crap."


    "Who is he, exactly?"


    "Who is---are you serious? The guy''s TYB, and the youngest to make it into one of the top 3 Ranks." Yosuke replied.


    "TYB?"


    "Tokubetsu Yurei Buntai. They''re the combat unit of our country, or to keep it simple, the heroes who serve to protect us from the bad guys. They''re role models, for all of us---I''ve always wanted to be a part of them!"


    "Me too!" Ayase said, "They''re just amazing. And Brett... He looks so young! No wonder they call him a genius."


    "What''s this about Ranks?" I asked.


    "There are 10 in total---Rank-10 being the lowest. Members of the top 3 ranks are considered the most elite of the TYB, and quite possibly, of the country. There are even rumours that all the members of Rank-1 are rekishiya, although, they''re rarely seen by people, since they''re always out on missions." Yosuke replied.


    They''re basically the yurei military, I guess. That''s pretty amazing. No wonder this guy is such an important person.


    "And," Ayase followed, "It is said that he is one of the strongest yurei in the world---mainly due to his extensive use of powers during combat. He even has his own book on improving one''s skills of using powers. Plus, he looks adorable! Totally, like an ikemen!"


    "Hello, lads. You probably might be knowing me---I''m Brett Kayne. And I''ll be handling Ability Theory, and the advanced one, as well. Already, ten minutes have passed, so shall we get on with the class?"


    "YES SIR!" Everyone shouted in unison.


    "Good. Now, as you all know, we''re beings with powers, and hence, it is our job to learn about ourselves, as to why we''re different from normal human beings. Now, these powers can be classified into 3 main types---


    Contact-type.


    Non-contact-type.


    Enhancement-type.


    Contact-type powers usually involve touching something, in order for you to use them. They''re the second-most common type found in the world.


    Non-contact-type powers, as the name suggests, require no contact of any kind. They''re the uncommon one out of the three types, and can usually be activated at the user''s will.


    Enhancement-type powers are the most commonly found in the world. They are powers which enhance an already existing feature of a person---such as their vision, strength, speed, et cetera. They''re quite useful, and depending on how they''re used, they can be used defensively, or for all-out attacking."


    "What''s your type, Brett-sensei?" Yosuke asked.


    "Non-contact-based. It''s quite useful, too." Brett-sensei replied.


    "How''s it like, being Rank-3? You must be receiving special treatment, right, sensei?" Tsujihara asked.


    "Haha, I''d be lying if I said no. But, that doesn''t really matter, for now. I''m your teacher, so, my current job is to teach you all."

 Chapter 18: Revival of TREC

    "Are any of you planning to take Advanced Ability Theory?" Brett-sensei asked.


    "You''re a combat specialist, aren''t you? So why teach this instead?" A student asked.


    "Although that is true, and as you all know, I''m part of the TYB, but the truth is, I like Ability Theory---it''s the subject I have always excelled in, and it is my favourite, too. Plus, Mariko-sensei has more knowledge in raw fighting than I do---she is also a former member of the TYB. Rank-4, at that." He replied.


    "WHAAAT!?" Everybody shouted in awe.


    She''s ex-TYB, huh? I knew she''d have been involved in something like this. She has a strong personality, and also amazing athletic capabilities.


    After classes, 8:00 PM


    "Man, was Brett-sensei amazing! He taught so well. He''s a walking legend." Yosuke said.


    "You seem to be holding him in high regard. I''m guessing he''s done some really heroic stuff."


    "Of course! A year back, he single-handedly took out 5 of Imperium''s soldiers during a ferocious battle---all the while being seriously wounded, and having his teammates down. Thus, he saved them all, and brought them home, and quickly rose through the ranks thanks to this, and now, he''s earned immense respect from all over the world."


    "Wow. That is one unbelievable tale. Then, why is he not out there in the field? Why here, teaching us kids?"


    "He''s probably still suffering from the injuries---he was out of action for about a month after his heroic feat. Some of those injuries might still be painful for him, even after all this time."


    That''s highly likely---or, it could be... fear? PTSD? I mean, from what Yosuke just told me, he was basically left cornered. I''m having a feeling that taking out five Imp--wait, what? How does he know about Imperium? Wasn''t it supposed to be "classified" information?


    "Did you say Imperium?" I asked.


    "Yes, why?"


    "How do you know about it? Who told you?"


    "Everybody knows it---they''re literally the bad guys. The TYB was formed to wipe out people like them." He replied.


    What was the point of keeping the conversation in the Principal''s office a secret, then?


    "Say, what is the procedure to join the TYB?" I asked.


    "There are two ways---Either you apply for it, and get selected, or, you become really strong, and get directly recruited, while still being a student. Either way, you need to be good at what you do... Be it fighting, or as a support."


    "Would minors also be allowed to join?"


    "Depends. If they''re really, really strong, then they''ll be given a chance---of course, they can decline if they want to. But, most parents wouldn''t allow their under aged kids to be part of something so dangerous."This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    So they basically recruit alumni, or students. Either way, only people associated with this academy. That means...


    "Say, do you know of Harumi Akane?"


    "No, never heard of that name before. Who''s she?"


    "N-Nevermind. Anyway, I''m heading out for a walk. You coming?"


    "Nah, I''m planning to play some video games now, so you go ahead." He replied.


    "Okay."


    As soon as I opened the door, I saw a person walk by---it was Utsumi. What--?


    "You''re in #501? What a coincidence---I''m just a floor above yours, #601." Utsumi said.


    "Why''re you here, then?"


    "The vending machine''s broken upstairs, so I came down here. Anyway, I was about to contact you---I''ve found the third member. Care to join?"


    "S-Sure."


    Outside the main building, 8:40 PM


    "It''s too darn cold---why''re we still standing here?" I asked, trembling.


    "Relax, she''ll be here any moment." Utsumi replied.


    "She? Who, exactly, then?"


    "You''ll see---oh, there she is."


    It''s... Someone with glasses, someone... Tsujihara!? The class rep!?


    "Her!? How in the world did you get her to agree?" I asked.


    "I have my ways, Yoshida." He replied.


    "Isn''t that... The new student... Yoshito... Yoshi..."


    "Yoshida."


    "Well, after her defeat, she decided to stick, to learn more about me. Funny, right?"


    "I-It''s not funny! I plan on becoming stronger than you, or anyone." She said.


    "You, after all, accepted my offer without flinching. Thank you."


    I was right---she did feel humiliated. But, I''m also somewhat here for the same reason---to find out about him, so I can''t blame her.


    "With the 3 of us, we can finally submit this letter of permission to revive TREC."


    "Are we going now? At this hour?"


    "The principal is available 24/7," Tsujihara replied, "Some even say that she never sleeps. She''s a rekishiya, after all."


    The Principal''s Office


    "ARE YOU KIDDING ME!? IS THIS SOME SORT OF A JOKE!? REVIVING TREC? NO!" Principal Yuriko shouted.


    "With all due respect, ma''am, you cannot judge our intentions as ill, based on past events tied to this club. We plan to make good use of the notes in the old club room, and try to come up with research of our own." Utsumi refuted.


    "Are you really stupid, you insolent brat? Reviving---no, even mentioning that name itself is considered taboo. And I will never allow this to happen anyw--"


    "This should be interesting. Let them do it, Principal Yuriko." Henry interrupted, while entering the office room.


    "Henry? What are you doing here?" I asked.


    "Henry? The founder!? Y-You''re him? It''s an honour, sir." Utsumi greeted him.


    "You must be Utsumi Takashi. Pleased to meet you. And, you, young lady, are Tsujihara Fumika, I suppose." Henry said.


    "Y-Yes, s-sir! Pleased to m-meet you." Tsujihara said, trembling.


    "Henry, knock some sense into these maniac kids." Yuriko said.


    "While what they''re doing can be considered dangerous, and to an extent, disrespectful, it can also prove to be very useful. Ever since that day, no research club has quite been created like this one. There hasn''t been any progress in research all over the world in past three decades. I suppose, we should give them a shot at this." Henry suggested.


    "You have a point, Henry, but are you sure about this? About letting a few kids have access to all the notes created by the previous members? Those notes aren''t a joke." She asked.


    "There''s a reason why we''ve kept them untouched---it''s the club''s property, and it specifically belongs to the previous members of TREC. Plus, those notes are too valuable to be destroyed, and too dangerous to be made public. Unless the rightful people come and claim it, we can''t do anything about it. So, why not let them have them?" Henry said.


    "What about you, Reizo? Should we?" She asked.


    "Although it isn''t my position to tell you what to do, I definitely think that they should be given a chance. They seem determined enough." Reizo replied.


    "You too? Ugh, fine... But hear this---I need progress. If I find you lazing around even once, I''ll disband the club. You hear me?" Yuriko said.


    "Yes ma''am." We said in unison.


    "I may have overreacted to this whole situation. I apologise. Also, I wanted to ask---are you Utsumi Takeda''s son, by any chance?"


    "Yes, ma''am." He replied.


    She started smiling. Odd... A few minutes ago, she was fuming with anger. And what is that day? She talked about it after the entrance test, too.

 Chapter 19: The Red Snow Massacre

    "I''m expecting results. I suppose I shouldn''t have been quick to judge. And, most importantly, do NOT reveal your research notes to anybody else, let alone me. Dismissed." Principal Yuriko said.


    Outside the main building


    "Why did she get so pissed off at us at first?" I asked.


    "She has every right to. But, we mustn''t waver. Remember, our only goal is to continue the research that my father left." Utsumi said.


    "Your father... he was the only survivor, wasn''t he?" Tsujihara asked.


    "Let''s... not talk about it now." He replied.


    "Well, I''m not going to stop. What is that day? Why did the principal flip out so badly after hearing about TREC?"


