He lay on the grass, head on her lap, staring at the clear blue sky, the scent of nature reaching his nostrils.
"Did I… lie… to myself, Mother?"
"Hmm? Why is that?" she asked, gently stroking his hair.
"…Because I feel like burning the world down."
She slipped the palm of her right hand onto his heart, locking it away.
"You're not wrong to feel that way. But—"
She whispered,
"—don't let it consume you."
"Hmm…"
Zen stared out the window, chin in hand.
Four days since he transferred to the academy—and he was already bored with the routine.
"Why am I here while others are suffering on the front lines?"
"Because you'll kill yourself if you keep fighting, dumbass!" His conscience replied.
He didn't try to argue with himself. Not when his conscience was right.
The instructor continued his lecture on humanity's technological advancements, pacing back and forth at the front of the class.
"Because of the latest second-gen nanotech, your military-grade combat gear can deploy in mere seconds, from just a small accessory, like a wristwatch."
He tapped his knuckles against the desk to regain their attention.
"Back in my day, we had to put our combat suits on the old-fashioned way—manually. You, kids, have it way easier now."
Zen couldn't help but smirk a little at the instructor's words.
His eyes snapped from one student to another in a routine sequence, noting their appearance, micro-movements, and body language for the tenth time.
They looked so… peaceful, relaxed, and… typical. He almost envied them.
They hadn't seen cities burn. They hadn't seen thousands die. They hadn't witnessed the death of their comrades in battle. They didn't even know what a Null in action truly looked like.
Maybe the last part was for their own good.
Zen's gaze shifted to the black, fingerless glove on his left hand.
"It didn't take long for humans to go from cellphones to full exosuits stored in a wristband."
A strong breeze came through the window, but it didn't startle him. The book's pages on his desk started flipping rapidly. But even in the tiny window between each flipping page, he could glimpse the content. He didn't find anything interesting—until he did, and instantly pointed his finger at the book.
The air froze the flipping pages mid-motion—then let them go. The pages gently fell to both sides, landing on an image.
A picture of two figures from an old incident—their bodies made of what looked like vast space filled with distant stars, locked in a catastrophic battle, the city around them in debris.
His eyes narrowed—hard to tell whether due to recognition or hatred.
"Null…"
One rogue Null was all it took to level multiple major cities. And there were nearly two hundred of them out there.
One-third of the mainland had already taken hits. Thankfully, they were already being rebuilt while people were being relocated to artificial islands. But what remained would cease to function if only twenty went rogue simultaneously.
Zen looked out the window, eyes locking on the ocean outside as far as the eye could go.
Humans and Elementals were constantly at war. All it would take was an army with one of their titan-class war machines to show up for cleansing this land, and all hell would break loose.
Nexus Pentagon was one of the dozens of projects that stood out.
A cluster of five islands surrounding a central hub island in a pentagon shape.
"Was it a bad idea to come here?"
In class 1-S2 on the second floor of the East-Wing Warriors Academy, Zen sat in his white academy uniform, wondering if this day could get any more boring.
"I'm so tired. I want to take a nap."
Suddenly, the instructor's voice cut through the atmosphere.
"Zen Fuyukawa."
Zen's head lazily turned towards the front of the class, his eyes locking onto the instructor.
"Since you have nothing better to do than stare outside, why don't you tell us something about second-generation combat gear?" the instructor asked with a mix of anger and frustration.
Zen stared at him for a second and said, "Pass," calm and expressionless.
Other students burst out laughing, some shaking their heads in resignation at someone who was already making a name for himself as a slacker.
The teacher sighed.
"I expect better from you, Fuyukawa."
The blonde-haired guy at the desk ahead laughed—Finn Morrison, Zen's best friend.
A few seconds later, the bell rang, signaling the end of this class. "We'll read about some specific roles of military-grade gear next class," the instructor stated before leaving the class.
Zen yawned and stretched, sitting at his desk for another minute before deciding to go to the restroom before the next class started.
"Be right back," he said, getting up from his desk.
"Alright," Finn smirked.
"Try not to start a war out there."
"Don't jinx it."
He left the classroom and walked through the long, tiled corridor balcony, hands in his pockets, staring at the students scattered around the school field.
Meanwhile, a group of pranksters stood near the intersection of the men's and women's restrooms, holding their laughter in anticipation.
They had messed with the circuit board barely a minute ago, causing the holographic signs for male and female to swap places.
In the women's restroom, Princess Cassie Lysandra von Solheim was washing her hands, her long pink hair flowing freely under a white cap worn backward.
Not the most fitting of a princess, but it carried sentimental value for her.
Standing right beside her, arms crossed, orange hair tied in a high ponytail, and a smile on her face as always, was Princess Viara Elysia von Solheim, Cassie's cousin.
