The Boy Who Walks Beyond The End-Chapter 73: Enter the Chaos: Kleez

The sky above the academy was peaceful. Birds chirped, clouds drifted lazily, and the air held the scent of blooming etherflowers. A perfect day—

Until someone crashed headfirst into the academy's training statue.

"Wha—?!" Lyra jumped, her notebook flying.

Zen stood slowly, blinking.

From the rubble emerged... a boy. No—a calamity. Wild curly brown hair, oversized coat with way too many pockets, and goggles that were currently sideways on his head. He coughed once, patted his chest... and waved.

"I LIVE!"

Lyra blinked. "What... is that?"

The boy dusted himself off. "Fear not, my lady of luminous hair. I am Kleez. And I am very single."

Zen's brow twitched.

Kleez spotted her blushing confusion and sparkled.

"I knew fate brought me here. A beautiful girl, a pile of rocks, and my spine barely intact—it's romance."

Lyra half-laughed, half-hid behind Zen. "Uhh..."

Kleez leaned dramatically. "What is your name, radiant starlight?"

Zen stepped forward, voice flat. "She's not interested."

Kleez squinted up at him. "Oh! You must be the brooding protagonist. I've read about your kind. Smoldering eyes.

Zen: "..."

[Nex]: [System: I like him. Can we keep him?]

Zen: "You like him?!"

[Nex]: [System: He's the chaos gremlin we never knew we needed.]

Lyra covered her mouth, trying not to laugh.

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"Zen..."

Kleez turned dramatically toward her. "I shall remain by your side, sweet blossom, to protect you from all danger—including this handsome brick of a man here."

Zen's eye twitched. "I'm going to duel him."

[Nex]: [System: Jealousy detected. Calculating potential damage to romance arc... Oh yeah. It's spicy.]

---

Later that day in the courtyard

Kleez somehow inserted himself into Zen's friend group like he'd always been there. He was eating a sandwich upside down from a tree branch, lecturing about his "legendary encounter with a cursed cabbage."

Sylvia whispered, "Is he always like this?"

Lyra: "Apparently..."

Zen: "Yes. Unfortunately."

Kleez dropped from the tree, landed with a roll, and kneeled before Lyra.

"My lady. You dropped this leaf."

"It's... not mine?"

"Then I shall keep it. It smells like destiny."

Zen actually growled.

[Nex]: [System: You have competition, buddy. He's weirdly effective.]

Lyra elbowed Zen lightly, cheeks pink. "You're pouting."

"I'm not."

"You're jealous."

"I'm not."

Kleez spun around, dramatically posing. "Fear not, group! I, Kleez, the immortal, the mildly flammable, the curse-kissed traveler of kitchens, am here to stay!"

Sylvia muttered, "How is he not expelled already?"

[Nex]: [System: He once caused an explosion and found a hidden passage under the academy. He survived on potato soup and spiders for three days. I read the report.]

Zen just stared at Kleez, who now wore a cape made of cafeteria napkins.

"I'm going to murder him."

Lyra giggled.

Zen blinked.

And then... smiled. Just barely