The Cyber Ascension Arc 3 | Volume 3 | Chapter 29
"The End Of The Paths Where It Ends Before The Start"
The room hummed softly, the faint glow of holographic panels casting long, restless shadows. Mist from the ventilation drifted lazily across the floor, curling around legs, obscuring small details that no one noticed. Six students stood before Shioinkin, yet the subtle flickers of shadow hinted at an absence—something incomplete, something unseen.
Yuzurei rubbed his temples, annoyance written across his face as tension radiated off him in waves.
Yuzurei: "Old Man! You're making my head spin! Your story… it's so confusing!"
He stomped lightly, exasperation bubbling under the surface.
Nashino leaned forward, playful curiosity in his eyes, his tone teasing but insistent.
Nashino: "Come on, Sensei… don't leave us hanging. You remember anything else?"
Youchina's hand rested lightly on his back, a soft but firm anchor. Her calm presence spread through the group like sunlight diffusing morning mist.
Youchina: "Nashino… let Sensei relax. He can't explain what he forgets. Don't push him."
Jin Yuan's calm gaze swept across the room, steady as stone. Even his silence carried authority.
Jin Yuan: "Sensei… you don't have to tell us everything. We can sense what you've forgotten. Let it be."
Musukoni remained still, observing Jin Yuan from the corner of his eye. His gaze was cold, calculating, unreadable—yet it carried subtle tension. The faintest twitch in his shadow hinted at something deeper, almost imperceptible.
Shinoki's hand gripped Yuzurei's gently, her presence softening his raw impatience.
Shinoki: "Yuzu-kun… let him relax."
Yuzurei exhaled sharply, irritation still simmering but finally restrained.
Yuzurei: "Yeah… yeah, okay."
Shioinkin's voice cut through the room, calm but heavy with unspoken history. Every syllable seemed to draw shadows closer, making the air thick with anticipation.
Shioinkin: "I've observed… something here."
Jin Yuan leaned forward slightly, alert, senses sharpened.
Jin Yuan: "Something… here, Sensei?"
Musukoni's smirk was faint, a subtle frost settling in the air around him.
Musukoni: "I hope it's not another story about your past…"
Shioinkin's gaze sharpened, cutting through the smirk like a blade.
Shioinkin: "Musukoni… stop pretending. You're my student. I know that's not you speaking."
The room went silent. Every eye flicked between Musukoni and Shioinkin. The shadows danced oddly, flickers at the edges of perception that suggested reality itself was trembling.
Musukoni tilted his head, playful but unnervingly calm, a mischievous smirk tugging at his lips.
Musukoni: "Eh… what do you mean, Sensei? I'm Musukoni… who else could I be, hehe?"
Jin Yuan's thoughts sharpened. (He doesn't usually talk like that… something's off.)
Nashino stepped closer, concern mixed with curiosity.
Nashino: "Musukoni… are you okay?"
Musukoni's expression remained unnervingly calm, almost playful—yet the air around him felt charged, like a coiled spring.
Shioinkin's voice deepened, calm yet heavy, thick with authority that made the room itself hold its breath.
Shioinkin: "Stop it. Reveal yourself."
Musukoni tilted his head again, theatrically, almost teasing.
Musukoni: "Umm… I'm Musukoni. Who else could I be besides Musukoni?"
The calmness, the lack of usual composure, sent subtle ripples of unease through the group.
Then—without warning—another figure appeared. Another Musukoni. Twin daggers drawn, eyes wide with confusion and intensity.
Second Musukoni: "What the hell is happening here, Sensei?!"
A ripple of tension surged across the room.
Jin Yuan: "Two Musukonis…?!"
Shinoki immediately assumed her fighting stance, muscles coiled, eyes sharp, sensing the imminent chaos.
Shinoki: "Yuzu-kun! Stay alert!"
Yuzurei's four katanas materialized mid-air—two in his hands, one held deftly in his mouth, one balancing perfectly in his other hand. His grin was wild, excitement coiling like lightning.
Yuzurei: "Time for fun!"
Jin Yuan's massive katana gleamed in the dim light as he unsheathed it, calm and poised, energy bracing against the storm.
Jin Yuan: "Something's off…"
Emily mirrored his movement, her katana rising with precision, eyes narrowed.
Emily: "Why… two?"
Nashino's giant axe extended fully, the nine extra blades shimmering ominously in the soft glow.
Nashino: "Yeah… this is getting literally… something else."
Youchina remained calm, her stance unshaken, eyes scanning, always alert.
Youchina: "Hm."
Then, reality itself seemed to twist. The first Musukoni's form shimmered, bones and shadow bending impossibly. In the blink of an eye, he became Shioinkin.
Shioinkin (former Musukoni): "Students… stay alert."
The room froze. Every heartbeat thundered as disbelief filled the space. Shadows flickered violently, tracing subtle glitches that hinted at deeper mysteries.
Second Musukoni: "What's happening? Anyone… tell me!"
Shioinkin's gaze swept across the students, commanding, unwavering.
Shioinkin: "I'm the real one, students."
For a moment, time itself seemed to pause. The holographic glow cast eerie reflections, the mist curling unnaturally around their feet, shadows flickering like whispers of the past. The students' hearts pounded, realizing in that instant that the paths they thought they were following… were only the beginning.
And in the quiet, imperceptible flickers at the edges of reality, decades of secrets and hidden truths waited silently, ready to shatter every expectation they held.