Both from the noble Solheim family of Ignisar and strong, respected A-rank first-year students of class 1-S2.
"You know, I sometimes wonder how you maintain peak performance with such a tight schedule," Viara said, smiling proudly at Cassie.
"You shot down three drones in seven seconds with your bow and arrows."
"We have to live up to our reputation. Our families expect perfection from us," Cassie replied while focusing on washing her hands.
"Yeah… can't help it now, can we?" Viara sighed.
"Sometimes I wonder what it feels like to be a normal person without royal expectations haunting you."
"Hey, don't be like that… Normal people have family expectations to deal with too. It's not very different," Cassie said with a subtle smile to cheer up her cousin.
Suddenly, the door was pushed open a little and then stopped. Cassie and Viara immediately turned their heads towards the door.
At the door, Zen gripped the handle, about to enter, but he paused immediately as the air inside touched the outside. "Wait… That doesn't feel right."
He opened the door a little further, just enough to confirm his instincts. His eyes caught a glimpse of Viara, and he stepped back, letting the door swing closed as if nothing had happened. "Shouldn't have doubted myself."
He looked up at the holographic sign indicating this as the "men's" restroom.
Nearby, the pranksters barely held their laughter.
Zen glanced at them from the corner of his eye before returning to the sign.
"...shit"
Then the door swung open, and Cassie burst out. Viara was right behind her, trying but failing to stop her from lashing out.
"THE AUDACITY!" she screamed furiously, throwing punches at Zen, making him pivot immediately to dodge, his back hitting the railing behind.
Zen's expression didn't change.
"Can we talk about this? Just look at…"
Cassie didn't listen.
"Shut up!"
She aimed a punch at him.
Instincts kicked in instantly. The kind that had a mind of its own.
His shoulder rotated to dodge, his head tilted just a little, and his eyes locked onto hers, tracking so smoothly as if he had all the time in the world to kill her right then and there.
The moment Cassie's eyes met his, a chill ran down her spine.
"That motion... The position of his foot... This feeling... That's HER style."
She snapped, shaking it off mentally.
"No. I'm dreaming. That can't be."
She followed with a kick.
He tilted his head back—dodging again.
"What a weird day to be alive…"
"How's he dodging so effortlessly, damnit?!" Cassie thought, her jaw tightened, and her face burned red.
Zen rolled his eyes, sighing at her unwillingness to talk it out.
Before Cassie could continue, Zen hopped over the railing and jumped down from the second floor. "Waste of time."
He aimed his left hand at the ground—left leg bent, right leg straight. Wind pushed against the ground, slowing his fall. He landed like taking a walk on a Tuesday.
Cassie stood behind the railing as Zen slipped out. Her breathing became heavier.
"You think you can run from me?" she murmured, eyes narrowing dangerously.
Then, suddenly, Cassie's right hand tightened, and a central grip staff with two long, single-edged blades formed in her hands with a thousand tiny clicks of nanoparticles.
But it wasn't only a double-bladed staff. It also had a retractable, integrated arrow launcher, making it perfect for both close and ranged combat.
Cassie's grip on her staff tightened again, activating the integrated arrow launcher. Two levers on either side of her staff's center grip flicked open, a string attached between them.
Viara's eyes widened at the sight.
"Heh?! Are you serious?"
She tried to step forward to stop her, but Cassie's free hand flared hot, forcing Viara back before she could do anything.
A flaming arrow formed in her hand. She charged it, aiming for his left shoulder—but then adjusted her aim just a little more and fired.
Just as Zen thought he was out, he sensed the elemental arrows flying towards him. His body didn't move. The arrow flew past and plunged into the ground.
He stood and began walking away, brushing dust off his uniform.
She charged another arrow, this time aiming accurately for his shoulder.
"This is a very bad gamble. But if he dodges this… I know you're hiding."
She fired.
He didn't.
A black katana, gleaming with red lines, appeared in front of the arrow and sliced through, making it vanish into thin air.
Madoka Fuyukawa, a second-year S-rank student, intercepted.
Zen stopped and glanced over his shoulder.
Cassie gritted her teeth hard. A bit too hard. She hopped over the railing.
"Cass, wait!" Viara called to stop her, but Cassie didn't listen and jumped down.
Flame stabilized her landing, scorching the ground.
"Stop hiding like a coward and face me!"
A cold breeze swept through the purple edge of her braided dark hair as Madoka pointed her katana at Cassie.
But barely a second later, before she could even speak, a transparent water barrier appeared between her and Cassie, forcing both to stagger back slightly. They both knew only one person could have done it.
The voice of an elegant, tall girl with flowing red hair cut through the air.
