Four months had passed since the day the storm interrupted their training.
Now, the world was white—blanketed in snow, rooftops frosted, and every breath came out in clouds. Winter in Tokyo had arrived with quiet ferocity.
Riku stood on the rooftop of the Essence Academy's elite wing, eyes closed, shirtless despite the cold, steam rising from his body as he meditated in the snow.
The cold didn't bother him. Not anymore.
The hum in his head stirred.
[AI ACTIVE: Core Sync 37%]"You've plateaued in your output rate, Riku. Ascension can't be maintained past two minutes unless training is pushed beyond normal conditions."
"I know," Riku muttered. "But I'm not trying to show off to the world. I'm trying to make sure I'm ready."
He opened his eyes.
Down below, a crowd of students had gathered—again. Some pretending to casually pass by, others snapping photos, giggling. Some waved signs that read RIKU-SAMA WE LOVE YOU, and one girl yelled out:
"Riku! Sign my sword sheath!!"
He gave a tired chuckle.
"Everywhere I go…"
"Popularity spike logged. You've gained 22,540 new followers in the last hour."
"I didn't ask," Riku muttered to the AI.
He leapt down effortlessly, snow crunching beneath his boots as he walked across the courtyard. Students parted, whispers spreading like wildfire.
"That's Riku Hayashi!"
"Still can't believe he's an EX Rank…"
"They say he fought off over 50 beasts solo in a single day."
"I heard he rides a dragon."
Girls swooned. Guys stared in awe. Riku gave a polite nod, but his mind was elsewhere.
Later that evening, he trained in the snow-drenched outskirts with a squad of S-Rank students watching him. Among them—Toru, still determined, had grown even stronger since becoming EX Rank himself. But today, it was Riku alone, focused inward.
Each punch cracked the icy ground. Each Essence burst turned snow into mist.
[AI ALERT: Neural Sync 41%]"Emotional dampening active. You're holding back again, Riku."
"I'm not trying to break the planet," he muttered, glancing up at the sky.
In the distance, he could feel something building. Like the calm before a storm.
Back in the city, Riku walked through the snow-covered streets. People still stared. Took pictures. Some followed.
He put up his hood and kept his head down.
"Riku!""Please, a selfie!""Marry me!!""Sign my baby—wait, no, not the baby, the stroller!"
He sighed.
"You could fly away."
"I could," he replied, "but then they'd just chase me harder."
As snowflakes fell gently, he turned a corner and found himself at a small park. Kids played in the snow, laughing. For a second, he just watched. Remembering the time he brought his sister to the zoo. Remembering what it was like to just be.
The AI in his head pulsed softly.
"You're afraid."
"Yeah," he whispered. "Because I think something's coming, and even with all this power… I don't know if I'm ready."
"Then become someone who is."
Riku smirked. "…You always say stuff like that."
He turned, the snowstorm picking up.
Time to train harder.