It was a dark world.
Endless chains stretched through the void in every direction, vast and heavy, crossing and tangling without origin or destination.
Something crawled there.
A shapeless creature moved along one of the colossal links, its body unstable, mostly black, contained only by a faint white outline.
It dragged itself forward without urgency, its form shifting with each motion, limbs forming and dissolving before settling again.
The chains trembled slightly beneath its touch, disturbed by a presence that did not quite belong.
As it crawled, shape gathered around it.
A spine straightened. Arms lengthened. Fingers unfolded one after another. Slowly, the creature rose, balancing awkwardly on two legs. For a brief moment, it resembled a human figure walking across the endless metal path.
Then it fell.
Its body collapsed inward, unraveling into formlessness before touching the chain again. What had taken so long to form disappeared instantly, leaving only the crawling mass behind.
It remained still.
Then it moved again.
This time, fragments slipped from it as it crawled. Small pieces of itself remained behind, clinging to the chains like shed skin. The creature did not notice, or did not care. It climbed higher, passing across intersecting links until it reached a place where many chains converged.
Someone was already there.
A ghost stood quietly at the summit, pale and still, watching. Its head tilted slightly at the sight of the approaching creature, curiosity flickering across an otherwise calm expression.
After a moment, the ghost extended a hand.
The shapeless creature reached back. Their hands met.
For an instant, the creature disappeared entirely.
The chains continued their slow groan, unchanged.
Then it returned, standing where it had been.
The ghost smiled.
***
As Kiyotaka was struck by Caster, a certain shadow standing at the far corner felt a chill crawl down his spine.
Sunless could not put into words what he had just witnessed. When he saw Caster's eyes widen in realization, it felt unnatural, almost wrong.
It was as if a character had suddenly become aware that he was trapped inside someone else's carefully controlled narrative.
Sunless did not blame Caster for that reaction. In this single duel, Kiyotaka had used everything Caster had built in this academy. His position as a leader among the Sleepers, his reputation as one of the top two in ranking, every ounce of pride and image he had crafted had been turned into a weapon against him.
Sunless watched the mastery hidden behind each of Kiyotaka's intentions.
He did not want to admit it, but he was learning. He was seeing how to force others onto your field instead of stepping onto theirs, how to make them move exactly where you wanted without ever realizing it.
A thought stirred within him.
If Nephis, Caster, and Kiyotaka truly tried to kill one another, who would walk away alive?
Sunless searched for his own place among these monsters. He could not find it. Right now, he was too weak to stand beside them.
Yet he knew he would.
His limbs trembled slightly as he looked down at them.
"It is only a matter of time," he muttered to himself.
Believing the match was over, that Kiyotaka had chosen defeat, Sunless prepared to leave the dojo. But just as he turned away, he saw Kiyotaka stop before crossing the line.
Sunless frowned and glanced back, confusion tightening in his chest.
'I thought his plan was to lose.'
Then why did he stop?
***
For reasons he could not explain, the shadow tensed.
Sunless did not understand it. The duel was over. Kiyotaka had chosen defeat. And yet something pressed against his instincts.
He glanced at Caster, silently wishing that he would finish it right now and push Kiyotaka out of the ring. A quiet certainty settled in his chest that something was about to go wrong.
Kiyotaka's foot stopped before the line.
It trembled violently, hovering there as if an unseen force held it back. His entire body tightened, muscles locking as a shudder ran through him. Sunless watched, unease turning into dread. The sight reminded him of his own flaw, of the helpless resistance against something that could not be escaped.
Kiyotaka tried to turn. He tried to step away. He tried to move as if fleeing from himself. His body refused.
"Shit. This is not good at all."
The words left Sunless without thought.
Then the eyes began to open.
They split across Kiyotaka's skin, one after another, spreading along his arms, his neck, his face, His legs... everywhere. Lids peeled back to reveal trembling pupils that shook inside their sockets. The class fell silent as the eyes darted across them, restless and searching.
Only one changed.
While the others moved erratically, a single pupil slowed. It shifted with slowly, passing over the students, ignoring the center of the ring, sliding toward the far corner.
Toward the shadows.
Toward him.
Sunless felt his breath stall as the pupil settled on his position. It did not wander. It looked straight at him.
His concealment meant nothing.
The white of that eye darkened as red veins spread outward.
The white haired girl from her seat tilted her head slightly, following the direction of that gaze, but her eyes found nothing unusual. She saw only an empty corner.
Sunless remained still, looking back at it.
Then the rest of the eyes began to tear up. Tears streamed down Kiyotaka's face as the trembling returned, stronger than before. Slowly, unnaturally, the eye that had found him began to curve.
It smiled.
Then all the eyes smiled.
Kiyotaka had lost.
His body jerked abruptly, limbs moving without rhythm or restraint. One shoulder snapped upward, then the other. His head twitched to one side, then the next. His hands spasmed as though pulled by invisible strings. The motion grew worse, spreading through him while the smiling eyes remained fixed.
Sunless tore his gaze toward the Awakened Rocky, hoping he would step in and end it.
Rocky did not move. He seemed to realize that this was still only a Sleeper. He allowed it to continue.
Sunless looked to Caster, expecting him to strike, to stop whatever this was before it went further. But even now Caster held back, watching.
"For fuck's sake," Sunless muttered under his breath. "Why is he letting his enemy power up?" Sunless said in disbelief.
His jaw tightened.
He is a god damn Legacy all right. He must fight the other at their best in front of the other Sleepers.
Soon the body began to move in rhythm.
At first it was subtle, a shift of weight, a faint bounce in place. Then it grew clearer.
Kiyotaka started hopping lightly on his left leg, then on his right, then on both, His arms loosened at his sides, rolling at the shoulders. His head tilted from left to right as if he were listening to music no one else could hear.
The movements became sharper, He bounced on the balls of his feet, shoulders rotating, neck cracking softly as it leaned to one side and then the other. His fingers flexed and curled. His stance adjusted by inches.
.
.
[.] [Why can't I tap it, Fucking rage bait.]
.
.
Then the motion stopped.
Every eye across his body shifted at once toward Caster.
