Several hours later, Lucy, Beatrice, Grey, Roici, Tom, Armin, and I were strolling through the gardens of the Fersleckian Academy.
Their expressions varied as they wandered through the beautiful garden.
"The end of the year is near. Midterms are coming up, and finals are in a few days."
A faint smile touched Grey's face as he gazed up at the starry sky.
A faint smile appeared on Lucy's face as she recalled some memories from the past few months.
"It's been a truly wonderful year, but everything, beautiful or ugly, eventually comes to an end."
"We've learned and grown a lot this year since meeting Tom, Armin, Yuta, and Previca."
"I've realized something I wasn't aware of: power isn't related to blood type; talent is given to anyone, regardless of their race or ethnicity."
A slight shock crossed their faces.
"You've grown..." "I've become much more sensible than I used to be. It seems Duchess Amelia Eliana will finally find peace after all these years."
Lucy's expression shifted to one of annoyance as she listened to Beatrice's words.
"Even so, you're on the right track. Keep it up."
A deep sigh escaped Beatrice's lips as she looked at her companions.
"However, there's something strange about Futa. Didn't you notice his power? It's uncanny. Even the Eye of Truth doesn't work with him."
"Even so, his power is uncanny. I've cleared several dungeons with him, yet I haven't seen him use his powers yet."
Akher's expression changed as well.
"Yes, you're right. Although I've faced him in several training battles and watched his fights, he did use a sword technique during his fight against Gea Guilford and his power against Gowther. As for his powers, he only used one, the one he used to heal us and restore Lucy's heart."
"As for his offensive, defensive, or any other kind of powers, he hasn't used any." "Even for an hour, he has an overwhelming presence that makes you submit to him as if you were standing before a ruthless, seasoned ruler."
Ruichi's tone was filled with doubt as he recalled what had happened over the past few months.
"Guys, even we haven't used our powers. Have you forgotten? No one knows another's powers. How do you expect him to reveal them?"
All eyes turned to Armin, whose face held a hint of concern. They found themselves agreeing with him; they, too, hadn't revealed any of their powers, even though they knew they would sooner or later.
They continued on their way, trying to change the subject as much as possible, but they couldn't stop doubt from creeping into their hearts.
"I want to ask you something."
Lucy's face showed some embarrassment as she forced a nervous smile.
The expressions on the faces of Beatrice, Grie, Ruichi, Tom, and Armin turned to surprise as they looked at her. They didn't understand what she was trying to say until they realized it after seeing her expressions. His face
"So you're saying that..."
"Yes."
Grey's eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at her, understanding what she wanted to ask, and this was true for everyone.
"Do Yuta and I seem a good match?"
Lucy's face flushed red with embarrassment, which made Grey laugh, but he stopped because of everyone's disapproving looks.
"I'm sorry."
"It's okay."
They turned their attention back to Lucy, only to find she was even more embarrassed than before.
"Yes, almost. But isn't your father and Yuta's relationship strained right now?" "Didn't Yuta threaten to kill your father, Duke Belgord Kethali?"
Lucy's expression shifted from shock to sadness at Tom's words, even though she knew his father hated and despised Yuta.
And Yuta and Belgord's relationship was also strained, although Lucy's relationship with her father had improved since she was living in her family's mansion in Luxembourg. Within the grounds of the Ferslecken Academy
The Ferslecken Academy is considered one of the greatest and most prestigious institutions, containing 90% of the world's knowledge across various fields, especially Mana and Magic. Magic was the specialty of the Kthaly family, which boasted 65 Magic Emperors throughout its history, including Lucy's grandfather and her great-grandfather.
Therefore, the founder of the family, the first Magic Emperor for humanity, decided to establish the family palace in the kingdom of Athrias, located in the western part of the continent. Their responsibility for studying the books of Magic was an additional reason for their long-term residence in the city of Luxembourg. The Kthaly family is over 15 million years old, but if we calculate its age based on real-world timescales, its establishment would be only a thousand or two thousand years.
"Yes, you're right, but there are still opportunities to mend the relationship between them, aren't there?"
