Ren walked side by side with Daichi, their footsteps crunching softly on the pavement outside the gymnasium. Outside the gym was calm, the sky faintly tinged with the orange glow of a pleasent evening, but Ren felt a strange unease pressing at the back of his mind. Something about this walk didn't sit right with him.

He glanced at Daichi, who seemed unusually tense, his eyes scanning the surroundings as if expecting trouble to appear from nowhere.

"What's going on?" Ren asked casually, though he couldn't hide the faint edge of curiosity in his voice.

Daichi shook his head, hesitation flickering across his expression. "Listen… Ren, I need you to listen carefully."

Ren raised an eyebrow. "Uh… okay. You sound serious. What's wrong?"

Daichi shifted uncomfortably, his hands fidgeting slightly. "I… I want you to listen to me. But you can't tell anyone. Not anyone. Please."

Ren blinked, taken aback. What is this about? From me? He had expected Daichi to be all confident and self-assured, the kind of guy who handled everything himself. And yet… here he was, looking almost desperate.

"I—what do you mean?" Ren asked, keeping his tone neutral. Neutral, not sympathetic. Neutral is fine for someone that sent people to sexually abuse him.

Daichi let out a slow sigh. "I don't have anyone else, Ren. No friends. No one I can trust. Not other boys, anyway. They… they don't understand. They think I don't care about them because of my awakened ability and I am different from them."

Ren listened quietly, though his mind wandered briefly. Well isn't that the truth? He is different from others simply because the fact that he is awakened.

"And girls?" Ren prompted, his voice calm but probing.

Daichi shook his head, frustration evident in the way he ran a hand through his hair. "I can't share this with girls either. They'd take advantage. Or, worse… it'd reach my mother's ears. And then… things would only get worse."

Ren's eyes narrowed slightly, not outwardly but in thought. He didn't feel surprise, not really. Daichi's reputation and family were complicated; Ren had heard enough of such cases from big families like their. But the fact that Daichi was opening up—especially about this—was unusual.

"So… what is it?" Ren asked finally, leaning back slightly. His tone was casual, as always, but inside he was trying to process the sudden seriousness.

Daichi swallowed hard, his gaze dropping to the ground. "It's… my mother. She… she's abusing me. Physically… sexually… both. And I… I can't deal with it anymore."

Ren didn't flinch. He didn't even twitch. Internally, he felt a flicker of discomfort, a twinge of sympathy—but externally, he remained stoic. "I see," he said quietly, just enough to acknowledge it.

Daichi's eyes flicked up, searching Ren's face. "I know this is… shocking. But I had to tell you, because I don't want you to misunderstand me. I don't want you to hate me. And… I'm not asking you to do anything. I'm just… telling you. That's all."

Ren nodded slowly, his expression blank. Internally, he tried to read Daichi, as he always did. Is he really serious? Or is this another act? But in the end, he didn't care. It wasn't his problem. Daichi's pain, his family… none of it was Ren's responsibility.

"I'm… sorry to hear that," Ren said evenly, his voice neutral. Not fake, but not warm either.

Daichi's shoulders sagged, relief flickering in his posture. "Thank you. I… I just needed someone to know. Someone who… understands. I can't talk to anyone else. Even those girls—those Black Moondrop girls who bullied you—they're under my mother's orders, not mine. I have no control over them...I just didn't want to be hated by a brother."

Ren blinked. That was… interesting. He had thought those girls were acting on their own or by Daichi's order, but now it made sense. So even the people who tried to attack me… were just tools. Figures under her control. Typical powerful family.

Daichi continued, his voice quieter now, almost confessional. "I can't trust anyone else. Not in my clan, not in the school. They'd all turn against me if they knew and rat out me to my mother. I… just didn't want you to misunderstand me. I don't expect anything from you. Just… keep this to yourself."

Ren nodded once, slowly, without speaking. He didn't know what to say. Sympathy? Advice? None of it mattered. His internal voice was already dissecting every detail. This doesn't affect me. Doesn't change anything. Just another problem for someone else to deal with.

Daichi's gaze lingered on Ren's face, searching for a hint of judgment or disgust. Finding none, he let out a shaky breath. "Thank you… Ren. Just… listening… is enough."

