Chapter 14
Day nine began quietly, the morning light barely filtering into Souta's room as he lay awake, his body exhausted from the long conversation with the System the night before, his mind replaying every rule, every warning, and every limit that had been forced upon him.
Before he could fully gather his thoughts, the familiar translucent screen appeared in front of him, floating silently in the air.
Without hesitation, he initiated the roll.
The screen flickered, then displayed the results.
One in twelve: High Intelligence.
One in thirty-five: Night Vision.
One in eighty-five: Combat Instinct.
Souta stared at the options for a brief moment before making his choice.
"Combat Instinct," he said quietly.
The moment the selection was confirmed, a strange sensation spread through his body, subtle but unmistakable, as if something deep inside him had awakened, sharpening his awareness and tightening his muscles without conscious effort.
A knock echoed from his door.
Souta stood and opened it to see Hikari standing there, calm as ever.
"Good morning," Hikari said. "Eat breakfast first."
They joined the others in the dining area, sitting together as food filled the table, the atmosphere oddly normal despite everything that had happened. Souta ate in silence, feeling the weight of expectation settle on him.
When they finished, Hikari looked at him with a steady stare.
"It's time for you to do our work," Hikari said. "We already did yours."
Souta nodded slowly. "Right."
"So," Souta asked, standing up, "what do you want?"
Hikari simply turned and said, "Let's go."
Without further explanation, they moved through the mansion and descended underground, the air growing colder as the path opened into a massive, quiet space hidden beneath the estate.
"So you really have an underground facility," Souta said, glancing around.
Hikari did not respond as they continued walking until they stopped in front of a heavy door.
"We're here," Hikari said.
The door opened, revealing the fifteen captured soldiers, restrained and chained like prisoners. Souta froze for a moment, surprised by the sight.
"I'll leave you alone here," Hikari said calmly.
"Thanks," Souta replied.
One of the soldiers scoffed. "So you're Souta. Mr. Victor will capture you soon enough."
"I didn't ask any questions yet," Souta replied, his voice cold and steady.
The room fell silent.
Souta picked up a document nearby and scanned it briefly.
"Black Veil," he muttered, and then his eyes lifted. "Is Blobby here?"
The atmosphere shifted instantly.
"I don't think so," someone answered hesitantly.
Souta's gaze hardened. "Then you're all useless."
He stepped closer.
"Did anyone here see how my father escaped," he asked, "and how he was brutally shot?"
One guard swallowed and spoke. "I did. I shot him in the leg."
Souta moved before anyone could react.
He grabbed the man by the throat and lifted him, the guard choking violently as panic spread through the room. Voices erupted, confusion filling the air as the man struggled helplessly.
Hikari rushed in and forced Souta to stop, pulling him back.
The guard coughed, then laughed weakly. "Haha... pity."
Souta turned to Hikari, his expression dark.
"If you want me to do something," Souta said, "then say it. I'll go there alone, kill them, and rescue my family."
Hikari studied him carefully. "Are you strong enough?" he asked. "Don't you need more days?"
Souta did not answer.
He turned and walked away.
Souta walked out of the underground facility without looking back, his footsteps steady as he returned to the room he had been given inside the mansion. Once inside, he began gathering his things in silence, folding spare clothes, stuffing food and bottled water into a bag, and making sure he had everything he might need, as if preparing for a journey he was not sure he would return from.
As he was tightening the strap of his bag, a voice came from behind him.
"Where are you going?" Shido asked as he stepped into the room. "Souta."
Souta did not stop what he was doing.
"I'm going there alone," he replied calmly. "To the Black Veil laboratory."
Shido frowned. "Alone?" he said. "You really think you can handle that?"
Souta finally turned to face him, his eyes sharp.
"I escaped that place before with barely any powers," he said. "Now I'm stronger, and I know more than I did back then."
Shido crossed his arms and looked at him closely.
"And what if you just let your family rot and die there?" he asked.
The words hit like a spark to gasoline.
Souta moved instantly, grabbing Shido by the collar and lifting him off the ground, his grip tight and unyielding.
"Are you insane?" Souta said coldly, his stare burning. "You know I can kill you right here, right?"
Shido did not struggle. Instead, he smirked faintly.
"I overheard your conversation last night," he said. "With your so-called System. I'm sure it's something special."
Souta stared at him for a moment longer before dropping him back onto his feet.
"So?" Souta said.
Shido straightened himself and spoke carefully.
"You said you can get one ability per day," he said. "Anything."
"Yes," Souta replied. "Anything."
