The faint hum of machinery filled the quiet room.
Lying on the bed was Renji, pale but breathing steadily. By his side sat Denji, arms crossed and eyes closed as if lost in thought.
A low groan broke the silence.
Renji stirred, blinking as light stung his eyes. "Ugh… where am I…? My head…" He raised his right hand to his forehead, trying to steady himself.
"You're finally awake, huh," Denji said, opening one eye.
Renji turned his head sharply, his face tightening with surprise. "Denji? What are you doing here?"
"Just making sure my rival didn't die on me," Denji replied casually.
Renji blinked in confusion before letting out a laugh. "Rival? Really? That's a bit much to call me, don't you think?"
"You're not weak, Renji."
Renji paused. He could tell from Denji's tone — this wasn't arrogance like before. His eyes were calm, honest, filled with respect.
He sighed and gave a small smile. "Thanks. But you're still a monster."
They both chuckled. Renji lifted his left arm, and Denji shook his hand firmly.
At that moment, the door opened. A woman in a black suit stepped in — fair skin, black hair neatly tied, and sleek glasses glinting under the light.
"I see he's awake," she said coolly. "Mr. Denji, it's time to go. You'll be departing for Sky City Academy tomorrow."
Renji looked at Denji, startled. "Wait, you're going to Sky City? Not Libra Academy?"
Denji nodded. "Yeah."
"Why? Isn't Libra Academy more… friendly? I heard Sky City's more like a military school."
"That's exactly why I'm going there," Denji said. "Libra's not all sunshine and roses. Too much corruption, too many cheats. Sky City rewards effort — nothing else. Libra Academy… favors those born into rich or influential families. But someone like you won't have much trouble there."
He smiled faintly and reached into his pocket, placing a silver medal in Renji's hand.
Renji frowned, holding it up. "What's this?"
"You were out for eight days," Denji said. "That's your medal for second place. The train to Libra leaves in two days, so recover fast. Until we meet again."
They both smiled and shook hands once more.
Renji smirked. "Next time we meet, I'll make sure you end up in the hospital for a month."
Denji laughed. "Heh, I'll be waiting."
With that, Denji and the woman left.
Renji stared at the ceiling. Eight days, huh…? He exhaled deeply, lost in thought.
Then, a knock on the door.
"Come in," he said.
The door opened, revealing Mr. Ain, dressed in a worn black raincoat. He smiled warmly, almost like a proud father.
"I see you're already up, Renji."
"Mr. Ain! Where have you been all this while?"
He chuckled softly. "Busy dealing with a kid. I gave him a task — he failed. So I had to… have a one-on-one talk with him."
Renji tilted his head. "A kid? Like your son? Or a student?"
"You could say that," Ain said. "He's fine now. But since I've got you here, I'm not too worried."
Renji blinked, unsure what he meant, but didn't press further.
Ain sat down beside the bed, placing a watch and a document on the table.
"Congratulations. You've been admitted into Libra Academy."
Renji blinked. "Wait—what? For real?"
Ain grinned. "You are now officially SP.0179.089."
"Huh? What's that supposed to mean?"
"The SP means Special Candidate. The 0179 means this year's batch. Next year's will be 0180. Got it?"
Renji nodded slowly. "Yeah… what about the last number?"
"That's your personal ID. There are about ninety students with special status like yours."
He leaned back with a proud grin.
Renji noticed the table behind him was piled with flowers and letters.
"Are… those for me?"
Ain smirked. "Seems like you've got fans now. The qualifiers really praised you — that's probably why you got the SP tag."
Renji scratched his head awkwardly. "If I wasn't a special candidate, what would I be?"
"You'd get a CD tag instead. Regular candidate. But SPs get… certain privileges."
"Like what?"
"Ask the qualifiers. Or find out when you get there."
Ain stood, stretching. "Rest for now. The train leaves in two days."
As he turned, he suddenly stopped and squinted. "That's odd… your eyes are blue now, Renji."
Renji frowned. "Huh? Blue?"
Ain grabbed a mirror and handed it to him.
Renji's reflection stared back — his once-black eyes now glowed a deep ocean blue.
"Looks like someone's going to be a heartbreaker," Ain teased.
Renji sighed. "You must be joking, Mr. Ain."
"Or maybe a lady killer," Ain winked. "We'll see. Rest up — and read those letters. They're from people wishing you a safe recovery."
He waved and left, closing the door gently behind him.
Renji leaned back, exhaling. Blue eyes, huh…
Then, a familiar chime echoed in his mind.
The system interface appeared — but not in its usual blue theme. This time, it was pure white.
"Welcome back," it displayed.
Renji blinked. "Oh… you. It's been a while."
"Yes, it has," the system replied.
"So, you got anything for me? Or do I still need to grow stronger?"
"You still have a long way to go," it said. "Once you reach A-Rank, I'll tell you something important. But for now… grow stronger."
The text paused.
Then a final message appeared:
"Also… do you trust him?"
Renji frowned. Him?
Mr. Ain…?
Before he could ask, the screen flickered back to its normal blue color and displayed the familiar System status:
[System Update]
Host: Renji Kurozawa
Rank: D (Gold)
Talent: Adaptive Evolution
Beast Resonance: 65%
Attributes:
Strength: 92
Agility: 77
Endurance: 87
Vitality: 81
Perception: 100
Luck: 69
[Active Skills]
Feral Claw (D Rank): Beast-type claw strike infused with void energy.
Dash (D Rank): Burst movement — boosts speed and agility for short bursts.
Predator's Gaze (D Rank):
Cooldown: 6 hours
Duration: 25 minutes
Condition: Must last 45 seconds against a stronger target.
Effect: Copy one skill or ability from that target.
Peak Viper Form (C Rank): Fusion of Serpent Shedding + Viper Aura Armor. Absorbs kinetic energy and converts it into permanent stat gain if the target is stronger.
Alpha Aura (D Rank): Intimidates beasts weaker than user's level.
Echo Sense (D Rank): Detects vibrations and sound across the environment.
Void Sense (D Rank): Perceives movement, shape, and life signatures in a wide radius.
Fearless Tenacity (D Rank): Resistance to fear; boosts morale.
Bullmantis Endurance (C Rank): Enhances stamina recovery and fatigue resistance; disperses incoming force.
Lightning Wrath (C Rank): Grants control over lightning.
Renji's lips curved into a grin.
"Lightning ability from Denji… and that Peak Viper Form — a gift from her, huh?"
He chuckled softly. "Guess I'm getting close to C-Rank."
His eyelids grew heavy as he muttered, "I can't wait…"
And with that, he drifted off to sleep — unaware of the questions that still lingered.
Was Mr. Ain truly who he claimed to be?
Or was the system… changing?