Yukino, who had lost her right arm, sat there blankly, as if her soul had been ripped out of her body.
The severe pain attacking her nerves again and again should have made her scream…
But she didn't even have the strength to voice it.
Her eyes were empty. Lifeless.
She stared straight at the incomprehensible expression on Yami Tsukishiro's face —
that strange… relieved smile.
A smile?
Why?
How could someone smile at a moment like this?
Was he truly that ruthless?
Countless questions surged through Yukino's mind like a violent tide, clawing and tearing at the last shreds of her sanity.
Just as Haruno rushed forward to grab Yukino—
The dome above them suddenly flared with blinding light.
A massive shockwave of radiance burst outward, sweeping straight toward Yukino.
In the blink of an eye, that light swallowed her whole.
"YUKINO!!!"
Haruno's voice cracked, tears spilling uncontrollably as she dove into the light after her sister.
What she saw would be etched into her memory forever.
She saw Yukino's severed right arm — the one that had been torn clean off —
flying back into place, guided by the light itself.
Then—
A fierce, radiant flash erupted.
Yukino felt all the pain vanish in an instant.
As the light faded, she slowly raised her right arm…
Smooth. Pale. Perfectly intact.
"...My hand…"
Yukino whispered softly, her voice trembling with confusion and disbelief.
Haruno crashed into her like a gust of wind, grabbing Yukino's arm with both hands, inspecting every inch of it.
Her eyes overflowed with worry, relief, and affection — as if she was terrified of losing the most precious thing in her life.
"Onee-sama…"
Yukino looked up at her always-elegant, ever-composed sister.
Right now, Haruno's expression was filled with a desperate earnestness she had never shown before.
Yukino's chest tightened.
An indescribable wave of emotion swelled inside her, overwhelming and warm.
"Eh? Her hand is still there… Was that just my imagination?"
Chisato muttered in disbelief.
She clearly remembered Yukino's arm being severed — the blood splattering everywhere —
yet now, everything looked exactly the same as before.
Almost… unreal.
Yami Tsukishiro approached Yukino and crouched down beside her.
Gently, he lifted the torn pieces of her clothing around her shoulder.
The skin beneath was flawless — smooth, pale, unmarred.
Yami let out a breath, looking genuinely apologetic.
"I'm sorry. I didn't warn you beforehand about what was going to happen."
Haruno wasn't convinced.
"What did happen just now? Was it an illusion?"
Yami shook his head.
"Not an illusion."
He pointed upward toward the glittering star-filled dome.
"That dome contains the power of the stars under my control. Within its range, it can heal any injury."
"Even if you're down to your last breath, I will make sure you survive."
Then he paused.
He looked directly at Yukino —
a deep, focused stare —
and spoke with a solemn tone.
"And more importantly… congratulations, Yukinoshita Yukino. You successfully opened your genetic lock."
A screen-like panel appeared.
[Name]: Yukinoshita Yukino
[Rank]: Level 0
[Race]: Human
[Meme]:
C-Rank — Gene-Locked Snow Girl (Level 0)
Under the extreme stimulation of fear and near-death, her genetic lock had truly opened.
[Ability]:
[Snowfall] — Generate snowflakes
[Snow Control] — Manipulate ice and snow
"Try it yourself."
Still dazed, Yukino lifted both hands.
A soft breeze stirred.
Then—
Countless snowflakes materialized in the air.
Beautiful, delicate, dancing like tiny butterflies.
The flakes spun gently into Yukino's palms, forming small snowballs…
and then melted away in a soft shimmer.
"Yukino… that was just…!"
Haruno stared wide-eyed as a few remaining snowflakes landed on her shoulders, melting with a cool touch.
"Sister… I really… seem to have superpowers."
Yukino whispered, stunned.
She had simply acted on instinct —
and yet she had created snow.
Controlled it.
For the first time in her life…
the world felt different.
And so did she.
"It actually works!"
Kojima Kana couldn't help but gasp in amazement.
She never imagined she would witness the birth of actual superpowers—
but the process was so bloody it made her heart skip a beat.
"Well, Master… I didn't expect her to be so fragile."
Kaen stood there like a child who knew she'd messed up, shoulders hunched, big cat-like ears drooping pitifully.
"It's okay. You did a great job."
Yami Tsukishiro stroked her head gently.
How could he blame her? He had full confidence in himself anyway.
Kaen pursed her lips, then walked toward Yukino.
"Human… I apologize. I'm sorry I overestimated your strength."
An apology… that didn't sound like an apology at all.
But coming from Kaen, it was perfectly in character.
"…It's fine."
Yukino's legs were still weak—Haruno hurried over to help her stand.
Yukino's gaze kept drifting toward Kaen's furry, cat-like ears.
A bold idea flashed through her mind…
But after seeing Kaen's stiff, stoic expression, Yukino immediately gave up.
At least they confirmed Yukino was truly fine.
The fact that the star dome could literally restore a severed arm back to perfect condition was nothing short of a miracle.
"Good. This method seems effective. Who wants to go next?"
Yami Tsukishiro's eyes swept across the room.
Everyone—especially Shinomiya Kaguya—shuddered on instinct.
Yes, the healing was incredible…
But the pain, the blood, the shock of watching Yukino's arm get torn clean off…
That fear was very real.
But they had already chosen this path.
There was no escape.
The first gene-lock development test of Potential Academy had officially begun.
Meanwhile — The Internet Explodes
News, headlines, and comments flooded every corner of the web.
"Shock! The strongest man on Earth creates a "Potential Academy" — but only admits girls! What sinister intentions lie behind this?!"
