"Yes, 2 years ago that's how it was," he said, looking around him.
The bodies of countless demons and soldiers on the ground.
Their blood was enough to make a whole ocean fill up.
The war was cruel, grueling, and something that should have been avoided.
And yet, it wasn't.
He sighed, feeling his body becoming heavier and heavier with each step.
He collapsed to the floor, he gave up trying to stand up, trying to move so he decided to lay down on the floor.
He chuckled, and a bit of blood came out.
"..."
He sighed as he wiped his mouth, turning around and trying to reach for the sky.
"That's right", he said.
"I spent those two years helping them, and then the human king launched a war with the rest… eventually the demons soon joined in"
"A year-long war… what did I do to deserve this?"
He looked up, a being of pure light and heavenly aura floating down.
"Do you know what I did wrong?"
"..."
Yuto sighed, "Not gonna answer?"
"You Failed Again"
"Did I?"
He said with a chuckle as he forced his body up, creating a chair with what mana he had left.
It took almost everything just to sit down.
"Guessing that's the reason you're before me again, right?"
"SILENCE, YOU FOOL, THIS MESS COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED"
Yuto raised an eyebrow; his tone of speech made it very clear that he was annoyed?
No, it was anger.
"Oh? So I was right. This whole situation could have been avoided, but if so, then why didn't any of you do anything?"
"The answer is simple", he said with a cold tone of speech.
The angel looked directly at Yuto, "You failed to protect that which was important"
Yuto stayed silent, his face emotionless.
The angel sighed, "You're a fool and an irresponsible man, do you think you can get away with it?"
Yuto chuckled, "Get away with it?" "With what?"
The angel got in front of him, "You know damn well what you did wrong"
"I know that I failed"
He said with a blank face. He was emotionless, completely; the feeling of anger that was once there now disappeared.
The angel was about to speak when Yuto spoke again, "But do I deserve to be treated like this?"
"To see all this once more?"
"It's not the first time you've seen something like this, and it won't be the last"
The angel grabbed Yuto's collar, pulling him up.
Yuto was forced to look at it directly.
"Do you think you can keep making these excuses?"
"We have given you so many opportunities, but you keep messing up"
Yuto was speechless.
The angel's grip on Yuto's collar tightened.
Seven Sins Art: Pride
A giant explosion caused the angel to fall to their knees.
"Don't give me that shit!"
Yuto walked over, fixing the color of his suit before kicking the angle directly at its face.
"You have no right to judge me!"
"Pride? Really?"
The angel said with a mocking tone.
"You would use a sin art in front of me?"
It stood up, grabbing Yuto by the neck again.
"The only reason you live is because our goddess still loves you"
"Still loves me?"
Yuto said with a dry, mocking tone.
"After everything I've done, she still loves me?"
"Yes, she does"
The angel said in an annoyed tone.
"She still believes that you can change"
Yuto laughed.
"Change? How naïve of her to still... believe in me after everything I did"
He looked down, his hands bloody and broken.
His arms felt so limp that it hurt to even move.
His legs weren't any better, as he felt like snapping them off.
"... ELISE, I'VE COLLECTED ALL THE FRAGMENTS, APPEAR BEFORE ME ONCE MORE!"
The ground started to tremble.
The bodies of the dead all began to burn, the divine power present was too much for the flesh of a mortal.
The angel looked up as he saw a familiar light.
"She... responds?"
Yuto saw it kneel, he chuckled as he lightly slapped him.
"Right, kneel to me, you prick"
Before they could respond, a loud, cold voice spoke.
"Yuto," she said as she walked near him.
Yuto looked up, surprised to hear her voice once again.
"Hey..."
He cupped her cheek, "I know we saw each other a few minutes ago, but that was in the heavenly realm. Is it okay for you to be here?"
She gave a small huff as she leaned against his hand.
The angel was obliterated as she lifted her hand.
"Yeah, I suppose it's fine"
Yuto dared not speak a word, he merely hugged her.
He buried his face in her neck.
"Are you here to fulfill my request?"
"And what request would that be?"
She said as she ran her fingers through his hair.
She turned around and saw the bloody battlefield that covered most of the world.
"Everyone is dead. Seeing you go through that grief was hard enough. Are you wishing to go through it once more?"