"Hold on now, I'm sure we can talk this through without the need to use military-grade weapons in an environment not meant for war. Hmmm?"
Julianna teased with a polite smile, hazel eyes locking onto them both.
"Or do you prefer a penalty?"
Cassie and Madoka sighed in unison.
After a few seconds, they both dropped their stances and retracted their weapons back into their nanotech housing unit.
They knew better than to argue with Julianna.
The barrier between them dropped.
Madoka's eyes locked onto Cassie.
"What are you doing, Solheim?! Are you crazy?" she snapped, though with a stoic expression as ever.
"That pervert peeked into the women's restroom! What do you think I'm doing?!" Cassie replied, still furious.
Madoka looked over her shoulder.
"Zen?"
"The sign showed men's restroom. It's not my fault," Zen explained, his voice nonchalant as if someone just hadn't tried to kill him.
Viara heard this from above and looked up at the signs.
To her surprise, the sign did indeed show the "male" sign above the women's restroom.
"Cass! He's right. Someone swapped the signs," she shouted from above.
Julianna sighed dramatically.
"Not again! Did they forget to install a lock, as I suggested the last time it happened?"
"Does anyone care to listen to me?"
"Tch! Whatever. Be careful, or next time, you won't be as lucky," Cassie said with lingering anger and frustration as she walked away towards the staircase.
As the commotion died down, the crowd slowly dispersed.
"Jeez. What was that?" Zen said, shaking his head.
Julianna chuckled with an innocent yet devious smile.
"Miss Solheim can be hot-tempered at times. Don't mind her. But it makes her all the more fun to mess with."
Madoka rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.
"Don't mind her? Like she didn't just try to murder someone."
"And she'll get away with it too because she's royalty."
Zen felt his left arm suddenly go numb. He stretched his arm and shook it off.
"Injured?" Julianna asked, noticing his discomfort.
"No. Just a little strain. I'll be fine," he replied. "Thank you for calming the storm down."
"No worries. Just doing my job." She clasped her hands demurely.
"I'm Julianna Favina Marcevelle, student council president, and the current rank one."
"Everyone calls me Julianna... or Favina, whichever they prefer."
"Zen Fuyukawa. I'm a transfer," he introduced himself, his tone flat.
"Fuyukawa?" Her gaze shifted to Madoka.
"A relative of yours?"
"My brother," Madoka replied.
"Oh, I see." Julianna smiled politely, but her eyes were teasing.
"Though I must say, he doesn't sound very enthusiastic about meeting new people."
"I really am not," Zen replied.
Her smile didn't falter.
"Anyway, I hope you feel at home in East-Wing Warriors Academy."
"It's one of the best in the world after all," she said, walking past him and looking over her shoulder.
"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have other matters to attend to."
She picked up her pace, waving goodbye.
"Do find me when I'm free if you ever crave a tour of the facilities."
"One of the best warrior academies in the world and still not free of the good old reckless elemental power and gear usage," Zen remarked, watching Julianna leave.
Once left alone, Madoka immediately turned her attention back to Zen.
"We need to talk."
Zen turned towards the staircase.
"Rooftop, lunchtime."
"Right now, we have classes to attend."
Madoka exhaled at the mention of classes and dropped the matter. They both started walking back to their homerooms.
Meanwhile, Cassie walked back towards her class, lost in thought as Viara caught up to her.
"Are you okay? You scared me when you jumped down like that," she asked, concerned.
Cassie exhaled sharply.
"I'm fine. Just... angry."
Viara fell into step beside her.
"It wasn't his fault. Just forgive and forget it."
"Not because of that. He... he dodged my attacks so effortlessly. How?" Cassie explained.
"Well, maybe he's got some tricks up his sleeve," Viara said, optimistic as always.
"I mean, even the lower-ranked students have some skill."
As they walked, Cassie's mind drifted back to the moment he stared into her eyes.
"That expression. It felt just like every one of HER victims described," she thought.
She suddenly turned around and walked the other way.
"You go back to class. I'll be right back."
"Wait, where are you going?" Viara asked.
"Classes are starting."
"Don't worry, I won't take too long," Cassie replied, walking away towards the data center.
Viara couldn't help but return to class, though she was concerned about what Cassie was up to.
Soon, lunchtime approached.
On the academy building rooftop, Zen leaned against the railing, enjoying the breeze as he sipped a chocolate milkshake while gazing down at the school field.
Some students gathered to share homemade lunches, but most of the rooftop remained empty even during lunch.
Madoka arrived without wasting time, glancing around to make sure no one was close by.
She stopped beside Zen by the railing, finally getting a moment to talk.
"So, what brings you back to school?"
