The sun had dipped below the horizon, leaving the Tokyo skyline shimmering in a sea of artificial neon a sight that felt comfortingly like home, yet strangely alien.
I walked back to the first-year dormitories, my mind occupied with my first day in this world that I'd loved to watch, and that I was now living in.
I'd stood up to the school's resident tyrant and stared down the Student Council President Manabu Horikita all in the span of eight hours.
Not bad for a guy who had died from a literal climax earlier that morning.
Once I'm inside my room, I lock the door and slide the security bolt.
The room was standard, meaning functional, clean, and a bit sterile and I appreciated that fact as I sit cross-legged on the floor in front of the full-length mirror, stripping off my blazer and shirt.
I need to know exactly what Absolute Biokinesis was capable of.
Let's start with the basics, I think, closing my eyes and focusing on the internal map of my body.
It was like seeing a glowing blueprint, as I could feel every muscle fiber, every nerve ending, the rhythmic pump of my heart as I focused my power on my core.
I was already in great shape, but I wanted more, so I willed my metabolic rate to spike, directing my body to incinerate any trace of subcutaneous fat while simultaneously reinforcing the density of my abdominal and pectoral muscles.
A wave of intense heat washes over me and it feels like my blood is turning into molten gold and reflexively I grip the carpet, my teeth gritting as I feel my muscle fibers tearing and reknitting themselves in seconds.
It is an agonizing, ecstatic sensation, but also slightly addicting as any gym bro could vouch.
[Stamina: 70% ... 60% ... 45%]
A mental gauge warned me of the cost. Complex alterations require physical stamina the system had said and without a doubt, changing my entire muscular structure in one go was a heavy lift.
I pulled back just before I hit the exhaustion point, opening my eyes and looking in the mirror.
"Jesus," I whisper, my shocked expression reflecting in the mirror.
I'm not a bodybuilder as that would be too conspicuous not to mention it isn't my style and instead, I looked like a high-performance athlete carved out of marble.
My muscles were lean, corded, and possessed a functional look that suggested explosive power.
But, more importantly, I had reinforced my bone density to the point where I was now essentially wearing a suit of organic armor.
With a final thought, I adjust my vocal cords slightly, giving my voice a richer, more resonant timbre, and sharpening my eyesight to the point where I can see the individual dust motes dancing in the moonlight.
I feel like a god in a school uniform, which wasn't too far off as of now.
A few hours later, around midnight, a restlessness took hold of me and I decide to head down to the vending machines for a drink.
The dorm is quiet as I walk, the halls dimly lit by the soft glow of the emergency lights and as I turn the corner toward the common area, I see a lone figure standing by the machine.
Kiyotaka Ayanokoji.
He's just standing there, staring at the selection of drinks with an expression of profound neutrality, and although he didn't turn when I approached, but I knew he hears me.
My new ears could hear his steady, rhythmic breathing from ten feet away.
"The coffee here is terrible, in case you were wondering," I say, leaning against the wall.
Ayanokoji turns his head slowly those brown, hollow eyes meeting my ice blue ones.
Most people flinched when they looked at me nowz as if my presence was too intense, too perfect, but to his credit Ayanokoji doesn't even blink.
"Knightley-kun," he says, his voice a flat monotone. "You're up late."
"Vegas habits," I say shrugging. "The city doesn't sleep, so I usually don't either. What's your excuse? Plotting the downfall of Class C?" I joke with a grin.
"I was just thirsty," he replies simply, pressing a button, and watching as a can of black coffee clatters into the bin.
"You made quite an impression today. Horikita... the younger one... is very curious about you."
"And the older one?" I ask, watching him closely.
Ayanokoji pauses, his hand hovering over the can as he says. "The President doesn't usually take interest in Class D students on their first day. You're an outlier in that regard."
I walked closer, invading his personal space just a bit. "We're both outliers, Kiyotaka. Don't worry, I'm not interested in exposing your average student act. It's a good mask. A bit dull, but effective."
For the first time, I saw it... a tiny, microscopic flicker in his gaze that wasn't fear, but recognition. The gaze of a predator recognizing another predator in the tall grass.
(A/N: Or Diddy meeting his long lost twin in the pen lol)
"I don't know what you're talking about," he says.calmly as if unconcerned with the topic entirely.
"Sure you don't. And I'm just a lucky transfer student," I grin, showing a bit of teeth. "But here's the thing... I'm going to turn this school upside down. I have the resources, and I have the will which means you can stay in the shadows if you want, but eventually, the lights are going to come on and when they do, I'd rather have you as a partner than an obstacle."
Ayanokoji opens his coffee can with a crisp hiss, taking a sip while looking out the window at the dark campus.
"I just want a quiet life," he says.
"In this school? That's the biggest gamble of all," I replied reaching into my pocket and pulling out a 10,000-point gift card I'd bought at the mall earlier (which had already netted me 100,000 in cashback), and tossing it to him.
He catches it effortlessly, looking at it before back at me.
"Consider that a down payment on a future conversation," I say, pushing off the wall. "Buy yourself something better than that canned sludge."
As I walk away, I don't look back. I didn't need to as I can feel his gaze on my back analytical, wary, and for the first time, genuinely uncertain.
I return to my room and check my untraceable bank account on my phone.
[Current Balance: 1,240,000 Private Points]
I lay down on my bed, staring at the ceiling. Tomorrow, the honeymoon phase of the school would continue, and my classmates will keep spending while Ryuen will keep plotting, and the school will keep watching.
But they were all playing a game with a fixed deck while I am the one who brought my own cards.
I close my eyes, a smirk playing on my lips thinking Jasmine, if only you could see me now... dying was the best thing I ever did. So... thanks...
[Chapter End]