The Strongest S-Rank Knocks (Down the Door)
"I've been waiting for this!! Take that!! Take that!!"
And so, after roughly three days of torment at Chain's hands, Rai was finally cleared to leave the hospital.
With his discharge paperwork finished, he was getting one last examination from his attending physician before stepping out of the hospital room. The doctor peered down at the tablet displaying his test results, refreshing the screen over and over as if he couldn't quite believe what he was seeing.
"...That's strange."
"What is?"
Rai, seated on the edge of the bed, stiffened slightly.
"Well, how could it not be strange."
The doctor adjusted his glasses and looked Rai over.
"It's only been three days since you were admitted to this hospital."
"Yes."
"And yet the fracture in your face is essentially healed, the damage to your muscles and ligaments has recovered far beyond the normal range, and even your internal injuries have made remarkable progress."
"..."
"What on earth is going on with your body?"
"How would I know?"
Rai laughed sheepishly. Truth be told, he'd been wondering the same thing himself. Until just days ago he'd been beaten so badly by Chain that he could barely move, and now, a mere three days later, he was in perfect shape.
The doctor stared at him for a long while, then suddenly asked, dead serious.
"Rai."
"Yes?"
"Would you let me write a paper on that body of yours?"
"...I'm sorry?"
"Of course, all your personal information would be anonymized."
"No."
Rai answered without a second's delay.
"Why not?"
"Because I don't want my body turning into research material."
"Then just a tiny bit—"
"No."
"If you'd cooperate just a little, I could secure research funding—"
"Payment upfront."
The doctor clicked his tongue in disappointment.
"What a waste."
"Waste of what? All you'd have to do is pay me first."
"At a recovery rate like this, the entire academic world could be turned on its head."
"Let the academic world flip or whatever... I just want to live an ordinary life."
Rai slung his bag over his shoulder.
Swish.
"Well, I'll be going, then."
"Right. If anything feels off, come straight back."
"Yes, yes."
Click.
And with that, Rai stepped out of the hospital room.
The moment he walked out of the building, warm sunlight spilled across his face.
Swish. His eyes narrowed for a moment against the glare.
"...Ah, this is the life."
It finally sank in that he was back to a normal, everyday existence. The recent days of being chased down, beaten, and hunted by Chain—of getting dragged into one disaster after another—now felt like nothing but a lie.
Rai let out a long breath.
"Haaah. This time, I'd really like nothing to happen for a change."
But even he had a vague feeling that the wish wouldn't last long.
A few days later.
An ordinary Gate Studies lecture hall.
"Right, that'll be all for today's lecture."
The professor wrote the last item on the blackboard, and all around the room students closed their laptops and set down their pens in unison. Rai, too, leaned back in his chair with a sigh.
"Finally..."
Just then, the professor glanced around the lecture hall and spoke up.
"Ah, and there's one more thing you should know."
Every hand in the room stopped at once.
"...?"
"Summer break starts soon, doesn't it?"
"Yes~~~!!!"
The students beamed as they answered.
"Well, then."
The professor smiled meaningfully.
"I've prepared a special activity, just for you."
"............"
In an instant, the atmosphere in the lecture hall froze over. Ominous premonitions flashed across the students' faces.
"A special activity?"
"Don't tell me..."
"It's not an assignment, right?"
Someone muttered, barely audible.
"Professor, could it possibly be a break assignment..."
"Haha."
The professor laughed.
"There's no need to look so terrified."
"..."
"Because I am not assigning you anything."
Relieved sighs rippled through the room.
"Phew..."
"We're saved."
"Then what is it?"
The professor jotted a short phrase on the blackboard.
Special Career Counseling Program
"Career counseling, you see."
The students exchanged looks.
"Career counseling?"
"Like a regular job consultation or something?"
The professor shook his head.
"A little different from that."
Leaning against the front of the lecture hall, he began his explanation.
"This time, I've brought together some truly special people for our Gate Studies students."
"Special people?"
"Indeed."
The professor crossed his arms.
"Awakener officials and corporate figures who wield considerable influence out in the field, you see."
The students' expressions began to change little by little.
"...No way."
"Some of those attending may well be exactly the people you're thinking of."
"Seriously?"
One student asked in a stunned voice.
"Professor, how did you even gather people like that?"
The professor puffed out his chest.
"I may not look it, but I've been in the Gate Studies world for quite a while now."
"Ah..."
"I simply called in a few of the connections I've built up over the years," the professor added, entirely unbothered.
"Thanks to that, I managed to secure the cooperation of a few very highly placed individuals."
The murmuring around the hall swelled.
"People like that would counsel us personally?"
"Are there S-rank Awakeners too? Like Mr. Chain?"
"That, I couldn't say."
"I'm signing up, no question."
The mood among the students turned dead serious in a heartbeat. The professor raised a hand to quiet them.
"Of course, not every student will be able to speak with them directly."
"Ah..."
"But even for those who aren't chosen for a counseling session, you see—"
The professor looked slowly around the room.
"simply sharing a space with people like that, speaking with them, and getting the chance to make your face known would be a tremendous experience in itself."
The students went quiet.
"For those of you who are serious about your future," the professor said at last,
"I'd recommend not letting this opportunity slip away."
The students' expressions transformed completely. Moments before, they had written the whole thing off as one more annoying pre-break chore; now they were all busy checking their application forms.
Watching them, the professor nodded in quiet satisfaction.
