Chapter 10 — The Weight of a Star
The air felt wrong.
Heavy.
Too heavy.
Kaito stood across from Tokita in the cracked schoolyard, wiping the blood from his nose with the back of his hand. His eyes narrowed.
That neutralization ability…
It didn’t work.
He had already tried.
Twice.
Tokita wasn’t using any ability.
This was just physical strength.
Kaito exhaled slowly.
“Alright,” he muttered. “Let’s switch gears.”
A faint yellow glow pulsed around him.
The air bent.
The ground groaned.
And then—
BOOM.
Tokita’s body suddenly dropped.
The concrete beneath his feet shattered like glass as gravity multiplied instantly.
The pressure hit like a collapsing building.
Nezuko gasped.
Natsuki’s eyes widened. “He switched abilities…”
Aoi didn’t speak.
She was watching Tokita carefully.
Very carefully.
Tokita’s shoes cracked the pavement.
Dust rose around him.
His knees bent slightly—
Just slightly.
Then he straightened.
Slowly.
Like the weight didn’t matter.
Kaito’s pupils shrank.
Impossible.
He increased the pressure.
The air distorted around Tokita’s body.
Cracks spread out in spiderweb patterns beneath him.
Chunks of concrete sank.
But Tokita lifted his head.
And smiled.
“Gravity, huh?” he said calmly. “That’s cool.”
Then he stepped forward.
The ground exploded under his foot.
Kaito’s eyes widened.
He moved—
But Tokita was already in front of him.
A clean, controlled punch.
Kaito barely raised his arm in time.
BOOM.
The impact sent shockwaves through the air.
Buildings nearby trembled.
Kaito skidded back, carving a trench through the asphalt.
He clenched his teeth.
“Fall.”
The gravity field intensified.
Everything around Tokita dipped inward.
Streetlights bent.
Broken concrete floated for a second before slamming down again.
Tokita’s shirt tore slightly at the shoulder from the pressure.
His muscles tightened.
Veins showed faintly along his forearm.
But his expression didn’t change.
No blood.
No panic.
Just focus.
He twisted his body—
And vanished from Kaito’s sight.
A blur.
A shadow moving against crushing force.
Kaito turned—
Too late.
A kick slammed into his ribs and launched him through the side of an abandoned building.
Dust erupted.
Bricks shattered.
The sound echoed across the empty streets.
Inside the rubble, Kaito slowly stood up.
His breathing was heavier now.
That wasn’t normal.
That wasn’t human.
Outside, Tokita rolled his shoulders casually.
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Like he was warming up.
“Is that all?” Tokita asked.
Not mocking.
Not arrogant.
Just honest.
Kaito wiped the dust from his face.
He raised his hand.
The yellow aura around him deepened.
The sky above seemed to press downward.
This time—
He wasn’t holding back.
The air screamed.
Gravity condensed into a visible distortion around Tokita, like space itself was folding inward.
The ground cratered beneath him.
Windows shattered across nearby buildings.
Nezuko took a step forward. “This is bad—”
Natsuki grabbed her arm. “Wait.”
Aoi’s eyes narrowed.
Tokita inhaled slowly.
For the first time—
His aura shifted.
Not glowing.
Not obvious.
But the air around him trembled.
His foot pressed into the crater beneath him—
And the crater stopped sinking.
The crushing force met resistance.
Kaito felt it instantly.
That pressure…
It wasn’t normal.
Tokita raised his fist.
Still no glowing eyes.
Still no visible ability.
Just raw, terrifying presence.
“Alright,” Tokita said quietly.
“I’ll push a little.”
He stepped forward.
The gravity field split.
Cracks ripped across the ground in a straight line toward Kaito.
Kaito’s eyes widened.
This wasn’t supposed to happen.
This wasn’t—
Before either of them could unleash the next strike—
The ground beneath both of them liquefied.
Suddenly—
They dropped.
“What—?!”
The concrete had turned into thick, sinking mud.
Quicksand.
The more they moved, the deeper they sank.
Tokita stopped struggling immediately.
Kaito froze as well.
The yellow aura flickered out.
Aoi walked forward calmly, her hand raised.
The earth beneath them solidified instantly—
Hardening into concrete again.
Both of them were trapped waist-deep.
Silence filled the schoolyard.
Dust settled slowly.
Natsuki exhaled. “That was about to get crazy.”
Nezuko looked between the two of them nervously.
Kaito glanced at Tokita.
Tokita glanced back.
For a moment—
Neither of them spoke.
Then Kaito let out a quiet laugh.
“…You weren’t even using it, were you?”
Tokita didn’t answer.
He just smiled slightly.
Aoi stepped closer, her voice calm but firm.
“That’s enough.”
Her eyes lingered on Tokita for a second longer than necessary.
Validated.
She had suspected it.
He was hiding something.
Something big.
The concrete around their legs slowly crumbled as she released them.
Both stepped out.
No winner.
No loser.
But everyone there understood one thing clearly now.
Tokita Ayuto…
Was not normal.
And he still hadn’t shown his power.