The purple sky of dawn was beginning to fade, giving way to a cold, milky light. Inside the bus, the air conditioning created a frigid atmosphere, and the only warmth came from the sparse ceiling lights.
Shinka hadn't slept a wink all night. He had departed in the darkness, and now, when Kuoh was only a few hours away, the first glimmer of sun was grazing the horizon.
His mind, however, was running like a supercomputer.
With almost imperceptible movements, he checked his flip phone, a simple but functional model. In the adjacent seat, a young university student, awake and with a curious air, was trying to catch something in the window's reflection.
Noticing this, Shinka sped up his pace until his fingers became a blur over the buttons, navigating with a speed no human eye could follow.
Since days before the trip, he had meticulously scoured the net.
He was searching, with the precision of a hunter, for any sign, any rumor: people with powers, inexplicable events, urban legends with a kernel of truth. His research was an exercise in logic and paranoia.
Of course, he also researched potential MMA fighters from around the world, to see if there was anyone with a sudden rise in rankings since he got his system.
He knew that, unlike in fiction, the digital age offered no mercy. A single video of someone shooting fire from their hands would go viral in minutes.
And there was nothing.
Only silence.
That meant one of two things: either he was the sole lucky one, or the other recipients had enviable discretion and ferocious intelligence.
The rattling of the engine ceased. They had arrived.
Shinka disembarked at Kuoh Terminal, a building more modern and bustling than the one in his town. After check-out, he scanned the waiting room.
And there they were: his grandmother, a petite woman with a kind face and wrinkles deep like maps of experience, and his sister Reya.
She had the same brown eyes and warm chestnut hair, a similar height, short, but with the soft curves of adolescence having matured into the grace of a young woman.
When her eyes found Shinka, they lit up like beacons.
"Shinka! It's been ages since I saw you!" Her voice was a shout of pure joy.
She ran towards him and enveloped him in a hug that conveyed not affection, but brute force. It was as if a playful panda had decided to cling to him.
The boy felt the warm embrace of his sister. Memories flooded his mind for a second, but he was abruptly snapped out of his reverie.
Shinka's bones creaked in protest.
"R-REYA, IT HURTS, I-IT HURTS!"
"I-I'M SO SORRY, SHINKA!" She jumped back, hands over her mouth, horrified. Her brother rubbed his shoulders, feeling a sharp pain that would linger.
For an instant, he saw his breath fog white in the cold air of the terminal.
Shinka didn't miss the quick, calculating look his grandmother shot at Reya, an expression that vanished as quickly as it appeared, replaced by a serene smile.
"I-I'm sorry, Shinka, I wasn't careful," Reya murmured, genuinely apologetic.
"No problem, big sis. It's good to see you're really strong now!" Shinka forced a small laugh and hugged her again, this time with normal, human strength.
But inside, his heart was beating like a war drum.
[Skill 'Acting' added to repertoire.]
[Due to prior knowledge, 'Acting' rises to Level 2.]
[For diligence in deception, 'Acting' rises to Level 3.]
He ignored the notifications. His mind was roaring. 'Is it possible?'
He acted with complete normalcy. He approached his grandmother and wrapped her in a more tender hug, inhaling the scent of green tea and rice powder that surrounded her.
'My sister, do you also have... a system?'
"It's been ten years since I saw you, my little Shinka," she said, her voice a rough and loving whisper.
Shinka held a deep affection for her, despite the mysteries that seemed to surround his maternal family.
Though, now he couldn't help but think.
"Time to go home!" Reya announced, recovering her animation. "Grandma and I prepared a feast to celebrate you being here!"
The taxi ride was a succession of trivialities. Shinka answered questions about his aunt and uncle, about school.
"How have Reiko and Sanjuro been, little Shinka?"
"My aunt and uncle are doing very well. They have stable jobs at the city water company as high-level supervisors."
"Then they're doing more than well." His grandmother gave a genuine smile.
"And how are your studies going, little brother?" Reya asked.
Shinka turned, somewhat embarrassed.
"W-Well, they could be better... But next semester I'll have the best grades. You'll see."
"I know you can do it." She said, and this time, when she gently pinched his cheek, the strength was normal, expected. The change was too deliberate.
While his mouth spoke, his mind split into two streams: one maintained the banal conversation; the other analyzed every gesture, every tone, every sigh.
['Divided Concentration' Lv.25 reached.]
[All requirements for skill evolution have been met.]
['Divided Concentration' Lv.25 becomes 'Divided Thought' Lv.1.]
