Three weeks.
It had only been three weeks since that flashy entrance ceremony, since the uniform, since the "dream school" lies, and somehow the classroom already felt like it belonged to people who'd lived here for years.
Or maybe people just got lazy fast when nobody slapped their wrists.
I sat in my usual seat, the one right in front of Ayanokōji Kiyotaka. If I leaned back even a little, I could feel his presence behind me—quiet, steady, like a lamp that never flickered no matter what room you put it in.
Horikita Suzune sat a few seats away, straight posture, sharp eyes, writing notes like she was in a different school than everyone else.
And the rest?
The rest were already loud.
"Ha—! You're actually so stupid!" Ike Kanji practically wheezed with laughter, leaning over his desk. "I swear, Yamauchi, you're like a walking comedy show!"
"Shut up! You're the one who said it first!" Yamauchi Haruki snapped back, but he was grinning too.
I watched them like you'd watch a dog chase its own tail. Entertaining, but you didn't want it near your food.
Three weeks and they've already forgotten where they are. Cute.
Ayanokōji didn't react. Not even a sigh. He just watched, like he was sitting at the edge of a pond and someone else was throwing stones.
Horikita's pencil paused for a second.
She looked toward me, her gaze slicing through the noise without effort. "Senju-kun."
I turned my head slightly. "Yeah?"
She spoke like the classroom didn't exist. "You've…integrated quickly."
There was the faintest edge to her words, like it annoyed her that I wasn't isolated.
I smiled, slow and smug, because of course I did. "What, you mad I'm not suffering?"
"I didn't say that."
"You didn't have to."
Horikita's eyes narrowed. She went back to her notes. "It's still pointless."
"Mm." I tapped my pen against my desk. "Pointless stuff is half of life. You'll figure that out when you stop living like a robot."
Her pencil stopped again.
Behind me, Ayanokōji spoke, voice low enough that it slid under the classroom noise. "She doesn't like being compared to a robot."
I didn't turn around, but I smirked anyway. "Good. I like when people have emotions. Makes them feel alive."
Horikita's shoulder visibly tensed.
Yeah, yeah. Ice queen. I know the script.
The classroom door slid open with a loud clack.
Sudō Ken stomped in like he owned the building, his tie loose, his shirt collar half-open. He yawned, scratched his head, and dropped into his seat without even pretending to care.
The teacher kept talking like nothing happened.
Nobody threw chalk. Nobody scolded him. The lesson just…continued.
I leaned back in my chair and let out a quiet breath through my nose.
See? This place is way too calm. That's never free.
I turned my head slightly, looking past the edge of my desk to Ayanokōji behind me. "You notice how nobody cares?"
He blinked once. "About Sudō being late?"
"About anything," I said. "They let people talk, sleep, show up late… Like it's some kind of—"
"Test?" Ayanokōji finished, tone flat.
I grinned. "There you go."
Horikita's gaze flicked toward us.
She didn't say anything, but her eyes said, Stop talking behind my back like conspirators.
I didn't stop. Obviously.
By lunch, my S-Phone buzzed with the class group chat—mostly the boys' group chat, because that one was constantly active like a disease.
Ike: Cafeteria. Now.
Yamauchi: I'm starvingggg
Sudō: whatever
Sotomura: I will come if there is meat.
Ike: professor stfu and come
I stared at the screen for a second.
I glanced at Horikita. She was already packing up her notebook like she'd rather eat dry rice alone than sit within ten meters of "The Idiot Trio."
I spoke before I could talk myself out of it. "Horikita."
She looked up, annoyed on principle.
"Come eat with us."
Her brows rose like I'd just asked her to wrestle a bear. "No."
"That was fast."
She stood, slinging her bag on her shoulder. "Your group is…unrefined."
I laughed once. "You mean the part where they talk about girls like they're collecting trading cards?"
Horikita's eyes didn't soften even a bit. "Among other things."
"Fair." I shrugged. "Suit yourself. Don't choke on solitude."
She walked past me without another word.
As she left, I caught the faint scent of her shampoo. Clean. Sharp. Like her.
