The days Gabriel spent with Yukime and Beatrix slipped by almost unnoticed.
Spring had now reached its midpoint—warm air, young leaves, and soft sunlight filtering through the trees standing witness to a period of peace he rarely experienced.
That morning, casually biting into a red apple, Gabriel walked through the forest.
There was no blindfold covering his face like usual. His steps were light and calm—not from carelessness, but because he no longer needed it.
He had truly mastered the Principle of Ki.
Not just understanding its flow, but sensing the world as it truly was—the presence of living beings, the pulse of the wind, the subtle changes in earth and air.
With his original goal achieved, Gabriel finally decided to return to Baron Kagenou's residence.
Because of that, he parted ways with the two women who had accompanied him over the past several days. His farewell to Yukime and Beatrix was simple, without unnecessary drama.
Saying he wished to further refine his abilities, Gabriel chose to wander once more.
He didn't say everything—but it was enough.
Meanwhile, over the past few days… Yukime herself had shown clear progress.
She was now able to use the Principle of Ki, though still far from the level of Zetten.
Gabriel had deliberately not pushed her.
Zetten was not something that could be copied; it was a form of Ki born from one's own understanding and instinct.
Yukime had to discover the shape of her own Zetten.
At the same time, his gaze shifted toward a transparent holographic screen floating calmly before him.
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Special Ability:
> All-Seeing Eyes of the Gods (Kamigami no Gigan)
Passive Abilities:
> Puppeteer (Lvl 1)
> Slayer (Lvl 1)
> Compression Energy (Lvl 1)
> Circulation Energy (Lvl 1)
Active Abilities:
> Dark Matter Magic (Lvl 1)
> Mana Skin (Lvl 1)
> Mana Zone (Lvl 1)
> Ki Principle
Description:
Ki Principle is the fundamental understanding of Ki as the flow of life energy that runs through the bodies of all living beings—humans, elves, and even demons—directly influenced by their thoughts, emotions, and intent.
The user can treat Ki as an additional sense, interpreted through five perceptive sensations—seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, and tasting Ki. These are not physical senses, but the body's way of reading direction, intent, pressure, and presence.
Beyond perception, Ki Principle also includes the conscious manipulation of Ki, allowing the user to align its flow to temporarily increase movement efficiency, physical strength, and magical output.
{Note: This skill cannot level up.}
__________________
Reading the Ki Principle explanation listed in his skill menu, Gabriel smiled faintly.
"As expected," he murmured. "Even though Ki is fundamentally just a technique… the system within me still recognizes it as a Skill."
He paused, then let out a quiet chuckle—not from amusement, but from genuine fascination.
"This is interesting."
Gabriel took another bite of the apple in his hand. His steps slowed, until he stopped completely, lost in his own thoughts.
They were not opposing systems, but different paths rooted in the same source.
"I wonder," he murmured softly, gazing straight ahead, "in this reality… could I learn Senjutsu—or even Haki—on my own?"
The forest wind drifted gently through the trees, as if responding to a question that had yet to find an answer.
A faint smile touched Gabriel's lips.
A new experiment had formed in his mind.
With one final bite of the apple, he continued walking forward.
***
"For some reason, this feels like déjà vu."
Gabriel said it with flat eyes, as if observing something he had experienced before—or was destined to experience again.
Right now, he was in Claire's room, with Cid standing not far from them.
Claire sat casually on a chair while Gabriel massaged her arm with movements that were gentle yet precise.
The pressure was just right—deep enough to release tension, but not painful. The kind of massage that made the body unconsciously relax.
Meanwhile, Cid was preparing tea with the blank expression of an idle-game character—moving efficiently, without excess emotion, as if it were a daily routine not worth thinking about.
"What is it?" Claire asked, glancing slightly toward Gabriel. "Do you hate taking care of your beautiful big sister?"
"Yes," Gabriel answered honestly, without hesitation. "And Nee-sama is apparently a narcissist."
"Say that again," Claire said quickly, her tone heavy with emphasis.
Gabriel's hands paused mid-motion.
He fell silent.
A very real sense of danger crept up his spine.
"Yup," he said again, this time with a smile as bright as the winter sun, "taking care of a beautiful, graceful, and unbelievably charming big sister like Nee-sama is an honor beyond measure."
Claire smirked in satisfaction.
"Hm. Good. You're still allowed to live today," she declared victoriously.
Not long after, Cid finished brewing the tea. With a calm motion, he handed the cup to Claire.
She accepted it and took a slow sip.
"Being looked after by two little brothers—one giving a massage, the other making tea," Claire said, "is a simple happiness that's hard to replace."
She let out a pleased sigh.
Gabriel sighed as well, then said flatly, "When Nee-sama says things like that with so much confidence… I think her future husband might run away on his own."
Claire's smile froze.
"What did you say?"
"Fact," Gabriel replied shortly, not stopping his massage.
Cid sipped his own tea—silent, neutral, and absolutely unwilling to get involved.
Meanwhile, Claire's bangs fell over her faintly glowing red eyes.
Without warning, she pulled Gabriel into a tight hug and, in one swift motion, pinched his cheek hard.
"How dare you talk to your own big sister like that, hmm~?" Claire said, her voice sweet… but unmistakably dangerous.
"So rude, so rude~"
"Th–this is violeennce—!" Gabriel protested, his words slurring as his cheek was stretched.
"Recooordeed… in the Book of Mist… Article Forty-Five, Clause Two—violence against a younger brother—!"
Claire paused for a moment.
Then she narrowed her eyes.
"And what strange law book is that?" she asked flatly, menace creeping into her tone. "You made it up, didn't you?"
The pinch only grew stronger.
"As punishment," Claire continued casually, "I hereby invoke Article Six, Clause Three."
"It states: An older sister holds full authority to discipline a troublesome, big-mouthed little brother."
"Revised edition. Absolute enforcement."
"No appeals allowed," she added with a satisfied smile.
"This is an abuse of poweeer—" Gabriel muttered weakly, already resigned to his fate.
In the corner of the room, Cid watched the whole exchange calmly.
His eyes gleamed faintly.
Articles… clauses… situational law…
Interesting.
A thin smile formed on his lips.
Hmm. The Eminence in Shadow has always known— in this world, improvisation is the strongest weapon.
Claire finally released his cheek with a satisfied huff, as if she had just upheld cosmic justice itself.
Gabriel staggered half a step, then straightened again—cheeks red, expression flat, dignity nowhere to be found.
He rubbed his face slowly.
"Additional note," he murmured. "Article Six, Clause Three… confirmed to exist. Absolute in nature. Extremely tyrannical."
"Good," Claire replied, crossing her legs. "You learned something today."
Cid set his teacup down on the small table with a soft sound.
Tick.
"Interesting," he said at last.
Claire glanced over. "Hm? What's interesting, Cid?"
Cid stared blankly ahead—yet it was obvious his thoughts had already drifted somewhere no one had asked him to go.
"Law," he said. "Not written law… but situational law."
Gabriel shot him a half-lidded look.
"Cid-kun," he said quietly, "please don't record this as a life reference."
Cid gave a small nod. "No. This is only… observational material."
Claire grinned, clearly misunderstanding.
"Oh? So you acknowledge the authority of an older sister?" she said proudly.