After Kazuki delivered the final blow to Ragnor, the once fearsome guardian beast crumpled lifelessly to the ground. The air was thick with tension, the scent of blood, dust, and sweat swirling around them. Aiko and Yuki, still trembling with adrenaline, could barely process what they had just witnessed. Their eyes darted between the fallen monster and the figure standing tall before them.
Kazuki stood silently, his back turned to them, as if unaffected by the carnage around him. His body was riddled with scars, his fists stained with blood from the brutal fight. Aiko was the first to speak, her voice shaky and filled with a mix of fear and awe.
"J-Just who the hell are you?!"
Her words were sharp, cutting through the silence like a blade. Yuki, standing beside her, was equally bewildered, her wide eyes glued to Kazuki. She had seen him fight, but the power he displayed was beyond anything she had ever imagined. Was this really the same person they knew?
Before anyone could respond, a loud rumble shook the dungeon. RUMBLE! The ground beneath them trembled, and in the center of the room, a mysterious stone slab slowly rose from the floor. It emitted an eerie glow, casting long shadows across the walls. Kazuki, Aiko, and Yuki turned their gazes toward the slab, their hearts racing.
"What… is that?" Yuki whispered, her voice barely audible.
The slab held an ancient book, and as Kazuki approached it, he noticed the familiar characters etched onto its surface.
"It's… Japanese?" Kazuki murmured, narrowing his eyes. "So… there were others. Other people who got summoned to this world. It wasn't just our class."
He read the inscription on the slab aloud. "'For whoever defeats this guardian, consider this a gift from a fallen warrior who almost defeated a god.'"
Before either Aiko or Yuki could say anything, Kazuki reached out, placing his hand on the book. The moment his fingers touched the cover, a surge of blinding light engulfed the room. FLASH! A searing pain shot through his body, and a scream tore from his throat.
"AAAAAARRRRRRGHHHH!!"
Kazuki clutched his chest as the pain intensified, spreading like wildfire through every fiber of his being. His knees buckled, and he collapsed to the ground, writhing in agony. The pain was unlike anything he had ever experienced—sharper, more excruciating than any injury from his battles. His vision blurred as the edges of his consciousness began to fade.
"Zuki!" Aiko shouted, rushing to his side, but she couldn't get close as the pressure emanating from his body was overwhelming. Yuki, too, was rooted to the spot, her face pale with horror.
Kazuki's hair slowly began to change, turning from its usual dark shade to a ghostly white, like ash falling from a dying fire. His left arm, once scarred and missing, began to regenerate at an inhuman speed. His eye, lost in a past battle, returned to life, and he could feel it—every nerve, every cell healing, but with each second, the agony grew.
"GAAAHHHHH!!" He screamed again, clutching his head as the transformation continued, his voice raw with pain.
It felt as though his entire body was being torn apart, only to be stitched back together again in a cruel, agonizing loop. But after what felt like an eternity, the pain finally subsided. Kazuki lay on the cold stone floor, panting heavily, his body drenched in sweat. His breaths came out in ragged gasps, and he slowly, shakily, pushed himself to his feet.
Aiko and Yuki watched in stunned silence as Kazuki examined his regenerated arm and eye. His white, ashen hair fell over his face, giving him an eerie, almost spectral appearance. The wounds on his fists, however, remained, deep and unhealed. He clenched his hand, feeling the monstrous strength coursing through him—and the terrible cost that came with it.
"So... this is the price of power."
Aiko, who had finally found her voice, collapsed to her knees in front of him, her eyes filled with gratitude. "Thank you, Zuki," she whispered, her head bowed. "If it weren't for you, we... we would have died in there."
Yuki, still in shock, hesitated but eventually followed Aiko's lead, kneeling as well. "I... I can't believe this. You... you saved us." Her voice quivered, torn between disbelief and relief.
Kazuki looked down at them, his expression cold and distant. "Stand up."
His voice was low, almost emotionless, and it sent chills down their spines. "I don't need your thanks. You two did your best, and you damaged Ragnor. Don't give all the credit to me."
He turned away from them, his ashen hair swaying slightly as he walked toward the dungeon exit. The sound of his footsteps echoed in the cavernous space. Aiko and Yuki exchanged a glance before hurriedly following after him, unsure of what to make of this new, colder Kazuki.
As they left the dungeon, they stumbled upon a massive trove of gold, jewels, and treasures piled high in the chamber before the exit. Kazuki barely spared it a glance, but Aiko and Yuki's eyes widened at the sight.
"Wow," Yuki whispered, her fingers trembling as she reached for a handful of gold coins. "This... this could make us rich."
When they returned to Aldoria Kazuki, Aiko and Yuki parted ways. Kazuki headed to the Aldorian inn and Aiko and Yuki heads to the Aldorian hospital.
While Aiko was in the hospital recovering from her injuries she said. "Kazuki... could it really be him?" she muttered under her breath. "The way he fought, the way he saved us... it felt like... like..."
Yuki snapped her head toward her. "Like what? What are you talking about?"
Aiko hesitated before speaking. "I felt it. When that guy, Zuki, saved us there… I felt the presence of Kazuki."
Yuki's face twisted in disbelief. "Are you serious? That guy?! Kazuki?! No way he's that powerful! The Kazuki we know would never be like that... he's not that... cold." She shuddered, recalling the coldness in Kazuki's voice and the detached way he spoke to them.
When Kazuki returned to the inn, walking silently through the dimly lit streets, his mind focused on nothing but rest.
In the Aldorian hospital, as Aiko was being treated for her injuries, Yuki took the opportunity to inform the rest of their classmates about what had happened. The news of Kazuki—or at least someone they suspected might be him—spread quickly. One person, in particular, was more intrigued than the others: Ryohei Nakamura, the most popular guy in their class, and a Diamond-ranked magic user. With his mastery of light and time magic, Ryohei was well-known and respected throughout the kingdom. The moment he heard Aiko's story, he knew he had to meet Kazuki face to face.
Meanwhile, Kazuki collected his reward from the guild. The guildmaster raised an eyebrow at Kazuki's drastically altered appearance but wisely chose not to question him. The cold air that surrounded Kazuki felt different—dangerous. After collecting the reward, Kazuki returned to the inn, his body weary from both the battle and the painful transformation he had undergone.
Kazuki fell onto the bed in his room, the mattress creaking under his weight. His eyes drifted shut, and for the first time in a long while, he allowed himself to sleep.
The next day, after Aiko had recovered, she and Yuki met with Kazuki to split the rewards from their dungeon expedition. Kazuki handed them their share without a word, his face expressionless as ever.
"Are you sure?" Aiko asked, hesitating as she took the pouch of gold. "You... you earned most of this."
Kazuki shrugged, his voice devoid of emotion. "I don't need it."
They stood in awkward silence for a moment before Aiko spoke again. "So... I guess this is goodbye?"
Kazuki nodded slightly, turning his back to them. "I have things to do," he muttered, beginning to walk away.
As he made his way down the street, the wind blowing gently through his white hair, a sudden flash of light caught his attention. FLASH! A powerful, magical aura filled the air behind him, and he heard a voice call out.
"Wait!"
Kazuki stopped in his tracks, his eyes narrowing as he slowly turned around. There, standing a few meters away, was Ryohei Nakamura, flanked by several of their classmates. They stared at Kazuki with wide eyes, some filled with awe, others with fear.
Kazuki's gaze locked onto Ryohei's, cold and unflinching. The tension in the air was palpable. He could feel it—the curiosity, the fear, the admiration radiating from his former classmates.
Without a word, Kazuki turned his back on them once more and walked away.