"Does that make me strange?"
That was a question Kevin couldn't get out of his head. Over the past few days, he had become completely absorbed in a certain book. A book that told a story.
The problem was simple, and disturbing…
The protagonist of that story was a real person. A lazy boy… who was currently sleeping at the other end of the classroom.
Because it was far from anything conventional, Kevin was inevitably curious about the so-called Book of Truth and, more than that, about why such a thing even existed.
Who was Yuto, really?
The mere possibility that he might represent some kind of future threat was already enough, in Kevin's mind, to justify all the caution he had been exercising.
A few days earlier, he had almost had a heart attack while reading.
After waking up from a completely ordinary night of sleep, he went to check the book, as he had gotten into the habit of doing, and was confronted with the account of a deadly battle against a sinister demon inside a dungeon.
Since all of that had already happened the day before, changing the facts was impossible.
All that remained was to read.
Kevin devoured every word of the battle with his heart clenched tight, gripped by an absurd fear that Yuto might die at any moment. He had never read anything so immersive in his entire life. Precisely because it wasn't fiction.
But in the end… everything turned out fine.
Yuto survived. Was rewarded. And became even stronger.
Going through that ordeal made Kevin pay much closer attention to the book, so he wouldn't miss such important events again. But more than that, something inside him had changed.
He needed to become stronger.
Everyone around him was improving at a rapid pace. And even though he was still, by far, the strongest freshman at Lock, that experience reignited, and strengthened, his ambition.
Kevin was thinking about this while packing up his things now that class had ended. He would probably go straight to the training field.
Or at least, that was the plan.
— Why did you do that?
The question came out of nowhere.
Just as he was about to finish putting everything away, Kevin lifted his gaze and met an individual whose beauty rivaled that of a top-tier celebrity.
Jin was looking at him calmly.
— What do you mean?
Tilting his head slightly, Kevin observed him with curiosity.
— Why are you helping a pathetic loser like him?
There was no doubt Jin was referring to the earlier scene, when Kevin had chased off the bullies harassing Ren. Frowning at the choice of words, Kevin shook his head almost imperceptibly before replying:
— Harassing someone weaker than you is far more pathetic, in my opinion.
— Hmph. You should already know how the world works.
Snorting disdainfully, Jin turned away and walked toward Arnold and Troy, who were seated two rows ahead.
— Just ignore him.
Kevin was about to respond when a soft voice interrupted his thoughts.
— He's an idiot. Ignore him.
Turning his head, Kevin saw Emma standing there.
Her short brown hair contrasted with her porcelain-white skin. She looked at him calmly. Kevin was about half a head taller than her.
— But…
— Let it go. He'll ignore anything you say anyway. It's not worth arguing.
Without waiting for a response, Emma turned around and started walking toward the exit.
— Are you coming?
— Ah… yeah.
Sighing, Kevin grabbed his bag and followed her out of the classroom.
Since he still wasn't used to the academy, Kevin asked Emma to guide him through the elective fair. Soon, the two were walking side by side through the corridors.
Normally, anyone would be thrilled to walk next to such a beautiful girl. For Kevin, however, it was just… uncomfortable.
Since his parents' death, he preferred to stay out of the spotlight. He wasn't used to so many eyes on him. What he didn't realize was that they weren't watching only Emma.
They were watching both of them.
His appearance, which rivaled Jin's, paired perfectly with Emma's striking beauty. Together, they drew attention wherever they went, eliciting admiring sighs.
— You'll get used to it.
— Huh? Sorry?
— I mean… you'll get used to the looks soon enough.
— Ah… okay. But why do I need to get used to it? Aren't they just looking at you?
Emma stopped for a moment and stared at him as if he were a complete idiot. Then she picked up her pace.
— Sigh. Whatever… do you already have an elective in mind?
— Not really. I was thinking of joining something combat-related. From what I've seen, there's nothing in particular that really stands out to me.
Tilting her head slightly to hear him better, Emma's moderately short red hair rested on her shoulders, contrasting with the sky-blue uniform.
Hearing his answer, she pinched the space between her eyebrows and rolled her eyes.
— Is training all you ever do?
— Not exactly… I just thought any other elective would be a waste of time.
— Well… it's not my place to tell you what you should or shouldn't choose. But I recommend you think about it more carefully.
— I'll think about it.