They opened fully.
Closed once.
Opened again.
And they smiled.
Kiyotaka lowered himself into a fighting stance.
Sunless felt disgust coil in his chest.
"What a terrible flaw," he muttered.
Caster inhaled slowly, the breath steady despite the tension in his frame. His expression hardened as he mirrored the stance, feet set firmly against the floor.
He was going to go all out.
***
Caster disappeared from where he stood, Not letting himself think about what just happened.
Kiyotaka moved at the same instant, his body blurring as he shifted across the circle. He did not vanish like Caster, but he became fast enough that faint afterimages lingered behind him.
Caster could not be seen.
Kiyotaka could.
Students rose to their feet, trying to follow the exchange. Fear gave way to amazement as they realized they were watching something far beyond an ordinary duel.
Sunless watched from the corner, eyes sharp, mind racing despite the chill still clinging to him.
'So this is what happens when they stop holding back.'
Sunless couldn't help but see how terrifying Kiyotaka was, He can both outsmart you and out fight you.
Caster ran wide arcs along the edge of the circle, building more and more speed. Even with the vision granted by his shadow, Sunless struggled to keep track. Caster became harder to follow with every second.
Kiyotaka remained at the center.
Relaxed.
Only his eyes moved, all of them tracing the same invisible path as they rotated in perfect coordination.
Only Sunless understood that they were following Caster.
From the far edge, Caster launched forward. His fist shot toward Kiyotaka's face.
Kiyotaka tilted slightly.
The punch missed.
Caster continued past him without slowing, curving around in a tight circle and striking from the opposite side. A kick followed immediately.
Kiyotaka shifted his weight and let it pass.
Another strike came from behind.
He stepped aside.
Punch.
Turn.
Kick.
Lean.
Each dodge was small. He never overextended, He stood at the center while Caster circled him.
Sunless felt it then.
The rhythm.
Caster attacked again, faster. His movements were proud and decisive, each strike meant to dominate, to prove that he stood above the rest. The floor trembled beneath his steps.
Kiyotaka's body began to answer.
As Caster's fist passed his shoulder, Kiyotaka's palm brushed lightly against his arm, redirecting it just enough to alter his balance. When a kick swept low, Kiyotaka lifted his leg and let his foot tap against Caster's ankle as he landed, forcing him to adjust.
Step.
Slip.
Touch.
Turn.
Caster lunged again. Kiyotaka shifted inside his guard and extended a short punch toward his ribs. It would not have broken anything. It was not meant to. Caster twisted away on instinct, and that twist carried him into the next arc of motion.
Kiyotaka followed.
Their positions reversed without anyone noticing when it happened.
Caster attacked.
Kiyotaka responded.
A light strike toward the shoulder.
A nudge to the wrist.
A short kick that stopped just before impact but forced Caster to hop back.
It began to look almost playful.
But the intensity only grew.
The gusts of their movement swept across the dojo. The sound of feet striking wood echoed sharply. Students held their breath, unable to tell who was controlling the pace anymore.
Nephis watched without expression.
Her fighting style was efficient, graceful, ruthless.
She cut away everything unnecessary. Every movement led directly to victory. There was beauty in it, but it was a cold beauty, like a blade drawn in a straight line.
This was different.
This Kiyotaka moved as if nothing bound him. He did not follow rigid structure. He did not commit to a fixed stance. He stepped wherever the moment opened space. He let Caster's speed exist, and instead of opposing it, he flowed with it.
'Freedom.'
That was the only word Sunless could find.
Kiyotaka was not forcing the fight into shape.
He was letting it become whatever it wanted to be, then guiding it with the smallest touch.
Caster pushed harder. His attacks became sharper, faster, more relentless. To normal eyes, he was an invisible storm.
To Kiyotaka's many eyes, he was clear.
Caster's fist cut toward Kiyotaka's jaw.
Kiyotaka leaned back, his body swaying smoothly, then stepped forward with a soft strike toward Caster's chest.
Caster twisted away.
Turn.
Step.
Strike.
Dodge.
Their feet began to match.
Caster circled.
Kiyotaka pivoted.
Caster lunged.
Kiyotaka slipped inside and tapped his shoulder.
Caster spun out.
They were moving together.
Sunless felt something... He could feel the pressure in the air, the weight of every near miss, the precision required to maintain that pace. One mistake would end it.
And yet Kiyotaka smiled faintly as he moved, as if this intensity was simply another rhythm to follow.
Sunless swallowed.
For a moment, watching the way Kiyotaka shifted his weight, the way he listened to the fight instead of resisting it, Sunless felt a strange certainty.
I can do that.
The thought came without reason.
He did not know how.
He was nowhere near this level. His limbs would not obey him like that. His body did not move with that ease.
And yet, as Kiyotaka stepped, turned, and guided Caster into another smooth arc, Sunless felt as though somewhere deep inside him, there was a similar rhythm waiting to be found.
He could not explain it.
He just knew it was there.
Caster began adjusting in ways that were subtle at first but undeniable.
The next time Kiyotaka brushed his wrist to redirect a strike, Caster did not allow his balance to be stolen so easily.
He rolled through the contact and planted his foot earlier, cutting off the angle Kiyotaka usually used to guide him. His follow-up punch came tighter and closer to the body, forcing Kiyotaka to shift more than before.
The difference was small.
But it was real.
Kiyotaka's smile remained, his body still fluid, yet his dodges became a fraction sharper. Caster was no longer being led completely. He was contesting control inside the exchange.
Another clash followed.
Caster feinted high, dipped low, then drove forward with a compressed combination that forced Kiyotaka to block instead of simply slip away. The sound of impact cracked through the dojo, drawing a collective inhale from the watching Sleepers.
Caster was growing inside the fight.
Sunless felt it immediately.
A slow, dangerous grin tugged at his lips.
Of course he is. You don't get called a Legacy by staying static.
But what stirred Sunless more was something else.
He could see the structure of it now. The way timing shifted. The way small adjustments forced larger reactions. His mind traced the lines unconsciously, mapping openings and counters as if he were standing inside the circle himself.
