"HIM? TOP 5!?"
They all shouted.
Rinji started blushing like a red tomato, as if his biggest fans were cheering him on.
"Um… c-could we maybe not…contin–"
His voice was cut short by Lira dropping her bag on the table, crossing her arms, eyes narrowing, glancing between Rinji and Izuma.
"Alright, SpeedBlitzer. Spill it out. How does someone even get that fast to be given such a nickname? Is it some kind of artifact? Spellwork? Enchantments?" She demanded.
Adia nodded eagerly.
"Yeah! Do you have a relic or something? Or did you drink a potion?"
Rinji hesitated, then answered, his voice softer than before.
"Uhhh–No artifac, Nor spells. Not exactly. I mean, I do have a few charms—everyone does, for luck or protection—but what I do… it's not from an object. It's just… me. Or, at least, it started that way."
He paused, then took a breath, his gaze flicking to Izuma, as if directing these next word's to him. "Actually, there's more. There's something you should know. I'm… human. And I'm also what people call a Blessed One."
The room went dead silent.
Adia's jaw dropped so fast it was a wonder it didn't hit the floor. "Wait. You're… human? But… that's—"
Lira's eyes were wide as saucers, her voice barely a whisper. "That's not possible. Humans can't—You—how—?"
Rinji nodded, a little awkward, a little sad.
"Yeah. Human. I just… learned to hide it. Because well, ya know', being human is dangerous and stuff. You all know that."
Adia shook her head as if she could rattle the truth out of her ears. "But… you're not just a human. You're a Guardian. That's… that's already a nearly impossible task! And now you're saying—"
Rinji's voice was gentle, but steady, with another quick side glance to izuma he said.
"Most people are born with a single talent. Some are born with none. But a Blessed One is someone born with two or more. It's rare. I was born with three—Speed, Strength, and–"
He cut himself off, almost abruptly, as if choosing his next words carefully, Then said.
"Mind Reading."
The silence that followed was almost physical—like the air had thickened, pressing down on them.
Lira finally found her voice, but it was shaky and incredulous.
"You're telling me… you're human, you're a Blessed One, and you have three talents? Three? That's… that's insane. That's like… seeing a mantobeast with your plain eye!"
Adia just stared, eyes huge.
"I've never even met a Blessed One before… and you're saying you're human too? And you have three talents? That's… that's legendary. That's beyond legendary!"
Izuma however...was left frozen.
Then Lira's shock turned sharp. She leaned forward, voice low and urgent.
"Wait, wait, wait—how are you a knight? A royal knight, even? How did you ever get that far, being human? How did you not get caught? How did you ever get past the papers, the tests, the… everything?"
Adia nodded, still reeling.
"Yeah, how did you do it? They say even one slip and you're… you're done for. How did you survive, let alone become a Guardian?"
Rinji's gaze dropped.
"I ran. I hid. I fought. I learned what to show and what to keep secret, When to smile and when not to. And even when I had to, I used every talent I had. Sometimes, surviving means never letting anyone see who you really are...except when i use full speed....its pretty noticeable"
they all simultaneously understood why he had the nickname, it was because he always went 100% from the very start of each battle.
He glanced up, dragging his gaze through all of them, Then continued.
"until you find people you can trust."
The room was quiet except for the faint ticking of the old clock–like thing on the wall.
Although for izuma, The thought clicked immediately.
Izuma felt the world tilt "Mind Reading?" He stammered.
The cold impression he'd felt from the knight, how he went pale after his violet eyes glowed pink, the way Rinji always seemed to know how he was feeling, the strange comfort and the quiet, careful words. He felt his chest tighten, memories of his death—of waking up lost and alone—crashing back into him.
He looked at Rinji dead in the eye, voice barely above a whisper.
"Did you know?"
The question hung in the air, heavy with meaning. Not "Did you know my name?", Nor "Did you know I was human? ", But the real question...
did you know I died? Did you see it all?
Lira's head snapped toward Izuma, brow furrowed. "Did he know what? What are you talking about?"
Adia's gaze darted between the two, confusion and worry etched across her face.
"Izuma… what do you mean?"
