Training began before the sun rose.
Ren stood in the vicinity, win facing overhead, trying to summon his petrification power. The cuff on his left wrist felt warm — not burning like the first night. He was starting to get used to its weight.
" Raise your right hand, " said Prof. Kei from the tablet screen propped against a theater president. " Focus on your fingertips. Not the whole hand. "
Ren lifted his right hand. Concentrating.
His fritters changed color — gray, hardened, flashing. Stone. But only over to the alternate joint. The tips remained normal.
" That's enough for the first day, " said Prof. Kei. " Rest. Hana's turn. "
Hana, who had been sitting on the veranda , let out a quiet shriek. She stood and walked to the center of the yard. From her fund, she took out a small folding cutter.
" Are you sure? " Ren asked.
" It's just a scrape. " Hana opened the blade and cut the tip of her left indicator cutlet. Blood dropped — bright red against pale skin. She closed her eyes.
A faint golden gleam appeared in her win. Subtle, nearly unnoticeable under the morning light. But the crack sluggishly closed. A thin red line remained, but it no longer bled.
Hana opened her eyes. " That took ever. "
" Twelve seconds, " said Prof. Kei. " history was twenty. That's progress. "
" It feels exhausting. "
" That's because it is. You're using your own energy to accelerate cellular rejuvenescence. Keep training, and you'll acclimatize. "
Ren watched Hana grip her hand, her cutlet still slightly red. He wanted to say commodity.
But did n't know what.
On the third day, Ren learned to combine two capacities.
" Stone and slush, " said Prof. Kei. " Imagine a guard. Hard on the outside, flexible on the inside. "
Ren closed his eyes. His right hand hardened into gravestone. His left softened the ground in front of him. He tried to combine them — imagining gravestone and slush getting one.
commodity formed in the air.
Thin. Transparent. nearly unnoticeable.
He opened his eyes and touched it.
Solid.
But slightly elastic.
" Mudrock Aegis, " said Prof. Kei. " Still thin. But it's a good launch. "
Ren lowered his hands. The guard dissolved. He dropped onto the lawn, exhausted.
Not in his muscles.
Deeper.
Like commodity was draining from inside him.
" heritage uses your energy, " said Prof. Kei. " That's why you're tired. Keep training, and your body will acclimatize. "
" How long? "
" Depends. Could be weeks. Months. Indeed times. "
Ren did n't respond. He lay on the lawn, gaping at the sky.
Beside him, Hana let out a quiet laugh.
" You look defeated. "
" I have n't indeed started. "
" You're formerly lying down. "
Ren tossed a sprinkle of lawn at her. Hana dodged, laughing. On the screen, Prof. Kei shook his head, but did n't dissociate.
On the fifth day, it rained.
They moved to the reverse gallery
. Ren sat on the rustic bottom, legs hanging off the edge, rainwater brushing against his pins. Hana sat beside him, preparing gusto tea in a thermos.
" My forefather used to sit then every autumn, " Ren said. " Reading the review. occasionally he'd fall asleep with his spectacles still on. "
Hana poured tea into a mug and handed it to him.
" You miss him. "
Not a question.
Ren accepted the mug. The tea was hot, slightly racy from the gusto.
" I do, " he said still, nearly drowned out by the rain.
Hana did n't reply.
She just sat beside him, their shoulders touching.
Through the Bond Link, commodity passed between them.
Not words.
Not images.
Warmth.
On the eighth day, Mudrock Aegis lasted seven twinkles.
The guard was no longer transparent. Pale argentine now, with tone- suchlike patterns running through it. Ren held it in front of his casket, feeling its weight like holding an factual arbor of gravestone.
Hana stood behind him, her win pressed against his reverse.
The Bond Link actuated — she could feel his prostration, and Ren could feel her energy flowing into him.
" Release it, " said Prof. Kei.
Ren lowered his hands.
The guard shattered like glass, breaking into fine dust before being carried down by the wind.
" Good, " said Prof. Kei. " But you still calculate too important on Hana. Without her, you last three twinkles. "
Ren knew.
He looked at his pulsing hands.
" Train alone tonight, " said Prof. Kei. " Without Hana. Let your body acclimatize. "
Hana sluggishly pulled her hand down.
The Bond Link weakened for a moment.
Ren felt commodity strange —
Like an empty space opening inside his casket.
On the tenth day, Hana went to the request alone.
" I'm buying vegetables, " she said. " Mom's coming home late. She asked me to cook. "
Ren glanced out the window. The sky was cloudy, but it had n't started raining yet. " I'll come with you. "
" You need rest.However, you'll collapse, If you keep training like this. " Hana had formerly put on her jacket, a shopping handbasket in hand. " I'll be back soon. "
Ren did n't argue.
He sat on the rattan president, opening his forefather's tablet. nearly in the middle runners, the essay had started to fade.
Time 115. I'm growing old. My hands fluctuate, my vision blurs. But Legacy must remain safe. My grandson, Ren, has started asking about icons . All I can do is smile and tell him the public interpretation. I can not tell him the verity yet. Not yet.
Ren closed the tablet.