    "The Red Snow Massacre... obviously. Don''t you know, Yoshida?" She asked.


    I answered "No".


    "Are you serious? You don''t know the history behind it?"


    "No, I don''t. Now, details, if you will..." I replied.


    "Yoshida," said Utsumi, "You''ll be told about it, on one condition---you should stick to the deal, and not leave the club after hearing, got it?"


    I gave him my word for it.


    "All right, class rep, since you seem to know a lot about it, why don''t you enlighten the new kid here?"


    "O-Okay."


    She began narrating the story.


    "On the 28th of December, 1986, a mass killing took place on these very grounds---22, in total, were brutally murdered by one man, nicknamed Kuroyurei, or also known as the Black Ghost. He killed nearly each and every member of TREC, and others. Only one survived---Utsumi Takeda, Takashi''s father. After this, the Black Ghost disappeared into thin air. Numerous investigations were conducted, but they still couldn''t find him. Some say he''s part of Imperium now, while others say that he was already involved with them, and came to this academy as an inside man, or a spy. He''s still yet to be found. This event came to be known as the Red Snow Massacre."


    What a horrid tale---So TREC wasn''t disbanded, but destroyed? Couldn''t somebody stop this Black Ghost?


    "What about the TYB? They must have helped, right?"You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    "All those who tried to stop him were killed---including teachers, and some TYB personnel as well. He also killed the previous principal---Motomi Haruka, Ms. Yuriko''s mother." She was a little kid when her mother was murdered in front of her. Perhaps this was the cause of the trauma. She''d obviously hold resentment towards anything related to this tragic and horrifying event."


    Her mother was killed? I didn''t expect that---no wonder she seemed pissed. Did she want to keep us safe? Is she still traumatized by it? Of course she''d be... what am I thinking?


    "You missed one important thing, rep," said Utsumi, "The Black Ghost was also a member of TREC. That''s why everybody who knows about this hates the club."


    Could this be...?


    "This is personal for you, isn''t it?" I asked. "You''re planning to capture the Black Ghost yourself, aren''t you? No wonder you''re so worked up about the whole idea...it''s personal for you---A club, created by your father, and one of the members himself kills everyone... you just revived this club to look for answers, didn''t you?" I asked, doubtfully.


    "You''re quick to catch on. It is somewhat personal for me. I plan to investigate, and look for some clues. That''s the main damn reason why I even stepped foot into this academy."


    This is madness---we even promised Principal Yuriko progress... What the hell.


    "He hasn''t been found in 30 years... What makes you say that you can make a difference?" I asked, tauntingly.


    "Actually, Yoshida, I also agreed to help him." Tsujihara interrupted.


    "What? You too? I thought you were joining because he asked you to! So THIS was the offer that you received? So the whole ¡®want to find out about him¡¯ act was all a ruse? We''re not even adults, yet, and you want to catch a psychotic mass murderer?"


    "I-I think it is nuts," replied Tsujihara, "But I''ve been investigating about this case my whole life---collecting pictures, news, and everything else related to that event since the past 10 years... And then suddenly, Utsumi approached me, with this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. He even knew about my obsession for this case. How could I not accept it?"


    "Is this personal for you as well?" I asked.


    She nodded yes.


    "My grandfather was one of the victims as well---he was part of TYB---Rank-4, at that. I never knew the man, but it tore my dad apart. He''s been traumatized ever since, and I''ve never seen him happy before... So I want him to be. I''m sorry, but this is what I''ve chosen."


    "You''re all crazy, I''ll give you that."


    "Finding out about the Black Ghost, a.k.a Kuroyurei, isn''t the only thing on our to-do list. If he''s part of Imperium, then we need to become strong real-quick, and those study materials in that club room are what we require." Utsumi said.


    "What''s so incredible about them? Even the principal and Henry were emphasizing on it." I asked.


    "It''s gotten late, so why don''t you two meet me in the club room tomorrow, and I''ll show you? Oh, and one more thing---I''d advice you to opt for Advanced Ability Theory... It''ll help. Night, you two."


    He left, just like that, after dropping such a huge bomb. What have I gotten myself into?


    "Yoshida, Takashi did tell me about you---you were dragged into this, I know, but please, help us. He says you can be of great help. I''m sorry, but we have to at least get some sort of lead on the killer---he''s still on the loose. We have to bring justice to those who were mercilessly killed that night."


    "Why is it called the Red Snow Massacre?"


    "It¡¯s just something that the students and teachers named at the time. On that night, when it snowed, instead of it being white, it was red---completely covered in blood. There was only red all around. Just... death. People who saw it with their own eyes have been traumatized to this day."

 Chapter 20: Captain

    Snow, covered in blood... I can''t even begin to imagine the sight of it. How could a person do such a thing?


    "My grandfather never even stood a chance... against a student... I will avenge him for the sake of my father." She said.


    "If he was already capable of defeating a high ranking TYB soldier back then, then who knows how strong he''s become now."


    "He wasn''t just strong---he was nearly invincible. They say that he carried out the killings without breaking a sweat."


    "Why, though? There must have been an ulterior motive."


    "They say he was a psychopath. Plus, he was a student of this academy. How could they have let such a person into this place?" She said, with a bitter expression on her face.


    "I know I''m jumping onto a different topic, but how did Utsumi find out about your connection to this case?"


    "I did ask him about this, but he replied that I need not know all the details, and that I''m supposed to trust him. I only saw the opportunity presented to me, and I took it. Besides, I think he¡¯ll eventually tell me once we get to know each other well."


    He''s definitely a mysterious person. I can''t seem to get the opportunity to use my powers. I could just ask him, since he knows about it, but I don''t think he''d want me prying into his business. He wouldn''t even let me get in close proximity with him, since he''ll be on guard whenever I''m around.


    *PDA RINGING*


    CALLER: CPT. AKANE


    "Hello, Ryou? Are you busy?"


    "A-Akane! It''s been more than a week... I''ve been trying to call you... and, this name... why does it show ''Cpt.''...?"


    "You don''t have to save the names of people associated with this academy... they''ll automatically appear on your PDA when you''re receiving a call."If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    "So you have a PDA, now?"


    "Yeah, they gave me a new one. My old one was lost 6 months ago."


    "Why does it show C-P-T... Captain..? Don''t tell me---"


    "Ah, yeah, I regained a little bit of my memories... Apparently, I was a TYB soldier. They aren''t telling me more about it, though. Seems I''m supposed to remember them myself... implying that it''s the best way."


    "TYB... That was... unanticipated. Anyway, where are you right now?"


    "I think I''m at Yuriko''s house. I keep seeing her every morning. It''s pretty close to the main building, actually."


    "Oh really? I think I''ll visit you some time. By the way, any news from my father? Did he contact you?"


    "No, he hasn''t. I thought for sure he must have talked to you. What is going on? Is everything all right?"


    "Sure. Y-You don''t have to worry about a thing, Akane."


    "If you say so. Okay, good night, then. And don''t forget to call me as soon as you hear from your dad. Bye."


    CALL ENDED.


    Captain? Wouldn''t that make her the top of her Rank? Ah, that''s not important right now. I need to call my dad.


    *CALLING: DAD*


    *Ringing... Ringing...*


    *CALL ENDED.*


    Again, not picking up. What''s wrong? Besides, he must have checked his call log since the last time I called him. Where is he now? I need to have a word with Henry.


    "I-Is everything all right? And, why were you mentioning the name Akane? Surely, you don''t mean THE Harumi Akane, do you?" Tsujihara asked.


    "Uh... Yeah, her. Why? What''s wrong?" I replied.


    "Y-You were just talking to her?"


    "Yes... Do you know her?"


    "She''s the Captain of Rank-3---And quite possibly stronger than even Rank-2 soldiers. She''s the youngest to ever be made captain... A child prodigy."


    WHAT? Akane... The Captain of Rank-3? Good grief.


    "How do you know about all of this?"


    "My father still has some connections in the TYB, because of my grandfather, so I keep hearing the names of all the best soldiers. Besides, a lot of people know about her too... Why wouldn''t the youngest captain not be famous? I heard she was also handpicked and put into the TYB by the principal herself. She was also the student council president during her time here. She has a lot of fans, too. And, you just happen to know her... Are you related to her in any way, like, a brother---?"


    "Oh, no. Not at all. Just her friend."


    "I-I see. Well, then, it''s already late, so let us head back as well."


    "Sure. Good night."


    She left, leaving me with startling information. Henry could have told me about this. In fact, he hasn''t told me about anything much ever since I''ve arrived here. Let me call him...


    I searched for his name in the PDA, but to no avail. The call log history also didn''t record it. This has just become inconvenient for me now... Agh.

 Chapter 21: The Nine Muhaijin

    Next morning, Wednesday, in class.


    I tried my best to find a way to contact Henry, but to no avail. He sure is laying low, for a founder. I have quite a number of questions to ask him, specifically about my father. Plus, with the whole story about Kuroyurei, a.k.a the Black Ghost, I''m starting to feel like I''m genuinely part of some crime scene investigation. Besides, if you look at it in a way, then my ability is actually more useful for such tasks---I could even become the world''s greatest detect---nah, not interested, really.


    "So, joining any clubs, Ryou?" Yosuke asked.


    "Ah, n-no. Not for now." I replied.


    I can''t tell him I''ve joined hands with Utsumi, and become part of a cursed club. This has to remain confidential for as long as possible. Obviously, we''re going to be found out, but not today.


    "I''m planning to join the CQC club---it''s the best place to learn some extra tricks for battle. And also, I can use the techniques I''ll be learning in Advanced BT." Ayase said.


    "Oh yeah, you took Advanced Ability Theory, right, Ryou? You were in such a hurry, trying to access the registration portal last night." Yosuke asked.


