The word still echoed in Rein's skull.
Found you.
Rein couldn't move.
Stella couldn't breathe.
Zen couldn't decide whether to scream, faint, or throw his shoe at the intruder.
Chaos stood behind Rein like a living eclipse — the air around him bending, shadows crawling along the ground like hungry snakes.
Nobody else in the crowd dared to speak.
Nobody even dared to blink.
Zen whispered, "Rein… bro… don't panic, but—HE'S SO CLOSE I CAN SMELL HIS SHAMPOO."
Chaos didn't react.
Instead, he leaned slightly closer to Rein's ear — calm, composed, terrifyingly gentle.
"Your shadow… has grown restless," he murmured. "It reminds me. Even if you do not."
Rein felt his heart stop.
His shadow twitched violently at his feet, like it wanted to break free and crawl to Chaos.
Stella stepped forward, eyes blazing.
"Don't touch him."
Chaos finally looked at her — not surprised, not impressed, simply… curious.
"You have a strong Astral pulse," he said. "Dual-Vein."
Zen raised a shaky hand. "H-hey, hey, hey—NO analysing her. That's Rein's future wife—"
Stella punched Zen without looking away from Chaos.
Chaos blinked once. "Humans are loud."
The Rift above them pulsed.
Dark lightning coiled through the sky, spiralling toward Chaos like newborn serpents returning to their master.
Rein could barely speak.
"W-what do you want from me?"
Chaos's expression softened — disturbingly familiar.
Almost… fond.
"I've come to retrieve what was stolen," he said quietly, raising his hand toward Rein's chest.
The ground cracked under Rein's feet.
Even the shadows held their breath.
BOOM.
The world didn't just shake — it detonated.
The entire school grounds were swallowed in a blinding shockwave. Benches, lights, decorations, and even the concert speakers were shredded into airborne shrapnel. Dust exploded upward like a volcanic burst. The ground split, buildings cracked, and the night drowned in chaos.
And Rein—
Rein took the full force.
He crashed through a barrier, tumbled across shattered concrete, and slammed into a fallen beam. His ears rang. His ribs screamed. His entire body felt like it had been folded in half by a giant.
"AGH— agh— agh— ow— ow— OW—" Rein whimpered, tears leaking from the corners of his eyes. "Th-that hurts… so much…"
He dragged himself behind what remained of a broken pillar, shaking, trying to breathe, trying to hide, trying to think—
Somewhere behind him, metal groaned and rubble shifted.
Zen and Stella were buried somewhere underneath the wreckage.
Rein's heart pounded. "Stella—Zen—please be okay—"
He peeked out—
And froze.
Chaos hovered above the ground like gravity had never applied to him. Dust curled around him in slow spirals, as if even the debris was afraid to touch him. His white hair drifted like mist, and his eyes—
His eyes were glowing crimson now.
He tilted his head, spotting Rein instantly.
"Where," Chaos asked softly, "do you think you're going to hide, Vessel?"
Rein flinched. "S-stay away—!"
Chaos took one slow, echoing step forward, the shadows following him like loyal pets.
"You can barely stand. You can barely breathe," he said in an almost disappointed voice. "Your Astral Energy is… pathetic. You're a Sole Vein. One of the weakest classifications."
Rein trembled so hard he almost dropped to his knees.
Chaos extended a hand toward him.
"Come with me. I can make you more. Better. Stronger."
A small, knowing smile crept across his face.
"Don't struggle. I won't kill you."
Rein's stomach dropped.
Because behind Chaos's gentle tone…
Behind the crimson glow…
He could feel it.
Chaos was not lying.
He truly didn't intend to kill him.
No—
He wanted something far, far worse.
A chunk of rubble exploded outward—
FWAM!
Zen burst out of the dust cloud, coughing, bleeding, and very obviously furious. His uniform was torn, one arm dangling uselessly, but in his good hand—
An Astral Energy blade roared to life, crackling like lightning against his palm.
Right beside him, Stella stumbled out, gripping his shoulder, her hands glowing as she tried to heal him on the move.
Zen didn't hesitate.
"REIN! RUN!" he shouted, voice raw with panic. "TAKE STELLA AND RUN! SHE CAN HEAL YOU!"
