"Riel, can I take a look at your black rapier?" Yui suddenly asked after we entered the two-storey house.

"In exchange, I'll let you check out my black cutlass," she added with a small smile.

"Sure, I’m actually kind of curious about your cutlass," I admitted.

"I figured," she said knowingly. "You were staring at it pretty intently while we were walking."

"Sorry about that," I replied. "I was just intrigued, especially after seeing you use a sword style similar to mine."

"I guess your grandfather never told you about the Kurokiba branch family," Yui said as she carefully examined Devourer.

"Grandpa was always secretive when it came to his family matters," I replied.

"That doesn’t surprise me," she said before drawing Devourer from its sheath.

"Yui!" Dia gasped as she saw her unsheathe the sword.

"It’s okay, Dia," I reassured her.

Yui turned the blade in her hands, admiring it. "It’s incredible that you can control Devourer at such a young age."

"I guess all that training with Slayer finally paid off," I said as I unsheathed her black cutlass in return.

The moment I drew it, a surge of screams, terror, and gruesome deaths flashed through my mind.

"This cutlass is called Ravager, the only black sword given to the branch family," Yui explained.

"It’s one of the seven black swords," she added.

"So there’s one more," I muttered.

"It’s beautiful… just like the others," I admitted.

"Don’t you want it?" she suddenly asked.

I shook my head. "No, I don’t."

"Why?" Yui asked, looking at me curiously.

"Because it’s yours," I answered.

She stared at me, surprised.

"This sword recognizes you as its master," I continued. "It’s like Slayer and the other five black swords to me."

Yui let out a soft sigh. "Sorry for testing you.

The truth is… it was your grandfather’s order for us to keep that sword."

She hesitated for a moment before continuing.

"He also taught me a bit about the Severing Style… but I never managed to master it," she admitted.

"That’s why my swordsmanship is similar to yours, but with a few differences”, she added.

I blinked in surprise. "Grandpa never mentioned having another student", I said.

"Should I call you Yui-senpai, then?" I teased.

Yui froze, her face turning red.

Before she could respond, Dia suddenly cut in.

"Riel, are you done talking with Yui?" she asked, clearly annoyed.

I glanced around. "Where’s Alex?"

"He’s already in his room," Dia replied.

"Sorry for taking up so much of your time," Yui said as she handed Devourer back to me.

"I’ll be heading to my room to rest, but I hope we can continue our conversation sometime soon," she added.

"I’d like that too. Thanks for your time, Yui-senpai," I replied with a smirk as I handed Ravager back to her.

A soft "Hmmm…" came from Dia.

I turned to look at her, she was clearly pouting as she watched Yui enter her room.

"Let’s go to your room upstairs," she huffed, still hugging Decapitator tightly in her arms.

Suppressing a chuckle, I followed after her.

"This is your ID," Dia said as she handed me the card after unlocking the door.

"It grants access to your room and covers your food and necessities fund. Don’t lose it", she added.

"Thanks," I replied as I stepped inside.

The room was spacious, far larger than my previous one.

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

A king-sized bed stood against one wall, accompanied by a study table, wardrobe, and bookshelf.

"Where should I put Decapitator?" Dia asked.

"Just place it beside the bed," I answered.

She carefully set the black Executioner sword down while I placed my travel bag and Devourer on the opposite side.

"I’ll be heading out now, Riel," Dia stated.

"Grandpa wants me back in his office right away after dropping you off", she added.

"Thanks for showing me my new room," I said with a smile.

She tried to hide her own smile as she walked toward the door.

"Meet me in the living room after breakfast tomorrow," she added before closing the door behind her.

I sat down on the comfortable bed, sinking into the plush mattress.

Holding up the ID card she had given me, I read the details:

Asriel Kurokiba

Genesis Zero Branch

Member #02

Job: Close Combat Specialist

Rank: Classified

As I stared at the card, drowsiness suddenly washed over me.

It felt like I had only been asleep for a few hours when a knock echoed through the room.

"Riel, I made lunch if you're hungry," Alex’s voice came from outside.

I let out a yawn as I sat up.

Is it lunchtime already? I thought as I looked at the clock on my room's wall.

The bed was dangerously comfortable, and I already missed its warmth as I got up and headed downstairs.

Upon reaching the first floor, I spotted Dia and Yui seated at the dining table.