    Instantly, I glanced at Utsumi---he had a smirk on his face.


    "Y-Yeah. I replied.


    "Well, good luck, then. I heard it''s super tough. Plus, with Brett-sensei, it might even be a nightmare." Yosuke implied.


    I checked my PDA for today''s schedule---Advanced Ability Theory was the first period.


    Just then, Brett-sensei entered.


    "EVERYONE, STAND UP! BOW!" Tsujihara shouted.


    "Good morning, students. The students who opted for Advanced BT-Practical are to assemble in the open field. The rest are to stay here." Brett-sensei informed.


    Majority of the students---24, out of 28, left. Only 4 of us? Yosuke wasn''t kidding.


    "Few students, as expected. So, welcome to my subject, then. Since it''s a relatively small audience, I shall also be combining another class--- Class 1-2, with you all. They also have very few numbers in Advanced AT." Brett-sensei said.


    "Combine!?¡± Tsujihara exclaimed, ¡°With 1-2!? What the---"


    Just then, 5 students entered the classroom---4 girls, and a guy.


    "Well, why don''t you all introduce yourselves, then?"


    "With all due respect, sensei, it''s better to commence the class. Acquainting can come later." One of the girls said.


    That was rude. She''s acting all high and mighty.


    "Uh-umm, very well, then. Take your seats." Brett-sensei said, with a confused expression.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    "Who is this girl?" I whispered, while asking.


    "Miura Rika. Best to just know her name. I wouldn''t be too friendly with her." Tsujihara replied.


    "All right, as you all know, this subject deals with much more detailed information than its normal counterpart. In AT, you learn about the different types of powers, like, contact-type, and such. This is no different, except---We''ll be learning of ways to use and to counter these powers."


    "Counter? As in?" Tsujihara asked.


    "Usually, contact-type power users are at a disadvantage against non-contact-type users. For example, if a person can see through walls by touching them, and there are none on the battlefield, because it''s a sandy area, then what? They''ll be dead in no time. Any guesses as to how that person will survive?" Brett-sensei asked.


    "Considering that he''ll have a jacket on, since it''s a sandy area, it can be temporarily used as a form of shield from the attacks. These jackets are quite durable, aren''t they? Plus, since he can see through things, he can cover himself up from the front, including the face, to protect himself for a few moments." Utsumi replied.


    "W-Well, very far-fetched from what I was expecting, but not wrong either. Good. See, it''s that simple. You can learn more about using your powers, and create your own offensive and defensive strategies. But in order to do that, you need to study about your powers carefully."


    This is interesting. So, Ability Theory is the study of powers, and Advanced AT is the implementation of it? Isn''t too hard to understand. It''s similar to Battle Terrain, but BT only teaches us combat techniques for defending ourselves, when at a disadvantage, due to the environment, or the terrain. This one teaches us various ways of using our power, to turn the tides. Impressive. I can see why it''d be useful for research.


    "Plus," sensei continued, "You''ll also be learning about rekishiya in detail."


    Finally. What I''ve been waiting for. Utsumi and Tsujihara seem ecstatic about it, too.


    "And, you''ll---hold on, I''ve got a call. Hello?"


    Throughout the 5-minute call, he had a very shocked expression, as though he''d seen a ghost. My best guess is that it was from Principal Yuriko, regarding Akane. He''s also part of Rank-3, if I''m not wrong. That would make her his senior.


    "I-It seems I''m being summoned for something urgent. Class dismissed." Brett-sensei said, while leaving the classroom in a hurry.


    "What a boring class. Boring subject as well. No wonder research hasn''t progressed in all these years." Utsumi implied.


    "I thought you asked us to take this subject. What''s wrong now?" Tsujihara asked.


    "I never said it''d be good. I only implied it''d be useful. I already knew that the level of Advanced AT here was crap, but I didn''t know it was this boring. Moreover, I still can''t see much difference between this and Battle Terrain. They''re trying to keep us away from research as much as possible."


    "Was the Red Snow Massacre really that traumatizing to these people?" I asked.


    Both Tsujihara and Utsumi stared at me.


    "Okayyyyy..." I sighed.


    "You all look ridiculous. Then again, you two are Tsujihara''s friends. Foolish of me to expect anything." The arrogant, red-haired girl, who interrupted sensei at the beginning of the class, said, while being accompanied by three other girls from behind.


    "Ignore her. She just wants to pick a fight."


    Utsumi didn''t pay any heed. He got up, and stood right in front of the girl.


    "You talk a lot. Shut up."


    Everybody looked shocked as hell. I''m having a feeling she''s some super important person, with her lackeys, and all. Utsumi might not know about her.


    "S-Sit down, Takashi. That''s enough. Ignore." Tsujihara said, panicking.


    "Who the hell are you, you red-haired blob? Can''t you see I''m talking to my friends?" Utsumi said, in an angry, yet calm tone.


    "B-Blob!? Y-You don''t KNOW ME!? Miura Rika?" She asked, shockingly.


    "No." What a calm reply.


    "I don''t know if you''ve been living under a rock, or if you''re being sarcastic, Takashi." Tsujihara said.


    "I don''t know her either." I said.


    "She''s one of the 9 Muhaijin. And, she''s undoubtedly the strongest first year student here at this academy."


    "Glad to see that you finally know your place, Fumika. You have, after all, lost to me countless times." Miura said.


    "Muhaijin?" Utsumi and I asked together.


    "They''re the strongest students of this academy. She''s the only first year among them." Tsujihara explained.


    "Officially the strongest, right?" Utsumi stared back at Miura.

 Chapter 22: Advanced Stuff

    "What do you mean by that?" Tsujihara asked.


    "The Nine Muhaijin are the strongest based on what the people know, right? Not because they actually are." Utsumi answered.


    "What nonsense! You''re just tryi---"


    "Want to test it out? Hell, even Yoshida here can beat the crap out of you."


    "WHAT? N-No... He''s obviously joking. I''m just---"


    "Him? This weak-looking friend of yours? I''d have even considered if you had mentioned Tsujihara here, but this guy? He looks like a complete rookie."


    "He may not look it, but he''s way stronger than all the others."


    "How can you be so sure of it? I''m one of the Nine Muhaijin! I kind of have a pretty good idea about people stronger than me."


    What is Utsumi doing!? I can''t fight---not one bit! I haven''t even undergone training yet.


    "Stop kidding around. She isn''t weak. She''s the only muhaijin among the first years---a fighting prodigy." Tsujihara said.


    "Doesn''t matter. Yoshida can still kick her ass. Right?" Utsumi responded.


    He turned towards me. Everybody subsequently did. I nodded no.


    "Only one way to find out, then... Let''s have a battle, shall we?" Miura insisted.


    "B-Battle? Hell no! I---"


    "Lovely." Utsumi interrupted. "Decide the time and place, and we''ll be there."


    Everybody looked shocked.


    "Sure. The venue will be the open field, obviously." Miura decided.


    "One condition, though---If we win, then you''ll have to join TREC." Utsumi said.


    "TREC? You mean that cursed club? Wasn''t it disbanded decades ago?"


    "We brought it back, and obviously, we''re trying to get new members. If we lose, then you can decide on what to do with us. Anything. Deal?"


    "Anything? Hah. I''m game. You decide the time. I don''t really care when." Miura said, and left the classroom, along with her followers.


    "ARE YOU INSANE!? YOSHIDA, AGAINST THE STRONGEST FIRST YEAR STUDENT!? It''s not even been a week, and you''re going to throw him into a battle with a beast like her!?" Tsujihara shouted.


    "Calm down. I''ll train him, all right? I''m pretty sure he can beat her." Utsumi implied.


    "There is no way---she''s too strong. Even some of the teachers are scared of her. Plus, she has great influence here too, being the daughter of a decorated alumnus. You should just apologise and call the fight off." Tsujihara said.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    "All the more reason to win. Imagine the publicity we''ll gain if she joins us. We can become huge. TREC will thrive again."


    He''s got a point---bringing her in would be a great boost. But, it''s me versus her. I cannot see any light out of this cave.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll get you stronger in no time. Just follow what I tell you during training, and you''ll be absolutely fine." Utsumi reassured.


    I have no choice. Why don''t I get to say anything before things happen?


    Open field, 7:00 P.M.


    "It''s surprisingly empty. Why is it so?" I asked.


    "Maybe the gods are on our side. Either way, winning against Miura Rika is impossible---You need to find a loophole, and break the match somehow." Tsujihara implied.


    "Come on, cut him some slack. He''s going to fight against the strongest first year student. What he needs right now is confidence." Utsumi said, while patting my back.


    He sure makes it sound easy. But, if Tsujihara herself is scared of her, then it''s no joke---I am indeed in trouble.


    "Okay, so, care to tell us about her, class rep?" Utsumi asked.


    "She''s an enhancement-based power user. I''m not sure what part of the body she can specifically enhance, but, judging by our previous encounters, she might have a great auditory perception---basically she can hear really well... Or that''s what I think, considering that she can judge the distance of a person away from her just by listening to the intensity of the vibrations caused due to the footsteps. Hell, she can even predict if you''re going to land a punch, or a feint, before you even decide to. I tried thinking that it could be the ability to foresee movements, but that''s not really possible." Tsujihara explained.


    "That''s troublesome. Hah. You''ve got yourself a good opponent, Yoshida."


    "You''re the reason why, I suppose." *Sigh*


    "Cheer up, okay? Now, listen up. I''m going to show you a technique--you''re going to use this against her, got it? No excuses, though. It''s going to be extremely tough to learn, and riskier to use, as well. Ready?"


    I nodded yes, while gulping.


