Rain poured heavily, and the thunder roared in the sky as if the heavens themselves were exploding in flashes of light and sound.
Kazuma lay on his bed, hair tousled across the pillow, eyes empty, as if teetering on the edge of madness. Every time lightning illuminated the room for a brief moment, he would jump suddenly, clutching his head with both hands, grinding his teeth, trying to fend off the shock and panic that surged through his body.
A fly buzzed near him, triggering an instinctive reaction: he leapt into the air, spun around, and collided with the bed again, his body trembling between shock and fear.
He let out a deep breath, attempting to calm himself, filling his lungs gradually:
Kazuma (trying to compose himself): "I have to calm down… nothing is dangerous… just calm down."
Yet the anxiety clung to him like a heavy cloak. He stared at everything around him, rubbed his eyes, but the thick fog in the room revealed nothing. His breaths quickened, heart pounding violently, and dread consumed every moment of his awareness.
He opened his mouth to scream but quickly shut it, unwilling to wake Ten or Rin. Slowly, he stood up, eyes scanning every corner, yet everything seemed distorted, the fog wrapping around him like a hidden veil.
Kazuma (whispering to himself): "What's happening to me?… Am I going mad…"
He fell to the floor, everything around him beginning to fade, as if the world itself were losing its reality. He slowly closed his eyes, surrendering to the darkness that began to consume him.
A distant voice echoed, bouncing between the foggy walls:
Voice: "Kazuma, wake up! Time's up, come on!"
He opened his eyes slowly to see Rin shaking him gently awake. He realized he was lying on the floor, far from his bed.
He rose, rubbing his head with his hands, overwhelmed with confusion.
Rin (angrily): "You're late, you fool!"
Kazuma donned a blue outfit and white shirt, picked up his bag without enthusiasm, walking with heavy steps.
Ten (curiously, with a slight smile): "Why aren't you wearing your usual uniform?"
Kazuma's face was pale, dark circles visible under his eyes from lack of sleep, struggling to balance between laziness and duty.
Kazuma (softly, sluggishly): "I don't know… I just felt like wearing this today."
Ten (laughing, waving his hands energetically): "Haha, do as you like. Come on, let's go to school."
---
In class, Kazuma appeared to be dozing off while the bald teacher explained the lesson loudly.
Teacher (shouting): "You! Sleeping in my class?!"
Kazuma stared out the window, eyes heavy with deep sadness, thoughts drifting far beyond the moment. He wasn't truly asleep, only lost in reflection.
Teacher (angrily, frustrated): "Idiot! Why are you ignoring me?!"
A student laughed from a corner of the classroom. Kazuma slowly lifted his head, voice tired and calm:
Kazuma: "Sorry… continue your lesson."
He glanced at Rin, arms crossed, sighing, before returning her attention to the board, trying to ignore Kazuma's absent-mindedness.
Kazuma placed his left hand on the right side of his head, staring out the window, watching the light spill across the world, as if searching for something to fill the emptiness inside—something beyond the lesson or the teacher's repeated words.
Kazuma (thinking silently, eyes pale): "Something's wrong with me… I feel scared… but why?"
After school ended, students left the classroom one by one. Kira was among the last to leave, walking calmly toward the gate.
Kazuma (calling out, voice trembling): "Sensei! Wait!"
Kira stopped upon hearing his name. Kazuma ran toward him, heart weighed down with anxiety.
Rin watched the scene, raising a brow and resting her finger on her chin, silently observing in surprise.
Kazuma (stammering, eyes fixed on Kira): "Sensei… I want to ask you something…"
Kira (smiling lightly, reassuring): "Go ahead."
Kazuma (with evident hesitation): "I don't feel well… do you know why?"
Kira (laughing, gently deflecting): "Haha! I'm not a doctor… how would I know?"
He walked away, leaving Kazuma standing, eyes narrowing with frustration and helplessness, head lowered, heart heavy with loss.
---
At home, Ten and Rin sat on chairs while Kazuma was in the bathroom, washing his face slowly, trying to calm his scattered thoughts.
Ten (softly, attempting to break the silence): "How's school going?"
Rin seemed absent-minded, resting her cheek on her hand, eyes wandering as if observing something beyond reality.
Ten (curiously, leaning toward Rin): "Hmm? What are you thinking about?"