"Yes, you're right. There's still time to mend the relationship between your father and Yuta."
A faint smile appeared on Lucy's face as she listened to his words. Roichi
Roichi paused, and a look of surprise spread across the faces of the last two, adding to his own, which already held a mixture of shock, confusion, and doubt.
"What's wrong, Roichi? Why did you stop?" Gray's face was filled with surprise, and it seemed the same for everyone else, given Roichi's sudden pause and the change in his expression.
"Am I the only one who noticed that Gia Guilford looks like a female version of Yuta? She looks like a carbon copy, but female, not male."
Their faces fell as they listened to Roichi's words. It was clear to everyone that the resemblance between Yuta and Gia was exaggerated. Two people of the same sex with the same appearance was logical, but two people of different sexes with such an exaggerated resemblance was more than just a coincidence.
Coincidences happen, but not to this extent. Even identical twins are different. They sometimes even had the same tone of voice, yet they were... Of the same sex, male or female, but a boy and a girl are so alike that it's impossible to tell them apart were it not for a biological difference specific to Gia, being a captivating girl whose charms are strikingly apparent.
"Once, I challenged her to a fight, and it felt like facing Yuta Cassiral. They are alike in every way: mindset, commanding presence, fighting style, way of thinking. Even when they speak to each other, their voices sound almost identical, as if they were the same person.""S" he began.
Everyone's face shifted to one of shock and realization as they began piecing together the events.
"Yes, they even possess the same aura. Remember something? Do you remember the Academy Tournament?"
Everyone nodded in acknowledgment. How could they forget the tournament where Lucy nearly died, and Yuta fought against three rulers, and Yuta brutally killed that assassin, Agid, in a way that made Yuta appear as a monster in the eyes of the inhabitants of Central and the other four continents?
Grey decided to continue after studying their expressions.
"I heard from some students that Yuta spoke with Gia once and visited her several times afterward."
"However, I also heard that Yuta Casseraal prepares food for her daily and delivers it to her personally. I followed him; I saw him enter the base where Gia trains, and he stays for an hour each time."
"It seems there's a connection between him and the Magic Emperor's daughter, Aster Guilford." "There's something telling me that there are stranger things going on that we're unaware of."
"You know Yuta's mentality. He wasn't affected by Lucy or Previca, even though they're two of the prettiest girls in the academy."
Tom put his hands to his chin, trying to piece together the previous events with his article about Gray and Ruichi.
But Armin interrupted his thoughts, directing their attention to where he was pointing.
"Isn't that Yuta and Gia? They're walking around together."
Everyone's expression shifted to surprise as they looked at Gia and Yuta, who were strolling together. They looked so alike that anyone who didn't know them would have thought they were twins, not from different families—or so they thought.
Lucy's face turned sour as she looked at Gia.
"Seriously, only a few days after I met him, I'm on a date with an idiot like Gray?"
Her face changed Gray was annoyed by Lucy's insult, but he decided to ignore it and not argue with her for now.
Meanwhile, Yuta was strolling with Gia in the academy garden when Gia noticed him staring at her, devoid of any admiration. She was shocked and surprised.
"Aren't those your classmates from the elite class? Gray de Molière, Roichi de Molière, Tom Fragelsen, Armin Stolvin, Lucy Kethali, Beatrice Azwasen?"
Yuta looked in the direction Gia had indicated and found that they were all looking at them with shocked expressions, especially Lucy, whose reaction was a mixture of jealousy, shock, disbelief, or something like that.
"Why don't we go over to them and then head to where we wanted to go?"
Gia's expression remained calm as she listened to Yuta's words, and she nodded in agreement.
After Gia agreed with Yuta's suggestion... Yuta turned to his friends.
"Geia and Yuta are in a relationship? No, no, no! Why the hell did my dear Yuta steal me away so quickly?"
"I still remember when he held me close that day. His chest was as hard as a rock, yet at the same time, it was incredibly warm."
"Maybe we misunderstood something. They actually met by chance, and if that's the case, I'll admit it."
"But what if he rejects me?"