As Emma resumed walking, Kevin didn't show it, but he felt genuinely grateful.
They had known each other for just over three weeks. Still, Kevin already considered Emma a good friend.
They met when they moved into the boarding apartments. It was around the same time Kevin also met Jin, Amanda, and Melissa.
Since they were all assigned to the same building, they didn't have much choice but to interact. Over time, they ended up getting along reasonably well, though not without some friction at the beginning.
Especially with Jin.
From the start, his hostility toward Kevin had been obvious. At the time, Kevin didn't quite understand why, but looking at recent events, a guess began to take shape.
It probably had something to do with Melissa.
Whenever Kevin interacted with her, Jin's posture became noticeably more aggressive. Even so, Kevin chose not to dig too deeply into it. He wasn't the type to meddle in other people's affairs.
Thinking about it now, it made sense that Jin had been more unstable lately, especially when the topic involved Yuto.
From what little Kevin knew of the boy, he saw no reason for him to be close to Melissa. And yet, that seemed to irritate Jin deeply.
What a strange guy…
Even in the few conversations Kevin had with him, especially during that training session, Yuto was extremely hard to approach.
Sometimes it felt like Kevin was talking to a door.
Not due to a lack of intelligence or anything like that.
It was more as if Yuto was always distant. Distracted. Indifferent. As if the events around him simply didn't affect him the way they were supposed to.
His presence was almost nonexistent.
From that perspective, Kevin could understand why Melissa didn't seem bothered by having Yuto around. He was so discreet that he barely seemed to exist.
But still…
From what Kevin had read in the book, and also seen firsthand during training, one thing was undeniable.
Yuto was strong…
Possibly not yet at his level or even Jin's, but…
The fact that he ranked dead last among the freshmen was far too strange. Especially considering that he didn't seem to care about it at all.
The more Kevin tried to find answers, the more questions arose.
His head was starting to fry.
— Wow… there are way more people here than I imagined.
Emma's voice beside him interrupted his thoughts, pulling him back to reality.
— I have to agree with you — Kevin replied.
When the two reached the outside of Section B, a true crowd of students had gathered at the entrance, making it difficult to see what lay ahead.
Each student wore a different-colored uniform, sky blue, dark green, or blood red, representing first, second, and third years, respectively.
A wall roughly three meters high surrounded the entirety of Section B. At its top, an invisible high-voltage electric line prevented any attempt at intrusion.
Four gates, positioned at the cardinal points, North, South, East, and West, granted access to the complex. All were heavily guarded by security hired by the academy.
Since Lock existed to train talented individuals who would one day become pillars of humanity, information about its students was treated with extreme confidentiality.
Section B, in particular, was one of the most secure areas in the entire academy.
After about ten minutes of waiting, Kevin and Emma finally managed to pass through the entrance.
The lines were divided into three, and at the end of each stood a student wearing a red blazer, handing out pamphlets to visitors.
— Welcome to the elective fair!
Approaching the two, a blond individual handed them a leaflet with a gentle, confident smile.
— Thank you.
— Thanks.
Without thinking much of it, Emma and Kevin took the pamphlet and moved on, causing the blond's smile to falter for a brief moment.
— Um… um… excuse me, freshman.
Quickly regaining his composure, the blond hurried to position himself in front of them, blocking their path.
Surprised by the sudden interruption, both Kevin and Emma frowned as they assessed him.
He wasn't as handsome as Kevin, but still had a pleasant appearance, well-proportioned features, blue eyes, and a confident posture.
— What do you want?
Emma didn't bother hiding the irritation in her voice.
Completely ignoring her tone, the blond smiled even wider. His eyes lingered on Emma for a few seconds longer than necessary, clearly enchanted.
Without even looking at Kevin, he focused all his attention on her.
— Allow me to introduce myself. Fabian Parker. Third year, rank fourteen — he said, puffing out his chest slightly.
There was unmistakable pride in his tone.
— May I have the honor of knowing the name of this lovely lady?
Taking a step forward, his eyes failed to hide the desire disguised behind his confident smile.
The atmosphere around them grew… strangely heavy.
— That's enough.
Kevin stepped forward, positioning himself in front of Emma and extending his arm to block Fabian.
His eyes locked onto him, cold.
— Can't you see you're bothering her?
— Who are you?