How was he able to do all this... He was not knowledgeable in martial arts... Yet he could.
It frustrated him.
Because part of him understood it.
Not physically. Not yet.
But mentally.
That rhythm was not alien anymore. It felt… reachable.
Nephis watched without the faintest change in posture.
Caster's improvement was natural. Pressure refined steel. His movements had lost excess flourish. Each strike now had cleaner intent and better placement. He was no longer simply reacting to Kiyotaka's guidance.
But her gaze lingered on Kiyotaka.
He had allowed this growth. He had not crushed it early. That choice alone spoke of overwhelming confidence. Someone who feared losing would never let an opponent sharpen mid battle.
She was thinking... What if she had won against Caster, Would Kiyotaka still treat the fight like a dance or get serious.
Why did she lose.
Caster launched forward again, unleashing a rapid sequence with disciplined aggression. His strikes were compact, relentless, layered with feints that tested Kiyotaka's perception rather than just his speed.
Kiyotaka dodged the first two.
Blocked the third.
Shifted for the fourth.
Caster pivoted sharply and drove a kick that nearly clipped Kiyotaka's side.
The margin was shrinking.
The dojo floor creaked under the pressure of their footwork. Even without seeing Caster clearly, the students could feel that the fight had changed. It was no longer playful to them.
Caster pressed again, chaining strikes with precision born from adaptation. His pride did not make him reckless. It made him refine.
For several exchanges, they matched each other closely. Not equal in control, but close enough that the outcome no longer looked predetermined to untrained eyes.
Sunless's breathing had slowed without him noticing. His gaze was locked, calculating.
He's pushing him.
He wanted to see how far Caster could go.
And he wanted to see where Kiyotaka's limit truly was.
Caster drove in with a final burst of sharpened speed, his cleanest sequence yet. A feint high, a body strike, a rising elbow, a pivot into a direct straight punch carrying all the force he had gathered.
Kiyotaka stopped moving lightly.
The first strike met his forearm.
The second met his palm.
The elbow was caught at the joint.
The straight punch collided with a solid guard.
This time there was no redirection.
Just resistance.
Caster attacked again immediately, testing the guard, striking from new angles, trying to force even a fraction of space open.
Every strike was blocked.
The sound of impact stacked rapidly, then abruptly ceased.
Kiyotaka's eyes narrowed all at once.
The shift was subtle but absolute.
Caster's next punch was stopped before it fully extended.
Not redirected.
Stopped.
The momentum died in that instant.
Silence fell across the dojo.
For a heartbeat, Caster remained in front of him, muscles taut, breath steady, ready to continue.
Kiyotaka stepped back once.
Then he stepped out of the circle.
All of his eyes closed at the same time.
When they opened again, the faint curve of amusement was gone. The liveliness had drained from his expression completely, leaving only that flat, unreadable monotony.
The change hit harder than any strike.
The intensity that had filled the room vanished as if a switch had been flipped.
Sunless felt a strange irritation in his chest.
'That's it? What about one finale move, Something grand! You just can't end it like this!"
He understood what that meant, and the understanding unsettled him.
Caster had improved.
But the gap had never truly disappeared.
Sunless removed Caster from the question, The question he now had was...
Who would win in a Death Match... Kiyotaka or Nephis?
And how long will it take him to catch up with them.
Sunless looked down as Caster just stood there staring at Kiyotaka.
***
Caster remained standing in the center of the circle long after Kiyotaka had stepped out of it. His eyes stayed fixed on the empty space where his opponent had stood, as if the shape of him still lingered there. The noise in the dojo felt distant, muffled beneath the weight pressing against his chest.
He replayed the fight in his mind. Every movement, every exchange, every adjustment he had made under pressure. He searched for the mistake that must have existed. A flawed angle. A miscalculated step. A hesitation he had failed to notice in the moment.
There was none.
Slowly, he lowered his gaze to his own hand. It trembled faintly, though whether from exertion or something deeper he could not tell.
He had grown stronger during that duel. He could feel it clearly. His timing had sharpened. His control had improved. His instincts had refined themselves against resistance.
He had adapted in real time, pushing beyond what he had thought was his limit.
And yet the realization settled heavily inside him.
That had not truly been a fight.
Every improvement he believed he had carved out through will and effort had been permitted.
The realization was suffocating.
Legacies were not supposed to feel this way.
They were trained from the beginning to dominate, to stand at the top of the hierarchy without question. Their place was secured through blood, discipline, and inheritance.
They were not meant to be guided like children.
Caster lifted his head and looked at Kiyotaka standing beyond the boundary of the circle.
He appeared almost detached from everything that had just happened, his gaze resting idly on the ceiling like he was in a battle of his own.
Kiyotaka was slower. That much was undeniable.
Caster possessed superior speed, sharper acceleration, greater explosive power.
Yet none of it had mattered.
Speed had not translated into control. Force had not translated into dominance. Every advantage he had believed defined him had dissolved under someone else's rhythm.
A thought crept in.
How could a Legacy lose?
His eyes shifted toward Nephis without conscious decision. He needed to know what she thought. He needed to see whether her composure had cracked, whether she acknowledged what had happened.
She was not looking at him.
Her gaze rested on Kiyotaka, She was expressionless.
Something inside Caster tightened.
He had intended to surpass her. He had intended to lead this generation and carve his name above all others. He had intended to be the one who ended her story.
Instead, in the span of two days, someone else had dismantled the structure he had put so much time on.
The murmurs of the Sleepers began to reach him clearly.
They spoke without malice, only disbelief.
They were naming someone else the strongest.
They were describing him as being inferior.
Each whisper scraped against his pride. Not because they were cruel, but because they were correct.
Caster closed his hand into a fist and pressed it firmly against his palm.
The sharp sound cut through the noise and drew the room's attention back to him. For a moment, all eyes were on him again, not as a leader but as a fallen figure measuring the damage of a single encounter.
He walked toward Kiyotaka with steady steps.
There were accusations forming in his mind.
He could have questioned the manipulation, the psychological setup, the careful orchestration that had begun long before the first strike was thrown.
He could have framed the entire event as underhanded or dishonorable.
But that would have been cowardice.