He didn't wait for an answer.
He dashed straight at Chaos.
Stella screamed, "ZEN—STOP! YOU'RE INJURED, YOU CAN'T—"
But Zen was already in the air, blade raised, eyes blazing with desperate courage.
Rein staggered forward, heart slamming in his ribs. "ZEN, YOU CAN'T WIN THIS—RUN!! PLEASE!!"
Chaos didn't even turn.
He just watched Zen rushing toward him like someone observing a child charging a hurricane.
Stella kept healing Zen as fast as she could, her breath shaking, tears dripping onto the rumble.
But Zen roared back—
"IF HE WANTS REIN, HE'S GOING THROUGH ME!"
SNAP.
Something black and metal flashed—
SHHK!
Chaos's blade tore straight through Zen's chest.
For a heartbeat, Zen just… froze.
His eyes widened.
His breath hitched.
The glow in his energy blade flickered and died.
Chaos didn't even bother to look impressed.
"Pathetic," he said calmly. "A Tri-Vein user… yet this is all you amount to? What a disappointment."
Stella's legs collapsed beneath her.
She fell to her knees like her bones had turned to water, hands trembling violently.
"Z–Zen…?"
Her voice cracked—then shattered.
"ZEN!!! NOOO—PLEASE!!" she screamed, tears streaming so fast she couldn't even see.
Rein's world stopped.
Everything—sound, air, thought—just broke.
His vision blurred.
His throat burned.
The tears came before he even realised he was crying.
"NO—NO NO NO—ZEN—NOT YET—PLEASE—" Rein choked out. "I STILL NEED YOU—DON'T—DON'T GO—"
Zen fell forward, collapsing into the dust.
Blood pooled under him, dark and horrifyingly fast.
Stella reached out, hands shaking so violently her healing light flickered.
"ZEN—HOLD ON—PLEASE—I CAN HEAL THIS—I CAN HEAL ANYTHING—DON'T—DON'T GIVE UP—NOT YET—PLEASE—"
She poured every last drop of her Astral energy into him…
But the wound was too deep.
And she was reaching her limit—her breaths sharp and ragged, her hands glowing weaker and weaker.
"Not yet…" she whispered, voice breaking as she fought to keep the light alive. "Please… Zen… don't leave us… not like this…"
Rein could only watch in horror.
His best friend is bleeding out.
Stella is breaking apart trying to save him.
Chaos stood above them as the world belonged to him.
Rein's voice tore out of him—raw, broken, desperate:
"ZEEEEEN!!!"
For a moment, nothing happened.
Zen's body lay there, still, pale, barely clinging to consciousness.
Then—
Something shifted.
A pulse.
A spark.
Zen's fingers twitched… then curled into a fist.
His eyes snapped open—empty, wild, burning with a final, impossible surge of will.
Chaos didn't even turn. He assumed Zen was finished.
Big mistake.
B A S H
Zen vanished.
A displacement so fast that the human eye couldn't even catch the silhouette—just the shockwave left in his wake.
Chaos's expression flickered for the first time.
"What—"
Zen appeared right in front of him, blood dripping down his chin, breath wheezing like every inhale might be his last.
His hand clutched the very sword still lodged in his chest.
With a guttural roar that sounded more like a dying star than a human—
SCHHHK!
Zen ripped the blade free from his own body.
And in the same motion—
DROVE IT STRAIGHT INTO CHAOS'S SIDE.
Chaos staggered.
Actually staggered.
Not from pain—more from shock. No one expected a dying Tri-Vein student to strike him.
Zen's vision blurred. His knees buckled. His whole body trembled violently.
His strength was gone… everything spent.
He collapsed forward, leaning on the sword still buried in Chaos, his forehead against Chaos's shoulder, barely holding himself upright.
His voice was a whisper, ragged and fading:
"Rein… hngh …beat this… asshole… okay?"
He smiled—weak, tired, but real.
Then Zen dropped.
His body hit the ground with a soft, heartbreaking thud.
Chaos exhaled slowly, annoyed by the wound, annoyed by the audacity…
And he pulled the blade free like it was an inconvenience.
"Zen…"
That was all Stella managed to whisper. Her voice cracked, barely a breath.