    "There has been a theory that you can increase your physical strength, or your senses, up to your desired choice, depending on how much you''d be willing to sacrifice your body, in exchange for it." Utsumi explained.


    "Hang on," I interrupted, "Wouldn''t that be an enhancement-based power?"


    "True. You''d be increasing your physical strength, or senses, by concentrating your power on all parts of the body, or just one, specifically. It''s pretty much the same, except for one small difference---doing this will increase your rate of depletion of power by several times. That isn''t the case for enhancement-based power users, as they''re naturally accustomed to it. They can use it much longer than you can. But, they always have a limit, as to how strong they can get. Plus, they can''t really enhance just any body part---only the ones they''ve always been able to. We, on the other hand, can push ourselves as much as we can, and, can enhance any body part we want, but only for a few seconds. Their bodies will automatically shut down risks of building up power, which may cause extreme injuries, or even death. So, you have somewhat of an advantage here, but it''ll only remain for a moment. Remember---we do NOT have a killswitch---meaning, if you keep enhancing, then your body won''t be able to handle the over taxation, and fatal injuries will be imminent, or even worse... death."


    "This is some advanced information, absolutely unknown to most 1st-year students... How do you know all of this? Moreover, enhancements by non-enhancement power users is nearly impossible to be done by mere students---no, only TYB personnel can do so." Tsujihara implied.


    "I did enhance my fists during my match against you and Yoritaka. How do you possibly think I knocked you two out cold that easily?"


    "W-Who the hell are you?" Tsujihara asked, while vigorously sweating.


    "Like I said, we have the upper hand here. She isn''t aware of Yoshida''s powers, and so, we can manipulate her into making rash decisions." Utsumi implied.


    "What if my body starts to not listen to me? What if I''m left unable to move?" I asked.


    "You''re going to have to make it count, Yoshida. You need to win. Plus, I''ll be teaching you, so you can leave it to me."


    Okay. Deep breath, Ryou. You can do this. You have to.


    "So how are you going to teach me to enhance?" I asked.


    "Heh, I don''t need to. You''re different, remember?" Utsumi implied.


    "Different? How?" Tsujihara asked, puzzled.


    Utsumi didn''t reply. Instead, he kept smirking at me. It only meant one thing.

 Chapter 23: Overkill

    I''m a rekishiya. Of course. But I''m obviously not supposed to say that out loud.


    "You just need to imagine putting your power into something, like your fists, for example. Just do it the way you''d normally try to use your powers."


    "I don''t just putmy power into my hand. It happens naturally. I just touch something, and it instantly happens. Why do you think I always wear gloves?"


    "Okay, here''s something different. Try keeping your hands in contact with each other., y''know, like, trying to see your own past. That way, the flow of power will be directly concentrated there. Don''t mind the visions. You understand?"


    "I have done it several times before, and no, I was never able to see my own past."


    "Leave the visions aside, maybe you''ve always felt the power surge, but just thought that it was normal for such a thing to happen to you. Just try it."


    I have zero clues, but here goes.


    It''s the same feeling as when I first tried it as a kid, but... I do feel my hands getting warmer---no, they''re actually really warm now.


    I kept my hands on my cheek to see how warm they were. Due to the relative difference in temperature, my hands felt like hot knives, cutting through cold butter.


    "Hmmm, I suppose you''ve got it, based on your looks. Quite the fast one, you are. Let''s try it out---Punch me. Don''t hold back." Utsumi stated.


    "There''s no way. He''s a complete beginner. We are, as well. He isn''t pulling this off anytime soon." Tsujihara stated.


    I know how strong he is, so no point in being concerned about the consequences, but she does have a valid point---this is some advanced stuff. I can''t imagine beginner''s luck being applied here.


    "Do it."


    In an instant, my punch pushed Utsumi back upto several metres. He actually defended my strike too, yet got blown away. This is enhancement!? Tsujihara was speechless, with her mouth wide open.


    Coughing, Utsumi said, "T-That was quite a punch! Maybe next time you use a little less force, and hopefully Miura Rika won''t be killed."


    I gulped down my saliva, as I kept staring at my hands. It was an incredible feeling. If I were to master this technique, then forget about putting up a good fight---I could literally dominate my opponents, without breaking a sweat. I felt a little weakened, but it was a small price to pay for incredible power like this.


    Rubbing her glasses, Tsujihara asked, "What the hell was that!? How can a complete amateur pull that off?"


    "Told you he''d be different. Now, let''s focus on your control."


    Utsumi came up to me, and started whispering, in a way that she couldn''t hear.


    "Rekishiya usually have huge reservoirs of power within them, and also are way more physically capable. You can relatively take more hits than others. For yurei, they''d probably only be able to use this technique about two or three times a day. Let''s see how long you can keep going. But, if I were to guess, I think you''d be out after five or six."You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    25 minutes later


    "T-That''s... the 22nd p-p-punch... how are you two even alive--?"


    "T-This is freakin'' insane... Ngh...ACK!"


    He vomited some blood, as soon as he finished saying those words. This is bad. I went too far...


    "I-I''m extremely sorry, Utsu--"


    "Relax, man. This isn''t much. I can get up on my own. It''s been a long time since I''ve been this injured. Feels nostalgic, actually."


    "Y-Yoshida, how are you f-f-fine!? This is NOT normal... aren''t you feeling fatigued? Don''t you feel any pain? Even the strongest TYB soldier would be torn apart after powering up so many t-times."


    True. It is strange---I was feeling weak after I pulled the first punch, and now , although I feel somewhat out of breath, I don''t really feel any pain. No joint aches, no muscle cramps, nothing. And 22!? Didn''t Utsumi say that I''d probably only be able to use it five or six times? This must be some new record. But man, even he got severely wounded, so much that he puked blood. I should treat him to something to make up for it.


    "I''m good, class rep. Just worn out, is all. I think what''s important right now is giving Utsumi some medical attention. He''s in bad shape because of me."


    "I said I''m fine, didn''t I? I''ll just head back to---"


    Before he could complete his sentence, he collapsed, unconscious.


    Medical Room, Main Building


    "He needs to spend a few nights here. What caused these injuries?" The school nurse asked.


    "W-We were training," Tsujihara replied, "And things got out of hand. I''m sorry."


    The nurse looked at Tsujihara and said, "Well, I can imagine you doing this, since half the class was admitted here last semester, thanks to your doing in that crazy battle royale. Don''t worry, Tsujihara. He''ll be fine by tomorrow. Get a good night''s sleep, okay?"


    "O-Okay. Thank you, Hinako-sensei!"


    Outside the Main Building


    "What was that!? Beginner? Are you kidding me!? You nearly killed him! It''s better if you just concede, Yoshida, because I''d rather be doing whatever Rika asks me to do, than to watch you pulverise her to death." She started tearing up. She was scared. But she wasn''t the only one.


    "I''m sorry, this is all my fault. I''ll take responsibility, and call the match off."


    "Why do you need to do that?" A voice came from behind.


    "A-Akane!?" Why''re you here!?" I asked, shocked.


    "Akane?" Tsujihara asked, "You mean Harumi Akane? I-It''s an absolute honour to meet you! I knew you were supposed to be quite young, but you look amazing."


    "Haha thank you. I see you''ve made some friends already, Ryou. I was just taking a stroll, and noticed you. Glad to see you being comfortable here. And you, girl, are--?"


    "Tsujihara Fumika. Representative of Class 1-3," She replied in a veeery formal manner.


    "You can relax around me. I''m quite easy-going, actually. Besides, Ryou must be troubling you a lot, eh? I just overheard your conversation---did he nearly kill someone?"


    "N-No... I-I mean, sure, he did badly injure our friend during training, but that''s it. I got quite worked up a few moments ago, and so I used that tone of voice." Tsujihara replied.


    "I did hear about the current trending topic---The upcoming fight involving one of the nine Muhaijin, and some new 1st-year transfer kid. I am quite surprised to find out that you''re the challenger. Plus, I just visited that Utsumi kid, and his injuries aren''t that serious. You both can be at ease, now. No need to call the match off and all. Also, I want to see how powerful this generation''s Muhaijin are. This''ll be fun." Akane said.


    "This generation''s Muhaijin? Were there more before?" I asked.


    "It''s always been a tradition of Kibouyama Academy to have 9 people be recognised and considered as the strongest." Akane responded. "I was the strongest Muhaijin back in my day. Man, how I miss those glorious days."


    She seems to have gained a significant amount of her memory back. She has a bit of seriousness to her now, unlike the goofy attitude she had back in the city. Of course, I can''t ask her about it, since Tsujihara is around.


    "Say, since your little friend won''t be back for another day or two, want to train with me?" Akane asked.

 Chapter 24: Suspicion

    "You''d do that for me?" I asked.


    "Yeah, why not?" Akane replied. "It''s been six months for me, after all. I need to see how much I remember after staying dormant for half a year. Plus, we''ll have a nice chat after this. Just the two of us."


    About time. I have a crap load to ask her about. Plus, I want to even see her abilities.


    We both got into our respective positions, and Tsujihara gave the signal. I immediately rushed at Akane with my hands ready for some destruction, but she easily dodged it. And, by easily, I mean real easily.


    "Wow!" Tsujihara exclaimed, with her eyes wide open. "I would probably need medical attention myself if I were to get hit by that. I was actually planning to block it, but luckily I decided not to. No wonder that kid got so beaten up. Tsujihara wasn''t exaggerating about the almost killed him part, was she?"


    She''s fast---no, I''m slow. Utsumi only took those hits because he meant to. This is actual sparring. He never dodged my punches.


    I kept trying to hit her numerous times, but I couldn''t touch her even once. Every time, she would let me get close to her, and would then dodge at the last minute. It''s like she''s playing with a puppy---I''m just being dragged around for her amusement.


