The arena fell utterly silent as Raze Arcwell stepped onto the platform.
No aura. No Nexas. No supernatural presence.
Just calm eyes…and two short swords at his waist.
Whispers swirled instantly.
"He's really going last?" "He'll get crushed. Those robots fight like mid-rank heroes." "What is he planning with just knives?"
But when Raze drew the blades—
The atmosphere shifted.
The metal shimmered with a dark, star-like glow. Smooth, reflective, unnaturally dense.
Gasps spread through the students.
"T–That shine—!""Is that… Abyss Alloy!?"
"No way! A fragment of the Fallen Star!?"
Even the teachers reacted.
Instructor Vale stood up sharply. "Principal—did the Arcwell family approve this!?"
Celeste Ardyn narrowed her eyes, voice calm but tense. "Abyss Alloy is rare enough that nations go to war over it. What is such a metal doing in a first-year exam…?"
Raze didn't answer. He simply raised his blades.
These were not ordinary weapons.
They were Astral Edges—crafted from a portion of the Abyss Alloy meteor shard the Arcwell family obtained years ago.
Only a portion.
Enough to forge twin blades—but with plenty still preserved for future use.
The remainder was locked safely away, meant for something greater later…
…something Raze had yet to realize he would soon need.
The countdown began.
3…2…1…
START!
◆ ◆ ◆
The Robots Awaken
The two 5-meter combat units activated instantly.
WHRRRR—!
Their eyes glowed red as they charged, the floor shaking under their feet.
These were elite academy units—capable of tracking speed-types, overwhelming strength-types, and adapting on the fly.
For Raze—
High-Threat Mode Activated.
The first robot swung a fist the size of a boulder.
Raze barely sidestepped—
BOOOOM!!
The floor exploded where he had stood.
The second robot attacked immediately from behind.
Raze crossed his blades and blocked—
CLANG—!!!
Metal screamed.Pain shot down his arms.
One direct block like that again… and my bones will crack.
He rolled aside and counter-slashed one robot's knee joint—
SHNK!
The blade bit deep—
—but not enough.
He hadn't committed fully to the strike.
"Tch…"
He moved again, but—
WHAM—!!
The second robot clipped his ribs.
Raze stumbled, breath tight.
The audience panicked.
"He got hit!" "Is he okay!?"
Roger shot halfway out of his seat .Bam clenched his fists. Astra watched silently… but with sharpened eyes.
Raze steadied himself.
He exhaled slowly.
"…No more holding back."
His thumb flicked a hidden switch on the hilt.
click—
A faint white vibration buzzed through the blade. The edge glowed faintly.
The room froze.
Weapon Ability Activates — Vibration Edge
The instructors reacted instantly.
"A Vibration Core…!?" "In a student's weapon!?"
Celeste's voice dropped."…Only one blacksmith fits this craftsmanship."
Forged by Kael Forgebound
A memory flashed.
A hidden forge. A hammer striking metal like thunder.
Kael Forgebound. The greatest blacksmith alive.
He refused kings. Rejected nations. Denied S-rank heroes.
But when he saw Raze's determination—
Kael sighed and said:
"You have no Nexas…but you have the heart of a warrior."
The Arcwell family entrusted him with a portion of the Abyss Alloy shard.
From that piece—Kael forged the twin Astral Edges.
Lightweight. Balanced. Microscopic vibration cores woven into the alloy.
Deadly—if handled by anyone less skilled.
Kael's warning echoed:
"These blades amplify your mistakes as much as your strength. Lose focus, and your own weapon will kill you."
Raze trained every day with that in mind.
The Turning Point
The robots charged again.
Raze sprinted forward—sliding under the first robot—
and activated the full vibration mode.
WHRRRR—SHAAAAK!
His blade carved upward—
—and the robot's entire leg severed cleanly.
KRAK—!!
The machine toppled.
The arena ERUPTED.
"He cut through academy steel like paper!!"
"No way—NO WAY!!"
"Is that the power of Abyss Alloy!?"
The second robot attacked aggressively, switching to pressure assault mode.
Raze parried—
CLANG—!!
His arm shook violently. The vibration nearly numbed his fingers.
He gritted his teeth, twisted his body—
click—!
The second blade activated.
WHRRRR—
Raze launched into a spinning triple-slash.
SHNK! SHNK! SHNK!
Each slice cut through armored joints with surgical precision.
He ran up the robot's arm—jumped—
and unleashed a vertical decapitation strike.
KRAAANG!!
The robot's head hit the floor. Its body collapsed seconds later.
Silence.
Then—
VICTORY
The stadium EXPLODED with cheers.
