Chapter 10
Souta followed closely behind Hikari as the tall iron gates slowly opened, revealing a massive estate beyond them, and the moment his eyes landed on the enormous mansion standing proudly at the center, his steps slowed without him realizing it.
The building looked less like a house and more like something meant for royalty, with wide stone paths, towering walls, and perfectly trimmed gardens that stretched farther than Souta could see at a glance.
"Woah," Souta muttered under his breath, turning his head slightly as he took it all in. "This place is way too big… and way too nice."
Hikari glanced back at him with a calm expression, as if this was the most normal thing in the world. "Yeah," he replied casually. "My family came from fortune."
They walked toward the entrance, their footsteps echoing softly against the stone floor as the heavy doors opened, and the moment they stepped inside, Souta felt an unsettling stillness wrap around him.
The halls were quiet, almost unnaturally so, and the silence made every step feel louder than it should have been.
Something about the place made his instincts scream.
They continued walking until Hikari stopped in front of a large door and pushed it open without hesitation.
The moment they entered the meeting room, the silence shattered.
Groups of men filled the space, their bodies large and hardened, covered in tattoos that crawled across their skin like living things, with scars that told stories of violence and survival, and weapons resting openly on tables, chairs, and belts as if no one here felt the need to hide anything.
Souta felt his throat tighten as he swallowed hard, his body instinctively stiffening as every pair of eyes slowly turned toward him.
Hikari stepped forward and spoke calmly.
"Welcome."
The room buzzed with low murmurs as people stared, clearly confused by the unfamiliar face standing among them.
Then a man with thick arms and a grin full of amusement leaned forward and laughed. "Hey, Hikari," he said loudly. "Why did you bring a rabbit in here?"
The room erupted into laughter, the sound echoing against the walls as Souta's face burned with embarrassment and fear.
Another man stood and walked closer, looking down at Souta like he was nothing more than trash that wandered into the wrong place. "Boy," he said coldly, "you should not be here. Are you lost or something?"
Before Souta could respond, a new voice cut through the room.
"Oh," the man said with a casual tone, stepping forward. "Nice meeting you again."
Souta turned and froze.
Standing there was Hikari's older brother, his presence commanding immediate attention without him needing to raise his voice.
"I believe you are my brother's classmate," he continued, studying Souta's face. "We met yesterday, or maybe the other day. I remember."
One of the men glanced between them and frowned. "You know this kid?"
Hikari's brother nodded slightly. "Yeah," he replied without hesitation. "We almost killed him."
The laughter stopped.
Another man stood up, his expression sharp and annoyed. "Hikari," he said, "take this boy out of here. This is not a place where he belongs, and if you do not, I will throw him out myself."
Before anything else could be said, Hikari's brother's eyes narrowed as he looked closely at Hikari's face.
"Hey," he said slowly. "Did you get into a fight?"
The room grew quiet.
"You have bumps on your face," his brother continued. "Who did that to you?"
The atmosphere shifted instantly.
Chairs scraped against the floor as several men stood up, their expressions darkening.
"Tell us who it was," someone said. "We will kill them."
Souta felt his heart slam against his chest.
Hikari exhaled sharply. "Shut up," he said, his voice cutting through the tension. "Let me talk."
The room fell silent again.
Hikari turned and placed a hand lightly on Souta's shoulder. "This is Souta," he said. "My classmate. Trust me. He looks weak, but he is not someone you want to mess with."
A few men laughed, clearly unconvinced.
One of them crossed his arms. "And why is that supposed to be true?"
Hikari pointed at his own face. "This," he said calmly. "The bump on my face. He did this to me."
Souta felt his blood run cold.
His thoughts screamed as panic flooded him, and for a brief moment he genuinely felt like he was about to piss himself.
Why would you say that here, he thought desperately. I am going to get killed.
Hikari's brother stared at Souta, disbelief written clearly on his face.
"No way," he said slowly. "This weak, hopeless-looking kid did that to you?"
He stepped closer to Souta and looked down at him with a sharp smile.
"Alright then," he said. "Why do not you hit me instead?"
The room went completely silent.
Every eye locked onto Souta.
And for the first time since entering the mansion, Souta realized there was no turning back.
Souta barely had time to think before his body moved on instinct, his fist clenching tightly as he stepped forward and struck Hikari's brother square in the face with everything he had.
The impact echoed through the room like a sudden explosion, and in the next instant Hikari's brother was sent flying backward, his body crashing hard against the far side of the meeting room before slamming into the floor in visible pain.
Silence fell instantly.
No laughter followed.
No voices rose.
Every single person in the room froze, eyes wide, mouths slightly open, staring at Souta as if they were seeing him for the first time.
Souta stood there breathing heavily, his heart racing, yet something strange happened inside him at that moment, as fear drained away and was replaced by a confidence he had never felt before, as if his body finally believed in itself.
