The questions on the examination were so straightforward that Haruto could have answered them with his eyes closed.
He calmly filled in each answer with barely any thought, devoting only a fraction of his attention to the test itself.
Most of his focus was elsewhere.
Specifically...
On the Chat Group.
---
Name: Haruto
Level: 31
Abilities:
- Freeze
- Self
- True Sight
- Transformation
- Blessing
- Cognitive Disappearance
- Sword Aura Mastery
- Crimson Lotus Dragon God
- Causality-Time Interference
- Inherent Device: King of All Things
Description:
A being whose power has already surpassed the level of ordinary humans. Given enough time, entire cities could be reduced to frozen, lifeless ruins.
---
Causality-Time Interference
An ability Haruto had obtained through his trade with Kurono Shinguuji.
It granted him the power to interfere with both causality and the flow of time itself.
Of course, it wasn't true dominion over time.
Reversing history, travelling into the past, or seeing the distant future remained impossible.
Instead, the ability allowed him to manipulate the flow of time within a limited area.
He could accelerate it.
Slow it down.
Or, by slowing time to an extreme degree, create something that was virtually indistinguishable from a complete time stop.
It was an extraordinarily versatile ability.
Yet...
The ability that interested Haruto even more was the one that had appeared afterwards.
---
He already understood what an Inherent Device was.
In this world, every Blazer possessed a weapon born from the depths of their soul.
Stella Vermillion wielded the Dragon Spirit Sword, Lævateinn.
Kurono Shinguuji's Inherent Device manifested as a pair of jet-black pistols.
After obtaining Kurono's Inherent Device through the trade, the Chat Group had immediately displayed another notification.
«[Notice]
The acquired Inherent Device is not a manifestation of your own soul.
Ability evolution has begun...»
A second notification followed almost immediately.
«[Notice]
Unique Ability acquired.
Inherent Device: King of All Things»
---
Inherent Device: King of All Things
A unique Inherent Device capable of adapting to its wielder's abilities and assuming the form best suited for each situation.
---
"...So my soul doesn't have a fixed weapon."
Haruto closed his eyes.
His consciousness drifted inward.
Within the depths of his soul floated a magnificent crown of pure white.
It radiated an indescribable sense of majesty.
Looking closer, countless lights flowed across its surface.
Crystalline frost.
Brilliant sword light.
Crimson flames carrying the overwhelming aura of a dragon.
Every power he possessed had left its own mark upon the crown.
Each symbol represented one of his abilities.
Yet none of them were the crown itself.
The immaculate white crown remained unchanged.
It was the origin.
The core.
The true manifestation of Haruto's soul.
The King of All Things.
While Haruto's thoughts were occupied with the Chat Group, his hand never once slowed.
His pen moved smoothly across the pages, filling in each answer with complete confidence.
Standing nearby, Shizuka and Mafuyu gradually began to frown.
"..."
"..."
He wasn't stopping to think.
He wasn't calculating.
He simply glanced at each question before writing the answer almost immediately.
Is he really answering that quickly...?
The thought crossed both teachers' minds.
Unable to resist, they quietly stepped closer and looked over his shoulder.
The moment they checked his answers...
Their eyes widened.
Every answer they reviewed was correct.
Shizuka instinctively looked towards Mafuyu.
After all, she was the one who had prepared the examination.
Mafuyu silently shook her head.
She understood exactly what Shizuka was asking.
No.
The questions had not been leaked.
She had personally written the examination late the previous night and kept it with her until this morning.
No other teacher had seen it.
No student could possibly have known its contents beforehand.
Which only made the sight before her even more unbelievable.
How...
How is he answering every question without the slightest hesitation?
Before either of them could gather their thoughts, Haruto turned the final page.
Without pausing for even a second, he calmly reached for the next examination paper.
His pen continued moving.
Steady.
Precise.
Unwavering.
The silence inside the faculty office grew heavier with every passing minute.
An examination that should have taken an entire afternoon...
...was being completed in less than a single class period.
Finally—
Haruto set his pen down.
"I'm finished."
The two teachers snapped back to reality.
Almost simultaneously, they picked up the completed papers and began turning the pages one after another.
Page after page...
Every section had been answered.
Mafuyu's expression became increasingly serious as she checked each response.
Correct.
Correct.
Correct.
Again.
And again.
There were almost no mistakes to be found.
Even Shizuka, who wasn't teaching the subject, could tell from Mafuyu's reaction just how extraordinary the results were.
Haruto rose from his seat and slung his school bag over his shoulder.
"If there's nothing else, I'll be going."
Shizuka looked up absent-mindedly.
"...Ah... yes."
"You may return to class."
"We'll finish grading everything this afternoon and announce the results afterwards."
"Understood."
Haruto gave a polite nod before leaving the faculty office.
The door quietly closed behind him.
Silence returned.
For several long moments, neither teacher spoke.
Finally, Shizuka looked towards Mafuyu.
"...Well?"
Mafuyu slowly lowered the examination papers.
Her usually composed face was filled with undisguised astonishment.
"...They're genuine."
"There was no cheating."
"He really solved every question himself."
Even she found it difficult to believe what she had just witnessed.
The two teachers exchanged another glance.
Neither of them had expected the retest...
...to prove Haruto's ability beyond any doubt.
As Haruto made his way back to his classroom, someone suddenly collided with him around the corner.
"Ow!"
The girl stumbled forward.
Haruto instinctively reached out and caught her before she could lose her balance.
"...Are you alright?"
The girl looked up in surprise.
"...Ah!"
"It's you, Haruto-kun!"
Haruto smiled as he recognized her.
"Yuigahama."
Now that she wasn't wearing her PE uniform, he noticed her appearance more clearly.
Yui Yuigahama had soft, shoulder-length peach-pink hair with gentle waves, part of it tied into a small side bun with a black ribbon. Her blazer was worn casually, with the top button undone, giving her the fashionable look common among trendy high school girls.
Haruto chuckled.
"I didn't notice it before during PE..."
"...but you've got quite a stylish look."
Yui's cheeks immediately turned pink.
"Eh!?"
"I-I guess..."
She laughed awkwardly while scratching her cheek.
"I just... kind of ended up dressing like this because all my friends do."
"I'm not really as confident as I look."
Haruto nodded with an understanding smile.
"I figured."
"Your personality doesn't really match the image."
"W-Wait..."
"Is that supposed to be a compliment?"
Haruto laughed softly.
"You can decide."
Yui puffed out her cheeks for a moment before laughing as well.
The awkward atmosphere quickly disappeared.
After calming down, Haruto tilted his head.
"By the way, you seemed to be in a hurry."
"Were you heading somewhere?"
Yui suddenly remembered why she had been running through the hallway.
"Oh!"
"That's right!"
"I was actually looking for you, Haruto-kun."
Haruto looked at her curiously.
"Looking for me?"
He didn't jump to any conclusions.
There were plenty of reasons someone might want to speak with him.
Yui nodded enthusiastically.
"Yep!"
"I've been trying to find you."
"I didn't expect to run into you like this."
She smiled brightly before turning towards the corridor.
"Come with me."
"I want to show you something."
Haruto smiled.
"Lead the way."
Without another word, he followed beside her as the two walked down the hallway together.
******
20+ Advance Chapters are available on Patreon.
With Exclusive Character Arts On It.
So Be Sure To Check It out.
patreon.com/ITz_DeaD