Part 6 – The Revelation
The door to the medical wing swung open with a loud, cheerful bang.
A tall figure burst inside. Green uniform slightly rumpled, eyes bright with energy, and a grin that could have lit the entire room.
"Where is he?!" the man shouted, scanning quickly.
Kaito and Ayame turned toward the voice, eyes widening.
"…Who—"
"Haruto!" The man's voice rang out again. "How in the world did you get yourself into this mess? After everything I trained you for! I knew it—you were straining, pushing yourself! And you… you defeated Arashi?!"
His hands shot into the air in excitement. "I have your congratulations, young man! You did exactly what I hoped!"
Kaito and Ayame froze, blinking at him.
"What… the hell…?" Kaito whispered.
Ayame's jaw tightened, trying not to show her disbelief.
Akari and Renjiro immediately stepped forward, hands out, trying to calm him down. "Raizen! Settle down—this isn't the time!"
But Raizen's energy was unstoppable. He bounced closer to Haruto's bed, leaning over slightly, eyes sparkling.
Dr. Ken, who had been observing from a distance, approached deliberately, taking note of the commotion. His gaze flicked to Akari and Renjiro.
"You," he said, voice calm but commanding, "stand aside for a moment."
Akari and Renjiro exchanged a glance but complied.
Dr. Ken crouched slightly beside Haruto's bed, examining the monitors and reports. "I see," he murmured. "So this is why the readings are… different. His flow, his control—it doesn't match a student of his age or training level. And his siblings and classmates—none of them have this. How…"
Raizen finally calmed enough to speak, still buzzing with excitement. "The reason Haruto's reports look like he's experienced, aware of the Seiryu, and somehow… seasoned—is because I trained him!"
Silence fell instantly. Every parent, medic, and student in the room froze.
Akari's eyes went wide. "…What? When? He never went out!"
Raizen leaned back slightly, still grinning, "Oh, that was before his final exams. You don't know—he was coming to my place every single day before getting sick again."
"…He got sick because of you?!" Akari snapped, raising a hand and lightly smacking Raizen's head.
"Hey! It's not my fault!" Raizen protested, rubbing the spot. "He was pushing, straining, learning! That's how greatness is born!"
Kaito and Ayame couldn't help themselves—they let out small, incredulous laughs, part frustration, part amusement.
Dr. Ken folded his arms, looking at everyone with a mix of concern and authority. "So this is the explanation for the discrepancies I observed. His performance, his energy control—it makes sense now. But this… supervision, this training… it should not have gone unsanctioned. Not at this stage."
Raizen's grin softened slightly, but his energy didn't dim. "I understand, Doctor. But the boy… he has potential. Limitless. And I knew he could handle it."
Ayame shook her head, half smiling, half exasperated. "You nearly gave him another breakdown, you know that?"
"Another?" Raizen laughed, pointing at Haruto. "This is just the beginning!"
Kaito glanced at Haruto, lying quietly in the bed, his breathing stabilizing. "He's already pushed himself past the limit once today. I can't imagine what he endured at your place."
Raizen's eyes twinkled. "Exactly why I'm proud of him. And now… just imagine what's next."
Dr. Ken let out a low sigh. "I need to document all of this. Every detail. If his development is being accelerated outside the academy, I must know. This changes everything regarding his training and the risks involved."
Raizen saluted theatrically, then glanced back at Haruto. "Don't worry, young man. I'll keep an eye on you—make sure your brilliance doesn't burn out before it shines."
Kaito and Ayame exchanged a look, still partly in disbelief, partly exasperated, and partly… amused.
Dr. Ken exhaled slowly, straightening his posture.
"…It's fine," he said, voice calm but carrying weight. "I was just… not accepting that Haruto could have done all of this alone. But now I see—under someone's guidance, it's fine."
Raizen's grin widened, eyes sparkling with energy. "Yes. He looks up to me. As his big brother—I even made him do a hundred push-ups."
Akari's jaw dropped. "What did you say?"
Raizen waved his hands. "No, sorry—I mean as his big brother, he made me do a hundred push-ups! But still—don't worry, he's all patched up for now."
Dr. Ken glanced toward him, eyebrows slightly raised. "Did you know he was able to use water?"
"Oh, yes," Raizen replied easily. "I saw his potential for both. He knows fire more, obviously, but I made him work on water anyway. I knew he would be paired with Arashi, and to oppose Arashi's fire, I trained him in water. That's it."
One of the medics spoke up, nodding at the monitors. "His lungs are fully recovered now."
Dr. Ken looked at Haruto, then back at Raizen. "…You can go now. It's okay."