Chapter 39: Echoes of Light and Shadow

The classroom was silent when Reiga’s gaze locked onto Kanata.
A smirk tugged at the man’s lips as he adjusted his glasses and pointed directly at him.

“Hooh… so you’re the one they call Tendou Kanata.”

Every head turned.
Dozens of students whispered his name, their curiosity sharp as needles. Kanata sighed quietly, already regretting showing up today.

Reiga took a step forward, his voice clear and commanding.
“We’re not here for fame or popularity,” he said. “Our purpose is simple — to evaluate your progress. If you pass with a perfect score, you’ll be invited to join the High Elite.”

Gasps rippled through the room.
The entire class erupted into cheers and whispers of excitement — all except one person.

Kanata leaned back lazily, uninterested. “Pass. Fail. Doesn’t matter to me.”

Reiga smiled faintly. “Oh? That’s an interesting attitude… especially for someone with such a remarkable record.”

Kanata frowned. “Record? You must be joking. My grades are terrible.”

Kobayashi, standing beside Reiga, tapped a tablet and projected a holographic chart in front of the class.
Every eye widened.
The screen displayed Kanata’s name — followed by a near-perfect set of scores.

“Wha— That’s impossible!” a student exclaimed.

Reiga chuckled softly. “You see, Kanata-kun… your written exams were intentionally sloppy, yet you somehow answered most questions correctly — just enough to mask your ability. Care to explain?”

Kanata stared blankly, unsure whether to be impressed or annoyed. “…I guess you caught me.”

“Why try so hard to fail?” Reiga asked, his tone sharpening.
“What are you afraid of, Kanata? Success?”

Kanata’s jaw tightened. “In a world like this, there’s no such thing as safety. Haven’t you seen what’s happening lately? Vampires, Banshees, corruption — peace is a lie.”

Reiga folded his arms. “You’re right. Peace is never eternal. Darkness always follows behind.”
He leaned closer, his eyes gleaming. “But we fight anyway. Because that’s what it means to be human. To struggle, even when the light fades.”

Kanata’s expression hardened, caught off guard by the conviction in Reiga’s voice.

“Tell me, Kanata,” Reiga continued, “can you embrace both? The light and the shadow?”

For a moment, Kanata said nothing. The class watched him, holding their breath.
Then, slowly, he stood up.

“Maybe I can,” he said quietly. “Maybe I’ve been hiding too long.”

The words came naturally now, stronger with every breath.
“If people lose their dreams and fall into darkness… then I’ll be the light that brings them back. Even if I don’t have a dream of my own anymore — I’ll protect theirs.”

The room fell silent again. Then — applause.
Even Reiga smiled, clapping once.
“Well said, Kanata-kun. You’ve passed the first exam — the Emotional Trial.”

Kanata blinked, deadpan. “…You’ve got to be kidding me.”

Later, during lunch break, Kanata sat in the cafeteria with Celestine, Itsuha, and Rio.
The air smelled of miso ramen and fried tempura.

“So,” Celestine began between slurps of ramen, “word is, you passed the emotional test perfectly. Didn’t think an idiot like you could manage that.”

Kanata sighed. “Can we not?”

“I’m serious,” Itsuha said, taking a bite of her spicy burger. “Even I’m impressed — and a little angry.”

Rio leaned back, arms crossed. “Enjoy the peace while you can. The next test might not be so kind.”

Kanata stared at his cup of tea. “…I’ll survive.”

Meanwhile, in the faculty conference room, Reiga and Kobayashi sat with Nagisa and Kisaragi Aine, members of the Four Witches.
The atmosphere was tense, almost crackling.

“It’s been a long time, Aine,” Kobayashi said with a half-smile. “Still as arrogant as ever?”

Aine scoffed. “Look who’s talking, Kabe-chan. Still pretending to be the perfect saint?”

“At least I earned my title, unlike someone who hides behind her rank,” Kobayashi shot back.

The two glared until Reiga raised a hand, sighing. “Enough. We’re not here to argue about egos.”

Nagisa crossed her arms. “Then tell me the real reason you’re here. This isn’t just about exams, is it?”

Silence.
Reiga met her stare calmly, choosing his words carefully.

“Let’s just say… we’re searching for someone special. Someone whose strength may decide the world’s balance.”

Nagisa’s eyes narrowed. “You mean Kanata.”

Reiga smiled faintly. “He’s not a target, Nagisa-san. He’s a key. The only one who can bridge light and darkness.”

“If you so much as hurt him,” Nagisa warned, her tone dropping cold, “I’ll make sure you need a hundred body bags ready.”

Reiga chuckled. “Relax. I’ve no reason to harm him. In fact, we need his help. The remnants of Caine’s followers are still at large — and the vampire incidents have gotten worse.”

Aine tilted her head. “Speaking of which… where’s Evelyn? Shouldn’t she be with you?”

Kobayashi and Reiga exchanged uneasy looks.

“We’ve lost contact with her,” Reiga admitted. “Three days now. Even the search teams vanished.”

“That’s why,” Kobayashi added, “we intend to ask Kanata for assistance.”

Night fell.

Kanata walked home through the quiet streets, a small grocery bag swinging from his hand. He glanced up at the pale moon, the city’s neon lights glimmering below it.

“Finally… a normal night.”

Or so he thought.

A figure stood on the rooftop across the street — small, delicate, framed by the moonlight.
Long blonde hair, crimson eyes, and a faint, sharp glint from her fangs.

A vampire.

Kanata’s instincts flared. He dropped the grocery bag and dashed across the road, vaulting over a fence — but by the time he reached the roof…

She was gone.

The night air trembled.
A whisper lingered in the wind, faint but chilling:

“The hunt begins again.”

Kanata clenched his bandaged right hand — the dragon’s pulse flickering faintly beneath it.

“So it’s starting…”