Chapter 73
At Apex High School, students sat quietly at their desks while the teacher wrote notes across the whiteboard with a black marker, explaining each point as the class carefully copied the information into their notebooks.
Haruto sat near the back beside the window, dressed in his neat school uniform as he calmly wrote down the notes before switching to a highlighter and marking the information he considered important.
(Vhalzareth already headed toward the Kingdom of Lumina with Momo since Sora isn't...here anymore.)
Haruto's eyes remained on his notebook as another thought crossed his mind.
(Oh man, now I have to find someone to take over Miyuki's role too...what a pain.)
The clouds above the school suddenly parted, allowing the first rays of sunlight to pass through the window and settle across Haruto's desk.
Haruto paused his writing and slowly turned his head toward the window, his gaze rising toward the bright sky beyond the glass.
(I hope things go well with Vhalzareth.)
A faint smile appeared on his face as another idea entered his mind.
(If everything works out, I'll throw a grand festival, and I'll make the main event a battle between the heroes of Solmaria and my students.)
The tall, middle-aged teacher noticed Haruto staring through the window and narrowed his sharp eyes before calling his name, deciding that Haruto should solve the mathematics problem written across the whiteboard.
(Not even a challenge.)
Haruto calmly pushed himself upward with both hands against the desk before making his way toward the whiteboard with steady steps, already knowing the answer before reaching the front of the classroom.
A while later, the school bell finally rang to signal the beginning of the break, and the cafeteria, which looked more like an elegant restaurant than a school dining hall, immediately began filling with students.
Those who had collected their meals from the counter moved toward their usual tables, joining friends who had already saved seats for them while the noise of conversation gradually filled the spacious cafeteria.
"I totally believed we were going to a fashion shop, but then my big brother told me we were actually at a Void Hunter mall," Yuna said happily as she sat beside the window, still sounding amused by the memory. "I honestly didn't see that coming."
"Really? How did you even mistake that?" Aria asked while giving Yuna an unimpressed look, her expression suggesting that she still couldn't understand how such a mistake had happened.
"It must be really nice having such a handsome older brother," Sakura remarked softly, raising her chocolate milkshake and taking a slow sip through the straw.
Her long pastel-pink hair was tied into high twin ponytails, with soft lavender strands falling beneath them, while her pinkish-red eyes remained narrowed with her usual mildly sleepy expression.
—Sakura Amahara—
"So true, and he even came to pick me up after I finished my idol work," Kuroha added cheerfully, her bright expression making the story sound even more impressive than it already was.
Her jet-black hair was styled into two elaborate side buns, with long braided strands falling beside her face while straight bangs framed her forehead, and her pointed teeth showed whenever her smile widened.
—Kuroba Amamiya—
"My big bro is caring and handsome, but come on, it's like all of you are going to develop a crush on him," Yuna said while puffing out her cheeks and crossing her arms. "You can't have him!"
"Except me, so don't put me under the same umbrella as those two," Aoi replied calmly, her gentle smile remaining unchanged as she continued eating.
Her shoulder-length black hair curled softly at the ends, while long bangs framed her face beneath a white headband decorated with a small silver clip, complementing her pale violet-gray eyes.
—Aoi Mizuhara—
"Oh yeah, you already have a boyfriend, which honestly surprises me," Yuna said with a playful smile as the other girls nodded along.
"Same here," Kuroha added, turning toward Aoi with an amused grin. "Aoi, do you even like that guy? He gives off such a nerdy vibe."
(That's a little rude, although I suppose I should have expected it from Kuroha.)
Aria quietly continued eating her lunch, deciding that it was better to remain silent and simply watch the conversation unfold.
"To be honest, I thought the same thing at first," Aoi admitted softly while moving her food around with her utensil. "When he confessed to me, I felt pressured, so I agreed before really thinking about what I wanted."
"What?! You should break up with him!" Sakura exclaimed, placing her milkshake down on the table with considerably more force than necessary. "Good grief, you're far too kind to say no."
