[Years used:6/9]
A soft sigh of relief escaped from Kai's lips as he wiped his forehead. Atleast this was some sort of good news, an explanation to his relation with the penalty world.
'So, irrespective of the current flow of time, I can spend as many years as I wish in the penalty realm and it'll only be a moment here.'
Still, Kai's consciousness stirred, dragging him from the depths of sleep. Despite the happy news, he was still the same old lazy Kai who needed hours of sleep.
A quiet exhale left his lips, and just as he was about to stretch, a voice suddenly broke through the silence.
"You have a really weird way of waking up, you know."
His body stiffened.
The voice wasn't in his head. It was real. And it was coming from his rear.
Kai's head snapped toward the source.
Sitting beside his bed, casually leaning back in a wooden chair, was Renji.
"…Renji?" Kai blinked.
"What are you doing here?"
Renji rested an elbow on the chair's armrest, his fingers tapping against his cheek as an ever so confident grin drew on his face.
"Oh, don't worry. I'm just here to keep an eye on things." His gaze sharpened slightly.
"I was curious about a few things, that's all."
Kai frowned.
"You could have just knocked."
"I did." Renji sighed.
"Several times, actually. But you were out cold. I was starting to think you were dead."
Kai's mind stalled for a second, before rays of confusion sprung into his mind.
'…So you decided to just sit there and watch me instead of calling a healer? Who the hell does that!'
Kai ran a hand through his hair, shaking off the remnants of sleep. Then, his eyes narrowed slightly.
"You said you were curious about something. What exactly is it?"
Renji paused for a beat before answering.
"Oh... Well… it's about what you did during the orientation."
Kai straightened. "The orientation?"
Right… he had questions about that too.
Renji studied him for a moment. Then, with a shrug, he said,
"You know, I was surprised you were capable of making that kind of speech against a legacy...I actually thought you were dead meat back then."
Kai raised a brow in slight confusion.
"That's what you're curious about?"
Renji smirked.
"Not quite..but-"
"I'm actually curious about something too...first of all… how the hell am I the number one seeker in the academy?" Kai cut in.
Renji remained as he was.
Kai's question wasn't mocking, but it wasn't exactly kind to himself either.
"…Hmm" Renji thought for a moment as he distorted his glance.
"Why are you so surprised?"
Kai let out a dry chuckle.
"Well, let's see...because I'm the weakest. I barely have any mana. My battle skills are crap. And even though training is almost over, I still don't feel like I'm anywhere near ready." His fists clenched slightly.
"And with legacies in the academy. Why… why choose me of all people?"
Renji didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he just watched Kai, almost as though he was searching for an answer himself.
Then, finally, he spoke.
"Why you?" He leaned back.
"Because you're the only capable one."
Kai froze.His brain stalled, unable to process Renji's words.
"…What?"
Renji's expression remained unreadable.
"A seeker survived an Eternal Class Raid."
The room suddenly felt colder.
Renji's tone was steady, but there was an underlying weight to his words.
"Most of your comrades were killed," he continued.
"Even for Titans, surviving an Eternal Class Raid is nearly impossible. And yet… you, a seeker, of all people, survived." His gaze bore into Kai's.
"Even though it was by a hair's breadth."
Renji exhaled softly befor he continued.
"Everyone in the Association—me included—is quite intrigued by that....We want to find out exactly how and why you're alive, Kai."
Renji's voice lowered.
"The explanation is that whatever Devil you met at the mansion, didn't want you dead...so, we need to know why."
A slow chill crept down Kai's spine.
Renji didn't sound accusatory.
He sounded curious.
Like he was trying to solve a puzzle.
Kai swallowed and then replied.
"So… you're saying the reason I'm number one is because the higher ups think I should be dead?"
Renji smirked. "Not exactly."
Kai frowned. "Then what—"
"You were made number one," Renji said,
"because, according to your description… you survived the New God at the mansion."
The moment those words left his mouth, Kai stiffened.