Behind me, Ayanokōji spoke again. "You asked her even though you knew she'd refuse."
"Yeah," I said. "I wanted to see her say no to my face. It's more fun."
He didn't respond. But I felt it—the tiniest shift, like he was registering me as a problem he couldn't put in a neat box.
Good.
Third period came with Chabashira Sae.
She walked in like a knife in heels. Straight posture, expression that screamed I'm disappointed in all of you and I haven't even started yet.
The classroom was noisy.
Her entrance didn't change it.
That alone was funny.
Chabashira looked at everyone like she was counting how many of us would ruin our lives this month.
"Quiet down," she said. Not loud. Not angry. Just cold.
People half-listened.
Then she dropped it.
"Since it's the end of the month, we're having a short test."
The room reacted like she'd thrown a grenade on the floor.
"What?!" someone shouted.
"This is unfair!" another complained.
Chabashira didn't even blink. "It's for reference. It won't affect your report cards."
Her words were smooth. Too smooth.
Won't affect your report cards.That doesn't mean it won't affect something else.
I didn't look at Ayanokōji this time. I didn't need to. I already knew he heard it too.
Sheets came down the rows.
When the paper landed on my desk, I scanned it once.
Five subjects. A few questions each. Simple stuff at first glance.
They're warming them up.
Then I reached the end.
The last few questions were a different beast. Not impossible, but definitely not "end of month casual."
I almost laughed.
There it is.
I picked up my pen.
And the moment I started writing, it was like something inside me clicked into a colder, sharper rhythm.
Grey Matter's knowledge didn't feel like "I studied hard."
It felt like the world slowed down, like numbers and words laid themselves out neatly because my brain had no patience for confusion.
I didn't transform.
I didn't need to.
But I could still feel it—the echo of that Galvan mind sitting behind my thoughts like a silent engine.
Infant Galvans could do this in their sleep. This is cute.
My pen moved fast.
Around me, students groaned, whispered, shifted.
Chabashira walked the room, watching for cheating.
Her heels clicked.
When she passed my desk, her eyes flicked down for half a second.
Then back up.
I could swear her mouth twitched, like she was amused.
I finished early.
Not "barely in time" early. I finished with time to breathe, time to stare out the window, time to watch the class panic quietly.
Horikita, across the room, was still writing—but her hand was calm. Controlled. Like she was cutting through the test with a blade.
Yeah. She's cracked too.
I leaned back slightly, letting my chair creak.
Ayanokōji behind me didn't make a sound.
I wonder how far he's holding back. I wonder if he's laughing inside.
The bell rang.
The test ended.
And a chunk of the class looked like they'd just been punched in the stomach.
---------
After lunch, we gathered by the vending machines like it was a sacred place.
Ike had that hungry look in his eyes that wasn't about food.
It was about gossip.
He sidled up to Ayanokōji first, throwing an arm over his shoulder like they were brothers. "Alright, Ayanokōji. Just tell me straight and I'll forgive you."
Ayanokōji blinked. "Forgive me for what?"
"For what?!" Ike leaned in. "For getting a girlfriend and not telling us!"
Yamauchi and Sudō turned their heads like they'd been summoned by the word girlfriend.
I didn't even have to look at Ayanokōji to know his face was blank.
Ayanokōji answered calmly. "If I get a girlfriend, I'll tell you."
Ike grinned like he'd caught prey. "So you admit it!"
"Admit what?" Ayanokōji asked.
"You and Horikita!" Ike hissed. "You were talking all sneaky during class! Like lovers!"
Yamauchi nodded hard. "Yeah! Like—like that quiet romance stuff!"
Sudō scoffed. "No way. Horikita's got that 'I hate everyone' face."
I smirked and leaned against the wall beside the machine. "Horikita doesn't have a 'romance' face. She has a 'stab you with a pen' face."
Ayanokōji didn't defend himself. He didn't deny it aggressively either. He just let them talk.
He's so good at letting people hang themselves.
Ike's eyes slid toward me, then widened like he remembered something. "Wait—hold on. Senju."
I looked at him. "What."
