A month had passed. The grueling training, the endless battles against gravity, exhaustion, and the unknown—none of it had prepared them for this moment.
Virgil arrived unannounced, standing before them with that usual commanding presence. The room stilled.
"You'll be reuniting with an old member who finally decided to join you." His voice was even, but the weight behind it made Sosuke's chest tighten.
The door swung open.
Rin stepped inside.
Sosuke's eyes widened, breath catching in his throat. For a second, he didn't move, didn't blink. Then, against his will, a small grin tugged at his lips.
Later, in the dorms…
Sosuke stood awkwardly near Rin's bed, rubbing the back of his neck. He wasn't sure how to approach this. Would she still be the same?
"Heeey, Rin…" His voice wavered slightly.
She glanced up from folding her clothes, raising an eyebrow. "What's up?" She spoke fast, almost dismissively.
Sosuke hesitated. "W-well, I was just wondering how you were doing…" He turned slightly, second-guessing himself. "Sorry if I'm bothering you."
Before he could step away, Rin grabbed his wrist—firm, almost desperate.
"Don't go." Her voice was softer now. "I'm sorry. It's just… a lot. Honestly, I feel weird being here."
Sosuke barely had time to process the words before a sharp pain ran up his arm.
"Ah—what the hell?" He winced. A single tear rolled down his cheek.
Rin's eyes went wide. "What…?!"
"You're gripping my wrist so damn tight," he muttered.
"Oh! Shit—sorry!" She yanked her hand away.
Sosuke let out an awkward laugh, shaking out his arm. "I'm glad you're back, you know." His voice softened. "It's… empty without you. I hope we can fight side by side again."
Rin stared at him for a moment before her lips curled into a small smile. "I do too."
Sosuke exhaled sharply, shaking his head. "Alright, this is getting too emotional or whatever. Feels wrong."
"You've gotten soft." Rin smirked, hands on her hips.
"It's only been like… shit, I don't even know anymore. Too much time distortion crap." He sighed. "This is getting way too complicated."
Rin hesitated, then shifted slightly. "Hey, Sosuke… can I get a little personal?"
He blinked. "W-what do you mean?"
She sat down on the bed, patting the spot next to her. "I want to ask you something. Something I've already asked before. I just want to know if your answer has changed."
Sosuke sat down beside her. "Oh. That question."
They both laid back, staring at the ceiling. A rare moment of stillness.
"Well…" Sosuke exhaled. "I guess it's a little different now. I've already made more of a name for myself. People don't just know me as 'the Sword Saint's son' anymore." His voice grew quieter. "Now… it's about protecting life. Everything I've done, everything I've seen, it made me realize something. If we have this kind of strength, isn't it our job to protect those who don't? Otherwise, it'd all be a waste."
Rin's gaze softened. "Yeah…"
"But that's not all." Sosuke's expression darkened. "I have to kill Julius."
Silence settled between them.
Rin turned her head slightly, watching him. She didn't push him to explain. She didn't need to.
Sosuke sat up, shaking the heaviness off. "Speaking of family, you should really meet Ryoma."
Rin frowned slightly. "The one who was with you when—" She stopped herself.
Sosuke nodded. "Yeah. He'd definitely want to talk to you. Let's just say… he's a relative of mine." A small grin played at his lips.
Rin shot up, eyes wide. "Seriously?! That's great! You actually found someone from your family, that's… amazing." She took a moment to process. "How?"
Sosuke sat up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. "I better get going. You've got a lot of work to do to catch up. Try your best, okay?" He stood, walking off without facing her. "Just for a little while longer."
Rin watched him leave, her fingers tightening around the fabric of the blanket. "Sosuke…" she muttered, then exhaled and returned to her task.
The weight room was suffocating. The gravity had been cranked up past 200%, making each movement deliberate, each breath labored. This was where growth happened—where every second counted.
Sosuke stepped inside, immediately feeling the crushing weight pressing against his muscles. He welcomed it.
Ren and Arthur were side by side on the treadmills, their strides perfectly synchronized. It wasn't a conversation—it was a silent competition.
Sosuke scoffed under his breath. "Of course."
A sharp nudge from behind caught his attention.
"What's up?" Ryoma's usual grin was in place. "You ready? For the test next month."
Sosuke raised an eyebrow. "What test?"
Ryoma blinked. "Huh? You didn't hear? Kallard's testing us next month, measuring our progress. We'll get to see who's the best at what." He tapped his chin. "That doesn't fill you with happiness? No, wait—what's the word? Excitement?"
Sosuke let out a tired sigh. "Doesn't matter. I give my best effort every day. No one's getting ahead of me." His tone was casual, but his eyes burned with conviction. "Not with what I've learned."
Ryoma chuckled. "We'll see." He walked off toward the machines, leaving Sosuke staring at his own reflection in the mirror-lined wall.
Yeah. We'll see.
Another month passed. The training intensified. The gravity pressed harder. The air grew heavier. Muscles screamed. Bones ached.
Slacking even for a day meant falling behind. Falling behind meant becoming irrelevant.
Sosuke never fell behind.
Now, it was time to prove it.
The testing arena was massive. A cavernous chamber, stretching far beyond what any of them had trained in before. The polished stone floor gleamed under the artificial lighting, with towering walls reinforced by layers of mana-infused metal. The entire space was designed for high-level combat, capable of withstanding the raw force of their abilities.
A glass-paneled control room loomed high above, where Kallard's voice cut through the air.
