(Narrator)
Shinryu and Yuzuki entered the first-year building. They looked at their schedule. Yuzuki snatched Shinryu's.
"Let me see what homeroom you're in," she said.
"Hey look, we're in the same homeroom!"
"Yeah, whatever. Let's just go already," said Shinryu, annoyed. She rolled her eyes and complained about his gloominess.
They went to room 432. When they entered, the room went silent. The students looked at them for a second, then the girls crowded Yuzuki and started asking her questions.
"Hey, are you new?" said one girl.
"Hey, wanna be friends?" said another.
"Hey, you're pretty!"
"Hi, wanna sit next to me?"
Shinryu sighed in relief. "Now she won't have time to bother me."
Shinryu sat down somewhere. Four guys walked up to him and introduced themselves. Shinryu did the same. One of them asked:
"So, is that your girlfriend?"
Shinryu said, "No."
Another one said, "So you don't mind if I shoot my shot, right?"
He replied, "Go for it. I could not care less."
Their teacher entered the class. A woman with straight posture, delicate but fierce-looking. She had a kind look but a strong presence, with long blond hair and sky-blue eyes.
"Settle down, class," she said in a soft tone.
Everyone went back to their seats.
"We have four new students. Can you raise your hand if that's you?" she asked.
Shinryu, Yuzuki, and a brown-haired boy—slim and fragile-looking, sitting in the back—raised their hands.
"That's only three. I guess the other student is running late," she said.
"Why don't you introduce yourselves?"
"Sir in the back, how about you go first," she said.
The boy stood up and said:
"My na…me is Aki…hi.ro Akihiro Kurogane. I use a Smithing Chronicle."
Some of the students laughed after he said he used a Smithing Chronicle. Yuzuki was about to say something, but someone spoke before her—a girl with reddish-purple hair, violet eyes that had a shine like a star.
"I think that's a great power to have. Those same Chronicles are the very ones that created ours," she said.
The whole class went silent.
The teacher told everyone to hush or they'd all be doing drills. Then she asked Yuzuki to introduce herself.
Yuzuki stood up with a bright, cheerful smile.
"Hello! My name is Yuzuki Onikuro. I wield a Chronicle Weapon, the Blood Twin Fang. I hope we can all become good friends!"
The students clapped and cheered. She sat down.
The teacher asked for the next person to introduce themselves.
Shinryu got up with a gloomy face and a neutral expression. In the most expressionless tone, he said:
"Hey. My name is Shinryu Kagemori. I use a Chronicle Weapon, Water Fangs. I don't care if we're friends or not, but if you want to, I don't mind—as long as you're not as annoying as her."
He pointed at Yuzuki.
She burst up from her seat.
"Hey! What do you mean annoying?! I will have you know I am the best thing that has happened to you!" she said while pouting.
The teacher said, "Settle down."
They sat down, then the teacher continued:
"So, for the new students that didn't know me, my name is Ayame Mizukawa. I will be your homeroom and combat instructor."
She followed with:
"For today, the new students will just observe the class to see how things oper—"
Before she could finish, fast footsteps could be heard outside, growing louder. Then they stopped.
The place stayed silent for a moment.
Then the door burst open. Some people gasped in surprise as a guy with a muscular frame, blue hair, and stern dark eyes walked in.
The teacher said, "You must be the fourth new student."
"Yes, I am. Sorry for being late… I had some stuff to do," the guy said in a doubtful tone.
Ms. Mizukawa asked him to introduce himself, and he controlled his breathing for a moment, then spoke, "My name is Katsuro Hoshigami. I have no Nexus Energy. I fight purely on physical strength."
People started talking:
"He has no Nexus?"
"He must be weak."
"How is that even possible?"
"What a joke—how did he get into the school? It's not acceptable."
"Wait, Hoshigami… isn't that the former member of the Twelve Avangelion?"
"Do you think that's his dad?"
"If so, then he must bring shame to his family."
The girl who defended Akihiro wanted to say something, but she couldn't find a defense for someone who wielded no power in a school where being talented was a requirement.
"BE QUIET," said Ms. Mizukawa, disappointed and angry. She hated the gossip of other people, and most of all, she hated others looking down on people.
"I have had to tell y'all multiple times to stop talking, especially when you're talking about others. All of you expect the new students will be doing drills until your bones break," she said.
After that, she told Katsuro to take a seat, and he sat next to Shinryu.
Shinryu thought, He doesn't seem strong to others just because he doesn't have Nexus, but spiritually and physically, he is practically the strongest in this room.
TO BE CONTINUED…