"You ever wonder if peace is just the eye of a storm?" Riku muttered, fingers rhythmically tapping his desk as sunlight filtered through the third-floor windows of Aoba Academy.
The classroom buzzed with familiar noise. Students chatted, a drone of conversation barely dampened by the homeroom teacher's distant calls for attention. Outside, cherry blossoms had begun to bloom again. Spring, like a cycle, waited for no one.
Riku Aoyama had returned.
It had been three days since their return from Verdant Hollow, and though the air of fantasy clung to his memories, life had moved forward. The break was over. Vacation had ended. Classes resumed. And with it, so did the facade.
He wasn't the same student who had once skipped class to work ramen stalls or trade punches with alley punks. Not anymore.
Not with a system bound to his soul.
[System Update: You have returned to your designated baseline environment. Passive system assimilation resumed. School environment detected: Threat Level = Variable. Recommended action: Observe.]
Riku smirked.
Variable, huh? That could mean anything in Aoba Academy.
The prestigious school looked clean and polished on the surface—desks aligned, uniforms crisp, and teachers seemingly committed—but beneath that polish were the power games: legacy students, silent noble factions, hidden gangs, and recently, awakened ability users.
"You look like you're ready to stab someone," said a familiar voice beside him.
Kira Aoyama, no longer just the cool, sharp-tongued girl who helped him with school notes, now sat with a casual grin and knowing eyes. Her bond with him had evolved into something... unshakable.
"Just tired," Riku replied. "And thinking."
She leaned closer, brushing fingers over his. "No sync thoughts this time?"
He gave a slight smile. The passive Mental Sync Protocol hadn't gone away since Verdant Hollow, but they'd learned to mute it unless absolutely necessary.
The homeroom door slid open.
The noise died.
Mr. Tanimura entered—an old hawk of a teacher with sharp eyes and a sharper tongue. But today, he wasn't alone. Behind him stood three unfamiliar students. No... not unfamiliar. Just new to their class.
"Settle down," Tanimura barked. "We have transfers today."
Whispers exploded around the room like fireworks.
Three students stepped forward.
The first was a tall, pale-skinned boy with dark auburn hair tied in a neat bun and piercing red eyes. His uniform looked custom-tailored.
The second, a short girl with jagged silver hair, mismatched eyes, and a lazy smile. A jacket hung off one shoulder. Her aura screamed mischief.
The third was a hulking figure. Broad shoulders, scar-covered arms, and a grin that didn't match his dead eyes.
"Introduce yourselves," the teacher grunted.
The tall boy bowed first. "Renji Kaido. Pleased to be here."
The silver-haired girl lazily waved. "Mina. Just Mina."
The last one cracked his neck. "Kurobane."
Kira muttered under her breath. "Those names... they're all from the Academy Exchange Program, right?"
Riku nodded slowly. That meant these three weren't just transfer students—they were scouts from rival academies, likely with agendas. Power plays in disguise.
His system pinged silently.
> [System Alert: Hidden Ability Detected – Renji Kaido: Flamebinding Bloodline (Suppressed)] [System Alert: Hidden Item Detected – Mina: Relic-Class Artifact (Unknown)] [System Alert: Combat Probability Estimate – Kurobane: 82% victory rate in close quarters]
Danger.
Riku's fingers curled slightly.
After introductions, the trio took seats near the window. Renji cast Riku a long glance. Mina twirled a pen and shot a wink. Kurobane cracked his knuckles, then stared blankly at the ceiling.
"This is gonna get messy," Kira whispered.
---
Lunch hour arrived.
Riku didn't get two steps into the cafeteria before someone stepped into his path.
"Aoyama, right? Heard you're the guy who vanished for a week and came back acting important," said a boy with slicked-back hair and a smug grin.
Riku narrowed his eyes. "Depends who's asking."
"Name's Seiji Nakahara. I run Discipline Squad B. Let me give you some advice: lay low. There are eyes everywhere now. You're not the only one with power."
Riku held his gaze. "Power's only dangerous in the hands of cowards."
"That a threat?"
"A fact."
Seiji scoffed and walked away, muttering something about 'arrogant first-years.'
"Well, that was fun," Kira said, appearing with her lunch tray.
"People are watching us," Riku replied. "Not just staff. Students. Organizations. Even outside forces."
"We need allies. Real ones. Not just temporary team-ups."
He nodded. "Time to rebuild."
---
That evening, Riku sat cross-legged on the roof, a soft wind brushing through his hair. His system dashboard hovered in front of him, dimmed to avoid detection.
[Points: 2,050] [Inventory: Skill Sync Voucher, Physical Synchronization Upgrade, 1x Random Coupon, Territory: Verdant Hollow (Active)]
> [System Prompt: Territory Expansion Available – Deploy Scout Node?]
> [Deploying...]
A small orb in his inventory glowed before vanishing. Somewhere in the Hollow, a tower of light marked the scout node's deployment. More land. More control.
Suddenly—
> [Hostile Presence Detected: Within 20 meters. Skill Activation Recommended.]
"Activate: Danger Sense Lv.1."
His pulse spiked. Shadows shifted near the stairs.
"Come out."
Renji stepped forward.
"You noticed. Good."
"You're not here for a chat, are you?"
"You're building something," Renji said calmly. "A territory. A foundation. Others know too. My family isn't the only one interested."
"So you're scouting me?"
Renji gave a wry smile. "Consider it professional curiosity. But I'll give you a warning: don't trust the school. Even the faculty. Not all of them are just teachers."
"Why tell me this?"
"Because when the time comes, I'd rather fight you than some idiot with a god complex."
With that, he vanished down the stairwell.
Riku exhaled, his thoughts racing.
---
Late at night, in the old district of town, an abandoned church glowed faintly.
A hooded figure whispered to a crystal orb.
"Subject: Riku Aoyama. Location: Aoba Academy. Status: Ascending. System anomaly detected."
A chorus of voices answered as the orb shimmered.
"Then the hunt begins."
---
"We are never the same after the first battle. Whether we win or lose, something always dies—and something is born."