Several days passed since that meeting. Kazuma returned to his usual routine—attending college classes, studying, and training.
There was no time to slack off. For him, every second had value, and even the slightest carelessness could lead to danger.
One of the things bothering him actually sounded trivial—the naming of his technique.
Feeling that his choices so far had been too careless, he took the time to stop by the city library. His goal was simple: to find references, or at least understand a more appropriate context.
"Hmm... Helios or Prometheus? But my power isn't just fire... this is more like fusion—pulling neutrons, forming something resembling the sun... so Helios?"
He frowned slightly.
On the other hand, he also questioned his decision to take references from Greek mythology instead of Shinto. Amaterasu had crossed his mind, but he immediately dismissed it—aside from being depicted as female, the name didn't quite fit when combined with other terms.
There were still many other alternatives—from Celtic, Norse mythology, and so on. But somehow, Greek still felt more familiar to him.
'A scientific name just sounds strange... from Solar Genesis to Sunrise. But that's exactly what made me realize—the way I've been introducing this ability all this time wasn't right. Sunrise... yeah, that fits better.'
He let out a light breath.
'Thank you, Tobera-san... without realizing it, you opened my eyes.'
After finishing, Kazuma returned home. However, his steps did not lead directly to his residence—but instead to Yamazaki's dojo.
And that was where he encountered something unexpected.
A guest.
Yamashiro Ren.
The commander of the Mato Defense Force—a name well-known not only for her position, but also for her extraordinarily destructive ability.
Ren was a young woman with a striking appearance. Her height was average, with sharp violet eyes and long dark purple hair neatly styled in a hime-cut. A red cord adorned her hair, tied into a flower knot at her left temple.
Her body was athletic and well-proportioned, with a posture that reflected the discipline of a soldier.
When Kazuma entered, he saw Ren sitting gracefully in seiza, holding a cup of green tea in front of her.
Across from her, Yamazaki sat cross-legged—with a relaxed posture in contrast, even resting his head on one hand.
A demeanor that, for most people, might be considered impolite.
But considering who Yamazaki really was—a veteran who could even be called a war hero since the Day of Beginning—such behavior felt natural.
'Yeah, I'm starting to get a bad feeling about this...'
This was Kazuma's second meeting with Ren Yamashiro. The first had taken place at the police station, when Ren personally conducted an investigation into an incident involving a prospective member she had been eyeing—who ended up getting dragged into trouble because of a man. And that man was Kazuma.
"Hmm... so you finally came, kid. Take a look at who's looking for you."
Kazuma stepped closer to Yamazaki, then shifted his gaze to Ren. The woman looked at him calmly before greeting him.
"Yes... we meet again, Satou-san."
"Yamashiro Ren... what is this about?"
Kazuma sat down immediately, not bothering to hide the suspicion in his voice. He didn't waste time with small talk and went straight to asking her purpose.
"Well, isn't it rude to treat a guest like this? Especially me—"
"Enough..." Kazuma cut in flatly. "I'm starting to regret telling Iori-san about that."
"Don't be like that," Ren replied calmly. "This is also for your protection. You know the global situation isn't good."
Kazuma fell silent for a moment, his gaze fixed on Ren. Clearly, her visit was not just a casual one.
Ren took a sip of her tea before finally speaking.
"I've received the report. Honestly, this is beyond expectations—you obtained an ability without actually consuming the peach directly."
Technically, what happened to Kazuma was indeed different. He did not gain power through conventional means. Instead, it was more like a super serum injected into his body, containing the pure essence of the peach mixed with various other substances. In other words, his power did not come one hundred percent from the fruit.
"That will become a problem... especially given the current state of society."
Kazuma continued to stare at her without wavering. He knew exactly who he was dealing with.
Ren Yamashiro—not only powerful, but also known for her arrogance, with a level of confidence bordering on excessive. Her ambition for power was no secret either. Even her appointment as commander replacing Tobera did not go through an official selection process, but rather a direct recommendation from the prime minister—who was known to have close ties with her.
That alone was enough to make Kazuma cautious.
"So?" Kazuma finally spoke. "You came here just to confirm that?"
Ren smiled faintly. She placed her teacup down calmly before answering.
"It's not that simple."
Yamazaki, who had been silently observing, finally cut in.
"Just get to the point. This kid isn't the type who enjoys wordplay."
Ren glanced briefly at Yamazaki, then returned her gaze to Kazuma.
"I came to offer you something."
"An offer?" Kazuma repeated, his brow slightly furrowed.
"Join the Mato Defense Force."
The words fell just like that, without excessive emphasis—yet enough to change the atmosphere.
"What?"
"Think of it as... the most rational form of protection," Ren continued. "With your current position, you won't be able to keep moving freely. Too many parties are targeting you."
"Sounds more like surveillance than protection."
"The difference is thin," Ren replied without hesitation. "But under my command, at least you won't be touched by external parties."
Kazuma narrowed his eyes.
"And in return?"
Ren smiled again—this time a little deeper.
"You use your power for us."
The room was once again filled with silence, but this time with a much sharper tension.
Yamazaki let out a slow breath, as if he had already anticipated where this conversation was heading.
"So we've finally reached that part, huh..."
Kazuma did not answer immediately. His gaze remained fixed on Ren, trying to read how much of that offer was truly 'protection'—or just another form of control.
"Are you also interested in me?"
"Wow... where does that confidence come from?"
Ren couldn't hold back the sarcasm in her tone. Kazuma's assumption was clearly beyond her expectations.
"You're not? Then why are you here? Didn't you come because you're interested in me—the only man in the world who can have an ability? Ah, don't tell me you consider this as interest in men."
The statement was turned back sharply. For a moment, Ren's expression faltered—not just because of his words, but because of how Kazuma positioned himself in that conversation.
A subtle pressure began to fill the air.
The floor beneath them trembled faintly, enough to show that Ren had lost a bit of control over her emotions.
Yamazaki clicked his tongue softly.
"If you destroy this place, I'll file a direct protest to the prime minister."
"Heh, can an old man like you even do that?"
"Girl," Yamazaki replied without changing his position, "I know your confidence is high because your life has gone smoothly without many obstacles. But if you really want to see how the world works... you'll experience it yourself."
His tone was flat, yet carried a pressure far deeper than an ordinary threat.
The room was filled with tension.
But Ren was no ordinary person. She took a slow breath, then gradually suppressed her aura. The tremor in the floor stopped.
She leaned back slightly, looking at Kazuma with a composed expression once more.
"...You're quite bold."
"Not bold. I just don't like being treated as a tool."
Ren fell silent for a moment, then smiled faintly—this time not sarcastic, but something sharper.
"In that case, we have the same problem."
Kazuma frowned slightly.
"What do you mean?"
"I also don't like tools that I can't control."
Yamazaki let out a long sigh, clearly growing tired of the direction of the conversation.
"You two... stop playing with words. If you want to talk, talk clearly."
Ren glanced at him briefly, then refocused on Kazuma.
"Alright. I'll be straightforward."
She leaned forward slightly.
"You're not just a target for protection. You're a variable that can change the balance of power. And I won't let such a variable remain out of my reach."
Kazuma met her gaze without hesitation.
"So this isn't an offer."
"Correct," Ren replied briefly. "This is a negotiation."
Silence fell again, but this time it wasn't just pressure—it was a boundary line beginning to form between them.
"I'll join... But"
Kazuma began to set several conditions.