Rein rose to his feet. His violet eyes—usually bright, restless, alive—were now hollow, emptied of everything but grief. Dust swirled around him as if afraid to touch the aura radiating from his still-growing rage.
Then his Vein-Code began to distort.
On his left hand, his Sole Vein glowed the usual calm blue… but violently brighter, like it was fighting to contain something.
On his right hand, however, something impossible.
A second Vein-Code pulsed to life.
Red.
Sharp.
Burning with the unmistakable symbol of a Tri Vein.
Stella froze, breath stolen from her lungs.
"That… that's not possible…" she whispered.
Chaos tilted his head with sudden interest.
"Oh? Now that's new."
Rein didn't answer.
He simply lifted both hands—one blue, one red—the conflicting energies crackling against each other as if reality itself struggled to understand what he had become.
And for the first time since emerging from the rift…
Chaos stepped back
Rein vanished.
It wasn't a movement.
It wasn't speed.
It was as if reality skipped a frame.
One moment, he was standing in the rubble—
Next, he was beside Zen, scooping up his limp body.
Then—another impossible flicker—he reappeared right in front of Stella, gently lowering Zen next to her.
Without hesitation, Rein pressed his hand over Zen's chest.
Chaotic Energy—unstable, wild, not meant for healing—bled from his palm, stitching the wound shut just enough to keep Zen alive.
"Stella," Rein said, voice razor-cold, "take care of him."
"But—what about you?" Stella asked, her voice trembling.
He didn't answer.
He simply stood and walked forward.
Chaos clapped slowly, mockingly.
"Wow. Amazing job, Rein."
Then Chaos extended his arm, revealing the sigil burned into his Vein-Code.
A swirling black mark—cold, endless, devouring.
A Void Vein.
"Now," Chaos said with a grin, "let me show you what you're competing against."
Rein didn't even flinch.
"I don't care," he growled. "I'll kill you."
Chaotic energy surged from his hands, condensing into a blade—jagged, unstable, vibrating with raw destruction. The ground beneath his feet cracked from the pressure.
Stella's eyes widened.
"H-He shaped… a weapon? Out of Chaos…?"
Even Chaos leaned forward, intrigued.
This was no longer the Rein they knew.
This was something else entirely.
Rein charged, Chaotic blade forming in his hand with a violent crackle. The ground split beneath each step he took. His eyes—one glowing blue, one burning red—were locked on Chaos.
Chaos didn't even bother taking a stance.
"Speed won't help you in this fight."
SNAP.
The world blurred.
Chaos vanished.
A cold whisper brushed Rein's ear an instant before—
CRASH!
Chaos drove his knee into Rein's ribs from behind, sending him tumbling through shattered stone. Rein skidded across the ground, coughing violently as blood splattered the dust.
His vision doubled.
His breathing hitched.
His hands trembled—but he forced the Chaotic blade to regenerate.
Chaos strolled toward him, amused.
"You're trying so hard… and yet you're not even fighting with your own power."
Rein darted forward again—faster, angrier, body screaming in protest. He slashed, each swing a streak of volatile energy. Chaos danced between them, barely moving, as if Rein's attacks were no more than falling leaves.
One step.
One blink.
Chaos appeared in front of him and flicked Rein's forehead with a single finger.
BOOM.
Rein rocketed backwards, cracking into the remains of a wall.
His Vein-Codes flared—
The blue on his left hand is pulsating chaotically.
The red Tri-Vein mark on his right hand was glowing like molten metal.
His body wasn't built to hold both.
He knew it.
Chaos knew it.
But he stood anyway, staggering.
Chaos smiled wider. "Yes… break yourself for me."
Rein roared, slashing again—
This time, unleashing a surge of Chaotic energy that tore a trench through the entire courtyard.
Chaos simply sidestepped it.
Then—shadows moved.
Boots crunched rubble.
Elite Penta Vein soldiers emerged, weapons drawn, faces pale as they took in Rein, the destruction… and the creature standing between them.
Chaos sighed dramatically.
"Oh dear. Rein, looks like our time is up."
He gave Rein a small, mocking bow.
"See you next time, Rein Seethoshi."
