Kenji watched his adoptive parents, Masako and Kaito, approach, their faces plastered with sickeningly sweet smiles. Haruki trailed behind them, a familiar sneer barely hidden beneath a veneer of forced politeness. The sight brought a bitter taste to Kenji's mouth, but he decided to meet their manufactured warmth with a genuine, if cautious, politeness.
"Mother, Father, Haruki," Kenji greeted them, stepping forward. He even managed a slight bow. "What a surprise. Please, come in." He gestured towards the grand entrance of the villa.
Masako immediately enveloped him in a suffocating hug. "Oh, my Kenji! You've grown so strong! We've been so worried, and so incredibly proud!" Her words felt like sandpaper against his skin.
Kaito clapped him on the back with a forceful, almost painful slap. "Our boy! An S-rank! We always knew you had it in you!"
As they entered the lavish living room, their eyes greedily swept over the opulent surroundings. Their initial feigned humility quickly melted away.
"My, my, Kenji," Masako simpered, running a hand over a silk-upholstered couch. "You're living quite well now, aren't you? This is much better than that cramped little room you had with us. But then, you always were a bit of a burden back then, weren't you?" She chuckled, a brittle, unfeeling sound.
"This is all yours, Kenji?" Kaito asked, his eyes practically bugging out as he picked up an expensive-looking vase, examining its intricate patterns. "Surely, a little something for your loving parents who raised you, right? Perhaps a new car? Or a down payment on a larger house?"
Before Kenji could respond, Kaito, in his eagerness, gestured wildly with the vase, accidentally knocking over a priceless antique statue on a nearby pedestal. It shattered with a sickening crash, sending fragments of ancient ceramic across the polished marble floor.
"Oopsie!" Masako giggled, not sounding apologetic in the slightest. "Oh dear. These things are so flimsy, aren't they, Kenji? You should really invest in sturdier decorations."
Haruki, meanwhile, wandered into the state-of-the-art kitchen, opening the high-tech refrigerator and scoffing at its contents. "What, no imported caviar? Not very S-rank of you, Kenji."
The veiled insults, the casual destruction, the blatant demands for spoils—it was all so familiar, so painfully reminiscent of his past. Kenji felt a cold anger building inside him, but he held it back. He had to say what he needed to say.
He took a deep breath, his voice steady. "Mother, Father, Haruki. For years, you told me I was weak. You told me I was useless. You compared me to everyone else. You treated me like a burden, like a mistake." His gaze hardened, meeting each of their eyes. "You know, there were times, after a particularly bad day, after being bullied or mocked… there were times I honestly thought I'd rather die in a dungeon than continue living the life I had."
Before he could finish, before he could articulate the depth of his pain and the resolute choice he had made, his teammates, who had been listening with growing indignation from the doorway, finally stepped in. They had initially held back, thinking Kenji didn't mind or was simply enduring, but his raw, honest pain was a clear signal.
Akari, her eyes blazing, stepped forward. "That's enough!" she snarled, her usual feisty demeanor fully unleashed. "How dare you speak to Kenji like that? After everything he's done?"
Renji, his muscular frame suddenly towering over Kaito, pointed a stern finger at the broken statue. "And you! Breaking things in his house?! This is not your home! This is the villa of the Dawn Breakers, led by Kenji!"
"You want a new house? Get a job!" Hiroki spat, his face contorted in disgust. "You treated him like dirt!"
Masako shrieked. "How dare you?! We are his family!"
"Family?" Goro scoffed, stepping forward, his veteran's gaze chillingly cold. "A family doesn't treat their child like a disposable object. You forfeited that right a long time ago."
As Masako sputtered and Kaito tried to protest, Hiroki grabbed Haruki by the back of his shirt, hauling him towards the door. "And you! You're just a leech!" he snarled, and with a swift, undignified shove, he sent Haruki sprawling onto his backside outside the villa gates. "Don't come back!" Renji added, slamming the heavy gates shut.
Akari and Goro then moved towards Kenji's adoptive parents, their expressions utterly unyielding. "Get out," Akari commanded, pointing towards the gates. "And don't ever show your faces here again. Kenji is one of us now. He has a real family."
Stunned by the unexpected aggression, and intimidated by the powerful Awakened, Masako and Kaito stumbled out of the villa, muttering threats and insults, but ultimately retreating back to their luxury car, leaving Haruki to scramble after them.
Kenji stood amidst the shattered fragments of the statue, the echoes of his past, finally voiced, hanging in the air. He felt a profound release, but also a deep sadness. The family he had yearned for, even after all the abuse, had truly broken the last thread. A single, silent tear traced its way down his cheek.
Akari was the first to reach him. She didn't say a word, simply pulled him into a fierce, comforting hug. Renji, Hiroki, Goro, and Saki gathered around them, their presence a silent, unwavering support. This was his real family now.
Aoi, who had been watching from the background, her expression sympathetic, gently reached out and wiped a tear from Kenji's cheek. Her touch was soft, warm. Without a word, she too wrapped her arms around him, her head resting on his shoulder. Her presence was a comforting anchor amidst the emotional storm.
"They're gone, Kenji," Akari murmured into his shoulder. "You're safe now. You have us."
Later that day, after the villa staff had cleaned up the broken statue, and the team had settled into a quiet camaraderie, Kenji found himself alone in his room. The emotional exhaustion was almost as great as any physical battle.
His phone buzzed. It was the Headmaster.
Kenji hesitated, then answered. "Headmaster Sato?"
"Kenji," the Headmaster's voice was calm, but held an underlying urgency. "I just heard what happened with your… biological family. I apologize for any distress they caused. Rest assured, they will not be permitted on Academy grounds, or near the villa, ever again."
"Thank you, Headmaster," Kenji replied, genuinely grateful.
"However," the Headmaster continued, his tone shifting, "that's not why I called. Kaito Kazama just contacted me. He's formally requested to begin training you for the Ultra SS-rank breakthrough. He spoke of a grave, global threat that requires immediate preparation."
Kenji's heart pounded. Kaito had revealed the truth.
"I also received an urgent communique from the S-Rank Global Council," the Headmaster added, his voice grim. "They're calling for an immediate, high-priority S-rank meeting. It concerns the 'imminent convergence.' I believe it's what Kaito was referring to. The details are… unsettling."
He paused. "Kenji, your power is growing at an exponential rate. Your leadership is clear. You are now truly on the front lines. The world needs you. Are you ready for what comes next?"