Repairs were already underway across the Vanguard Institute's plaza. Sections of fractured stone had been cordoned off, engineering staff assessing structural damage while medical teams moved the last of the injured toward recovery units. What had been a battlefield barely an hour ago now looked like a controlled disaster zone—organized, efficient.
"So you're Takumi, huh?" Masato said as he walked beside him, lowering his shades just enough to properly study the boy's face. A crooked grin pulled at the corner of his mouth. "Gotta admit, kid, you don't look like the type to cause that much trouble."
His gaze lingered, curious rather than hostile.
"But I'll say this," he added casually, sliding the shades back into place, "it ain't every day a Malform ignores an entire squad just to make a beeline for one guy." He tilted his head slightly. "You don't exactly scream 'high-priority target,' so now I'm wonderin'… what the hell makes you so special?"
Takumi had already been turning the same question over in his own head. Even now, walking beside Masato through the upper halls of the academy, he couldn't piece together why something like that would single him out.
"I don't really get it either," he admitted calmly. "I was confused from the start. All I know is that they said my resonance is… different. Not the same type the students and teachers here have."
He absentmindedly brushed a hand along his chin, thoughtful but not visibly shaken.
Masato huffed through his nose and gestured forward, guiding him toward the staircase that led to the academy's top floor. "Different, huh? Yeah, that's one way to put it," he muttered, though there was no mockery in it.
They continued up, the atmosphere noticeably quieter the higher they went.
"Listen, kid," Masato added, tone easing into something more reassuring than teasing. "You ain't on your own here. You've got high-ranking Vanguards watchin' your back now. If Mozen decided you're worth pullin' into the academy—and even tossed you straight into first-year enrollment—then that means somethin'."
He glanced sideways at Takumi.
"Our job's to keep you alive. Simple as that. But before anything else, we've gotta run this by the principal. See what the old man thinks about the mess you've managed to drag into our front yard."
"Thanks," Takumi replied with a small, genuine smile—subtle, but warm enough to show he meant it. "Still, you don't have to stress too much over me. I get that it's your job for now. But once I understand my resonance better… once I can actually use my own Binder properly, I'll be able to handle myself."
Masato answered with a firm thumbs-up, flashing a wide grin as light caught across his lenses.
"Heh. I like that," he said. "Confidence suits you, kid. Academy could use more of that."
His tone shifted just slightly—not losing its edge, but grounding itself.
"But don't get it twisted," he continued, lowering his voice a notch. "Ghouls ain't training dummies. They're not some arcade boss you reset after you screw up. You drop your guard for one second—just one—and that's it. You're done."
He tapped two fingers lightly against his own chest.
"I've been in this long enough to know how fast things flip. So yeah—be confident. Be sharp. Just don't be stupid about it. You hear me? That ain't me scolding you. That's me talkin' from experience."
"Thanks, Mr. Masato," Takumi said with a small nod, making it clear he took the advice seriously—even if his tone stayed relaxed.
Masato immediately raised a hand between them, palm out like he was stopping traffic. "Whoa, whoa. Cut the 'Mr.' stuff," he said. "Just call me Masato. None of that formal teacher business. You start callin' me 'mister' and I'm gonna start feelin' like I need back pain and a mortgage."
Takumi blinked once, faintly surprised by how quickly the formality got shut down. "Alright… Masato," he corrected smoothly. A brief pause followed before he tilted his head slightly. "So how old are you, anyway?"
Masato froze mid-step.
He slowly pushed his shades up the bridge of his nose, then planted one foot on a nearby bench like he was posing for some dramatic recruitment poster. One hand went to his hip, the other ran through his hair in exaggerated slow motion.
"How old do I look?" he asked, angling his chin upward like he expected applause.
Takumi stared at him for a second longer than necessary. "Older than you think."
Masato dropped the pose immediately. "Damn. That's cold." He straightened up with a sigh. "I'm twenty-eight. Not ancient. Not a fossil. Just seasoned."
As they headed toward the upper floors and approached the principal's office, Takumi noticed a woman standing a few meters down the corridor, speaking with Theo near the railing that overlooked the courtyard.
"Daytime appearances are increasing," she said, holding a tablet at her side. "Three this month already. That's more than we had in the entire last quarter."
Theo frowned slightly. "Could be coincidence."
"It's not," she replied, calm but firm. "The resonance levels in the city have been steadily rising. When ambient resonance stays high, Ghouls don't need night conditions to manifest. The difference between day and night becomes irrelevant."
Theo shifted his weight. "So you're saying it's environmental?"
"Partly. But also behavioral. They're appearing in busier areas now. Schools. Commercial districts. That's not random. Either they're drawn to denser resonance clusters… or they've learned where reactions will cause the most disruption."
Theo crossed his arms. "If that's true, we need to adjust patrol rotations."
"And response time," she added. "Daytime panic spreads faster. Visibility works against us. One public incident can undo months of controlled messaging."
