Kairo woke to the sound of Takumi snoring.
He sat up and rubbed his eyes, then walked over to open the curtains. Morning light flooded the room. Outside, some students were already exercising in the training yard.
He checked the alarm clock on the desk: 7:42 AM.
The alarm should have gone off at seven. Stupid clock!
The assembly was at eight o'clock. He activated his ability, his body blurred. Within ten seconds, he had washed, dressed in his Academy uniform, and was ready to leave.
Takumi's snoring grew louder.
Kairo walked over to his bedside and kicked the frame hard. Takumi rolled off, hitting the wardrobe with a thud.
"Ouch! You bastard!" Takumi muttered, rubbing his eyes.
"Get dressed. The assembly is in fifteen minutes."
Takumi glanced at the desk clock. "7:45 AM?!"
He scrambled toward the shower while Kairo moved to wake Itsuki.
Tap! Tap!
"Itsuki, wake up!"
…
The Dream-void.
"Nui, is this the same for everyone? Do all ability users have a space like this?"
Nui tilted her head, "Hmm... Not exactly, Master. Most people don't have a space at all. Their abilities just... exist inside them. But Master is special! Master's ability is tied to Nui, so this space formed naturally."
"So it's different for everyone?"
"Mhm! Every Birthright is unique. Some abilities grow stronger naturally as the user advances through the tiers, while others need training, but Master's ability—"
Rumble…!
The ground beneath them trembled slightly.
Itsuki looked down. "What was that?"
"Oh! Master is waking up."
The trembling grew stronger.
Itsuki looked at his hands. They were fading away, bit by bit, particles of light drifting upward into the void.
"Will I see you again, Nui?"
Nui smiled and giggled, "Yes, Master! From now on, anytime you sleep... I'll be here!"
The void collapsed.
…
Itsuki woke with a gasp, tangled in his bedsheet.
Kairo stood over him. "Finally! Get up."
Itsuki pushed himself off the bed and glanced at the desk clock. 7:50 AM.
Takumi emerged from the shower, water still dripping from his hair. He was pulling on his Academy uniform, fumbling with the buttons.
"Hurry up!" Kairo barked, tossing Itsuki a towel.
Itsuki caught it and headed to the shower. As he passed Takumi, he muttered with a small smile,
"Kairo became our mom, hehe."
Takumi laughed. "Yeah, when did that—"
Thwack! Thwack!
Kairo knocked both their heads.
"Move!"
Itsuki showered quickly, threw on his uniform, and barely had time to button his collar before Kairo grabbed both him and Takumi by their arms and dragged them out of the room.
The door slammed shut behind them.
Click.
Kairo locked it and pocketed the key.
…
They walked through the hallways with the rest of the students. Surprisingly, there was no chit-chattering—unlike their local dojo, everyone here was mature and well-organized.
Meanwhile, Itsuki and Takumi, on the other hand, were the total opposite. Takumi picked his nose as they walked, while Itsuki continually tried to shift his uniform into a breathable position; it was too tight.
They reached the main building. Two massive guards stood at both sides of the door.
After a while of standing, the door finally opened. Itsuki walked inside with the other new students. He immediately scanned the hall. The senior students were already there, and it seemed they were being addressed by a Sensei while the new students stood outside.
Some of the senior students turned to glance at the newcomers, their expressions ranging from curiosity to mild amusement while others didn't bother, their attention remaining fixed on the Sensei at the front.
A tall man stood at the podium, he wore an elegant black uniform with golden accents running along the collar, shoulders, and cuffs. It appeared to be the standard outfit for the Senseis at the academy.
It appears to be the standard dress for instructors... Everyone behind him is wearing the same uniform.
Behind him, a line of senseis stood at attention, all dressed in similar black and gold uniforms and in the center, seated in a well-decorated chair, was an old man.
The man at the podium stepped forward and bowed slightly.
"Welcome, new students. I am Miura Katsumoto, the vice master of this academy."
Miura raised his hand and snapped his fingers.
In an instant, a sheet of paper materialized in Itsuki's hand.
He flinched slightly, startled by the sudden weight in his palm. Itsuki looked around. It seemed every other junior had the same paper in their hands.
He looked down at the paper. At the top, in bold lettering, it read: Zenkai Academy Rules and Regulations.
Below that was a numbered list:
Zenkai Academy Rules and Regulations
- All students must attend their assigned classes. Absences are only permitted with prior approval from your instructor or the medical ward.
- Unauthorized use of abilities outside designated training areas is strictly forbidden.
- Combat between students is only permitted during official duels or supervised training sessions. Unsanctioned fights will result in disciplinary action.
- Students must respect all instructors, staff members, and fellow students regardless of segment or tier.
- Damaging academy property through reckless ability usage will result in penalties and mandatory reparations.
- Students are forbidden from entering restricted areas. These include the old eastern wing, the archive basement, the forest beyond the northern gate, and all staff offices.
- Curfew is at 10 PM. All students must return to their dormitories by this time unless given special permission.
- Sharing or teaching abilities to students outside your designated training group is prohibited without instructor supervision.
- Any injuries sustained during training must be reported to the medical ward immediately. Concealing injuries can result in suspension.
────୨ৎ────
Itsuki read through the list, his eyes scanning each rule. Most were straightforward.
But one rule made him pause.
Rule number six.
The old eastern wing, the archive basement, the forest beyond the northern gate, all staff offices... That's a lot of restricted areas.
Why specifically those places?
Before he could dwell on it further, the paper in his hands began to glow.
The words on the page shimmered, then shifted. The rules dissolved, replaced by new text.
He wasn't the only one. Gasps and startled voices rose around him as other students experienced the same phenomenon.
"As you can see," Miura said calmly, "once you finish reading, the writings will change to display the class system."
Triggered by completion... the paper responds to whether we've read it.
Itsuki looked down again. The paper now displayed something entirely different:
Zenkai Academy Class System
Year/Tier Progression: Students advance from Tier 1 to Tier 5 upon graduation.
Segment Division: Each tier is divided into four segments based on ability rarity.
- Bronze Segment - Common abilities
- Silver Segment - Rare abilities
- Gold Segment - Elite abilities
- Diamond Segment - Divine abilities
Note: Segment assignment is permanent and determined at enrollment.
────୨ৎ────
They separate us by ability, rarity... not strength or skill.
Someone with a common ability stays in Bronze forever, regardless of training. Someone born with a Divine ability starts in Diamond automatically.
Miura walked to a well-crafted desk on the podium. He reached down and retrieved a large piece of parchment, unrolling it carefully. Then he picked up a pen with intricate designs carved into its surface.
He held the pen above the parchment and addressed the crowd once more.
"As you have read in the document, your ability rarity will determine your segment. Your names will be called, and so will your segment."
He placed the pen tip against the parchment.
And then, without him moving his hand, the pen began to write on its own.
The pen moved fluidly across the page, as if guided by an invisible hand. It scrawled a name in elegant script, then paused.
"Hana Mizuki," Miura announced. "Silver Segment."
A girl near the front gasped softly. A silver badge materialized on her chest, glinting in the light.
The pen continued.
"Daiki Sato. Bronze Segment."
A boy shuffled forward slightly as a bronze badge appeared on his uniform.
"Yuna Takahashi. Gold Segment."
After a while, the pen wrote his name.
"Itsuki Naoya. Diamond Segment."