A month passed since Raze officially joined the Hero Department.
In that time, something unexpected happened—his class had begun to genuinely respect him.
Not because of his family.Not because of fear.But because he earned it.
He trained the hardest.Asked the sharpest questions.Improved fastest.And never once acted superior.
Even the proud ones like Kaine and Felix nodded to him in the halls.Zack Kreiger sparred with him weekly (and lost more often than he'd admit).Rain Lancelot became a quiet, steady companion at his side.Roger, of course, remained his loudest supporter.
Lunch break in the Hero Department often sounded like this:
"Raze, how are you STILL top three in theory without Nexas?" Kaine complained.
Raze shrugged. "Sleep less. Read more."
Roger laughed. "Bro, don't give Kaine ideas—his brain will explode if he studies."
Rain smiled softly. "Don't tease him too much."
Even Astra would occasionally glance over from her table and mutter, almost grudgingly:
"…You're improving quickly."
Raze would only reply, with a small grin,"I have to. Otherwise I'll never catch up."
Life settled into a strangely warm rhythm.
But elsewhere in Lionel Academy…
something dangerous was approaching.
Meanwhile — Luna Arcwell
Luna Arcwell, second-year prodigy and Raze's beloved older sister, was on a volunteer excursion with her class.
Her ability — overwhelming super strength and godlike speed — made her the pillar of the entire team.
They cleared debris.Helped repair damaged structures.Assisted civilians.Hero work in its purest form.
As the sun began to set, the students gathered at the local Hero Headquarters — a small branch office used to coordinate missions.
They chatted casually inside the lobby, until…
A voice echoed from outside.
A man… laughing.
Not a normal laugh.
A carefree, dancing, whirling laugh.
The doors slid open — and a man entered, stepping lightly, almost… playfully.
Tall.Late twenties.Dark purple hair falling loosely over a black blindfold covering his eyes.
He looked like someone who had no place in a hero facility.
Two stationed heroes rushed over immediately.
"Sir, are you lost? This area is restricted—"
They reached to guide him.
And in the next instant—
THUD! THUD!
Both heroes collapsed.
Not a single student saw what happened.
Not one.
Except Luna.
Her eyes widened.
He didn't use Nexas…That was pure martial skill.But… how? Nobody moves that fast without using Nexas.
But she quickly realized something else.
He hadn't moved fast.
He hadn't moved at all.
He simply disappeared from where he stood—and reappeared right behind the two heroes.
His foot touching down lightly after the kicks.
He wasn't teleporting.
He was swapping places with objects.
A small pebble rolled on the floor near the heroes.One hadn't been there before.
Luna's expression sharpened.
(…He exchanged places with that stone.One of his Nexas is positional exchange.)
The blindfolded man stretched casually, unfazed by the silence.
"Oh dear… they touched me without asking.I don't like being touched."
His tone was calm. Cheerful.Terrifyingly gentle.
The second-years immediately stood guard around Luna.
"Who are you!?" their leader shouted.
The man tilted his head, smiling beneath the blindfold.
"Me? I'm nobody important."
He stepped forward — deliberately — and the entire building felt colder.
"But the ones I came for…"
He lifted his hand and pointed deeper inside the headquarters, toward the Hero staff rooms.
"…are waiting inside."
Luna stepped forward, wind trembling around her from her rising speed.
"That's far enough."
The man paused.
"Oh… Arcwell blood. I can feel the pressure.""You're fast… probably very fast."
Luna clenched her fists.
"Leave now."
He laughed softly.
"If you attack me, little comet… I'll have to defend myself. And trust me—"
He tapped his blindfold.
"—you don't want to see what's under this."
The air trembled.
Luna's classmates whispered nervously.
"Who IS he…?""He took down two pro heroes instantly…""And he hasn't even used his Nexas yet…"
The blindfolded man finally turned his head toward the exit.
"Well… I don't fight children. I only came to say hello."
He snapped his fingers.
A small pebble on the other side of the room glowed briefly—
—and he instantly swapped places with it.
He vanished.
Gone.
Luna exhaled sharply.
Her classmates ran up to her.
"Luna, what was that!?""Did he teleport!?""No. Something else…"
Luna stared at the spot he had vanished from.
"It wasn't teleportation," she said quietly."He swapped places with objects… but that's just one of his abilities."
Her eyes narrowed.
"And he has more."
A lot more.
Because she felt it—
a pressure equal to, or maybe even greater than…
Astra Noire.
Back at Lionel Academy
Raze trained late that night at the grounds, unaware that somewhere in the city…
a monster with multiple Nexas…
had taken interest in the world again.
And soon…
in him.