Through the hallways, a group of students was walking. Their shoes clicked against the marble floor. They were talking to each other while every other student kept glancing at them.
It was not every day to see a group of strong and also gorgeous-looking people walking together.
"By the way… what did you think about Noah? Don't tell me you really think he's changed?" The one who asked this question was none other than Emma.
"We can't tell that yet. But he's acting better compared to how he used to be," Leonardo replied while walking beside her.
"Well, I think he looks kind… I mean not when fighting. But while talking, he does look like a good guy," Lyria said with a slightly confused expression.
"Oh, Lyria! You are too kind. And that makes you think everyone is good. But that's not true." Emma shook her head while trying to explain some common sense to her friend.
"You are beautiful. I bet that was the reason why he talked so politely to you! No other reason."
"Tch! As much as I know, he never talked politely to anyone his age. No matter how beautiful they were," Kaelan clicked his tongue while saying what he knew. Then he continued, "Also, why are you even talking about him? There's nothing special about him." His tone became slightly irritated.
Damien, who was in the middle, just smiled at his reaction.
"I have to say… He is handsome… too handsome," Arisha spoke indifferently. Her expression was as calm as ever.
But those words shocked everyone.
Aisha Willow, who acted like an ice queen, who didn't like noble men… actually said Noah was handsome.
That really shocked them.
"Now that's new…"
"Oh! Oh my goodness. Arisha, don't tell me you have a crush on Noah! Or is it love at first sight?" Emma was beyond shocked. Her face looked utterly horrified.
She turned to Emma. "The fuc—cough! I mean, what are you talking about? Me? A crush on Noah? That's not possible. I just said it because he really is handsome, nothing else." She turned her face in another direction while walking with an annoyed expression.
"Okay. Let's drop the subject. No reason to talk about it," Damien finally spoke, trying to change the subject.
"Then what should we talk about?" Lyria asked with a cute tilt of her head.
"…You know that next week we are going to have a VR fight against another class. This is not an exam, but it will be a kind of practical session for us to fight in a group. To learn teamwork."
"Yeah… but we will get to know the date of this fight, or say battle, on Monday," Emma rubbed her chin while thinking about how to fight against the other class.
"That battle is going to be fun," Leonardo said with a wide grin.
"You think so? Well, I am kind of looking forward to it myself," Damien was also excited for the class battle.
"Team battles are always messy," Kaelan said, crossing his arms over his chest. "Most people don't know how to fight in formation. Everyone just rushes forward like idiots."
Leonardo grinned. "That's because most people think they are the main character."
Emma nodded. "Team battles are not about being strong alone. Positioning, timing, support, defense… everything matters. If one person messes up, the whole team loses. And if it's about the whole class against another class, then it will be harder. We need to fight together with 100 students."
Lyria looked a little worried. "I've never fought in a proper team battle before… What if I mess up?"
"You won't," Damien said calmly. "Team battles are about coordination. Even if you make a mistake, your comrades will cover for you."
Emma pointed at Damien. "Exactly. That actually makes group battles more exciting."
Arisha, who had been quiet for a while, finally spoke, "VR battles are also different from real fights. People take more risks because they know they won't actually die."
Leonardo smirked. "Which makes it more fun."
Emma rolled her eyes. "You just want to fight strong people."
"Of course," Leonardo replied without hesitation. "What's wrong with that?"
Kaelan laughed arrogantly. "You're going to charge first and get surrounded. I can already see it."
Kaelan glared at him. "I'm not that stupid."
"You are," Emma and Leonardo said at the same time.
Lyria giggled softly.
Damien just shook his head while smiling.
---
The evening slowly settled over Novaris City, painting the sky in shades of orange and purple. The busy streets were still filled with people, lights, and noise. But far away from the main roads, in one of the unknown corners of the city, there was a narrow alleyway where no one walked.
The alley was dark, damp, and silent. Water dripped from broken pipes, and trash bags were piled near the walls. The only light came from a flickering street lamp at the entrance of the alley.
Heavy footsteps suddenly echoed in the silence.
A man was running through the alley, stumbling again and again as he tried to keep moving forward. His breathing was heavy and uneven.
"Haa… haa… haa…"
His clothes were torn, and his body was covered in blood and wounds. A deep cut ran across his shoulder, and blood had soaked his sleeve completely. His face was pale, and sweat mixed with blood dripped down from his chin.
The man looked around in panic while running. His hands were shaking as he pulled out his mobile device. A communication device used by academy staff.
"No signal…?! Why is there no signal?!" he muttered in panic.
He was getting hunt down by someone. And just then no communication device of his was working.
He don't even know why someone was trying to kill him.
He was just an ordinary worker at Academy. Appointed in cleaners section. But now his life was on line.
He tapped the screen again and again, trying to contact the academy or emergency services, but the device showed No Network.
Even the emergency signal machine attached to his belt wasn't working.
"T-This is impossible… Signal jammers…?" he whispered in fear.