Two Weeks Later, 8:00 AM
Sai: Aren’t we going to try with Kinto a little?
Leo: Absolutely not.
Sai: But—
Leo: No. He called us weak, so let him do whatever he wants.
Sai: Alright—
Kinto: Leo.
Sai: Where did you come from?!
Leo: What do you want?
Kinto: Since you’re in the 17th place now, I’ll stick with you. But if I surpass you, I’ll leave immediately.
Leo: As if I’d accept you.
Kinto: Huh?!
Mary: Seriously...
Leo: Get lost, tomato-head.
Kinto: Are you ordering me around, coal-head?!
Sai: Stop it...
Langst watches them from afar.
Langst (thinking): It seems he’s matured a little.
Three Hours Later.
Sai: Isn’t today a holiday? Why don’t we go out for a bit?
Leo: Where to?
Sai: To the kingdom’s center.
Leo: Now that I think about it, we’ve only been there once as kids.
Sai: Then let’s go!
As they prepare, Leo asks:
What do you want to do there?
Sai: I don’t know.
Leo: So you’re going without any plans...
Sai: Let’s just go and see what we’ll do. Planning ruins the fun in these things.
Leo: You’ve got a point.
They leave the academy, greet Sylan, and head to the kingdom’s center.
Leo: How long will it take to get there?
Sai: With Betelus, we’ll arrive in an hour and 15 minutes.
Sai: That’s a lot of time... Why don’t we race to Kaino’s Juice Shop?!
Leo: What kind of idea is that now?
Sai (grinning): Are you scared of losing?
Leo: Of course not!
Sai jumps off Betelus and uses enhancement to start running, while Leo soars through the sky on Betelus.
Leo: I’ll beat you easily!
Sai: Let’s see about that!
An hour passes.
Sai (thinking): I’ve run so much. I’m exhausted...
Leo: Looks like you’re tired.
Sai: Shut up!
Leo (smirking): At this rate, I’ll win.
Sai (thinking): The shop is near. I just have to hold on a bit longer.
They both reach the shop at the same time.
Leo & Sai: I won!
Sai: Huh? I’m the winner!
Leo: Of course not!
Sai: You! Who got here first?
???: Hmm... I wasn’t paying attention to you.
Leo: We passed right in front of you!
???: I was listening to music, so I didn’t notice.
Sai: Looks like we tied.
Leo: Yeah... So, where do we go to get to the kingdom’s center?
Sai: About that... I don’t know.
Leo: Seriously? You brought us here and don’t even know the way?!
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???: I’m also heading to the city center. Shall I take you with me?
Sai: If you don’t mind...
Leo: Since we’ll be spending some time together, I’m Leo.
Sai: And I’m Sai.
??? (smiling): I’m Myuso. Let’s go.
The three start walking to the city center.
Sai: Look here! This looks delicious.
Leo: It really does.
Myuso: These are cooked meatballs. They have some kind of secret ingredient. They’re indeed delicious.
Sai: Let’s try them.
Leo: Alright.
Leo buys some, and the three start eating.
Sai: They’re delicious!
Leo: Really good.
Myuso: They’re my favorite.
They continue walking, buying food and shopping a bit.
Myuso: I have a question.
Leo: What is it?
Myuso: Are you two brothers?
Leo: Yes, twins.
Myuso: Honestly, you don’t look alike at all.
Leo: Everyone says that.
Myuso: You’re the older one, right, Leo?
Leo: No.
Sai: I am.
Myuso: Huh...
Sai: By five minutes.
Myuso: Your behavior doesn’t reflect that...
Sai smiles.
Myuso: Anyway, we’re here.
Leo: So this is the kingdom’s center.
Sai: There are so many people here.
Myuso: This place never sleeps. People are here day and night.
Sai: Impressive.
Leo: That’s a Ferris wheel, isn’t it?
Myuso: Yes.
Sai: A Ferris wheel? Let’s try it!
Leo: Alright.
They get on the Ferris wheel.
Sai: Wow, it’s so high up!
Leo smiles.
Myuso: Riding the Ferris wheel clears my mind a bit.
They get off.
Leo: Looks like we’re going to have a lot of fu—
Leo notices someone pulling out a gun and pointing it at another person. He leaps to intervene.
Leo (thinking): I won’t make it in time!
Suddenly, Myuso reaches the person at an incredible speed.
Myuso: Music line.
