Chapter 9: Good Food, Good Money

The chaos had finally settled.

Sirens screamed outside. Red and blue lights bathed the café walls.

Kaiser stood in the center of it all—bruised, bloodied, and barely staying upright—as armed officers swept through the place.

One officer crouched beside the unconscious attacker, checking for vitals. Another stared at Kaiser in disbelief.

“...He did this?” the officer asked the café owner."

The father nodded slowly.

“He took him down all by himself.”

The cops exchanged stunned looks.

“You realize this guy’s a serial killer, right?” one said. “He’s been on the wanted list for months. Six confirmed victims. Brutal kills.”

Kaiser’s jaw dropped.

“Wait—what?!”

Kai floated beside him, equally stunned.

“No! I thought he was just… some thug. A crazy guy with a blade!” Kaiser said.

One of the cops chuckled.

“Well, kid... you just saved an entire block.”

Another patted him on the shoulder.

“You’ve got guts. No one sane would’ve done what you did.”

Kaiser blushed, rubbing the back of his head.

“I-It was nothing…”

But internally?

His entire body was screaming in pain.

Later – Inside the Café

Kaiser sat slumped at a table as the mother gently cleaned and patched his wounds with a first-aid kit.

“You saved my daughter,” she said, voice trembling. “You saved all of us.”

“Really… it’s okay. Anyone would’ve—”

“No,” the father said firmly. “Not anyone. Only you did.”

The daughter gave him a shy smile.

“Thank you.”

Kai hovered behind him with a sly smirk.

“See? She likes you.”

“For the last time—she’s just being nice,” Kaiser snapped internally, keeping his face blank.

The little brother gave Kaiser a thumbs up—trying to look cool, but clearly in awe.

Kaiser blinked and looked away.

“Y-Yeah. Sure. Don’t mention it…”

He reached for his wallet to pay, but—

“Stop right there,” the father shouted.

“I’m just paying for the fo—”

“You fought for your life in here,” the mother interrupted. “That’s more than enough payment.”

“And from now on,” the father added, “you can eat here free. Anytime. Any day.”

Kaiser’s eyes widened.

“W-What? No, that’s too much—”

“We’re not taking no for an answer,” the mother said, shoving a massive takeout parcel into his arms. “Eat. Rest. Recover.”

He stood at the door, holding the warm food like it was made of gold.

“…Thanks,” he whispered.

Later That Night – Dorm Room

Kai floated midair like a smug spirit guide while Kaiser unpacked the food with trembling hands and eyes full of hunger.

“Look at you,” Kai teased. “Free food, public praise, bandages… and you didn’t even die.”

Kaiser collapsed onto his bed, placing the box beside him.

“I feel like my spine’s dust.”

“But you got a girl admiring you~.”

Kaiser flipped him off with a chopstick.

Then few moment later Kaiser looked at Kai curiously.

“What... was that?”

Kai floated above him—upside down, arms behind his head, like he was lounging on invisible air.

“What do you mean?”

Kaiser rubbed his temple, still catching his breath.

“I don’t understand... everything just... slowed down. My vision got sharper, my body moved on its own. I wasn’t thinking—I was the movement. It’s like my mind and body were one. I felt... superhuman.”

Kai’s eyes lit up like a mad scientist.

“Aha! That, my dear idiot, is what we call—Flow Sense.”

“Flow... Sense?” Kaiser repeated, eyes wide like a confused puppy.

Kai grinned wider, flipping upright in mid-air like it was nothing.

“Let me explain it. Flow Sense is a rare phenomenon. It happens when your brain, body, and instinct align perfectly during intense focus. Everything outside the fight disappears. You don’t think—you become the action. That’s why time feels slower, and your senses go beyond normal. It’s not magic. It’s just the full version of you.”

Kaiser blinked.

“So I wasn’t hallucinating?”

Kai shrugged.

“If you were, you kicked ass doing it.”

“Wait—do fighters experience this?”

“The good ones? Absolutely. But most people never hit it even once. You? You just touched it. Accidentally.”

“...Can I use it again?”

Kai smirked.

“With the right training? You won’t just use it—you’ll live in it.”

The Next Day – Surprise Knock

KNOCK. KNOCK.

Kaiser opened the dorm door, expecting the cleaning lady—or a pissed-off neighbor.

Instead, two uniformed officers stood outside.

“Mr. Kaiser Victor?”

“Uh… yeah?”

They handed him a slim envelope.

“Official recognition for assisting law enforcement in apprehending a serial killer.”

Kaiser opened the envelope.

Inside:
80,000 creds.

He stared at the number.

Kai stared too.

They looked at each other.

“…Is this real?” Kaiser whispered.

“As real as your bruises,” one officer said, chuckling. “Spend it wisely, kid.”

They turned and left.

Kaiser closed the door slowly.
Then exploded.

“BRO. WE’RE RICH!” Kaiser shouted, clutching the money.

Kai floated up like a balloon.

“HELL YEAHHH!”

Kaiser ran around the room, waving the envelope.

Kai smirked.

“Okay... now this was unexpected.”

Kaiser collapsed on the bed, hugging the envelope to his chest like it was sacred scripture.

“…Life’s finally paying me back.”

Later That Night

The dorm room was quiet. Only the desk lamp lit the space.

“Kaiser,” Kai said softly.

“Yeah?”

“For now, focus on exams and recovery. Training comes after.”

Kaiser nodded.

“Alright… then I’ll give it everything I’ve got.”

Kai smiled.

“That’s the spirit.”

One Month Later…

Exams came.
Exams went.

Kaiser passed.