"Good morning, everyone."
"Good morning, Yuna-sensei."
Miss Yuna Takahashi—our homeroom teacher. Her short black bob, sharp glasses, and calm tone made her look more like a company CEO than a school instructor
"How was your summer break?" Yuna-sensei asked.
"It was nice, bad, worse, beautiful, the best... I broke up with my boyfriend."My dad lost his job."
Everyone had something to say—randomly, loudly, confidently. Except for me who quietly mumbled, "I hate my life... Because the girl I liked still wouldn't break up with that one guy."
But no one heard that, it would've been embarrassing, except Ayumi did, she always does. Even when no one else does, Ayumi always hears me. It's unsettling... and comforting.
She sits just two desks in front of me, from my left, and somehow, she always pays a lot of attention to me.
"Before we start," Ms. Yuna said, "Let me introduce your new classmate."
Come to think of it, I did notice him when I walked in. First column from the door on my right, four desks ahead. Ever since I sat down, he'd been glancing—only when he thought I wasn't looking.
What's his deal? And what's with the green hair?
"Yuna-sensei, is he a Kly or Lyk?" Saki asked.
"Well, let's find out from him. Please introduce yourself."
"...Um... um... I... am..."
This guy stood up front for five full minutes, stammering the same few words—eyes locked on me the whole time.
Everyone noticed.
"Hey, what's up?" Hanazaki asked. "I can introduce you, if you don't mind. So, what's your name?"
That wasn't much different from asking him to just introduce himself, really.
"No... I..."
So he doesn't remember me. Kaito thought.
It seemed like he wanted to say something totally different. Something else entirely. Everyone noticed the intense way his eyes were locked on me.
Meanwhile, mine kept bouncing back and forth on my textbook. After staring back at him for one minute straight, something on my textbook caught my attention. Most of the the guys in class figured he probably needed help and thought I was the most approachable.
Or maybe he was just shy.
Who knows?
But the way he looked at me... so intensely... Strangely, it didn't bother me at all. Since we were running out of time, Ms. Yuna finally stepped in.
"This is Kaito Fujii. Sixth generation, 'Sound'. He's a Kly. "Kaito-kun, please take your seat."
"Okay, let's start from page 3 of your Year Two textbook," Ms. Yuna said, her voice clear and firm. "I'm sure all of you have received it by now. You'll be using this one for the entire next year, too, so keep it safe."
She paused with a sly smile.
"Unlike the smaller textbooks you had last year, which only gave you a basic understanding, this one goes deeper. And to begin our first lesson today... we'll start with a surprise test, sparring."
"Huuhhh...?"
The surprise was definitely a success—judging by the looks on all our faces. No one was ready for a fight.
"But Sensei, no one told us about this beforehand!" someone protested.
"Of course not. That's the point of a surprise," she answered calmly.
"Now, let's go. Luckily for you, it's a classroom duel, and I already have the list of sparring partners."
"Heeeeeeh? Already?"
And so, we arrived at the sparring arena. It was our first time coming to use it. As Year One students, we weren't allowed in due to the very logical reason for not having enough control over our abilities. We had a separate, smaller arena last year.
But this? This was huge, tall walls, high platforms for the audience. It was a true battle stage.
---
Duel One: Emi Tanaka, 1st gen Vs. Lulua Aoyama, 5th gen
The tension was obvious the moment they stepped onto the stage, two rivals staring each other down.
"Begin!"
FWOOOSH!!
Lulua's flames erupted like wildfires, sweeping in jagged arcs across the arena.
SPLASHHH!!
Emi countered instantly—ribbons of water twisting from her hands, colliding with the flames mid-air.
SSSSSSHHHH!!
Steam hissed and billowed, clouding the field. The girls dashed through it, invisible one moment, clashing the next—fists swinging, elements roaring.
CRACK! Emi's water whip snapped against Lulua's shoulder—BOOM!! Lulua's fireball scorched the edge of Emi's coat.