"Even time-related abilities?" Shido pressed. "Manipulation powers, stuff like that?"
"And?" Souta replied.
Shido leaned closer.
"Why not just eat, sleep, and survive every day until you roll something like time reversal?" he said. "Then you rewind everything. Your father would still be alive."
Souta froze.
The thought echoed in his mind, heavy and unsettling, because it was something he had never considered before.
Shido watched his reaction closely.
"Let me guess," he said. "You never thought of that."
Souta clenched his fists.
"As if my powers wouldn't disappear," he replied, "if I rewound time to a point where I never discovered that crystal orb in the first place."
"Crystal orb, huh," Shido said with a faint grin. "Sounds like a nice accessory."
Souta shouldered his bag.
"I'm going," he said. "Just call me when you need help."
Shido hesitated.
"You don't want to say goodbye to Hikari?"
Souta paused at the doorway, then shook his head.
"Tell him I said goodbye," he said quietly. "And thank him."
Without another word, Souta walked out.
Souta moved through the forest alone, his footsteps steady as hours passed one after another, the trees swallowing him in silence as daylight slowly faded into night. When darkness finally settled, he stopped, gathered what little he had, and set up a simple camp, exhaustion weighing heavily on his body as he lay down and slept beneath the open sky.
When morning came, the familiar screen appeared before his eyes.
The roll activated.
One in fifteen: Weak Regeneration.
One in six: Enhanced Balance.
One in twenty-eight: Adrenal Boost.
Souta stared at the options briefly before sighing.
"These are pretty weak," he muttered, "but I'll take Weak Regeneration."
The ability applied instantly, a faint warmth spreading through his body before fading into the background, subtle but present.
He continued his journey until the road near the facility entrance finally came into view. What unsettled him was not what he saw, but what he did not see.
No guards.
His instincts screamed at him that something was wrong.
"This might be a trap," he whispered.
He waited, watching carefully, but nothing moved. Circling the area, he searched for another entrance, yet still found no one.
Keeping low, he moved with careful parkour, hiding whenever possible, until he reached the same vent he had escaped through before. Slipping inside, he crawled through the narrow space, the metal cold beneath his hands.
After several long minutes, he dropped back into the facility.
Still no one.
He moved slowly, pressing himself against walls, checking corners, listening for footsteps or voices, but the corridors remained eerily silent.
Finding a map, he studied it briefly before folding it away.
"The prison," he said quietly. "My family is there."
Even as doubt lingered, he steeled himself.
"Even if this is a trap, I can manage," he told himself. "I have regeneration and physical abilities."
He picked up a gun and kept moving.
The deeper he went, the safer he began to feel. His pace quickened as he passed through one gate after another, opening doors rapidly, heart pounding with anticipation.
Finally, he stopped in front of the last door.
"This is it," he thought. "After this..."
He opened the gate.
A blinding flash hit his eyes.
Guns.
Dozens of them, all aimed directly at him.
"Hands in the air," a guard ordered coldly.
Souta tried to retreat, spinning around to run, but more soldiers emerged from behind him, blocking every escape. His combat instinct flared violently, flooding his mind with information.
Eighty.
Surrounded by nearly eighty soldiers.
"How..." Souta whispered.
A familiar voice broke through the tension.
"Hello, Souta," Victor said as he stepped forward. "Nice to see you again."
"Nice surprise," Souta replied bitterly.
"Thanks to your little friends," Victor continued calmly, "I knew you were coming."
Souta froze.
"What?" he said. "Who?"
Victor raised a phone.
From the speaker came a trembling voice.
"Sorry... Souta... I'm sorry..."
"Hikari...?" Souta whispered.
Rage exploded inside him.
"HIKARIIII!" he screamed. "How could you?"
Victor smiled faintly.
"I know," he said. "Pity. Traitors are always disappointing. Now, get him."
Souta moved.
Fueled by anger, he charged, fists crashing into soldiers as he shouted, "You can't kill me! You need me alive!"
Bodies fell.
Six soldiers dropped, injured.
He kept fighting, punching and kicking without stopping, pushing through pain and resistance as ten more were taken down.
"Shoot him," Victor ordered calmly.
Tranquilizer darts slammed into Souta's body, but he barely slowed, injuring two more soldiers as he forced his way forward, eyes locked on Victor.
Then more shots came.
Five more tranquilizers struck him in rapid succession.
His strength failed.
His vision blurred.
As he collapsed to the floor, darkness closing in, he heard someone shout his name.
"SOUTA!"
And then everything went black.
To be continued...