A jagged rift split open behind him—purple, black, and vibrating like a heartbeat. Chaos stepped backwards into it, eyes lingering on Rein for one last chilling second.
Then he was gone.
Rein exhaled once.
Just once.
Then the pain hit him all at once.
His knees buckled. The dual Vein-Code surge was ripping his body apart from the inside—blood dripping from his palms, his nose, the corners of his eyes. His vision collapsed into darkness.
And he fell.
"REIN!!"
Stella sprinted across the broken courtyard, ignoring the panicking soldiers. She slid to her knees beside him, lifting his head as her hands glowed with frantic healing light.
"Rein—Rein, please—wake up—stay with me!"
He didn't respond.
His body was limp.
Cold.
Overused.
Nearly drained dry.
Stella's voice cracked as she pulled him closer.
"Please… don't disappear too…"
Sirens wailed through the shattered courtyard, red and blue lights painting the dust-filled air.
Paramedics swarmed around the ruins, carefully lifting Rein and Zen onto stretchers. Both boys were hooked up to oxygen masks, their vitals unstable but still registering.
The ambulance doors were wide open.
Medics moved in and out rapidly, shouting readings, adjusting equipment, and trying to stabilise the two before departure.
Stella stood frozen just a few meters away, watching Rein's hand twitch lifelessly on the stretcher.
That's when she heard—
"STELLA!!"
A voice cracked with pure panic.
She turned just as Valkyrie sprinted across the debris, nearly tripping over fallen beams in her desperation. Her eyes were wide, red, terrified—like she'd been imagining the worst the entire way here.
She rushed to Stella, grabbing her shoulders with both hands.
"Stella—Stella, talk to me! Are you hurt? Are you bleeding?!"
Her voice shook as she scanned Stella up and down, fingertips trembling.
Stella didn't react.
Her eyes were glued to Rein—unmoving, pale—while medics worked frantically over him.
"Stella."
Valkyrie cupped her cheeks gently, forcing her to look up.
"Stella, please. Say something."
Stella's breath hitched.
Everything she'd been holding in crashed at once.
Her knees buckled, and she collapsed forward into Valkyrie's arms.
"R-Rein and Zen—they're not waking up—" she cried, voice cracking.
"I tried— I healed— I did everything— Zen was bleeding so much— Rein collapsed— I couldn't— I couldn't help them—"
Valkyrie wrapped her arms around her tightly, one hand cradling the back of her head.
"Hey… hey, it's okay. I've got you," she whispered, though her own voice shook.
"You're safe. You did everything you could. I'm here now."
Stella sobbed harder, clinging to her sister's jacket.
Behind them, the medics shouted something urgent.
The ambulance engine rumbled, still waiting, still open—
—and everything was hanging by a thread.
From across the rubble, a voice thundered:
HEY! MEDICS! WE NEED THE WHITE-HAIRED ONE!"
Everyone turned.
A Penta Vein soldier—armour scorched, visor cracked, but aura burning—strode toward the ambulances with zero hesitation.
"We're taking him," he barked.
A medic stepped in front of Rein's stretcher, furious.
"He can barely breathe! Moving him now could KILL him! Are you insane!?"
The soldier sneered.
"Do I look like I care? He has priority custody. Hand him over."
The medic didn't move an inch.
Then—
A calm voice slid into the chaos like a blade of ice.
"General Matson. You will NOT take that student anywhere."
General Matson turned, annoyed.
Standing behind the rescue team—dusty suit, cracked glasses, but presence towering—
Principal Wilson stepped into the light.
Matson scoffed.
"And who the hell are you to give ME orders, old man?"
Wilson didn't raise his voice.
He didn't need to.
"I am Wilson," he said, eyes hard. "Principal of this school. Guardian of every student enrolled under my care. Including him."
Stella, still clinging to Valkyrie, felt the tension shift—like the ground itself held its breath.
General Matson's grip tightened on his weapon.
"He's the cause of this entire incident! You think I'm letting him slip into a hospital bed?"
Wilson took one step forward.
Just one.
And every medic, every soldier, felt something heavy press against their chest—
Like the air itself respected him.
"Touch that boy," Wilson said quietly,
"And I will personally file a full Vein-Code violation against your entire unit. And trust me, Matson—your rank won't protect you from that."