He didn't remove his face from her neck.
He was silent for several moments.
Eventually, he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her into him.
"You know my answer"
She sighed as she stepped back, floating in the sky once more.
She lifted her hand, its direction facing his.
"You will forget everything once more; you will need to rebuild your power from scratch again"
"None of your loved ones will be aware of your existence till you meet them again"
"You will regress to the age of twelve, far younger than the last time I sent you back"
"Is this... what you wish for?"
He thought for a moment; he knew what he was going to say, but he couldn't get the words to leave his mouth.
He was silent for several moments.
"Yes," he muttered.
"That's all you have to say?"
Yuto looked away from her.
"I don't want to watch them die again, I don't want to watch everyone I love die"
His voice started to shake, "I want to try again... I want to try to get everything right, I want to make sure I won't fail this time"
He looked up to meet her gaze.
"I don't care if I need to start all over... I'll do everything as differently as I can, I'll try to fix things the way you hoped I would...I just..... I just..."
He couldn't form the words; he was on the verge of tears, his composure, his pride, he didn't care anymore.
The last of his composure broke, and he let a single stream of tears run down his cheek.
"I want to see them again"
She was shocked to see him so emotional.
She placed her hand on top of his, and the touch of her hand immediately made the tears go away.
"There is one thing you should know about your new life"
He looked at her with a face full of hope.
"Yes?"
"This time, I shall grant you my blessing"
The sudden information made him wide-eyed.
"Your blessing?!"
He exclaimed.
He grabbed her hand tighter.
"Yes," she said with a smile.
She looked at him, he was excited, overjoyed, hopeful.
She chuckled; she was amused with his reaction, the glow of her growing and glowing brighter.
"I wish you... the best, my love"
["Everyone… I'll see you soon"]
Suddenly, the world went white.
Everything was silent for a few moments; the world had vanished, and it was just him and the void.
…
…
…
Yuto awoke on his bed, he got up to get a glass of water from his desk.
It had been three years since he had been at the academy.
Sure, Alice made every day fun, but he was getting bored with each lecture.
Everything was… bothersome.
Yuto took a slow sip of water, staring out the window at the academy grounds bathed in the soft glow of the morning sun.
He sighed, running a hand through his messy hair before tossing on his uniform.
As he buttoned up his blazer, a familiar, energetic knock echoed through his room.
There was only one person who knocked like that.
"Alice…" he muttered, barely suppressing a smirk.
"Yuto, hurry up! We're gonna be late!" Alice's voice was as bright as ever, but he could hear the impatience laced in her tone.
"You say that every morning, yet we always make it on time," Yuto replied lazily, grabbing his bag and making his way to the door.
As he opened it, he was met with Alice's usual pout.
Her hair was slightly disheveled, and she had a strawberry smoothie in one hand.
"That's because I always have to drag you out of bed!" she huffed.
Yuto chuckled, stepping past her and starting down the hall.
"And yet, here I am, already up. Maybe you should start giving me more credit"
Alice rolled her eyes but followed him anyway, taking a sip of her drink.
"Maybe if you didn't act so bored all the time, I would"
Yuto exhaled through his nose.
She wasn't wrong.
As they stepped outside, the academy grounds were already bustling with students.
Some waved, others whispered, and a few blushed as Yuto walked by.
He ignored it all, keeping his focus ahead.
Another day of being the top student, the center of attention, and yet, deep down, he felt like he was waiting for something… or someone… to finally break this routine.
And he had a feeling today would be different.
As Yuto and Alice made their way toward the lecture hall, the usual routine unfolded.
The whispers grew as they passed, some giggling, others simply staring in awe.
He paid them no mind, but Alice, as always, noticed.
"You know, you could at least acknowledge them," she teased, nudging him lightly with her elbow.
Yuto sighed.
"If I did, it would only encourage them"
Alice smirked. "And here I thought you enjoyed all the attention"
Before he could reply, a loud bang echoed through the courtyard, stopping them both in their tracks.
A gust of wind blew past them, followed by startled gasps from nearby students.
Yuto turned his gaze toward the academy's training field, where a group of students had gathered.
In the center of it stood a single figure, someone he didn't recognize.
That alone was unusual.
The person was wearing a dark academy uniform, but unlike the others, theirs was slightly tattered, as if they had been in a recent fight.