But Izuma's eyes never left Rinji's. For a moment, the room faded away, and it was just the two of them, the truth hanging between them like a thread.
Rinji met his gaze, something gentle and sorrowful in his eyes.
"Yes."
Izuma's breath caught. The answer was simple, but it shook him to his core. He looked away, blinking rapidly as tears stung his eyes. He turned his back to the group, shoulders trembling, trying to steady himself.
Lira's suspicion sharpened.
"Wait—what are you two talking about? Rinji, did you know what? About Izuma? About where he's from?"
Rinji hesitated, then forced a small, apologetic smile, playing it off. "It's nothing. Just… a feeling. Sometimes, when you're born with certain talents, you get a sense for people. That's all."
But Lira wasn't buying it.
"A feeling? You just… 'felt' something about him? You're a mind reader, aren't you? Did you—did you see something?"
Adia's voice was small.
"Is that… is that how you knew Izuma was… different?"
Izuma kept his back turned, wiping at his eyes. He tried to steady his breathing, but the realization was too much. Rinji had known. He'd known from the start. Every awkward glance, every gentle word, every time he'd offered comfort or advice—it all made sense now. The knight hadn't just guessed. He'd seen the truth, buried deep in Izuma's mind: the memory of a world not his own, the pain of dying, the terror of waking up somewhere new, all alone.
He remembered the first time Rinji had looked at him, the chill that had run down his spine. He remembered how Rinji always seemed to know when he was struggling, how he'd never pushed for answers, just waited, patient and understanding.
Lira pressed on, her voice trembling with a mix of awe and suspicion.
"So… you really can read minds? You saw something in Izuma? Is that… is that how you survived? Is that how you became a knight?"
Rinji nodded, the mask hiding most of his face, but his voice honest and raw.
"It helped. Sometimes knowing what people are thinking is the only way to stay one step ahead. But it's not always a gift. Sometimes it's a burden. There are things you see that you wish you hadn't."
Izuma knew right then and there, those words were meant for him.
Adia's eyes were wide with wonder and fear.
"So you knew Izuma was… different? From the start?"
Rinji's voice was gentle.
"I knew he was lost. I knew he was hurting. That was enough, but now...."
He stopped his sentence in its tracks, Then continued.
"I guess its much worse than i thought..."
Izuma finally turned back to face them, his eyes red-rimmed but determined.
"He knew."
His voice was quiet, but steady.
"He knew everything. From the moment I got here."
Lira looked between them, her suspicion softening into something like understanding.
"Is that why you helped him? Because you knew?"
Rinji nodded.
"I know what it's like to be alone. To be hurt. To have to hide who you are. I couldn't let him go through that alone."
Adia stepped forward, her hand hovering at Izuma's shoulder. "You're not alone anymore. None of us are."
Lira, however, wasn't done. She fixed Rinji with a sharp, searching look.
"But why are you telling us all this now? Why not keep hiding? Why risk it?"
Adia echoed her, voice soft. "Yeah. Why trust us?"
Rinji hesitated, his gaze flicking to Izuma, then back to the others.
"It's because of Izuma," he said quietly. "He… reminded me of something important. Of who I am. Of how I–"
He held his words back, as if they were at the tip of his tongue, But didn't dare let it out.
He looked as if he wanted to say more, His fingers fidgeted with the hem of his cloak, and for a heartbeat, it seemed he might finally share the last piece of his secret.
But then he shook his head, cutting himself off. "Anyway, it doesn't matter. What's important is that we stick together. This city isn't safe, not for any of us. Especially now."
Lira opened her mouth to press further, but Rinji had already turned away, busying himself with straightening a stack of chipped bowls on the counter, humming in a care-free tone. The subject was closed, at least for now.
Adia exchanged a look with Lira, both of them still reeling, but sensing that pushing further would only make Rinji retreat more. The air in the room was thick with questions left unspoken, and the sound of Rinji's careful movements filled the occasional humming but mainly, Silence.
Izuma watched Rinji with a new understanding—and a new weight on his heart. Whatever the knight was still holding back, it was clear it had everything to do with him..