**Volume 2: Upper World**

  **Chapter 93: The Gem & July 4th**

  February 10th, 7:12 p.m. – Rebuilt Academy Dorm (Room 105)

  Sky pushed open the dorm door — slow, like the hinges were heavier than they should be. The room smelled like dust, old wood, and the faint leftover scent of smoke that never quite left anything anymore. Frosty was already asleep on her bunk — curled tight under a thin blanket, breathing slow and even. Hiro was on the floor mat — knees hugged, golden glow dim around her hands like she was trying to heal her own exhaustion. Aoi sat in the corner — eyes half-closed, spatial cracks flickering tiny and tired. Taka leaned against the wall — sword across his lap — watching the door like he expected trouble any second.

  Sky didn’t say anything. Just walked to his bunk — dropped Reaper against the wall with a soft clunk — and lay down on his back. Shirt still off from the stream earlier, scars pink and raised across his chest. He stared at the ceiling — cracked plaster, old water stains shaped like ghosts. His breathing matched Frosty’s — slow, mechanical — but his eyes wouldn’t close.

  He kept seeing her.

  Kira floating face-down in the water — black hair spreading like ink — blood trailing behind her in thin red ribbons. The way her hand had twitched once — then nothing. The glass shard still in her chest. The way he’d carried her — wet, cold, heavy — to the triage tent. The medic’s slow head shake. The way he’d laid her down like she was just sleeping.

  He turned on his side — faced the wall — pulled the blanket up over his head.

  No tears this time. Just quiet.

  ---

  Cut to the villains’ base — hidden rift pocket beneath the old stadium ruins.

  Low red lighting — emergency strips taped to the walls. Concrete still cracked from the fireball. Ray stood in the center — white hair catching the glow, purple eyes calm as always. Leo sat on a crate — claws tapping slow rhythm on her knee, wing stumps bandaged rough. Reiji leaned against a pillar — crimson energy flickering lazy at his fingertips. Jason walked in last — sandals scuffing, white socks bloody, grin wide and lazy. In his hand: the blue Gem — glowing soft, steady, humming like a heartbeat.

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  Jason held it up — casual.

  “Couldn’t forget this.”

  Jane — leaning against the far wall, arms crossed — looked up. His green eyes widened — just a fraction — shock flickering across his face for the first time in years.

  “You beat an SS… and you’re just S+?”

  Jason shrugged — tossed the Gem lightly in his palm.

  “She was tough. Took a while. But yeah.”

  Ray stepped forward — held out his hand.

  “Let me see it.”

  Jason dropped it into Ray’s palm.

  The second Ray touched it — blue energy surged. Electric arcs — pure blue-white — snapped outward, crawling up his arm like living lightning. Wind kicked up in the room — papers fluttering, dust swirling — power rolling off Ray in waves. His aura thickened — purple deepening to violent violet — stronger than most SS+ could dream of. The Gem pulsed once — tried to pull something from him — but Ray just looked at it — calm — and the energy settled.

  “Didn’t take any,” Ray said quietly. “But the wind… the power… that’s why it was kept in the strongest clan.”

  Jason took it back — walked to a small metal safe bolted to the wall — opened it with a key from his pocket — placed the Gem inside. Locked it. Click.

  Ray turned to the group.

  “July 4th. We finalize the plan now. No mistakes. No room for error. We seal either Sky or Max — doesn’t matter which. Once one is locked, the other breaks. The Gem will do the rest.”

  They gathered around a cracked table — old map of Shinjuku spread out, red markers already placed.

  Jane spoke first — voice low.

  “Shinjuku Station — central point. We flood it with rift energy at 12:01 a.m. The Gem amplifies. Creates a permanent seal bubble — 5 km radius. Sky or Max steps inside, they’re trapped forever. No regen, no escape, no will energy. The other one watches — and crumbles.”

  Reiji nodded — crimson eyes glinting.

  “I’ll handle the rift flood. Jason and Leo on perimeter — keep the kids from interfering.”

  Leo cracked her knuckles — claws scraping.

  “Got it.”

  Jason grinned.

  “I’ll take Sky if he shows. Been wanting to test that ‘no heart’ thing.”

  Ray looked at Jane.

  “You?”

  Jane smiled — slow — core scar pulsing.

  “I’ll be the bait. Let Sky come for me. He always does.”

  The plan locked in — no weak points, no loose ends. Every step accounted for. Every contingency covered.

  They dispersed — quiet — each to their own corner.

  The chapter ended with Ray standing alone — looking at the safe — Gem glowing faint blue through the metal cracks.

  “July 4th.”

  ---

  Cut back to the dorm — same night.

  Sky lay awake — eyes open in the dark.

  Max sat up on his bunk — shadows curling slow around his legs.

  “Sky.”

  Sky didn’t move.

  “Yeah?”

  Max’s voice was quiet — almost scared.

  “I can’t wait until it all ends.”

  Sky stared at the ceiling.

  “Me neither.”

  Max swallowed.

  “We’ll get revenge for Kira… right?”

  Sky closed his eyes — just for a second.

  “Yeah.”

  He opened them again — stared into the dark.

  “We’ll get revenge.”

  The chapter ended.

  To be continued…