Their stance was relaxed, yet something about them radiated intensity.
Their gaze met Yuto's, sharp, almost as if measuring him.
"Who's that?" Alice asked, stepping closer to Yuto.
"No idea," he muttered.
But something about the stranger's presence sent a familiar yet unsettling feeling through him.
Then, without warning, the stranger pointed directly at Yuto.
"You," they called out.
"Yuto Akimitsu, right?"
A murmur spread through the crowd.
Yuto narrowed his eyes, already dreading where this was going.
"What do you want?" he asked, keeping his voice level.
A grin spread across their faces.
"I've heard the rumors"
"Top student, undefeated, the so-called prodigy of the academy"
They cracked their knuckles.
"Let's see if you live up to it"
The crowd collectively held its breath.
Challenges weren't uncommon at the academy, students loved to test their strength.
But few dared to challenge Yuto so boldly.
Yuto blinked at the stranger, then rubbed the back of his neck.
"Ugh… first thing in the morning?" he muttered.
"At least let me finish my breakfast before you start making my life harder"
Alice, still sipping her smoothie, let out a laugh.
"I don't know, Yuto. This might be the wake-up call you need"
"Or it could just be a headache waiting to happen," he deadpanned.
The stranger, growing impatient, took a step closer.
"What's wrong? Afraid you'll lose?"
Yuto sighed dramatically, crossing his arms.
"No, I'm just wondering if you're worth the effort. If I win, do I at least get a reward? A free meal? A day off from class?"
The stranger smirked.
"If you win, I'll buy you lunch for a week"
Yuto's eyes widened slightly.
He turned to Alice.
"Did you hear that? A week of free food. That's practically a once-in-a-lifetime offer"
Alice rolled her eyes.
"You act like you don't already have people throwing food at you every day"
"Yeah, but this time, I don't have to reject a love confession to get it"
The crowd chuckled, and even the challenger seemed amused.
"So? Are we doing this, or are you gonna keep stalling?"
Yuto exhaled, stretching his arms above his head.
"Fine, fine. Let's get this over with"
They grinned, stepping back to create space.
The crowd eagerly moved aside, excitement buzzing in the air.
Alice sipped her smoothie, stepping out of the way.
"Try not to break anything, Yuto. Like, I don't know… school property? Or the poor guy's spirit?"
"No promises," Yuto replied, cracking his knuckles.
'Ohboy, freelunch!'
The air between them grew heavy as the crowd fell into a hushed anticipation.
Yuto rolled his shoulders, still feeling groggy from just waking up, while the other shifted into a stance that suggested they knew what they were doing.
"Alright," Yuto muttered, shaking his limbs loose.
"Let's see what you've got, mystery guy"
"Name's Ryo," they said with a confident grin.
"Remember it when you're picking yourself up off the ground"
Yuto blinked.
"Wow. That's a lot of confidence for someone who still owes me lunch"
Ryo didn't reply—he simply lunged.
Fast.
Faster than most students Yuto had faced, but not that fast.
Ryo's fist came straight for his face, but Yuto tilted his head just slightly to the right, letting it breeze past his cheek.
A few gasps rang out from the crowd, but Yuto just yawned.
"That's all?"
Ryo's expression twitched in annoyance.
He followed up with a sharp kick, aiming for Yuto's ribs.
Yuto, still half-bored, caught it effortlessly with one hand.
"Okay, now you're just making me sad," Yuto sighed, keeping hold of Ryo's leg.
"I was hoping for something interesting, and instead, I get—"
He didn't finish his sentence.
Ryo twisted mid-air, using his caught leg as leverage to spin, his other foot arcing toward Yuto's head in a sudden counterattack.
'Okay, that's not bad'
Yuto released Ryo's leg and ducked just in time, feeling the wind from the kick brush his hair.
He slid backward, now slightly more awake.
Alice, watching from the sidelines, sipped her smoothie and sighed.
"Yuto, if you don't start taking this seriously, I'm going to be so disappointed in you!"
Yuto glanced at her, then at Ryo, who had already reset into a stance.
"Fine," he said with a shrug.
"Guess I should at least put in a little effort"
And then, he moved.
To the crowd, it was a blur.
