The Heart of Zero

As the older students approached, Shingin's mood tensed instantly. Their laughter, mixed with boisterous banter, surged like an incoming tide, bringing with it an ominous sense of threat. This group never shied away from provocation, but today their focus had unexpectedly fallen on Riyugi, as though she were prey.

The leader of the older students sneered disdainfully, "Oh? You want to stand up for the school beauty, kid?" He moved closer to Shingin, and the others surrounded them, the air thickening with tension, almost stifling.

Shingin's heart raced with urgency—he couldn't let Riyugi get hurt. He quickly grabbed her hand, trying to pull her away, but just then, the unexpected happened. The leader shoved Shingin hard, causing him to stumble backward. Riyugi, startled, retreated a step, only to have her wrist snatched by another student.

"Let her go!" Shingin shouted, his voice trembling with anger and dread. He wanted to charge forward, but fear of worsening the situation held him back.

"What? Trying to protect her?" The leader's smile grew increasingly devious, like a wolf savoring the hunt. Shingin's chest burned with an uncontainable rage.

At that moment, Riyugi's eyes flashed with fear as she cried out, "No! Let me go!" Her voice pierced Shingin's heart like a needle. He felt as though something inside him shattered, and for a moment, everything blurred.

In that instant, Shingin realized he had to change—he couldn't remain a silent bystander any longer. He took a deep breath, memories of overlooked days spent silently in classroom corners flooding his mind. Summoning his courage, Shingin charged forward.

"If you take another step toward her, I won't hold back!" Shingin's voice rang out amidst the chaos, filled with unprecedented determination and courage.

"Oh, you've got guts, kid!" the leader sneered, raising a thick, branch-like arm that swung down like a crushing mountain. Shingin saw Riyugi's face flash with panic, her lashes trembling as though sensing the impending danger. A fierce sense of protectiveness flared within him.

"Should I use my power? This power... it shouldn't be unleashed…" Shingin's mind waged a desperate battle as a memory of a past outburst echoed in his ears. That loss of control had shown him terrifying consequences, leading him to seal away his abilities, afraid of hurting others again.

"I can't let it happen again!" The voice inside him nearly screamed, the weight of past fear crashing over him like a tidal wave, leaving him trembling. He knew that once his power was unleashed, the outcome could be disastrous—but Riyugi was trapped, and he couldn't stand idly by.

"I can't let this happen!"

Finally, the desire to protect overwhelmed his fear. Gritting his teeth, Shingin took a deep breath and slowly unlocked his soul's hidden power—a force he had sworn never to use lightly. In an instant, his spirit spread like flowing water, merging into the air around him. The atmosphere shifted, as though an invisible barrier had enveloped him and Riyugi.

"Boom!" A formless force slammed into the leader, his massive body flung back like he'd been struck by a hammer, crashing heavily against the wall with a dull thud. The other students were also knocked to the ground by the shockwave, collapsing into unconsciousness.

Shingin stood still, his hands trembling as he stared at the scene in disbelief. His breaths came in sharp gasps, cold sweat dripping from his forehead.

"Riyugi!" He spun around, finding Riyugi collapsed on the ground, her face pale and unconscious. Shingin's heart sank like a stone. "Did I... hurt her?!" Pain lanced through his chest as though pierced by needles, his heartbeat faltering in its rhythm. He wanted to rush to her side, but his legs felt weak and unsteady. His gaze drifted from Riyugi to the fallen students, guilt and fear consuming him.

"I used my power... I lost control again... I shouldn't have done this!" Shingin muttered to himself, his voice steeped in regret and despair. The power he had meant to use to protect Riyugi had only deepened her fear.

The chaos around him slowly receded until Shingin seemed alone in a hollow world, where only the faint sound of his heartbeat and Riyugi's fragile breathing remained. The air grew heavy, each second stretching into eternity. He looked down at Riyugi, his heart brimming with guilt and helplessness.

Just then, soft footsteps shattered the silence.

Shingin hurriedly hid in the shadows, his heart pounding like a war drum. He glanced at the fallen students, his fear and remorse swirling together, making it impossible to think clearly. The only thing he could do now was escape, to ensure no one discovered his abilities.

Without looking back, Shingin fled the scene, his footsteps fading into the distance. Yet he had no idea that things weren't over.

A mysterious figure stood silently in the dim corner, waiting until Shingin had completely disappeared. Riyugi remained unconscious on the ground, surrounded by the motionless bodies of the older students.

The figure tilted his head slightly, his eyes glinting faintly in the dark. His expression betrayed nothing, his movements as fluid as water. He approached the fallen students, bending down effortlessly to lift them as though they weighed nothing. His speed was so unnatural it seemed as though he blended into the shadows.

Pausing briefly beside Riyugi, the figure gazed at her face, as though pondering something. A faint, complex flicker of light passed through his eyes, but it vanished just as quickly as it appeared. Without another word, he turned and disappeared into the darkness. A soft breeze swept over Riyugi, leaving no trace of what had happened.

Moments later, a frantic female classmate came running over. Her face paled with horror as she saw Riyugi lying motionless on the ground. Dropping to her knees, she lightly patted Riyugi's cheeks, trying to wake her. Riyugi's eyelids fluttered faintly before she slowly opened her eyes, her gaze filled with lingering confusion and fear. It was as though she sensed something abnormal had just happened but couldn't quite recall it.

"Riyugi, what happened?" the girl asked urgently.

Riyugi's eyes wandered uncertainly, struggling to piece together fragments of her memory. Yet no clear answer came to her. All that remained were faint traces of chaos, like echoes of a dream that had already faded away.