PART ONE, CHAPTER SEVEN: "SLEEPING DOGS"

-THE GOLDEN BOY & THE INNER CITY-

Father's mantra was simple: "Power dominates, power is absolute."

"Power" wasn't far removed from my core idea, this was undeniable. The nature of power, the idea it represents, the vessel for its fortunes- such topics weren't foreign to me. More than Kei or sister dearest, I understood the word that twisted fate. I knew which idea bent an arm behind the almighty's back.

Strength, fortitude, might, power. On our first meeting, sister dearest ruthlessly hammered into my existence her thoughts— no, her ideals on the matter.

The bright young girl hadn't minced words, she'd used every descriptor that came to mind. Arrogant, haughty, ungrateful, cruel— I'd heard them many times before, but only then had they carried meaning. Even despite that, her begrudged acknowledgement of my perfection carried with it a warmth unfamiliar at the time.

A concept given form, the very definition of talent. The highest form of royalty, the pinnacle of perfection. She easily applied these labels to I, whose absolute power existed for personal gain. By all means, this untouchable idea lived first and foremost as an example of unforgivable selfishness.

And so, I decided.

To meet those expectations, SHIBUYA might shatter even the Moon.

-UNKNOWN-

"You speak of power?"

Whistling winds whipped through my fingertips. The faint twinkle of aurum carried, spreading an unspoken regalia across the room. Papers scattered, dust cleared. A hum of unmitigated disbelief escaped my being, its low rumble echoing for all to hear. Silence fell moments later, as if the world itself awaited the King's decree.

And decree he did.

Amidst the scattered sheets, a hand pierced the silence. Skywards, as if admiring its perfection, then slowly towards the distant golden girl. Across my palm, between the spread fingers, seriousness spread across her beautiful features. The corners of my mouth rose into a smile.

Time crawled forward. My world, my garden, only we existed within. Those hindrances, those stagehands, they didn't dare intervene. This was a scene for two.

Each of the golden girl's minuscule movements were categorized behind my eyes. The slow rise and fall of her chest, the slight twitch of her left index finger. After every blink, her gaze slowly refocused. Even so, those eyes wouldn't stray. She stared forward, refusing to break eye contact.

You'd leer with such filthy eyes?

My hand retracted. Each of the five fingers, perfect in make, slowly ran through my silky brown hair. One strand, then two strands, slowly they fell before my eyes. That wouldn't do. With a faint golden crackle, my ability converted Minakami's black hairpin into a hair tie. Now I gathered my hair at the nape.

The golden girl's face tightened. "You..."

A moment passed, and finally I'd finished. I shook my head, allowing the Keiko Kusanagi-esque short tail to whip freely on the winds. My amber eyes focused, invigorated by their renewed vision. With this, SHIBUYA could operate at his best. With this, SHIBUYA had no equal.

And so, the King descended from his throne. The room's door shut, silencing the outside world's wintry winds. Now I approached. A rhythmic saunter, a pompous swagger, footstep after footstep resounded. Past Keiko Kusanagi, past my empty seat.

Only that golden girl held my attention.

My hand flattened on the cool tabletop. Mahogany, most likely. My fingers spread. Between them, I saw my reflection in the glossy wood. That face, those eyes, the contempt they exuded couldn't be understated. They knew full well the nature of this engagement.

Putting my weight on the table, I leaned in. Amber eyes locked with gold, our faces only a few centimeters away. I fully grasped the warmth of her soft breaths.

"Tell me about power, Yoshida."

Low as a whisper, smooth like silk. There was no interest, no seriousness in that request. There was only hostility, given form through the seductive tone I took. Many a foe had frozen upon hearing this voice. Unable to think, unable to respond. This was normal.

Even so, the golden girl challenged this natural order.

Calm and collected, she raised an alabaster tea cup. Her discerning gaze fell to the amber liquid within, then her eyes closed. She inhaled, as if taking in the scent, then brought the tea cup to her rosy lips. One small sip was all she took. Then, opening her mouth once more:

"I suggest that you lack it. No, I suggest that you fear it."

"Yours?"

"Who knows?"

The girl motioned towards an empty cup, and I to a tea pot. Two sets of nameless hands slid the articles across the table. Both of us retrieved our requested items.

Our too-close faces separated, myself standing up. Across from the golden girl, I pulled out a chair. As I sat, I poured amber liquid into the empty cup. Now I put the teapot down. From the golden girl to myself, the newly filled cup switched hands. I brought it to my face, observing the steamy ripples within.

