Tensura: Yuuki Kagurazaka

Intermission: Miyano Kagurazaka

--- Miyano Kagurazaka's POV ---

"....um, y-yeah... It's just... let me borrow this for a bit. Okay?" I spoke those words to my 8th-grade son, who had carefreely concocted this monstrous formula.

It was peculiar from the start. How could he create something like this? Any other researcher would undoubtedly dismiss it as mere child's scribbles, but for someone like me, understanding such formulas came effortlessly.

A method to reverse the equivalence of mass-energy... this kind of thing shouldn't have been crafted solely by a 12-year-old child, especially when he claimed he was just playing around.

I knew Yuu-kun was a bright child. But this... it's downright terrifying. Ah, I feel like I've failed as a mother, experiencing fear towards my own child. I shouldn't harbor such feelings...

That's right... I shouldn't. Yet, even if I resist, the other researchers won't tolerate it. The nail that sticks out gets hammered down. Prodigies often grapple with the struggle of not being able to feel entirely human.

I need to protect him.

Others might even label my child as a demon or a monster... But that won't matter, since even if he truly is a demon...

...then I'll just become the demon lord.

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I took credit for it.

A few weeks after that incident, I meticulously recreated Yuu-kun's seemingly haphazard scribbles and presented my refined version to the higher-ups.

The plan was to attribute all the credit to Yuu-kun once he reached the age of consent, but for now, it didn't matter if he harbored resentment for me leveraging his hard work. The priority was ensuring his safety.

Why not keep it to myself? It would be too wasteful! My precious son unearthed this groundbreaking formula, and I was determined to ensure he received due recognition in the future!

But that's beside the point...

"Congratulations, Kagurazaka-san!!" Colleagues and superiors alike showered me with praise for the paper I'd crafted from Yuu-kun's initial "scribbles." It felt a bit stifling, but then again... all of this was for Yuu-kun.

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"Yuu-kun~~ I'm home~~" I eagerly greeted my son, Yuu, as his finals loomed just around the corner. Sacrificing precious work hours, I diligently prepared his bento, hoping to offer both sustenance and good luck.

However, upon my return, I was met with unexpected words echoing through the house. "I'd like it if I can quit school," Yuu-kun's voice resonated, a serious conversation unfolding with my husband. Bewildered, I approached the scene in the living room, where they sat on the couches.

"Well, I can't force the path you seek to walk on," my husband responded, a hint of concern in his tone, "but if you're cutting us out like that, there will be consequences..."

Quit school? I couldn't fathom what was happening. "What... Are you guys talking about...?" I anxiously inquired, arriving just in time to unravel the unexpected conversation.

I have caught their attention now...

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--- Yuuki Kagurazaka's POV ---