"You and Kushida-chan," he said, pointing at me like a prosecutor. "You're always near her."
Yamauchi lit up. "Ohhh! That's true!"
Sudō snorted. "If Kushida's dating someone, it's not you idiots."
I leaned forward a little, smile sharp. "You want to say something, Ike?"
He swallowed. "I mean—no, I'm just—"
"Good." My smile stayed, but my eyes didn't. "Because if you talk like you're entitled to her, I'll make sure you regret it."
The air changed.
Sudō went quiet.
Yamauchi blinked like he didn't expect me to actually get serious.
Ike laughed nervously. "Bro, relax! It's a joke!"
"Yeah," I said softly. "And I'm laughing."
No one laughed.
Then Yamauchi, because he was Yamauchi, opened his mouth again. "I mean, Kushida-chan is like…perfect though, right? Like, if I could just—"
"Stop," I cut in.
He froze.
I stared at him until he looked away. "Talk about someone like that again and I'll tell her what you said. I'll do it smiling."
Yamauchi's face drained. "W-What?! No, wait—!"
Ike panicked too. "Senju, come on! Don't do that!"
Sudō, surprisingly, looked a little impressed. Like he liked the idea of someone putting people in their place.
Ayanokōji didn't react outwardly.
But I saw it—his eyes shifted, just slightly, like he was filing this moment away.
Horikita walked past us then, carrying her lunch tray, expression bored.
Her eyes flicked to the group.
Then to me.
For a split second, I thought she was going to say something.
She didn't.
She just walked away.
But the way her gaze lingered was…different.
Not friendly.
Not warm.
Just…measuring.
Yeah, measure me all you want. I'm still better than most of you.
I walked to the vending machine, bought a drink, and saw it.
A button for mineral water.
Free.
I stared at it for a second.
Yamauchi noticed. "What's up?"
"Nothing," I said, pressing it once. The bottle dropped with a clunk. "Just checking what's free."
Ike scoffed. "Free stuff is for losers."
"Free stuff is for smart people," I answered. "Losers are the ones who spend all their points in three weeks."
Yamauchi flinched like I'd slapped him.
"Hey," he protested. "I still have points!"
I looked at him. "How much."
He hesitated. "Like…two thousand."
I just stared.
Sudō barked a laugh. "You're actually dumb."
Yamauchi got red. "I bought stuff I wanted!"
"What, like…what?" I asked.
His eyes lit up immediately, like a child showing off a toy. He pulled out a handheld game system and waved it. "This! And a bunch of games. Look, look!"
Sotomura appeared from nowhere like a summoned ghost. "Is that Hunter Watch?"
Yamauchi puffed his chest. "Yeah! It's huge. Like, millions of copies worldwide!"
Sotomura adjusted his glasses. "You are correct. But you are also terrible at using money."
"Shut up, Professor," Ike said automatically.
Sotomura didn't even seem offended. He looked proud.
I took a sip of my drink and glanced at the free water again.
Free water. Free vegetable meal set.
My brain automatically lined it up with what I knew.
End of month.
People running low.
People about to find out this school doesn't give you anything "just because."
I watched a couple of students walk past carrying the cafeteria's plain free set—vegetables and water.
Yamauchi made a face. "Ugh. Imagine living like that."
"Yeah," Ike said. "No way."
I didn't say anything.
Because I knew a lot of people were going to be living like that very soon.
[Author Note: He is very sadistic. Though they can't say he didn't warn them.]
And because, honestly?
Watching reality hit idiots was one of life's small pleasures.
After class, Yamauchi messaged again.
Yamauchi: HEY. We're gonna hang out with Kushida-chan and some others after school. You coming?
Ike: SENJU COME TOO.
Sotomura: Social gathering…interesting.
Sudō: pass
Ayanokōji: okay
I stared at the screen.
I already know where this goes. Triple date energy. People embarrassing themselves. Kushida smiling until her face hurts.
And I still went anyway.
Because Kushida was involved.
And because I wanted to watch the class dynamic up close.
And because, honestly, I liked stirring people.
We met at Keyaki Mall, in one of the cafes with bright lights and too many seats.