For a moment, the room went quiet.

None spoke, none questioned. One sip, two sips, we nursed our drinks in silence. Only the low clink of porcelain against porcelain sounded as cup was lifted from saucer, then returned once more. All the while, neither I nor the leading actress broke eye contact.

"Your challenge," I gently blew into my cup, "Shall I accept it?"

Then, from out of view, the thump of a fist against wooden walling.

My eyes shifted to she who'd taken the spotlight: Keiko Kusanagi. Her gaze narrowed, her mouth curved downward, she stepped to the table, the centerpiece. Her palm hammered the glossy tabletop as the tell-tale rattle of porcelain followed suit.

"You know what I'm going to say," she said.

"I don't, actually. Your faith is admirable."

The redhead wasn't fond of my comment. The cool glint in her eyes regarded this scenario as the worst possible outcome. Wildness surfaced on her face, as if thinking of a method to disrupt this flow of events. Just as quickly, however, another variable entered the fray.

Kaede crossed one stocking-covered leg over the other. She leaned forward, resting both elbows on the tabletop. From where she sat at the table's head, she commanded the room's atmosphere. Her words sparked the skirmish between gold and gold.

"What will this challenge be, huh?"

The golden girl briefly hummed. "Something in which luck isn't a factor. A means by which power can be gauged without breaking the school's rule on fighting. To ensure the highest level of fairness, the ideal challenge would be—"

"Arm wrestling, isn't it?" I sipped my tea.

She lowered her cup. "Correct."

Arm wrestling. It relied entirely on personal strength and skill, so luck wasn't a factor. Like this, no matter the outcome, nobody could question who had more power. The golden girl had realized this at the same time as myself. No, perhaps even before then.

"But is that really fair?" Kaede tilted her head.

Yoshida Yamashina frowned. "A valid question. As a Raiju, my strength far surpasses that of a human's."

This was undisputable fact. Raiju were a type of non-human, or Youkai. Typically of eastern descent, they were many times faster and stronger than a normal human. Whereas an adult male might have problems lifting the front of a car, Yoshida Yamashina could perhaps do so with one hand. This wasn't their only strength.

As stated in myth, Raiju possessed unparalleled control over electricity. With a swipe of the finger, lightning descends from the heavens. With a flick of the wrist, thunder roars across the sky. The specifics of each lightning-based ability weren't the same, but none could be underestimated. This was the source of my upperclassman's question.

Sky and Earth. Youkai and Human.

But what of Heaven and Earth?

"If you're worried about fairness," I lowered my cup, "Shall we say abilities are allowed?"

The golden girl sighed. "If that's the case..."

Suddenly, creaking wood sounded to my right. I turned to the source, where I found Kei pressing down on the table. She seemed deep in thought, as though considering something important. When she noticed my gaze, however, she retreated back to the wall.

During the affair, scalding hot tea had cooled.

Spice and sugar coagulated at the top of the liquid, forming a pale film on its surface. I quickly finished my cup and lowered it onto a saucer. Yamashina did the same. The two of us slid our cups aside with gentle hands. The time for tea had passed.

I placed an arm on the table, but not before removing my blazer.

In this scenario, a plan held no merit. Forming a plan implied strategy to be a necessity. There was no risk involved, there was no chance of failure. For a challenge of this nature, tactics would simply get in the way. This was the nature of SHIBUYA's confidence.

The golden girl paused for a moment, as if she couldn't understand. Her dainty eyes blinked once, then twice, and finally she smirked. It was brief, lasting less than a second. Lesser eyes might have missed it, but mine didn't.

After shedding her own blazer, Yamashina planted an elbow on the tabletop.

Now we locked hands. Her hand was far more rugged than I'd expected- it wasn't soft at all. The skin was tough, perhaps covered with calluses. The touch of her time-tested hand startled me, but I made sure to hide this. In doing so, I glanced towards Kaede.

"I request a countdown," I said.

The Student Council President nodded. Her count began.

"Three."

Breathing steadied, arms relaxed.

"Two."

Wrists tensed, shoulders tightened.

"One."

Every spec of dust in the air, every corner of the surrounding area, I traced them in my mind's eye. My index finger twitched and my brow tensed. Time seemed to slow as the golden girl and I exchanged heated glances. She tightened her grip, the twinkle in her eyes growing intense.

A moment, then two moments. There was silence, there was quiet. I slid my elbow a little further in and my foe did the same. The low clink of porcelain killed the silence. Initiated, Kaede signaled for the show to start.