In the latter half of the duel, he had fought with everything he possessed.
He wasn't defeated through some kind of trick.
He had not held back.
And it had not been enough.
He stopped in front of Kiyotaka and held his gaze.
His voice, when he spoke, carried no tremor.
"I am thankful for this lesson. This is your victory."
The dojo grew silent again, waiting for more.
Caster's jaw tightened briefly before he continued.
"I hope we can compete again in the future."
The words were chosen carefully. They were acknowledgment of a gap that had revealed itself too clearly to deny.
There was still anger within him, but it had settled into something more dangerous than outburst. It had become resolve.
"I would like to train with you."
If his entire identity as a Legacy could be shaken by one duel, then that identity had been incomplete.
If someone could orchestrate his defeat in two days, then he would study the method until he understood it completely.
Caster turned and walked back to his seat while the whispers resumed around him.
He did not look at the other Sleepers. He did not need their reassurance or their pity.
A crown had been knocked from his head.
But he refused to let it shatter on the ground.
'I just gave a part of my life span for this duel just for him to jump off.'
***
Ayanokouji was still standing there. His mind was blank as he stared at nothing in particular.
Shouldn't he be feeling happy that he could experience such vibrant emotions now? Shouldn't he be analyzing what had just taken place?
Shouldn't he be updating his plans?
There were so many things that needed to be considered, yet he simply stood there.
He could feel everyone's gaze on him jealousy, disbelief, admiration everything.
Ayanokouji slowly looked at his hand, then into his eyes.
Then he looked at the Awakened Rocky, who was watching him silently, evaluating him.
Ayanokouji slowly walked back to his seat, but there was something he had realized, something deep.
As Ayanokouji disappeared into the sea of eyes surrounding him, he understood one thing.
Sooner or later, he would be overwhelmed.
***
A certain Shadow sitting in the corner slowly began to move, his limbs shaking more than ever as a new awareness awakened within him.
He moved through the darkness fluidly, taking note of that fluidity as if testing the limits of his own existence.
Before leaving, he took one last look back, his thoughts laced with quiet venom.
'Legends, huh? Fine. Enjoy it. I'll be over here, surviving. I've always been good at that.'
His shadow dashed through the darkness, faster and faster, parkouring across the academy grounds.
A weak gaze fixed on the strong.
'This cockroach will outlive you all.'
That night, three men walked toward their destinies, and none of them did so with pride.
One moved with the brittle grace of a crown losing its shine.
Another drifted like a vessel overflowing with something he longed for yet regretted now.
And the last scuttled in the deepest ink of the corridors, his survival a jagged, silent spite for a world that demanded he be more than a ghost.
They didn't walk like heroes. They walked like men who finally understood the cost. And as the darkness swallowed them, it became clear....
The legends would burn, the gods would fall, and only the one who knew how to crawl would see the dawn.
***
It was late into the night. Everyone had already returned to their dorms. The dojo stood empty,
A moment later, Sunless slipped inside.
His shadow stretched across the floor, checking every corner to make sure no one remained. When it confirmed the emptiness, Sunless let out a quiet, bitter snicker.
"The world really is full of monsters."
The shadow nodded with an annoyed expression.
Sunless stepped into the center of the circle. His shadow began moving along the walls and pillars, parkouring across the dojo as he controlled it.
His movements were large and rough, not efficient. He wasn't trying to conserve motion. He was forcing it, pushing his shadow to move more, stretch more, do more than it needed to.
He was squeezing everything he could out of it.
Slowly, the shaking returned.
His arms trembled. His breathing grew uneven. But he didn't stop.
Sunless walked toward the machine, his mind replaying everything that had happened over the past two days.
The monsters he had seen.
The gap between them.
As he remembered Master Jet's words...
"Being monster is a survival trait."
His hands clenched slightly.
If the world was filled with monsters… then he would claw his way into becoming one.
***
As I stepped out of the dorm building, I immediately felt it.
Eyes.
Students who had been walking toward the cafeteria slowed down the moment they noticed me. Some stopped entirely. Others continued moving but kept looking back at me every few steps as if confirming that I was still there.
Their gazes carried many different things. Fear. Admiration. Jealousy. Curiosity.
A few of them looked like they were mentally rehearsing ways to approach me.
I had not planned for things to turn out like this.
Ignoring the attention, I walked toward the cafeteria. A small stream of students ended up moving in the same direction, though the distance they kept made it feel less like a group and more like a respectful safety perimeter.
When I stepped inside the cafeteria, the reaction was even clearer.
Several conversations stopped mid sentence. Heads turned. Some students stared openly while others tried to act natural and failed the moment their eyes drifted back to me again.
Apparently yesterday had earned me a title.
The strongest Sleeper in the academy.
Even a few workers behind the serving counters briefly glanced at me before returning to their tasks.
Scanning the room, I quickly spotted Sunless and Cassie sitting at their usual table. I walked over and tapped the table twice.
Cassie calmly turned her head toward the sound and smiled, giving a small nod of greeting.
I pulled out a chair and sat down.
Sunless glanced at me.
For a moment he looked almost cheerful.
Then recognition set in.
His expression slowly twisted into annoyance.
I could already tell what he was thinking. We had planned to remain unnoticed within the academy. Unfortunately my Flaw had ruined that plan yesterday in front of half the school.
Even so, I sat beside them as if nothing had happened. Eventually Sunless would draw attention as well. Anyone trying to approach me would naturally try speaking to the people around me.
There was little point worrying about it now.
I turned toward the social worker standing behind Cassie and wrote something on a piece of paper before handing it to her.
She read it aloud.
"Cassie, Kiyotaka is asking which classes you have been taking in the academy."
Cassie looked slightly surprised by the question but quickly answered with a polite smile.
"The classes I am taking are Creature Taxonomy, Sorcery Fundamentals and Artifact Theory, and Resource Management."
Around us, several nearby students were very clearly pretending not to listen.
I wrote something else and handed the paper back to the social worker.
It read:
"Bring me a slotted slate and a stylus."
The social worker looked at the page and then began reading again.
"Cassie, Kiyotaka says to bring him a slotted slate and a stylus."