Kushida Kikyou was already there when I walked in.
She was standing near the entrance like she belonged there, bright smile, soft voice, warm eyes. The kind of girl who made strangers want to trust her in ten seconds.
Her hair was tied neatly, and her uniform fit her in that perfect way that made it obvious she took care of herself.
When she saw me, her smile sharpened a fraction—just enough that I noticed.
"Senju-kun!" she said, waving. "Over here!"
I walked over, hands in my pockets, letting my confidence drag behind me like a cape.
Ike and Yamauchi nearly tripped over each other trying to get to her first.
Sotomura walked calmly, like he was observing a lab experiment.
Ayanokōji arrived a step behind.
Then Hirata Yōsuke showed up, polite as always.
And Karuizawa Kei, clinging to his arm like she'd decided that's where she lived now.
The moment Karuizawa entered, some heads turned.
Not just because she was cute—she was. It was the whole vibe. Loud confidence, girly aura, and that "don't mess with me unless you want problems" energy.
She looked at us, then smiled brightly. "So this is the group."
Hirata rubbed the back of his neck like he was already tired. "Sorry. They were really insistent."
Ike leaned forward, eyes narrowed. "Hirata…are you actually dating Karuizawa?"
Hirata blinked, then smiled awkwardly. "Ah…yeah. We are."
Karuizawa tightened her grip on his arm like a proud trophy owner.
Yamauchi looked like someone kicked him in the chest. "No way…"
I didn't react much.
Canon confirmed. Cute.
Kushida clapped her hands lightly. "Okay, okay! Let's all sit down first."
She did it naturally, like she'd been organizing people her whole life.
We sat.
And somehow, without anyone directly saying it, the seating ended up with me near Kushida.
Not by force.
It just…happened.
Kushida leaned slightly toward me as she sat, her voice low enough that it was only for me. "Thanks for coming."
I looked at her. "You invited a circus. I couldn't miss it."
She giggled, covering her mouth politely. "You're mean."
"I'm honest."
She smiled wider, like she liked that answer more than she should.
The conversation drifted fast.
Points.
Money.
"Honestly," Ike said, leaning back in his chair like a king, "this place is heaven. Like—one hundred thousand a month? That's insane."
"It's kind of scary," Hirata admitted, voice gentle. "If we get used to this…what happens after graduation?"
Kushida nodded quickly. "Yeah. I've thought about that too. It's like…if you live in luxury for three years, doesn't normal life feel really hard after?"
Karuizawa shrugged. "Then we just live in luxury forever."
Sotomura sipped his drink. "That is not how reality functions."
Yamauchi puffed up. "It can if you're awesome like me. I scored nine hundred on the APEC."
Silence.
Then Kushida blinked. "Um…Yamauchi-kun. Do you mean…TOEIC?"
Yamauchi froze.
I leaned back and laughed. "APEC is not a test, genius."
He turned red. "They're related!"
"No," I said, grin cruel. "They're as related as you are to being smart."
Ike burst into laughter. "BRO—!"
Kushida slapped my arm lightly, still smiling. "Senju-kun, don't bully him too much."
I looked at her. "I'm not bullying. I'm educating."
Her smile twitched, like she was trying not to laugh.
Ayanokōji, quiet, just watched it all.
Horikita wasn't there.
And honestly?
It was calmer without her presence slicing the air.
At some point Kushida turned to me, eyes bright. "What about you, Senju-kun? Do you think one hundred thousand points is a lot?"
I could've lied.
I could've pretended I didn't know.
But that wasn't my style.
So I gave her a half-truth.
"I think," I said slowly, meeting her eyes, "that it's too easy."
Kushida blinked. "Too easy?"
"Yeah." I tapped my finger once on the table. "They don't give people that much money for free. Not without wanting something back."
Hirata's smile softened. "That's…a serious way to think."
Karuizawa rolled her eyes. "You're acting like this is some thriller movie."
I shrugged. "Maybe it is."
Ayanokōji's gaze shifted to me. For a second, it felt like his calm mask got thinner.
Sotomura nodded solemnly, like I had confirmed his favorite conspiracy. "The school's system is hiding something."