One second, Yuto was standing lazily in place, and the next, he was right in front of Ryo, a hand gripping the front of his uniform.
"By the way," Yuto said, his eyes gleaming mischievously, "I like my burgers medium-rare"
With that, he pivoted and effortlessly tossed Ryo over his shoulder.
Ryo hit the ground with a resounding thud, a small cloud of dust kicking up around him.
The students gasped in unison.
Alice blinked, then took another slow sip of her smoothie.
"Welp. That was fast"
Yuto dusted off his hands and sighed.
"Alright, time for class"
From the ground, Ryo groaned.
"Ugh… yeah, okay. That was kinda deserved"
The crowd was stunned into silence for a moment before erupting into murmurs.
Some students cheered, while others just stared at Yuto in awe, though, for him, this was just another Tuesday morning.
Alice, still completely unfazed, casually tossed the now-empty smoothie cup into a nearby trash bin.
"You could've at least let him think he had a chance"
Yuto stretched, letting out a lazy yawn.
"Nah, that would've just dragged things out. Besides, he challenged me. Not my fault he didn't do his homework first"
Ryo, still lying on the ground, let out a groan.
"Y'know, I don't even feel bad about losing. That was kinda cool…"
Yuto smirked.
"Glad you think so. Now, about that free lunch—"
"Alright, alright," Ryo muttered, sitting up and rubbing the back of his head.
"You win. Just don't order the entire menu, okay?"
Yuto placed a hand over his chest in mock offense.
"Hey, now. I would never do such a thing"
Alice shot him a side glance.
"You ate six bowls of ramen last time someone lost a bet"
"Fine," Yuto admitted.
"I'll keep it reasonable. Five bowls"
Before Ryo could protest, the warning bell for class rang, sending the crowd scattering.
Alice grabbed Yuto's sleeve, already pulling him toward the main building.
"Come on, you might be late for once," she teased.
Yuto let himself be dragged along, sparing Ryo a casual wave as they left.
"Don't forget my order!"
Ryo just sighed, still sitting in the dirt.
"...What just happened?"
—
Yuto and Alice strolled down the academy's hallways at a leisurely pace, completely ignoring the fact that they were, in fact, late.
Alice had a small, amused smile on her face, while Yuto looked as relaxed as ever, hands in his pockets.
"You do realize we're late, right?" Alice asked, glancing at him.
Yuto sighed dramatically.
"Yeah, yeah. But think about it—if we walk in now, everyone will stare at us. And then the professor will probably try to guilt-trip us. And then I'll have to pretend to care"
Alice chuckled.
"Sounds like a you problem"
As they reached the classroom door, Alice placed her hand on the handle, but Yuto stopped her.
"Wait. If we're gonna be late, we might as well make an entrance"
Alice raised an eyebrow.
"Oh no"
Ignoring her, Yuto casually pushed the door open and strolled in like he owned the place.
The entire class turned to look at them.
At the front of the room, Professor Hideo, paused mid-lecture, his chalk hovering over the board.
His expression didn't change, but the slight twitch of his eye said everything.
"Ah, Akimitsu. Marie" His voice was calm, but the weight behind it was anything but.
"So kind of you to grace us with your presence"
Yuto nodded, completely unfazed.
"No problem, Professor. Anything for education"
Alice covered her mouth, trying not to laugh.
Professor Hideo sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"Take. Your. Seats."
Yuto gave him a lazy salute.
"You got it, Teach"
The class erupted into giggles as the two made their way to their seats.
As Yuto slumped into his chair, Alice leaned over and whispered, "You just love testing his patience, don't you?"
Yuto smirked.
"It's one of the few joys I have in life"
Professor Hideo cleared his throat, glaring in their direction.
"Since you two are so enthusiastic today, perhaps you'd like to answer the question I just asked"
Alice tensed slightly, but Yuto leaned back, arms behind his head.
"Sure. What was the question?"
His eyes gleamed with barely contained amusement.
"Oh, don't worry. I'll make it easy for you. Explain the three primary principles of the advanced elemental theory"
Yuto's smirk faltered slightly.
'Okay, that's a hard one'
Alice gave him a look that clearly said, "This is your fault"
The class fell silent, waiting.
Yuto sighed.