And just as he was about to step out of the lecture hall—
"Ah."
He stopped at the door, then turned to look at Rai.
"Rai."
"...Yes?"
"When class ends, you come along to my research office."
Rai's face went stiff.
"Aw, come on. Why?"
"Do be sure to come."
"Isn't this basically kidnapping?"
"You'll find out when you get there."
"I only just got out of the hospital today... I don't even have the strength to run..."
"I know."
"Which is exactly my point..."
The professor waved a hand as though it were nothing.
"Today, there's something else entirely I need to ask of you."
"........."
Rai eyed him with open suspicion.
"You really think saying that is going to make me come?"
"Haha. Sadly, today I'm not calling you in to recruit you as a graduate student."
"Saying it's NOT that is somehow even more alarming."
The professor chuckled.
"Enough pointless worrying. Come to my office when class ends."
And with that, he walked straight out of the lecture hall.
Rai stared blankly at his retreating back.
"What is it this time..."
Just then, Vella's voice drifted over from behind him.
"Sunbae."
Rai turned around, and Vella spoke up carefully.
"Could it be that there's someone who wishes to meet you, Sunbae?"
"Me?"
"Yes."
"Why on earth would they?"
Rai was genuinely bewildered. That was when Alex, sitting in the next seat, chimed in.
"No kidding. How did you of all people catch the eye of the higher-ups?"
"I got out of the hospital today, you know?"
Rai said, dumbfounded.
"I'm hardly a celebrity. Who'd take an interest in me?"
Alex tilted his head.
"Beats me."
"...That's the unsettling part."
Rai scratched his head.
After class.
Rai had no choice but to make his way to the professor's research office. He walked down the corridor and stopped in front of the door.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
"Professor, I'm here."
"Oh, come in, come in!"
He opened the door to find the professor waiting for him.
"There you are, Rai."
"So? Why did you call me here?"
"Just wait a moment."
The professor furtively checked his surroundings for no particular reason. Rai's eyes narrowed to slits.
"...What are you up to?"
"Ahem."
The professor abruptly looked toward the door. Then, as if he'd finally made up his mind about something, he hurried over to it.
"Professor?"
Clack.
The door locked.
Rai's expression turned to stone.
"Hey, Professor—!!! You said it wasn't that—!!!!"
At Rai's shriek, the professor wheezed for breath.
"Haah... haah..."
"GRAAAAAAAGH—!!!!"
"Finally... I've been waiting for this moment—!!!"
"I'm so fucking screwed...!!"
Rai staggered backward, his face drained white.
"I already told you I'm not going to grad school—!!!"
"I know that—!!!"
"Then open the door and say it!!!"
"That's... for security reasons!"
"Doesn't that make it MORE suspicious?!"
Drenched in a cold sweat, the professor waved his hands frantically.
"Now, now, calm down, Rai!"
At that very moment, a composed woman's voice sounded from behind the professor.
"Excuse me."
At the sound of that voice, Rai froze mid-motion.
"...?"
"Professor."
The woman spoke in a calm, level tone.
"Wasn't the purpose of summoning Rai to arrange his meeting with us?"
Rai slowly turned his head.
And in that instant, his eyes went wide.
Long crimson hair. A black suit. Immaculately neat attire. An expressionless face that betrayed almost no emotion—and a gaze as cold and still as deep water.
The woman was looking straight at Rai.
"..."
A torrent of information flashed through Rai's mind.
Sinedes Zugarite. The strongest S-rank Awakener in this world, where no Akra Minus existed. And at present, the Chief Researcher heading up Argentium's special weapons research and development division.
And that someone was standing right in front of him.
"Sinedes Zugarite... ma'am...?"
Rai ventured the name cautiously.
"Yes."
Sinedes nodded.
"That is correct."
"Why... me?"
"That conversation is better held somewhere other than here."
Sinedes said flatly.
"Follow me."
"Ah—yes."
Rai answered without thinking.
But the moment Sinedes took a single step, she stopped short. She turned her gaze on the door she had entered through.
"..."
Then she laid her hand on the handle.
"It is locked."
"Ah, I can get that—"
CRUNCH!
The metal handle simply crumpled in her grip.
"..."
"..."
Rai's and the professor's jaws dropped.
Brushing the mangled fragments from her palm as though nothing whatsoever had happened, Sinedes simply opened the door.
Creeeak.
"There. It is open now."
"Hold on. Just hold on a second."
Rai pointed at the ruined handle, utterly flabbergasted.
"Why would you BREAK it?!"
"Because it was locked."
"You could have just turned the lock?!"
"Time is precious."
Sinedes strode out of the office without a hint of guilt. Rai stared blankly at her retreating back.
"...Are all S-ranks like that?"
Just then, the professor's trembling voice came from behind him.
"R... Rai."
Rai turned around. The professor was staring at the ruined door, and with a shaking hand he held out a single sheet of paper.
"Just this one thing..."
"...What is it?"
"A graduate school application form."
"..."
"Couldn't you just sign here for me?"
Rai looked back and forth between the form and the professor.
Then, his expression rotting into something truly foul, he said:
"Professor."
"Hm?"
"Want to get hit?"
Rai turned away on the spot, setting off after Sinedes, who was already walking toward the far end of the corridor.
Behind him, the professor stood gazing at the broken door and murmured softly.
"...Failed again this time."
Rai's footsteps faded into the distance.