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  Part- 332:

  Kibria chuckled, running a hand through his unruly, multi-colored hair. “So that’s James Khan, huh? Looks like he’s got a mean throw on him.”

  Robin adjusted his gsses, his fingers deliberate and trolled. “Yes. That’s him. But what’s truly remarkable is not his teique—it’s how fast he’s improving. He wasn’t anywhere his level just a few months ago.”

  Kibria’s grin widened, resting his zily on one hand. “Kid’s got talent,” he mused. “Not the kind you see every day. Different. Sharp. Almost... hungry.”

  Robin gave a short nod, though his gaze remained fixed on James as he exged brief words with his coad teammates. “The speed at which he’s evolving is... abnormal. Too abnormal to be ce.”

  There was ion in Robin’s voice, only cold logic. His words cut through the air with the precision of a scalpel, disseg every nuance of James’s performance. Something had ged about the boy—and Robin inteo find out what it was.

  Kibria leaned back, stretg his arms behind his head with a zy grin. “Heh. Let me guess. You’ve been trag him, haven’t you?” He shot a sidelong g Robin, his toeasing but sharp as a bde hiddeh velvet.

  Robin didn’t respond immediately, but the fai hint of a smirk curled at the edge of his lips. He had, in fact, been James for some time—ever since rumors began cirg about his sudden transformation. Robin’s motives, however, were his own, hidden behind the mask of a stoic demeanor.

  “Of course, you have.” Kibria ughed softly, his voice filled with amusement. “That’s so you, Robin. Always the one pying chess while the rest of us are busy smashing the board.”

  Robin ighe remark, his eyes flickering with brief irritation. “It’s not just talent. Something... unnatural is driving his progress. No ordinary student grows this fast. There’s a pattern here, and I io find out what it is.”

  Kibria chuckled again, though his grin turned sharper—more feral. “Man, watg this kid makes me itpete. If they hadn’t banned me, I’d be down there right now, breaking necks and tossing people around like ragdolls.”

  Robin shot him a sidelong ghe edge in his voice sharpening. “They banned you because you don’t know how to stop. You treat rules like suggestions—temporary invenieo be ig will.”

  Kibria shrugged, unapologetic. “What I say? Rules just slow me down.” His grin stretched wider, as if the memory of his banishment was a joke only he found amusing. “I py by my own rules.”

  Robin exhaled slowly, rubbing his temples. It was always exhausting trying to manage Kibria, like trying to trol a wildfire with nothing but a bucket of water. But at least, for today, the Western Emperor was tent to sit in the shadows, watg the game unfold.

  “For now,” Robin muttered under his breath, knowing full well that Kibria’s restlessness wouldn’t st long.

  The two boys sat in silence for a moment, both watg as James returo his bench, exging nods with his teammates. Below them, the match tinued, but her Kibria nor Robin aying attention to anyone else. Their focus was locked on James.

  “He’s not like the others,” Kibria said, breaking the silehere was no humor in his voice this time—only a dangerous sort of respect. “That kid’s got something. Something... sharp. I feel it.”