Next Day – Weekend – Sockoo’s Backyard / Training Grounds]

  The sun’s out. Birds are chirping. All seems calm…

  Until he appears.

  Yu (blinking):

  “…Why is Ray here?”

  Bondo (backing up):

  “Wait—no way.”

  Emily (nervously):

  “Did someone… summon the devil again…?”

  Rizra (clenching her fists):

  “Ray... That maniac.”

  Ray stands there, doing double peace signs, grinning like he didn’t once nearly kill them in the name of character development. Behind him, Selene waves calmly, holding a water bottle and a first aid kit.

  Makoto (backing up slowly):

  “I… I still have nightmares of that ‘agility course.’ That wasn’t even a course. That was a minefield!”

  Angel (visibly shaking):

  “He made me fight my own shadow…”

  Hajime (deadpan):

  “He made me run on water… with ankle weights… in the middle of a thunderstorm.”

  Yu (crossing arms):

  “I died once.”

  Ray claps his hands cheerfully.

  Ray:

  “Alright, little Music Strikers! I hear you wanna get STRONGER!! Time to bring back my world-famous—”

  Everyone gulps.

  Ray (screaming with sparkles):

  “HELLISH HAPPY FUN ULTRA DEATH TRAINING!!”

  Cue thunder despite the clear sky.

  Sockoo (serious):

  “I called him.”

  Everyone turns in horror.

  Sockoo:

  “If we’re gonna win the Striker Tournament… if I’m gonna protect what I love… then we need this. I need this.”

  Ray (nodding):

  “Good call, Sockoo-chan! I’ve got an even worse program this time. Muahaha~!”

  Emily (whispering):

  “We’re gonna die.”

  Hajime (crossing arms):

  “Well, guess I’m not the only one on house arrest anymore.”

  Ray slams down a giant scroll labeled “Music Striker Insanity Regimen.”

  Ray (grinning):

  “Now… who wants to start with volcano pushups?”

  Everyone (in unison, screaming internally):

  “NOOOOOOOOOO!!!”

  And so…

  The next chapter of suffering begins.

  [TRAINING ARC — INITIATED]

  RAY’S REVENGE: STRIKER EDITION

  [Training Grounds – Later That Day]

  The once vibrant yard is now a battlefield of broken wills and twitching limbs. Everyone is collapsed on the ground, barely breathing, looking like they just fought a hundred dragons and then wrestled a god.

  Hajime lies on his back, covered in sweat, twitching, but laughing through the pain.

  Hajime (laughing between coughs):

  “Pfft—HAHA! Good thing I’m semi-immortal... or I’d be a corpse right now…”

  He then violently throws up to the side.

  Makoto (muffled, face in the dirt):

  “I think I saw my soul leave my body.”

  Yu (lying on his side):

  “Why… are volcano pushups a real thing…”

  Angel (face in a bush):

  “Ray made me meditate while being electrocuted…”

  Emily (on her knees, crying):

  “I miss normal PE class…”

  Rizra (pointing weakly at the sky):

  “The birds… they’re laughing at us…”

  Then… there’s Sockoo.

  Completely fine. Not even sweating. Standing strong, fists clenched, eyes focused.

  Bondo (lifting his head):

  “W-why is Sockoo… still standing?”

  Hajime (groaning, turning his head):

  “…She’s not human…”

  Emily:

  “Her stamina is unreal…”

  Yu (in disbelief):

  “Is that the power… of the Itsuki bloodline…?”

  Ray walks by, clapping.

  Ray (laughing):

  “Hoho! Sockoo’s thriving! I knew the Itsuki clan bred monsters—well done!”

  Sockoo (stretching):

  “I can go for another round.”

  Everyone else:

  “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!”

  Hajime (dead inside):

  “I'm dating a war god…”

  Sockoo (smiling softly at him):

  “Don’t worry. I’ll carry us if I have to.”

