After everyone had left, Milo departed with his friends. Selunarion Selea went back to her home. Each of them returned to their own path, as if the arena had never existed.
Korito Kuroka walked ahead alone, calm and completely unfazed, his steps steady and unhurried.
Several meters behind him, his cousin Komiya Kuroka followed in silence, her gaze fixed on him.
But this time, it wasn't filled with envy or contempt.
It was only sadness.
She looked at his back and thought quietly:
He's… so far away from me. He wouldn't even notice if I stopped walking, or if I never returned to the family home. I don't think he would even ask about me…
When they finally arrived at the place where the Kuroka family resided, it was not an ordinary house in Novara, nor even a simple mansion or estate for the wealthy.
It resembled more of a small, self-contained village clusters of interconnected homes forming a unified settlement. Guards stood at key points, quietly watching over the area with disciplined vigilance.
As Korito walked in, he was greeted immediately. The guards and residents offered him respectful bows, their tone and posture reflecting clear acknowledgment of his status.
Komiya followed shortly after.
She received the same formal greetings when she arrived… but the difference in attention was obvious.
Komiya headed straight to her room without approaching anyone or speaking to a single member of the family.
Due to the size of the residence, it was easy for her to avoid others entirely as she made her way through the interconnected halls.
Once inside her room, she sat down in silence, still carrying that lingering sadness.
She whispered quietly to herself:
"Father is busy as well… I wish I could talk to him whenever I want… even just for a little while."
Komiya suddenly heard a knock on the door of her room.
It was her mother's voice.
"Komiya? Are you here?"
The door slowly opened.
Her mother stepped inside, her appearance strikingly similar to her daughter's, though her features were noticeably sharper and more mature. Faint wrinkles around her face quietly revealed that she was already in her forties. Her long black hair flowed smoothly down her back like silk, and she wore a formal, elegant outfit that covered her entire body neatly.
She glanced around the room for a moment, her eyes scanning the quiet space.
Then she whispered in confusion:
"Strange… I was sure someone came in here and opened the door..."
After a brief pause, she turned around and left the room, closing the door behind her as she went to search elsewhere.
A few seconds later, the wardrobe door slowly creaked open from the inside.
Komiya was sitting there silently in the darkness, hugging her knees tightly against her chest.
She looked deeply sad.
Komiya lowered her head slightly, her fingers tightening around her knees as her thoughts echoed quietly inside her mind.
Good thing she didn't search the room properly…
Damn it… I don't want to see her face right now.
She'll just force me to work all day without rest again… and spend the entire time pointing out every small mistake I make.
I wish she would disappear forever…
Komiya let out a quiet sigh, filled with sadness and frustration. Her eyes slowly lowered toward the darkness beneath her feet.
When will these exams finally end…?
I just want to get my certification already… so I can join a guild and leave this place behind.
Komiya slowly stood up and walked toward the door of her room. She closed it carefully, making sure not to make any sound loud enough for anyone outside to notice.
After that, she returned to her bed and relaxed for a few silent seconds.
Then her eyes shifted toward one of the nearby shelves.
There, she noticed a photograph.
She slowly picked it up and stared at it.
The picture showed her and Korito when they were both three years old, standing side by side. Their clothes were stained with a little mud, and both of them were smiling happily without a care in the world.
Komiya kept looking at the photo longer than usual.
Her eyes slowly began to tear up.
Memories of the past resurfaced in her mind.
Back then, when Komiya was still very young, she used to play outside alone.
Sitting on the ground, she quietly drew shapes in the dirt with her finger.
A few moments later, Korito slowly approached her.
At that age, he looked surprisingly gentle and innocent.
"What are you doing?"
He smiled warmly as he lowered himself slightly, placing his hands on his knees while looking at her drawing.
Komiya looked at him with slight uncertainty.
The other children in the family especially the girls around her age had never treated her kindly.
"...I'm drawing."
Korito stared at the drawing with genuine amazement, as if he had just discovered something fascinating for the first time.
"Oh, really? This is really beautiful."
Then he extended his hand toward her.
"Can I join you?"
