Afternoon at Iruka-High:
The meeting room of Iruka-High was larger than expected.
A long black table stretched across the center of the room, polished so clean that the ceiling lights reflected faintly across its surface. Chairs lined both sides, already occupied by teachers, administrators, and a few selected students.
The atmosphere was heavy.
On one side sat the representatives of Douma High. Their principal sat at the center, calm but sharp-eyed, while several teachers stood behind him.
Across from them were the staff of Iruka-High.
At the head of the table sat their principal, an older man with silver hair and a composed smile.
"Welcome," the Iruka-High principal said calmly. "I believe we all understand why we are here."
No one answered immediately.
Everyone in the room already knew.
The Royal Rumble challenge.
It was not a normal school dispute. It was something far more serious.
Douma High's principal leaned forward slightly.
"You declared it publicly," he said. "Which means you intend to follow through, huh Damien."
"Of course," the Iruka principal Damien replied.
A faint tension ran through the room.
One of Douma High's teachers spoke next.
"Before anything else," he said, "we want to know who exactly issued the challenge."
A small pause followed.
For a moment, no one from Iruka High answered.
Then someone from the Iruka staff quietly gestured toward the far end of the room.
"The one who requested it…"
"Has been sitting there since the beginning."
Everyone's eyes slowly turned.
At the very end of the long table, partially hidden in darkness, someone was sitting there.
The lights didn't reach that far.
Only a faint outline could be seen. The person was obviously male with pink messy, short and wild hair.
The figure leaned back lazily in his chair, one elbow resting on the table. His half black gloved hand supported his chin as he looked toward the meeting with what seemed like complete boredom.
His face was hidden under shadow.
Only the curve of a faint smirk could barely be seen.
He had been there the entire time.
Watching.
Listening in silence.
One of Douma High's teachers frowned.
"…And you are?"
Before the figure could answer, one of Iruka High's staff spoke calmly.
"That," he said, "is a 7-star student. And the strongest student of Iruka-High."
The room grew quieter.
"And the one who issued the Royal Rumble challenge."
A brief pause followed.
Then he continued. "William Viremont."
The name settled heavily in the room.
The boy at the end of the table didn't react.
He simply tilted his head slightly, still resting his chin on his hand.
The faint smirk remained.
As if the entire meeting bored him.
Douma High's principal studied the shadowed figure carefully.
"So," he said slowly, "this was your idea."
Silence.
William didn't answer.
He didn't even sit up.
After a moment, he spoke.
His voice was calm.
Almost lazy.
"…Yeah."
Nothing more.
One of Douma High's teachers narrowed his eyes.
"You realize what this means," he said. "A Royal Rumble isn't a simple school competition."
William shrugged slightly. "I know."
Another pause.
Then he added quietly, "That's why I asked for it."
The smirk on his hidden face deepened slightly.
Principal Damien cleared his throat.
"Now that introductions are out of the way," he said, "let us discuss the structure of the battle."
Documents were slid across the table.
Both sides began reviewing them.
"This will be a Royal-Arena Rumble," the Iruka principal explained.
"One battlefield."
"No teams."
"No outside interference."
Douma High's principal nodded slightly.
"How many participants?"
"Fifty."
Several people in the room shifted.
"Fifty students from Iruka-High," the principal continued.
"And fifty students from Douma High."
"One hundred fighters total."
A teacher from Douma High folded his arms. "And the objective?"
The Iruka principal answered simply.
"Fight until only one side remains standing."
The room fell quiet again.
Even some teachers looked uneasy.
Royal Rumble battles were brutal.
But Douma High's principal didn't hesitate.
"…Accepted."
He pushed the document forward.
"Now the battlefield."
The Iruka staff exchanged a glance.
Then one of them placed a photo on the table.
A massive building appeared in the image.
"A warehouse?" someone from Douma High said.
"Correct," principal Damien replied.
"It's abandoned and large enough to contain a full-scale brawl."
He tapped the picture. "This will be the arena."
"The doors will close once the battle begins."
"No one leaves."
"No outside assistance."
"Only one side walks out victorious."
The Douma representatives studied the photo carefully.
The structure was enormous.
With 3-floors.
Catwalks.
Shadowed corners.
Plenty of space for chaos.
Finally, Douma High's principal leaned back in his chair.
"…Fine."
He signed the agreement.
"The battlefield is decided."
Principal Damien signed next.
Across the room, at the end of the long table, the boy with pink hair William Viremont remained silent.
Still sitting in the shadow.
Still resting his chin on his hand.
Still watching.
And the faint smirk on his hidden face slowly widened.
The battlefield had been chosen.
The negotiations continued after the battlefield had been decided.
Papers were moved across the table, pens scratching quietly as several officials finalized the remaining details. The atmosphere in the room had relaxed slightly now that the most important decision had been made.
The warehouse arena.
One hundred fighters.
Fifty from Douma High.
Fifty from Iruka-High.
A battle that would only end when one side remained standing.
Now the discussion shifted toward the other aspects of the event.
"Prize compensation," one of Douma High's administrators said while adjusting his glasses.
Principal Damien nodded.
"Standard practice requires a financial wager between academies."
Another document slid across the table.
"The winning school receives the agreed-upon sum of 2-million yen and priority placement for the next national academy tournament."
"That's acceptable," Douma High's principal replied calmly.
They continued discussing the finer points.
Medical arrangements.
Security staff.
Transport for participating students.
