The courtyard was empty now.
Completely empty.
No fighters.No spectators.No pressure.
Just stone… and silence.
Kaito stood where he had been the day before, hands in his pockets, staring out across the field.
It felt different.
Not because the place changed.
But because it no longer held him.
"…So this is it," he muttered.
"Not yet."
Kaito didn't turn this time.
"…You always show up like that?"
Nasukawa walked forward slowly, stopping a few steps behind him.
"It works."
Kaito smirked faintly.
"…Guess it does."
A brief silence passed between them.
Then Kaito's expression shifted slightly.
"…I've got questions."
"Yes."
"…A lot of them."
Nasukawa crossed his arms.
"Then ask."
Kaito turned now, fully facing him.
"…Start with the obvious."
His eyes narrowed.
"…Who are you, really?"
Nasukawa didn't hesitate.
"I told you."
"…No," Kaito said, shaking his head. "You gave me a name."
Silence.
Kaito stepped closer.
"…Naoya Nasukawa. Rank 1. Strongest in this world."
He held his gaze.
"…That's not what I'm asking."
Nasukawa watched him calmly.
"…Then ask it properly."
Kaito's voice dropped slightly.
"…Why were you here?"
Silence.
The wind moved across the courtyard.
"…You could've left anytime," Kaito continued. "You were already Rank 1. No one could stop you."
Nasukawa didn't respond.
"…But you stayed," Kaito said. "Not just stayed, you acted like some normal instructor."
He gestured vaguely behind him.
"Tanaka Sensei."
A faint pause.
"…Why?"
Nasukawa looked out across the empty field.
"…Because I chose to."
Kaito frowned.
"That's not an answer."
"It is."
"…Not a good one."
Nasukawa exhaled slowly.
"…This world," he said, "is not what you think it is."
Kaito crossed his arms.
"…Yeah, you said that already."
"It was built."
Kaito's expression didn't change at first.
"…Built."
"Yes."
"…You mean like… constructed?"
"Yes."
Silence.
Kaito stared at him.
"…You're serious."
"Yes."
"…So this whole place, this courtyard, the rankings, everything…"
"…Was created with a purpose."
Kaito let out a short breath.
"…Alright. Then what's the purpose?"
Nasukawa turned his head slightly.
"To raise fighters."
"…That's obvious."
"To prepare them."
"For what?"
A pause.
"…For what comes next."
Kaito's eyes narrowed.
"…You keep saying that like it explains anything."
"It will."
"…Then explain it."
Nasukawa looked back at him.
"…This world is a gate."
Silence.
Kaito didn't speak.
"…A gate," he repeated.
"Yes."
"…And you?"
Another pause.
"…I am its guardian."
The words settled into the space between them.
Not dramatic.
Not loud.
But heavy.
Kaito stared at him.
"…Guardian."
"Yes."
"…So what, you just… stand here and train people forever?"
"No."
"…Then what do you actually do?"
"I watch."
Kaito scoffed slightly.
"…That's it?"
"I decide."
"…Decide what."
"Who is ready to leave."
Silence.
Kaito's gaze sharpened.
"…So Rank 1…"
"…Is not the goal," Nasukawa said. "It is the signal."
"…The signal that someone's ready."
"Yes."
Kaito looked back at the ranking board in the distance.
Rank 1.
His name.
"…So every person who got to Rank 1 before me…"
"…Left."
"…And you stayed."
"Yes."
"…Why."
Nasukawa didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he stepped forward, closing the distance between them.
"…Because not all who leave are the same."
Kaito frowned.
"…What's that supposed to mean?"
"Some are simply strong enough."
"…And others?"
"…Need to be shaped."
Silence.
Kaito's expression shifted slightly.
"…You're talking about me."
"Yes."
"…So I wasn't just another student."
"No."
"…Then what was I."
Nasukawa held his gaze.
"…A risk."
The word hit differently.
Kaito didn't move.
"…A risk," he repeated.
"Yes."
"…Because I got strong too fast?"
"No."
"…Then why."
Nasukawa's voice stayed calm.
"…Because of what you are."
Silence.
Kaito's jaw tightened slightly.
"…We'll get to that," he said. "Don't dodge."
"I'm not."
"…Then answer this first."
Kaito stepped closer.
"…Why did you lie to me?"
A pause.
"…Why pretend to be Tanaka?" Kaito pressed. "Why act like you were just some normal instructor?"
Nasukawa didn't look away.
"…Because if I didn't…"
He paused.
"…You wouldn't have trained the same way."
Kaito frowned.
"…Explain."
"If you knew who I was from the beginning," Nasukawa said, "you would have chased my level instead of your own."
Silence.
"You would have tried to skip steps," he continued. "Forced progress. Sought shortcuts."
Kaito didn't respond.
"You would have focused on beating me," Nasukawa said, "instead of becoming yourself."
The words lingered.
"…And that would've been a problem," Kaito said.
"Yes."
"…Why."
"Because what you needed…" Nasukawa said quietly, "…was not to reach me."
A pause.
"…It was to reach your limit."
Silence.
Kaito looked down slightly.
"…So everything…"
"…Was intentional."
"…Every loss."
"Yes."
"…Every fight."
"Yes."
"…Every time you held back."
"I never held back."
Kaito looked up sharply.
"…What."
"I matched you," Nasukawa said. "Exactly where you needed to be."
Kaito stared at him.
"…That's worse."
"Yes."
Another silence.
Kaito let out a breath.
"…So this whole time…"
"…I was training under the strongest person in this world."
"Yes."
"…And I didn't even know it."
"Yes."
Kaito shook his head slightly.
"…That's ridiculous."
"Yes."
A faint smile tugged at the corner of Kaito's mouth.
"…Makes sense, though."
Nasukawa didn't react.
"…So what now?" Kaito asked.
"You leave."
"…Just like that."
"Yes."
"…No more training."
"No."
"…No more fights here."
"No."
Kaito looked around the courtyard.
For six years, this place had been everything.
Now...
It felt like something he had already outgrown.
"…And you stay," Kaito said.
"Yes."
"…Guarding the gate."
"Yes."
Kaito nodded slowly.
"…Guess that fits you."
Silence.
Then...
"…One more thing," Kaito said.
Nasukawa waited.
Kaito's expression hardened slightly.
"…You said I was a risk."
"Yes."
"…We're not done with that conversation."
"No."
Kaito met his eyes.
"…Good."
A quiet pause passed between them.
Then Kaito turned away.
"…Let's keep going," he said.
"…I want all the answers."