Komiya froze in surprise for a brief moment.
Then, slowly, she smiled.
"Yes!"
After spending time playing together, Komiya accidentally slipped and fell into the mud.
Her clothes became completely dirty.
She immediately looked frightened, her eyes trembling as if she was about to cry.
"Mom will scold me… what should I do…?"
Suddenly, Korito reached down and touched the mud with his hand before smearing some of it onto his own clothes without hesitation.
"Don't worry. If she's going to scold you, then I'll tell her to scold me too."
Komiya stared at him for a moment.
Then she suddenly burst into laughter.
"You're stupid… really stupid, Korito!"
And the two of them began laughing together.
Suddenly, both Komiya and Korito felt a shadow looming behind them.
They immediately turned around in fear.
Standing there was Komiya's father.
He wore an extremely long black robe that nearly touched the ground, along with a black belt tied around his waist. On the belt were three red stars, standing out sharply against the dark fabric.
His presence alone felt heavy despite the calm expression on his face.
Then he spoke quietly:
"Komiya… Korito… what are you two doing here?
Komiya looked at him for a moment before smiling brightly.
"W-We were playing together, and I accidentally fell into the mud… but Korito got himself dirty too because he wanted Mom to scold both of us together."
Her father quietly lowered himself to the ground beside her and gently placed one hand on Komiya's head.
"Oh… that's very kind."
Then he placed his other hand softly on Korito's head as well.
"Don't worry. I won't let her hurt either of you."
A faint warmth filled his calm voice.
"Let's go change your clothes. But before that… what do you think about taking a picture together as a memory?"
Both of them smiled immediately and answered happily:
"Yes!"
And that was the very photograph Komiya was looking at now, after all those years had passed.
Komiya held the photograph tightly between her hands, then pressed it against her chest as if trying to protect something fragile that was slipping away.
Her fingers trembled slightly as she stared at it in silence.
Why…? Why did everything change like this…?
"Korito…"
After the end of that day, in the depths of the night, Komiya slowly opened her eyes. She was sitting on the sofa, still half-awake.
"What time is it…?"
She left her room and began walking slowly through the house. Her body still felt heavy, exhausted from what had happened during the test.
Eventually, she stepped outside.
The courtyard that connected all the family residences stretched before her, quiet and empty under the night sky.
The darkness was deep… until the moonlight slowly illuminated the ground.
Komiya looked up at the moon for a moment, then turned away and continued walking.
And then…
She heard the sound of impact.
Coming from the large training hall of the family.
She paused.
Who would be training at this time?
She moved closer and opened the door.
Inside, she saw Korito.
He was striking a large iron cube solid, dense, nearly impossible to break.
And yet he was hitting it with his bare fists alone, without using any energy.
Deep marks had already been carved into the metal from his blows.
His tall, lean body despite its slim frame. was drenched in sweat. His long black hair was completely soaked, sticking to his face and neck.
It was clear he had been training for hours without rest.
His breathing was heavy. He was exhausted.
For the first time, Komiya saw Korito like this.
Not as the unshakable genius…
but as someone pushing himself beyond his limit.
She stared at him in disbelief.
Impossible… Is he still training? He already finished the test in the morning… he was the only one who lasted thirty minutes… and yet… he's still training?
Korito finally noticed her presence.
He turned slightly, surprised.
"What are you doing here? Leave."
His voice was sharp. Cold.
Komiya frowned immediately.
"You're always like this… you jerk!"
She raised her middle finger at him in frustration.
Then she turned and left, slamming the door behind her.
Korito dropped to one knee the moment she was gone.
His breathing broke completely. His body collapsed forward, resting against the ground as he tried to recover.
He hadn't wanted her to see him like this.
Not weak. Not exhausted.
Not after everything.
He couldn't stand the idea of someone seeing him in that state.
Not anymore.
Meanwhile, Komiya walked away through the night.
She stopped suddenly.
Her hand pressed against her chest.
And in silence, she made a vow.
I will surpass you, Korito.
And one day… you will look at me again like you used to.
Her eyes glowed with determination.