The audience roared.
Their speed was perfectly matched. One drenched the field, and the other turned it to vapour. Back and forth, they fought—neither giving an inch.
But in the end... They both collapsed. On opposite sides of the ring. Gasping. Exhausted. Done.
No victor.
Only respect.
---
Duel Two: Haruka, 1st gen Vs. Yui, 4th gen, a Nie.
Yui looked confident—maybe too confident. The magma simmering in her palms pulsed like miniature suns.
Haruka stepped in calmly, barely shifting her stance.
"Begin!"
THWOMP!!
Yui hurled two magma orbs straight toward Haruka—ZOOOOOM!! The arena lit up orange. Heat rippled.
Haruka didn't panic.
She slid to the side and raised both arms—SSSSSHHHH!—streams of cold water bursting from her palms.
BOOM!!
Magma met water—violent steam and exploded into the air, followed by cracking stone.
But Yui was reckless. Another orb flew wide
—CRASHH!!—burning a section of the arena floor.
Haruka narrowed her eyes.
She waited.
Yui took another step, and—SWOOSH!!
A geyser of water surged beneath her, launching her backwards mid-charge.
THUD!
She hit the ground, coughing, magma flickering out from the ground.
Haruka stood tall, her face unreadable.
Surprise win.
Yui's final magma burst cracked through the arena floor—KRRRZZHH!!—scorching the tiles into molten lines of orange.
Haruka reacted instantly.
FWOOOOOSH!!
She raised both hands and unleashed a cold torrent of water. It crashed down—SSHHHHHH!!—and steam blanketed the arena once again.
The magma cooled. The fire dimmed. But...
The tiles beneath were cooked. Charred black, warped from heat.
The damage was done.
The floor sizzled quietly beneath Haruka's soaked shoes.
Yui lay on her back, groaning. Defeated.
Haruka didn't gloat. She just walked away, letting the water trail behind her as if silently apologizing for the mess Yui left behind.
---
Aftermath – The Quick Matches
The next duels came and went like falling dominoes.
Ryuji stepped in—only to get knocked out by a single psychic burst from Mika.
"KO!"
Junpei's flame flickered once before being knocked out by Kaede.
"Out!"
One student tripped. Another froze. A few just gave up.
The arena grew quieter after each round, not from boredom, but from pressure.
With half the floor still hot and scorched from Yui's battle, the space left was tight. Every step risked slipping, burning, or worse—falling into a trap.
Matches ended faster.
Confidence shrank.
Tension grew.
But one match stood out: 2nd gen Ike versus 3rd gen Kyoko.
The moment their names were called, the crowd murmured.
Ike versus Kyoko
"Sand and Thunder?"
They stepped into the arena, Ike with quiet steps, calm and focused, his sandy-brown eyes narrowed. Kyoko's boots echoed louder, not from weight… but from intent. Her violet hair was tied up tight, eyes sharp like storm clouds on the edge of a downpour.
The buzzer echoed across the arena.
BZZZT!!
"Begin!"
SHFFF—!
Ike didn't wait. He snapped his fingers, and the sand beneath his feet exploded upward like a geyser.
KYSHHH!!
A wall of fine golden sand twisted like a serpent around his body — forming a swirling shield that shifted with every movement.
Kyoko didn't flinch.
CRACKLE!
Sparks snapped around her fingertips.
ZHHHHMMM!
She launched forward, lightning lancing from her palm. It sizzled through the air, tearing through the humidity like a blade.
ZAKK!!
The bolt struck Ike's barrier — but didn't break through.
The crowd gasped.
"Did she just... get blocked?"
Inside the shield, Ike moved fluidly. Calm, calculating.
"Your thunder's strong," he muttered. "But you lack weight."
He sent a surge of sand toward her feet.
WHOOSH!!
It shot like a tidal wave across the ground.
Kyoko jumped back, flipping midair — and just before she touched down, lightning danced from her heels to repel the sand.
ZRRZTTT!!