    1 hour later


    "Give up, Ryou. You''re almost out of breath. You''re too slow. Work on that."


    "Hah...*pant*... Yeah, I get it---physical strength isn''t everything. I need to be fast too."


    "True. Rika is actually among the fastest first-years. Plus, she has incredible fighting skills. She''s a huge hurdle, Ryou." Tsujihara said.


    My confidence from a few hours ago has already been dissipated. Akane is too good at this. I cannot keep up with her speed.


    "You''re already exhausted, so toying with you anymore would make me feel bad. Let''s just have that talk, shall we?"Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "Okay. Tsujihara, I''ll see you tomorrow. Thank you for today."


    She went to her dormitory, while Akane took me to the library.


    The library


    "Nobody will interrupt us here. This place was definitely a good choice."


    "What''s so important?" I asked.


    "I... have some questions, Ryou."


    "Go on."


    "Did I really come to your shop, and ask for a part-time job?"


    "What kind of question is that? Of course you did." I answered.


    "Did I? I came to your shop exactly after I lost my memories. Now that I have regained some of them, I''m starting to see things a bit clearly now. Do you know how they''ve been treating this amnesia of mine so far?"


    "Brain surgery?" I asked, jokingly.


    "Reorbis, Ryou. It seems what I had wasn''t amnesia, but I was under some memory manipulation ability user''s influence. They''ve been using the stone to extract powers from my brain. Normally, it''d take less than a few minutes, but they''ve been at it for more than 30 hours straight. And, I still have those powers in my head. Whoever did this to me, is a very skilled power user---that''s what Miss Yuriko implied."


    "I''m not sure if I''m supposed to ask you this, but do you remember anything regarding the events that conspired 6 months ago?"


    "No, none at all. That''s the reason why I asked you about my part time job. If that certain someone could manipulate my memories that easily, then surely he or she''d be easily able to make me see false memories as well."


    "No way, that''s not at all possible." I responded, in disbelief. "I saw you on your first day! There''s no way you were dragged in to our shop. You were clearly happy to be able to work at our shop. Always have been. Why would anyone manipulate you into getting a job?"


    "I asked the same thing to Miss Yuriko myself, and she replied that it must have been to keep me away from Kibouyama, thus leaving both the academy, and the TYB, vulnerable. Whoever kidnapped me on that mission half a year ago, not only manipulated my memories, but also was successful in making me useless. That person made sure that I wouldn''t ever find out about the academy."


    "But..."


    "And," she added, "Miss Yuriko also mentioned that pulling off such a feat for six months isn''t possible, unless the ability user stays in close proximity. He has to be in contact with me almost everyday."


    "But I never saw anyone like tha---wait, He?"


    She kept glaring at me, with a suspicious look.


    "Y-You can''t be serious, Akane. Me!? I should be the last person being suspected here. I didn''t even know you were a yurei until a week ago!"


    "I never said it was you, did I?"


    She''s still glaring---like someone with a killing intent.


    "W-Wait... this is a joke, right? My father?"


    She''s not responding, but her eyes tell me otherwise.


    "H-Hey, Akane, you''re seriously not suspecting my father, are you? The man gave you a job, and even considered you like his own daughter. Plus, he''s a normal human! Why would he--"


    "Henry Turnwallace would like to have a word with you, Yoshida Ryou."

 Chapter 25: Broken trust

    "Henry? He''s the one who brought me to this place! Why would he suspect me!?"


    "Be lucky that it''s him---you wouldn''t want Miss Yuriko to be calling you, now." She replied.


    "So, where is he?"


    "Right behind you, boy."


    What the--? Henry? When did he get here? I didn''t even notice his presence.


    "As told, I''ve brought him to your attention, sir."


    "Thank you, Harumi. Now, boy, I''m assuming that she''s filled you in with the details."


    "Yes, she has, alright. What''s the meaning of this, Henry? This isn''t some prank, right?"


    "It''s... about your father."


    My dad?


    "What about him? Are you also going to say that he''s some criminal?"


    "Well, we''ll get to that. But what I''m trying to say is that... The day you left home to come here, I personally went to your house to take care of filling your father in with the details of your sudden departure, as promised."


    "And? What did you tell him?" I asked.


    "Nothing. He wasn''t there. I felt that he might have gone out or something, so I kept some of my men on watch, but he never returned. He''s still missing."


    "WHAT!? He''s missing!? Are you sure your men aren''t lying?"


    "Yes. I even went to investigate yesterday. Normally, any person would leave some sort of clue, such as footprints, or fingerprints, or signs of haste. But, nothing was missing from your house---clothes were intact, no signs of packing either. There were no clues at all. It''s like he just vanished---into thin air."


    "So you''re going to conclude that my dad''s a criminal just because he''s missing!? What if he''s been kidnapped? What if the Imperium guys took him as hostage, just to pull you out, or something? Weren''t you supposed to be a threat to them?"


    "That would have sounded like the most obvious answer, if not for Akane''s case. She was affected by a memory manipulation technique. And, no matter how powerful you are, you cannot keep doing it for six months, unless you''re in close proximity everyday."Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    "Then why my father!? It could be anyone---a customer, a friend from her university... literally anyone!" I exclaimed.


    "True, but the duration also matters. The same customer doesn''t come every day for half a year. Plus, you need to stay with her for several hours a day to be able to pull it off. So, customers are out of the question. And as for her university..."


    "Go on. Are you now going to state that she never had any friends in her class?"


    "She never was a college student."


    What? Am I hearing something wrong?


    "W-What are y-you saying? Akane was a final year student... she even told me numerous times... she was even given her shifts in accordance with her university timings. Are you saying that she''s been lying to us all this time?"


    "No, she never lied. Her memories were manipulated, after all. She was made to think that she was some student at a university, when in reality, she never was one. We cross checked with the university records as well. They never had anyone with the name Harumi Akane as their student for the past four years. Plus, she also moved in as your neighbour half a year ago, and immediately started working as a part timer the next day. That''s what Akane here has told me. I suppose I''ve explained my part." Henry said.


    No way... My father lied to me? Why would he do that? So, her college, her classes, were all lies? Why?


    "She was both a neighbour, and a part timer at your place. She has been in close proximity with you and your father for the past six months. However, although you''re under suspicion of being involved as well, it is clear that your father is the real perpetrator." Henry said.


    "N-No, you have to listen to me... This must be some misunderstanding..."


    "Kidnapping, and manipulating a TYB soldier is an act of terrorism. There is no way it can be a misunderstanding. It is evident that your father''s working for Imperium."


    "Kidnapping? Akane never was forced to be a part timer... she came because she wanted to w-work."


    "By kidnapping, I mean the event from six months ago, where an entire Imperium base was destroyed. It could have been just an act to convince that someone unknown genuinely kidnapped her, and went missing. But, it is clear that it was all your father''s doing."


    Crap. This is bad. I can''t even argue with these statements. I don''t have any proof, or an alibi for my dad. If it''s true, then why did he lie to me? What was he trying to accomplish? No, I refuse to believe this. Absolutely.


    "A-Akane, come on... you know he''s innocent, right? He even considered you as family... he always praised you for your hard work. He''s never ever hated you, not even once. Come on, WHY AREN''T YOU SAYING ANYTHING?!"


    "I was manipulated into leaving my actual home... I was brainwashed into thinking that I was a normal human being. Do you even realize that all my memorable moments over the past six months of working with you guys were just all lies!? I trusted your father, Ryou. I trusted that man! But it was all an act."


    "Y-You can''t be serious..."


    "Yoshida Kenichi, was it?" Henry interrupted. "I saw the name behind a photo of you and your father, when I went to investigate."


    "Y-Yeah. So what now?" I asked, hesitatingly.


    "I hereby declare Yoshida Kenichi to be an international terrorist."

 Chapter 26: Allegations and theories

    Terrorist? No freaking way. Even if he were the perpetrator, he didn''t kill her---No, he ISN''T. I refuse to believe it. My dad has been absolutely normal for all the time I''ve known him. He''s kind-hearted, selfless, and honest. Sure, he may have a drinking habit, but he''s never once let me down. Besides, Akane never was hurt, was she? Never has she been in any sort of trouble in these last six months. I need to prove them that he is innocent.


    "You seem to have no words, Ryou." Akane said. "You should realise by now that your father has been lying to you all this time---he''s a yurei himself. A pretty skilled one, at that."


    "Or," I responded, "Someone''s trying to frame him. What if somebody else has been manipulating his memories all this time as well? Obviously, if my dad were innocent, which I firmly believe he is, then he wouldn''t hire anyone without some identity proof, right? He''d want your details, such as the place you''re studying in, or where you''re actually from, along with your contact information, and more. And he did ask you all of those, and you did give them all to him. Surely, it must have crossed your mind. Also, don''t you think that the real perpetrator would try to conceal himself better? Why would he want to be an easy suspect? If he''s smart enough to manipulate you, the Captain of Rank-3, then wouldn''t he be able to think this through?"


    "That''s a fine argument, boy." Henry said. "But then, who would try to frame your father? Your argument loses all value if you can''t realise such a simple thing. Your father is also currently missing. There were, indeed, no traces of power present in your house when we inspected it, but your points still aren''t very considerable. It just means that he anticipated such a thing to happen since the very beginning, and so he must have prepared himself. I''m sorry, but this is how it is. You aren''t alone in this---the young lady here also said the same things when she first heard about it. She kept arguing for nearly three days, trying to fight for your father''s innocence. But, for all we know, the statement is out---your father is now a wanted man. The TYB is frantically preparing a search party for the investigation of the disappearance of Yoshida Kenichi as we speak."


