On the beach, there was a 6-year-old black-haired boy sitting on the sand, watching the beautiful sunset and the glowing sea. After a few seconds, a hooded man approached him, placing one of his hands on the little boy's shoulder. Then he sat beside him on the sand.
"Wonderful view, isn't it?" The man asked.
The boy was surprised, yet he didn't react.
"Yes, sir," the boy answered, turning his face back to the sea.
"I used to stand here from time to time," the man replied. "This brings back memories!"
Then he stared at the boy and asked:
"Are you alone here?"
"No sir, I'm waiting for my mother to pick me up," the boy responded.
"Ah, good boy!" The man said, smiling.
After a few moments, the man suddenly placed his hand on the boy's stomach for a few seconds.
"Is there something, sir?" The boy asked, confused.
"No, don't mind me," the man responded.
Then he stood up, and said:
"Well, little boy, take care of your mother," he added, smiling.
"I will, sir!" The boy replied, smiling back.
The whole view faded. Nothing remained but a black void.
Taro's eyes opened up. He slowly sat up on the couch, looking at both of his hands.
That dream again... how many times until now? Taro thought.
Then he stared at the window, wondering:
...and who was that person?
Taro then pulled the blanket over himself again and went back to sleep.
December 14, 2008 – Monday.
Around 2 PM, Taro was still sleeping on the couch, half-uncovered by the blanket. He started hearing someone's voice calling him. It was Vincy's voice. Meanwhile, Yukiko and Ema were standing beside him.
"Hey man, what happened to you?" Vincy asked, confused. "This is the fourth time I wake you up, not the opposite!"
Taro was shocked when he saw the time on the wall clock.
"Daijoubu, Taro?" Yukiko asked.
"Reminds me..." Vincy added, "you started calling Taro by his first name lately."
"Yeah, even I noticed that!" Ema replied, approaching Yukiko. "Plus, I heard in Japan, honorifics usually aren't used... if there's a strong relationship!"
"T-Taro was the one who told me to call him by his first name," Yukiko responded, blushing.
"Eh, really?" Ema said, staring at the two, then at Taro.
Meanwhile, he leaned his head slightly, confused by what they were talking about.
Then, Vincy jumped into the conversation, sitting on the couch:
"Now, there's something we should discuss. That's another reason I invited this bird-lover."
"I have a name, you know! And it's not just birds I like..." Ema replied aggressively, clenching her right fist.
"As you all know... EXAMS START FROM TOMORROW!" Vincy shouted in panic.
"So what? This isn't our first exam," Ema replied.
"I have NO IDEA about tomorrow's subject!" Vincy responded.
"Physics isn't that bad, you just need to–" Yukiko said, before getting interrupted.
"ALL I KNOW IS THAT SALT IS MADE FROM SODIUM AND CHLORINE!" Vincy yelled, clutching his head.
"That's chemistry, not physics," Ema said, facepalming.
"Oi temee, remember when I told you to study?" Yukiko asked aggressively. "You kept ignoring it until now!"
"I tried studying, but I could understand ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!" Vincy replied.
"Sigh... fine, Vincy. We'll help you study physics," Ema said, serious, "but you better keep up with me if you really want to understand. SERIOUSLY."
"Sheesh, you get scarier when it comes to studying," Vincy muttered, sweating. She's going to be a strict teacher...
Meanwhile, Taro was preparing lunch, thinking about the dream he had been seeing since last week. An hour and a half later, Taro served a thick beef stew filled with tender meat, soft potatoes, and carrots. The warmth of the dish spread with every bite, perfect for the cold weather outside.
"Oh yeah! Taro's hot lunch sure is the best!" Vincy said, smelling the stew.
"Guess we can continue after lunch," Ema replied, closing the book.
"Itadakimasu!" Yukiko said, grabbing a spoon.
After lunch, Taro made three cups of green tea and a cup of coffee for Vincy to help him focus.
Around 10 PM, Ema started gathering her things to head home.
"Alright, that's everything," she said, "make sure to do a quick revision before the exam!"
"Yeah right," Vincy replied. "Thanks for everything. I couldn't have gone this far without you."
"Of course, you have to repay me with a dinner-date or something," Ema winked.
"Haha, funny. Not even in your dreams," he shot back.