A flicker of uncertainty crossed Matson's eyes.
The soldiers behind him subtly shifted…
hesitated…
Waiting to see what their general would do.
The standoff crackled like a storm seconds before it breaks.
"If that isn't enough for your idiotic monkey brain, then perhaps this will."
Principal Wilson calmly rolled up his sleeve.
A hush fell.
Etched across his forearm, glowing faintly under the ruined lights, was a Hex Vein — intricate, terrifyingly stable, and unmistakably authentic.
His eyes shifted too, burning with a deep gold-and-silver glow that made even the air tremble.
General Matson didn't move.
Didn't flinch.
Didn't blink.
On the surface, he looked unimpressed — bored, even.
But deep inside?
He knew damn well:
One wrong step toward Rein and Principal Wilson could vaporise him before his soldiers even had time to gasp.
"That still doesn't change the fact," Matson said slowly, meeting Wilson's glowing stare,
"That he is the cause of this mess."
Wilson opened his mouth—
—but Stella got there first.
She stepped forward, eyes fierce and cheeks streaked with tears.
"YOU'RE WRONG!" she shouted, voice shaking but loud enough to echo across the debris.
"YOU'RE SO, SO WRONG! You saw him, didn't you? The other one! The thing wearing that creepy black suit—that wasn't Rein!"
For a moment, Matson's jaw tightened.
He had seen Chaos.
And the memory clearly bothered him more than he wanted anyone to notice.
Wilson glanced at Stella, a rare spark of pride in his eyes.
"Indeed," Principal Wilson said, turning back to Matson.
"The girl is correct. You witnessed the intruder yourself. You know full well that my student is not responsible."
He lowered his sleeve, gaze hardening.
"So unless you want to escalate this into a Hex-Vein-level conflict in the middle of an active rescue scene…"
Wilson stepped closer, just enough for Matson to feel the pressure of his aura.
"You're going to let the boy go to the fucking hospital."
"BOYS, clear out! We're heading back to base—now!" General Matson barked, voice cutting through the chaos like a blade.
But as he passed Principal Wilson, he leaned in, jaw tight.
"Listen to me, Principal Wilson. If anything happens to this damn country because of that boy—" his voice dropped to a low, deadly growl, "—I swear I'll kill him myself. And you won't be able to stop me."
Wilson didn't flinch. Instead, a slow smirk crept across his face, as if he knew something Matson didn't.
"Sure, General. Do what you must."
As Matson stormed off, Wilson turned his attention toward Stella, who was frozen in place, still shaking from everything that had happened.
He approached with gentle steps.
"Your name is Stella Yukishiro, right, my child?" Principal Wilson asked, his tone shifting completely—warm, almost fatherly.
"Y-Yes… it is," Stella whispered, wiping her eyes. "I'm so sorry for my behaviour earlier. I—I just… I had to protect him. I couldn't let anything happen to Rein."
"I know," Wilson said softly. "Don't worry. They're already on their way to the hospital. And I promise you—my wife can heal them in an instant."
Stella lifted her head. "Your… wife?"
Wilson chuckled lightly and leaned closer.
"Let me tell you a small secret, my child. My wife is a Penta Vein user."
Stella's breath caught. "A P-Penta Vein? Those are… extremely rare."
"Exactly," he replied with a warm smile. "Once she lays a hand on them, they'll be just fine. I give you my word."
"But… they still need treatment before that, right? They can't just skip steps…" Stella murmured, worry etching her voice.
"Yes, my child. They'll go through the full process." He placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Safety first."
At that moment, Valkyrie stepped forward, posture firm, protective energy radiating off her.
"You must be her elder sister," Wilson said.
"Yes. Valkyrie Yukishiro," she answered, bowing her head slightly. "Thank you for looking after my sister."
"My pleasure," he replied. Then he glanced at the sky—already dark. "If you don't mind, I can take you both home. It's far too late for young ladies to be walking alone."
Stella hesitated. "Are… you sure it's not a bother?"
"Nonsense," Wilson said with a gentle laugh. "Let me take responsibility for my students. Besides…" He smiled knowingly. "You two have had a hell of a night."
Stella and Valkyrie exchanged a look—tired, relieved, and still worried.