I pointed at him. "Professor gets it."
Ike groaned. "Don't encourage him."
Kushida laughed, but her eyes stayed on me a beat longer than the others.
Like she was storing what I said.
Like she wanted to ask something.
But she didn't.
Not here.
Not in front of everyone.
The chat continued like this for a while, drifting to countless topics, Of course Ike and Yamauchi wouldn't stop drifting the conversation to girls.
Of course I taken it on me personally to shut them up and keep them in line.
When it was over, and the group finally split up, Kushida walked with me for a little while.
The walkway outside the mall was lit with soft streetlights. Students passed by in little groups, laughing, chatting, living like they weren't trapped on an island-shaped school.
Kushida's smile was still on.
But it was…lighter now. Less forced.
She looked at me from the corner of her eye. "You were scary today."
I smirked. "Scary is good."
"You know what I mean." She hesitated. "When you told the boys earlier…about talking about girls like that."
My smile faded just a touch. "They were being gross."
Kushida laughed softly. "They're boys."
"And I'm a boy too," I said. "That's not an excuse."
She looked down at her hands, fingers laced together. "It's nice."
"What."
"That you don't just…go along with it." She glanced up, and her eyes had this tired shine in them, like she'd been holding something heavy all day. "Sometimes it feels like I have to smile no matter what, you know?"
I stared at her for a second.
There it is.
Not the full truth.
But a crack.
I put my hands in my pockets again. "Then don't."
Kushida blinked, surprised. "Huh?"
"Don't smile when you don't want to." I tilted my head. "At least not when it's just me."
Her lips parted slightly, like she didn't know what to do with that.
Then she laughed again, softer this time. "You say things like that so casually…"
"I'm casually amazing," I said, deadpan.
She burst out laughing, real laughter this time, and it was like the night got warmer for a second.
"Senju-kun…" she said, still laughing. "You're impossible."
"Get used to it," I replied.
We stopped near the dorm path.
Kushida looked toward the buildings, then back at me. "Good night."
"Night, Kushida."
She turned to leave, then paused and glanced back. "And…thank you."
I didn't ask what for.
I just raised a hand slightly, like it was nothing.
Because if I made it a big deal, it would make her retreat.
And I didn't want that.
Later, in my room, I stared at the ceiling.
The campus was quiet. Too quiet.
I could hear faint footsteps in the hall sometimes, someone running water, someone laughing softly through a wall.
Normal life.
Almost.
Tomorrow's May 1.
The point drop. The panic. The blame game.
Canon is about to hit Class D like a truck.
I exhaled.
And then my wrist warmed under the sleeve where the Omnitrix hid.
Not hot. Not painful.
Just…alive.
Like it was restless.
My lips curled.
I have a feeling things were going to get especially spicy tonight.
I got up.
I didn't feel tired anymore.
I stretched, rolled my shoulders, and quietly slipped out.
If I was going to be stuck in this school for three years, I wasn't going to spend my nights lying down like a corpse.
The night air outside was cold enough to bite.
The campus at night looked like a different world—empty walkways, silent buildings, lamplight spilling onto clean paths.
I jogged lightly, letting my breath settle, letting my body move.
This body was strong. Athletic. Built.
Sometimes I still caught myself enjoying it too much.
God, I'm gorgeous.
I ran past the sports field and toward the edge of campus, where trees thinned and the fences stretched long and quiet.
That's when I saw it.
Movement.
Not human.
Not animal.
Metal.
At first, I thought it was some kind of maintenance machine.
Then the moonlight caught a shape—
A floating disc-like body with mechanical limbs.
Another one behind it.
And farther back—
Humanoid figures, broad-shouldered, marching in a slow, steady pattern.
My jog slowed to a walk.
My eyes sharpened.
I looked up instinctively.
The cameras.
There were cameras on poles along the paths.
Normally you'd see a tiny blink of a light, or at least feel like you were being watched.
Right now?
Nothing.
Dead.
Like someone had cut the nerves of the school.
My mouth curved into a grin I couldn't stop.
"…No way."