'Guess I should've just taken my seat quietly for once'
Some students were enjoying the fact that the so-called "prodigy" had been put on the spot.
But Yuto?
He just stretched and stood up like it was no big deal.
"Alright, I got this," he said casually as he walked toward the board, hands still stuffed in his pockets.
Alice shook her head, whispering to herself, "This is going to be good"
Professor Hideo crossed his arms, watching as Yuto took the chalk and confidently wrote three words on the board:
Control, Power, Balance.
He turned back to the class with a smug expression.
"Boom. There you go, Teach. The three primary principles of advanced elemental theory"
He dusted his hands off as if he had just solved the century's greatest mystery.
The class murmured, a few nodding like they actually believed him.
Professor Hideo, however, simply adjusted his glasses.
"Interesting answer, Akimitsu," he said, his tone unnervingly neutral.
Yuto grinned.
"I know, right? Feel free to write that down for future reference"
The professor smiled.
That was never a good sign.
"Unfortunately," he said smoothly, "that is completely incorrect"
The class erupted into laughter.
Yuto blinked.
"Wait. What?"
Professor Hideo turned back to the board and, with a single swipe of his hand, erased Yuto's "brilliant" answer.
"The correct principles are Channeling, Resonance, and Stability"
Alice leaned forward, resting her chin in her palm.
"Wow, Yuto. You were so close," she said, voice dripping with sarcasm.
Yuto turned to her, offended.
"Oh, come on! Control, Power, and Balance sound like they could be real principles!"
Professor Hideo sighed.
"Yes, if this were one of the novels you usually read and not an academic institution"
More laughter.
Yuto groaned, dragging a hand down his face.
"Ugh… This is why I don't try"
He turned to go back to his seat, but the professor stopped him.
"Not so fast, Akimitsu. Since you're so eager to participate today, I think it's only fair you come to my office after class to discuss your… enthusiasm"
The class oohed in unison.
Alice smirked.
"You walked right into that one"
Yuto just slumped back into his chair, grumbling.
Maybe he should've taken his seat quietly after all.
—
Yuto slammed his tray onto the cafeteria table, dramatically slumping into his seat.
"That was so unfair," he groaned, jabbing at his burger like it had personally wronged him.
Alice, already halfway through her grilled meat, barely spared him a glance.
"I don't know, Yuto. I think it was very fair"
He shot her a betrayed look.
"Excuse me? Whose side are you on?"
"The side of truth," she said, taking a sip of her smoothie.
Yuto sighed, dragging a hand through his hair.
"I mean, come on! 'Control, Power, Balance' totally sounded legit! Half the class was nodding! Even I almost believed it!"
Alice chuckled.
"Yeah, and then Professor Hideo politely destroyed you in front of everyone"
He groaned, resting his head on the table.
"The worst part is, now I have to go to his office after class. You know he's just gonna lecture me about 'taking my education seriously' or whatever"
Alice smirked.
"You? Taking something seriously? Now that would be a shock"
Yuto shot her a glare but couldn't argue.
He sighed, lifting his head just enough to take a bite of his burger.
After chewing for a moment, he muttered, "At least I got a free lunch from Ryo"
As if on cue, Ryo walked past their table, tray in hand.
"For the record, I hate you, Akimitsu"
Yuto grinned.
"Love you too, buddy"
Alice shook her head.
"You're impossible"
"And yet," Yuto said, leaning back with a smug grin, "you still hang out with me"
Alice rolled her eyes, sipping her smoothie.
"That's just because I'm waiting to witness the day you finally suffer the consequences of your actions"
Yuto scoffed.
"Please. I've been dodging consequences my whole life"
Before Alice could respond, a shadow loomed over their table.
It was Professor Hideo.
Yuto froze, mid-bite, as the professor crossed his arms.
"Akimitsu"
Slowly, Yuto swallowed his food.
"...Yes, Professor?"
"I trust you haven't forgotten about our meeting after class?"
Yuto let out a nervous chuckle.
"Of course not! How could I possibly forget something so… exciting?"
Hideo stared at him for a long moment, then sighed.
"Good. I expect you to be in my office promptly"
With that, he walked away, leaving Yuto staring blankly at his food.
Alice smirked.
"Dodging consequences, huh?"
Yuto groaned, slamming his forehead against the table.
"I hate everything"