Cassie paused.
Then she smiled patiently and pointed toward her eyes before blinking.
"How exactly am I supposed to bring it?" she asked. "I am blind."
I stared at her for a moment.
Then I slowly took the paper back and wrote another sentence.
When the social worker read it aloud, her voice was noticeably more careful.
"Not you. I meant the social worker."
For a few seconds, the social worker simply stood there staring at me.
Cassie remained smiling.
Sunless looked between the three of us like he had just discovered a new form of entertainment.
Finally the social worker nodded and walked away to retrieve the slate, while several students nearby suddenly found their food extremely interesting.
***
By the time I left the dormitory building, the academy had already settled into the familiar movement of morning.
Students filled the corridors, walking toward their assigned classes in loose groups. Conversations moved constantly between them. I could not hear any of it, but that rarely mattered.
People spoke far more with their faces than with their voices.
As I walked through the hallway, many of those faces changed the moment they noticed me. Eyes lingered longer than usual. Some students slowed their pace while looking in my direction, pretending to continue their discussions while clearly shifting their attention toward me instead.
Reading lips was not difficult when people were careless.
The words were easy enough to piece together even when only fragments were visible.
Apparently yesterday had been enough to turn me into something people felt the need to observe.
Beside me, Cassie walked with the same careful composure she always carried. Her posture remained straight and refined, but her steps still revealed the quiet discipline required to move through a world she could not see.
She did not rush. Each step carried a small pause that measured the space ahead of her.
I tapped the wall beside us with my fingers.
The sound marked the edge of the corridor.
A moment later I tapped again, this time against the back of a chair that had been left slightly out of place near the wall.
Cassie adjusted her path immediately, stepping around it without hesitation. Another few steps forward and I tapped the corner ahead, giving her enough warning to turn smoothly.
The rhythm formed a path. She followed the silence between the taps rather than the taps themselves.
Behind us walked the social worker assigned to her. Her attention shifted between Cassie and me repeatedly as we continued down the corridor.
At first she seemed content to simply observe, but with each obstacle Cassie avoided without her assistance, the uncertainty in his expression became more obvious.
Eventually she stepped forward.
I saw her hand reach toward Cassie's arm before he spoke.
"Miss Cassie, it might be easier if I guide you."
Cassie turned her head toward him politely, clearly surprised but not offended.
She couldn't say what was in her mind...
Before she could answer, I stopped walking.
The movement drew her attention immediately. I took out a sheet of paper and wrote a short sentence before holding it up for her to read.
Her eyes moved across the words.
Are you going to guide her through the Dream Realm like that too?
For a moment she simply stared at the sentence as if trying to determine whether she had misunderstood it. Then her gaze slowly lifted to meet mine.
The hallway around us continued moving, but the brief pause in our group drew a few curious glances from passing students.
She hesitated before answering.
"...No."
Her lips formed the word slowly.
Of course she would not. The academy staff could not accompany students into the Dream Realm. That much was obvious.
I held her gaze for another second. My expression did not change, but the message had already been delivered.
Her offer solved nothing.
After a moment she stepped back slightly.
I folded the paper away and resumed walking, tapping the wall again to continue guiding the path.
Cassie had been listening to the silence between movements.
When the rhythm returned, she smiled faintly.
"Oh... I see."
There was quiet amusement in her expression.
"I suppose that answers that."
We continued through the corridor.
Students nearby had clearly noticed the exchange. Several of them slowed their pace just enough to watch as we passed. Their lips moved in quiet conversations that were not particularly difficult to interpret.
One of them mouthed the words strongest Sleeper again while glancing toward me.
Cassie followed the guiding rhythm beside me. Her movements were noticeably smoother now compared to the previous day. The hesitation between steps appeared less frequently, and when it did, it lasted only a moment.
"You really don't need to do this for every class," she said gently after a while.
Her lips moved clearly enough for me to read the sentence without difficulty.
"The academy staff usually helps me find the rooms."
I tapped the wall once to indicate the approaching corner.
She adjusted her direction naturally.
"I mean it," she continued, her expression carrying mild embarrassment rather than complaint. "You're probably very busy now."
Her head tilted slightly in my direction.
"Everyone seems very interested in you."
We passed a group of Sleepers standing near the lockers. The moment they recognized me, their conversation stopped mid sentence. One of them turned slightly toward his friend.
I caught the words easily.
"That's him."
"The one who beat Caster?"
The final name caused the others to glance at me again.
Cassie noticed the shift in atmosphere immediately.
"...People are staring again, aren't they?"
I tapped the wall once in confirmation.
A quiet laugh escaped her.
"I thought so."
We reached the staircase soon after. I tapped the railing lightly and then the first step, marking both the direction and the change in elevation.
Cassie stopped immediately and placed her hand on the railing.
"You've memorized the obstacles already," she said while we began descending.
Her steps were slow and deliberate, counting each stair carefully.
Halfway down she spoke again.
"You don't have to escort me to every classroom."
There was no discomfort in her expression, only polite practicality.
"You must have your own schedule to worry about."
When we reached the bottom of the stairs, I continued guiding the path forward through the hallway.
Students moving in the opposite direction slowed as they recognized me. I watched their lips move in quiet conversations as we passed.
"So the strongest Sleeper in the academy is escorting someone to class?"
His friend shrugged while glancing in my direction.
"Maybe that's his training."
Cassie noticed just enough of their reaction to smile faintly.
"I'm not sure if I should feel honored or guilty."
I tapped again to guide her around a desk someone had left too close to the wall.
We continued walking through the corridor.
After a few steps she grew quiet. Her expression shifted slightly, becoming thoughtful. Her lips parted as if she was about to ask something.
The question never appeared.
She stopped herself before speaking and simply folded her hands lightly together as we continued forward.
Eventually we reached the classroom assigned to her.
I tapped the door once.
Cassie stopped immediately.
The tension in her shoulders eased when she realized where we were.
She turned slightly toward where she sensed me standing.
"Thank you," she said softly.
The sincerity in her expression lingered a moment longer than the words.
Behind us, several students had stopped just long enough to watch the scene unfold.
