Chapter—Day after Showdown
Morning sunlight filtered through the windows, soft and ordinary—completely out of place with the storm the world was facing.
The television was already on.
Every channel showed the same headline.
"AURA MASTER SPOTTED AT RIVERSIDE – UNKNOWN ORIGIN"
Reporters stood at the very place where chaos had erupted the previous evening. The river flowed calmly now, as if nothing extraordinary had happened there at all.
Luke sat at the dining table, eating breakfast quietly.
He wasn't surprised.
He had expected this.
On the screen, a reporter spoke urgently.
"Last night, an unidentified individual displaying overwhelming aura power was spotted at the riverside. Witnesses claim the individual effortlessly defeated an Aura Destroyer Rank 3 and sealed his aura completely."
The camera shifted to interviews.
A middle-aged man spoke nervously.
"I've never seen anything like that… it was like the air itself bowed to him."
A woman added, her voice trembling.
"He healed someone… instantly. Just by touching her."
Then the footage appeared.
Shaky. Blurred. Clearly recorded in panic.
Yet unmistakable.
A masked figure with glowing blue eyes. Aura surging like a crown above his head. Attacks vanishing on contact. A shield shattered with ease.
The dining room fell silent.
Shuri sat stiffly, staring at the screen.
She hadn't said a single word since morning.
The same Shuri who usually filled every space with stories of her power and status now looked smaller, quieter—as if the world she believed she understood had shifted overnight.
Luke continued eating, calm on the surface.
His parents watched the screen with disbelief.
"An Aura Master…" his father muttered. "I Dont believe that person encounter yesterday was an Auramaster."
His sister didn't reply.
Her eyes were fixed on the footage.
The reporter's voice continued.
"Authorities have yet to confirm whether this individual is the legendary Unique Aura Master or a powerful auramaster from another country."
The screen shifted again.
Now standing before the camera was Kaizen Ryuga, a high-ranking government official known across the nation and his country Auramaster.
His posture was firm. His presence alone commanded attention.
"We are aware of the incident," Kaizen said calmly. "At this moment, we cannot confirm the identity or origin of the individual."
"Whether this is the Unique Aura Master or an unknown high-tier user remains under investigation."
"We ask citizens to remain calm."
The reporter tried to press further.
"Sir, do you believe this person could pose a threat—"
Kaizen raised a hand slightly.
"If such power were hostile," he said evenly, "last night would have ended very differently."
He turned and walked away from the cameras.
Kaizen walk away in deep thought enter his office.He is interupted by his assistant.
He said "Sir do you think we should investigate people and id of that town".
Raizen denied since he know aura master is never show up if he belong from such low populated place .
The screen switched back to commentary.
Luke's hand paused for just a moment before continuing to eat.
He knew that name.
Kaizen Ryuga.
Among all government officials, only one man possessed that sharp presence—someone who observed before acting, who didn't jump to conclusions.
Luke knew one thing clearly.
I need to be careful around him.
Breakfast ended quietly.
Shuri still hadn't spoken.
The usual noise of the house—casual talk, laughter, complaints—was gone.
The silence felt heavier than shouting.
Later that afternoon, the news continued to replay the same footage endlessly. Every angle was analyzed. Every movement slowed down. Every detail debated.
At lunch, the atmosphere was no different.
No one talked about anything else.
"That power…" Luke's brother-in-law said quietly. "It didn't feel human."
Shuri's chopsticks stopped midair.
Her hands trembled slightly.
Luke noticed.
He didn't say anything yet.
After lunch, the house grew quiet again. Shuri remained distant, her usual confidence nowhere to be seen.
Luke stepped outside for a moment, the winter air cool against his skin.
Auru, he called softly.
"I know," her gentle voice replied. "She saw real power for the first time."
Luke nodded slightly.
For someone who had lived believing her strength placed her above others, last night must have felt like the ground disappearing beneath her feet.
That evening, as they gathered again in the living room, the television still murmured in the background.
Luke took a breath.
He needed to change the flow.
He turned toward Shuri.
"Shuri," he said casually.
She looked up, startled—as if she had forgotten others were around.
"Yes?"
Luke met her eyes, his expression calm and sincere.
"Do you want to join Aurafiest?"
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End of Chapter.