Kyoji made his way through the crowd of restless kids, all trying to prepare themselves for what was coming.
But they had no idea what was actually coming.
There was no preparing for it.
If no one stopped it, then nothing could prevent the devastation that would follow.
Kyoji already had a plan. Now, all that was left was to execute it. Hopefully—just hopefully—it would work.
His eyes scanned the crowd until he found who he was looking for.
Ethan.
He stood among the other kids, just as lost as the rest of them.
He gripped his sword tightly with both hands, his fingers trembling. His eyes darted from place to place as if searching for something—or someone.
Kyoji sighed before stepping forward.
As he reached Ethan, he tapped him on the shoulder from behind. Ethan flinched, turning around abruptly, his body tense.
But the moment he saw Kyoji, his face lit up with relief.
"Kyoji! It's you! I was worried something happened to you," Ethan said, dropping his sword and pulling Kyoji into a tight hug.
He had been terrified when he didn't see Kyoji among the kids after the explosion died down. He had feared the worst. But now, seeing Kyoji alive and well, a weight lifted off his chest.
Kyoji, however, remained rigid. He stared at Ethan's arms wrapped around him before gently pushing him away, breaking the embrace.
"Come with me," he said coldly. Without another word, he turned and walked away.
Ethan sighed. He was already used to Kyoji's indifference.
He knew Kyoji didn't feel emotions the way he did, so he didn't take it personally. But still, he furrowed his brows as he watched Kyoji walk away.
Where was he going?
Ethan hesitated for a moment before breaking into a sprint, catching up to Kyoji and walking beside him.
Seeing the serious look on Kyoji's face, he chose not to ask any questions. He simply followed in silence.
The temple had turned into ruins. Rubble and debris littered the ground, broken walls and shattered glass scattered everywhere. Fires burned in different spots, remnants of the destruction left behind by the Calamity Mutant.
But Kyoji ignored it all, forging ahead until he reached a certain part of the temple.
A large section of the walls had collapsed, blocking the path. He came to a stop.
"This must be it," he muttered, his eyes scanning the area.
Ethan, who had been following him the whole time, finally spoke up.
"Kyoji… what are we doing here?" His voice was uneasy.
They had strayed far from the other kids, and it unsettled him.
He didn't understand why Kyoji had brought him here.
"To hide," Kyoji answered flatly. "Or, more precisely, to hide you."
That was the reason he had led Ethan here.
He already had a plan to deal with what was coming. He had to stop the Dominator Mutants from breaking through.
It wasn't the smartest thing to do, but it was the only way to survive.
At the moment, Major Gareth, Mr. Sawyer, and Miss Anna—the only ones capable of handling the situation—were too occupied with bigger threats. They wouldn't have time to deal with this, so he had to rely on himself.
As for reinforcements? They were out of the question.
In his previous life, by the time the reinforcements had arrived, the destruction caused by the mutant after it had brokenthrough had already done irreparable damage.
He wasn't going to sit around and hope things would be different this time.
His survival was in his own hands.
"W-what?" Ethan stammered, his voice trembling.
But Kyoji didn't respond. He was already moving.
Ethan was a variable—one he couldn't afford to have interfering with his plans.
The kid was too attached to him. And Kyoji didn't trust himself not to act on instinct and try to save him in the heat of battle.
That was a risk he couldn't take.
So he had to stash him away.
Kyoji worked swiftly, lifting and shifting rubble until he uncovered a concealed fireplace.
"Get in," he ordered, his voice cold and firm.
"What?" Ethan frowned. Kyoji was acting strange.
"I said, step inside and hide," Kyoji repeated, his tone sharper this time.
"But—"
"There is no 'but,'" Kyoji cut him off before he could argue.
"You're weak. Too weak to be of any help to anyone. Having you out there is a death sentence.
"Stay here until reinforcements arrive and everything is settled."
Ethan trembled as Kyoji's words hit him, blunt and unforgiving.
He knew he was weak, too weak to make a difference. But still, he wanted to help.
