pages of rebellion

On the other side, Noah was different in terms of personality and behavior. For a moment, when I saw him, I thought it might be a message from fate and that it was still by my side, trying to help me. But that was just my selfishness.

Three years ago, on the first day Noah joined Kaisel School, the principal was in his office, looking out of the open window at the new students entering through the school gate. He was slowly sipping his morning coffee, enjoying the spring breeze when he noticed a familiar face among the students. His features were identical to someone he had lost, someone who had once been dear to him: his son "Iron." The principal hurried out of his office and ran towards the gate and into the courtyard. When he arrived, he stopped near a corner where he could closely observe this student. His features, despite the passage of time, were almost identical to those of "Iron."

But doubt began to rise. Something wasn't right. The way he moved, the way he walked, small details in his face... they were different from "Iron." This was not "Iron," but someone else, someone who looked very similar, but was not him.

He sighed deeply as he watched the student closely, trying to convince himself of the truth. "He's just a lookalike... it can't be him." Thoughts raced in his mind.

Although his features were very similar, something in the way he walked, his little gestures, and his eyes convinced him that this was not his son. He felt a mixture of comfort and worry, as if an invisible weight had lifted slightly, but also as if the remnants of sadness reminded him of what he had lost.

He stepped back and left, trying to forget the idea that this person might be his son, "Iron."

Over time, I learned that this person was named "Noah Grace," the son of one of the world's top ten hunters, the "Emperor of Flame." However, despite his father's position and power, this boy had no skill, which made him a target for bullying by the students. He was simply an easy target. But what was even more suspicious was how there could be a person without a skill. How could the son of the "Emperor of Flame" be bullied without his father intervening? I later received a report stating that the mana veins in his body were blocked and rejected mana, making him incapable of using mana and thus not possessing any skills. The situation was still suspicious, but since the report was sent by the Emperor of Flame, I knew that if I opposed or tried to investigate secretly, I'd be burned alive. So, I ignored the situation.

A few months after Noah joined, it was a rainy day. Edgar was wandering behind the school when he spotted Noah walking slowly, his clothes soaked and water mixing with the blood dripping from his hand. Edgar, concerned about the blood, followed Noah as he leaned against a nearby wall, looking coldly at his hand, which appeared to have been cut by a sharp weapon, extending it forward to let the rain wash away the blood.

That was the day I realized why the Emperor of Flame was unaware of his son's problem. It was clear that he had never told him and kept the matter secret. Perhaps he didn't want to worry his father, or maybe he didn't want to appear pitiful in front of him. Or perhaps he didn't want him to kill those kids. Whatever the reason, I couldn't understand his intentions, especially with the coldness in his eyes, as though they were dead. It wasn't that they were eyes that had lost hope in life; they seemed more like eyes that sucked life itself.

I couldn't believe that I was actually afraid of the eyes of someone who was supposed to be weaker than a normal human. But unlike my son, Noah excelled when it came to cognitive and written tests, but he always failed in practical tests and was even mocked by the teachers every time. I admired his determination, though. If I were in his shoes, I would have isolated myself and never shown my face to anyone, but he worked hard. He must have a dream he's striving for, which is why he doesn't slack off. It was a bit funny—my son was a fool, but he was the best in practical fields, and luckily for him, practical application was what mattered. But Noah, unlike him, was truly unlucky. He was only good at cognitive tests, not practical ones. He was unlucky. The gods must hate him, making him live a life where his talent doesn't work. I laughed once at this, and I felt guilty for it. I was sad and miserable about it, but I had no right to feel all this. Noah was just a student who happened to resemble my son. He meant nothing to me. That's what I told myself. But then I saw him defending someone.

Behind the school, in a secluded corner, Blake and his gang cornered the boy, the walls closing in around him as if they were devouring him. His body was trembling with fear, his eyes filled with tears as he tried to escape, but he was trapped between Blake's mocking laughter and the cruel gazes of Blake and his friends.

His clothes were old and torn, the fabric dirty, reflecting his difficult situation. His shoes were worn out, offering no protection against the hard ground. He looked left and right, searching for a way out, but there was nowhere to run.

