[Stat Allocation Notification]
Current Unused Stat Points: 22
Allocating all to Perception...
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The numbers flickered as I moved through the System interface in the quiet of my room.
Semester break had started. No classes. No instructors breathing down my neck. I finally got to chill.
I had 22 points saved.
And there was only one stat that felt right.
Perception.
The more I saw, the more I understood — angles, movement, spiritual pressure shifts. Everything in this world was predicated on who could read the other first. In my last fight, perception had been what let me win. If I could amplify it—
Allocation Confirmed.
--> Perception: A+ --> S-
A sudden pulse rang out. Not in my ears — in my soul.
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[SHIKAI THRESHOLD DETECTED]
You are on the verge of transcending physical perception.
Your bond with Kage is deepening.
A dormant Shikai trait is attempting to surface.
Trigger Condition: High-Grade Perception
Result: Unlock a new ability attuned to sensory manipulation through shadow density
Would you like to proceed?
[YES] — Proceed with Evolution
[NO] — Cancel
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I didn't hesitate.
YES.
My surroundings blurred.
---
[INNER WORLD]
I stood in the dreamlike emptiness again.
Black skies. Moving shadows. Wind that never touched me.
In front of me, Kage emerged from the dark — a vaguely humanoid silhouette, draped in shadows like robes, wearing a half-smiling mask that never changed.
It leaned forward.
"You've finally chosen to see more than light," it whispered.
It raised a hand and gestured.
The shadow at its feet rose like mist, then surged into the air — curling around my face, slithering through my eyes, ears, and into my mind.
Then it spoke a single word.
"Meikōgen."
(Phantom Light of the Shadows)
---
The world shook.
I gasped as I was yanked back into my room, breath heavy.
My blade — laid across my lap — pulsed once with pale darkness.
---
[SHIKAI ABILITY UNLOCKED]
Name: Meikōgen
Effect: Distorts the opponent's perception using ambient shadows. The strength of the effect scales with lighting and environmental shadow density.
• Low Shadow (e.g. midday in open field) --> Mild blurring and delayed reaction time
• Moderate Shadow (e.g. interior rooms, forests) --> Visual distortions, phantom movement, temporary vertigo
• High Shadow (e.g. night, enclosed darkness) --> Total blindness, binding sensation, phantom strikes and hallucinations
Cooldown: Medium
Drawback: Ineffective in places without discernible shadows; overuse can cause minor disorientation to the user
---
I stared at the blade again.
Three Shikai abilities. In the first semester.
But more importantly… I was learning how to use them without drawing attention.
Control was everything.
There was a knock at my door.
"Katsu," came a voice — it was Daigo. "Big notice posted. Class assignments are changing next week. You check the roster?"
I grinned slightly.
"Guess I better go see where they're putting me now."
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