Sizzling and sand collided.
The two clashed again — back and forth — Kyoko's thunderbolts flying in wild arcs, and Ike's shifting walls blocking with mechanical grace.
But there was a pattern.
Ike was timing her.
Predicting her bolts.
Kyoko landed, panting lightly, her stance fierce.
"You're watching my rhythm," she muttered.
Ike gave a small nod, raising one hand.
"You're not hiding it."
She gritted her teeth.
"Fine. Let's see you block this!"
Thunder roared from her legs as she dashed.
BAKOOOOOM!!
She blitzed forward with a thunder-cloaked punch — more speed than power — but just enough to disrupt.
Ike brought his arm up, sand reinforcing it like armour.
BAMMM!!
Her strike hit — sand flew — but he stood his ground.
Then he raised both hands.
FSSSHHHH!!!
Sand erupted like a storm, twisting around Kyoko's legs, crawling upward fast like vines.
She shrieked — just for a second — her body being pulled in.
The arena watched in stunned silence.
"She's sinking—!"
"No way! Is Ike going to win?!"
Ike stepped forward, voice low. "It's over."
But…
Kyoko's lips curled into a shaky smile.
"Not yet."
ZRRRMMMMMMMM!!!
A crackle sparked around her shoulder—building—growing—until—
BOOOOOM!!!
A burst of thunder exploded around her in a perfect sphere.
Ike's sand was blown apart.
Dust flew. Ike staggered back. His shield flickered.
Kyoko dashed through the smoke, spinning.
ZAAK!!
Her thunder-coated fist landed squarely on his chest.
BAMMM!!
Ike flew backward—skidding across the ground—until his back hit the wall with a thud.
The room went quiet.
Ms. Yuna stood, adjusting her glasses.
"…Match over."
Ike lay still for a moment, panting.
Then he sat up, brushing sand from his shoulders.
Kyoko stood in the centre, breathing hard, looking straight at him.
No smirk. No gloating.
Just… uncertain silence.
Ike wasn't happy with how things ended. He felt disappointed that he lost to a girl and worse, that the win seemed like a fluke.
But he wasn't mad about it. Just... not happy with how it turned out.
Kyoko, on the other hand, didn't know what expression to display. Even after winning, she stood there awkwardly, not celebrating.
She had a crush on Ike, and seeing how down he was—and how he wasn't accepting the outcome—left her conflicted.
She wanted to say something. Maybe cheer him up. But she just stood there, quiet. Not knowing whether to smile or to frown.
Most of the girls seemed to support Kyoko silently. They understood how hard it must have been to fight someone you liked and win that way.
But they also noticed the way Kyoko stood still, staring at Ike like she was unsure whether to approach him or not.
"Do you think she's gonna talk to him?" I would. I mean... he looks crushed."
"Nah, she won't. Not with the way he walked off." The girls whispered.
As for the boys, some were whispering, some avoided eye contact with Ike completely.
One of them said under his breath, "He lost because he got too comfortable. That's all."
Another replied,
"Yeah, well... if she really wanted to win, she would've ended it earlier. She hesitated a lot."
Ike walked back to the waiting side of the arena, his steps heavy but quiet. No one dared say anything directly to him.
Not even his close friend, Haji, who just gave him a brief nod—no words.
That was enough for Ike, who sat down, kept his head low, and tried not to show how much it bothered him.
One thing about Ike that caught my attention was that he knew when and how to react.
Kyoko stood a little longer in the middle of the arena as if frozen in time.
Only when Ms. Yuna called for the next match, did she finally walked back.
Even then, she kept glancing at Ike. Her victory didn't feel like a win anymore.
The next duel was between the boys: Souta, a 5th gen and Kaito, the new student—a 6th gen.
At first, I thought a 6th gen wouldn't stand a chance in a serious fight. But when I saw Kaito in action, I realized he wasn't weak—far from it. He dominated the field with power and confidence.
