Seri stood trembling with a mixture of possessiveness and a deeper, more primal fear. She knew that golden lock of hair. She knew those liquid eyes.
Sophia Uzushi
The Uzushi family stood a tier above the Kyorin in the royal hierarchy, their influence spanning across the continent's mineral trades and mental-defense sectors. They were only eclipsed by the legendary Kinatarou line—the very name Yuki had discarded.
Sophia reached her desk and slid on a pair of thick-rimmed glasses. She blinked, her vision finally snapping into focus. She looked back at the boy sleeping on the desk and felt a cold shiver run down her spine. She had reached out to touch him because, in her blurred vision, she thought he was someone else. But the moment her fingers brushed his hair, her Kizo—a volatile mixture of Metallokinesis and Telepathy—had surged.
In that fleeting second, the mental barrier she usually kept high had shattered. She hadn't just felt his hair; she had felt the void.
She saw flashes: a burning manor, the smell of copper blood, the cold bite of the slums, and a crushing, mountain-sized loneliness that no teenager should ever carry. It wasn't just suffering; it was a systematic destruction of a soul. Sophia's hand shook as she reached for her pen. She didn't want to look at him again. She felt like a thief who had accidentally stolen a piece of someone's tragedy.
When Yuki finally woke up, the classroom was empty except for Seri, who was staring out the window with a haunted expression. Yuki rubbed his eyes, but a strange, lingering sensation remained at the back of his skull—like a static charge that wouldn't dissipate.
"You okay, Seri-chan?" he asked, his voice gravelly from sleep.
Seri turned, her eyes softening but her voice remained sharp. "You're an idiot for sleeping so soundly, I couldn't bring myself to wake you up. Come on. Since you have three months before the 'hell' starts, you need to find a way to spend your afternoons."
Yuki stretched, his joints popping. "I was thinking about checking out the clubs. Maybe I can pick up a skill that doesn't involve Tetsu punching me into a wall."
Their first stop was the Literature Club. It was a room filled with the scent of old paper and the scratching of fountain pens. Seri lasted exactly four minutes before she leaned over to Yuki and whispered, "If I have to read one more poem about the moon, I'm going to vent enough Ki to level this floor," she whispered, her fingers twitching against the desk. "This is boring."
Yuki chuckled. "I think you just lack the 'poetic spirit,' Princess."
They moved to the lower levels, where the sound of clashing wood and the boom of elemental releases echoed through the hallways. The Combat Club was a different beast entirely. Here, the air was hot, and the floor was padded with Kizo-absorbent mats.
The air in the Combat Club was thick, vibrating with the low hum of kinetic energy and the sharp scent of scorched mats. At the center of the largest sparring ring stood Derek. He wasn't shouting instructions or preening for the crowd of younger students. He stood perfectly still, his eyes closed, his hands relaxed at his sides.
When he opened his eyes, they weren't burning with rage or ego. They were clear, like a cloudless sky at noon. He looked at Yuki, and for a moment, the bustling gym seemed to go silent.
"Kinatarou-kun," Derek said. His voice was steady, lacking any of the mockery Yuki had grown used to at the Academy. It was the tone of a person asking a polite question. "I was hoping you would come by today."
Seri stepped forward, her hand moving instinctively toward the hilt of her training saber. "He's just here to observe, Derek. He isn't a member of the club."
Derek bowed slightly—a gesture of respect that caught Yuki off guard. "I understand. I don't wish to cause trouble. I am simply... curious. You carry a name that holds the weight of history. And yet, when I look at you, I see someone who is fighting to remain invisible."
"You're being a bit too dramatic," Yuki murmured. "It's creepy."
Derek stepped onto the blue mat, his movements fluid and economical. He didn't flare his Kizo to intimidate; instead, a soft, white glow began to emanate from his skin, like moonlight filtered through silk.
"I am not a Royal," Derek continued, his expression remaining placid. "I didn't inherit my power from a throne. I worked for every spark of light I possess. That is why I want to duel you, Kinatarou-kun. I want to see how a 'Zero' perceives a world made of light."
Yuki looked at the boy. There was no malice here, only a pure, scientific interest in the limits of human potential. It was the hardest kind of challenge to turn down.
"You're very calm," Yuki noted, stepping onto the mat and kicking off his shoes. "Most people here start by calling me trash. It's a refreshing change of pace." He pointed at Renjiro who was standing in the corner.
"Why the heck are you pointing at me you loser!?" Renjiro yelled.
Without another word, the atmosphere changed. Derek didn't charge. He simply lifted a hand, and the light around him sharpened.
Ping.
A beam of light, thin as a needle and twice as bright, lanced toward Yuki's head. It was fast—faster than any physical projectile.
Yuki felt that "weirdness" at the back of his brain again—the residue of Sophia Uzushi's accidental mental touch. It felt like his neurons were firing at double speed. He didn't see the light; he saw the displacement of air where Derek's fingers had twitched. He saw the way Derek's pupils dilated a millisecond before the release.
Yuki tilted his head. The beam hissed past his ear, singeing a few strands of hair.
The room gasped. No one dodged Derek's initial strike. It was considered impossible.
Derek's expression didn't change, but his eyes narrowed slightly in appreciation. "Impressive. Your eyes... they aren't just looking. They are calculating."
"I'm a slow learner," Yuki muttered, his heart hammering against his ribs. "I have to pay extra attention."
Derek raised both hands now, and the soft glow turned into a searing, incandescent brilliance. "Then let us see if your mind can keep up when the sun rises."