Jin stood still, eyes locked on the template list floating before him.
{Wolverine}
The moment he read the name, his eyes widened. A surge of emotion punched through his chest—relief, disbelief, and pure, childlike joy. His breath caught, and without thinking, he clenched his left fist and raised it high.
"YESSSSSSSSS!!!" he shouted, voice cracking with excitement.
A few passing strangers turned at the sudden outburst. Jin quickly composed himself, giving an awkward nod and lowering his head. His heart still thumped in triumph as he began walking away.
"Wolverine… his main power—his most important power of many—is rapid tissue regeneration," he murmured, almost reverently. "With this… I finally have some safety."
With a deep breath, Jin accepted the template. The floating interface blinked, confirming the merge.
Template Accepted: Wolverine (Pre-Adamantium Skeleton)
He exhaled a shaky laugh. "Now all that's left is to push this template forward. Get it to full sync."
His mood dimmed slightly as a familiar thought entered his mind. He spoke softly:
"Looks like I'll be going back to the House again..."
Later, back in his room .
Jin sat on the edge of his bed, staring at the gray wall. The place was supposed to be a resting room for him , but over time, it had begun to feel more like a testing chamber.
"Day by day, the House treats me more like scientific material than a patient," he muttered, arms loosely draped over his knees. "Hopefully, with me being Wolverine , I won't have to worry about him anymore."
He fell silent. The words hung in the air, unanswered and echoing.
His gaze drifted across the empty room—the neatly folded blankets, the untouched food tray , light above. For month, Jin had been immersed in the chaos of dismantling the Zero Operation. One mission after another. One confrontation after another. One purpose driving him like a demon at his heels.
Now… nothing.
The silence was unbearable.
No mission . No enemies. No goal.
Just quiet.
Stress, like a dense fog, curled in the corners of the room.
Jin leaned back slightly, still staring ahead. "It's over," he whispered. "So why does it feel like I've lost something?"
He yawned, exhaustion catching up with him. The bed pulled him in like gravity. He let himself fall onto it, arms spread, body loose.
"What am I supposed to do with my life now?" he mumbled to the ceiling.
"Go back to school?" He scoffed, lips curling in mild disdain. "Could I even live a normal school life again?"
He closed his eyes. "At first, I was too old in spirit to go to school. Now, with all I've experienced, school feels like a prison I'd willingly lock myself into—without even knowing why."
His mind wandered further.
"How do those manga characters do it? The ones who defeat the Demon King and somehow return to class like it's nothing?"
"I guess… they had friends."
"I don't."
That last line stung more than expected.
"Who would I even go back for?" he whispered.
The quiet swallowed him. And slowly, gently, Jin drifted off to sleep—curled up in a bed that felt too big, in a room that felt too empty, in a life that felt too quiet for someone who had once been a storm.
=======
The room was dimly lit, shadows curling against walls lined with ornate German furniture. A thick rug covered most of the wooden floor, its edges framing three elegant sofas arranged in a U-shape. At the head position—directly opposite the door—sat one couch, while the other two faced each other along the sides.
In the center, atop the rug, rested a polished wooden table. Three porcelain teacups sat on it, each releasing gentle wisps of steam. A silver kettle gleamed faintly under the warm light.
On the head couch sat a girl with striking crimson hair, her long legs clad in Kuoh Academy's high socks up to her calves. She wore the standard school uniform, though her posture and presence carried an air far beyond any ordinary student. In her hands, she leafed through a stack of documents, her expression calm but focused.
To her right, on the side couch, sat another girl in the same uniform. Her long, flowing black hair framed a face of quiet elegance. She sipped her tea with a grace that made it seem almost ceremonial, her eyes occasionally glancing toward the redhead.
On the remaining couch sat a woman in a pristine maid uniform, posture perfect and composed. Her gloved hands rested neatly on her thighs. The air around her carried a quiet, formidable weight—the kind that needed no words to command respect. She was the strongest queen of the Underworld, the right hand of Sirzechs Lucifer himself—Grayfia Lucifuge.
The crimson-haired girl, Rias Gremory, finished reading the document. Without a word, she placed it on the table. The paper shifted slightly as it landed, revealing a photograph clipped to the front—one of a young man with sharp, calculating eyes.
Rias broke the silence.
"So… this is the one you're recommending for my peerage, Grayfia-nee-san?"
Grayfia's expression did not change, though her tone was mildly chiding.
"Rias-sama, how many times must I remind you—just call me Grayfia."
Rias gave a small, almost playful smile.
"Can't do that, nee-san."
Across from them, the black-haired girl—Akeno Himejima—watched the familiar exchange. It was the hundredth time she had seen the two go through this exact routine. She didn't comment, only letting a faint smile curl her lips as she took another delicate sip of tea.
Rias: quietly, with a measured tone "So… why him?"
Grayfia's eyes softened, though her posture remained impeccable, hands folded neatly in front of her. She understood Rias wasn't just asking for facts — she wanted her judgment.
Grayfia: "As you've read in the documents, he was an ordinary student until a few months ago… when something changed. He began displaying exceptional skill in hand-to-hand combat, a natural-born talent for strategy and fighting. Later, for nearly a month, he hunted down members of the Manji Gang operating in kuoh."
Rias's lips pressed into a thin line, her tone tinged with irritation.
Rias: "Well, I am grateful he took down the Maji Gang… but I still don't understand why the Devil Council allowed them to operate here — in my territory — when they were harming civilians."
A flicker of something passed through Grayfia's eyes — perhaps restraint.
Grayfia: "All we know is that the Maji Clan struck some kind of deal with the King faction, Rias-sama."
From her spot by the desk, Akeno tilted her head slightly, her usual gentle smile curling into one of curiosity.
Akeno: "You said this boy — Jin — hunted the gang down single-handedly, Grayfia-sama. Do you believe he would fit into the peerage?"
Grayfia's voice was calm, but there was weight behind each word.
Grayfia: "You needn't worry. He isn't bloodthirsty. Every action he took was justified… you'll see that in the reports."
Rias skimmed a page in the dossier again, tapping her index finger against the paper.
Rias: "It says here the conflict began when one of the branch leaders kidnapped his neighbor… and he went to rescue them. Things escalated from there."
Grayfia: "From what I've learned through magical scrying, he even offered that leader a way out — to leave him alone in exchange for letting him walk away. But… the leader refused."
Akeno leaned slightly forward, curiosity sharpening in her eyes.
Akeno: "And why would he join us?"
Grayfia's expression became just a shade more serious, her silver gaze locking with Rias's.
Grayfia: "In his recent fight with Zero — the manji clan representative — he lost his arm. We can give him protection from the Manji Clan… and we can restore his arm. He would be an excellent Rook for you with his abilities , and in a few years, he may even awaken Touki, based on my assessment. You'll need strong fighters for the Rating Games ahead."
Rias exhaled slowly, leaning back and crossing one leg over the other.
Rias: "I'll consider it, Grayfia-nee-san. You know I only welcome those into my peerage who can become… family."
Grayfia's voice softened — just slightly.
Grayfia: "This is only my suggestion, Rias-sama. But this boy… he recently lost his mother in an accident. His world was already crumbling, and before he could find his footing, that broken world changed again. He is a boy without a home… without a family. Perhaps you could give him a place to belong."
The room fell quiet.
Rias sat there, fingers resting on the edge of the dossier, her eyes distant. Grayfia's words had struck deeper than she cared to admit.
=====
i had not been able to write due to health reason . now i will try to get back .