Chapter 144 144: The Shinomiya and Fujiwara Families React

Words : 1485 Updated : Oct 11th, 2025

— — — — — — "Limiting enrollment to just 108 new students per year from now on?" Shinomiya Oko, dressed in a traditional kimono, frowned slightly as he listened to the news over the phone. The call was from Adolf Pescarolo, principal of the private Shuchiin Academy High School, informing him about the latest development at Excellent Girls' Academy. "Got it. I'll have someone look into it," Oko replied before hanging up. He stood up from the tatami mat and walked to the window, gazing toward the direction of Excellent Girls' Academy with visible confusion. "What the hell are they up to now...?" He muttered under his breath. This man, Shinomiya Oko, was the eldest son of Shinomiya Gan'an, the current head of the prestigious Shinomiya family. Out in the world, he was widely regarded as the frontrunner to inherit the family's leadership. That perception largely stemmed from his appointment as the chairman of the board at the elite Shuchiin Academy—a position that made his status within the family all but official. Shuchiin wasn't just any school. It was a centuries-old institution, originally established during the Edo period as a place of learning for the samurai and noble classes. Over the years, it had absorbed other academies and evolved into a haven for the children of powerful families—those expected to carry the weight of the nation on their shoulders, even in a modern Japan that no longer officially recognized nobility. So, within the Shinomiya clan's vast political and social network, Shuchiin held a crucial place. And yet, despite the fact that Excellent Girls' Academy sat just two blocks away from Shuchiin, Oko had never once paid it any real attention. The reason was simple. Shuchiin had deep roots, built on legacy and prestige. But Excellent? It was practically brand new by comparison—only a few decades old. Its founder had married into the Tachibana family just to gain a toehold in high society. Realizing it couldn't attract the legitimate heirs of powerful families, the school had chosen a different route altogether—becoming an all-girls institution that appealed to the pampered daughters of noble houses, the ones too far down the line of succession to matter much politically but still privileged enough to maintain appearances. In Oko's eyes, calling Excellent a "prestigious academy" was laughable. All it would take was one shake-up in the social circles and the whole thing could come crashing down. He figured giving it even a minute of his attention was a waste of time. That is, until a few months ago—when he heard that the school's founder, the very man who had poured his life into building Excellent, had been dismissed and stripped of all authority. That bit of drama finally piqued Oko's curiosity. Considering it over, he sat back down and picked up the phone again, dialing a private number. It belonged to the head of a mid-tier family that had some long-standing ties with the Shinomiyas. That family's youngest daughter was currently a first-year student at Excellent. "Moshi moshi~ This is Shinomiya Oko..." Of course, Oko wasn't the only one who found the school's latest announcement—quietly posted to Excellent's official website—a bit suspicious. Excellent had been little more than a social-climber, riding the coattails of more established schools and families. Even the name "Excellent" was something people in elite circles chuckled at behind closed doors. But over the past few months, something had changed—quietly, gradually. That "prestigious academy" label had started to stick. Maybe not among the low-tier houses, but plenty of mid-level families—and even a few major ones—had come to accept it as legitimate. So, on the day of the announcement, all across Japan—and even internationally—there was a ripple of activity among the elite. Messages were exchanged, old connections rekindled, intelligence shared. The more resourceful families? By the time night fell, they already had a pretty clear picture of what had gone down in that school earlier that day—the martial arts lesson that wasn't just any lesson. Granted, their "full picture" was still limited to what students had seen. But even that was enough to raise eyebrows. --- That evening, at the Fujiwara estate— Dinner was over. The servants had been dismissed. In the grand sitting room, the elderly head of the Fujiwara family sat facing the three young women of the main family line. The eldest, Fujiwara Toyomi, had once been considered a promising heir—until it became clear that this generation of the Fujiwara main branch would have no male successors. By the time the family realized this fact, Toyomi had already grown up "the wrong way" in their eyes, and was no longer considered a viable candidate to inherit the political legacy. Then there was the second daughter, Fujiwara Chika. Having learned from Toyomi's "example," the family had pinned all their hopes on Chika from the start. From elementary school onward, she'd been raised under strict guidance, groomed for leadership with the utmost care. And to her credit, Chika hadn't let them down. Despite her young age, she already carried herself like a born politician. The family's long-term plan? Once she was old enough, they'd find a capable man for her to marry—one who would continue the Fujiwara bloodline, but wouldn't interfere with her authority. And then there was the youngest—Fujiwara Moeha... "When you graduate from Shuchiin's middle school, and if the opportunity is still there, transfer to Excellent Girls' Academy." The Fujiwara patriarch gave the instruction to Moeha without much buildup. "Excellent Girls' Academy?" Moeha blinked in confusion, repeating the school's name. "I thought that place was always seen as a backup school for local families like ours—something beneath Shuchiin?" The butler understood immediately and silently set up a projector. A screen dropped down, and three videos began to play. "That was true... before." The old Fujiwara head lifted a hand slightly as the first video began. The footage showed an indoor track. A young man stood at the starting line, did a few stretches, then took off like a bullet the moment the starting pistol fired. He flew across the 100-meter stretch like a missile. When he hit the finish line, the infrared timer—almost zero latency—displayed a jaw-dropping result: 7.01 seconds. The second video showed a hulking man with bulging muscles casually lifting a heavy barbell overhead like it was made of plastic. But the moment he dropped it, the floor trembled hard enough that the camera shook from the impact. The third video featured a blindfolded girl holding a bow. Dozens of helium balloons were released in front of her. In less than ten seconds, she fired and popped every single one with pinpoint precision. "...The world's changing," the patriarch said with a sigh once the videos ended. "On the far side of the Pacific, in one of the military labs, someone recently used drug-enhanced training to reach a physical capacity roughly 2.5 times that of a normal human." "He died soon after from genetic collapse—but the fact that he existed at all means we're entering a new era." "You mean..." Moeha looked up, stunned. "You're saying that Excellent Girls' Academy has figured out how to break the human body's natural limits... without massive side effects?" "Exactly. And it's already been verified." The old man nodded. "The academy's new director—whoever they are—is someone truly extraordinary. From what we've gathered, not only did they develop a reliable method for breaking past the human body's limits, but they're generously teaching it—openly—at the school." "Even more shocking, students are allowed to pass that knowledge down to their direct blood relatives within two generations..." He sighed again, this time with a hint of frustration. "Honestly, if I wasn't afraid that pulling tricks might offend whoever's behind it, I was seriously considering twisting your birth records—aging you up by two years so you could enroll next year." "..." "..." Both Toyomi and Moeha quietly turned to look at their middle sister. Their gazes made the rest of the family look at Chika too, confused but curious. "...Actually, if it's just the training method you're after, there's no need to go through all that trouble." Chika spoke up casually, as if she'd been waiting for the perfect moment. Thanks to her prior arrangement with Veyron (the one guiding all of this), she already knew what was coming. She reached into the air with a flick of her wrist, and a thin booklet appeared in her hand out of nowhere. "Here. This is what they're teaching in the martial arts class over there," she said, handing it over like it was no big deal. "If you fully master them, your physical abilities can reach up to twice the normal human limit." . . .

Chapter 144 144: The Shinomiya and Fujiwara Families React

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