"Going to school... brings back some memories."
As cherry blossoms bloomed along the path, Sorata walked lazily down the street. With Shiina Mashiro's hand in one of his, and his backpack slung over the other shoulder, he let out a long yawn.
The weariness in his spirit, coupled with a strange fatigue that seemed to come from his very soul, made him feel like he could sleep for days on end. Even so, his hand remained locked with Shiina's, partly out of caution. The girl walked so slowly and got distracted so easily that one could only wonder how she managed to survive this long on her own.
Still, that mild exhaustion was nothing compared to what he had gained. The warm morning sunlight washed over him, and Sorata could clearly feel his body absorbing it like a thirsty plant undergoing photosynthesis. He could feel himself growing stronger with every ray of light.
Ever since the Gene Law Chain had fused with his body the previous night, the Superman bloodline encoded within had been spreading through him like a virus. Under the yellow sun, the speed of transformation was dozens of times faster than it had been during the night.
"As expected of a Great Dao-level bloodline... even the initial fusion is this powerful."
He could feel waves of strength awakening within him, deep, primal energy welling up from his core. In just half a day, his physical stats had more than doubled. It was intoxicating.
Best of all, the Superman bloodline didn't even require cultivation. As long as he basked in the sunlight, his power would continue to evolve on its own. It was the ultimate cheat for someone lazy, or perhaps just practical.
For Kryptonians, yellow sunlight acted like a switch for a limitless evolutionary leap. The specific wavelengths of the sun's rays triggered an aggressive acceleration in cellular development, like lighting a fire under every atom of their being.
At this rate, Sorata estimated he'd complete the first stage of his transformation in less than half a month. After that, he could start focusing on increasing his bloodline purity. If all went well, his strength would return to the second stage of the Elemental Realm or also called Extraordinary level.
By then, he'd be able to run at 100 meters per second, throw a ten-ton punch, and become immune to modern firearms. And it would all take barely ten days.
The Elemental Realm referred to beings who had transcended normal human limits. For example, someone who could punch with more than 1,000 catties of force, or move at 20 meters per second, would be considered to have entered the first stage of the realm.
Wearing his school uniform and walking casually with a beautiful girl holding his hand, Sorata stood out like a sore thumb on the morning streets. But if he noticed the looks they were getting, he didn't care. Shiina definitely didn't. Embarrassment wasn't part of her vocabulary.
By the time they reached the school gate, it was already past nine o'clock. The opening ceremony had long since ended.
"This is for lunch. Don't eat it early, okay?" Sorata placed two Baumkuchen cakes and a boxed drink from the convenience store into Shiina's backpack, then gave her a stern look.
"Why?" Shiina tilted her head and immediately reached for the cakes, despite having already eaten two and clearly not being hungry.
"No reason. Just don't. Otherwise, no more cake tomorrow," Sorata said firmly. He had long since learned that explaining logic to this girl was often a waste of time.
A faint look of dissatisfaction crossed Shiina's face. Her soft, emotionless voice carried just the faintest hint of complaint. "Sorata is so annoying."
"Yeah, yeah, I know," he sighed. "Now go find Chihiro-sensei." With that, he gently nudged her into the guidance counselor's office.
Sengoku Chihiro looked up the moment the door opened, her expression unreadable. But Sorata didn't stick around long enough for her to speak. He knew all too well that if he lingered even a moment, she'd dump a pile of work on him.
After checking the class board to confirm his new assignment, Sorata headed to his classroom. By then, the second period had ended and the classroom buzzed with energy.
Walking in without the slightest sense of urgency or guilt, he made his way to the only open seat, by the window, and promptly laid his head down to nap in the sunlight.
He had discovered something interesting the previous night. Now that his True Spirit had awakened, his spiritual energy was gradually increasing on its own. Unfortunately, he couldn't actively cultivate any spirit techniques yet. Once it was used up, it just had to recharge naturally.
"Kanda-kun, you're this late on the first day? Have the Sakura Dorms already corrupted you?"
The voice came from a girl in front of him, neat ponytail, sharp features, serious tone. Aoyama Nanami frowned at him.
Blinking in a daze, Sorata lifted his head and stared at her for a moment before replying, "Aoyama… Yo. We're in the same class again this year."
Aoyama Nanami. She had sat next to him last year as well, originally on his left side. This year, the seat to her right was open, but Sorata had chosen the window seat instead. Priorities.
Mitaka Jin, with his always-too-keen eyes, had once remarked that Aoyama Nanami's measurements were 81-58-83, already approaching those of a mature woman. He even encouraged Sorata to pursue her. Sorata, of course, ignored him.
"Let's put the tardiness aside. When are you moving out of the Sakura Dormitory?" she asked, sounding slightly tense.
Sorata leaned on his desk lazily. "Coming from a student council exec, that sounds pretty irresponsible."
"You didn't answer the question. I'll let it slide for today since it's the first day. Don't expect such kindness again," she huffed.
"Not moving."
"…What? Why not?" she blinked, caught off guard.
"Because it's more fun there. The Sakura Dorm's lively. Way better than the boring school dorms," he replied with a faint smile.
Just as Nanami opened her mouth to argue, a loud voice interrupted them.
"Haha! Sorata's in our class this year? Awesome!"
A tall, burly student approached with a grin, attempting to throw his arm over Sorata's shoulder. Sorata subtly dodged.
"Oh, Miyahara," he nodded casually.
Miyahara Daichi, one of Sorata's better school friends. Friendly guy. Too bad Sorata knew from memory that Miyahara would eventually confess to Aoyama Nanami… and get rejected. Awkward.
With Miyahara's arrival, Nanami let the topic drop. Sorata, satisfied, resumed his nap in peace.
Suimei High's schedule started at 8:30 AM. Each class ran for fifty minutes with ten-minute breaks. After lunch, there were two more periods, and then the day was mostly free for clubs or heading home.
The atmosphere was pretty relaxed. As long as you didn't disturb others, even sleeping through class wasn't a big deal. But fail too many exams, and you'd find yourself quietly shown the door.
"Kanda, where are you going? Didn't bring a bento?" Nanami called out during lunch break.
Sorata picked up a convenience store bread and drink, heading for the rooftop. "Had stuff to do this morning, so I didn't have time. Gonna eat under the sun."
The old Sorata would've been stressed trying to care for Shiina, who needed help with even basic tasks like brushing her hair. But now, he didn't mind.
After lunch, Sorata stretched out on the rooftop. The process of absorbing sunlight and feeling his body evolve was just too satisfying. He didn't go back to class. He simply napped until school ended.
When Sengoku Chihiro finally found him, he was fast asleep on a lounge chair, looking completely at peace.
"Koharu said you've been here all afternoon. What, planning to turn into a total slacker?" she said, hands on hips.
Behind her, Shiina Mashiro stared silently, unreadable as ever.
Sorata cracked one eye open and yawned. "What slacker? I'm just enjoying life in advance. Life isn't just about studying, you know."
"Enjoying life, huh? You think you're already 80 years old and on your deathbed?"
Chihiro snorted and waved him off. "Forget it. I don't have time to argue philosophy with a brat. School's out. I'm leaving Shiina with you. Show her around or take her back to Sakura Dorm. Your call."
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