Aoi's fingers briefly tightened around her utensil before she looked away, her expression becoming slightly embarrassed.
"But after I started spending more time with him and getting to know him, I realized that I actually like being around him," she said quietly, her voice becoming warmer as she spoke. "There's something comforting about it."
"Awww, then it must be destined love," Kuroha said with a playful grin, leaning slightly toward Aoi to watch her reaction. "If you're happy whenever you're with him, I guess we'll let it slide."
Aoi gave a quiet laugh while gently looking away, clearly embarrassed by how easily Kuroha had turned the conversation into teasing.
"All this love talk is making me want a boyfriend too," Yuna declared happily as she clasped her hands together like she was praying. "Someone, please confess to me already."
"Ahaha, you probably don't want to say that too loudly," Aria replied, her eyes widening slightly at Yuna's sudden declaration. "Your brother might hear you and completely freak out."
"Whaaat?! Then I can't have a boyfriend right now!" Yuna quickly changed her mind, turning toward Aria with genuine concern.
Sakura rested her cheek against one hand while watching Yuna with mild amusement.
"Yuna, what would your ideal lover even be like?" she asked curiously, her sleepy expression barely changing. "I'm actually interested in hearing this."
"That's easy," Yuna answered without hesitation, her expression becoming completely serious despite the ridiculous standard she was about to describe. "Someone like my brother, who can solve impossible problems and is strong enough to be the strongest."
Aoi tilted her head slightly, her pale violet-gray eyes showing genuine confusion.
"When you say 'the strongest,' what exactly do you mean by that?" she asked calmly, clearly intending to understand what Yuna meant before making any assumptions.
Before Yuna could explain herself, however, the school bell rang again, signaling the end of their break.
The students throughout the cafeteria immediately began gathering their plates and returning them to the counter, while those who had been standing in the hallway hurried back toward their classrooms before the next lesson began.
Haruto lay on his back atop the school rooftop with his arms folded beneath his head, staring up at the cloudless blue sky with an increasingly bothered expression.
(This break isn't even worth being called a break...I'm already bored.)
Haruto let out a quiet sigh before slowly rising to his feet.
(Perhaps I should try making some friends. It might be worth giving it a chance.)
Just as Haruto was about to jump from the rooftop, his entire field of vision suddenly turned ink-black.
The familiar school rooftop vanished from his sight as an endless black mist replaced the world around him, stretching in every direction without revealing even the slightest trace of a horizon.
Haruto's expression shifted with confusion as he slowly looked around, trying to determine where he had been taken, yet there was nothing within the darkness that his eyes could recognize.
Then, a strange clicking sound echoed through the darkness.
It came from every direction at once, yet Haruto could somehow tell that every sound originated from a single presence.
Haruto slowly raised his head toward the darkness above him, his eyes narrowing as an impossibly long and slender spider leg suddenly swept past his position with terrifying speed.
He only caught sight of it for an instant, but that single glimpse was enough to make him realize that something enormous was moving above him.
Something so vast that the very idea of measuring its size felt meaningless, as though whatever existed beyond the mist belonged to something far outside ordinary understanding and reason.
Haruto remained still as the black mist shifted around him, revealing only fragments of the colossal presence moving somewhere beyond his perception.
Then, without warning, everything snapped back into place.
The rooftop returned to normal, the blue sky once again stretched above him, and not a trace of the black mist remained anywhere within his surroundings.
Haruto's hair fell across his face, casting his expression into shadow, yet one thing about him had unmistakably changed.
When he slowly raised his head, a sharp smile rested across his lips while his narrowed eyes carried an unfamiliar edge that hadn't been there moments before.
By nightfall, Haruto stood before the main mansion dressed in an elegant black suit, while Yuna stood beside him in a long black dress that shimmered beneath the surrounding lights like scattered stars.
"Alright, you two should behave yourselves since you're representing the family tonight," Reika said while standing beside Haruto with her arms crossed, her expression carrying the familiar authority of an older sister.