Ren glanced around, finally breaking the silence. "So… you're sure you don't want help? You're just telling me?"

Daichi nodded. "Exactly. I just needed you to understand. That's all."

Ren inclined his head slightly. "Fair enough."

Another pause settled between them. And then, suddenly, a sharp, rapid series of gunshots rang out from inside the gymnasium.

Both of them froze, their heads snapping toward the sound.

"What the—?" Ren started, his voice steady but his eyes wide.

Daichi's expression mirrored his confusion and alarm. "Gunshots… inside? How…?"

They glanced at each other, the unspoken question hanging heavy between them: What the hell is going on?

Ren's mind raced, though he didn't let it show. This wasn't part of the usual chaos. Something serious is happening. He had no idea what it was yet, but instinctively, he felt the air shift—the tension, the threat, the danger all too real. "What the hell is going on?"

***

The gymnasium had descended into chaos. Students were pressed against the floor, their faces pale with fear. The echo of hurried footsteps and distant gun clicks still reverberated through the building. Amid the confusion, several women dressed in what appeared to be cleaner uniforms moved with uncanny precision, automatic rifles in hand.

Judith was slowly forced to her knees by the intruders. Her hands were raised behind her back as though they had been cuffed. She tried to maintain her composure, her eyes scanning the group of armed women.

"Who… who are you? What do you want?" she asked, her voice calm but firm, betraying only the faintest glance she gave at her assisstant.

One of the women, tall with cold eyes, stepped forward, the barrel of her rifle never wavering. "That's none of your concern," she said flatly. "We'll discuss things with the guilds. You just… kneel quietly."

Judith's eyes narrowed, but she said nothing, following their unspoken orders. Her gaze flicked across the room, taking in the students still standing and also the hunters from the guilds. Lan Meiling, Lan Xue, Selene, and Tachibana Kyouka—all the guild representatives—were still upright, but the rifles were pointed directly at them.

"Welcome," another intruder said with a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "You'll be… very valuable for our negotiations."

Meiling's hand went instinctively to her chest as she prepared to unleash her Imperial Qi. "What a bold move to attack us directly," she said sharply. Energy began to flare around her, a faint golden aura pulsing with intensity.

Her hope was short-lived. The moment she attempted to strike, her Qi flickered, dissipating instantly.

"What?" she muttered, stepping forward, her eyes widening in alarm. "Why… my Qi—"

The women in cleaner outfits began to laugh, low and menacing, as they closed in on her. One of them swung the back of her rifle, striking Meiling across the face. Blood immediately sprayed from her nose and mouth, and she crumpled to the floor.

Xue gasped, stepping back instinctively. "A… a Jammer…?" she muttered under her breath, eyes widening in recognition. "So the rumors… they're true…"

The intruders' laughter grew louder, echoing off the walls. "Very true," one said, her voice dripping with mockery. "And when it comes down to it, the only thing that matters here is our guns. Not your useless little powers."

Judith's mind raced as she watched the scene unfold. She had seen enough to understand. Skill Jammers. They're using Skill Jammers. That means these people… they must be powerless themselves. But they know how to neutralize abilities. That… that means…

Her breath caught as the realization struck her. The Traitors.

It had been years since the incident, yet the memory remained infamous. A notorious group of terrorists who hunted ability holders and launched a project that was so dangerous as it was going to make all the newborns normal people, believing that society should function without powers.

They had called it a society without hierarchy, a world where ability holders were no longer elevated above the rest. Many had thought it was an exaggerated story, some even dismissed it as a rumor. But now, Judith knew the truth.

The woman who had spoken to Judith earlier tapped her earpiece, signaling one of her comrades. She spoke in a low, cold voice. "Send the message. We want Lan Jia and Astrid freed immediately. If not…" Her gaze swept over the students still on the floor, rifles lingering on each of their heads. "…one by one, their bodies will be thrown into the courtyard. Starting with… the Lan family. Then the Asashi family."

A murmur of panic ran through the remaining students. Xue's hands clenched into fists, but she couldn't move—not while the Skill Jammer nullified her power.

Selene's lips tightened, her usual composure wavering. "They… they actually exist," she whispered, almost to herself. "The Traitors… they're real."

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