"Don't think I don't know… you crossdressing freak!"
How dare he make Kotori cry…
Rage surged through me. I threw a punch—but this wasn't just any punch. It was infused with my wind power. A direct hit from this would send him flying.
"First of all—"
But—
He caught it. Effortlessly.
I barely had time to register my shock before he squeezed my hand.
It hurt.
I gritted my teeth, trying to pull away.
"Tch— You…!"
He continued, voice sharp.
"Secondly—"
A knee slammed into my stomach.
"How dare you—"
I choked on my words as pain shot through me.
He stepped back slightly, watching me stagger and clutch my stomach. A smirk played on her lips, her tone dripping with mockery.
"Now, are you back to reality, young man?"
I gasped for breath, eyes narrowing.
"How… why did my power have no effect on you?!"
What the hell just happened?
He scoffed. "Power, my ass. You don't have any power at all."
I froze.
What… did he just say?
"Are you mocking me?! I have the power to control the wind! I am an A-rank Esper!!"
Before I could process it, my face snapped sideways—
He had slapped me.
And the next moment, he grabbed my collar, yanking me forward.
He leaned in, his breath brushing against my ear as he whispered…
"You don't have power. You never had power. What A-rank Esper? You're just some ordinary guy, blind to what's real and what's not. You need to wake up."
A sudden dizziness overtook me like something was being pulled out of my body. My mind reeled, and I struggled to grasp what was happening.
He then took my hand and placed it against his chest.
Soft.
Huh?
Why would a guy's chest feel like this? …Maybe just a lump of fat?
Before I could spiral any further into confusion, his eyes locked onto mine, filled with irritation.
"It may be small, but I'm still growing."
He leaned in, his gaze sharp and unwavering.
"You feel that? I. AM. A. GIRL."
He—or rather, she—tossed me aside like I was nothing.
I hit the ground hard, coughing as I tried to process everything.
I was confused.
Did I… blindly misunderstand everything? Aria is really a girl? Not a boy?
As I sat there, my mind spinning, I suddenly felt a cold metal clamp around my wrists.
Handcuffs.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" I snapped, looking up at the girl who had just cuffed me.
She leaned down, whispering into my ear, her voice laced with amusement.
"You really wanna ask me that? After you just revealed your power to a civilian?"
My breath caught.
Shit.
Meanwhile, Aria and her twin sister, Irana, were casually chatting about something, completely ignoring me.
When did these two girls appear?
I scowled. How could she act like nothing happened? Like she didn't just destroy my entire perception of reality?
Seconds later, a teacher arrived.
"You guys—what are you doing here?"
It was Elizabeth-sensei.
I tensed immediately.
She wasn't just any teacher—she was a high-ranking Esper from the Association.
I was screwed.
Elizabeth-sensei scanned the scene, her eyes settling on me.
"I heard there was a fight in the cafeteria. Are you all alright?"
She paused. Her gaze landed on my handcuffs.
"…Why is he handcuffed?"
The girl who restrained me answered flatly.
"He tried to attack Aria."
"What?"
Shit.
I could tell Elizabeth-sensei didn't know yet. She had no idea I had used my power in front of ordinary people.
Which meant that I still had a chance to feign ignorance.
"This is a misunderstanding!" I started.
But before I could even begin to defend myself, Aria cut in.
"Oh? Which part?" she said coolly. "The part where you tried to punch me in the face? Or the part where you accused me of being a crossdressing freak?"
I clenched my jaw and glared at her.
"She—he—whatever—was getting too close to Kotori! I was only protecting her!"
Even if Aria was a girl, she was still nothing but a commoner. She had no right to be near Kotori!
Long story short, Elizabeth-sensei asked us to discuss it further in the faculty office.
I swallowed hard.
Great.
At least it wasn't the Association's prison.
There was nothing particularly eventful about our time in the faculty office.
Just the usual teacher-student lecture about misconduct, the importance of self-control, and the value of friendship.
Elizabeth-sensei's speech was as dull as expected. I nodded along, saying what needed to be said.
The important thing was that I was getting out of here.
Or so I thought.
The moment Kotori and Aria stepped out of the faculty office, I let out a relieved breath, ready to leave as well—
But then, without warning, the girl who had cuffed me grabbed me by the neck.
"—?!"
I barely had time to react before the world blurred.
The next thing I knew—
The scenery had changed.
Darkness.
I was no longer in the faculty office.
I sat on a wooden chair, bound tightly at the wrists. A single lamp beamed down on my face, blinding me to everything beyond its reach.
The air was cold. Stale. Heavy.
There was no doubt about it.
This was an interrogation room.
"You think you'll just walk away free… after violating the number one rule for Espers?"
A woman's voice.
Cold. Crisp. Unforgiving.
I tensed as footsteps echoed around me. I couldn't see her.
"Name: Yuya Fiolera."
She knew who I was.
"Member of the Fiolera family. Hmm… So tell me, why is someone like you working as a mere bodyguard for the Minami family?"
Her tone was laced with curiosity, but I could tell—she already had her own suspicions.
I stayed silent.
"Well, doesn't matter."
She stepped closer. I could feel her presence looming over me.
"Let's get to the real question."
I swallowed hard.
"Why did you attack an ordinary civilian—Miyazaki Aria—with your Esper power?"
"I just—"
"Don't make excuses."
I clenched my fists.
I knew there was no getting out of this. I had no defence.
"...I was blinded by rage and didn't think about the consequences."
Silence.
Then—
"Rage, huh…?"
CRASH.
The chair toppled over.
I hit the ground, hard, my head spinning as I struggled against my restraints.
I coughed, gasping for air.
Footsteps circled me.
"Who sent you here?" she asked. "Was it the Minami family? Or the Fiolera family?"
I froze.
"What are you talking about?" I asked, genuinely confused.
Her voice turned sharper.
"Don't play dumb."
I frowned.
"I was clearly sent here by the Minami family to safeguard Kotori."
Silence.
Then a quiet chuckle.
A sharp, amused chuckle.
Her voice took on a dangerous edge.
"Seems like you don't want to open your mouth."
The footsteps stopped.
A pause.
Then—
"Do you want to play a game with me?"
Her words sent a chill down my spine.
I couldn't see her expression, but I could feel her amusement.
Like a predator toying with its prey.
A sharp click.
Then—pain.
A jolt of electricity surged through my body, radiating from the metal cuffs still around my wrists. My muscles locked up, my vision blurred, and my breath hitched as I gritted my teeth to suppress a scream.
The woman chuckled, her voice dripping with amusement. "Oh? You can endure that? Good, good... I was hoping you'd last a little longer."
The electricity stopped. My body sagged in the chair, gasping for breath.
I wanted to shout at her, demand what the hell she was doing—but before I could recover, she spoke again.
"Let me explain the rules of our little game."
The single lamp above flickered.
"Every time I think you're lying, I shock you."
She leaned in closer, her breath warm against my ear.
"Every time you refuse to answer, I shock you."
A soft chuckle.
"And if I get bored?"
Another sharp click.
A low, menacing hum filled the room.
"I shock you anyway."
My heart pounded. I had faced countless battles and endured gruelling training.
This, however, was a different kind of hell.