Infinite Skill Devourer
Chapter 34: Rewind: Age Regression.

Chapter 34: Rewind: Age Regression.

It couldn’t be a coincidence.

He was certain Daiki had called her Takeru, but could she truly be his Takeru?

Or was it just someone bearing the same name?

"Arg."

Ryuen groaned in frustration and leaned back in the pod.

He stared at the ceiling, counting the patterns to calm himself down.

As his chest rose and fell with every breath, he still couldn’t shake off the fact that Kaori bore his surname.

But his sister’s name wasn’t Kaori.

He clenched his fists under the blanket, gritting his teeth slightly.

There were too many unknowns, and staying still wouldn’t get him any answers.

But he had to heal.

He decided then... if his body didn’t cooperate by the next day, he’d have to force it to.

Silence fell moments later.

Ryuen was supposed to be asleep—or at least trying to sleep.

Instead, he sat up, pushed down the sides of the pod, pushed the cover, and swung his legs over the edge.

He ignored the sharp, pulling pain across his abdomen and muscles, mumbling to himself..

’Pain is just an illusion,’ until he was finally standing on his two feet.

"Stupid," he muttered to himself as he ripped the bandages off his nose.

Kaori, who was casually walking through the halls with a tray of food in her arms, stepped into Ryuen’s ward, intending to wake him up for a meal.

Instead, she froze, almost dropping the tray when she saw him doing small jumps.

She controlled herself, barely, and set the tray on the cupboard near her.

"What do you think you’re doing?!" she demanded, her tone sharp—like a mother catching her child doing something dangerous.

"I’m tired of lying down," Ryuen replied flatly.

"And who gave you the right to choose?"

"Me," he paused, glancing at her. "I gave myself the right to choose."

Kaori sighed, exhausted, and walked up to him.

She reached out and jabbed a finger into his arm, surprised at how solid it was.

He wasn’t even flexing.

Her fingers moved to the area around his stitches, pressing gently into his flesh.

She managed to get a hiss and a glare from Ryuen, but he didn’t move, confirming what she already knew.

"You’re still hurting," she stated firmly, crossing her arms.

"If you don’t want to heal, just say so and sign yourself out of here."

Ryuen frowned and averted his gaze. "I don’t really like staying in one place, especially when I’m not doing anything."

She sighed, "I understand, but at least have mercy on your body."

"I’ve been through worse."

He hadn’t.

"The things I did before were more dangerous."

Aside from sneaking into a senator’s home, they weren’t.

"And I even got hit once."

On the head—by his boss—when he went back to a cleared location to pick up the food his sisters ordered.

Which he’d dropped on the way there, knowing full well it was dangerous.

Kaori clicked her tongue, still frustrated.

"You’re unbelievable," she said, tilting her head to get a better look at him.

"You’ve really got a death wish, don’t you?"

"Maybe," he smirked, brushing past her to lean against the cupboard near his pod.

"Like I said, lying down isn’t going to get me answers... or food."

As if on cue, his stomach growled lowly.

Kaori folded her arms.

"You could’ve asked before I left. If I hadn’t thought about the last time you ate, you’d still be hungry for another four hours."

Ryuen shrugged. "I didn’t feel like asking. So, did you bring food?"

"Yes," she gestured to the tray she’d set down, filled with steaming bowls of rice, miso soup, grilled fish, and chicken.

Ryuen’s stomach growled louder. He shot her a glare—a silent warning not to laugh—then glanced at the tray.

"Fine, I’ll eat."

"While standing?"

"No... I’ll float."

"I could take it back if you want, since you can’t even be grateful."

"Can’t you handle a little sarcasm?"

She rolled her eyes and sighed. "Just don’t faceplant into your food."

Ryuen smirked faintly and sat down in the chair beside his pod.

Kaori sat on the bed, watching as he grabbed the chopsticks and began eating in silence, savoring every bite.

From the aroma to the moist texture, everything about the meal was perfect.

It was so delicious, he almost shed a tear.

He closed his eyes, pulling his lips into his mouth as he tried to process how good human food tasted.

He couldn’t deny that the food back at King Arin’s place wasn’t bad, but it just didn’t have the same taste or warmth as human food.

There was something about the blend of spices, the way each dish wasn’t just sweet but flavorful to the point of making you crave more.

And rice—it went well with everything.

Then there was the curry and thyme combo... perfection.

"You’re really stubborn," Kaori said gently, breaking the silence. "Reckless and airheaded. You remind me of someone I used to know."

Ryuen paused, a spoonful of rice halfway to his mouth.

"Someone... you used to know?"

Just like the person I used to know who mixed her spices like this.

Kaori nodded, averting her gaze. "Yeah, he was an idiot too. Always pushing himself past his limits."

"Always chasing something he couldn’t quite reach."

Ryuen didn’t respond, but his grip on the chopsticks tightened slightly.

Kaori snapped out of her reverie, realizing she had said too much.

"Eat up. You’ll need your strength if you actually plan to move around."

Ryuen chuckled softly and stabbed the fish with his chopsticks. "So you do understand."

Kaori scoffed. "I don’t understand you. I’m just too tired to argue."

The room fell into silence again.

He didn’t say anything else until he finished his meal.

Despite the tension in the air, he felt slightly at ease, as though he had found answers to some of his questions.

Everything about her gave him what he needed.

Her words, her mannerisms, the way she scolded him, and even the food—it was all familiar.

Too familiar to let it slip by unnoticed.

But he needed to be sure.

"Kaori," he said suddenly, setting the chopsticks down.

She raised a brow. "What?"

"Your last name. Takeru. How did you get it?"

Her expression turned grim immediately, and she stood abruptly.

She took the tray from him, cast him a short glare, before turning away.

"That’s none of your business."

"It is my business," Ryuen pressed. "Takeru isn’t a common name. I need to know."

Kaori shot him a sharp glare, narrowing her eyes. "You don’t need to know anything. Focus on healing."

Before he could push further, she spun on her heels and headed for the door.

"Kaori—"

"Rest," she said coldly, cutting him off before stepping out of the room.

The door slammed shut behind her, leaving him alone once more.

Ryuen clenched his fists, the frustration bubbling inside him again, but he was glad.

There was a chance his stubborn, cold but caring sister was actually alive, and in reach.

’She’s hiding something.’

He thought as he leaned back in the chair, staring at the spot where she’d been standing moments ago.

Whether she liked it or not, he would get his answers.

If Kaori Takeru truly had ties to him—if she was connected to his past—then he wasn’t going to let her slip away.

"Hey."

A voice suddenly echoed through the room, he lazily shifted his gaze to the door.

And saw Kaori standing there with a smirk.

"Because you look like him, and have a few similarities. I’ll answer your question."

"Under one condition."

Ryuen’s brows raised, "Which is?"

"Drag your body to the roof, without ripping and stitch," she paused to take a breath.

"And you promise to take everything I give you, and obey me."

"Treating me like are kid, now," he chucked softly and nodded.

"Fine, I promise."

"Good, see you at eight."

She waved and vanished behind the door.

"Didn’t think she would actually want to tell me."

Ryuen said out loud, relaxing back into his seat, then a thought crossed his mind.

The last thing he saw on his screen before his vision blurred.

Reading his mind, the screen popped up, displaying all information and details about him.

"Wait.....How am I nineteen?!"