But for the first time since the chaos started, they felt a bit of hope.
Principal Wilson led the two sisters toward a sleek black sedan parked just beyond the academy gates. The engine was already running, its low hum blending with the quiet night.
"Please, get in," he said, opening the back door for Stella and Valkyrie.
Stella slipped in first, hands still trembling, and Valkyrie followed, placing herself closest to the door—protective as always. Wilson settled into the driver's seat, adjusting the rearview mirror until both sisters were in view.
Streetlights washed the interior in warm amber as the car eased onto the road.
For a few long moments, no one spoke.
Stella's mind spun—Rein bleeding out, Zen collapsing, Chaos stepping out of that rift… it all looped in her head like a nightmare refusing to end.
Wilson was the one who finally cut through the silence.
"You care for him deeply, don't you?" he asked gently, eyes fixed on the road ahead.
Stella's cheeks warmed. "I… yes. I do. Rein… he's not like everyone says he is." Her voice thinned. "They treated him like a monster today. And he still jumped in to save them."
Valkyrie rested a steadying hand on her sister's knee.
Wilson exhaled slowly. "That boy… Rein. He's been carrying a heavy burden for a long time."
Stella leaned forward, her heart tightening. "You… know him?"
"I know his past," Wilson said quietly. "All of it."
The air in the car froze.
"When the council learned who he was," Wilson continued, "they wanted to ban him from every academy in the city. Some even pushed for charges."
Stella's breath hitched. "Charges?! For what? He didn't do anything!"
"Correct," Wilson said. "But fear turns powerful men into fools. They saw what he might become, not who he is."
The car turned onto a dimly lit road, its headlights cutting through the darkness.
"And I was the one," he said, "who let him into this school."
Stella stared at him through the mirror, eyes wide.
"I fought the council myself. Signed the clearance and took responsibility for him." His voice softened. "And since he arrived, I've watched over him from afar. Not because I feared him… but because I wanted him to have a chance at a normal life."
Stella felt something tug in her chest.
"Y-You knew all this would happen?"
"I knew he'd be misunderstood," Wilson said. "But I also knew someone like you might enter his life."
"M-Me?" she whispered.
Wilson's eyes warmed in the mirror. "Someone who sees the person, not the power."
Stella's blush deepened, but Valkyrie spoke before she could melt entirely.
"Principal Wilson," Valkyrie asked, "if you knew his past… was any of what happened today really his fault?"
Wilson shook his head.
"No. Rein reacted as anyone burdened by trauma would. He protected people." His tone sharpened. "General Matson only sees threats. Never children."
Stella clenched her fists. "He was so cruel…"
"Matson lives like the world is always on fire," Wilson sighed. "But don't worry—he won't touch Rein while he's under this school's protection. Not while I'm here."
Relief passed through the sisters.
"But Rein isn't the only one I watch," Wilson added with a small laugh.
Stella blinked. "What?"
The principal chuckled.
"Ah, yes… Zen Kirisawa. That boy is a walking disaster wrapped in good intentions."
Even Valkyrie couldn't fight a smile.
Wilson continued, amused.
"I can't count how many times he's shown up in my office with bandages. One week, he fell down the stairs because he was 'testing a new breathing technique.' Another time, he tried sparring with a wooden dummy and lost."
Stella wiped her eyes with a small laugh.
"That… sounds exactly like him."
"Clumsy, careless, allergic to self-preservation," Wilson said fondly. "But loyal beyond measure. Today wasn't the first time he ran into danger without thinking."
Stella nodded. "And Rein always ends up protecting him…"
"They balance each other," Wilson said warmly. "Chaos and caution… and they'll need each other for what's coming."
The city lights brightened as they neared the Yukishiro home. Wilson slowed to a gentle stop.
"Here we are," he murmured.
Stella hesitated with her hand on the door.
"Principal Wilson… thank you. Truly."
He met her gaze in the mirror.
"Protect each other, my child. The world can be cruel—but none of you have to face it alone."
Valkyrie bowed her head. "We're grateful."
The sisters stepped out into the quiet night. The car pulled away, its headlights fading into the distance.
Stella looked up at the sky, hope and fear swirling inside her.
Rein… please be okay.