The scene shifted to the next day.
Kazuki woke up. By now, he had accepted the name Kazuki. His mother wasn't sleeping beside him like she had the night before. Curious, Atshushi — now Kazuki — tried to balance himself on his small hands and feet. It was a struggle, but he managed to lean forward and peer out the window from his bed.
What he saw made his eyes widen.
His mother was sword-fighting with his father in the royal training grounds. But it wasn't an ordinary sparring match. There was a visible aura around both of them — a strange, shimmering energy that crackled in the air. Kazuki immediately realized that this world possessed some kind of power system, something like magic or mana, just like the novels and manga he'd read in his old life.
He wondered what the name of that unknown force might be in this world.
His mother and father fought fiercely, yet Kazuki could tell they were holding back. The look on their faces said enough. Despite the casual pace of their battle, there was a sense of terrifying strength beneath their controlled movements.
Kazuki couldn't help but wonder just how powerful they truly were.
He placed a hand on his head, deep in thought, and realized something else. His mind felt… different. Clearer. Sharper. He had more mental capacity than he ever had in his past life. It dawned on him that being born into a royal family meant not only wealth and power but also a superior physical and mental foundation.
"If this is how I feel as a baby," he thought, "then once I become a kid… or a teenager… I'll be far stronger than I ever was in my last life. And smarter too."
A quiet satisfaction washed over him. The loneliness, confusion, and sickness that had tormented him before might no longer have a place in this new world.
He thought to himself,"I don't know how strong I'll become in this life… but there can be only one goal for me now — and that's to surpass everyone."
A faint smile appeared on his lips.