He straightened his posture, looked around the room, and spoke before he could stop himself.
"So," he said calmly, his voice surprisingly steady, "who's next to be flown?"
For a split second, no one reacted.
Then the room exploded with cheers.
Laughter, shouting, and loud clapping filled the air as men slammed their fists against tables and each other's backs, their expressions no longer mocking but excited, impressed, and genuinely thrilled.
Hikari rushed over to his brother, kneeling beside him with a concerned look. "Are you okay?" he asked quickly.
Hikari's brother groaned, then let out a breathy laugh as he slowly sat up. "Yeah," he said, rubbing his jaw. "I'm fine."
He lifted his head and looked directly at Souta, his expression completely different from before, filled with respect instead of doubt.
"This boy," he said slowly, then shook his head. "No. This man is extraordinary."
The room grew quiet again as he continued.
"We need him."
Hikari stepped forward immediately. "That's true," he said, "but first, he needs us."
His brother raised an eyebrow. "And why is that?"
Hikari turned toward the group and explained everything, from Souta's family being held hostage inside his own home to the people involved being connected to the government, watching and waiting, and ready to move the moment Souta made a mistake.
When he finished, the room was silent for a moment.
Then Hikari's brother smiled.
"Then let's prepare," he said.
Cheers erupted again, louder than before, and for the first time since everything began, Souta felt something he had not felt in a long time.
He felt safe.
He had underestimated this gang completely, assuming they were nothing but violent criminals, yet now he saw something different in them, a strange honesty and loyalty that made them feel less like monsters and more like a family bound by shared battles.
The fear that once controlled him had faded, replaced by trust.
As the noise settled, Souta spoke again. "So… where are your parents?"
Hikari shrugged lightly. "Out of town," he said. "They're handling something, but we don't really know what."
Souta nodded slowly, then asked, "Do you have somewhere for me to sleep?"
Hikari smiled faintly. "Yeah. Remember Ryou? The guy who stole your seat on your first day."
Souta blinked. "That was him?"
"Yeah," Hikari said with a small laugh. "He's my friend."
Hikari's brother crossed his arms. "We don't have many people available right now," he said seriously. "It will take about three days to prepare. After that, we invade your house."
He paused, then added, "I hope your family is still alright."
Souta swallowed hard.
Three days, he thought. That means three abilities… or maybe only two if I'm unlucky.
"That's fine," he muttered to himself. "I just hope I get lucky."
Back at Ryou's house, the door barely closed before Ryou rushed toward him, panic written all over his face.
"Are you okay?" Ryou asked quickly. "Did they hurt you? Torture you?"
Souta waved his hand dismissively. "Nah," he said lightly. "They're fine."
Ryou stared at him in disbelief but said nothing as Souta collapsed onto the sofa, exhaustion finally catching up to him.
That night, Souta slept lightly, waking up again and again, his mind filled with thoughts of the coming days.
Day one.
The system appeared before his eyes as soon as he woke up.
One in two hundred perfect aim.
One in fifty cold resistance.
One in fifteen weak regeneration.
Souta barely hesitated before choosing perfect aim.
The moment it applied, something changed, and when he practiced later that day, he realized every throw, every target, every movement landed exactly where he intended, without error or doubt.
It was truly perfect.
Day two.
The system rolled again.
One in ninety pain resistance.
One in twelve high intelligence.
One in twenty eight adrenal boost.
He chose pain resistance, knowing defense mattered more than strategy right now.
To test it, he pressed a knife lightly against his skin, and while it still hurt and still bled, the pain was dulled, manageable, no longer overwhelming.
Final day.
The system appeared once more.
One in twenty five fast learner.
One in three basic reflexes.
One in six hundred minor telekinesis.
Souta froze.
"Telekinesis," he whispered in disbelief. "Telekinesis."
His heart raced as he chose it immediately.
The moment it activated, objects around him began to tremble, then lift, floating awkwardly through the air as his control wavered.
"What the hell!" Ryou shouted, jumping back. "Souta, how are you doing that? You're crazy… no, wait… I was wrong. You're actually doing it."
Souta struggled to steady the movement, but control slipped constantly, objects drifting and dropping without warning.
Even so, he smiled.
Today was the day.
With the abilities he now had, he truly believed he could rescue them.
"I'm capable now," Souta said firmly. "I can do this."
Ryou hesitated. "Even if you can… are you sure your parents are still in your house? What if they were taken back to the lab you talked about?"
Souta's confidence wavered, worry creeping back into his chest, yet he clenched his fists and shook his head.
"I'm sure," he said quietly. "They're still there."
Souta's current abilities:
Physical ConditioningPhotographic MemoryPain ResistanceMemory RecallSuper StrengthPerfect AimMinor Telekinesis
And tomorrow, everything would change.
To be continued...