They Cyber Ascension Arc 3 | Volume 3 | Chapter 29
"The Decades Of Plans That Never Exist Where It Started."
The room hummed with quiet anticipation, the soft glow of holographic screens casting pale light across seven young faces. Shadows flickered along the walls, twisting subtly as if holding secrets of their own.
Nashino lounged back, his hands playfully intertwined behind his head, a mischievous grin tugging at his lips. Even in the dim glow, his aura radiated mischief, a silent challenge.
Nashino: "Eh, Sensei… don't bore us with your meeting again."
Youchina's hand rested lightly on his shoulder, grounding his playful energy. Her presence was calm yet strong, like a gentle wind holding a storm at bay.
Youchina: "Nashino, behave."
The subtle warmth of her tone made Nashino blink, a small, reluctant smile forming.
Jin Yuan stood slightly apart, a quiet pillar of composure. His calm aura filled the room more than his words ever could.
Jin Yuan: "What's that, Sensei? Anything important?"
Emily's smile radiated like the sunrise, her presence alone casting warmth over the tense atmosphere.
Emily: "I'm excited, Sensei."
Yuzurei, as always, could not hide his impatience. His fists clenched, knuckles white with barely contained energy.
Yuzurei: "OLD! TELL IT! Don't leave us hanging like that! SPILL IT OUT!"
Musukoni lightly smacked him on the head, a small but firm reminder to temper his chaos.
Musukoni: "Say 'SENSEI!' at least once, for once!"
Shinoki's face tinted pink at Yuzurei's outburst. She exhaled softly, her sweet presence soothing the tension in a nearly tangible way.
Shinoki: "Yuzu-kun… calm down. Let's listen."
The room fell quiet as Shioinkin stepped forward, his presence suddenly heavier, almost like the shadows themselves leaned closer. Every eye followed him, drawn not by sound, but by the gravity of his being.
Shioinkin: "Alright, students. Listen up. We all know that our consistent enemy is the Blue Realm's high-tech army… and the Blue Knights."
Nashino: "Sensei… we already knew that. Anything suspicious?"
He spoke lightly, but his gaze flickered to the side, where shadows seemed to twitch unnaturally. Something unspoken hung there, unnoticed… for now.
Shioinkin's expression darkened. His voice deepened, carrying decades of unspoken history.
Shioinkin: "Shinjukuna is the man behind all this… my older brother. My own blood. The one orchestrating everything."
Seven students froze, their breaths caught somewhere between shock and disbelief. Yet… something felt… off. The room held seven of them, but the shadows hinted at eight, lingering just beyond perception.
Yuzurei: "OLD MAN!!!"
Musukoni grabbed him, holding him back. Energy crackled around them, restrained but not diminished.
Jin Yuan: "Stop it, Yuzurei. Let's hear him out."
Emily placed a soft hand on Jin Yuan's back, the warmth of her palm easing the tension like sunlight on stone.
Emily: "Let's listen, Yuzurei… Jin Yuan, calm down."
Shinoki held Yuzurei's arm, her presence a quiet anchor.
Shinoki: "Yuzu-kun… please. Let's listen."
Yuzurei's anger simmered but he held it in check, tension coiling in his chest like a spring ready to snap.
Nashino: "Sensei, continue."
Youchina leaned against him, her head resting lightly on his shoulder. Even her small gesture was enough to anchor the chaos around them.
Shioinkin's gaze drifted to the faint shadows on the wall. His voice softened, almost a whisper, yet it cut through the room like steel through mist.
Shioinkin: "Shinjukuna is not my technical older brother… but we belong to the same family. Bound by more than blood."
Nashino: "Ha… Sensei, you're scary today, aren't you?"
A flicker of something unexplainable passed over Shioinkin's features, a ghost of memory reflected in the shadows.
Shioinkin: "After my parents died, I was left alone. No food, no money… nothing. But somehow… someone stronger appeared. Long black hair, pale as snow. He took my elder brother and vanished into the mist. Strangely… he left me. I don't know why I was the only one left."
Jin Yuan: "Do you have any idea who that man was? His name… or any words?"
Shioinkin: "I was only six. I remember little… only the feeling of being abandoned and watched at the same time."
Nashino's brow furrowed slightly, senses tingling as something in Shioinkin's story didn't add up.
Nashino: "Sensei… something feels off. You said he only took your older brother. Why not you? Could there be… another reason? A hidden truth?"
Yuzurei: "OLD MAN! EXPLAIN!"
The room fell silent, the only sound the faint hum of the holographic glow. Shadows stretched, flickered, and danced—seeming almost alive, holding secrets that would not be revealed today.
Decades of plans, mysteries, and hidden truths hovered invisibly around them. And for these seven students, the first threads had only just begun to unravel.