October 10th — Rikuto Academy, Kanagawa
The wind was unseasonably cold for October, biting through the gray sky as morning mist drifted over the tiled rooftops of Rikuto Academy. The imposing front gates buzzed open with a low hum as a lone boy stepped through them—shoulders hunched, head lowered, and hands buried in the pockets of his blazer.
Toma Yukishiro wore a dark beanie pulled low over his ears, the hem nearly meeting the top of his wide-framed glasses. His uniform was neatly pressed but unassuming. No flashy colors. No emblems. He walked like he wanted to vanish into the concrete.
He was two months late.
Other first-years were already deep into training—divided into combat squads, learning the ropes of the Academy's legendary Aegis Arts. Yet here he was, walking in alone like a misplaced page in someone else's story.
His black schoolbag shifted slightly on his back as he reached the main campus hall. The steel-and-glass structure loomed like a fortress. Every window reflected a different sliver of the morning sun, making it hard to look straight ahead without squinting. Still, Toma didn't stop walking.
"So this is Rikuto…"His voice was barely a whisper, half-lost to the wind."Grandpa, Grandma… I hope you're right about this."
His grandparents had insisted on the transfer. They said they trusted Keiji's parents—old friends from their youth—and when Keiji's family mentioned Rikuto's top-tier curriculum, it had sounded like the second chance Toma needed. A place that could shape him, discipline him, maybe even make him strong enough to move past what happened three years ago.
But he hadn't come here to stand out.
If anything, he came here to disappear.
Inside the school, the energy shifted. Voices rang through the wide corridors. Footsteps clattered down stairs. Holo-boards floated beside classroom doors, displaying schedules and student rankings. The air even smelled different—charged, like static and sweat mixed with metal.
Combat school, Toma reminded himself. Not a normal academy. This place trains monsters in uniforms.
And then he heard it.
A familiar voice, loud and unmistakable.
"Yooo! Is that who I think it is?!"
Toma's stomach dropped—but only for a second—before he turned around and smiled.
Keiji Rokuhara had barely changed: messy hair, goofy grin, and that same lazy confidence he always had when they used to climb rooftops back home. He wore his blazer loose and half-buttoned, and his combat badge was already pinned to his chest.
"You actually came, man! Look at you, undercover and everything."He flicked the brim of Toma's beanie with a laugh."Glasses too? What are you, a detective now?"
Toma smirked faintly, the tension in his chest easing.
"Just trying not to cause a scene."
"Bro, you're two months late to Rikuto Academy. That is a scene."
They bumped fists like old times, and for a moment, it really did feel like they were back in Kanagawa—no battles, no rankings, no pressure.
But this wasn't the past.
And Keiji had clearly grown into this place.
Toma, on the other hand… was just arriving.
"They put you in Division 6 with me," Keiji said, slinging an arm around his shoulder as they walked."You're lucky. Our teacher's strict but not insane like some of the others. And we've got some wild kids in our class—hotheads, ghosts, glass-wielding weirdos. You'll see."
Toma didn't answer. His eyes wandered to the digital rank board blinking overhead. Keiji was already ranked #3.
I'm going to be so far behind…
Still, he didn't say that.He just walked beside Keiji as the hallway opened into a large, glass-walled training center where students sparred with glowing fists and elemental force. The floor trembled underfoot. Someone shouted in pain. Someone else launched upward in a whirl of fire.
This was Rikuto Academy.
And Toma Yukishiro had just entered the lion's den.