"Don't worry yourself, Sis, there won't be any problems," Haruto replied calmly, his eyes remaining completely dead despite the faint smile resting on his face.
"You can count on that, Sis, so just relax at home," Yuna added cheerfully as she spun around once, clearly pleased with her outfit before turning back toward Reika.
"Yeah, yeah..." Reika replied with a small smile as she tilted her head before waving them toward the waiting vehicle. "Now get in the car, because I don't want either of you arriving late."
"See you later, Sis," Haruto and Yuna said together before entering the black luxury car.
The vehicle soon pulled away from the mansion and disappeared down the road, while Reika remained outside for a moment, watching until the car vanished into the distance before finally turning around and heading back inside.
Later, the car came to a stop at a red light as snowflakes began drifting gently through the night sky, gradually covering the streets with a thin layer of white.
Yuna's cheerful expression slowly faded as she stared through the window with a worried look, and Haruto noticed the change almost immediately.
He turned his head toward her, studying her expression for a moment before quietly asking what was wrong.
"Be honest, Sis, what's wrong?" Haruto asked while looking toward Yuna, his expression unusually empty as the car continued moving through the snowy streets.
"Mmm...it's just that I'm kind of afraid I'll see that girl again," Yuna admitted softly while nervously playing with a strand of her hair, forcing a small smile despite the uneasiness visible in her expression. "She was...kind of mean to me."
"Oh..." Haruto replied quietly as his gaze returned toward the road ahead. "Then don't say anything more if talking about it is difficult for you."
"Huh...thank you, Brother," Yuna said softly as she looked through the window, watching the snowy scenery pass outside.
(Seraphina, tell me everything she has done to my sister...all of it.)
Haruto's expression remained calm, almost unnaturally so, while something far colder settled behind his eyes.
『Gathering Information...Complete.』
『Individual: Yuna Satoru.』
『Individual causing distress: Rose Noir.』
『Confirmed actions include physical harm, verbal bullying, and blackmail directed toward Yuna Satoru.』
Haruto remained silent for several seconds, his fingers slowly tightening against his thigh as restrained anger began building beneath his otherwise composed expression.
(...)
(Ahahaha...I can't wait to deal with her.)
"Oh, Brother, there's something else I wanted to tell you," Yuna said suddenly, placing a hand against her chin as her expression became more thoughtful. "I think I might have awakened my power, but I don't know exactly what kind of ability it is."
"Isn't that interesting?" Haruto replied while glancing toward her. "Since you're fourteen years old, it makes sense that your power could manifest around this age."
(Just my presence alone seems capable of influencing a universe into granting people abilities.)
"Could you perhaps help me discover what kind of power I have?" Yuna asked with hopeful eyes, her expression making it difficult for Haruto to simply dismiss her request.
"Sure, just give me a second," Haruto answered calmly.
Haruto activated his Ultimate Skill, "Deus Penumbra", and the information he sought immediately became accessible to him as Seraphina processed the ability through his perception.
『Analysis Complete.』
『Subject: Yuna Satoru.』
『Granted Ability: "Akashic Eyes: Divine Replica".』
『Primary Function: Allows the user to replicate abilities regardless of the original power's magnitude.』
"Your ability is fairly straightforward," Haruto explained as he looked toward Yuna. "You can copy the abilities of other individuals."
Yuna's eyes widened as she leaned against the car window, the realization slowly settling into her mind.
"So...any ability?" she asked, her expression becoming increasingly serious as she considered the possibilities.
(I'm living in a world filled with countless different powers...and I can potentially obtain all of them.)
A few minutes later, Haruto's car finally stopped before the gates of an enormous white mansion, where brilliant lights illuminated the surrounding grounds while music and the voices of wealthy guests filled the night.
Photographers and news reporters crowded around the entrance, their cameras flashing repeatedly as the driver opened the door for Haruto and Yuna.
The sudden brightness from the cameras briefly surrounded them, yet neither sibling paid much attention to the questions being thrown toward them as they calmly made their way toward the entrance.
