(TSUME POV)
I hate how much he's changed.
Ryomen used to be nothing–just a quiet, clumsy kid swinging a wooden toy like it made him special. Now? He's actually kinda dangerous.
I glanced back at him. The red-haired idiot was walking a few steps behind me with that same dumb, relaxed smile, like we hadn't nearly died earlier. It pissed me off.
Back when we first met on the ship, he was easy to hate. The "son of the legendary Tujin Ryomen," dragging around that pathetic wooden sword like it was some holy relic.
Everyone whispered about his bloodline. So I made sure to remind him, and everyone else, exactly where he stood. If I was going to be the best, I needed to crush the one person they all expected to rise.
But now…
I clenched my jaw and looked forward again, hands shoved deep into my pockets.
He awakened his Spirit Core before me.
The thought burned like ash in my throat. Dad is going to love hearing that. Just another disappointment to add to the list.
"Hey, Tsume," Ryomen called out casually. "You good?"
I didn't bother turning around. "Yeah. Just thinking."
I Lied.
I don't know when it happened, but somewhere between the cafeteria beatdown and that insane fight with the blonde pyro, something in him shifted. He's still soft. Still annoyingly noble. But there's steel in him now. Real steel. And that new ability of his… seeing things before they happen? That's not something you just "get lucky" with.
It saved both of our lives.
Doesn't mean I like it.
I won't let him surpass me. Not him. Not anyone.
But… I can't pretend he's dead weight anymore. He's dependable and very perseverant. Annoyingly so. And deep down–as much as I despise admitting it–I respect him for it.
Hojiro, on the other hand, is exactly the same idiot he was the day we met.
I still remember him waddling up to me on the docks like he owned the place, all bright-eyed with those humongous glasses and obnoxious, trying way too hard to be friendly.
He was a pathetic, grinning loser back then, and nothing's changed. Still loud. Still weak. Still smiling like the world hasn't already chewed him up and spat him out. The fact that he's managed to survive this long is honestly more annoying than impressive.
Saki is the only one who actually makes me pause.
She's hiding something, I can feel it in her vibe, she tries to act all calm and nonchalant, like nothing in the world can touch her, but there's a storm behind those precious red eyes. I overheard my father mention something once–something about what the Yamata leader called her back in Nihon. Yoribuchi. I don't know what it means yet, but it's something big. I just know.
She carries herself like a blade that hasn't been drawn yet. Her presence doesn't have Sensei's crushing, bottomless weight… but it's heavier than it should be for someone our age.
There's a reason she's like that. A reason why the Yamata and Tenebras seem to be after her.
And I'm going to find out what it is.
"I've never seen you this quiet," Ayashi noted, glancing back at me as he strolled with his hands shoved casually in his pockets.
"Yeah, Tsume," Hojiro chimed in, way too cheerful. "You've been acting weird ever since that fight with the fire guy."
Saki let out a soft, amused huff. "He's just trying to hide the fact that he cares. It's almost cute."
"I do not," I snapped, my fists clenching involuntarily as a traitorous heat dusted my cheeks. Saki was undeniably stunning, but she played way too hard to get. Whatever. It wouldn't be long before she was fawning over me like everyone else.
Sensei chuckled, "Ouch, kid. Right in the heart," Sensei Ayashi teased, dramatically holding his arms open as if waiting for a hug. "Tell me you at least care about your Sensei, right?"
I just rolled my eyes and kept walking, absolutely refusing to entertain his stupid joke.
Ayashi let his arms drop, his smirk fading into a disappointed pout as he stuffed his hands back into his pockets. "You're no fun, kid."
FIVE MINUTES LATER
A few minutes later, we reached the dorm. Ayashi shoved the door open with a loud groan. I headed straight for my bed and dropped down, arms crossed, letting the day's exhaustion finally settle in.
Ryomen practically collapsed onto the nearest mattress, his hair a messy mop against the cushions, while Saki leaned against the kitchen counter, casually inspecting her nails.
Sensei Ayashi clapped his hands together, the sharp, echoing smack instantly snapping everyone's attention back to him. "Alright, listen up. Today was… eventful. One of you awakened your core. Good. But tomorrow, real training begins. Bright and early."
I scoffed, entirely unimpressed. Hojiro, on the other hand, punched the air, his irritating, endless energy somehow still entirely intact.
"However," Ayashi continued, holding up a single finger to silence them. "Before we hit the training grounds, you start your first day of World History class tomorrow morning."
"History?" Hojiro blurted out, his excited grin completely falling off his face. "We're training to be Elemental Swordsmen, Sensei! Why do we need to sit in some boring classroom and read dusty books?"
I wasn't surprised at all, my dad already warned me about this, it's a requirement by the Elemental Swordsmen governor.
"Because," Ayashi sighed, lazily rubbing the back of his neck, "understanding the geopolitical landscape, world map, ancient wars, and the treaties that govern these territories is a strict requirement for earning your official swordsman licenses. The Academy doesn't hand out lethal authority to uneducated brutes. So, you'll go, and you'll pay attention."
He let out a loud, dramatic yawn, stretching his arms high over his head. "Anyway, I'm wiped. I'm heading to bed. Don't burn the place down."
As he turned toward his bed, I slowly pushed myself out of mine. My chest tightened with a familiar, cold dread, but I forced my face into an emotionless mask.
"Sensei. Hold on," I called out. He paused, glancing over his shoulder with a raised eyebrow.
"I'm stepping out to speak with my father real quick," I stated flatly, ignoring the sudden, heavy weight of the room's attention shifting to me. "I'll be back here in the dorm in twenty."
The room went quiet. Hojiro immediately tilted his head like a confused puppy. "Right now? Isn't he busy?"
"Yeah, is everything okay, Tsume?" Ryomen mumbled from under his covers, lifting his head with that annoyingly genuine concern.
I shot them both a sharp, freezing glare, my jaw clenching tight enough to grind my teeth.
'It's none of your business that I have to report your ridiculous, lucky awakening to the head of my clan.'
Sensei Ayashi studied my rigid posture for a long, quiet second. His sharp eyes flicked over my tense shoulders, but he didn't push it. He just gave a brief, dismissive wave of his hand.
"Have at it, Tsume," Ayashi said smoothly. "Just make sure you're back before the automated curfew locks the doors."
"Understood," I muttered.
Without sparing another glance at my annoyingly nosy teammates, I turned on my heel, pulled the oak door open, and stepped back out into the cold, dimly lit corridor.
Time to face the music.