Their lips moved quietly between each other.
"That's the guy everyone is talking about?"
"...yeah..."
"He walked her all the way here."
None of them looked like they quite understood what to make of that.
After leaving Cassie to the classroom, I made my way towards the library.
***
Caster slowly entered the dojo remembering the embarrassment of yesterday. The thought stayed with him as he stepped inside, but he kept his expression calm. Today he had already made a decision.
He was going to train alongside Kiyotaka.
The dojo was already active. Sleepers moved across the floor while Rock walked between them, correcting stances and giving short pieces of advice. Caster's eyes moved across the room once, naturally settling on the place where Kiyotaka last time stood.
It was empty.
He stopped for a moment before walking to the side and sitting down like nothing was wrong. His posture stayed composed. The usual Legacy mask remained perfectly in place.
But his fingers slowly tightened against his knee.
He waited.
Rock clapped his hands, calling the class to attention while the Sleepers gathered loosely around him.
"Speed isn't just about how fast you move," Rock said while demonstrating a step. "If your balance is bad, you'll just trip over yourself. Keep your weight centered."
The students began practicing again.
Caster stayed where he was, watching the entrance from time to time.
A few Sleepers noticed him sitting there instead of training.
One of them approached carefully, clearly unsure how casual he was allowed to be around a Legacy.
"Uh… Caster.. the boy said. "You're not joining in?"
Caster looked at him calmly. "I will."
The Sleeper nodded awkwardly. "Yesterday was crazy. That gu- Kiyotaka, right? Didn't expect someone to keep up with you like that."
Caster didn't answer immediately. His eyes briefly moved to the empty space again.
"He's skilled,"he said simply.
Another Sleeper joined the conversation, curiosity getting the better of him. "Are you two going to fight again?"
Caster's expression didn't change.
"Maybe."
The two students exchanged looks before one of them laughed lightly. "Man, if that happens again the entire sleeper part of Academy is going to watch."
Caster gave a small nod but said nothing more.
Inside his head, the thought had already settled.
He's hiding.
Kiyotaka had shown something yesterday. Just enough. And now he was retreating, keeping the rest of it hidden.
Caster's fingers tightened again before relaxing.
Fine.
If Kiyotaka wouldn't come here, then he would find him somewhere else.
***
Cassie's class ended quietly.
The instructor dismissed them, and chairs shifted as Sleepers began gathering their things. Bags were lifted, conversations started, and footsteps moved toward the door in loose clusters.
Cassie remained seated.
Standing up immediately when everyone else did was rarely a good idea. Too many moving bodies meant too many unpredictable obstacles. Experience had taught her patience. If she waited a few moments, the chaos usually thinned out.
Beside her, the assigned social worker stretched her shoulders slightly.
Cassie rose from her seat carefully, her hand resting lightly against the edge of the desk as she oriented herself.
Before the worker could speak, a light sound reached her.
A single, deliberate tap against the wall.
Cassie paused immediately.
Her head tilted slightly toward the direction of the sound, recognizing the rhythm without hesitation. The worker also stopped mid-step when she noticed the tall figure already standing near the corridor wall.
Kiyotaka was leaning there quietly with a book open in one hand, his posture completely relaxed as if he had been waiting long before the class even finished. His eyes moved across the page with calm, and the hand that had tapped the wall rested there loosely.
The social worker looked between them, then sighed softly in defeat.
After what happened a few hours ago, she clearly understood that her presence had become unnecessary.
Cassie walked toward the wall slowly until her fingers brushed its surface. She waited there for a moment, listening.
Another tap came, softer this time.
She smiled faintly in response and began walking along the wall, following the quiet guidance while Kiyotaka simply turned another page of his book and moved beside her without looking up.
They stepped into the corridor together.
It did not take long before people noticed.
Several Sleepers who had been walking ahead slowed down when they recognized the tall boy beside the blind girl. Their conversation gradually faded as they stared in disbelief.
One boy nudged his friend with his elbow.
"That's him… right?"
His friend kept staring, clearly unsettled.
"Yeah… that's the one who fought Caster yesterday."
Another student walking behind them whispered nervously.
"The one who humiliated a Legacy without even trying?"
Someone else leaned closer to listen.
"I heard he skipped every class today."
"He did," another girl confirmed quietly. "My friend from survival class said his seat was empty the entire time."
The group looked back again.
Kiyotaka continued walking beside Cassie calmly, turning another page of his book while guiding her path with occasional taps against the wall or corners.
The whispers slowly spread along the corridor as more students noticed.
"Wait… he's escorting her?"
"Every class?"
"Apparently."
A tall Sleeper further down the hall crossed his arms, clearly uncomfortable with the sight.
"Why would the strongest Sleeper in the academy spend his time doing that?"
No one answered immediately.
Another student finally spoke in a quieter voice.
"Maybe you didn't hear what people were saying after the fight."
The others turned toward him.
"What things?"
He hesitated for a moment before continuing.
"My friend was in the front row during the duel. She said that his skin tore open…"
The small group leaned closer instinctively.
"What do you mean?"
The boy lowered his voice even further.
"She said the scars on his body started opening."
Several people frowned in confusion.
"Opening how?"
A girl standing nearby answered before he could.
"I heard the same thing from someone else who saw it clearly."
Everyone looked at her.
She seemed uneasy even remembering it.
"They weren't just scars. They were eyes."
The group went silent.
She continued slowly, choosing her words carefully.
"Actual eyes. Luminous, dozens of them. My friend said they were staring everywhere at once, and when one of them looked at her she felt like something inside her head had been seen completely."
One of the boys forced an awkward laugh.
"That sounds like a ridiculous rumor."
The girl did not laugh with him.
"Maybe, but she was shaking when she told me."
Another Sleeper swallowed slightly.
"I heard something similar. Someone said when he looks at you directly, it feels like your thoughts aren't hidden anymore."
They all glanced back again.
Kiyotaka turned another page calmly while walking beside Cassie, his eyes focused on the text as if nothing in the corridor concerned him at all.
The boy who had laughed earlier shifted uncomfortably.