"He did it!!""He beat BOTH robots!!""And he's POWERLESS!?""That sword mastery is insane!"
Bam pumped his fist. Roger screamed in joy. Astra… smiled gently for the first time.
The teachers exchanged glances—not disappointment, but awe.
Celeste whispered softly:
"A powerless boy…wielding Abyss Alloy with perfect control…Raze Arcwell may become the most dangerous student we've ever admitted."
Raze sheathed his blades, breathing hard.
His ribs ached. His arms trembled. Sweat dripped down his jaw.
But he stood tall.
He looked at the defeated robots and whispered:
"This is just the beginning."
*********************
One week after the combat exams, the atmosphere at Lionel Academy reached its boiling point.
Hundreds of first-years packed themselves around the main bulletin board, breathless and anxious. The selection for the Hero Department—the most prestigious course in Vornis—was about to be revealed.
Only twelve students were accepted each year.
Only the best. Only the gifted.
Whispers crackled through the crowd:
"Did Astra place first?"
"Bam or Gray for second?"
"Roger might barely scrape in…"
"I heard Raze Arcwell showed up with crazy swords… but there's no way a powerless kid gets in, right?"
The holographic board flickered.
A hush dropped over the courtyard, swallowing every sound.
Then—
The results appeared.
Lionel Academy — Hero Department (First Year Selection)
1st — Astra Noire
2nd — Gray Howitzer
3rd — Bam Relic
4th — Rain Lancelot
5th — Kaine Kaiser
6th — Zack Kreiger
7th — Selene Ward
8th — Alren Frost
9th — Mira Goldhart
10th — Felix Cinder
11th — Naomi Crest
12th — Roger Castellan
13th (Special Admission) — Raze Arcwell
Silence.
And then—
BOOM!
The courtyard exploded into shouts.
"THIRTEEN!? They added a 13th seat!?"
"Special admission—seriously!?"
"That's never happened before!"
"Why HIM!?"
"He's powerless!!"
"Arcwell money bought him a spot, obviously!"
Some were angry. Some were shocked. Some were just confused.
But some defended him—
"Did you see him fight!? He beat those robots without powers!""Abyss Alloy blades! Are you insane!? He's a monster!""That footwork… even instructors looked impressed."
Roger's Entrance
Roger came barreling through the students like a missile.
"RAZE!! LET'S GOOOOO!!"He jumped and hugged him so hard Raze nearly toppled.
Raze chuckled. "Easy, Roger. I still need my ribs intact."
Roger wiped imaginary tears."I knew it… the hero class needed a little Roger seasoning."
"And a powerless idiot for contrast?" Raze teased.
"Hey! Watch it, dual-blade demon." Roger grinned wildly.
"We're classmates. You can't escape me now."
Suddenly—
A deep, commanding voice cut through the noise.
"It wasn't a gift."
The courtyard froze as Principal Ricardo Leonel strode forward, his coat flowing like a mantle of authority.
Students instinctively straightened.
This was a man who could silence an army.
Principal Leonel Speaks
"I have heard whispers," he began, eyes sharp.
"Whispers that Raze Arcwell was admitted through wealth… or influence."
A couple of students flinched.
Leonel's gaze hardened.
"You are wrong."
A ripple tore through the crowd.
"The Hero Department is not a place for power alone," he continued.
"A hero stands not on their birthright—but on courage, discipline, and intent."
He turned toward Raze.
"Raze Arcwell fought without Nexas, without enhancement, against machines designed to overpower most first-years."
His voice lowered, but carried like thunder.
"He defeated them through skill, intellect, and unwavering resolve."
"Not because of privilege, but because he earned it."
Astra Noire watched intently, her golden eyes studying Raze. Gray Howitzer gave a small nod of respect. Bam grinned. Zack didn't speak—but he didn't argue .Even Selene smiled shyly.
"I chose to admit thirteen students this year," Leonel concluded.
(But there was one other reason, raze was admitted but the principal kept it a secret)
"And I expect all thirteen to prove themselves worthy. Let the world witness what a nexasless human can become."
The courtyard roared again—not in anger this time, but in awe.
Reactions
Astra stepped forward, her voice calm but sharp.
"Arcwell. You fought well. Don't disappoint yourself now."
Bam clapped him on the back. "We're rivals now, yeah? Don't fall behind."
Zack crossed his arms. "Tch. Just don't slow the rest of us down."
Rain smiled warmly. "I believe you earned your place."
Roger pointed both thumbs at Raze. "My boy is built DIFFERENT!"
Raze took a slow breath, his heart steady.
He had done it.
The boy born without Nexas…had stepped into the Hero Department.
But the moment of peace didn't last long.
Roger nudged him. "Ready for homeroom?"