Yuna wrapped her arm around Haruto's arm while bodyguards escorted them through the crowd, keeping the reporters from getting too close as they approached the mansion.
After finally escaping the overwhelming crowd, the two entered through the gates while the bodyguards immediately closed them behind their backs.
Before long, Haruto and Yuna found themselves inside an enormous ballroom filled with wealthy guests dressed in elegant suits and formal dresses, with groups gathered around small tables while quietly discussing business and other matters.
"Mmm...Little Sis, why don't you go greet some of the important people?" Haruto said as he glanced around the ballroom. "I have something I need to take care of."
Before Yuna could properly respond, Haruto had already begun walking toward the long, spiraling staircase leading toward the upper floors.
"...Sure?" Yuna replied with a blank smile, watching her brother disappear into the crowd.
(Brother has been acting strange...)
She tilted her head slightly while continuing to watch the direction Haruto had gone.
(Mmm...maybe I'm just imagining things. He's always been strange anyway.)
Yuna eventually turned away and began wandering through the ballroom until an elderly man called out to her.
The man possessed the refined appearance of a professional butler, with blond hair swept backward and several white strands mixed throughout it, while his hands remained calmly folded behind his back beneath a polite smile.
Beside him stood a woman with short pink hair styled into a neat bob, wearing an elegant silver dress and maintaining a serious expression as she quietly observed the surrounding guests.
"Oh, isn't that one of the Satoria family's siblings?" the old man asked.
Yuna glanced over her shoulder before turning fully toward him, recognition appearing within her eyes.
"Old Butler Kim," Yuna said with mild surprise, elegantly raising a hand toward her mouth. "My apologies, I suppose I should call you Minister Kim now, shouldn't I?"
"Ahaha, there's no need to apologize," Butler Kim replied warmly while shaking his head. "I've known you and your brother since you were born, back when I was still serving your family."
"You're right about that, Old Butler Kim," Yuna replied with a mischievous smile before shifting her attention toward the woman beside him. "Have you finally settled down?"
"Oh no, I'm long past that particular chapter of my life," Butler Kim replied with a small laugh as he glanced toward the woman, who quietly closed her eyes.
"She is an S-Rank Void Hunter assigned to protect me during this event," Butler Kim explained before returning his attention to Yuna. "Now then, Lady Yuna, who have you brought with you tonight?"
"Me?" Yuna asked while tilting her head slightly before answering with a gentle smile. "Just my brother, because he's all I need."
(At a gathering like this, assassinating someone would be relatively easy.)
The S-Rank Void Hunter quietly observed Yuna while keeping her expression composed.
(Her brother must possess considerable strength if Grandmaster Liora entrusted Lady Yuna to him, because she certainly wouldn't send someone weak to accompany her.)
"Your brother is here?" Butler Kim asked, his eyes widening slightly as he glanced around the ballroom. "Where is he? I should formally greet him since he is the heir, after all."
"Ahhh...I'm not really sure where he went," Yuna admitted softly while shaking her head. "He said he had something to take care of, but I have no idea where he is right now."
"That's unfortunate, because I was hoping to speak with him personally," Butler Kim said as he glanced down at his watch before letting out a quiet sigh. "Unfortunately, I cannot remain here any longer, so please tell your brother that I sent my regards."
"Yes, of course," Yuna replied with a gentle smile while resting one hand against her waist. "I'll tell him as soon as I see him, so please take care of yourself."
Butler Kim gave Yuna a final wave before disappearing into the crowd, his figure gradually becoming obscured by the wealthy guests and their endless conversations.
Yuna lowered her arms and released a quiet sigh as she watched him leave.
"Oh, isn't this interesting?" a mischievous voice suddenly said from behind her.
Yuna's body stiffened as she slowly turned around.
A young woman stood there with loose, straight yellow hair whose edges curved slightly inward, while her black-green eyes narrowed upon Yuna with a sharp little smirk.
"Huh...?" Yuna whispered in shock as her heart suddenly began pounding, her hands tightening into trembling fists while an old sense of fear returned to her.
—Rose Noir—