Souta vs. Kaito
The arena floor radiated heat. Souta stepped forward, fire coiling around his fists like living serpents. A confident smirk traced his lips. "You sure you're ready for this, newbie?"
Kaito didn't answer. He simply rolled his shoulders, cracked his neck, and stepped into the ring with a silence that felt... heavy.
The bell rang.
DING!
Souta struck first.
A roaring blaze erupted from his palm—FOOM!—rushing toward Kaito like a wildfire.
But Kaito was gone.
Just a blur.
FWIP!
The fire collided with air.
Gasps echoed from the audience.
"Where'd he go?"
"Did he teleport?!"
Souta spun, trying to locate him. His eyes scanned left, then right. Nothing.
Then—THWACK!
A brutal kick slammed into his ribs. Souta staggered back, coughing.
Another strike—WHAM!—this time to his shoulder. Then, a low sweep—WHOOSH!—that nearly dropped him.
But still, not a sound from Kaito.
Souta growled, panting. "Tch… stop running and fight me properly!"
No response.
His flames flared hotter, wild orange dancing across his arms. He slammed his fists into the ground—BOOM!—sending a trail of fire zigzagging like a serpent toward Kaito's feet.
But Kaito was already moving.
It was strange. Kaito barely seemed to move, yet he was never where Souta struck.
It was as if only a 9th generation 'time' could track him. His movements were that fast, either it was Kaito's natural speed or a hidden trait of the 6th gen "Sound.
He danced between the flames like smoke, barely touching the ground.
Not teleporting. Not vanishing. Just... faster than sight.
"Wha... what kind of speed is that?" someone whispered from the bleachers.
"He's not even using his Sound yet…"
Souta's frustration boiled over.
No matter how fast he went, he couldn't land a single hit.
Finally, he paused and called out, "Hey, newbie! Let's make it fair. No abilities. Just you and me!"
Kaito paused mid-stride. For a heartbeat, he scanned the crowd, eyes narrow—searching.
"Where are you...?" he muttered under his breath.
"What, cat got your tongue?" Souta barked.
Kaito turned, gaze now focused. His voice was calm. Razor-sharp.
"You mean without your ability? Because… I wasn't using any."
The class fell dead silent.
Even the birds outside seemed to hush.
"Wha…?!" Souta blinked, sweating.
They switched to hand-to-hand combat and somehow got worse, Kaito moved.
A straight jab—POP!—connected with Souta's chin.
Souta stumbled, barely registering the punch.
A hook—BAM!—to the ribs.
A knee to the gut—WHUD!
An elbow to the back—CRACK!
The audience winced.
Souta flew across the arena, rolling once, twice, before slamming against the wall. Blood dripped from his nose.
He struggled up, breathing heavy, eyes burning. "You… you're not even breaking a sweat…"
Kaito stared at him, unreadable.
"Don't pity me!" Souta roared.
His hands ignited in a surge of orange and red.
FWOOOM!
Souta was bleeding almost everywhere.
He couldn't land a single punch, not one.
Kaito's strikes were clean, precise, and calculated. It was a one-sided beating.
Cornered, desperate, and humiliated, Souta snapped-activating his fire ability in a burst of orange heat.
Whith on last cry, he lunged crabbing Kaito's hand burning it.
BZZZZZUUUUUM!
"Got you—!" He said with a grin.
A sudden ripple. A low-frequency vibration swallowed the arena.
BOOOOOOM!!!
A wave of pure sound detonated from Kaito's body. The shockwave shattered part of the wall behind him and hurled Souta like a ragdoll across the ring.
He crashed into the far barrier—THUD-CRACK!—and crumpled to the ground, unmoving.
The arena trembled. Dust blanketed the space. For a full five minutes, no one could see.
Silence.
Then… coughing.
Souta, still alive.
Barely.
Kaito stood tall, expression unreadable, his arm slightly charred—but his stance strong.
"Next time," he said softly, "don't burn someone who hasn't even started fighting."