My pulse didn't spike in fear.
It spiked in excitement.
Because I knew those shapes.
I knew those movements.
And I knew what came with them.
"Vilgax," I muttered under my breath, voice almost amused. "You ugly bastard…you really did send toys first."
The closest machine turned toward me.
Its "eye" glowed.
A harsh mechanical voice clicked out, distorted like a radio chewing on static.
"TARGET…DETECTED."
The others shifted.
The air felt like it tightened.
I lifted my sleeve, letting the Omnitrix show.
Its face glowed faintly, like it had been waiting for this.
I smiled wider.
"Alright," I said softly. "Let's see if I remember how to dance."
The robots moved.
I moved first.
"Big Chill!"
The Omnitrix dial snapped down.
Cold exploded through my body like a wave.
My bones didn't break—nothing hurt—but everything changed.
My skin turned into something else, something not human.
My senses stretched out.
Air felt thick.
Sound felt sharp.
Gravity felt optional.
BIG CHILL —
Species: Necrofriggian
(Planet: Kylmyys)
Appearance: A tall, ghost-like, moth-shaped alien with a cloaked silhouette, long limbs, and wide wings. His body feels cold enough to sting the air around him.
Abilities: Flight; intangibility/phasing (can pass through solid matter); cryokinesis (freezing breath and precise ice control); can freeze objects while phasing through them; resistance to extreme cold; capable of surviving in harsh environments; stealth-like movement and silent aerial control.
(Reader reference only.)
My wings unfurled with a soft, eerie flutter.
The world turned crisp.
And when I spoke, my voice wasn't mine anymore—deep, hollow, and layered like wind through a cave.
"Finally."
The first Mechadroid fired.
A laser screamed through the air.
I drifted sideways and phased—my body turning intangible like smoke.
The beam passed through me like I wasn't there.
"Missed." I tilted my head. "That's embarrassing."
I swept forward, wings beating once.
My hand—clawed, cold—snatched the Mechadroid by its metal limb.
Frost crawled across it instantly, ice blooming like a violent flower.
The machine jerked, its limb locking up.
I slammed it into the ground.
The impact cracked the frozen casing.
The Mechadroid shattered into chunks.
The sound was sharp, like breaking glass.
More machines surged.
Two Bioids rushed me from the ground, their steps heavy, their arms lifting with mechanical precision.
An Attack Robot—bigger, bulkier—clanked forward behind them, its body built like a walking tank.
"CAPTURE…THE OMNITRIX."
"Oh, I'm flattered." I floated back, letting my wings carry me higher. "But you're not my type."
The Bioids leapt.
I phased straight down through the ground.
Their hands grabbed nothing.
I rose behind them like a ghost, freezing breath spilling out.
A wave of ice washed over their backs.
Their joints seized.
Their heads snapped toward me.
Too late.
I drove my claws through the frozen plating and ripped.
Metal screamed.
Ice cracked.
The Bioid broke apart.
The second Bioid swung at me with a heavy arm.
I phased through the punch, then solidified just long enough to grab its wrist.
Ice spread.
The arm locked.
Then I yanked.
The whole torso came with it.
"You guys are built wrong."
The Attack Robot fired next—its chest opened, releasing a blast that made the air hum.
I felt the heat even through Big Chill's cold.
I twisted midair and phased again.
The blast tore into the ground behind me, throwing dirt and sparks into the night.
The earth trembled.
Okay. That one's not playing.
The Mechadroids circled overhead, firing in short bursts.
Lasers cut through the night like red needles.
I drifted between them, phasing through shots, letting cold mist spill from my body.
I was smiling.
I could feel it, even with a different face.
"Is this supposed to scare me?" I called out, voice echoing. "Because it's kind of adorable."
One Mechadroid dove, trying to ram me.
I waited until the last second.
Then phased.
It passed through.
And as it did, my freezing aura kissed its body.
Ice crawled over the drone mid-flight.
Its thrusters sputtered.
It dropped like a stone.
It hit the ground and shattered.
The Attack Robot stomped forward again.
Its fists clenched.
It raised its arm like a cannon—
I didn't give it time.
