"You're too kind, Instructor."
Byakuya replied modestly.
"Keep up the good work. I have high expectations for you."
The combat instructor clapped Byakuya on the shoulder encouragingly.
Marksmanship scores were one of the key assessments for graduation. If Byakuya performed well in other areas too, he had a real shot at graduating as the top-ranked student in his class.
The instructor made a mental note to keep an eye on this particular trainee. Producing a top graduate would certainly benefit his own career—meeting performance targets and earning a bonus never hurt.
"That guy must've just gotten lucky, right? I only scored a 6, and I was using a rifle. I heard pistols are way harder to shoot accurately."
"I did a bit better—got a 7. But yeah, a 9 with a pistol is pretty ridiculous. Isn't he the new guy who just transferred in today?"
"I'm betting it was a fluke. If it wasn't luck, then he's seriously something else..."
Several trainees openly doubted Byakuya's marksmanship results.
After all, lucky shots happened all the time.
The combat instructor paid no attention to their chatter.
Kurona and Nashiro Yasuhisa, however, stayed out of the gossip. The twins had always kept to themselves.
They were practically inseparable—even during classes, they sat together.
The only thing they didn't share was a gun.
Both had chosen pistols, though they favored different hands—Kurona shot left-handed while Nashiro shot right-handed.
Their scores were nearly identical too: both had hit the 8-ring.
In the original story, the Yasuhisa twins were exceptional candidates for the CCG, so their strong performance was expected.
"Nashiro, it seems we're no longer the best in class."
Kurona spoke up.
"Mm... but he might not be better than us in other areas."
Nashiro replied, her expression neutral.
The twins had been the top performers in their class—until this newcomer named Amaha Byakuya appeared and outshot them on his very first day. They couldn't help but take notice.
Meanwhile, Byakuya was preparing for his second shot.
A 9 wasn't good enough. He wanted to hit the 10-ring.
Gripping the pistol single-handed in his right hand, he turned sideways, kept his arm extended, and held his breath to minimize body sway. With his strength, recoil was hardly a concern.
His second shot landed close to the 10-ring but not quite there. It wasn't until his third shot that he finally hit dead center.
One 10, two 9s—an undeniably impressive result.
Many trainees had been watching Byakuya closely, curious about his performance.
"Three consecutive shots within the 9-ring, and one of them was a perfect 10? There's no way that's all luck."
"Yeah, the guy's actually got skills. Who knew the new transfer would turn out to be a shooting prodigy?"
"I really hope he didn't hear me doubting him earlier... that would be awkward..."
Byakuya's three shots silenced all the skeptics.
Only Kurona and Nashiro seemed unconvinced. They each fired two more rounds, determined to surpass his score.
Not only did they fail to beat him, but their follow-up shots were worse than their first attempts.
Kurona's second and third shots scored 8 and 6 respectively. Nashiro managed two 7s.
Haste makes waste, as they say. Byakuya had a cheat-like system boosting his abilities—the harder the twins pushed, the worse their results became.
The combat instructor did praise their solid performance afterward, but the sisters couldn't find any joy in it.
[Ding! Host has triggered a quest. Initiating Divine Selection!]
[Option 1: Pretend you noticed nothing and avoid getting involved with Kurona and Nashiro Yasuhisa. Reward: 1 Fusion Point!]
[Option 2: Show your gentle side and personally teach them shooting techniques. No pressure if it doesn't work. Reward: 10 Fusion Points!]
[Option 3: Walk up to them and taunt them with "Git gud." Reward: 50 Fusion Points!]
Byakuya stared at the three options floating before him and fell silent for a moment.
Don't ask why. The system was just too generous.
He walked over to where Kurona and Nashiro stood. Under their puzzled gazes, he spoke coolly:
"Git gud."
Git gud.
[Ding! Host has completed Option 3. Reward: 50 Fusion Points!]
Hearing the system confirm his reward, Byakuya promptly turned and headed back to his original spot.
The twins froze for a second, needing a moment to process what he'd just said.
Then their pretty faces flushed with anger.
"What did you just say?!"
But by the time they spoke up, he'd already walked away.
Still, even annoyed, the sisters looked adorable—Nashiro's cheeks had turned slightly red from indignation.
"That jerk thinks he's so superior just because his shooting scores are a little better than ours."
Nashiro's voice dripped with displeasure.
"Nashiro, we can't lose to him again."
Kurona was equally riled up, her expression icy with determination to go head-to-head with Byakuya.
"Whoa, Amaha-kun actually went and provoked the Yasuhisa sisters? Sure, his marksmanship is impressive, but those two are geniuses who excel at everything."
"Looks like Kurona-san and Nashiro-san have set their sights on Amaha-kun now. Rivalry between prodigies is terrifying..."
"Works out for us though—at least we'll have something entertaining to watch."
Byakuya's confrontation with the twins immediately became the talk of the class.
On one side, a dazzling newcomer. On the other, twin prodigies who ranked at the very top.
Byakuya was well aware that he'd seriously annoyed Kurona and Nashiro. He figured he should find a chance to apologize after class.
For the rest of the session, Byakuya didn't limit himself to pistols. He tried out rifles, sniper rifles—the whole arsenal.
But these firearms felt like toys to him. The real prize was the Quinque, though that would have to wait for the next practical session.
As noon approached, Byakuya decided to eat at the Academy's cafeteria.
Between both training programs, there weren't that many students total, so the cafeteria was fairly small. With everyone eating at the same time, it got pretty crowded during lunch hour.
Byakuya had arrived relatively early and secured a table to himself.
Soon the cafeteria filled up almost completely. Latecomers had no choice but to share tables with others.
That's when Kurona and Nashiro found themselves without seats.
When they spotted the only table with two empty spots—occupied by a certain annoying individual—they had no choice but to suppress their irritation and sit down across from Byakuya, slight frowns on their faces.