"Terrifying! Superpowered man brutally kills an ordinary person in front of thousands with bizarre abilities! No body left intact!"
"Hero or Devil? Citizens demand an explanation from Yami Tsukishiro!"
Dozens, hundreds, thousands of similar posts appeared.
Accusations. Speculations. Outrage.
Humanity didn't understand the unknown—
so naturally, they feared it.
But all of this only lasted about an hour.
Then, suddenly—
Every post disappeared.
The entire network froze for five full minutes.
And then the Allied Powers released an official announcement:
[Mr. Yami Tsukishiro is a hero who protects the Alliance and possesses critical information necessary for humanity's evolution.
He must not be slandered under any circumstances.
Anyone defaming him, online or offline, will face severe punishment.]
Silence.
Complete, suffocating silence.
The officials had spoken.
Who would dare say otherwise?
Even the Alliance leaders themselves were nervous.
They knew exactly what kind of man Yami was.
Someone who laughed at nuclear weapons.
Someone who wasn't intimidated by any government.
So who was foolish enough to provoke him?
A perfect example followed immediately.
The next day, a certain wealthy family—
the Marikawa family—collapsed overnight.
Coincidentally…
Marikawa was the surname of Marikawa Myla
the loudmouth who insulted Yami on live broadcast.
Coincidence?
Some whispered that the Shinomiya Zaibatsu had stepped in.
But no one dared dig deeper.
Who would risk it?
Yuigahama Residence
"Very good!"
Yuigahama Yui tightened her fists in excitement as she watched the TV.
"Yui? What's got you so worked up?"
her mother called from the kitchen.
"Ah—nothing! Nothing at all!"
She beamed.
Seeing everyone stop slandering Yami made her unbelievably happy.
She turned off the TV, dashed back to her room, and opened her email.
She couldn't wait to see if the Potential Academy entrance examination instructions had arrived—
"Still nothing?!"
Her inbox was empty.
Her heart sank instantly.
And she wasn't the only one.
Miura Yumeko, in her own room, was staring at the same empty inbox with the same despair.
Potential Academy — Principal's Office
"Junk journalism."
Walnut snorted, closing a news tab with contempt.
Mizuki rubbed his temples.
"There's nothing we can do. They're journalism students. Drama is their major."
Walnut and Mizuki were giving Yami a report.
Yami waved his hand.
"I've seen all of it already. You don't need to report this. I don't care."
He truly didn't care what people thought.
But he was a little surprised by the Alliance's decisiveness.
He hadn't expected them to act so quickly—
or so ruthlessly.
Even he had to acknowledge it.
Walnut slapped the laptop shut and looked around the luxurious new office with shimmering eyes.
"Yami-kun, can't we get an office like this too?"
"Isn't a classroom office still an office? Shizuka-sensei didn't complain, yet you complain first."
"Well, my personal space is too small! I need a bed so I can sleep whenever I want!"
"…Heh."
Yami chuckled.
What a beautiful dream she had.
"Yami-kun, here are the course schedules and updated student files."
Mizuki handed him a folder.
Classes were a necessity—even with so few students.
Hiratsuka Shizuka and the others were already discussing lesson plans.
But the gene locks and ability development were far more important.
Unlocking a gene lock wasn't easy.
Yesterday, with Kaen's help, only—
Shinomiya Kaguya
successfully awakened hers.
[Name]: Shinomiya Kaguya
[Rank]: Level 0
[Race]: Human
[Meme]:
C-Rank — Gene-Locked Ice Girl (Level 0)
Yukino was a Snow Girl.
Kaguya was an Ice Girl.
One was the Flower of the High Mountains—
one was the Ice Princess.
A strangely fitting pair, all things considered.
[Abilities]:
Ice Creation
Ice Control
Their abilities were surprisingly similar.
But after seeing Yukino survive, none of the other girls reacted as strongly to Kaen's killing intent.
The shock wasn't as intense, so the results diminished.
So Yami sent Kaen back to the dungeon and summoned Shadow Soldiers instead.
Life-or-death combat was the fastest way to unlock potential.
And since they had no practical combat experience, this training doubled as psychological conditioning.
Meanwhile, Nishikigi Chisato happily agreed to temporarily act as their combat instructor.
Walnut hopped onto the table again.
"If I can't get a big office, then give me a sea-view villa! I want to live in one!"
"A villa is already your current home."
"If I stay there occasionally, is that fine?!"
"…Yes."
After answering vaguely, Yami closed the folder.
"The academy is running smoothly now. I'll handle my own matters. You three manage things here for the time being."
With the barrier and the hidden shadow soldiers guarding the academy, there was no danger.
"Wait! What about the entrance test? Some people canceled, but lots still want to participate!"
Walnut raised her hand.
"I'll deal with that when I return tomorrow."
He didn't need to say more.
Compared to the academy, matters in the Muliverse Dungeons were far more important.
With that, Yami stepped into the portal and vanished.
Moments later—
Chisato burst into the office, shouting:
"Is Yami-kun here?! Hiratsuka Shizuka just broke her gene lock!!"
But when she rushed in, the room only contained Mizuki and Walnut.
"Where's Yami-kun?!"
"Chisato," Mizuki adjusted her glasses, "don't shout indoors. Yami is not only our principal—he's the leader of our future. Show respect."
Chisato puffed her cheeks.
"Yami said he likes optimists like me!"
"Tch… he spoils you too much."
Mizuki clicked her tongue in annoyance.
Walnut hopped down from the table.
"Yami left to handle his own business. We'll talk when he comes back."
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