Ten minutes later, inside Sobu High's indoor gymnasium, temporary podium lit by harsh overhead lights.
"Next, please welcome this year's freshman representative, Gojo Yoru-kun from Class 1-A, to deliver his speech."
At the principal's announcement, Yoru stepped out from behind the curtain with casual confidence. The moment he appeared on stage, a ripple of murmurs spread through the sea of new students below.
"This Gojo-san is actually pretty handsome…"
"Pretty handsome? Come on, he's drop-dead gorgeous. Wonder if he's taken."
"Freshman rep usually means top grades, right? Smart, hot, perfect combo. Gotta move fast before someone else snags him."
…
"Hello, everyone. I'm Gojo Yoru."
He leaned casually into the mic, voice clear and unbothered.
"The principal's speech just now was mind-numbingly dull, and I couldn't care less about Sobu High's long history or list of achievements, so I'll keep this short."
The gym went dead silent. Most freshmen stared up in open disbelief, jaws slack.
"..."
Did he just… publicly roast the principal? On day one?
Even the bald principal onstage twitched, veins faintly bulging, but Yoru continued without a care.
"Nice one, Gojo~"
Unlike the stunned students, Hiratsuka Shizuka—seated in the Class 1-A section next to Asuna—didn't just approve; she leaned over and whispered gleefully under her breath.
"I was about to doze off during that endless droning. And the nerve of him saying my car isn't 'suitable for school parking'—forcing me to hike half a kilometer every morning. That fossil deserves every word of shade."
Asuna, overhearing, could only stare in speechless awe.
These two really are cut from the same chaotic cloth. Both completely eccentric… and apparently holding personal grudges against authority figures. First day of high school is already this eventful?
Yoru swept his gaze across the curious, wide-eyed freshmen and spoke in a suddenly deeper, almost philosophical tone.
"A famous professional Esports player once said: damage output must never stop, not even for a second. Life is the same—charge forward without ever looking back."
The words hung in the air.
Hiratsuka, Asuna, the other teachers, and most students below tilted their heads, expressions shifting to thoughtful nods.
…That actually sounds kind of inspiring?
But something about it feels… slightly off?
"Okay, I'm done. One last line."
No one expected the freshman rep's entire speech to clock in under two minutes.
Yoru flashed a relaxed smile at the crowd of teachers and students.
"Let's all spend a peaceful, beautiful high school life together."
"Yeah!!!"
…
Ten minutes later, back in Class 1-A.
"A Devil showed up at the train station nearby this morning. Crazy, right? But luckily no casualties…"
"Seriously scary. Good thing my route doesn't go through there."
"Look—it says the Anti-Devil Special Operations Division handled it fast. No one got hurt."
"Public Safety's got our backs, as expected."
The low buzz of classmate chatter filled the room as everyone scrolled news on their phones.
Yoru had zero interest in joining the conversation. He simply turned toward the window, chin resting on his hand, staring out at the clear sky in quiet thought.
Official reports on Devil incidents were always sanitized to hell and back.
The Bat Devil had slaughtered dozens before he stepped in—yet the news claimed "no casualties" and didn't even name the Devil. Standard procedure for the Division.
Devils might have physical bodies that could be shredded with bullets or grenades, but their essence was purely conceptual. If the public learned the full extent of the carnage and the exact fear-concept embodied, mass panic would spike—and the next incarnation of that same Devil would return exponentially stronger.
The cover-up was logical, even if grim.
Yoru's mind wasn't replaying the fight—that Bat Devil had been a non-threat. Zero damage taken, clean kill. Nothing to analyze.
His thoughts kept circling back to the strange metallic entity that had appeared beside Asuna.
No matter what concept it represented, its behavior was wildly abnormal.
From everything he'd learned in the Division, contract formation followed a rigid pattern: a human encountered the Devil's main body or an avatar. If the human somehow appealed to the Devil's "tastes," the Devil offered a contract.
The price varied wildly—some lost limbs per use, others just a scrape of skin—depending on the Devil's whims.
It was always humans chasing Devils. Never the reverse.
A Devil proactively offering power to someone on the verge of death, without any prior meeting? Unheard of.
Was it not actually a Devil? Or were there individual outliers even among this Chainsaw Man-like world's entities?
Or… was Yuuki Asuna somehow special?
Too little data. So far, the only supernatural threats Yoru had personally encountered were Devils and the occasional Ghoul. The full scope of this fused, abnormal world remained a black box.
At the front, Hiratsuka-sensei lounged behind the podium instead of starting the lesson. She announced the first period would be free time—students could chat, get to know each other, whatever.
She wasn't slacking.
Hiratsuka's teaching philosophy was simple: grades mattered far less than helping each student discover their own path in life. Day one was perfect for quietly observing personalities, quirks, and group dynamics.
Just then, the girl seated directly in front of Yoru—who hadn't spoken to anyone since homeroom—finally gathered her courage.
She turned slowly in her chair.
Long flaxen-pink hair cascaded down, covering both ears like a gentle curtain. Even sitting, her petite frame was obvious—delicate, almost doll-like. Quiet-cute type: soft features, big eyes, the kind of beauty that didn't demand attention but stole it anyway.
Right now those eyes were lowered, lashes trembling with nerves. She looked like a small, lost animal bracing itself.
With both hands, she extended an open notebook toward him. Her fair fingers shook faintly from sheer anxiety; she couldn't quite meet his gaze.
[Hello, Gojo-san. My name is Nishimiya Shoko.]