"What? I love you! I can't believe you interpreted our friendship that way. You're so provocative!"
Lucy was lost in her thoughts and didn't notice Yuta approaching them.
"No, no, no! What if he doesn't feel the same way? I was just thinking from my perspective... Wait a minute, didn't he tell Previca that we're alike?"
"Yes, meaning Yuta likes strong girls so he can have strong offspring, just like Previca. And I'm strong, from a strong lineage, and that will make him agree. Also, why wouldn't he..." Save me from those kidnappers who wanted to take my contract with the Time Goddess Chimera.
And also, challenge my father, Belgord Kethali, and use a unique ability that revived me once more.
"This proves one thing: Yuta loves me."
While Lucy was lost in her romantic thoughts, a look of surprise crossed Armin's face as he glanced at Gia, who seemed absent-minded. His expression shifted from tension to worry to happiness, and he shook her shoulder, snapping her out of her reverie.
"Lucy...Lucy...Lucy, wake up!"
Lucy's face fell as she looked at her companions, who were staring at her with surprise, making her feel a little embarrassed.
As she looked at them with an awkward smile, she noticed Yuta and Gia, and his expression turned even more shocked and embarrassed.
"When did you get here?"
"Just a few moments ago, but you didn't notice us because you were lost in thought." "Mind"
Jia's expression was calm and indifferent as she looked at Lucy and the others.
"Or by the way, were you two on a date and we interrupted you?"
Grey's tone was slightly sarcastic, prompting Lucy to playfully hit him in the ribs. He clutched his waist in pain and looked at Lucy with annoyance, but she ignored his gaze.
"I'm sorry about what Grey said. He's an idiot, you both know him well."
Jia's expression remained calm as she listened to Lucy's apology. She glanced at Yuta for a few seconds, as if trying to understand the reason behind their thoughts about him. His expression was cold and unreadable, so she looked back at Lucy.
"We're not on a date..."
A sigh of relief escaped Lucy's lips involuntarily, making Jia realize that Lucy liked Yuta, but she had decided to ignore it. She didn't feel any romantic feelings for Yuta, only a different kind of affection.
"With you, that's different from what you're saying." "You think?"
Everyone's expression shifted to surprise. If they weren't on a date, what were they doing together at this hour?
Yuta and Jia both noticed his suspicious expression and realized they'd misunderstood the situation, even more than before.
"I was training at the training base as usual when Yuta came and told me he was going to raid an XX++-rank dungeon on Friday, two days from now. So he asked me to walk around the garden to decide which dungeon to target and what materials we'd need."
Jia stopped speaking, looking at them. Their faces had turned embarrassed, but she decided to ignore it. It made sense that a girl and a boy walking alone at 9 PM would raise a lot of suspicion. Silence reigned for several minutes before Yuta broke it with a familiar tone.D
"And also, the reason I asked her to come around is because she overdid her training, which prevented her from eating their food. Sometimes she would faint from extreme exhaustion, so I brought her food for months. In addition, since we are very similar, I felt compelled to help her and prevent her from harming herself."
Everyone's face turned to surprise as they listened to Yuta's words.
"Mr. Yuta, you are a wonderful person. Wanting to help someone even if you're not related is truly great of you."
Armin was impressed by Yuta's actions, and this increased the guilt in the hearts of Gray, Ruichi, Tom, and Lucy, to the point that they didn't even look at Yuta. "We apologize, Yuta. I hope you can forgive us." Their voices were filled with regret, which surprised both Yuta and Gia.
"What are you apologizing for?"
Yuta's face showed some confusion as they looked at them.
"....."
"....."
"...."
"...."
Lucy, Roichi, and Tom Gray remained silent, which made Yuta look at them in surprise. Gray immediately changed the subject.
"Yuta, it's really strange. Your hair and Gia's are getting gray. How is this happening when you're still so young?"
"And what's even stranger is that it's happening at the same time, and the number of gray hairs is the same as Gia's."
Yuta and Gia exchanged glances for a few seconds, noticing that the same spots where they were affected were also on the other person.
"You're right. What a coincidence."
