Sakura's eyes stayed on him.
Not as an opponent.
Not as the overwhelmingly strong transfer student.
But as a possibility.
The realization made her pulse quicken again.
If someone like him—
Someone who moved the way he did…
Saw through techniques the way he did…
Fought without relying on flashy abilities—
Then…
Her lips parted slightly before she could stop herself.
"Hey… Shido."
He had already begun to turn away, but her voice halted him.
He glanced back over his shoulder. "Yeah?"
Sakura hesitated.
For the first time since the fight, her confidence wavered—not because she was nervous around him, but because she was about to ask something that mattered to her.
"A lot of fighters here rely on their abilities," she said slowly. "Especially people who are naturally gifted. They build everything around that power."
Her eyes narrowed in focus.
"But you don't."
She took a step forward.
"The way you fought… that wasn't ability-centered. Your base was pure physical technique. Timing. Structure. Control."
A brief pause.
"Why?"
There was no teasing in her voice now.
Only genuine curiosity.
Only the martial artist speaking to another martial artist.
Shido looked at her for a few seconds.
Then, for once, his answer came without deflection.
"…Because," he said, "until about a week ago, I didn't have one."
Sakura blinked.
"…What?"
"I was born abilityless," he continued casually, as if it were nothing special. "In a world where everyone else had one."
He slid his hands into his pockets.
"When I found that out as a kid, I figured I had two choices."
His tone remained light—but the weight behind the words wasn't.
"Either spend my life being protected… or learn how to protect myself."
Sakura's breath caught.
"So I trained," he went on. "Not because I wanted to be strong. But because I had to survive."
No dramatics.
No attempt to make it sound impressive.
Just fact.
"I studied movement. Balance. Human reaction speed. How people breathe before they attack. How their shoulders move before their hips."
He tapped lightly against his own chest.
"If you understand the body, you don't need an ability to win against someone who depends on one."
Silence.
The world around them seemed to fade.
Sakura stared at him as if seeing him for the first time.
Abilityless.
In a society that valued power above everything.
And he stood there—
Calm.
Unbothered.
Strong enough to defeat Ryuen in one move.
Not because he was gifted.
But because he refused to be weak.
Her fingers trembled slightly at her sides.
"That's why," Shido added, "even now that I have an ability… I don't rely on it."
His gaze met hers.
"Power you're born with can betray you. Power you build never does."
Something in Sakura's chest tightened so hard it almost hurt.
Because those words—
Those words were everything she had been trying to prove her entire life.
That her style had meaning.
That effort mattered.
That martial arts weren't inferior to abilities.
He had walked the same path.
Without knowing her.
Without seeing her.
He had reached the same answer.
"…You're incredible," she thought.
But the words never reached her lips.
Instead, she asked quietly,
"So you trained like that… your whole life? Just because you didn't want to be helpless?"
Shido shrugged.
"Something like that."
Then he smiled faintly.
"And because I thought it was cool."
The simplicity of it made her laugh under her breath.
Of course.
Of course this was the kind of person he was.
He turned fully this time.
"Well… I should get going. Am sure Dina and my mother are wondering where i am by now. Since Highschool ended about hour ago."
He lifted a hand in a casual wave.
"See you around, Sakura Sakura. Am one hundred percent sure we'll meet due to Ryuen's boss William."
He said her name the same way as before—Without mockery.
Without hesitation.
As if it naturally belonged.
Then he started walking.
Each step unhurried.
As if the fight, the conversation, everything—Had just been a small part of his day.
Sakura didn't call out to him.
She didn't move.
She simply stood there, watching his back grow smaller in the distance.
Her hand slowly rose to her chest again.
Her heartbeat was loud.
Too loud yet it was somehow warm.
Sakura started to fill restless. Confused.
'What… is this…?'
Her mind replayed everything.
His honesty. His strength. His lack of pride.
The way he saw her.
The way he fought.
The way he said her name.
'He walks the same path as me…'
The realization sent another wave through her.
Stronger than before.
'Why does that make me so happy?'
She clenched her uniform lightly.
Her cheeks were red again—but there was no one there to see it now.
Only the empty training ground.
Only the fading echo of his footsteps.
'Join his side? Train with him? Fight him again? Talk to him more?'
She didn't know which thought was hers.
They were all mixed together.
Her heart answered for her—
Beating faster.
Faster.
Faster.
"…What is happening to me…?" she whispered to the empty air.
And for the first time since she started creating her own martial art—
Sakura Sakura felt like she had found
someone who could understand her.
When Shido arrived at the Urazaki Manor within an hour, he was greeted by one of the many maids.
"You—whatever your name is—go and call Dina, my personal maid. Tell her I'm waiting in my chamber," Shido ordered coldly as he loosened his school tie.
He spoke that way on purpose. He could no longer afford to be seen as the old Shido. If the servants looked down on him, his authority inside the manor would crumble. He had to show dominance.