I shot forward in a straight line, faster than a human body had any right to be.
I slammed into its chest and let all my cold pour out.
Ice exploded across the metal plating.
The Attack Robot tried to move.
Its joints locked.
Its core whined.
I flew up, spun, and kicked.
The frozen chest cracked.
The whole thing split apart.
The pieces collapsed with a heavy crash.
Silence hit for half a second.
Then the last few remaining machines recalibrated.
They all turned toward me at once.
"TARGET PRIORITY: MAXIMUM."
"Yeah, yeah." I stretched my wings slightly like I was bored. "Get in line."
They rushed.
And I became a blur of cold and shadow.
Phasing in and out.
Freezing limbs.
Shattering bodies.
Dragging the fight away from dorm windows, away from bright lights, toward darker corners of the campus where nobody would be looking.
I kept it tight.
Fast.
Brutal.
Because even if I loved the thrill, I wasn't stupid.
I wasn't going to let this turn into a circus that woke the whole school.
The final Bioid staggered back, half its body frozen, sparks spilling out like blood.
It lifted its head.
"OMNITRIX…WILL BE—"
"Shut up."
I exhaled.
Cold hit it like a storm.
It froze solid.
Then cracked.
Then fell apart into glittering shards and scrap.
The night went quiet again.
My breath—cold mist—floated in front of my face.
I hovered for a moment, listening.
No footsteps.
No screams.
No lights flicking on.
Nothing.
Good.
"Easy." I chuckled, voice deep and sharp. "Vilgax is getting lazy."
I landed lightly and looked over the scattered remains.
There couldn't be evidence.
Not on the ground.
Not where some staff member could find it in the morning.
I gathered what I could, freezing chunks together into hard blocks, then phasing them into places nobody would casually check—deep under maintenance grates, into empty underground spaces, behind thick concrete.
It wasn't perfect.
Nothing ever was.
But when I was done, the path looked clean.
No metal bodies.
No scorch marks.
Just a faint frost on the ground that would melt by morning like it had never existed.
I floated up one last time, scanning.
Still no cameras.
Still dead.
I phased back toward the darker corner of the path.
And then—
I let the Omnitrix click.
My body snapped back into human form.
Silver hair fell into my eyes.
My breath came out warm.
My heart wasn't pounding from fear.
It was pounding from fun.
I ran a hand through my hair and smirked to myself.
"…Man," I whispered, "that was a good warm-up."
Then my eyes slid to the camera poles again.
I didn't trust it.
Not even a little.
So I lifted my wrist again.
"Upgrade!"
Green light flashed.
My body became liquid metal and black-green circuitry.
My limbs stretched into smooth techno-organic shapes.
My thoughts sharpened in a different way—less cold, more…connected.
UPGRADE —
Species: Galvanic Mechamorph
(Moon: Galvan B)
Appearance: A sleek, black techno-organic alien made of living nanotech, traced with glowing green circuitry.
Abilities: Merges with and "possesses" technology; upgrades devices into more advanced forms; technopathy (control and manipulation of machines); reshapes body like liquid metal; can travel through circuitry/electrical systems; can form tools/weapons from his body; enhanced durability and rapid adaptation with technology.
(Reader reference only.)
"Alright…let's clean the records."
I sank into the nearest camera housing like water pouring into a cup.
The world became data.
Wires.
Signals.
A network map in my mind like a city grid.
The school's surveillance was wide—more than most people would ever guess.
But right now, large parts of it were jammed.
Vilgax's tech.
I could feel it like static in the veins of the system.
Still, jammed didn't mean erased.
So I moved.
Through cables.
Through hubs.
Through servers.
I ate the broken footage.
I rewrote time stamps.
I looped dead frames so even if someone checked later, it would look like nothing happened.
Then I pushed farther, hunting for anything external—anything that could've caught a strange blip.
Even satellite snapshots.
If the school had any link at all, I wanted it scrubbed.
"No one's watching my highlight reel."
When I was done, I pulled myself out of the camera housing and reformed into human again.
Silver hair. Red eyes. A grin that didn't fit the quiet campus.