He didn't want to be hidden away like a scared puppy, but when he saw the look on Kyoji's face, he didn't argue.
Cold. Emotionless. Yet Ethan knew Kyoji better than that.
He might not feel emotions the way others did, but he cared. That was why he was doing this.
Ethan knew Kyoji cared.
And he didn't want to lose him.
The thought sent warmth through his chest.
He had to trust him.
Without another word, Ethan stepped into the fireplace, crouching to fit inside.
Like the rest of the ruined temple, the space was filled with small debris and cement dust. The firewood that had once burned inside had been smothered long ago, leaving nothing but ash.
It was tight, but not unbearable. There was enough room for two more people, so while it wasn't comfortable, it wasn't suffocating either.
Seeing him settle in, Kyoji nodded.
"Stay here. I'll come get you once everything settles," he said, already preparing to cover the fireplace with a section of the fallen walls.
If it was too exposed, it wouldn't serve as a proper hiding spot.
"Hmm," Ethan hummed weakly, his whole body shivering.
He hated this.
He hated being weak.
Hated not being able to do anything.
Hated being protected.
But what choice did he have?
"Stay safe," he said, his voice barely a whisper but sincere.
Kyoji paused mid-motion, his gaze flicking to Ethan.
His green eyes were filled with genuine concern.
Kyoji didn't feel whatever emotion he was supposed to in response, but he knew what was expected.
So he faked a small, reassuring smile.
"That's the plan," he replied before pulling the section of the wall over the fireplace, sealing Ethan inside.
The moment it was done, the fake smile disappeared from his face.
Kyoji flexed his fingers, noting a strange sensation in his body.
His strength—
It had increased.
Even more than before.
Was this his talent manifesting further?
He had been fortunate. Unlike most, who developed their abilities slowly after the Blessing Ritual, he had gained his power immediately. But now, it felt as if his strength was still growing beyond what it had been earlier.
Was he still receiving power from his talent?
Frowning, he decided to check his status.
A familiar blue screen appeared before his eyes.
---
< Name: Kyoji Renn >
< Talent: [???] Time Manipulation, [???] Blood Manipulation >
< Strength: 2.5 >
< Agility: 1.9 >
< Endurance: 3.2 >
< Intelligence: 2.3 >
< Attribute Points: 0 >
< Skills: Time Dome, Crimson Arsenal, Vital Control >
< Equipment: A Normal Sword >
---
No changes.
His stats were exactly as he remembered.
So was the strength boost just in his head?
Well, it didn't matter.
If he was stronger, then good. If not, worrying about it wouldn't change anything.
Right now, he had a more important task.
With Ethan secured, there were no more distractions.
It was time to focus on the objective.
Leaving this section of the ruined temple behind, Kyoji made his way back toward the others.
By the time he arrived, the tension in the air had only worsened.
Mr. Sawyer had already armed the kids, positioning them based on their talents and potential roles in the upcoming battle.
But organizing them was one thing.
Getting them truly ready to fight was another.
These were kids—sixteen and seventeen years old.
Most had never fought before. Many had never even been in a real fight, let alone a battle for survival.
And now, they were expected to face mutants.
Creatures of pure chaos and destruction.
On the very first day of their blessing.
It was too much.
But there was no choice.
Miss Anna was pushing herself to the limit, despite her injuries, trying to hold back whatever had slipped past Major Gareth.
Buying them time.
But it was clear she wouldn't last much longer.
And once she hit her limit—
Hell would break loose.
There was no cavalry coming to save them.
So combat experience or not, it didn't matter anymore.
When survival was on the line, nothing else did.
Gripping his sword tightly, Kyoji stepped forward.
He moved to the front of the formation, standing ahead of the others, his grip on his weapon tightening.
It was about to start.
Judging by the timing—
The Dominator Mutant was already making its move.
It was going for a breakthrough.
He had to find it.
Had to stop it before it succeeded.
Was it going to be easy? No.
Not even close.
But was he afraid? No.
The concept didn't exist to him.
He was going to survive.
That was all that mattered.