"Eh!!!"
Among everyone in the audience, only Kana Kojima was still completely lost.
Yami Tsukishiro let out a soft laugh.
"Haha, did you think my Stardome was malfunctioning just now?"
Kana Kojima's cheeks flushed bright red.
She bowed her head in embarrassment.
"Um… haha, sorry! I'm sorry, I was worrying too much!"
Yami Tsukishiro waved his hand casually, smiling.
"You don't need to apologize. In fact, I appreciate how much you care about your companions."
Just like last night...
when he openly praised Shion and Kaen for their flawless technique and elegant movement, especially the way the two "little lions" moved as if they shared one heartbeat. Their synchrony was on a level no one else could compare to.
Under that kind of stimulation, of course the night had gone… extremely long.
By the time the awards ceremony ended, Yami Tsukishiro's ability to stay lively and energetic now was basically pure willpower. Anyone else would've been wiped out after being "handled" by those two lions all night.
At that moment, Hayasaka Ai stepped forward, reporting clearly:
"Principal, my Genetic Lock has been successfully unlocked."
Before she could even finish, Hiratsuka Shizuka raised her hand as well.
"Yami, don't forget me. I unlocked mine on the day you left."
"Oh?"
Yami's gaze shifted to the two.
Sure enough—both of them had already entered Genetic Lock State.
Hiratsuka Shizuka's Genetic Lock:
[Hand of Fire]
Meme: Gene-Locked Inflammatory Hand
Level: C
Abilities:
— Flame Fist: A burning fist wreathed in high-temperature flame.
— Explosive Ignition: A burst of flame that detonates away from the user's body.
Hayasaka Ai's Genetic Lock:
[Puppet Master]
Meme: Gene-Locked Puppet Controller
Level: C
Abilities:
— Puppet Manipulation: Mind-controlled puppet movement.
— Puppet Marking: Imprinting a puppet to cultivate a long-term connection.
"Hand of Fire… Puppet Master… both are quite powerful." Yami murmured thoughtfully.
"Um? How did you know my ability is fire-based?" Hiratsuka looked genuinely surprised.
She lifted her hand, letting vivid flames dance across her palm.
"Well, my ability really is puppet manipulation," Hayasaka added.
Since there wasn't a real puppet around, she grabbed a nearby rag doll.
Under her mental control, it moved jerkily—but undeniably alive.
Yami tapped his temple lightly.
"I have eyes that can see through a person's strength. If I didn't have that, how could I judge who deserves to enter the Academy?"
"Oh~ fair point."
At that moment, Walnut stepped closer and whispered softly:
"By the way, Yami… do you have free time today for interviews? I can send invitations to the next batch of applicants whenever you're ready."
Actually, it wasn't just today—
Walnut had already scheduled everything neatly ahead of time.
"Well… today? Yes. I do have enough time."
The instant Yami answered, Chisato shot up from her seat.
"Oh yeah!!"
"…Why are you so excited?"
Yami blinked at her suspiciously.
Chisato grinned.
"Well, if you're doing interviews today, that means we get the day off, right? Haha! I can finally play!!"
"…You seem to have some misunderstanding."
Yami smiled with a hint of mischief.
"The one going to interviews is me. You will stay here for training. If you want a break, wait until the weekend, Chisato."
The words hit her like a bucket of ice water straight to the soul.
"Ah?!"
She froze like she'd been stabbed through the heart. The imaginary basin of cold water sliced straight through her, chilling her spine.
Yami, meanwhile, leaned back thoughtfully.
"By the way, I've been thinking of recruiting a secretary. Are any of you interested?"
His gaze drifted to Mizuki almost naturally.
Her information-processing ability was exceptional—perfect secretary material.
But to his surprise, two voices shouted at once:
"I!!"
Yukinoshita Haruno and Shinomiya Kaguya stood up simultaneously, their eyes locking instantly—overflowing with competitive fire.
The room fell silent.
Yami blinked.
It was just a secretary position… yet the reaction was like announcing a chance to marry royalty.
Mizuki watched the scene calmly. After a moment, the corner of her mouth curled up slightly as she spoke:
"Yami-kun, I think you might need more than one secretary."
Yami tilted his head.
"Oh? Why do you say that?"
"For instance," Mizuki explained smoothly, "I can handle internal school affairs as your administrative secretary."
"But you'll also need a secretary to assist you directly in the office… and one to manage external affairs."
She gestured subtly toward Haruno and Kaguya.
"And both Haruno and Kaguya have excellent abilities."
Her tone was gentle yet confident—she wasn't saying this casually.
