Anami was so moved that tears welled up in her eyes. She gently patted Mock's head, comforting him like a child. "Is this a proposal? I’m very happy, but let's complete our wedding after we attend the memorial ceremony with Shoyo tomorrow morning and begin the family training."
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"Agreed!" Mock said with a smile, then left to continue the disaster relief efforts. He wore a contented expression that Cloude had once seen fleetingly—a warm, genuine smile.
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Shoyo followed him outside. "I need to help too, to find Rachel’s..." He was so desperate to find Rachel's body that he forgot he had already overexerted himself with ContQi and fainted. Ayaka took his place in assisting the relief efforts, while Anami, due to her concealed identity, stayed home to care for Shoyo.
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Everyone worked tirelessly to rescue and treat the injured. Eventually, they found Rachel beneath the rubble, her left hand clutching a seashell necklace even in death.
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Throughout the city, cries of grief for lost loved ones echoed. Members of the Research Institute also helped in the search, finding remnants of bodies, including a shoe and a ring they recognized as Zinchel’s. The three who had gone out to buy materials, including Zinchel, were among the dead.
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The terror from the city’s massacre still hung over Grandecy. The other three cities sent aid, and preparations for the memorial ceremony the next morning began.
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In the early morning, before sunrise, Anami woke Shoyo from his sleep. "Get up quickly. We're starting the family training earlier than planned."
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"Huh? I thought it was after the memorial..." Shoyo mumbled, still groggy and weak from overusing ContQi.
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Anami urged him to change clothes while explaining, "You shouldn’t attend. You’re now a prominent figure. If everyone recognizes you as a hero without the strength to back it up, it will cause many problems." Her words made it clear she didn't believe Shoyo could have defeated the new Skullbreakers on his own.
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Ayaka had already packed their bags for the journey. Knowing that the family training could take two or three years, the mother and son said their heartfelt goodbyes at the door. "Mom, I’ll work hard and come back soon. Thank you for everything."
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"Good luck, and don’t give up halfway like I did," Ayaka replied.
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Under Anami’s guidance, they easily avoided the guards, climbed over the city wall, and left Grandecy without even saying goodbye to Cloude and Jennie or visiting Rachel’s grave.
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On the road to Paradise, Anami continued her teachings. "First, you need to learn how to use Weapower properly. We also need to unlock the secret within you. When you protected the king, you might have unconsciously used your Talent. I assume your mentor only taught you about Weapower classifications, not Talents. Let me explain."
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Talent is a power that manifests from one’s life energy, known as "Qi," triggered by a person’s latent desires and personality during life-threatening situations or special conditions. Talents are categorized into three main types: "Creation," which allows creating objects from Qi; "Conquest," which influences others with Qi; and "Selfalter," which changes one’s own physical attributes or grants special effects.
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All living beings possess life energy and, in theory, can use Talent, including Skullbreakers. However, due to the intense concentration required to awaken, master, and control Talents, only humans and the new Skullbreakers are known to use them.
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Mastering a Talent is already extremely difficult, and there is no record of anyone awakening more than one Talent. Generally, it’s believed that each person has only one Talent. The more complex and powerful the Talent, the more Qi it consumes and the higher the price, which can be fatal if overused. Therefore, after awakening a Talent, mastering and flexibly utilizing it is the key to success.
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Shoyo absorbed the new information with excitement rather than confusion. Reflecting on everything that had happened yesterday, he deeply understood the helplessness of the weak in the face of danger and the importance of strength in protecting others.
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"Are you ready? My training is very rigorous!"
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"No problem! I will complete the family training and never let any friends or family sacrifice themselves in front of me again!"
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