Tenshiko Academy Headquarters
The Tenshiko Academy Headquarters was vast—an immaculate, almost suffocating expanse. The walls gleamed white, too perfect, as if this space had been plucked from another realm.
The air was crisp, sharp with a metallic scent that seemed to hang around like the cold edge of a blade waiting to strike. The long, polished table in the center reflected the dim overhead lights, a stark contrast to the oppressive silence of the room.
At the head of the table sat Kenjiku, the enigmatic owner of Tenshiko Academy. His presence was unnerving, a man who could bend wills with just a glance.
His fingers rested lightly against his chin, the Kageshiki insignia on his ring catching the light like a warning. His expression was unreadable, his sharp gaze cutting through the room, stripping away the masks everyone wore.
Seated around him were the ten "I" Rank Kageshiki—the academy's elite warriors. Monsters in human skin, each one honed into a living weapon. Their silence was more potent than any words, their focus absolute.
And then there was Souta.
He sat in the center, a figure of both aloofness and arrogance. His silver-white hair veiled his sharp eyes, but the smirk he wore betrayed his amusement at it all.
Always observing. Always calculating. Confident, but never careless. He was a man who thrived on knowing more than anyone else, anticipating the next move before anyone else could even speak it.
Kenjiku broke the silence. His voice was smooth, deliberate, as if each word was a carefully honed weapon.
"All 'I' Rank Kageshiki, the topic today is training. Do you believe it can further improve the strength of our warriors?"
A unified nod. The response was immediate, unquestioned.
Kenjiku leaned forward slightly, his fingers interlacing. "For the next two days, we will shift our focus to something more extreme. Swordsmanship and physical endurance."
A brief pause. The air seemed to thicken.
"In sword training, the trainees will fight with live blades. After three hours of practice, they must face their partners. If they land even a single injury—a scratch, nothing more—within ten minutes, they win."
The room tensed. The Kageshiki exchanged glances, the gravity of Kenjiku's words sinking in.
"If neither can harm the other within that time,"Kenjiku continued, his voice lowering to something darker, "they both win."
Another pause. The Kageshiki understood. This wasn't just about skill—it was a test of psyche. Of ruthlessness.
Kenjiku's voice dropped even further, laced with something cold and calculating. "This will be kept hidden from them. If they know, they will hold back. If they hold back, their true potential will remain locked away."
A chilling realization washed over the room.
This wasn't training. This was the making of killers.
Souta chuckled, a low, amused sound that cut through the tense atmosphere like a blade.
"Ah, I feel really bad for them." His smirk deepened. "If I were the owner of this place, I'd just shut the whole academy down."
Koharu Yamaguchi's voice interrupted, carrying a softness that was almost out of place in this room full of killers.
"I just feel sad for them... the things they'll have to endure. If I were in charge, I'd put an end to this."
Souta's smirk widened, ever so slightly. "But you did endure it, didn't you?"
Koharu's expression faltered for just a second.
Another voice came, this time Saito Hideaki's, his ocean-blue eyes cold and calculating.
"You always complain, Koharu,"Hideaki said, his tone biting but neutral. "If it bothers you so much, why didn't you just become a housewife instead of a Kageshiki?"
"HEY! SHUT UP, HIDEAKI!! I'm nineteen!!" Koharu snapped, her face flushing bright red as she slammed her hands on the table.
Hideaki raised an eyebrow, not a hint of remorse in his gaze. "That doesn't answer the question." He chuckled darkly. "I just hope we don't get an unstable 'X' Rank Kageshiki. If the next generation is crazy, it'll be a nightmare to lead them."
"Oh, I'd love to get a sweet student!" Koharu clasped her hands together, almost in prayer.
"If they're crazy, it'll be more fun," Hideaki said dryly, the edges of his mouth curling into something akin to a smile.
"Hey! Don't say that!" Koharu pouted, crossing her arms over her chest.
Souta leaned back, his smirk never wavering. "I already know mine will be... interesting."
Hideaki's gaze turned calculating, narrowing just slightly. "Oh? How are you so sure?"
Souta said nothing. He simply smirked.
Meanwhile...
The lake water was frigid, biting at the skin. The night air was sharp, colder than steel, cutting through layers of fabric. Reika, Ishigo, and Daigo walked along the mist-covered shore, their clothes damp, their breaths visible in the cold.
Daigo stretched, his grin wide and untamed. "That fight was insane! I haven't felt this alive in years!"
Ishigo, shivering from the cold, glared at him. "You're so damn loud. Can you even feel the cold? Or are you just too dumb to notice?"
"Cold? Pfft, cold is for the weak!"Daigo laughed, throwing an arm around Ishigo's shoulder, causing the latter to flinch in annoyance.
Reika remained silent. Her eyes—green as the deepest forest, cold as the abyss—stared straight ahead, her thoughts miles away.
She wasn't here to play. She wasn't here to enjoy.
She had a goal.
To become a Kageshiki.
Because if she could reach that rank… she could finally rise higher.
They reached their cabin. Reika retrieved her key, unlocking the door with cold precision. The warmth inside should have been comforting, but it did nothing to melt the ice in her chest.
She changed into dry clothes, her fingers moving with mechanical precision. Every action, a mere step in her path.
A knock.
She opened the door to find a man standing there, holding a tray.
"Eat well, Kagetsu-san."
The man was gone before she could respond.
She sat at the small wooden table, the steaming plate before her. Beef curry. Rice. Boiled vegetables. Milk. The warm, savory aroma filled the air—but it did nothing to thaw the cold in her heart.
She picked up her phone.
And then—
A voice echoed in her mind.
"We beat you for your own good."
Her mother's voice.
Reika's grip tightened around the phone.
Memories flooded in—pain, bruises, punishments disguised as lessons. Cruelty masked as love. The weight of those years pressed down on her chest, suffocating.
Her fingers dug into her palm, nails biting into the skin. Her breath came slow, controlled, but her eyes burned with something darker, something colder.
"I will destroy everything if that's what it takes to become an 'I' Rank Kageshiki."
Her voice was barely a whisper, lost in the silence of the room.
She picked up the spoon, her hands steady despite the chaos inside her.
And began to eat.
One bite at a time.
Not because she was hungry.
But because she needed strength.
For what was coming next.