"That's… actually kind of creepy."
Further down the corridor another group had started whispering their own version of the story.
"That's the guy who defeated Caster yesterday."
"Yeah. People said Caster couldn't even keep up."
One student folded his arms thoughtfully.
"And now that same guy is personally escorting a blind girl across the academy?"
Another shrugged slowly.
"I don't understand it either."
Behind them, Cassie had clearly noticed the strange atmosphere surrounding them.
Even without sight, the silence and hushed voices were impossible to miss.
She followed the wall carefully while speaking in a quieter voice.
"Kiyotaka…"
He tapped the corner of the wall gently, guiding her around the turn without lifting his eyes from the page.
Cassie adjusted her steps smoothly before continuing.
"...Everyone is staring again, aren't they?"
Kiyotaka lifted his fingers and tapped once against the wall beside her.
Yes.
Cassie sighed softly, though a faint blush had already appeared across her cheeks.
"I thought that might happen."
They continued walking together for several more steps before she spoke again, her voice carrying a small amount of embarrassment that she could not completely hide.
"I was wondering something…"
Kiyotaka kept reading silently.
She hesitated briefly before finishing the question.
"Are you going to guide me like this every day?"
For a moment he did not respond.
He finished reading the line on the page, calmly turned it, and then raised his hand.
Tap.
Just once.
Cassie stopped walking immediately, clearly startled by the answer she had not expected so quickly.
"...Every day?" she repeated quietly.
Kiyotaka had already resumed walking.
Cassie stood there for a moment before letting out a small, helpless laugh and following him again along the wall.
"I think people are definitely misunderstanding something now."
Behind them, several Sleepers had witnessed the entire exchange.
One of them leaned closer to his friend with a grin.
"I swear that looked like a confession."
His friend snorted quietly.
"From him? The guy who scares half the academy?"
"Exactly," the first boy replied. "That makes it even better."
Another student nearby shook her head, though she was smiling as well.
"The strongest Sleeper in the Academy personally escorting one girl every day… do you realize how dramatic that sounds?"
Someone else answered immediately.
"It sounds like a romance story."
Further down the corridor the whispers continued spreading from group to group.
Stories about the terrifying boy with countless eyes hidden in the scars across his body mixed strangely with something far lighter.
Among the Sleepers of the academy, alongside rumors of eldritch horrors and impossible strength, a far more entertaining rumor had quietly begun to bloom.
One about the strongest Sleeper in the cohort.
And the blind girl he walked beside every day.
***
Sunless sat in the cafeteria surrounded by a crowd that had absolutely no intention of letting him eat in peace.
His tray still held plenty of food, but the way he attacked it made it look like a personal enemy rather than lunch.
Every bite carried a little more irritation than the last, and the steady rhythm of chewing was the only thing preventing him from snapping at someone.
Several Sleepers had already dragged chairs closer to the table, while others stood nearby pretending to focus on their meals while clearly listening to every word he said.
Their curiosity had completely overridden any sense of politeness.
A girl finally leaned forward and asked the question that had been hovering in the air for the past five minutes.
"So how did the two of you meet?"
Sunless continued chewing for a few seconds before slowly lifting his eyes toward her.
"He was getting beaten up by a girl."
The reaction was immediate and loud. Several people spoke at once, their disbelief obvious.
"You're joking."
"The guy who defeated Caster yesterday?"
"The strongest Sleeper in the academy?"
Sunless swallowed his food and looked down at his tray again with the exhausted patience of someone suffering through a long interrogation.
"Yes. That exact same terrifying individual everyone keeps whispering about like he crawled out of some forgotten ruin."
A boy frowned while trying to make sense of the story.
"You're saying the strongest Sleeper here was losing to a girl?"
Sunless stabbed a piece of meat with unnecessary force and shook his head.
"I did not say losing. I said getting beaten up."
Another student leaned forward with a skeptical expression.
"That sounds like losing."
Sunless lifted his gaze toward him slowly and replied with obvious irritation.
"Losing suggests there was a fight happening. What I saw looked more like a demonstration of why interfering would dramatically shorten my lifespan."
A few students laughed, though their curiosity only grew stronger.
A girl resting her chin on her hands asked eagerly, "What kind of girl could beat someone like that?"
Sunless shrugged while continuing to eat.
"The kind that makes you reconsider whether breathing is an activity you would like to continue."
Another boy leaned closer with growing interest.
"Did he at least fight back?"
Sunless chewed thoughtfully before answering.
"He attempted the revolutionary strategy of surviving."
Someone nearly dropped their drink laughing.
Another student tilted his head curiously.
"Then how did you two end up friends?"
Sunless slowly lowered his fork and stared at the boy as if he had just committed a personal offense.
"Friends?"
Several heads nodded enthusiastically while pointing at him.
"You're the only person who actually talks about him."
"You sit at the same table."
"You clearly know him better than anyone."
Sunless leaned back in his chair and stared at the ceiling for a moment as if asking the universe why it hated him so much.
"My life was peaceful three days ago," he said with quiet bitterness.
Nobody interrupted him.
"I had quiet meals. I had privacy. I had a future that did not involve being interrogated by half the academy while trying to eat lunch."
A girl giggled softly.
"So you regret meeting him?"
Sunless answered immediately.
"Right now, Deeply."
The laughter returned again, but another question quickly followed.
A boy lowered his voice like he was sharing some dangerous secret.
"So are the rumors about him actually true?"
Sunless narrowed his eyes slightly.
"What rumors?"
The boy hesitated before answering.
"They say the scars on his body open."
A few students leaned closer as the tension around the table quietly grew.
"They say there are eyes inside them."
"They say people saw them moving."
Sunless stopped eating.
For a moment he simply stared at the tray in front of him.
Eventually he sighed and raised his eyes toward them.
"Yes."
The table immediately went quiet.
One student blinked slowly.
"...Yes?"
Sunless leaned back in his chair and spoke with complete indifference.
"Yes. They are eyes."
Several people froze.
A girl sitting near the edge of the group spoke hesitantly.
"You mean they look like eyes?"
Sunless shook his head calmly.
"I mean they are eyes."