    "Oh, come ON! My dad could have been just some expendable pawn for the actual criminal. He''s innocent, I''m telling you! Akane, come on, believe me, please! I beg you! Aka--"


    She''s trying to hold back her tears, but also trying to keep a stern face at the same time. She''s scared, yet angry. Her attitude has obviously changed---no, she reverted back to her old, cold self, from her military days, after she gained some of her memories, but still, she''s the same innocent, and energetic girl that I know. She still has her memories of when she worked for us.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    I also cracked up, looking at her sad face. I never expected anything like this to happen. Neither of us did. We, or at least I, was forced to come here, due to unfavourable circumstances. Never would I have ever imagined that the day would come when my dad would be declared as a criminal.


    "However," Henry added, "We''re to bring him in alive. He may be a terrorist, but as you said, there is a very slim chance of him being framed, or being used as a scapegoat. If that is true, then the perpetrator might be after you."


    "M-Me? Because I''m a rekishiya?"


    "Precisely. Rekishiya aren''t very loved, you see. Throughout history, they''ve been revered as sort of proxy gods, or sometimes the real thing. This has always caused a lot of jealousy and fear among certain people, and even royalty. Most of them have never really had peaceful deaths---either killed, or have committed suicide. You''re quite possibly one of the only rekishiya to be born in these last two decades. The enemy would want to harness your power for their own benefits."


    Couldn''t they have gone with this theory from the bloody start!? Why say that now, after making my father a wanted man? It''s absurd.


    "But," he continued, "For now, we still firmly believe that he''s dangerous, and so, he''s our prime suspect. We will do all it takes to find, and capture him. We will use any method to extract information out of him---even torture. I don''t expect you to forgive me, or my people, but I promise you---we won''t kill him."


    Those words were cruel, yet merciful. They lifted a huge weight off my crushed soul. I could finally draw some breath.


    "I will also assist in finding him. Please, let me. I need to know the truth for myself." I said.


    "I knew you''d say that. Which is precisely why I won''t let you. And that''s an order. Got it? I cannot allow a mere student, who''s also potentially under threat, to be involved in this. It''s an international matter now. Six countries, including Japan, are involved in the search."


    S-Six countries? What the actual hell?


    "I''ve said my part. I''ll be leaving. For what it''s worth, I hope I''m wrong. See you later, boy." Henry left, as he uttered those words.


    "I don''t believe that you''re involved in this, Ryou, but I can''t lower my guard when I''m around you. I tried testing you to see if you truly had experience in combat or not---seems like I was wrong. You''re weak. But I guess being one truly has saved you from being one of the prime suspects, huh? Ironic." She said, and left as well. Ouch. Rude and cold again---exactly what you''d expect from a TYB captain. Man, I already miss her old self. If only she didn''t regain her memories. No, what am I thinking? This is her real self. I cannot possibly change that. As much as it pains me, I have to accept reality now. I can''t waver now---I have to prove my dad''s innocence. But, there''s also the miniscule possibility of me being wrong here---I have no definite proof. I have to get back to my house. Chances of finding pieces of evidence are very low, since Henry and his men already checked for them. Still, I need to see it for myself---I know my house better than anyone else. But I can''t do it alone. I can''t ask Akane, nor can I involve another student in this matter. Who can I trust?

 Chapter 27: Unraveled

    2 days later - 4:00 a.m.


    I haven''t been able to sleep well since that incident with Akane and Henry. I haven''t had a proper meal, nor have I attended any classes. Yosuke''s been asking me several questions regarding my current state of mind all this time. I cannot even give him proper answers. I have also been receiving several calls from Tsujihara and Ayase, but I''ve been ignoring them so far. How am I even staying sane at this point, knowing that there are literally several nations looking for my father? I''m at my wits'' end here. I''ve been trying to figure out ways of getting out of here, yet the biggest question arises---where am I, exactly?


    I''ve tried using the GPS on my phone to figure out my location before, but it wasn''t functioning. I''m also not getting much reception here. It''s a very remote area. If I didn''t know any better, this could very well be some experimenting grounds. I mean, it''s very possible for all of this to be a scam. This could all be an elaborate plan by the government to test us... make us their guinea pigs. While I''m here, who knows what they might be doing to my father. I have to get out of here. I need to.


    *Knocking on the door*


    Who could that be? It''s still so early.


    I opened the door, only to realise who it was---Utsumi.


    "Well, you look like crap, rekishiya."


    "Don''t say that aloud, you idiot. What if somebody passing through the corridors heard you? What if my roommate did?"


    "Relax. We''re the only two people awake on this floor. Anyway, I heard you''ve been skipping classes. I''m flattered to see you''re feeling guilty about sending me to the hospital."


    "No, I''m not guilt---okay, a little bit, I suppose, but that''s not the actual reason. I really don''t want to get you involved."


    "Fine by me. Besides, I just got discharged a while back myself. You gave me some pretty neat wounds there."


    "I''m sorry. I should have held back."


    "It''s all good. Maybe you''re ready to face that Muhai-whatever girl, right? You''re strong enough to pulverise her several times over." Utsumi said.


    "I''m not in a mood to fight her, Utsumi. I don''t even know if I ever will, either. And most importantly, why are your clothes dirty?" I asked.


    "Just before arriving here, I went to the club room, and cleaned it a bit. It''s looking good now. Want to check it out?"


    Reluctantly, I went to see it with him. He took me to a rather isolated little cottage, just behind the Main Building.


    "This is the club room? It''s like a private house. Looks run down, though."


    "This was built by my dad and the other members over 30 years ago. The academy funded its construction, while my dad took care of the research funds. It''s pretty cool, if I must say."Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    "But, isn''t this where the Red Snow Massacre took place?" I asked.


    "Here, and also in front of the Main School Building. But, now that we''ve been given the green signal, we can continue the legacy of TREC."


    He truly does care for the work his father put his blood and sweat into. Due to the unfortunate circumstances, the club must have lost its reputation. Plus, his real motive is to find out about the killer, anyway.


    "It''s quite spacious here, for just three people." I said. "We need more members, no?"


    "Obviously. But right now, I want to show you something. Here, these notes belonged to one of the founding members."


    "I thought your dad was the only founder... how many in total?" I asked.


    "There were three, including my father. Anyway, check it out."


    He handed me a very dusty-looking notebook. Its pages were starting to crumble.


    "This belonged to a man named Kazuki Akio." Utsumi said. "Apparently, he was the brains of the club."


    So this book belonged to someone really smart. I''d reckon these would be useful.


    "So, what about the last one? The third founder? If your father was the person providing the funds, and if this Kazuki Akio was the one researching, then what about the third?" I asked.


    "Frizmann Hallt---another one of the top researchers. According to my father, Kazuki, and this guy were sort of like research rivals---always competing to come up with something new and useful for the club. Together, they were the backbone of this place. TREC thrived during their time, until that day."


    They could have accomplished so much, had they been alive to this day. No wonder TREC couldn''t continue. Even if he wanted to, Utsumi''s father couldn''t have been able to find new members like these two rivals.


    "But, this isn''t the reason I brought you here. You know it."


    Of course---my ability. I''m to help him catch a killer on the loose.


    "This notebook that you have in your hand---try with it." Utsumi said.


    I removed my gloves, and gave the notebook a touch.


    In an instant, I could hear the sound of somebody trying to clean it---I couldn''t see anything, but could perfectly hear it---it was Utsumi. And, it was about an hour ago. But why couldn''t I see any visions? What about the time when I saw a 70-year old vision from a sword?


    "Well? Anything?" Utsumi asked.


    I told him my analysis. He clearly was disappointed. He didn''t expect it to turn out like this.


    "Well, at least I know that your power''s the real deal... not that I didn''t believe you before. But, it looks like you need to put in more power. If I''m correct, then the amount of power you put into while making contact is directly proportional to how far in the past you can actually see." Utsumi said.


    "It''s never worked before, but okay, if you say so. This probably won''t make much difference."


    "It''s worth a try."


    I touched the book again, except this time, I put in a lot more power than I did before---it felt very similar to what I did during training.


    "This is insane, Henry. Do you really want to allow these kids to do this? I mean, look at this---each book written here is valuable enough to be called a national treasure. Not even the TYB is aware of this---we should have just burned these." Principal Yuriko said.


    "These are too valuable to be destroyed. We''ve kept them here in secrecy for over 30 years, since no one would expect the notes to be located in the crime scene all this time. And, they''ve finally found some use, in the hands of the rightful owner---Takeda''s son." Henry said.


    "I only acted like I was okay about all of this, because you allowed it. But, in reality, I''m absolutely not. Nobody except the two of us, and Takeda, knows about the identity of Kuroyurei. It was a secret the three of us swore to keep. Kazuki Akio... That bastard killed all of them---the club members, TYB soldiers, my mother, and sister! I''ll never forgive him... I''ll rip him to shreds!" She said, while crying.


    Woah. This was probably the longest vision I''ve ever had. It was about 2 days after we went to the Principal''s office for re-establishing TREC. Miss Yuriko was weeping like hell at the end... and she even had a sister? And holy crap... Kazuki Akio!? One of the club''s founders!?


    "Did you find any clues, Yoshida?" Utsumi asked, eagerly.


    "Screw clues---I know the killer."

 Chapter 28: Hime-chan

    "What do you mean you know the killer!?"


    "I-I just heard the Principal and Henry talk about it."


    "Well... go on, then..."


    I took a deep breath and answered him. "Kazuki Akio."


    "Are you absolutely sure it''s him!? You can''t be joking here, Yoshida."


    "Of course I''m not joking! I''m only telling you what I heard. Miss Yuriko mentioned about him being the killer. She even said that other than those two, only your dad knew about the killer''s identity. Apparently, they took an oath to keep it a secret from the rest of the world. Not even the TYB knows about it."


    "So it was true. My father wasn''t just speculating, then."


