As dawn approached, Akira was already up, vigorously going through his daily workout routine. Once he finished, he put on his school uniform and set off to wake his ex-roommates. He headed to the girls' dormitory to meet up with Renjiro and Hana. After waiting for a while, the group began to make their way to their classes.
On the way, they encountered Birch bullying some weaker C-rank students. Akira couldn't ignore the injustice and stepped in to intervene. He urged Birch to stop and reminded him, "Hey. You're strong to protect the weak, not to harass them."
Birch paid little attention to Akira's words and continued to pummel the defenseless student. Frustrated, Akira decided to take matters into his own hands. "You're not worth my time. Buzz off, asshole," Birch retorted.
Akira cracked his knuckles and replied with determination, "Well, I guess I'll just have to beat some sense into you."
A crowd slowly began to form, curious about what would transpire. Akira got into a fighting stance, prepared to defend the defenseless. Birch ran forward with a battle cry, but Akira was ready.
He unleashed the [Thousand Fist Technique], guided by Hano's whispers in his mind. The newfound knowledge of this technique boosted Akira's prowess, and he skillfully countered Birch's attacks.
Birch, impressed and disgruntled, asked, "How do you know our Thousand Fist Technique?"
Akira remained focused and decided not to reveal his source. Instead, he responded with a [Whirlwind Kick], knocking Birch to the side. In a blink of an eye, Akira reappeared and landed a punch, sending Birch sprawling to the ground.
Birch stood back up, revealing a black claw, and dashed towards Akira with a fierce shout, "Die!!"
Akira swiftly dodged the attack, realizing that Birch was no ordinary opponent. His mind raced with thoughts about Birch's hidden strength. "Hmm. So he's no pushover, huh!?" Akira pondered.
Birch's assault continued, but Akira's skill and agility allowed him to evade each strike. He saw an opening and sliced off Birch's clawed hand with a C-rank dagger, causing him to fall to the ground. Akira then whispered into Birch's ear, "Sleep."
As Birch fell into a deep slumber, Akira's friends looked on, amazed by his abilities. They continued their journey to class, but Avius had something important to share with Akira.
"Hey, Akira, I heard you beat up Birch today," Avius said with concern. "Don't do it again unless you want Crib's curse. Sigh I'm only telling you this because my sister told me to do so. If you pick a fight with Birch, the curse will find you and eliminate you."
Curious about the curse, Akira asked Hano, who manifested as a spirit beside him. Hano revealed the curse's name, [Golden Chains], and its dangerous implications. The curse would bind Akira's glyph core, and if not resolved, the user could consume Akira's core, taking all his skills.
Shocked and worried, Akira realized that the stakes were higher than he had imagined. Birch didn't even know about the curse, let alone how to use it. With this new knowledge, Akira understood the gravity of the situation.
Suddenly, Akira noticed a shrill ringing in his ears, unlike the others. He recalled a message from Aya, which said that the shrill was a result of her skills and would continue until he learned to deflect it. This revelation puzzled him and intensified his determination to find a way to turn off the spell.