"Where do you think you're looking, you bastard? No one's coming to save you here, not even the teachers," Blake said sarcastically.

The boy tried to breathe, but his heart pumped fear into every part of his body. He opened his mouth to say something, but the words got stuck in his throat. He was powerless to respond, powerless to resist.

Blake grabbed the collar of his shirt and lifted him off the ground a bit. "Tell me, how do you want to die?"

Tears started to fall from the boy's eyes, but he remained silent. He felt weaker than ever, and every word Blake said pierced his heart, every laugh adding to his suffering.

Then, a voice came from behind them.

"S-stop!" Everyone turned around to see Noah standing alone, his fist clenched, feeling tense.

"Huh? Who the hell is this?" Blake said.

"It's that student with no skills. I forgot his name," said Victor, who was accompanying Blake.

Blake remained silent for a moment, then smiled and threw the boy to the ground. He walked towards Noah.

"Well, this is a nice surprise. I can't believe I'm meeting the famous worthless one I've heard so much about," Blake said as he stood in front of Noah.

Before Noah could respond, Blake punched him hard, causing him to fall to his knees and vomit. Blake then placed his palm on Noah's head.

"Do you know what my skill is?" Blake said.

Noah looked at Blake, his eyes filled with tears.

"Well, I don't think you can talk. I can simply blow up anything I touch."

"W-Wait, he might really die," Victor, who was standing behind Blake, said, showing concern.

"Don't worry, no one will notice or care if this scum dies. We won't get into trouble, and as for his family… Well, his parents must have abandoned him since he's trash," Blake said.

At that moment, Noah grabbed his hand, trying to push it away.

Blake made a face of disgust and repulsion. "Don't touch me!" Then, in an instant, Noah felt a tremendous explosion near his face. It felt like a small bomb had exploded next to him.

His vision blurred, and blood began to pour from his nose immediately. The destructive force nearly tore him apart, but it wasn't lethal. The damage was evident: severe bruising on his forehead and his nose bleeding heavily. Noah collapsed to the ground as if dead. The sounds echoed in his head, but he was still alive. Despite the blood covering his face and the deep bruises.

"That was disgusting! Don't ever touch me again, you filthy waste of space!" Blake said, and then began stomping on Noah's head repeatedly.

"Blake, stop! You're making it worse," Victor said, feeling worried and scared about the consequences. Blake stopped.

"...Alright, you're right. Let's leave before someone sees us," Blake said, then turned to the student who had been watching from behind them.

"But we need to get rid of the witnesses," Blake said with a smile. The student felt terrified and started to back away, but just as Blake was walking towards him, something grabbed his foot. He looked down and saw that Noah had grabbed his foot. Blake was startled and pulled his foot away.

"I-Is he a zombie?" Blake said. Noah slowly got up from the ground, staggering, blood pouring from his nose, but he wiped it away and stood with difficulty.

"I'm sure I killed him. Did he come back to life?… Well, never mind, I'll kill him again," Blake said, and then the principal appeared from a corner.

"Hey! What are you doing over there?!" the principal shouted. Blake and Victor panicked and ran in another direction. The principal reached Noah and the student, looking at Noah's face, which was covered in wounds, his nose bleeding and dripping, and the other student, who was terrified as if he was about to faint.

"Are you alright?" the principal asked Noah, his expression showing concern.

"Is that even a question… Take care of that student," Noah said.

The principal looked at the other student, feeling anxious, while thinking to himself that this was total madness. He didn't care about his own condition as if he didn't feel any pain at all...And on top of that, he wants me to take care of the other student. What kind of mentality is that? Can it even be said that he's human anymore?

From that moment on, I promised myself to watch over Noah and take care of him. Perhaps I was afraid that his father would discover the matter and destroy the entire school, but part of me was also curious about what this boy would do. All of this was so that I could understand what he was thinking, or even understand a small part of him. I promised myself to protect him with my life if it came to that... but here I am now... searching for him, and I can't even find him."