She genuinely meant it.
Yami Tsukishiro's brows lifted slightly.
With his right hand resting against his chin, he seemed to be considering the proposal seriously.
After a moment, he made his decision.
"What Mizuki said does make some sense."
He nodded lightly.
"Well, let's do this. The three of you will accompany me to the interviews this afternoon."
"Okay," Mizuki answered crisply, the picture of efficiency.
Yukinoshita Haruno and Shinomiya Kaguya exchanged a quick glance before replying at the same time:
"Yes."
Time passed quickly.
By the time afternoon arrived, the atmosphere at the interview venue was drastically different from the previous round—almost eerily quiet.
The reason was simple.
Last time, Yami Tsukishiro had mercilessly eliminated an unqualified candidate in front of everyone.
The Alliance had released several announcements afterward to calm the public…
But rumors always travel faster than explanations.
So most people here today watched him with a mix of wariness and thinly veiled fear.
After multiple layers of strict filtering, the initial pool of one thousand applicants had been shaved down to just fifteen—
Each possessing a Gene-Lock Meme of Level D or above.
A rare group.
As Yami Tsukishiro arrived with Haruno, Kaguya, and Mizuki at his side, the first person to catch his eye was—
Yor.
Her usual guarded expression remained unchanged.
Next was Ryuji Momo, hat tilted low, calm and unreadable as always.
Yuigahama Yui peeked up at him nervously from where she stood.
And finally—
Miura Yumiko, the girl who had "dumped" him.
They all recognized one another.
But not a single person stepped forward.
Instead, everyone quietly observed the others, waiting for someone else to make the first move.
No one did.
Yami Tsukishiro broke the silence with a gentle smile.
"Welcome to Potential Academy."
His tone was soft, but he kept the ceremony brief. With a small wave of his hand, he gave instructions:
"Haruno, Kaguya—please escort the new students to their dorms."
The newcomers blinked.
That was it?
The abruptness left them somewhat startled—and a bit disappointed. But they followed the two upperclassmen obediently.
After a short walk, the group finally arrived at the dormitory complex.
Once rooms were assigned and everyone settled, the students were surprised again.
There was no campus tour.
No orientation speech.
Just straight to the dorms.
The dorm rooms, however, were far more luxurious than expected.
Each double-room setup contained:
• A spacious bedroom for two
• Separate bathroom
• Living room
• Small kitchen
• Essential home appliances
It felt less like a school dorm and more like a high-end apartment.
Inside one such room, Yui frowned as she unpacked.
"Yumiko… shouldn't we go say hello to Yami-kun?"
"We all know him! And he and I are actually good fri— well, at least I think so!"
She paused, then pouted.
"But before we came in, you kept insisting we shouldn't talk to him. Why? What's going on?"
Yumiko rolled her eyes with the expertise of someone who'd done it countless times.
"Are you seriously this dense? You really can't see the reason?"
"Reason?"
Yui tilted her head, completely lost.
Yumiko sighed deeply.
"Yami-kun's position right now is extremely high level. If we say the wrong thing, we might cause trouble for him—unexpected trouble."
She flicked Yui's forehead lightly.
"And you don't want people accusing you of getting in through connections, right?"
"Ohhh! So that's why!"
Yui finally understood, patting her chest in relief.
"Thank goodness you're here, Yumiko! If I were alone, I definitely would've caused trouble for Yami-kun!"
The thought made her cling to Yumiko with sudden enthusiasm.
Being placed in the same group as Yumiko had shocked her—
And honestly, Yumiko felt the same.
After her confession and sudden disappearance, she'd signed up on a reckless impulse, never imagining she and Yui would end up in the same class.
Yui's affection for Yami Tsukishiro was unmistakable.
Yui trusted Yumiko with everything.
And now?
Yumiko was living with the uncomfortable truth that she had… betrayed that trust once.
As Yui hugged her tightly, Yumiko silently promised herself:
No matter what happens here, she will never hurt Yui again.
Meanwhile, in another room—
"Isn't today's admission process a little too relaxed?" Yor muttered, brows knitted tightly.
Potential Academy had grown into a power recognized worldwide.
Even the organization she belonged to required every assassin to apply.
With such prestige, the admissions process should've been complicated and strict.
"I don't know the details," Ryuji Momo replied calmly, adjusting his hat, "but I have a feeling things won't be as simple as they look."
He tapped his chin.
"Perhaps more assessments or tests will appear later."
Given their abilities, neither Yor nor Ryuji Momo seemed worried.
Whatever tests came, passing them wouldn't be difficult.
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