The maid's eyes widened in surprise, but the moment Shido's oppressive aura pressed down on her shoulders, she didn't dare question him or reveal her true thoughts.
"R-right away, Young Master Shido!"
She bowed quickly and hurried off.
Shido watched her retreating figure and gave a small, satisfied nod.
When he entered his chamber, he didn't bother changing out of his uniform. He sat on the edge of the bed, removed his tie, then his vest, and began unbuttoning his shirt.
Just as he reached the final button, the door opened.
And a very familiar beautiful blue-haired maid stepped inside.
The moment Dina saw him, her face lit up with a warm smile.
"Shido, you're finally back. You're a whole hour late. I was starting to worry."
"Oh, Dina—sorry about that. Some very interesting things happened at school and on my way home," Shido replied casually.
"Oh? What interesting things?" she asked, her curiosity obvious.
"Douma High is exactly how I imagined it. And after school, I ran into a group of jealous guys who wanted to beat me up," Shido said with a faint chuckle.
Dina's brows lifted, but she didn't interrupt. She waited for him to continue.
"Just as the fight was about to start, an unknown girl showed up—someone who apparently has bad blood with them."
"A girl?" Dina repeated, clear intrigue in her voice.
Shido nodded and began explaining the entire situation to her in detail.
---
Ten minutes later…
"What an interesting girl. She actually helped you a lot," Dina said thoughtfully.
Shido nodded. "Yeah. You're right about that."
Dina watched him for a moment before asking in a calm voice, "But I do have a question… this girl, Sakura—was she pretty?"
The question didn't surprise Shido. He had expected it the moment he started talking about another girl in front of his beautiful fiancée. Anyone else in his position might have panicked like the typical harem protagonist, but Shido remained composed.
"Yeah. She's very beautiful," he answered honestly. "She has chocolate-colored skin and she's one of my types—a cute and beautiful tomboy."
He stepped closer and gently lifted Dina's chin so their eyes met.
"But if we're talking about beauty, you'll always be at the top of my list… babe."
He said it softly—so calm and sincere that Dina's breath hitched. A faint flush spread across her cheeks as she stared at his handsome face without blinking.
"You sly boy… you really know how to calm me down," she said, her voice sweet. "So… what now?"
Shido tilted his head, genuinely confused. "What do you mean?"
Dina giggled at his expression. "What I mean is—what do you plan to do about this girl named Sakura? You clearly have her on your mind."
Shido looked straight into her eyes, checking if she was serious.
"To tell you the truth… I'm thinking of making her one of my fiancées as well. Do you mind?"
Dina stared at him for a full minute before finally answering.
"You know… I already suspected this might happen. After the trial, when Lady Vlaneth asked me that question, I realized you might end up with more than one wife."
She took a slow breath.
"I don't mind… as long as I'm always the first. The most important one in your heart."
Her fingers tightened slightly against her dress.
"…But that doesn't mean I'm ready right now. So please, Shido… give me more time. When I am, you can go to Sakura. I won't stop you."
Shido looked into her eyes, filled with sincere love and devotion.
"You don't have to worry," he said gently. "Even if I want to make Sakura mine, it won't be easy. Girls like her follow their own rules. It'll take at least a month—maybe two."
He brushed a strand of hair from Dina's face.
"So take that time. Until then, I'll keep showing you my love like I always do."
Dina lowered her gaze, unable to meet his eyes, and smiled softly.
"I'm the lucky one… Thank God you fell in love with me."
Shido shook his head.
"No. I should be the one saying that. Thank you for loving a fool who took so long to realize your feelings."
A warm silence filled the chamber.
Neither of them spoke, yet the sweetness in the air said more than words ever could.
"Heh, sorry. Just thinking of Sakura gets me hella turned on. Dina could you help with this big guy?" Sighed shido as he helplessly asked Dina while pointing a finger down on the large tent in his trouser.
Dina seeing shido's large tent smiled seductively at shido and with a sexy and hot tone in her voice she calmly said.
"Lately I've been researching different ways of how a women could pleasure her man and i learned many techniques. But since you have a boner there's one technique I'd like to try," seductively explained Dina.
"This new technique i learned will surely help Shido's boner, also known as a titjob," Dina's voice trailed off with a playful lilt, her eyes locking onto Shido's with a mix of curiosity and desire, the dim light of their chamber casting soft shadows across her face.
Dina dropped to both knees, her breath warm against his skin as she reached up to trace a finger along the bulge in his pants, feeling the heat radiating through the fabric.
Shido's heart raced, a flush creeping up his neck as he nodded, his mind still reeling from the day's events, but now fully anchored in this intimate moment with her. Dina's lips curved into a knowing smile, her hands moving into the top area of her maids uniform and when felt the hem of the top, she slowly lifted it over her breast to reveal the swell of her breasts and pink hardened nipples, heavy and full, the soft curves begging to be touched.