He goggled at the cuff on his wrist.
How long had his forefather hidden this?
How numerous times had he lived in fear?
The Bond Link quivered.
Not words. Not images.
Emotion.
Fear. fear. Pain.
Ren stood up.
Hana.
He ran without shoes.
A light mizzle had begun. The road was wet, slippery beneath his bare bases. He did n't care.
The Bond Link palpitated stronger.
Fear. wrathfulness. Pain.
Hana was in peril.
He reached the alley behind the request, breathing hard.
Four people.
Nakamura stood at the front, his arm formerly turned to gravestone. Behind him were his two usual companions — the stocky bone
and the skinny bone
. And one further.
A large man with a snake tattoo on his neck leaned against the wall, watching.
Not sharing.
Just observing.
Hana stood with her back against the wall. Her shopping handbasket lay on the ground, vegetables scattered. Her right hand gripped her left arm.
No blood.
But bruised.
" Hana. "
She turned. Her face pale, lips pulsing. " Ren I — "
Ren stepped between her and Nakamura.
" Let her go. This is between you and me. "
Nakamura laughed. " Between us? You suppose I forgot that night? You hit me with my own power. " He raised his gravestone arm. " Now I want to see if you can still do it. "
Ren did n't respond.
He raised his left hand, showing the heritage cuff.
" Do you know where this power comes from? "
Nakamura lowered .
" From you. "
Ren gripped his fist. His hand turned to gravestone — thick, harder than Nakamura's.
" And I can use it better than you. "
Nakamura attacked.
Ren dodged. His body softened for a split alternate — liquefaction. The gravestone punch passed right through him without damage. Nakamura lost his balance.
Ren did n't give him time to recover.
His gravestone fist slammed into Nakamura's stomach.
The man was transferred flying, crashing into a pile of wet cardboard.
The two others rushed by.
Ren turned the ground beneath them into slush — they sank incontinently, scarifying, crying.
The large man with the snake tattoo moved.
His body expanded. Muscles bulged. His skin darkened, turning metallic like iron. He roared and hopped forward — far briskly than his size suggested.
Ren raised both hands.
Mudrock Aegis.
A argentine guard formed in front of him.
The giant fist slammed into it.
Ren was thrown backward, his reverse hitting the wall hard.
But the guard did n't break.
From before, the Bond Link palpitated.
Hana.
Energy flowed into him. The pain in his reverse faded.
Ren stood again.
The large man charged formerly more.
This time, Ren did n't defend.
He let the punch hit his casket —
But the moment of impact, he actuated liquefaction at the point of contact. The fist sank in without causing damage.
also incontinently —
Petrification.
The area hardened, enmeshing the man's arm inside Ren's casket.
The man shocked, unfit to pull free.
Ren drove a full- force punch into his stomach.
The man collapsed.
Did n't move.
Ren stood in the middle of the alley, breathing heavily.
Around him, all four men were down.
Behind him, Hana stood, holding her bruised arm.
Through the Bond Link —
Relief.
They only realized it when the crowd had formerly formed.
People gathered at the end of the alley.
Phones raised.
tales. Murmurs. Agitated voices.
" That's him! The Quirkless sprat! "
" He beat Nakamura! "
" Record it! Keep recording! "
Ren felt his legs fluctuate.
Not from prostration.
Not from fear.
Too numerous eyes.
Too numerous voices.
Hana seized his hand. " Let's go. "
They ran.
Leaving the alley. Leaving the crowd. Leaving behind the phones still recording.
That night, the videotape had formerly reached two million views.
Ren sat on the rattan president, phone in hand, scrolling endlessly. commentary swamped in.
" What's he using? How does he have powers? "
" That's Nakamura! The most stressed gangster around there! "
" idol! idol! idol! "
" But seriously, where did his power come from? He's supposed to be Quirkless. "
Hana sat on the bottom, leaning against the lounge. Her left arm was smoothly swathed.
" At least they're not calling you a monster. "
" Not yet. "
The phone bucketed.
Kei.
" Are you insane?! " his voice exploded from the speaker. " Now everyone knows! "
" I know. "
" Ouroboros formerly knew from the morning. But now they've defense. They can track you. They can — " He stopped, exhaled. " It's done. Ca n't be undone. At least now you have public visibility. They wo n't attack openly. "
Ren said nothing.
" And the name ' Quirkless idol,'" Prof. Kei continued, " could work in your favor for the entrance test. Use it. "
Ren ended the call.
He looked at Hana.
" Will we be okay? " she asked.
Ren did n't answer.
Through the Bond Link —
query.
But not surrender.
Hana smiled noiselessly. " Politic answer. "
" As usual. "
The phone bucketed again.
Ren picked it up, awaiting another lecture from Prof. Kei.
It was n't him.
A communication from an unknown number.
Just one judgment
" Two days until the Nova enrollment . Are you ready? "
Ren goggled at the screen.
also at Hana, still sitting on the bottom, still holding her own hand.
" Ready, " he replied.
Outside, the rain began to fade.
hereafter, they would start preparing for the entrance test.
But for tonight —
This was enough.