Raze nodded.
Across the courtyard, a woman with silver hair and ice-cold eyes watched them.
Professor Celeste Ardyn.
The teacher who would shape—and shake—the entire class.
The real journey was just beginning.
***************
The next day, Lionel Academy's Hero Class gathered once more.
Yesterday's lesson had shaken them—Abyss Crater, the origin of Nexas, and the forbidden metal born from a fallen star.
Today felt different.
Quieter.
Heavier.
Raze entered with Roger and Rain, taking his seat calmly.
Astra sat with her composed confidence, Gray beside her like a silent fortress.
Everyone sensed something was coming.
The door opened.
Professor Celeste Ardyn stepped inside.
But today, her expression was unusual—distant, weighed down by something that had nothing to do with academics.
She walked to the center of the room, clasped her hands behind her back, and spoke softly:
"Hero Candidates… today, I will share something not written in any textbook."
The entire class straightened.
Celeste took a slow breath.
"This is the story of why I stopped being a hero."
---
Celeste Ardyn's Past
"When I was younger… I believed power made me untouchable."
Her silver hair glimmered faintly in the morning light.
"My Nexas—telekinesis—made me a prodigy. And because of that, I was arrogant."
No one dared move.
"I was assigned to a hero team of four. And one of them… was like Raze."
Her eyes drifted toward the white-haired boy.
"He had no Nexas. None at all."
Gasps rippled across the room.
Even Astra looked surprised.
Celeste's voice softened.
"Many mocked him. Called him useless, dead weight, a liability."
Her fists tightened.
"But he wasn't. He was the bravest among us."
Her eyes unfocused—lost in memory.
"One day, we responded to a disaster. A Nexas user mutated after abusing an illegal enhancement drug."
Her voice darkened.
"Vines burst through asphalt… entire buildings were uprooted… civilians trapped everywhere. A monster with no sanity left."
She continued:
"We tried to save people, but we were being overwhelmed."
Her next words trembled.
"And then… he said it."
Celeste swallowed hard.
'I want you to use your telekinesis to throw me at him.
I'll end it—even if I don't return.'"
Raze felt chills run through him.
"I refused. Over and over. But he smiled and said…"
Her voice dropped to a whisper:
'A hero without power… has to give more than anyone else.'"
Silence swallowed the room.
"I lifted him with my telekinesis," she whispered.
"He armed an incendiary grenade."
"And he crashed straight into the villain's chest."
Her breath shook.
"The explosion ended everything… including him."
Every student felt the weight of the moment.
Astra lowered her gaze.
Bam exhaled slowly.
Even Zack looked shaken.
"I was praised as the one who saved the city," Celeste said bitterly.
"But the true hero died without his name recorded anywhere."
She looked at the class—truly looked at them.
"So remember this: Nexas does not make you worthy."
Her gaze sharpened.
"Your will… your heart… decides that."
And finally, she looked directly at Raze.
"And never underestimate someone born Nexasless."
---
Raze's Secret — The Astral Edges
Class ended early.
Most students remained behind, whispering about Celeste's past.
Raze returned home, expression unreadable.
Inside his room, he locked the door and knelt beside a reinforced storage case.
He opened it.
Inside lay the true blades—
**The Astral Edges.**
Forged from a fallen star fragment his father received from a hooded stranger who whispered:
"Your son will need this."
Roland Arcwell had spent a fortune filing the metal under special registration, hiding the true origin.
Real Abyss Alloy was priceless—
and these blades were carved from it.
But now…
Raze kept them sealed.
Wrapped in dark cloth.
Encased in Arcsteel plating.
Dormant, their true radiation smothered.
"I can't use you yet," he whispered.
(Still in their sealed state.)
(Covered to prevent Abyss radiation.)
(Raze hadn't unlocked even a fraction of their potential.)
What He Uses at School
Raze did **not** bring the Astral Edges to Lionel Academy.
Not even the Arcsteel replicas.
Weapons that resembled swords were strictly controlled.
Instead—
He used **Arcsteel batons** at school.
Perfectly balanced.
Durable.
Legal.
Safe enough for training—yet strong enough to match lower-tier ability users.
The batons were the only weapons he allowed himself to bring.
He glanced at his blades once more.
"When the time comes… I'll need your true edge."
He closed the case quietly.
Sleep didn't come easily that night.
Celeste's story echoed through his mind—a powerless man who died a hero.
Raze clenched his fist under the blanket.
"…My story won't end like his."
He wouldn't die forgotten.
He wouldn't be a nameless sacrifice.
He would rise.
He would stand.
He would survive.
And one day—
He would prove that even someone born without a Nexas…
could surpass fate itself.