Soon after, the trio began discussing how Armageddon hadn't launched any raids recently, and what Varnok said three months ago.
"Anyone notice how Armageddon's been quiet lately?" Vincy asked.
"Tashika ni… Armageddon-kisama must be planning something terrible," Yukiko said, her voice low and serious.
"What felt odd was what that dark knight said..." Vincy added, "didn't you say your family was killed by devils?"
"In front of the burned house, when I was a child, I saw a devilish mark on the ground," Yukiko responded.
"I see... anyone would assume that was the devils' doing without a second thought," Vincy said, hand on his chin. "So, am I safe now?"
"I won't kill you, but I still don't like you," Yukiko answered coldly.
"Tsk... such a bully..." Vincy mumbled.
Moments later, they noticed Taro sitting silently, not joining the conversation, hand on his chin.
"Yo, Taro, are you still thinking about your father?" Vincy asked.
"Sō desu!" Yukiko remembered. "That knight mentioned Taro's father."
Taro took his notebook and wrote:
"I was wondering about the relationship between my father and Varnok… and about Enzo."
He wanted to ask Enzo about everything, but he didn't want to bother him with questions.
"Ne, who is Enzo?" Yukiko asked.
"His... his mysterious wizard..." Vincy replied.
"Alright then, let's sleep. I don't want to forget anything tomorrow," he added, standing up and heading to his room.
January 10, 2009 – Saturday.
For three weeks, they finally finished their exams. That day around 4 PM, Taro and the other two went to check if the results were out on the computer in Yukiko's room. After a week of exams, the results were finally posted. Yukiko got 82%, slightly above average. Vincy, on the other hand, got 71%, barely passing.
"Sheesh, I honestly thought I'd fail this session," Vincy said, relieved.
"What about Ema-chan?" Yukiko asked.
Taro found her name, she got 98%, placing first.
"I expect nothing less from this genius," Vincy reacted.
Finally, Taro found his own name, and was shocked and surprised the moment he saw it. He got 94%, becoming the seventh in the school.
"Sugoi! Omedetō, Taro!" Yukiko congratulated him.
"Man, are you a genius too?" Vincy said, amazed. "Congratulations, pal!"
Taro had never scored this high before, being amazed. But after scrolling a little more, he found another name with 94%. KevinDawson. He wasn't even in the same class.
KevinDawson...? Did I hear that name before? Taro thought, hand on his chin.
"Ne, can I join your class?" Yukiko asked suddenly.
"Ehh?! Why?!" Vincy shouted.
"I don't know anyone in my class. I only know Ema-chan, and she's in your class," she said. "Sorede, we can get home together!"
"Ugh... fine!" Vincy groaned. "Just don't be annoying!"
"Urusai, baka!" Yukiko snapped.
Three hours later, Taro decided to go to his favorite training field. Before leaving, he prepared dinner for Yukiko and Vincy... and made hot chocolate to keep them warm. As he was stepping out, Yukiko stopped him. She held a blue and white patterned scarf in her hands.
"Chotto matte, Taro," she said softly. "Douzo, I made this scarf for you."
Despite her weak cooking skills, Yukiko's sewing was on another level. Taro turned red and smiled as he took the scarf and wrapped it around his neck.
"Demo it's still very cold outside... will you be alright?" Yukiko asked.
He gave her a thumb-up with a smile and left.
At the field, Taro saw the entire place blanketed in snow. Still, he trained hard, using Enzo's spell to summon illusional dummies and swinging his blade again and again, exhausting himself.
After two hours, he sat down, catching his breath. Then after a few minutes, he stood up to leave. Suddenly, he felt a powerful presence behind him. It was different and unfamiliar. He heard someone muttering his name. Then instantly, he turned around.
Beyond the fog stood a crimson-haired teenager, same age and height as Taro. He wore a red hoodie with black sleeves, equipping a red sword behind him.
"TaroAbodo... not just the Azure Knight, but also... my rival," he said, his eyes glowed red.
Taro was confused, but he recognized that person instantly. KevinDawson, the student from D-class. Taro saw his picture after seeing his grade...
KevinDawson, I don't understand what he just said. Taro thought, staring seriously. Apparently, it's not only that he knows my secret...
...he knows something that I don't!