    "Wait, you knew who the killer was, then?"


    "I overheard him mumbling over the phone four years back. But I didn''t know what he was talking about. I''m now confident that he was talking to one of those two. I have been researching about Kazuki Akio ever since then. Thus, I found out about this academy, and the Red Snow Massacre. I enrolled here to find people that could help me with this case. And so, I first found out about the Class Rep''s connection to the case, and then I met you. You know the rest."


    So he never intended to study or be part of the academy in the first place. His only motive was to find some clues and whereabouts of the killer.


    "In addition to being a psychotic mass murderer, Kazuki was also an incredible genius. My dad still had some of his earlier books, so I tried giving it a read, secretly, of course. You wouldn''t believe the kind of stuff they were experimenting on! And those were just the tip of the iceberg. His real stuff lies here---in your hands at the moment, technically."


    I turned open the book, and flipped the pages. There was a very neat and elaborate index created which helped with the navigation.


    "My father once told me that Kazuki''s theories were so on point, that even Henry, and the then Principal forbade them from being made public, saying that it could literally change the way we would look at our powers, and even our lives."


    Why become a killer then? Was he frustrated by the fact that he wasn''t allowed to become famous? Is that what drove him to kill? Perhaps, somebody stole his work, and that made him go crazy...?


    "Nobody knows as to why he committed such a heinous crime. There have been certain theories about it. But since most aren''t aware of his identity, they haven''t been able to produce anything convincing. After all, to understand a person, you need to understand his past. In this case, no one can do that, can they?"


    He gave me an obvious look.


    "All right, I get it. I''ll keep digging. Give me a break already!" I responded.


    "Thank you. Also, we''re not just going to find out about our little Jack here. We''re part of an actual club, remember? We''re going to also indulge in research. Kazuki''s notes will help us a lot. Assuming that we''re somehow able to use them to become stronger, by the time the semester ends, we''ll be stronger than the teachers themselves. You, of course, could even become stronger than the Principal." Utsumi said.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    "That would be really cool."


    "Okay, enough chatting. Let us start with our first task---knowing everything there is to know about our killer."


    We started digging up things that could help us in knowing about him. There were many---rough notes, actual notes, even vintage porn magazines. Looks like they enjoyed quite a lot during their youth. They weren''t kidding when they said that everything here has been kept untouched.


    2 hours later


    "What do we have so far?" I asked.


    Utsumi wrote down all the details on a parchment.


    Name: Kazuki Akio


    Age: 16


    Height: 171.6 cm


    Weight: 59.3 kg


    Blood Type: A+


    Hair Type/Colour: Semi-long/Black


    Favourite food: Ramen


    Glasses: Yes


    "How in the world did you even come up with these details? I could only come up with his age." I asked.


    "I found a notebook with all the names and other details of the members. It included age, blood type, height, and weight. As for the food, I even found a slam book, with all the personal details regarding Kazuki. I have no clue as to whom this book belonged to, though. And finally, the hair and the glasses, well, I found an old photo. Here."


    He handed me a photo of all the members. There were 19 in total.


    "The one with the glasses and slightly long hair is our guy." Utsumi said.


    "He looks innocent as hell, like a total bookworm. No wonder nobody suspected his ulterior motives."


    "Well, that''s about it. We''ll have to get to work once Tsujihara joins us."


    "By the way, what''s a slam book doing here? I thought only kids use it. Actually, not even they do, anymore." I asked.


    "Slam books were pretty popular even among teenagers in the 80''s. In such an isolated academy, the only normal thing going on for them was probably this book. But I can''t figure out as to whom it belonged to, since it''s a nickname."


    "Nickname?"


    "Yeah. It belonged to someone named Hime-chan. Obviously, I checked the names of all the 18 members, and I couldn''t find anyone having a name similar to it."


    "18? Aren''t there 19 in this photo?"


    "No, of course not. There are 18."


    Let me look at the photo aga---Damn. How could I have missed that...!?


    "It''s the kid." I said.


    "A kid? No wait, the kid? Who?" Utsumi asked.


    I showed him the photo of the club members.


    "Okay, what''s the deal, then? I can''t see anything new here, Yoshida. Elaborate."


    "Look at Kazuki one more time."


    "What then? I can''t see---what!? A little girl, sitting on Kazuki''s shoulders!? How could I have missed that!?"


    "We were so engrossed in looking at him, that we forgot the little silver-haired girl on top. I''m almost sure that she''s Hime-chan." I said.


    "What are you basing it on? Any other member could have used that name. Plus, I don''t think a kid would be allowed anywhere near the academy."


    "But the photo was taken right outside this cottage. It''s clearly visible. Plus, she''s wearing a paper-crown, goddammit. Don''t you think that''s proof enough?"


    "All right, fine. You''ve made your point. So it did belong to the kid. But how did she enter the academy premises? Kids have never been allowed in this academy. Even a teacher''s kid can''t be allowed to step foot into this place. A minimum age of 13 is required. Besides, she looks no more than five." Utsumi refuted.


    "But somehow, she''s in this photo, with all the other members. Strange, don''t you think? I mean, unless it were the kid of somebody really important, they wouldn''t be allowed to enter the academy premises, right? So, we can safely assume that this was the child of someone really important to this academy, say, the Principal, or even the founder."


    "If that is true, then it narrows our search down by quite a lot." Utsumi said.


    "You have always been the smart one, Utsumi. Yet, you''re still not able to figure out something so easy." I said.


    "Okay, Conan. Go on, then. Enlighten me."


    "Who is a super-important woman, having silver hair, despises TREC, and anything associated with it? Hmm?"


    "You. Have. Got. To. Be. Joking. NO! It can''t be!"


    "Exactly."

 Chapter 29: Horrors of the night

    "The Principal! Of course!" Utsumi shouted.


    I nodded yes.


    "But my dad never told me about her, not even once. I thought he was the only survivor. And, she looks so young, despite being in her mid-30''s. Man, that bitch was actually ol--"


    In that instant, Utsumi was punched so hard, that he went flying, and crashed onto the wall, still went through it, and crashed on a tree trunk about fifty metres away, by none other than the person in question---Yuriko.


    "Foul-mouthed piece of garbage. Just like his father, for sure---pretty face, ugly mouth." Yuriko said.


    "Where did you come from!? I never even felt your presence, ma''am."


    "I was here, outside the room the whole time, and couldn''t help but overhear you finding out about Kazuki Akio." She said.


    "Umm, we can explain, we didn''t---"


    "It doesn''t matter now." She interrupted. "I knew you guys weren''t just trying to be a normal club. That''s the reason why I even intentionally revealed Kuroyurei''s identity while talking to Henry two days ago."


    "What''re you up to? Before, you were freaking out about this club, and now, you''re trying to get involved? This looks to me like you wanted all of this to happen." I said.


    "O-Of course, that''s exactly it." Utsumi said, while limping towards us.


    "You''re stronger than you look, Unlike your father." She said.


    "What''s your connection to this club, ma''am?" I asked.


    "I was an unofficial member of TREC. Although I say that, all I ever did was annoy the people here. I was five when I first joined here. But I only did that so that I could stay close to my sister, Yuka. She was the first member to join the club, other than the founders."


    "Why did she join? Was there any particular reason?"


    "She once told me that she lost in a battle against Kazuki, and had to therefore be part of the club. Naturally, being the most powerful student at the time, and a total role model, a lot of others followed her and joined the club. Since she always stayed at this club after class, I never got to play with her that much. And so, I started hanging out and playing here. I cannot believe that I''m saying this, but those were actually the best moments of my life. If only that day never happened."


    Her words were deep and obvious enough for even a fool to understand. They were those of a person who''d lost everything.


    "What about Kazuki? How close were you to him?" Utsumi asked.


    "We got along so well, that people would actually think that we were siblings. I even considered him so... but that bastard took everything from me... my home, my friends, my family, my precious memories... EVERYTHING. He was so kind to everyone, just like the perfect friend we all wish to have. Not once did we ever suspect him. Not bloody once."Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    "Were you there on the night of the incident?" I asked.


    "Oh, I had the front row tickets to it." She replied.


    "Please, tell us. We need to know." Utsumi insisted.