Rin (softly, almost whispering to herself): "I'm worried about Kazuma… he's changed so much."
Ten (raising an eyebrow, voice tinged with concern): "Hmm? Explain more."
Rin (whispering, eyes reflecting fear): "His behavior has become strange."
Kazuma emerged from the bathroom, walking unsteadily, eyes clouded as if the world itself had vanished. He tripped and fell.
Hearing the thud, Ten and Rin rushed to him. Kazuma crawled like a child, his blindness leaving him confused and unable to discern reality.
Ten (shaking him gently, voice tense): "Kazuma! Answer me! What's wrong?!"
Kazuma (choking, voice fragmented): "My eyes… fog… I can't see…"
Rin (covering her mouth, eyes filled with worry): "What do we do?!"
Ten (resolutely, lifting him in his arms): "We're taking him to the doctor!"
---
In a bright white room, the doctor in a white coat examined Kazuma's eyes carefully. Yet there seemed to be no clear answer, as if darkness had settled inside him.
Ten and Rin sat outside on blue chairs, hearts pounding, each minute stretching like an hour.
After a while, the doctor emerged. They both stood, tension rising.
Rin (trembling): "Do you know what's wrong?"
Ten (stepping forward, voice anxious): "Any news?"
Doctor (gesturing them to follow): "Come to my office."
Seated in the wooden office, imbued with charisma and calm, yet heavy with worry, the doctor spoke firmly:
Doctor: "Kazuma is suffering from severe mental stress."
Ten (surprised): "But nothing traumatic happened…"
Doctor (seriously): "Perhaps you don't know everything… I heard he was exiled from his village."
Rin raised an eyebrow at Ten, shock and concern clear.
Ten (grasping Rin's arm, determined): "I'll explain everything."
Doctor (placing hand on the table, stern): "His mental strain caused temporary blindness. He will need glasses to see clearly."
Ten (anxiously): "Does that mean… he won't see again?"
Doctor (with firm gaze): "If you're not by his side now, you'll never be able to help him. He needs your full support."
---
Ten entered Kazuma's room. Kazuma sat on the bed, eyes fogged, the world reduced to shadows.
Ten (gently taking his hand): "Let's go home."
Kazuma looked at him, eyes clouded, yet felt reassurance in Ten's touch.
---
At home, Kazuma wore his glasses, clenching his hands, voice serious yet low:
Kazuma: "I've made my decision."
Ten (surprised, eyebrows knitted): "What is it?"
Kazuma (softly, as if speaking to himself first): "Since I lost the Shin… I feel like an ordinary person."
Ten (shocked, voice trembling): "You lost the Shin?! Why didn't you tell me?!"
Kazuma (looking at the floor, words weighing him down): "I didn't have time."
Rin (concerned, searching his face for answers): "Is this serious?"
Ten (whispering, serious): "Some never get it back… the Shin responds to your emotions, tests your worth…"
Kazuma (gazing at the window, sunlight spilling across the wooden floor): "I don't care anymore. I've decided to live a normal life… forget Jin. Let him do what he wants."
Ten (smiling with relief): "That's the right decision."
Kazuma (low voice, almost whispering to his
soul): "I wasn't born for fighting… I want peace."
Kazuma (firmly, tying his words to his decision): "Go win the championship. I'll enjoy my youth… forget strength."
Kazuma, with a roar that surged from the depths of his heart, let out a cry never heard before:
"I feel reborn!
I wasn't made for an ordinary life… I was born to save people!"
He clenched his fists tightly, bent slightly as if the ground itself were trying to absorb his determination, then propelled himself with astonishing force, leaping high into the sky amidst the blazing sunlight and the smoke rising from the fire. The wind swirled around him as if sharing in his newfound strength, a radiant beam shimmering around his body—a symbol of rebirth, a moment where the will of the heart merges with inner power.
Another scream erupted from his mouth, carrying with it all the pain of the past, all his doubts, and all his fears:
"Adventure awaits!!"
The ground trembled from the impact of his leap. The girl he had saved, Rin, Ten, and everyone else stood in stunned silence, eyes fixed on the figure before them—once a hesitant, fearful youth, now a hero whose heart bore the light of hope and courage.
Even the sky mirrored his determination, flashing with lightning and sweeping the scene with fierce winds, as if the entire universe were witnessing the birth of a
new hero.