A yellow line shoots from Myuso’s finger, hitting the person. As he try to escape, Sai grabs him.
Sai: You can’t do anything now.
Leo: W-What was that?
Myuso: My ability, Music. That was a line without melody.
Leo: Amazing... You were so fast, too.
Myuso: That’s because I can move at the speed of my music lines.
They hand the person over to the authorities and continue their day.
Leo: Myuso, are you in an academy?
Myuso: No.
Leo: Why not join one?
Myuso: I have my reasons...
Leo: Alright...
In the academy, Karez dreams about childhood memories.
Karez: That’s when I went to the kingdom’s park with my aunt. And that’s when we visited my grandmother in her last days. And this... Garin?
The dream ends, and Karez wakes up, puzzled.
Karez: What does Garin have to do with my childhood...?
Days pass, and Karez dreams of his childhood every night, with Garin appearing at the end of each dream. One night, in the dream:
Karez: Garin, what does all this mean? Why are you in my memories?
Garin: Be careful, cousin.
Karez: Cousin...?
Karez wakes up.
Karez (thinking): It can’t just be a random dream. I’ve had it so many times, and it’s led me here. Could this be the answer?
6:40 AM
Breka: Good morning, Sai.
Sai: Breka! How are you?
Breka: I'm fine.
Sai: How are things in Class A?
Breka: They're good, but Professor Elizabeth is a bit strict.
Sai: Lucky for us, Professor Langst isn't too strict.
Elizabeth: The lecture starts in twenty minutes, and you're still here?
Breka: I'm coming now... See you later, Sai.
Breka enters her class, and Sai heads
to his. But before entering, he notices
an eye on the wall, which quickly
disappears.
Sai: Huh? I must be imagining things...
I didn't sleep well last night.
Sai enters his classroom.
After the lectures, at Director Satil's
office:
Director Satil: Elizabeth.
Elizabeth: Yes?
Director Satil: I feel like something is
going to happen soon.
Elizabeth: Like what?
Director Satil: I'm not sure. Maybe I'm
wrong. It's just a feeling.
Elizabeth: Even if something happens,
it won't be a problem. After all, we're
here.
Director Satil: Yes, you're right. I
shouldn't worry. So, how are the
students doing?
Meanwhile:
Karez, feeling a bit more at ease, sits
down to eat, only to find a gift on his
table.
Karez: A gift? How did this get here?
I'm sure I didn't receive any gifts.
Karez opens the gift to find a
communication device.
Karez: A communication device? What
kind of gift is this...
The device activates.
???: How are you, Karez?
Karez (thinking): This voice isn't
familiar.
Karez: Who are you?
???: That's the wrong question, but
I'l answer it. I am The Captor.
Karez: The Captor?
Captor: The captor of your clan.
Karez: W-What do you mean?...
Captor: I know you don't care about
your clan since they abandoned you.
But you do care about your mother,
Lara Lavalik.
Anger filled karez in a split second.
Karez: Hey, you're going too far.
Captor: I won't drag this out. There are
coordinates written on the note in the
gift. Go there, and you'll find me. Don't
try seeking help from the kingdom or
the academy--'ll know immediately.
And then, you can say goodbye to your
mother. I'l be waiting, Karez.
Karez feels a mix of anger and fear for
his mother but tries to stay calm to
avoid making rash decisions.
Karez (thinking): Surely, he wouldn't kill anyone since he wants me. But there's a chance he might hurt someone, most likely my mother, since she's the only person I care about. I have to act quickly. But I can't go to an unknown place alone. There might be more than one person, and I'd be defeated easily...
I feel like my head is going to explode.
Thursday, 4:00 AM:
Karez: It's time.
Karez heads to the coordinates. An
hour after his departure, Class A's
professor, Grif, heads to the director's
office to get some papers signed. He
knocks on the door, but there's no
response.
Grif: Director, are you inside?
Grif opens the door and is shocked to
find Director Satil murdered, his body
covered in blood, with someone
standing nearby.
Grif (shocked): Director...
The person grabs Grif by the neck and
throws him out of the room. Some
students are shocked by what they
see.
Student: P-Professor, what happened?
Grif: Run now and inform Langst! Tell
him the academy is under attack!
The students run to alert Langst and
evacuate the academy.
Grif: Did you kill the director?
???: What will you do if I did?
Grif: I'I| kill you.
???: Bold words. What's your name?
Grif: Grif Karika.
???: Alex Smith.