    "The man broke into my home, which was very close to the academy, and slaughtered my mother, and her guards. I was sound asleep when it was happening, since it was close to midnight. I thought I heard some scuffling noises, and came out of my room, only to find all the guards, and maids dead. There were corpses lying all over the house. The stench of the blood was sickening. As I made my way to my mother''s room, I saw her lying---dead. Her limbs had been severed, and tossed across the room. I don''t know how many times I threw up at the sight of it. And then, just near her corpse, I could see the silhouette of the murderer, only to find out after a closer look as to who he truly was. I started scratching my head, and pulling my hair, thinking that it was some dream. But it wasn''t. I couldn''t move. I was scared as hell, and stiff as a rock. I couldn''t think straight. The man who I loved and admired the most... someone who was practically like a family member to me, had slaughtered my mother. He nearly tried to kill me, but my sister intervened. She fought with him, and all the while, she was crying, and screaming in disbelief. He never spoke once. I don''t know how long they fought, but I ran as soon as my sister told me to, wile she kept him occupied. I sprinted straight to the main building to call for any available help, only to find bodies scattered across the place. There was one old-looking TYB member with a severed arm, who immediately recognised me, and agreed to help. Apparently, he was on patrolling duty, and somehow narrowly escaped the onslaught, and managed to find some room to breathe, and heal himself a bit. He sounded the alarm, and sent a distress call to other TYB members. Kazuki was quick to find us inside the building, thanks to this. After fighting him, he too was killed, trying to protect me. I had no way out. I was cornered. I could see the bloodlust in his eyes... the eyes of a psychopathic murderer. I thought I was going to be killed as well, until Henry intervened. But, the bastard was still able to take Henry head-on, without any problem. There was, and still is, no man who''s capable of that, but he did it. It was then, that Utsumi Takeda found me and carried me amidst the battle, to safety outside the building. He told me about what had happened to the club members. Just hearing about it made me nearly lose my mind. I ran to the club room, bare-foot on the blood-clad snow, all the while having Takeda chase me. I saw mutilated bodies everywhere, and nearly fainted at the sight of them. They all belonged to the members of the club. All my friends. Just gone. There was so much blood, that I had nearly forgotten the smell of fresh air. It was a massacre. The snow was blood red, everywhere I looked. I was so terrified that I couldn''t even cry, or speak. I was shivering, and my skin was cold, and nearly out of energy. Takeda was actually injured himself, with a massive slash on his back. He was bleeding a lot, yet carried me to safety. He took me to his room in the boys'' dorm, to keep me away from the club, and the Main Building. After about an hour, Henry came to the room, all injured, to say that Kazuki had somehow escaped. He also told me that all the club members, except Takeda, had been killed, along with a bunch of other teachers, and TYB members. The death toll, in reality, exceeded 50, but we kept this fact hidden, to not cause further panic, and public outrage. I also found out from Henry that my sister was nowhere to be found, but they found her sword, and her severed hand attached to it. It was obvious that she was killed. Even if she wasn''t, she would have eventually died due to excessive bleeding. Soon, the school was shut down for a month, and new rules and regulations were formed. Henry controlled the academy from the shadows, laying low, all the while trying to find the whereabouts of Kazuki, and his possible connection to Imperium. After 13 years, with no success, I took over the academy as the Principal, and vowed to find and kill him."

 Chapter 30: New conditions of challenge

    All of a sudden, Utsumi and I went all silent. I didn''t think it was so horrible. The way she narrated it sent chills down my spine. I simply assumed that she didn''t like the idea of re-establishing this cursed club after so many years. In reality, she was fully involved that night, desperate to survive. Trying her best to calm down, she said, "At least you can now understand as to why I was reluctant about all of this."


    "We''re deeply sorry for your loss. We truly are," Utsumi responded. "But my father isn''t as strong-willed as you are, Miss Yuriko. Even to this day, he suffers from PTSD. As far as I have known and seen, he hasn''t slept peacefully even once, knowing that Kazuki is still out there. I want to make it right. I will find him for you. You have my word. Until then, please allow us to do our job."


    Bold statement, if I must say. He''s basically just telling her to mind her own business. A punch wasn''t enough, I suppose.


    "I didn''t narrate all of that just to deny you your request. Your father, after all, saved my life once. I can never repay that debt, but I''m willing to lend you a hand."


    With a slight smile, he thanked her.


    "So, how''re you going to do that? Clues about Kazuki''s whereabouts? His connections?" I asked.


    She replied, "How about, ''I won''t shut down this damn club''? That''ll hugely help you. As an added bonus, I''ll not report any of this to Henry."


    "That''d be more than helpful. Thank you very much, ma''am," Utsumi said.


    "You''re welcome. And it''s about time you got back to class, Yoshida Ryou. Your attendance is already like crap. You won''t be able to pass any of your examinations at this rate."


    "Ah yes. I''m sorry. I''ll be attending today," I replied.


    "And, I''m also scheduling your fight with Miura Rika for evening, after class. Don''t cower and hide, like you have been doing for the past week. Rumours have already started circulating about you."


    What the--?


    She left the very moment. And, I''m supposed to face the strongest 1st-year student today. I have been wallowing in misery for so long, that I didn''t even train once. What do I do? I cannot remain absent today. I... let me ask Utsumi. He''ll know what to do.


    "Oh, don''t look at me." He instantly responded as I turned towards him. "It''s your problem. Do what you did to me during training. Just don''t kill her."


    It may just be my instinct, but I''m almost sure that he is stronger than Miura. Nevertheless, he still got hurt pretty badly when he took my hits. I''m sure she won''t survive like he did.


    "We should get going. Class will start soon. Plus, you better prepare yourself for the inevitable."


    8:00 a.m., 1st Period - Classroom


    "I don''t know the reason for your week-long absence, but make sure that it doesn''t bother your academic performance." Mariko-sensei said.


    "Right. Sorry about that."


    Yosuke slapped my back, and asked me, "Why did you go out so early in the morning?"


    "Ah, nothing. Just wanted to get some fresh air. Sorry to worry you."


    "Yosuke told me that you weren''t feeling too well this past week. Are you okay now? What happened to you?" Ayase asked.


    "I was a little out of it for a while. Thank you for your concerns. I really feel a lot better now."


    Irritated, Mariko-sensei banged her table, and said, "You can all talk during the lunch break. Until then, shut up, and let me teach."The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    She taught us about the ways to increase our body temperature while fighting on colder terrains. This was essential, since it looked like it''d snow anytime soon. It''s already gotten really chilly out here. I learned that using your power can generate a small amount of heat. Therefore, using it on a larger scale can be used to warm yourself up. It seems that during war times, people would use this technique to survive longer. But what surprised me the most is that people with powers actually participated in wars, alongside normal human beings. If that were the case, then why aren''t we living in harmony? Why hide from the outside world? Don''t people ever ask such questions?


    Lunch Break - Classroom


    "As the representative, I should be imposing the cleaning duty onto you for the next 3 days, as compensation for your uninformed absence. But, I''m not a tyrant, and therefore, I''ll make it just for today. You hear me?" Tsujihara said.


    "Sorry. But I have a--"


    "FIGHT! That''s right. I have been searching you for quite a while. I heard that you ran away in fear." It was Miura Rika.


    Oh, what perfect timing. Straight out of a manga. "I wasn''t running. Only unwell. But, I''m ready for today evening."


    "Meet me at the Open Field as soon as class ends. And, just to give you a head start, you can even use anything as a weapon. Don''t hold back."


    "I don''t need tools for you. My fists are more than enough."


    Everybody gasped. I didn''t know why, until I heard recited those words in my mind. And, my god, did that come out wrong.


    "Your confidence is incredible, I''ll give you that. But no matter what you do, you cannot possibly win against me."


    I don''t know if I should be putting up this cocky act.


    I replied, "We''ll see about that."


    Now that she has left, everyone''s gazes are on me. Why are they acting like that? I get that she''s strong, but I''m confident that I can at least put up a decent fight.


    "Y-You talked to her like that so easily. You even claimed that you could beat her with your bare hands... DO YOU HAVE A DEATH WISH!?" Ayase shouted.


    "Relax. I did a bit of training, so I''ll be all right. Besides, how strong can she be?"


    Tsujihara adjusted her glasses, as if ready to give a lecture, and said, "Even if all of us first-years fight her at once, she''ll still beat us all. She''s from a family of TYB soldiers. She''s been training in CQC all her life. In fact, she''s even stronger than most second-years. You don''t stand a chance as of now, but... if you use, that..."


    "That?"


    Yosuke and Ayase asked in unison.


    "It''s a technique I learned from Utsumi. But it''s kind of dangerous to use it against her. So I''ll try my best to fight without it."


    Open Field, 4:00 p.m.


    Everyone''s gathered here. Roughly around a hundred people, including the Principal, and Akane. What is this, some gladiator match?


    "You can still call it quits now. I''ll even lessen the punishment. Once the battle starts, you cannot do so, got it?" Miura said.


    "Sure. I''m fine with that. May the best fighter win."


    I don''t know why I said that so confidently, I''m actually quite nervous. This is my first proper duel.


    "Oh, what''s this? Looks quite fun."


    Who''s that? Someone''s standing near the Principal. Another red-haired girl? Wow, she looks hot. Her elegant figure, and those rose-red eyes. Darn, I need to focus.


    But for some reason, my proud opponent''s eyes suddenly widened.


    "N-Nee-san!? W-What are you doing here? I-I thought you had some council work!"


    Nee-san!? You mean this babe is her sister!? No wonder they have similar traits! Red-hair, good figures... the only notable difference is the lengths of their hair---Miura''s is shorter. Is she here to support her sister? The fight hasn''t even started yet. She''s also wearing the same uniform, so she''s a student. But the way she''s smiling is... sinister. Her eyes don''t look very friendly. I have played my fair share of visual novels, and she''s got the same eyes as that of a sadistic character from a game that I once regretted playing. She turned out to be a yandere, and killed my character''s little sister. As to why I''m thinking all of this just before a fight, I have no clue.


    "Hello, my dear imouto. It just so happens that I have a bit of spare time. What''s better than seeing your little baby sister fight with all her might?"


    "All my might? What do you mean? This is like a walk in the park to me. I''ll beat him up in no time."


    Talk about me putting up a cocky front. She''s way more confident than me.


    "Oh, didn''t you hear, baby-sister? You''ll be stripped of your title if you lose." She replied.


    "WHAT!?" Everyone, including Miura herself, shouted in unison. For some reason, Miss Yuriko''s been smiling all along. Surely, she''s the one behind this. After all, she arranged all of this today.


    Miura waved her hair, and said, "T-That is absurd. Of course I''ll win. It still doesn''t change anything."


    The onee-san also waved her long, deep red-coloured hair, and said, "Oh, cocky, are we? How about a new condition? If you cannot defeat him in under five minutes, then you''ll lose. And, you will be a Muhaijin no more."


    Who is this person? She''s literally making all the decisions, and not even the Principal is objecting any of it. Plus, Miura seems to not be arguing about it at all. It''s like she''s being pushed over. I''m having a feeling that this onee-san herself is part of the student council, since Miura herself mentioned it a few minutes earlier. Is this person the President? That would be the only explanation. This ought to be interesting.