The white ceiling stared back at him. Blank. Silent. Unmoving.
Royoshi was back in the med-bay…once again.
He blinked slowly.
Once.
Twice.
"Again…?"
Pain answered him immediately. A dull ache spread through his entire body. His arm throbbed the most. Bandages. Stitches. Tight.
He shifted slightly—bad idea. A sharp pain shot through his side.
"Yeah…it's definitely worse than the last time."
He exhaled slowly. Then just…stared at the ceiling. Thinking about nothing. Absolutely nothing.
Minutes passed… or maybe longer. He didn't really care.
The door slid open quietly. Footsteps, light and controlled.
Royoshi didn't turn his head. He already knew who it was.
Ishara stopped beside his bed.
"…You're awake."
"Yeah…barely."
She sat down beside him. Same composed expression. Same calm posture.
But her eyes—they lingered on him because of concern.
"…Thank you."
Royoshi blinked, then turned his head slightly.
"For saving everyone."
A small pause.
"…And me."
For just a moment—she flushed slightly.
Then—gone.
Back to normal.
Royoshi gave a faint smile.
"…Don't mention it."
Ishara's expression hardened slightly.
"You shouldn't push yourself that far."
Royoshi looked back at the ceiling. "…If I didn't, everyone would be dead."
Silence filled the room.
Then—
"Everyone thinks I'm the one who defeated that anomaly…" Ishara said.
Royoshi let out a quiet breath.
Then smiled faintly.
"Good."
He turned his head slightly.
"Keep it that way, will you?"
A pause.
"I don't really want that kind of attention." Royoshi continued.
Ishara stared at him for a moment. Then—a faint smile appeared.
"…Perhaps I can do that for you."
Silence. Softer this time.
Then—she spoke again.
"…How?"
Royoshi blinked. "How…what?"
Ishara didn't look away.
"How did you change so much?"
A pause.
"On the first day… You could barely handle a single anomaly."
Her voice remained calm, but sharper now.
"And now… You defeated something like that."
Silence.
Royoshi looked away to the ceiling again.
"…It's a little complicated."
A short pause.
"I just trained a lot, I guess."
Ishara's eyes narrowed slightly. "…Hmm."
Not convinced. But she didn't push further.
She stood up slowly and walked toward the door.
Then stopped. Without turning—
"…Thank you. Again."
A faint smile. Small but real.
Then—she left.
The door closed quietly. The silence returned.
Royoshi exhaled slowly. "…That was close."
After a few moments—the silence vanished again.
The door burst open.
"YOU AGAIN?!"
Royoshi flinched slightly.
The nurse stormed in, clipboard in hand, eyes locked onto him.
"How many times do I have to tell you to stop destroying your own body?!"
Royoshi blinked. "…Good morning?"
"Don't 'good morning' me!"
She walked straight up to his bed, scanning the bandages, the stitches, the readings on the monitor.
"This is your third—no—fourth time here!"
She looked at him sharply. "Do you think this is a hospital?!"
Royoshi gave a weak smile.
"…I prefer not to be here, actually."
"Then STOP ending up here!"
A pause. Then she sighed. Long. Tired.
"This time I'll let it go." She crossed her arms. "It was a catastrophic mission. The whole Class-C was brought in."
Her tone softened slightly.
"But you—" she pointed at him.
"—took the longest to wake up."
Royoshi looked away slightly.
"…I guess I just got a slow healing factor."
The nurse narrowed her eyes. "Or you push yourself too hard."
Silence. She turned away.
"Rest for a few more hours. Then you're discharged."
She stopped at the door.
"And next time—" she glanced back. "Try not to almost die."
The door closed. Silence again.
Royoshi let out a quiet breath. "…I'll try."
A few hours later—
The med-bay lights felt less harsh. The pain had dulled slightly.
Royoshi sat up slowly. Still sore. Still tired. But stable enough.
He swung his legs off the bed. Carefully.
"…Yeah, still hurts like hell."
