The lunchroom hums with casual chatter and clattering trays. Kaizo weaves through tables, holding his tray: chicken pasta, an orange, apple juice, and chocolate milk. He walks calmly, eyes scanning the room, then takes a seat at an empty table near the back.

  Kaizo (to us):

  [“You know, unlike your typical MCs, I don’t really eat that much.”]

  He twists the cap off his apple juice and takes a slow sip.

  [“I prefer just drinking, honestly. Give me five different drinks and I’m good for the day.”]

  Infinity (inside Kaizo’s jacket, voice muffled): “So you’re in a tournament now… and you can fight? Not shocking to me anymore, but still a bit surprising.”

  Kaizo glances down at his jacket with half a smirk.

  Kaizo: “Yeah… that’s a long story.”

  He picks up his fork, about to eat, when a voice interrupts him.

  Yumi (behind him): “Who are you talking to?”

  Kaizo turns—Yumi stands there with her tray, tilting her head and adjusting her glasses. Her lunch is a balanced mix: rice, vegetables, and miso soup. She sits beside him uninvited.

  Kaizo : [Who could’ve seen this coming.]

  Kaizo: “What’s up, Flatline?”

  Yumi flicks him on the forehead.

  Yumi: “Very funny. (silently) They’ll grow eventually.”

  Kaizo (smirking): “Can’t wait for that day…”

  Yumi (warning him): “Oi.”

  She begins eating.

  Yumi: “No Infinity today?”

  Kaizo (deadpan): “Nope.”

  Infinity (popping his head out cheerfully): “Hey, Yumi!”

  Kaizo: “Fucking hell…”

  Yumi (shockingly): “Kaizo… Infinity can TALK???”

  Kaizo (casually): “Yeah. I taught him this morning.”

  Kaizo sits cross-legged on the floor, holding a tablet with an explicit diagram of a human’s throat.

  Kaizo: “Okay… if you shift your larynx to match a human’s vocal range and use my throat’s muscle in my memories as a reference—”

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  Infinity (sitting beside him): “So… like… copy your vocal cords?”

  Kaizo: “Exactly. Go on. We have to head to school soon.”

  Infinity’s body shifts, morphing slightly around the throat. He coughs once. Then—

  Infinity (in a similar perfect human tone): “Testing… One, two—YOOOO. This is amazing.”

  Kaizo (mutters to himself): “A talking cat isn’t that weird, right?”

  Kaizo: “Didn’t I say no talking in public?”

  Infinity (pouting): “But it’s only Yumi, and I’m talking quietly.”

  Kaizo sighs and picks up his orange.

  Infinity: “Anyway, Yumi, you know Kaizo’s gonna be in a martial arts tournament?”

  Yumi (surprised): “Really?”

  Kaizo (thinking, rolling his eyes): [Give ’em an inch and they’ll go a mile.]

  Yumi: “Well, of course with Infinity’s help you’ll win.”

  Kaizo (snorting): “Oho, you don’t think I can win without him?”

  Yumi (raising an eyebrow): “Can you?”

  A long pause.

  Kaizo (leaning in): “Alright, then you’re coming with me. Next Friday. I’ll make sure you eat your words.”

  Yumi (trying to sound casual): “Um… okay, I guess.”

  But inside, her heart is racing.

  After a year in this city and months in this weird school, she finally has a friend—and a chance to see something new.

  Ayame and Mirei are talking about the Apex Circuit over the phone. Ayame sips herbal tea, dressed in her usual work attire.

  Ayame: “I’m not saying I’m gonna throw him to some wolves. Just… let him do this for me. He… gained some motivation.”

  Mirei (slightly concerned): “I’m not worried about him getting hurt, Ayame. I’ve seen that boy fight before, he's just like his father. I’m more worried about why he wants to fight.”

  Ayame (soft smile): “I needed some extra funds for the school. With the way the world works nowadays, the fastest way to earn a bunch of money at once, is investing into a fighter, taking advantage of their fame and brand and gaining money from it. I’ll take responsibility if anything happens. Don’t you trust me?”

  Mirei stares at her work computer, then sighs and nods.

  Mirei: “Fine. He can enter. But he’s still in school. One week. Then he's back to studying the moment it ends.”

  Ayame: “Of course.”

  Kaizo finally picks up his fork and starts eating.

  Kaizo (thinking, smirking): (I got one week, huh? I got to lock in. Definitely have to relearn the fundamentals.)

  Infinity (with his mouth full of Kaizo’s orange): “Hey, can I come too?”

  Kaizo: “You literally live in my jacket.”

  Yumi: “…Wait, weren't you going to eat that?”

  Kaizo leans back with a mock-serious face.

  Kaizo: “I said I don’t eat much. I never said you can have my orange.”

  Infinity (deadpan): “Try me.”

  Kaizo (glaring at him): “You wanna die?”

  After school, Kaizo went straight home.

  He didn’t waste time—he threw open his closet, grabbed a duffel bag, and started packing.

  Kaizo: “Clothes… food… laptop… and… yeah, that’s everything I’ll need for a week in hell.”

  Infinity (tail flicking): “You mean training.”

  Kaizo: “Same thing.”

  His destination was already decided—that damned forest.