Theo gave a small nod. "I'll bring it up with Mozen."
Takumi didn't catch everything, but one thing was clear — this wasn't just routine discussion. Something about the city's resonance was changing.
The woman lowered her tablet at that moment, her eyes lifting — sharp, observant — and landing directly on the small group approaching from down the corridor. She didn't look surprised. She looked aware.
Masato, however, immediately rolled his shoulders back like he'd just spotted an old rival on a basketball court.
"Well damn," he said with an easy grin, running a hand through his hair. "If it isn't Professor Ardenté out here rewriting the laws of resonance again. You trying to fix the city before lunch or what?"
Dahlia looked at him for a full second.
"Unlike you," she replied calmly, "I prefer to prepare before things break."
Masato let out a soft laugh, unfazed. "Ouch. Starting early today, huh? I just got here and you're already swinging." Theo looked mildly entertained.
Masato leaned casually against the wall beside her, lowering his voice just a bit but keeping that relaxed, bro-like tone. "You know, one of these days you're gonna admit you missed me when I'm not around. Hallways get way too quiet without my charm."
"They get productive," she answered flatly. He pressed a hand to his chest dramatically. "Cold. That's cold, Dahlia. I'm out here boosting morale."
Takumi blinked.
Masato glanced back at him with a grin. "Don't worry, kid. She only talks like this because she cares. Deep down. Somewhere. Probably buried under twelve layers of academic discipline."
"I can still hear you," Dahlia said.
"Good," Masato replied smoothly. "Communication is healthy."
She turned her attention to Takumi then, professionalism sliding back into place like armor. "You must be the transfer student," she said.
"Yeah," Takumi answered.
"Dahlia Ardenté," she introduced herself. "Professor of Resonance Control and Applied Suppression Theory. I oversee stabilization training and suppression protocols."
Masato gestured lightly toward her. "Translation? She's the one who makes sure your resonance doesn't explode in broad daylight."
Dahlia continued as if he hadn't spoken. "Daytime Ghoul manifestations indicate a rise in ambient resonance levels across the city. When environmental resonance remains elevated, Ghouls no longer require nocturnal conditions to appear. That reduces our margin for error significantly."
Theo nodded slightly.
"If response timing slows," she went on, "civilian exposure increases. Panic spreads faster in daylight. Control becomes more important."
Masato crossed his arms, finally shifting into something slightly more serious. "Which means rookies don't get the luxury of learning the hard way."
Her eyes flicked toward him briefly — acknowledgment, nothing more.
Masato shook his head with a grin. "One day, Ardenté. One day I'm getting at least a half-smile."
Takumi's eyes shifted toward her then, studying her properly for the first time instead of just listening to her voice. Her long auburn-brown hair framed her face smoothly, catching the hallway light in subtle strands of red. Her blue eyes were sharp and steady, the kind that didn't wander or hesitate. There was a maturity to her posture — shoulders straight, chin level, completely composed. Even the way she stood felt deliberate.
Her black jacket fitted neatly over her frame, and she carried a naturally fuller silhouette than most of the women Takumi had seen at the academy, which contrasted with the controlled, professional air she maintained. Nothing about it felt showy — it was simply part of her presence. Combined with that calm, unreadable expression, it created a strange balance: striking, but untouchable.
She looked like someone who didn't entertain distractions.
"Unlikely."
Theo let out a quiet breath that might've been a suppressed laugh.
Masato just shrugged. "Worth the grind."
"Masato," Dahlia said evenly, already turning away, "I'll handle the student and bring him to the principal's office. You and Theo still have paperwork waiting from last Monday. I'd rather not come back to find it untouched."
Masato and Theo both let out the same tired sigh, the kind that came from knowing she was absolutely right.
Masato lifted a hand anyway, unwilling to surrender without at least one last attempt. "You know," he said with an easy grin, rubbing the bottom of his nose, "I was gonna invite you out for dinner. Thought I'd shoot my shot. But hey, paperwork date with Theo works too. Not as pretty, but I'll survive."
Dahlia didn't even slow her pace. "Focus on your responsibilities."
Then she looked to Takumi. "Come with me. I'll take you to the principal's office."
She gestured lightly for him to follow and started down the corridor without waiting for confirmation. Takumi fell into step behind her as Masato casually draped an arm across Theo's shoulders, leaning some of his weight into him.
Masato watched Dahlia walk ahead for a second, then muttered under his breath, "Man, I swear she lives at the gym or something. No way someone's that put-together by accident."
Theo gave him a flat look. Judgment. Immediate. Masato raised his hands in defense. "What? I'm just making observations."
Theo shook his head and grabbed his sleeve. "Alright, handsome. Back to reality. We've got work." He started pulling him along the opposite direction.
Masato fixed his shades as he went, still resisting. "Dude, c'mon. You know I'm right..."
To be continued...