From that day onward, Takumi Kurata stopped fighting back. In an effort to atone for his past sins, he silently focused on his studies, living his daily life, and preparing for the entrance exams.
At first, those around him were wary of this strange behavior. They feared he might retaliate at some point. However, after about a month, a certain rumor began to spread:
> "Takumi Kurata has lost his Guin."
> "He was released by the heroes on the condition that his powers be sealed."
For those who had suffered under him, this was too good to be true. Soon, a trial-like revenge began to target Takumi Kurata.
---
One morning, Takumi opened his shoe locker only to find it stained with blood. Inside was a severed chicken's head, reeking of decay. "They really went all out," he muttered, tossing it aside and slipping on his bloodstained indoor shoes before heading to class.
When he entered the classroom, the spiteful glances and mocking smiles were unmistakable. His desk was adorned with a vase of flowers, a framed photo, and even a mourning tribute.
"Well, I expected this much," he thought as he calmly removed the vase and photo before taking his seat. Unbothered by such antics, he went about his day as usual.
---
When retaliation didn't come, the harassment escalated. Hidden textbooks turned to burned ones, paper scraps became soft baseballs, and even his seat was eventually discarded.
Still, Takumi remained unfazed. He had prepared spare textbooks, endured the softballs without complaint, and even attended class sitting on the floor when necessary. The homeroom teacher's silent acceptance of the bullying didn't deter him. He bore it all, solely for the sake of his promise to Mr. White.
By the time five months had passed, Takumi faced his greatest trial yet.
---
"What an old-fashioned cliché… This is the Reiwa era, you know?"
"Oh, so you can still crack jokes, huh, Kurata?"
One morning, Takumi was dragged behind the school building and surrounded by all the boys in his class. With a sigh, he muttered the words above.
"It's time to pay up, Takumi! You had your fun messing with us, didn't you?"
"Neither the teachers nor anyone else will protect you now. We're gonna pay you back for everything!"
The beating began. To avoid leaving any evidence of who was involved, they refrained from using their Guins and instead attacked with fists, bats, and kicks.
Takumi endured it all without fighting back. He stood firm, glaring at his attackers even after losing consciousness multiple times. He would wake, only to be beaten again, until night fell.
---
"Ha… good thing I've been training… Thanks, Mom, for all that miso soup with dried sardines."
Despite the pain and fever, Takumi managed to smile as he wiped the blood from his face with a handkerchief. His injuries weren't as bad as they could have been—no broken bones or teeth.
As he looked up, someone stood above him, staring down.
"Oh, Ozawa… You just got here?"
Ren Akishima looked down at Takumi with a scowl. Takumi, noticing Akishima hadn't been present during the lynching, stood up shakily and smiled.
"Did you come to hit me too? Don't bother; you might actually break a bone or two."
Clicking his tongue in irritation, Akishima replied, "What's the point of hitting a guy already covered in bruises? Why didn't you fight back? Normally, you'd turn them into one of your weird little art pieces and be done with it."
Asked why he hadn't retaliated, Takumi smirked and jokingly said, "Well, you see… Mr. White's promise is very important to me. If I don't endure the bullying until the entrance exams, he'll kill me himself anyways."
"Idiot… I shouldn't have asked, you damn villain," Akishima muttered, turning his back to walk away.
As he did, Takumi called out to him.
"Ozawa, you're so proper! You could've joined them and had a blast beating me up!"
Ozawa turned his head slightly, clicking his tongue again before replying, "Shut up. I'm not like those talentless losers. If I don't beat a real villain like you one-on-one, I'm just a coward."
With that, Akishima walked off without looking back. Watching him go, Takumi spat out the blood pooling in his mouth and whispered:
"Ozawa... really is strong…"
Carrying his tattered uniform and bag, Takumi staggered forward, thinking about how he'd explain his condition to his parents as he walked home under the night sky.