Renji didn't miss his reaction, as even he could obviously be seen with a slight bit of fear on his face.
"…The New God?"
Renji arched a brow.
"Don't tell me you don't know who that is."
Kai remained silent. Renji studied him.Then, his gaze softened slightly.
"Right. Amnesia. You're missing a lot of memories."
A beat passed.
Then, Renji leaned forward, his voice lowering.
"The New God is a devil."
Kai felt his stomach tighten.
"Or, as most people call him, the devil himself."
A sharp breath escaped Kai's lips as Renji continued.
"He roamed the earth hundreds of years ago. Not much was known about him, except his favorite pastime..." Renji's lips curled.
"Slaughtering and feasting on humans and sorcerers. "
Kai's skin prickled.
"For mana. For power. For fun." Renji's eyes darkened.
"He kept doing it. For centuries. And soon, he became the most powerful devil to ever exist, possessing powers far greater than man's understanding."
Kai's throat felt dry.
Renji's fingers tapped against the chair's armrest.
"However, about 400 years ago, he was defeated by a member of the Kaito Clan...one of my ancestors."
Kai's breath hitched.
"With the help of other sorcerers, they managed to take him down, barely." Renji's voice lowered.
"But now, according to what you described upon regaining consciousness, the New God is back."
Silence.
A deep, suffocating silence clouded the room, leaving Kai utterly motionless.
Kai's body felt cold.
He didn't know why, but he felt it.
The weight. The meaning. The implication.
His mouth was dry, but he managed to whisper.
"…I guess that's bad news for humanity, huh?"
Renji blinked.
Then, as if breaking the tension, he grinned.
"Bad news? Well…" He shrugged. "For you guys, yeah, obviously. For me? It's exciting."
Kai's brain stuttered.
'This guy really is an idiot.'
Renji smirked.
"You see, if the New God is alive, then that means there's actually an opponent worth my time out there."
Renji cleared his throat, then, he continued.
"Through dedication and training, I became one of the strongest sorcerers. Not just in this era, but in all of sorcery's history."
"I became so powerful that the mana I emit isn't just Eternal-Class."
Renji's gaze sharpened.
"It's capable of killing Seekers. Even humans, and weak devils too. Sometimes, Vanguards too."
Kai's stomach churned.
"Infact, if I wasn't suppressing my mana right now." Renji said.
"you'd already be dead."
Kai's hands clenched.
He hadn't realized just how strong Renji was. Well, in truth, he knew he was powerful, he just never knew he was at such a level superior to him.
Renji chuckled.
"But hey… if there's someone out there who can match me, that'd be cool, right?"
Kai didn't answer, he was still lost in his devastating thoughts.
Renji exhaled, stretching his arms.
"Well, for now, I'll keep an eye on you." He stood up.
"After all, you made me a promise."
Kai's jaw tightened.
Renji turned toward the door.
Just before stepping out, he glanced back at Kai.
"So I'll ask you once more- Do you really think you can match up to me?"
Kai's throat closed up. He wanted to say something, or atleast sound confident atleast, just for his pride sake.
But the lie just wouldn't let out.
Renji's eyes lingered on him for a second longer. Then, with a soft chuckle, he turned away.
"Don't worry, kid." He smirked.
"You'll get there, in about five centuries if you're lucky."
With that, he stepped out.
But before leaving, he paused.
"Mana training is in a few hours."
He glanced over his shoulder.
"I'd recommend not missing it."
And then, he was gone.
Kai stood there, unmoving. His mind was blank- the usual reaction of any who'd found out the capability of their rival.
But then—
A slow, sharp grin stretched across his lips as a determined look was etched on his face.
"This is the guy I have to surpass."
No.
"I survived a damn Eternal class raid. Everyone, even he is fucking impressed. That's right, I'm gonna surpass him. I'm sure of it!"
He muttered under his breathe. However, there was one telling factor he had failed to consider, which was- why had the devil spared him?
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