The days after the energy disturbance passed strangely slowly at Reikosha Academy.
Classes continued as usual. Students trained, studied, and sparred under the watchful eyes of instructors. From the outside, everything looked normal. Yet beneath the routine, a quiet tension had begun to spread across the academy grounds.
More instructors were present during training sessions.
Patrol teams were leaving and returning more frequently.
Even the older students seemed more alert than usual.
Kairo noticed it immediately.
During afternoon practice, the training field felt heavier somehow. The wind that passed across the open grounds carried a colder edge than before, and even the faint glow of energy from other students seemed sharper.
He stood across from Kimimaru in the sparring circle, wooden training swords in hand.
"Focus," Kimimaru said calmly.
Kairo blinked. "I am focused."
Kimimaru's sword tapped Kairo's shoulder.
"No, you're distracted."
Tyouro, sitting on the grass nearby with a towel around his neck, laughed. "That's the third time he's hit you with the same move."
Kairo sighed and lowered his sword. "Something feels off today."
Yura stood a few meters away practicing her Hikari energy techniques. Thin threads of light moved through the air around her fingers with precise control. She glanced toward them briefly.
"You're not wrong," she said.
Kairo looked at her. "You feel it too?"
Yura nodded once.
"The academy is preparing for something."
Kimimaru rested his wooden sword against his shoulder.
"Or someone."
The four of them fell silent for a moment.
Even Tyouro stopped joking.
Across the field, Professor Takahano stood speaking with two senior instructors near the edge of the training grounds. Though his posture remained calm, the conversation looked serious.
Kairo noticed the professor glance toward the students occasionally, as if measuring something.
"Do you think it's connected to the village incident?" Kairo asked quietly.
Kimimaru answered without hesitation.
"Yes."
Tyouro rubbed the back of his head. "I still don't get it. If it was just one guy, why are they acting like it's such a big deal?"
Yura crossed her arms.
"Because someone capable of copying energy is unpredictable."
Kairo frowned.
"You mean the rumors are true?"
Kimimaru nodded.
"Energy replication."
Kairo looked down at his hands.
"That means if he sees someone fight…"
"He can learn it," Kimimaru finished.
The idea made Kairo uneasy.
A fighter who could copy other abilities would become stronger with every battle.
Before the conversation could continue, Takahano's voice echoed across the field.
"Training ends here for today."
Students looked surprised.
Practice usually lasted another hour.
"Return to your dormitories," the professor continued. "Further instruction will be given tomorrow."
Murmurs spread through the group as students began packing up their equipment.
Kairo wiped sweat from his forehead.
"That was early."
Kimimaru watched Takahano carefully.
"The patrol team must have returned."
Yura's eyes shifted toward the academy gate in the distance.
A group of Divine Warriors had just entered the courtyard.
Their armor was marked with dust from travel.
Even from far away, their expressions looked grim.
Takahano walked toward them immediately.
The conversation that followed was too quiet for the students to hear, but the tension in the air grew heavier with each passing second.
After a moment, Takahano nodded once and dismissed the patrol team.
Then he turned and walked back toward the academy buildings.
Kairo noticed something unusual.
The professor's calm expression had not changed.
But his eyes were sharper than before.
That night, the academy grounds were unusually quiet.
Most students had returned to their dormitories early. Lights glowed softly from the tall dorm windows while the wind moved gently through the academy trees.
Beyond the outer walls, the forest stretched into darkness.
Somewhere within that darkness, a lone figure walked slowly along the road leading toward the academy region.
Goro stopped near a small hill overlooking the distant academy towers.
He studied them silently.
From this distance, he could see faint flashes of energy from the training fields where advanced students continued practicing under the night sky.
Goro watched carefully.
A small spark of Reikou energy flickered across his hand.
Then it changed.
The energy shifted slightly, mimicking the pattern he had observed earlier from another fighter.
Energy replication.
But his control still wasn't perfect.
The copied technique flickered before fading.
"…Not yet," he murmured quietly.
Goro lowered his hand.
His eyes returned to the academy in the distance.
So many energy users gathered in one place.
So many abilities.
So many chances to learn.
For the first time in a long while, he felt something close to anticipation.
"If someone strong is there…"
His voice trailed off.
The wind rustled through the grass around him.
"…maybe they'll finally notice me."
He turned away from the hill.
The academy would still be there tomorrow.
And soon…
Their worlds would collide.