A boy frowned uneasily.
"That doesn't make sense."
Sunless shrugged before taking another slow bite of food.
"Most things about him don't make sense."
Another student leaned forward nervously.
"What were they like?"
Sunless paused mid-chew and slowly looked around the table.
Since they clearly refused to leave him alone, he decided they might as well regret asking.
"They were colorful," he said flatly. "Not normal colors either. Some looked like burning gold while others were darker than anything I have ever seen."
The students listened silently.
Sunless continued eating while describing it like he was talking about the weather.
"And they were not just sitting there either. Every single one of them was moving."
A boy shifted uncomfortably in his seat.
"Moving how?"
Sunless tapped his fork lightly against the tray.
"They were looking."
Someone swallowed nervously.
"Looking where?"
Sunless raised his eyes slowly and stared directly at the boy.
"Through you."
A quiet chill spread through the group.
Sunless kept speaking with the same casual tone.
"It felt like every single one of them was staring straight into your skull and reading whatever pathetic thoughts were floating around inside."
No one laughed this time.
Another student forced a small smile.
"You're exaggerating."
Sunless finished the last bite on his tray before calmly wiping his mouth.
"If anything, I am being generous."
A few students exchanged uneasy glances.
One girl spoke quietly.
"So… you're saying the strongest Sleeper in the academy is walking around with dozens of eyes hidden in his scars."
Sunless stood up from the table.
He picked up his empty tray and looked down at the group one last time.
"Yes."
His tone remained completely casual.
"And they are all looking at you."
The silence at the table grew heavy as the image settled into their minds.
Sunless turned around and began walking away from the cafeteria.
Someone finally found the courage to call after him.
"Where are you going?"
Sunless did not even look back as he answered.
"I am going to take a dump."
The entire group immediately froze in embarrassed silence.
Sunless disappeared into the corridor with a deep sigh of exhaustion.
His peaceful life had completely collapsed, and somehow the entire academy had decided that he was now the official guide to the terrifying mystery named Kiyotaka.
***
Sunless waited inside the dorm room with the expression of someone who had recently realized that his life had taken a catastrophic turn for the worse.
For the first time since morning, there were no curious Sleepers surrounding him, no idiots trying to befriend him, and no hopeful interrogators trying to extract information about a certain silent monster. The quiet should have been comforting.
Instead, Sunless sat on the edge of the bed staring at the wall like a man preparing a list of people he wanted to blame.
His life had gone straight down the drain.
He rubbed his face slowly before muttering under his breath.
'Fuck you, [Fated]. Why did you make me meet that freak?'
The quiet room absorbed the complaint without offering any sympathy.
Sunless leaned back against the wall and continued cursing with increasing creativity.
His once peaceful academy life had vanished in less than forty eight hours. Now every Sleeper in the Car treated him like some kind of exclusive access point to the strongest Sleeper in the academy.
He had people smiling at him.
People greeting him in the hallway.
People trying to sit next to him during meals.
The entire situation was disgusting.
"My peaceful days are gone," he muttered bitterly. "Completely ruined."
A moment later the dorm door slowly opened.
Kiyotaka stepped inside.
Sunless immediately turned his head and glared at him with deep resentment.
Kiyotaka paused after entering the room. His gaze lifted up as he saw a massive shadow of a rock right in top of his shadow.
He looked back toward Sunless and then glanced at the floor behind him.
Sunless no longer had a shadow.
Kiyotaka seemed to understand immediately.
Sunless leaned back against the wall and spoke in a calm voice that contained a very real threat.
"Tell me why I shouldn't drop that rock on your head right now."
Kiyotaka remained still for a moment while considering the question seriously. After thinking for a few seconds, he calmly pulled out a small piece of paper and wrote something.
He walked forward and held it up.
|Because we are best friends.|
Sunless stared at the message.
His expression did not change at all.
"You fucking piece of shit," he said calmly.
The words were spoken with the quiet intensity of someone who had been suffering all day.
"You knew this would happen the moment you sat with me this morning."
His shadow slowly detached from the wall and returned behind him, forming a darker silhouette at his back.
Sunless pointed angrily toward the door.
"I have Sleepers trying to be friendly with me now. They smile when they see me. They greet me in the hallway."
His face twisted with visible disgust.
"Do you understand how revolting that is?"
Kiyotaka quietly wrote something else.
|We win some. We lose some.|
Sunless stared at the paper with pure hatred.
For a brief moment he genuinely considered punching Kiyotaka with his shadow.
The idea was extremely tempting.
Unfortunately, he also knew that punching the strongest Sleeper in the academy might have consequences.
Sunless grabbed his head and groaned in frustration before giving up.
"Fine. Whatever."
He exhaled slowly and straightened.
"We're doing that today, right?"
Kiyotaka looked at him.
Sunless continued speaking.
"The interview data."
Kiyotaka nodded calmly.
Sunless's shadow detached from the floor again and slid across the room before merging into Kiyotaka's shadow.
Kiyotaka summoned the [Divine Ledger] and handed it to Sunless.
Sunless took the strange object with visible irritation.
They had already discovered a convenient workaround.
Apparently Anyone could write in the [Divine Ledger] if the owner agreed, Of course everything being true was still the requirement.
Sunless looked down at the page.
The moment he focused, words began appearing on the surface.
It read:
[Kill yourself Kill yourself Kill yourself
Kill yourself Kill yourself Kill yourself]
Sunless stared at the page for a moment.
Then he slowly closed the book.
"Do this."
Kiyotaka did not react.
After a moment, Kiyotaka calmly walked toward the door and opened it again.
He stepped outside into the corridor.
Sunless's shadow remained hidden inside his own, perfectly still and completely invisible.
The plan for collecting interview data had officially begun.
********
Phew, This chapter end here.
Don't have some kind of big expectations regarding the data scene, It will just be swift.
Dang, I got a headache writing this.
Two to three chapters left before Dramatic Irony ends.
Then we go directly into the dream realm.
I expirimented with writing styles this chapter because I was having way too much fun (No fun at all, It was a nightmare.)
Guess this is it.
Next Chapter - Either Saturday or Sunday.