"Listen up! This facility exists for one reason—testing your limits. Gravity constraints? Gone. Mana limiters? Gone. Today, you work your asses off. Or you won't like the results."
Sosuke rolled his shoulders, stepping onto the track for the first event. Speed.
This shouldn't be hard. He won last time with ease.
The others lined up beside him, settling into their stances. Reid's expression was calm, focused. Ryoma smirked, already looking forward to the challenge. Milo, Arthur, Ren—everyone was ready.
Sosuke crouched down, fingers grazing the smooth surface of the track. His heart pounded, but not from nerves. It was anticipation.
"Everyone ready?!" Kallard's voice was the only sound in the stadium. "Three… two… one—GO!"
Sosuke pushed off the ground, his body snapping forward like a coiled spring. The rush of wind against his skin was exhilarating.
Then—
His stomach dropped.
I'm in last place…?
The realization slammed into him like a shockwave.
Two seconds. That's all it took for the others to pull ahead, already a fourth of the way down the track. Reid and Ryoma were side by side, Milo close behind. Even Arthur and Lyra were gaining distance.
Sosuke gritted his teeth, his jaw tightening.
No. No way.
He forced more energy into his strides, but his movements felt sluggish. Stiff. Every ounce of power he put in wasn't enough.
I've trained harder than anyone. I refuse to lose here.
His frustration boiled over.
"I won't lose in speed."
His pulse pounded. His eyes burned.
Then—something clicked.
A surge of energy erupted within him, raw and untamed. His pupils burned bright violet as his mana flared, crackling like a live current.
Lightning ignited beneath his feet.
The next step wasn't just a step. It was an explosion.
In an instant, the track cracked beneath him as he launched forward, tearing through the air with unnatural speed. The distance between him and the others vanished in the blink of an eye.
He shot past Lyra. Then Arthur. Then Milo.
Ryoma turned, eyes widening as Sosuke closed in.
Too late.
Sosuke blasted forward, passing them all. The sheer force of his movement sent a gust of wind ripping through the track.
For the first time in a long time—Sosuke felt free.
The wind roared past his ears, the track blurring beneath him. His body felt weightless, like he had finally unlocked something buried deep within himself.
"What the hell?!"
Reid's voice cut through the rush of speed, his mana flaring in a brilliant mix of red and pink. He surged forward, pushing his body to its limits, refusing to let Sosuke take an easy victory.
Neck and neck.
Reid glanced at Sosuke, smirking. "Not bad, but—"
Then he saw it.
Sosuke wasn't just focused—he was grinning. A cocky, lopsided grin that sent a chill down Reid's spine.
"Huh?" Reid barely had time to react.
Sosuke exploded forward again.
Lightning crackled around him as his body blurred, breaking the final stretch with ease. The force of his acceleration sent a shockwave through the track, shaking the ground beneath them.
The race was over.
Sosuke dropped to the ground, chest rising and falling as he gulped down air. His limbs ached, his mana reserves felt strained, but he had won.
Reid staggered to a stop, catching his breath, sweat dripping from his forehead. He wiped it away with the back of his hand. "Nice run, Sosuke."
Sosuke glanced up at him, eyes narrowing.
He's barely winded…?
Sosuke's chest still burned, his muscles felt drained, but Reid looked like he could run another race. The realization made his victory feel… incomplete.
He exhaled sharply, turning to the others.
All of them were either sitting or collapsed on the floor, panting heavily. Even Ryoma, who always acted so unshakable, was on one knee, catching his breath.
Sosuke let his head fall back against the cool floor, staring up at the ceiling. The race had been his, but the exhaustion creeping into his bones reminded him—this was just the first test.
The speed test was just the beginning.
The next hour became a relentless gauntlet, each test pushing them to the limits.
Strength – They stood before towering stone pillars, ordered to strike with full force. Reid's punch sent cracks splintering through the stone, while Ryoma's kick shattered his target entirely. Sosuke's blow followed, a pulse of lightning amplifying the impact—his pillar didn't just crack, it exploded into rubble.
Endurance – The gravity was doubled again. A grueling test of holding stances, running laps, and carrying weighted slabs across the arena. Milo collapsed first, Arthur not long after. Sosuke ground his teeth, sweat dripping down his face as his legs burned.
Combat Awareness – A simulation. Lights flashing, enemies appearing in rapid succession. Each had to react on instinct, dodging, countering, predicting movements. Ren excelled here, his silver eyes locked onto every shift in motion. Sosuke kept up, but he could tell—Ren was built for this.
Intelligence – A puzzle test. A shifting labyrinth of symbols, numbers, and mana sequences. Some groaned at the sight—Milo was the first to quit. Ren breezed through. Sosuke scowled, forcing himself to think. This wasn't brute strength. It was strategy.
Weapon Proficiency – One-on-one combat. Wooden weapons in hand, they clashed under the weight of Kallard's scrutiny. Arthur dominated here, his skill with a blade undeniable. Sosuke held his own, but he knew—Arthur's technique was cleaner, sharper.
Mana Level – The final test. Each of them stood before a crystal pillar, placing their hands against its smooth surface. At Kallard's command, they poured their mana into it, the crystal absorbing and reacting to their output. The pillar pulsed, shifting in color and intensity based on the strength and purity of their mana.
By the time the final test ended, the room was silent. Heavy breaths. Sore limbs. Minds still processing.
Kallard's voice returned, as sharp as ever.
"You can all return to your little dorms, the results will be posted up on the board in the cafeteria tomorrow."
The test was over.