Dia glanced up and gestured for me to sit beside her, directly across from Yui.

"Oh! Just in time, Riel," Alex said, setting down the dishes he had prepared.

"I thought you were still asleep", he added

"Just a quick nap," I replied.

Meanwhile, Dia stood up to grab me a plate and cutlery.

The table was set with chicken teriyaki, vegetable stir-fry, miso soup, and white rice.

"I figured I'd cook some Asian food to make up for earlier," Alex explained, still holding his personal device, which displayed a chicken teriyaki recipe.

"Thanks," I said, helping myself to a generous serving after Dia and Yui had taken theirs.

I also grabbed some stir-fried vegetables and two cups of rice.

"Is this your first time making this?" I asked after taking a bite.

Alex’s expression instantly shifted.

"Wait… is it that bad?" he asked.

Dia and Yui laughed at his reaction.

"No, no… it’s really good," I reassured him.

"Almost as good as my grandma’s chicken teriyaki", I added.

"Alex is a really good cook," Dia said proudly.

"Honestly, I feel a little guilty when it’s my turn to cook," Yui admitted.

"Yeah, I start losing confidence every time I taste his food," Dia agreed with a sigh.

"But what really matters is the effort you put into the dish, right, Riel?" Alex asked.

"That’s true," I nodded.

"But let’s be honest, great food is on a whole different level."

Alex smirked. "Riel… you just love eating delicious food, don’t you?"

"Blame my mom and grandma for spoiling me with amazing cooking," I replied.

He chuckled at my response.

"So it has to be tasty, huh?" Dia mused.

"The homemade sandwiches you brought me last night were really good," I said absentmindedly.

"You brought him homemade sandwiches?" Yui asked, surprised.

"And they were really delicious… hmm," I added thoughtfully.

Dia turned bright red while I continued enjoying my meal, pretending not to notice.

Meanwhile, Alex grinned, clearly entertained.

"By the way, Riel," Dia suddenly said, eager to change the subject, "Grandpa assigned both of us to a newly formed group, Genesis Zero."

"Alex and Yui will be transferring to the branch next week," she continued.

"Apparently, another promising member will also be joining us then," she added.

Alex leaned back, arms crossed.

"So what’s the point of gathering all the Blessed Children in one place?"

"It’s probably to minimize civilian and military casualties," Yui speculated.

"You’re right. Gladius is getting too powerful these days," Alex agreed.

"Just like the other day when they attacked Iceland, killing over a hundred civilians," he added grimly.

"Fortunately, reinforcements were strong enough to back up the first team and push Gladius back," Yui said.

So that’s what they were told… I thought.

Dia suddenly spoke up.

"Riel was the one who stopped them, alone.

And saying he just ‘pushed them back’ isn’t really accurate…

After all, every Gladius member in that area died that day, except for Scarlett Rain."

Alex and Yui’s eyes widened in shock.

"But weren’t there two Swords of Sin there that day?" Alex asked.

"And both of them had legendary swords," he added.

"From what I heard, it was Scarlett Rain and Black Snow," Yui said.

"Black Snow is dead," Dia confirmed.

"He was cut into pieces.

While Scarlett Rain barely managed to escape.", Dia added.

Yui turned to me, her gaze sharp.

"You used it, didn’t you? Severing Style: Killing Art," Yui asked.

"I did," I admitted.

"No wonder…" Yui muttered. "Your grandpa always said the world would be fine, even if he were gone."

"Can’t you use it, Yui?" Alex asked curiously.

She shook her head.

"No. You need to fully master the Severing Style Forms before you can even attempt to learn it."

"I see…" Alex nodded.

"No wonder General Andrei sent Riel into battle immediately after he arrived", he added.

I said nothing and simply continued eating, occasionally sipping my iced tea while they talked.

A few moments later, I set down my glass.

"Thanks for the food."

Alex glanced at me. "What are your plans for today, Riel?"

"Sleep," I replied as I stood up to wash my dishes.

"But didn’t you just wake up?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Not actual sleep," I clarified. "I’m gonna play a VRMMO game."

Alex smirked. "Well then, enjoy your game."

"Is it Arcadia Online?" Yui suddenly asked.

I paused. "How’d you know?"

"Niko talked about it quite a lot when I asked him about his training methods," she replied.

"I see," I said. "You should try it sometime, Yui."

"You never know, you might like it," I added before heading back to my room.