  Rizra (muttering):

  “She means literally…”

  Cue dramatic training montage of everyone dying in the background while Sockoo’s still doing sit-ups with a smile.

  The Music Strikers are suffering…

  But they’re getting stronger.

  [Training Ground – Midday]

  Everyone’s still recovering on the ground, groaning and twitching like flattened frogs after Ray’s brutal “warm-up.”

  Ray, hands on his hips, walks over to Sockoo, who’s still perfectly standing, barely winded.

  His tone shifts from playful to… curious.

  Ray (curiously):

  “Say, Sockoo… can you use your monster form yet?”

  Sockoo (blinking):

  “Huh? My… what now?”

  Ray (tilting his head):

  “Your monster form. You are Strikeka’s daughter, aren’t you?”

  Sockoo (gritting teeth):

  “…Don’t say his name like that.”

  Ray (calmly, not backing down):

  “I’m not saying it to praise him. But like it or not, your father had a Monster Form. You saw what he did to Hajime… that power came from his core bloodline—the ability to forcefully mutate and unlock unnatural strength, speed, and regeneration. It was a dangerous trump card… and you’ve got that same gene in you.”

  Everyone nearby goes silent.

  Even Hajime, who was half-laughing a moment ago, goes quiet and looks up.

  Ray (more serious):

  “When someone with that blood is pushed beyond their limits… their magic and biology react. Their body mutates. Like a living war machine. It’s not something you train into. It’s something buried deep inside, locked away… until needed.”

  Sockoo (tense):

  “…Then why haven’t I used it?”

  Ray (shrugs):

  “Maybe you never hit your true limit. Or maybe… you’re too human to lose control. But if you do unlock it, Sockoo, you might surpass even him. And trust me—he feared that. That’s why he controlled you, sheltered you, called you weak. He didn’t want to see what you’d become if you awakened.”

  Daka (wide-eyed):

  “Sockoo has… a monster form…?”

  Angel (rubbing arms):

  “That’s… kinda scary…”

  Hajime (softly):

  “…No. It’s not. It’s just her other side waiting to protect us.”

  Sockoo (clenching her fist, eyes narrowed):

  “I don’t care what I inherited from him. If that power’s inside me… then I’ll use it to protect Hajime. To protect all of you. Not to destroy.”

  You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

  Ray (grinning):

  “Heh. That’s the answer I was hoping for.”

  A gust of wind blows through the training ground.

  Sockoo stands silent, eyes glowing slightly—not out of rage, but potential.

  Everyone else feels it now…

  The calmest one among them…

  Might just be their most terrifying weapon.

  [Training Ground – Slightly Quiet – Just After Ray's "Monster Form" Reveal]

  As everyone cools down (mentally, not physically—they're still half-dead), Ray looks over to Sockoo, who’s wiping off some dirt.

  Ray (curious but soft):

  “…One more thing, Sockoo. Why do you always hide your left eye?”

  Sockoo freezes. Everyone notices the change in her posture—tense, almost guarded. Hajime slowly looks over, a little concerned.

  Sockoo (after a long pause):

  “…Because it reminds me of everything I hate.”

  Ray doesn’t press, just waits. Sockoo slowly sits down, hugging her knees, eyes locked on the dirt. Her voice lowers.

  Sockoo:

  “When I was a kid… I had a sister. I don’t… like saying her name. But she was a good sister to me. Energetic. Kind. A little shy. She was always smiling. She was better at controlling the bloodline than I was.”

  “…One day she disappeared. No signs, no clues. Everyone assumed she was dead.”

  Everyone listens, no one dares to interrupt.

  Sockoo (eyes dim):

  “My father… didn’t mourn her. He moved on to me. Tried to ‘force’ my bloodline to grow. He said we had no time to wait for it to mature through aging. So he experimented on me… again and again. Magic injections. Blood rituals. It was like being torn apart and glued back together wrong.”