'Her strength was inhuman. I know because I'm at the high limit of human, and she surpassed me without effort. So... what happened over there?' His gaze shifted discreetly to the serene profile of his grandmother in the front seat.
However, he didn't have much time to think.
They finally arrived at the Kusaka residence in Kuoh.
The house was an impeccable traditional Japanese dwelling, with a small garden of stones and moss.
The air smelled of cedar wood and the prepared food. The dinner was warm, full of stories and laughter.
Afterwards, his grandmother retired to rest. Shinka and Reya would share a room, as in childhood.
Thump!
Shinka dropped his heavy backpack onto the tatami floor.
"Wow, little brother, your backpack sounds like it's full of bricks."
"It's my training gear. I've been taking it seriously."
"Oh, really? So you're at that age where you want to impress girls?" Reya teased with a mocking smile.
"H-Hey, why are you saying such embarrassing things? There aren't any decent girls in my class. Besides, I'm taking my studies seriously now. I don't have time for that."
"Come on, you can call me for dating advice." She gave him a playful nudge.
"Drop it. That would be too embarrassing. I can handle it... when the time comes."
"Well, it was just a suggestion." Reya picked up the enormous backpack as if it weighed the same as a cushion and placed it next to Shinka's futon.
"I noticed you've been exercising too," he commented, observing her.
Reya's expression changed for an instant to one slightly evasive. "Hahaha, maybe a little... I started boxing about a year ago."
"Amazing, I've actually been practicing martial arts since you left."
"Really?"
"That's right! Now I could even knock someone out with one punch." He struck an exaggerated fighter's pose.
Reya laughed, the clear sound filling the room.
"Hey, you're not taking me seriously. Do you want to try my best punch?"
Shinka knew how his sister worked. She was encouraging, and she would surely accept to humor him. It was the perfect opportunity.
"Alright. Come on, give me your best punch. I want to see if you're capable of protecting your defenseless big sister now." She picked up a thick pillow and held it against her torso, smiling.
A genuine smile spread across Shinka's face. He adopted an intentionally flawed boxing stance: feet too close together, guard too low, fist poorly closed. Reya's gaze showed not a hint of correction, only amused expectation.
'Ah, this sister of mine. Anyone who's been boxing for a year would notice these mistakes instantly.'
Not giving it importance, Shinka unleashed the most powerful punch he could generate, concentrating all the strength from his torso and legs into his fist.
Thwump!
A dull sound, followed by a white explosion. The pillow burst in a cloud of feathers that filled the room like a false snowstorm. Reya blinked, covered in down, with eyes like saucers.
"That was impressive! You really are strong now!" She clapped, genuinely amazed.
A drop of cold sweat ran down Shinka's temple. It wasn't from the effort. It was because that punch, capable of bursting a pillow, should have transmitted significant vibration through it. But Reya hadn't flinched. Not a blink of discomfort.
He opened his status window, seeking confirmation.
[Status.]
[Name: Shinka Kusaka.]
[Race: Human.]
[Titles: None.]
[Health: 50/50]
[Mana: 1/1]
[Attack: High. (Human)]
[Defense: Medium. (Human)]
[Speed: High. (Human)]
[Skills: Mathematics Lv.27, Rationality Lv.37, Speed Reading Lv.24, Accelerated Thinking Lv.10, Polyglot Lv.5, Meditation Lv.9, Divided Thought Lv.1, Strength Lv.30, Running Lv.18, Physical Training Lv.15, Internal Boxing Lv.10, External Boxing Lv.10, Muay Thai Lv.10, Jiu-Jitsu Lv.10, Shōtōkan Karate Lv.10, Kyokushin Karate Lv.10]
Everything was in order. Statistically, he was a human prodigy. And yet, faced with his sister's casual strength, he felt like a child.
"See? I told you. Now, if I get mugged, I'm covered," he said with a carefree smile.
"Hey, hey! If you get mugged, you give them what they want! Muscles don't win against bullets!" she protested, worried.
"Firearms are banned in Japan. Most likely they'd have a knife."
"It's still dangerous! Be careful, you silly brother."
He huffed, comforted by her overprotective concern, so familiar. But the lesson was seared into his mind.
'It's clear. Her strength is superhuman, but her mental sharpness, her analytical capacity... is the same as always.' That was the crucial data. His Perfection System enhanced the mind above all else. It wasn't possible to have it and remain mentally static.
Therefore, the options narrowed: either Reya had a different system, specialized only in the physical, or her power came from a completely different source. And if she was hiding it, there was a powerful reason.
Shinka decided not to press.
'But it doesn't matter.'
A smile formed as he helped gather the feathers.
'Even if she has powers. She's still my sister.'