The Final Fence, Crossed

After the hearing ended, the familiar streets outside the car windows sped backward on the ride home.

Kitasan Black leaned against the window, her palm still seeming slightly damp from her earlier excitement.

She closed her eyes, unable to stop scenes from flashing through her mind:

The tension and confrontation at the start of the hearing, the overwhelming shock of Emperor's arrival, the silent yet steadfast formation of her seniors, and the gavel that delivered the final verdict.

And finally—the steady hand on her shoulder, and those words: "Fly."

All those images eventually merged and settled, becoming a clear, blazing flame in her heart.

It was over.

She had cleared the final hurdle.

Next—

It was time to charge with everything she had toward the skies of Kyoto.

There was a faint rustle of clothing beside her. She opened her eyes and saw Anjing Zhen turn toward her.

He did not look at any of the documents at hand. He merely reached out and firmly, solidly pressed his hand over the back of hers where it rested on the seat.

Kitasan Black looked at him.

Anjing Zhen's lips moved. His voice was slightly hoarse, yet exceptionally clear. "You did well. From here on out, there won't be any more problems. Focus on training—for the Tenno Sho Spring."

"—Yes! I understand!"

Kitasan Black nodded forcefully. After answering loudly, she thought for a moment and could not help asking, "But I still have a question—A-Zhen, this hearing—the presidents, and all those seniors—I hadn't heard a single word about it. What exactly was—"

"As for that—" Anjing Zhen froze for a moment, then fell into thought. "Because this was a direct deployment at the level of 'Emperor' and the Student Council."

Agnes Tachyon's voice came from diagonally ahead. Rarely, she was not fiddling