"Go!"

I expected Yamashina's first move.

Electricity arced from her hand to mine. It surged down to my elbow and, in a controlled act, traveled no further. Slight pain gave way to numbness as my arm lost all feeling. My foe's eyes glinted, then my arm went limp. In this state, competing with a Raiju was foolish.

Yamashina's plan had no objective flaws.

Power became useless if it couldn't be utilized, and numbness was a means of causing this. Most wouldn't be able to react after such a quick opening move. Given her understanding of how we likely compared, she'd made the best possible move. This deserved praise... no, not quite.

The golden girl shouldn't have localized my paralysis.

A quarter-second after my arm went limp, the King's regalia activated.

I knew the scope of my strengths, my advantages, my power. Reinforcement via molecular stabilization, optimization and alteration from notes in my mental archive, and reversion to a previous state. Reiki was the basis, a powerful fuel source with the tendency to harm its user.

The bout between SHIBUYA's "talent" and Yoshida Yamashina's "effort" took form.

Fzzt. Golden reiki crackled through the air.

With a dull glow, reversion corrected numbness. Reiki circuits communicated my renewed physical condition faster than the nervous system running parallel. Faster than feeling was restored, the muscles in my arm tightened. A Raiju's physical strength faced my own.

It's heavy.

Bone creaked, muscle strained. The girl's confidence wasn't unwarranted.

"...?!"

My foe was startled. Her grip loosened for a moment, then returned in full force. Electricity surged through her golden hair, turning it white-hot for a brief moment. Another current raced down my arm, scorching the tabletop in an unseemly fish-bone scar.

Even so, I refused defeat.

Alteration and optimization activated. The King's regalia adjusts the electrical resistance of flesh and bone. Carbon, calcium. The question of "Can it withstand" became pointless in an instant. Reinforcement's activation ensured the lack of a counter. Molecular stability is preserved, unchangeable in all circumstances.

Bone couldn't crack, muscle couldn't tear.

Three-quarters of a second had passed since we began. I'd staved off her electricity twice, even negating it outright the second time. Life and limb became the proper tool- the perfect artifact- to deal with this foe. Such was the birthright afforded to SHIBUYA.

Preexisting matter could be altered without limit.

My hand stopped an inch from the tabletop. Electricity arced between knuckle and the mahogany beneath, but such was the extent of their engagement. My foe's eyes widened, a stark realization hitting home: her strength could not move this hand.

The muscles in my arm tensed. This counterattack was slow, methodical. From my near-loss to the top of our hands' arc, I gazed deeply into those golden eyes. The frustration with which she struggled made my chest tighten. Her rebellion held no purpose- this fact made my heart beat faster.

That's right, this is how it should be.

I had power, so I was absolute.

Absoluteness, unquestionable might. Savoring those ideas, Yamashina's loss inched closer and closer. I watched with bated breath as her hand approached the tabletop. Then, with one last spurt, I couldn't restrain myself.

Her bitter expression of defeat, I wanted to see it. Her begrudged acknowledgement of my superiority, I wanted to taste it. I wanted to witness the point at which hope turned to confusion, and then to despair. I wanted to relish our difference in status.

With an earth-shaking thump, the golden girl's hand struck tabletop.

The table wobbled, its foundation struggling against the rumbling earth. Its make, its structure, they barely managed to withstand the explosion-like impact. The tea set rattled as if it might fall. Lights flickered, a chandelier shook. Sawdust and splinters scattered in all directions.

Several council members struggled to keep their balance, Kaede included.

"Ngh!" She gripped the table's edge.

As the hiss of air pressure subsided, the King's insignia traced itself across the tabletop. Starting from the center, then radiating outward towards the corners. It took the form of a wild lion, with fangs bared for all to see. Its shape, its form, they couldn't be mistaken.

This insignia belonged to one, and only one individual.

I could have done more, I could have gone further. Unfortunately, that went above and beyond the confines of a small competition. Even by myself, such callous disregard couldn't be permitted.

I, the greatest. I, the strongest.

If I forgot these simple facts, I'd cease being human—

"Ow." My brow twitched.

The sting of a splinter brought me back to reality.

My eyes widened. The King's regalia deactivated, and my arm returned to its base state. A series of questions bombarded my psyche, each one muddling the last. Had I broken her arm? Had anyone else gotten hurt? There were many, many things to consider.