Only then did Fabian seem to notice Kevin's presence. His displeasure was immediate when he turned his face toward him.
— How dare you place yourself in my way?
— You're being annoying.
— Step aside now — Fabian's voice dropped dangerously low — or don't blame me for being impolite.
Kevin frowned. Irritation began to bubble up when, suddenly, a mocking voice cut through the confrontation.
Emma stepped forward, placing herself between the two.
— If you don't get the hell out of my sight — she said, perfectly mimicking Fabian's tone — don't blame me for being rude.
She stopped just a few centimeters from him and offered a light, almost sweet smile.
The impact was immediate.
Fabian froze.
For several seconds, he couldn't form a single word. His face stiffened, as if he didn't know whether to react with anger or disbelief.
— Nothing to say? — Emma raised an eyebrow, provocative.
— You… you dare!
Trembling with fury, Fabian pointed a finger at her while trying to maintain his composure.
Since entering the academy, no, since the day he was born, Fabian Parker had never been treated like that.
Son of the prestigious Parker family, heir to a conglomerate with assets exceeding one trillion U, he had grown up surrounded by reverence. Every girl who approached him did so with admiration in her eyes.
Never, in nineteen years of life, had anyone humiliated him like that.
And certainly not… two freshmen.
"That bitch thinks that just because she's pretty she can disrespect me?"
— It seems the new students really need to learn some manners.
The gallant smile vanished. His face darkened.
— Very well… very well.
— Oh!
Emma raised a hand to her mouth exaggeratedly.
— I'm so sorry! I didn't know you were a senior! I mean… the way you spoke, I thought you were just a spoiled brat. I automatically assumed you were from my year.
"She's enjoying this way too much…" Kevin thought, letting out a bitter smile.
What a little troublemaker…
Emma could have simply revealed who she was. Her background alone was more than enough to silence almost anyone in the academy.
But she didn't want that. She wanted to humiliate him.
Kevin noticed the looks around them. A small crowd was beginning to form, drawn by the raised voices of the argument. Sighing, he started to wonder if asking Emma for help had really been a good idea.
Fabian also noticed the growing attention.
On the verge of exploding, he took a deep breath, then released his aura.
— It seems the freshmen need… discipline.
Vam!
An overwhelming pressure crashed down over the area.
An intense blue light began to emanate from Fabian's body, distorting the air around him.
— Gh…!
— Ugh…!
— What's happening?!
The surrounding students were caught completely off guard. Many were thrown to the ground, unable to move under the invisible weight crushing them.
Kevin and Emma, who bore the brunt of it, gave in.
Their knees slammed into the ground.
Even as prodigies, they were no match for a third-year veteran trained for years under Lock's brutal standards. Even Kevin, considered one of the strongest among the second-year students, felt the pressure crush his lungs.
[Detecting hostile force]
[Activate skill {Overdrive}? Y/N]
— N-no… — he muttered, ignoring the system notification.
With difficulty, his eyes lifted, following Fabian as he slowly walked toward Emma.
— Not so confident now, are you?
— Pff… — Emma forced a smile. — You have no idea who you're messing with.
— Oh? And what exactly is that supposed to mean? — Fabian knelt in front of her, raising an eyebrow.
He lifted her chin with his fingers.
The touch made Emma freeze for an instant.
Then her eyes widened.
— I'll give you three seconds to let go of me — her voice came out cold — before this gets really serious.
— Oh?
Fabian chuckled softly, squeezing her cheeks between his fingers.
— And what do you think you're going to do to me?
The pressure continued to crush the freshmen around them. Groans echoed across the elective fair grounds.
But amid the chaos…
Few heard the sound of light footsteps.
Tok. Tok. Tok.
Spurt!
A small explosion of blood stained the air.
A precise cut opened on Fabian's right ear, deep enough to draw blood, yet calculated enough not to tear it off.
Click.
The metallic sound of a sword being sheathed echoed almost simultaneously.
— Kuhh…! Who was the bastard?!
Fabian instinctively recoiled, clutching the wound. His fingers were stained red. Lifting his gaze in fury, he searched for the culprit.
And then he saw him.
A small boy with long hair and green eyes. While everyone around him was pinned to the ground by the pressure, he remained there, standing completely unharmed.
Unchanged and indifferent, with a bored expression.
— Are you going to keep blocking the way forever?