Meanwhile:
Karez: So, this is the place.
Karez enters the location and sees that
it has multiple floors.
Karez: I have to climb all of this...?
A voice echoes.
???: Welcome, Karez. I want to
welcome you to the Tower of Death. If
you want to reach me, you'll have to
get to the top.
Karez: Why are you being so clear and
confident?
???: Because I know you won't make
it out alive.
Karez: We'll see about that.
Karez begins ascending. At tirst,
nothing hinders his progress.
Karez (thinking): There's no way all the
floors are like this.
Karez continues climbing until he
reaches the 15th floor.
Karez: Am I just going to keep
climbing like this?
Suddenly, an arrow shoots out from
the wall, but Karez narrowly avoids it.
Karez: An arrow?
Karez feels the ground beneath him
heating up. Flames burst from the
floor, but he manages to evade them.
Soon, every step he takes ignites
flames. Karez starts running, trying to
climb and survive.
Karez (thinking): Of course, it wouldn't
be that simple.
Arrows shoot at Karez from all sides of
the walls. He dodges and blocks them
as he continues until he reaches the
25th floor.
Karez: Will these flames ever stop?
Suddenly, a large monster appears,
attacking Karez.
Karez (thinking): What should I do....
Flames behind me, a monster in front
of me, and arrows from the sides.
Think, think...
Karez gets an idea. Using his ability to
attract metal from the ground, he
increases the pull to launch himself
upward. The monster is struck by the
flames and arrows. Karez then hurls
the metal he attracted at the monster,
crushing it.
Karez: That was close... I need to keep
going.
In the Academy
Grif (thinking): Could his
ability be surveillance? If so, how does
he fight? Unless he's a skilled physical
fighter. Enough thinking--let's begin.
Grif charges toward Alex, and they
exchange blows.
Grif: You're more skilled than I
expected.
Grif successfully lands a hit on Alex
and follows it up with a jump kick to
his head. This momentary loss of focus
allows Grif to strike Alex in the side.
Alex: You're really annoying. Why don't
we fight more seriously.. with more
destruction?
Alex activates his ability, causing
massive hands to emerge and grow
from his back.
Grif: So your ability isn't just
surveillance and espionage.
Alex: Do you think you stand a chance
now?
Name: Alex Smith
Ability: Organs
Grif: You haven't seen anything yet.
Alex (thinking): I still don't
know what his ability is, but he seems
very confident.
The surroundings start to crumble due
to the size of the hands.
Grif: This should he enough.
Grif charges to attack Alex, but a hand
suddenly appears in front of him.
Alex: How foolish.
Grif: Nin.
Grif disappears and reappears behind
Alex, using the Shingen Offensive to
lunge forward and land a strike on
Alex's back.
Alex: You're more annoying than I
thought.
Grif: Do you still think I don't have a
chance?
Name: Grif Karika
Ability: Exchange
Alex: Unfortunately for you, the
teleportation is over.
One of the hands sprouts an eye that
transforms into a woman, revealing
that these eyes were embedded with a
teleportation ability.
Alex: Now it's two against one.
Langst arrives at the battle scene,
finding the area destroyed.
Langst:I leave to buy tea and come
back to find the academy in this state?
Listen here, you said it's two against
one. That's not the case anymore-it's
two against two.
Grif: Langst! The director has been
killed.
Langst: That old man... was killed?
Who did it?
Grif: The guy with the massive hands.
Langst: Leave him to me.
Alex: You seem stronger. What's your
name?
Langst: Langst Vitaline. The man who will kill you.
Alex: Alex Smith. It's a pleasure to meet
you.
Langst's hands turn into blades.
Grif: Hey, you!
???: So, you're my prey. I'm
Grace Onassis.
Grif: I'm Grif Karika.
The battle begins!
Meanwhile:
Karez, thinking to himself: Floor 46...
47... 48... 49.. Floor 50. The area is
completely sealed off. I think this is
the final floor.
A figure appears in front of Karez.
???: Congratulations on
reaching me, Karez.
Karez (thinking): This voice...It is him.
???: I think you deserve to know
my name now. l'm Alvis Exaris.
Karez: Where's my mother?
Alvis: Look behind me.
Karez sees his mother lying on the
ground.
Karez: Mom... What did you do to her?
Alvis speaks with a sinister smile.
Alvis: I didn't do anything too
extreme.. just a little torture. That'l
make you angrier, won't it?