Akitsu Shouga opened his eyes again.

  Cold wind brushed harshly against his face, sharp enough to sting, carrying with it the familiar scent of iron and damp earth. Gravel crunched beneath his shoes as he shifted his weight. When he lifted his head, the iron gates of the Takeda mansion stood before him—tall, rigid, and unyielding.

  Exactly as before.

  Beyond the fence, the mansion loomed in oppressive silence, its windows dark and watchful beneath the moonlit sky. Trees lining the perimeter thrashed violently as the wind tore through them, branches creaking like warning signs no one ever heeded.

  Akitsu exhaled slowly.

  “So it really reset again…”

  His eyes moved with careful precision, scanning every detail.

  The angle of the lanterns.

  The shadows stretching across the stone path.

  The faint metallic smell clinging to the gate.

  Nothing had changed.

  Not even slightly.

  “What should I do?” he muttered under his breath.

  Seraphine Orion hovered beside him, arms crossed, her expression tense. “What are you doing?” she asked. “Aren’t you supposed to jump over the fence already?”

  “Yeah,” Akitsu replied calmly. Too calmly. “But let’s wait out here for a while.”

  She blinked. “…Why?”

  Without answering, Akitsu walked toward a large tree near the gate and sat down beneath it, leaning his back against the rough bark as if time itself had lost meaning. He tilted his head back, staring up at the swaying branches.

  “Let’s wait for the hero to arrive.”

  Seraphine stared at him, baffled. “How are you so sure someone’s coming?”

  “Don’t worry,” Akitsu said quietly. “Just trust me.”

  She hesitated, glancing nervously toward the mansion. “…Alright. But I’m worried about Kaoru.”

  “So am I.”

  Minutes passed.

  Then—

  A shadow leapt across the rooftops.

  A figure moved through the night with unnatural agility, bounding from structure to structure like a predator tracking its prey. Every movement was sharp, deliberate—disciplined.

  Kael Ardent.

  The Fiester Academy uniform clung tightly to him, black blazer fluttering in the wind, the disciplinary committee sash secured firmly at his side. His eyes scanned the streets below with relentless focus.

  “Where is he…?” Kael muttered. “I haven’t seen him since this evening.”

  He leapt again—

  And stopped mid-motion.

  “…Spiritual energy?”

  Kael turned sharply toward the Takeda mansion.

  “Found you!”

  He descended in a single powerful leap, landing before the iron gate with a heavy thud. Akitsu lifted his head from beneath the tree.

  Kael blinked. “…What are you guys doing here?”

  “Did you find Kaoru?” Akitsu asked.

  He stood, pointing calmly toward the mansion. “Yeah. She’s in there.”

  Kael’s eyes widened. “Are you sure?”

  Seraphine nodded immediately. “Yeah. Trust us.”

  Kael clenched his fist. “Then what’s the plan?”

  Akitsu’s expression hardened, a subtle shift that Seraphine noticed immediately.

  “First,” Akitsu said, “there’s a man on the rooftop. I want you to keep him busy. Be careful—he has some kind of ability. I don’t know what it is.”

  Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

  Kael listened without interrupting.

  “Orion and I will go inside. Kaoru’s in a hidden room in the cellar.”

  Seraphine snapped her head toward him. “How do you know all of that?”

  “Don’t question it,” Akitsu said calmly. “Just follow my orders.”

  Kael exhaled, then grinned. “Alright. Good luck, Akitsu!”

  He vanished upward, leaping toward the rooftop.

  Akitsu turned to Seraphine. “Orion. Make me two sharp knives.”

  She frowned but nodded. “…Alright. Whatever you say.”

  Wood twisted and compressed within her hands, glowing faintly as it hardened. Two reinforced wooden knives formed—balanced, sharp, deadly. She handed them over.

  “Let’s go.”

  Akitsu sprinted forward and vaulted over the fence with ease.

  The front door exploded inward.

  The impact echoed violently through the mansion as Akitsu kicked it clean off its hinges. The door flew across the hall, slamming into a butler rushing toward the noise.

  “Sorry!!”

  He didn’t slow.

  He charged down the corridor, turned sharply, and burst into the great chamber.

  Haruya Takeda sat calmly at a small coffee table, tea steaming gently before him.

  He looked up, unfazed. “I didn’t expect you to make a grand entrance, Akitsu Shouga.”

  “Alright,” Akitsu replied flatly. “What about it?”

  Haruya stood and approached the fireplace. Resting above it was a katana. He lifted it, unsheathing the blade slowly. Steel gleamed in the firelight.

  “What are you going to do with that?” Akitsu asked.

  Haruya pointed the blade toward him, eyes burning with conviction. “I challenge you to a duel. The winner gets Kaoru.”

  “Oh?” Akitsu said quietly. “That’s new.”

  “I love Kaoru,” Haruya replied. “I would do anything for her.”

  Whispers spread outside the chamber.

  “What’s going on?”

  “Who’s that boy?”

  “It’s dangerous—”

  A clear voice rang out.

  “Look at brother! He’s so cool!”

  Akitsu glanced at the door. “Orion. Close it.”

  “Alright.”

  Vines erupted from the floor, sealing the chamber completely.

  Akitsu turned back. “Your sister’s cute.”

  “Yes,” Haruya said with a twisted smile. “Ayaka will support me even if I become a criminal.”

  Akitsu’s thoughts flickered.

  Ayaka… so that’s it.

  “Any last words?” Haruya asked.

  “Kaoru is mine,” Akitsu said firmly. “I won’t lose her again.”

  The fight ended brutally.

  Steel clashed. Knives flew. Pain accumulated.

  Haruya fell.

  Defeated.

  Akitsu took the katana.

  “I’ll take this.”

  “I’ll never tell you where Kaoru is!” Haruya screamed.

  Akitsu pushed the cellar wall.

  It rotated.

  Revealing the stairs.

  Kaoru was there.

  Bound.

  Bleeding.

  Seraphine whispered, “How did you know…?”

  “Don’t ask,” Akitsu said quietly.

  He cut the ropes.

  Carried her.

  Behind them, Haruya crawled forward, desperate.

  “Don’t take her…!”

  Akitsu didn’t look back.

  Outside, guards gathered.

  Steel gleamed in moonlight.

  The cycle wasn’t over yet.