  “…The experiment failed. My bloodline stopped growing. My blood became abnormal… and my left eye got corrupted. I can’t see out of it. It glows sometimes when I’m angry or when my power spikes.”

  She gently touches her eyepatch, eyes shaking slightly.

  Sockoo (coldly):

  “He branded me a failure. Carved that word into me—not just emotionally, but… physically. That day, I stopped being his daughter.”

  “Later, he had my brother. His ‘perfect’ project. Obedient. Strong. Full bloodline control. I was thrown aside like I never mattered.”

  Silence. No one knows what to say.

  Daka clenches his fists. Rizra looks genuinely heartbroken.

  Hajime slowly walks over, kneels beside her.

  Hajime (quietly):

  “You mattered. You always mattered. And to us—you’re perfect just the way you are.”

  Sockoo stays silent for a second, then gives a small nod. Her voice cracks as she says:

  Sockoo:

  “…Thanks. But if I ever meet my father again, I’ll show him exactly what his ‘failure’ became.”

  The group doesn’t pity her.

  They respect her more.

  Because behind that calm smile and loyal heart… is someone who crawled out of a personal hell and kept walking forward.

  And she’s not done yet.

  [Training Ground – Late Afternoon – Post Sockoo’s Confession]

  The air was still heavy, but Hajime tried to lighten it a little. He leaned back on the grass, arms behind his head, and sighed.

  Hajime (groaning):

  “Man… parents suck.”

  Makoto (quietly, fists in pockets):

  “…Yeah. Totally.”

  Bondo (arms crossed, flatly):

  “Accurate.”

  Emily (half-laughing, half-sighing):

  “Super accurate.”

  Yosuke (cool but with a bitter smirk):

  “Tch. Wouldn’t be shocked if mine forgot I existed.”

  Yu (blunt as ever):

  “My parents kicked me out when I awakened my magic. So yeah… agreed.”

  Daka (raising a hand, confused):

  “Wait, hold on—uhh… I love my parents though?”

  Amy (cheerfully):

  “Same here. My mom gives me care packages every week!”

  Angel (tilting her head, half-shrugging):

  “I don’t hate them. But… ‘love’ is kind of a strong word. I dunno, it’s complicated.”

  Daka (turning to Rizra, hopeful):

  “What about you, Rizra?”

  Rizra (quietly):

  “My parents are dead.”

  Daka blinked. A beat of silence.

  Daka (awkwardly):

  “Oh…”

  Everyone awkwardly looked away for a moment. The kind of silence where no one knows what to say without stepping on emotional landmines. Rizra just gave a small smirk and added with dry humor:

  Rizra:

  “It’s fine. I never knew them anyway.”

  Emily (softly):

  “…We’re like the most broken group of kids ever.”

  Hajime (smirking tiredly):

  “Yeah. And we’re about to enter a tournament like we’re the healthiest people alive.”

  Yu:

  “…Maybe trauma gives you better stats.”

  They all shared a small laugh. The mood lightened—but only slightly.

  Because in this group…

  Everyone had something they carried.

  But at least they were carrying it together.

  [Training Hill – Quiet Breeze – Everyone Resting]

  Daka leaned back, sweat dripping from his forehead as he looked over at Hajime, who was wiping his face with a towel and sipping from a bottle of water.

  Daka (genuinely curious):

  “Hey, Hajime… I gotta ask, man. Why do you even hate your parents? I mean… your parents are kinda… cool?”

  Everyone looked toward Daka, a bit surprised he brought it up.

  Daka (continuing):

  “I mean, they’re literally heroes. Part of Demontail, that legendary team. Baku’s the strongest fire user in the world, and Bella’s the angel of heaven and earth. That’s iconic stuff.”

  Hajime froze mid-sip. He slowly lowered the bottle, staring off into the trees, then gave a dry laugh — not from joy, but from bitter irony.

  Hajime (smiling, but pained):

  “Heh… yeah. Cool, huh?”

  Everyone quieted down, watching him closely. Hajime didn’t speak like this often. When he did, it was like an earthquake under the surface.