The fingertips of my free hand instantly shot towards the tabletop. The process of reversion activated, and the grooves and cracks in the wood began to mend. Despite the original plan of hiding my ability, saving face became the new objective.

It was as I prepared to use reversion on my foe that she reacted.

Yamashina's hand swiftly parted from my own. She shook her wrist like she'd bumped it against something. What's more, closer inspection revealed no immediate wounds. Her furrowed brow showcased inconvenience more than anything else.

How resilient.

Still, this was the least of my problems. For an instant, for a split-second, his- the Golden King's- insignia took form. Who'd been watching? Who could've seen it? Only one person came to mind, and I shifted to meet their piercing red gaze.

Kei's smirk tipped me off. "How interesting."

This was a worst case scenario.

I slid my arm off the tabletop, after which the room fell silent. Using this artificial peace, I set about forming an excuse to leave. The first and second excuses proved too implausible, and the fourth and sixth too, how to put it, stupid. This left the fifth excuse. Now I waited for an opportunity.

"I've won," I said.

Then Kaede, in response: "I guess he won."

My gaze shifted to Yamashina. Seeing her unexpected expression, I flinched. The golden girl stared at me, a look I couldn't properly describe on her face. Serene, or even relaxed? I couldn't tell. It was odd, but not the type of odd I could place.

As I returned my hair to normal, Kaede seemed to mellow out. She reclined in her seat, removing her elbows from the tabletop in the process. Her gaze wandered around the room, as if assessing the damage. Finally, her eyes fell on me. She smiled.

"First year, the prize is on the table. You in?"

My decision was instant. I knew full well the benefits of being on the Student Council. Objectively speaking, I was the best candidate. I wasn't sure of Yamashina's circumstances, but I'd be here after the Demon-slayer examination in two months time. Yet, even so:

"It's like I said, I'm not interested in joining the Student Council."

Kaede frowned. "Got it."

Passing on the position had benefits as well. Less work, more free time. This meant more opportunities to socialize, more opportunities to study. That wasn't all though. Yamashina was the last person I wanted to butt heads with. Suspicions might raise if such an upstanding character was found arguing with one such as myself. Of course, some might have chalked it up to jealousy over our scores. I, for one, had seen no jealousy in those golden eyes.

That's why I'd yield the position.

What a waste. I wonder, will she accept this ending?

The screech of chair legs interrupted my train of thought. I glanced towards the noise's source. What I saw gave me pause- I almost fell out of my chair.

There stood Yoshida Yamashina. Her head bowed, one arm crossed over her chest, she spoke.

"If you would allow me, I will accept the position."

An unexpectedly quick decision.

Kaede peered towards the golden girl. One moment passed, and then two. She seemed to thoroughly chew on the idea. Shortly afterwards, the corners of her mouth bent upwards. She extended a hand towards the bowing Yoshida Yamashina.

"Of course."

Now my gaze jumped around the room. The disgruntled observers, the lightly shaken chandeliers, and the papers scattered about. I had no words to justify my actions. After a moment of deliberation, I decided I didn't need to. An apology was enough.

"By the way," I slid my blazer back on, "Sorry for the mess."

Kaede shook her head. "It's whatever, first year. I saw something interesting today."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah. For now, nnn..."

Kaede clasped both hands, stretching them high above her head. Both eyes closed, as if relishing the room's chilly ambiance. Stocking-covered legs stretched, one over the other. Next, she placed her feet on the tabletop. Kaede smiled.

"Let's call it a day."

If only things had ended there.

-S0017-

We- Yamashina, Kaede, and myself- remained long past the end of our "election".

In that cold room, we held something of a tea party. Biscuits, freshly brewed tea, so on and so forth. It wasn't anything special, or so I thought. Kei lingered for thirty or so minutes, but she was the first to leave. We didn't talk much, and both of us avoided eye contact. Yamashina left second, stating she had "family matters" to attend to.

In all, the extent of my own stay had amounted to four or so hours.

After Kaede and I were the only people left, the atmosphere turned frigid. I'd feigned a phone call from my sister to escape. I have to preserve my secret identity- Shizuka would go with my lie if I cited this reasoning. This gave me an excuse to leave, something to do with Shizuka's inability to cook her own meals.

I'm ruining her image, aren't I. No matter, it'll deter the unworthy filth around her.

With that in mind, I exited the school through its front gates. A recently shoveled path lead me through a short walk to the train station. I'd steeled myself to walk through slush, fortunately for no reason. I silently thanked the Teacher's Council for approving the use of snow removal drones. But wait, hold on.