Yuta glanced sideways, thinking to himself with a cold, sarcastic tone,
"Oh, that idiot seems happy. The harvest isn't far off for him. The gray hairs are the biggest proof that the experiment started to have an effect, visible and not just genetic."
Yuta snapped out of his reverie. He looked at Gia.
"Then let's go... I hope you both have a good night."
"You too."
Gia and Yuta left, leaving their companions behind.
A few minutes after they both left the Grie group,
"You knew they were watching you the whole time and that they intended to catch you, but you decided to act and appear as a kind and wronged person. You're really difficult to understand." Gia's voice was calm as she sat on one of the chairs where the stars were more clearly visible.
"Yes, you're right. I knew they suspected me, that they thought we were in a romantic relationship. But judging by your reaction then, you don't seem to have any feelings for me."
"But you must be very careful of Duke Esther Guilford. He's not a trustworthy person. However, I'll tell you something: when he dies, I will be the one to kill him. But you won't seek revenge then, and you will sever your ties with the Guilford family completely. You will know the truth that has been hidden from everyone. Remember?" "That's Gia."
Yuta's gaze was filled with the confidence that what he was saying would actually happen, and this surprised Gia. However, she didn't pay much attention to it, considering it impossible.
In her view, it was impossible for Yuta to defeat the Magic Emperor Aster Guilford, as he was incredibly powerful. He possessed a level of strength that could defeat even those who had reached the rank of Master God, thanks to the blessing of that mysterious entity. But she decided to leave it to time. Yuta's talent was terrifying; she was confident that within a few years he would reach the rank of Master God.
"We shall see, Master Yuta Cassiral."
A faint smile appeared on Yuta's face as he listened to Gia's words. He leaned closer and kissed her on the mouth while holding the back of her head.
Gia's expression shifted to one of slight shock at Yuta's sudden action, but the reason for her shock wasn't what she had anticipated, but something else entirely.
Yuta turned his face away from Gia, who was frozen in place, stunned.
"Remember, this feels good, even though it's strangely familiar. It's better than any words."
"I think it's late. It's 10 PM. Time for bed, isn't it, Gia?"
Gia remained silent for several seconds before answering Yuta's question in a rather quiet voice.
"Yes, it is late, and tomorrow will be a long day. Also, there are only six days left until my written exam."
Yuta and Gia left the garden and headed towards their respective rooms.
_
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Somewhere inside an underground building, a person, completely covered, sat in a chair with their hand on a desk.
"My fruit is about to ripen, and this will be its final year. It has been experiment workers 1, 1, and 1, 2, number 000002546 out of the total D. It has been the best work I've done in the past five centuries. Over 10 billion samples have died, all except Yuta." Cassiral, even though he was split in two during my work, it's okay. Besides, Yamizar died, and that whore... I'm so lucky! The only person who could have exposed me died was that whore, Nerin."
A bell rang, and one of the Scorpion Organization members entered.
"Yes, Mr. Black and White Scorpion, what do you want?"
The soldier spoke in a submissive tone, kneeling on one knee, not daring to raise his head an inch because of the overwhelming presence of the Black and White Scorpion.
"Do you know who the Demonic Scorpion helped found his organization?"
Confusion appeared on the soldier's face.
"No, I don't know, sir. I only joined three years ago."
The Black and White Scorpion lowered his head slightly as he looked at the recruit.
"You're truly useless, as I see it, and that's the kind of person I don't like working with much."
The Black and White Scorpion turned the recruit into a paste of flesh, blood, and bone. And there remained a bloody mess and a skull inside the room where he had been.
He was so fast that the young man didn't even realize he was dead.
"The person who helped the Demon Scorpion establish his organization was called the Venerable Heaven-Breaker. He wore a white mask with three phrases, each in a different color: 'Torture, be tortured,' 'Show mercy, receive mercy,' 'Kill, kill.'"
"Yet, he hasn't appeared for several centuries—1260 years since the organization was founded. Time truly flies. When I joined, it was 760 years old."
"It has been 500 years of patience, and now it's time to reap what you have sown."