I rolled my neck and looked up at the stars.
"Come again," I muttered. "Next time bring something actually fun."
Then I turned—
and walked back toward the dorms.
Unaware.
Completely unaware.
That I hadn't been alone.
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Honami Ichinose had only been trying to get back to her dorm.
That was it.
She'd stayed late with a friend—nothing bad, nothing crazy. Just talking, laughing softly, helping her friend calm down after a rough day.
The campus at night always made her feel a little strange.
Too quiet.
Too big.
Too…perfect.
She'd been walking, her bag hugged close, thinking about tomorrow, thinking about Class B, thinking about whether she was doing enough as a leader—
When she saw them.
Robots.
At first her brain refused to accept it.
Because robots didn't just…walk around campus.
Not here.
Not in Japan.
Not in real life.
Her breath caught in her throat.
Her hand flew to her mouth to stop herself from gasping too loud.
They moved with cold purpose, their bodies gleaming faintly under the lamplight.
And the worst part?
The cameras.
The security cameras on the poles weren't moving.
No lights.
No signs of monitoring.
Like the whole campus had gone blind.
Ichinose's heart slammed against her ribs.
What is this? What is happening?
Her first instinct was to run.
Her second was to call someone.
But she froze.
Because if those things saw her—
She didn't want to think about what would happen.
So she did the only thing she could.
She hid.
Behind a tree. Half in shadow. Holding her breath so hard her chest hurt.
And then—
A boy stepped into the open.
Silver hair.
Crimson eyes.
Even from far away, Ichinose could tell he was…unfairly handsome. Like someone sculpted him for attention. His build was lean and muscular under the uniform, his posture relaxed like this was just another night walk.
Who is that…?
One of the robots turned.
"TARGET DETECTED."
Ichinose's blood went cold.
The boy didn't run.
He lifted his sleeve.
A green flash exploded—
And the boy became something else.
A ghost.
A moth-like monster made of cold and shadow, wings unfolding like a cloak.
Ichinose's eyes went wide.
Her hand pressed harder to her mouth.
No…no way…
The thing—no, the boy—spoke.
But the voice wasn't human.
It was deep. Hollow. Like winter talking.
"Finally."
Ichinose couldn't blink.
She watched the battle like she was trapped in a nightmare.
Lasers.
Ice.
The strange alien body phasing through attacks like smoke.
It was fast.
It was brutal.
But it was also…controlled.
The silver-haired boy—whatever he was—kept the fight away from the dorms, away from the lights, like he was trying not to pull anyone else into it.
He mocked them.
He moved like he wasn't scared.
Like he'd been waiting for this.
And then—one by one—the robots fell.
Shattered.
Frozen.
Gone.
When it ended, Ichinose realized her hands were shaking.
She didn't even notice until her fingers cramped.
The alien gathered the remains, moved like a shadow, and the evidence vanished.
Then—
In the darker corner of the path—
The alien body flashed.
And the boy returned.
Silver hair falling over red eyes.
Ichinose inhaled sharply, silent.
He looked even more unreal up close.
Not just handsome.
Not just "popular."
More like…dangerous.
Like the kind of person you didn't know how to deal with.
Then he changed again.
Green-black liquid metal.
He melted into the camera network like it was water.
Ichinose's mind went blank.
Is this…real?
When he came back out, he was human again.
He looked up at the sky like none of this mattered.
He spoke to himself, smirking.
And then he walked away.
Ichinose stayed frozen in place long after he left.
Her heart was still pounding.
Her stomach was tight.
Her mind kept trying to explain what she saw and failing every time.
Who is he?
What is he?
…And why is he here?
When she finally moved again, it was slow.
Careful.
Like the night itself might break if she moved too fast.
She made it back to her dorm.
She locked the door.
And when she sat on her bed, staring at her hands, she realized something terrifying.
She wasn't just scared.
She was curious.
And she knew—deep down—
She wasn't going to be able to pretend she never saw him, never be able to pretend that she didn't see anything that occured this night.
Not after what she just witnessed.
She had too many questions, but didn't even know where to begin.