Did Shizuka have to go through the slush? The drones might've cleaned up during our tea party.

Obviously Shizuka, sister dearest, had already left. Asking her to wait was unreasonable, I knew that. Even so, I'd held a bit of hope- maybe she'll be waiting for me at the train station. Such didn't happen. My hopes, held close to the heart, were easily crushed... via text.

"mom sent a new thingy, come home"

This was another problem entirely.

How irritating. For now, let's head home.

When I reached the train station, a stress-filled sigh escaped my lips. Even as I ran my boarding pass along the scanner, my tension did not fade. I'd struggled not to atomize the expensive machinery. And so, I took a seat and began my wait.

A silvery train, headed for the Gekko District, ate up most of the station's crowd. My foot tapped throughout the entirety of the boarding process. I held only contempt the Gekko District and, more importantly, this wasn't my train. Mine came every ten minutes.

I checked the time and date on my phone: 6:26 PM on April 2nd, 2057.

Staying out late was bad news, especially in a schooling city like Niflheim. Delinquents crawled out of their holes at night. What's more, rumors were quick to spread. That wasn't all though. If such were the extent of my problems, I wouldn't have cared too much.

My ability, my little monster, whined and screamed from the confines of my mind. Even though I'd won against Yamashina, it sought a more concrete victory. Arm wrestling wasn't enough. It longed for combat, to crush a lesser existence. In a sense, it desired a new toy.

What an unruly child.

The silvery train left. Afterwards, my train pulled into the station: a single red railcar. This was the express train. Shizuka and I lived in Niflheim's southernmost area, the Ryugujo District. As a result, this was one of the few trains that went to our neighborhood.

I waited with bated breath as the train's doors opened. A mechanical voice sounded.

"108 'Akazuki' heading southbound to Ryugujo Station."

Then, disregarding my surroundings, I sauntered in. My eyes settled on a good place to sit: a window seat that'd give a good ocean view. I sat down and, as nobody was next to me, placed my school bag in an adjacent seat.

With a ker-chack, the doors closed and we started moving. Even so, my ability didn't settle.

I started fishing through my school bag. There had to be something, anything, that could calm my nerves. As I reached my bag's bottom, however, I realized the futility of my search. I'd hunted for a familiar scent, a relaxing tobacco that wouldn't be there. No, it couldn't be there.

That's right, Shizuka told me to quit.

It'd never been about addiction, nor any fondness for smoking. My ability parsed bodily imperfections within minutes. Alcohol, cigarettes, I couldn't get addicted. I couldn't get into them for long without being cleaned of toxins. This was why I'd one day found my cigarette cartons in the garbage, no doubt at Shizuka's hand.

"Things like this don't suit you," she'd said.

"Tch." I clicked my tongue.

Now I peered out the window, ignoring the streets and buildings below. I looked past the falling snow, past the sea itself. Only the distant horizon held my attention.

Niflheim's cloudy sky helped me relax. It helped me think, rather. I could consider the future and everything I wanted to do. Simple things, honestly. I wanted to go to a real beach someday, not an artificial one. I'd invite all of my "friends" and we'd discuss sweet nothings into the night.

I'd even thought about a future girlfriend. It was one of the few matters I seriously considered. I'd thought about her features, her personality, and how we'd meet. What kind of person could win Satou Shibuya's affection? Who was the so-called "Idol" that I'd sought?

At the time I truly had no way of knowing. What a handful, that girl.

In the end I reached my usual conclusion: I'm thinking too much.

Slowly, steadily, I reclined in my seat. The future of next year and after weren't important to the me of then- such was my take on the matter. Tomorrow came first, then the day after. I wasn't good at studying and I hated mathematics. Growing up with an ability reliant on numerical processing quickly put a damper on that faucet.

I held back a smile. "Honestly, how foolish."

After the words escaped, a realization hit me.

There hadn't been much idle chatter in the background. Save for the low voom of the train's magnetic rails, there was nothing. A cursory sweep of the eyes solved this mystery, for better or for worse. As far as I could tell, there were no people here. Nobody except us two- her and Satou Shibuya.

My focus shifted to the other party- a young woman.

There sat the avatar of disinterest, pale as winter itself. Wavy white hair, perhaps whiter than snow, traced her contours down to the lower back. Her slender but buxom frame, her slightly broad shoulders, and her unruly sitting posture. Pink-red eyes completed the set.