After a brief check from the nurse, he was discharged.
Again.
The hallway was quieter than usual.
Almost… empty.
Royoshi walked slowly. Each step steady.
He reached his dorm. Opened the door. Stepped inside. Closed it.
Silence.
Then—"Good job."
Royoshi froze. His body tensed instantly.
He turned.
"—How many times do I have to tell you not to barge into my room uninvited."
Rikishu stood near the window. Arms crossed. Calm as ever.
"That doesn't matter."
Royoshi sighed. "Of course it doesn't."
Rikishu looked at him. Carefully.
"You did well."
A pause.
"I'm proud of you."
Royoshi blinked slightly. "That's… unexpected coming from you."
Rikishu continued. "You're becoming stronger."
A small pause.
"Not like me." His gaze sharpened. "Better."
Silence filled the room.
Royoshi looked away.
"…Don't say things like that so suddenly."
Rikishu ignored that.
"That mission wasn't normal."
Royoshi nodded slightly.
"Yeah. I figured."
Rikishu stepped forward slightly.
"Someone interfered."
A pause.
"As if they wanted you… Specifically."
Royoshi's expression hardened.
"I knew it."
Rikishu nodded. "Rest today."
He turned toward the window. "We begin again tomorrow."
His form flickered—then disappeared.
Silence lingered after Rikishu disappeared.
Royoshi stood there for a moment. Still. Processing.
"…Wanted me specifically, huh."
He exhaled slowly.
Then walked toward his bed and collapsed onto it.
The fatigue hit harder than before. Not just physical… but mental.
His eyes closed as his body slowly accepted the gift of sleep.
Somewhere far away—
Deep within the Citadel, the containment chamber stood silent.
Shattered restraints. Broken seals. Empty.
Devrik stood in the center of it. His gaze sharp and unmoving.
"…So you escaped."
A faint crack ran along the floor where something had forced its way out.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"You may have escaped now…" a pause. "But you won't escape next time, Maris."
Elsewhere—
Hidden. Far from surveillance.
A dim chamber.
Maris stood still. Her breathing steady. But her eyes—burning.
Dark Shuryoku flickered faintly around her fingers. Unstable.
A hologram flickered to life in front of her.
Sevran.
"Maris."
His voice was cold. Controlled.
"I told you not to expose yourself."
Maris didn't look away.
"…It's my fault," she continued. "But I don't care anymore."
Silence.
Sevran's gaze hardened slightly.
"Stick to the plan."
A short pause.
Maris's expression didn't change.
"Get Royoshi and leave quickly."
Maris's expression didn't change. But something in her eyes shifted.
Then—
After a few moments of silence—
"…Rikishu is alive."
Silence.
For the first time—Sevran froze.
Just slightly.
Then, he spoke.
"Impossible."
His voice lowered.
"He's dead."
A pause.
"He died by my hands."
Maris stepped forward slightly. "I saw him."
Her voice sharpened.
"He was the one who defeated me."
A pause.
"Through a hologram."
Another pause.
"One attack." Her fingers clenched. "Too fast."
Sevran's expression darkened.
"…Then he's not gone yet…interesting."
Silence filled the chamber. A heavy one
"He was a genius… even back then."
Sevran's voice turned colder.
"Keep watching."
A pause.
"If he appears again… report immediately."
Maris smirked faintly.
"…I will."
A small pause.
"But this time—
Her eyes glowed slightly.
"Let me handle things my way."
Silence.
"My ego…"
A faint crack in her voice.
"…was shattered."
Sevran didn't react.
"I don't care about your ego."
A pause.
"Just make sure Royoshi stays alive."
Maris tilted her head slightly. "Alive…?"
A faint smile.
"Understood."
The hologram flickered.
Then—Sevran disappeared.
Silence returned. Maris stood alone. Her expression slowly changed.
From calm—to something darker.
"…Royoshi."
A whisper.
"Next time…"
Her grip tightened.
"I won't lose to you."