The kind of details that came with organizing an event involving one hundred young ability users fighting inside a sealed structure.
Even William remained silent through most of it.
Still seated at the far end of the table.
Still half-hidden in darkness.
His pink hair was the only thing clearly visible beneath the dim lights.
His half black gloved hand continued to rest against his chin as he lazily watched the negotiations unfold.
Boring. Completely boring.
Just as the final terms were about to be confirmed—
The meeting room doors suddenly opened.
A staff member hurried inside.
He looked slightly out of breath.
"P-Principal!"
Everyone in the room turned.
"What is it?" principal Damien asked.
The staff member hesitated.
Then he spoke.
"Representatives from Azura-High have arrived."
The room went silent.
"…Azura-High?" one of Douma High's teachers repeated.
The messenger nodded quickly.
"Their requesting immediate audience."
Confused glances spread around the table.
Why would Azura-High suddenly appear here?
Before anyone could ask another question—
Footsteps echoed from the hallway.
The doors suddenly opened again.
Several figures entered the room.
Leading them was a woman in her early thirties with long dark red-hair tied neatly behind her back. Her posture was straight, confident, and her presence immediately drew attention.
The principal of Azura High.
Behind her stood were two students.
One of them immediately caught attention with her short black-hair. Sharp eyes. And a tomboyish stance.
Sakura Sakura.
She stepped forward beside the principal with her hands beneath her chest scanning the room without hesitation.
Her gaze passed across the table—
Until it stopped.
On the figure sitting in the shadows.
William.
Her expression hardened instantly.
The Azura principal spoke calmly. "I apologize for the interruption."
"But we came as soon as we heard about the Royal Rumble declaration."
Douma High's principal frowned slightly.
"You already knew?"
She nodded. "Of course."
Then she placed both hands on the table.
"And that is exactly why we are here."
Everyone watched her carefully.
She continued. "Azura-High would like to formally request participation as well."
A pause followed.
"Participation?" principal Damien asked.
The woman smiled slightly. "Yes."
She looked at both sides of the table.
"We wish to convert this Royal Rumble…"
"Into a three-way Royal Rumble."
The reaction was immediate.
"What?!"
"That's insanity!"
"Three schools?"
Even some teachers stood up in shock.
But the Azura principal remained calm.
"We are fully prepared to follow every condition already discussed between Douma High and Iruka-High."
She gestured toward the documents.
"If both of your academies have agreed to send fifty students each, then Azura-High will also provide fifty."
One hundred fighters would suddenly become—
One hundred and fifty.
Inside the same battlefield.
Chaos.
Complete chaos.
Douma High's principal narrowed his eyes.
"…Why?"
The Azura principal didn't answer immediately.
Instead she leaned slightly forward.
"I have a favor that must be completed."
Her voice remained calm.
"To do that, I need access to this battle."
The explanation was vague.
But no one doubted she was serious.
Principal leaned back in his chair slowly.
"If we accept this…"
He glanced around the room. "This will become something unprecedented."
One of Douma High's staff nodded slowly.
"The last time three major academies fought in a Royal Rumble…"
He paused.
"…was during the founding years of the academy system."
"That was nearly a century ago."
Silence filled the room.
Everyone understood the implication.
This wouldn't just be a school battle anymore.
It would become history.
The Azura principal spoke again.
"In that case, we might as well make it official."
She turned to the Iruka and Douma principals.
"Broadcast it."
Several heads turned.
"…Broadcast?" someone asked.
"Yes."
She folded her arms. "Livestream the event across the Kingdom of Aldai."
"If three elite academies are going to clash in a Royal Rumble for the first time in decades…"
Her smile sharpened slightly.
"…the entire nation should witness it."
The room fell into deep thought.
Finally, Douma High's principal spoke.
"…It would certainly draw attention."
"And funding."
Principal Damien nodded slowly.
"And prestige."
The decision formed quickly.
After several minutes of discussion—
Both principals agreed.
The event would be broadcast across the nation.
One hundred and fifty fighters.
Three elite academies.
A battle inside a sealed warehouse arena.
The largest Royal Rumble in decades.
While the adults discussed the logistics—
Across the room, two students stared at each other.
Sakura and William.
Her eyes burned with open hostility. More likely to say she was staring at him with pure hatred.
William noticed her stare immediately.
His smirk widened slightly.
"Well…"
His lazy voice broke the tension.
"…if it isn't you."
The room quieted slightly as people noticed the interaction.
William leaned forward slightly in his chair, still hidden by shadow.
"How's the first doing?"
His tone carried faint amusement.
"I heard he finally woke up."
Sakura's jaw tightened.
Her fists clenched slightly.
"Just prepare yourself," she replied coldly.
"You won't be the only one you need to worry about."
William chuckled softly. "Really?"
She stared directly at him.
"You issued this Royal Rumble because you wanted to fight someone."
Her voice sharpened. "The guy who beat your second-in-command."
William tilted his head slightly.
"You're not wrong."
Then he added lazily,
"I also saw this as a reason to challenge Douma High since no one here has been of entertainment."
"And it looks like Azura's first hasn't still fully recovered. What a shame."
Sakura's eyes hardened. "Oh don't worry."
She turned slightly toward the exit.
"I won't be the only one giving you entertainment."
William's smirk deepened.
The atmosphere in the room grew heavier.
Because everyone there understood something now.
This Royal Rumble—
Was no longer just a school competition.
It had become something much bigger.
And the battle that was coming…
Would shake the academies of Aldai.