Black pants clung to long legs. She casually spun her expensive high heels on her big toe, as if bored. Her coat, black and adorned with faux fur of the opposite color, rested over her shoulders. This did little to conceal the tight-fitting dress shirt beneath.

The woman seemed to be texting on a cell phone. This simple act couldn't be called abnormal. On this island, her features also couldn't be called abnormal. There was no reason to gawk at her, that was true. Even so, I couldn't tear my eyes away.

This is strange.

Then, she looked up—

"...?"

—And met my gaze. One second passed, then ten.

I broke eye contact, unsure of what to do. As if she'd noticed, the suspicious woman rose from her seat. The click, click of her high heels came closer and closer, until it was right in front of me. I peered back to find she'd taken a seat across from me. Two meters of space separated our knees.

"Erm." I couldn't find the words.

"..."

Our staring contest resumed. If Kei's eyes were piercing, these were relaxed. Confident, even. Nothing in those eyes showed doubt, fear, or confusion. Even so, I couldn't gauge any further. Frustrating as it was, I couldn't judge the worth of such eyes.

"...What?" I asked.

"Nothing."

The conversation ended there, or so it would've.

"Listen closely, this isn't one of Satou Shibuya's usual questions. Excuse me, but have I offended you? Have I negatively impacted your day in any way, shape, or form? If you'd request recompense, know there's only one opportunity to do so. I present it right now."

She quirked a brow. "Got a few looks today, didn't care that much."

Unhappy with her bluntness, my ability's whines intensified. Against my will, reasons to pick a fight filled my head. That wouldn't do at all. I needed the King's regalia to settle down, and our increasingly abrupt discussion wasn't helping. I decided to steer the conversation elsewhere.

"The weather is nice," I said.

"Too hot for me."

The cry of "Are you serious?" nearly escaped my mouth. Niflheim's trains were certainly heated, but only within reason. This train was only slightly below room temperature. Could that really be called "too hot"? On the contrary, wasn't it fairly cool?

No, perhaps it's because of her jacket?

"I-I know what you mean. I used to wear jackets too."

She tilted her head. "You're wearing one right now."

"..." I was silent.

"..." She was silent.

"T-That might be true."

"It's true."

It was certainly true! I had a jacket on. In the past I'd worn them all the time, but not anymore. Now I only wore them on particularly chilly days. After all, I wasn't very receptive to cold weather. This was due in part to my ability, which raised my body temperature. Rather than a passive attempt at adaption, this was just a general side-effect.

I quickly defended my case. "I-I'm cultivating a new image, and jackets run counter to the... warmth and friendliness that I, Satou Shibuya, seek to convey. With that said, today was colder than usual. Refusing to wear a jacket would be foolish."

"A new image... your high school début?"

"Putting that aside," I sighed, "What brings you here?"

The woman reclined in her seat. "Work. Brings me all over the place."

"I should've been clearer about what here was. As in, in front of me. Regardless, continue."

"People ask me to find people. I find people and get paid for it."

I took a moment to consider the meaning behind these words. Her objective, I couldn't fully grasp it. She wouldn't be so forward, so on the nose, if she didn't want something. But what? Many things came to mind, but only one stood out as logical. Still, I couldn't be sure.

"I'm curious, I'm curious. What kind of people do you look for?"

She shrugged. "Special people."

"Oh?"

Then, taking the farce a step further, the woman scratched her head. She broke eye contact, but only for a moment. Afterwards, our gazes crossed once more. Now a small smirk was apparent on her face. She leaned in, I leaned out.

"Grilling locals for intel is always fun. Can I?"

I crossed my arms. "Go ahead."

"First..."

The woman stared intently... no, that's wrong.

Those red-pink eyes were sharp. Sharp like Kei's, but nowhere near Genjou's. In that regard, even I struggled to reach Genjou. Such was besides the point though. Regarding her gaze, I reached a single conclusion: This woman has seen many things.

"Tell me about the Golden King," She said.

It was the worst possible topic for one such as myself. Did she want Midas? Or maybe his forerunner? There was no point thinking about it. At this point, I'd grasped the situation. Still, I played along.

"Midas A. Goldstein, is it?"

She shook her head. "Not that one."

"Then—"

"The actual Golden King."

Time ground to a halt. I could tell immediately, she wasn't playing around. In that sense, she knew her target was close. No, she knew exactly where the so-called Golden King was.

I smiled. "Is there any other information you can give me?"

"The top-scoring first year student at KGA. Born May 8th, 2041. His name..."

Now her smirk faded.

"Satou Shibuya."