  Hajime (voice dipping lower):

  “They left me. Took my siblings with them. You know why?”

  He looked around at everyone.

  Hajime:

  “Because they had magic.”

  A short pause. The group was silent.

  Hajime (gritting his teeth):

  “And I didn’t. I never awakened to it as a kid. So… I was just… the ‘flawed’ one. The broken one. The one they didn’t need.”

  He paused again, eyes shadowed beneath his bangs. His tone dropped to a near whisper.

  Hajime:

  “They left me at—…”

  He stopped.

  Dead silence.

  Everyone leaned slightly forward, quietly confused. He hadn’t finished.

  Emily (softly):

  “At… where?”

  Sockoo (concerned):

  “…Hajime?”

  Ray, who had been unusually quiet this whole time, subtly frowned. His normally goofy grin faded. He crossed his arms, watching Hajime carefully—but said nothing.

  Hajime (shaking his head, snapping out of it):

  “Never mind.”

  He stood up, brushing off his pants and turning away. His shoulders were tense, his expression hidden.

  Hajime (trying to laugh it off):

  “Anyway, they’re not important. Just ghosts of the past. I’ve got you guys now.”

  The group looked at each other. No one pushed further.

  But in that moment…

  They realized something deeper:

  Hajime didn’t just hate his parents.

  He hurt from them.

  There was a part of his past none of them knew about—

  And Hajime wasn’t ready to share it.

  Not yet. [Two Weeks Later – Afternoon – Training Grounds Behind the School]

  The sun gleamed down over the dirt-swept field. Everyone in the Music Strikers team was stretching or practicing moves. Ray stood off to the side sipping tea, casually yelling critiques like “lower your stance!” or “that’s how you get your nose broken!”

  Meanwhile…

  Hajime was on his knees in front of Sockoo, clasping his hands like he was praying to a god.

  He looked absolutely pitiful. A band-aid on his cheek. Hair messy. Sweat running down his face.

  Hajime (dramatic):

  “Please, Sockoo!! I’m going insane! I can’t take just laying in bed anymore! I need action! Violence! Screaming!”

  Sockoo (crossing arms, unimpressed):

  “You sound like you’re describing a toddler’s tantrum.”

  Hajime:

  “I am a toddler trapped in a warrior’s body! Please!”

  Sockoo:

  “You’re still recovering, Hajime. You died, remember?”

  Hajime (pointing dramatically at himself):

  “‘Died’ is such a strong word. I like to say ‘took an extended dramatic nap.’”

  Sockoo:

  “You were on life support. The plug was pulled.”

  Hajime (whispering):

  “Semantics.”

  The rest of the Music Club turned Music Strikers stood nearby, watching this exchange like it was a daily soap opera.

  Emily:

  “He’s doing the ‘pitiful puppy eyes’ again.”

  Amy (munching popcorn):

  “Classic Hajime technique. 30% success rate. 80% if Sockoo’s in a good mood.”

  Bondo (stoic):

  “Pathetic. But oddly strategic.”

  Yu (thumbs up):

  “I believe in you, man!”

  Sockoo sighed deeply, then looked at Hajime again—his eyes still wide, sparkly, desperate.

  She groaned, rubbing her temple.

  She hated how effective this was sometimes.

  Sockoo:

  “Fine.”

  Hajime (freezing):

  “…Wait what?”

  Sockoo (firm but caring):

  “You can join. But! No overexerting yourself. I’ll personallymonitor you. And if you even look like you’re about to collapse, I’m dragging you back.”

  Hajime (smiling brightly):

  “Yes ma’am! I will try not to die again!”

  Ray (yelling from the background):

  “Try harder than last time!”

  As Hajime stood and ran to join the team with renewed vigor, Sockoo couldn’t help but sigh again… but this time, with a soft smile.

  Despite everything, seeing Hajime back on his feet…

  It finally felt like things were moving forward again.