Zen took another sip of his milkshake before replying in a calm, low voice,
"Mandatory cooldown period."
"Stelle ordered me to take a break before redeployment."
Madoka smirked, unimpressed.
"Figured as much. You're not the type to willingly return to basics. Must be frustrating for someone of your caliber to act... mediocre. It's painfully convincing, though."
She finally looked at Zen—properly this time, noticing his white hair and brown eyes.
"You changed your hair and eye color, too?"
"No, it's just the camouflage function of my gear."
He showed her his left hand with the black, fingerless glove.
"It allows me to change some biological traits."
Zen took another sip of his drink.
"This is Alpha version two, or A-02 for short. It's a second-generation model, unlike my primary gear, Protocol-4."
She observed his hand.
"A-02? New gear?"
"For more discreet use."
"Dr. Frank modified a gear from the Alpha series and gave me a more customized version," he replied.
She smirked.
"Must be nice, having two separate custom gears made exclusively for you… completely free of charge."
Zen looked up at the sky and thought for a second.
"I wouldn't deny it when you put it like that, but it's out of necessity."
"If Protocol's identity were exposed..."
Madoka stared at the school field.
"...every criminal faction in this city would come for you. This place would turn into a warzone overnight."
"By the way, when exactly did you transfer here?" she asked, her eyes narrowing slightly.
"Like… three or four days ago," he replied.
Madoka's eyes narrowed with disappointment at Zen's words.
"Three days... yet you didn't bother to contact me or meet me. What kind of brother are you that I only hear about a transfer student sharing my surname from my instructor, and not from you?"
She exhaled as if trying to calm a storm inside her.
"So, how long do you plan to stay?"
He finished his drink.
"As long as Stelle isn't reassured that my body won't kill me before my enemies do."
"And while I'm here, I actually want to avoid public expectations and slack off a little. Some peace is much appreciated."
Madoka almost laughed, shaking her head.
"Heh. If you wanted to avoid attention, maybe you shouldn't have jumped off the second floor. But I like that you're finally letting yourself rest. About time."
Zen rolled his eyes. "First, I jumped because my instincts were misfiring again. Second, a crowd gathered only because she decided to shoot arrows at me."
Right then, Cassie arrived at the rooftop. She noticed Madoka and Zen standing together.
"Madoka Fuyukawa. Didn't expect to see you consorting with a... lesser student."
Zen looked at Madoka.
"You should get going."
Madoka raised an eyebrow at him.
"Is that an order, bro?"
She scoffed.
"Fine, I'll comply this time."
She walked past Cassie without making eye contact and went back down the stairs without hesitation, leaving them alone.
"I find it hard to believe that someone like you is related to a skilled warrior like her," Cassie said, curious.
Zen steadied up from the railing while throwing the empty juice box in the trash can.
"We're step-siblings. I was adopted."
Cassie scoffed with a piercing gaze.
"No wonder."
"We're close regardless," he said, walking past Cassie.
Cassie's eyes narrowed slightly.
"How interesting. An F-rank with the confidence to walk away from royalty."
"I don't recall dismissing you, Zen Fuyukawa."
Zen rolled his eyes.
"Jeez, this is a school, not your palace. Do I really need permission to walk back to class now?"
"Sure, run along then. I look forward to tomorrow's combat demonstration. I've requested you as my sparring partner," Cassie said. "See you at the school arena tomorrow after the second period."
Zen stopped at Cassie's words and glanced back at her.
"Why are you wasting your time on me?"
"You see, I've studied the combat profile of a lot of students in this academy, including many F-ranks. Most F-ranks have consistent histories of failure."
"Yet you... Your records barely document anything. Almost as if it were... forged. Convenient, isn't it?"
Zen remained calm.
"And? What do you want from me?"
Cassie narrowed her eyes.
"Nothing too much. Just wondering how you dodged my attacks so fluently."
"You're not getting away with it until I get answers."
Zen stared at her for a few seconds and then turned back to the stairs.
"Sure, I'll be there. Whatever pleases you."
He walked down the stairs and headed back to class.
Cassie stood still, watching him go.
"He agreed that easily, huh?"
Zen returned to class and sat at his desk by the window, staring out, lost in thought.
A minute later, Finn sat down at his desk.
"You look like the cafeteria just ran out of milkshake," he whispered.
"You okay, dude?"
"… Remember what happened this morning?" Zen asked calmly.
"…Yeah?" Finn replied, curiosity piqued.
"She asked me where you were earlier."
Zen raised an eyebrow, unsurprised.
"And you told her?"
"Yeah," Finn replied.
"I thought maybe she wanted to apologize for that misunderstanding."
"Solheim requested me as a sparring partner in a demo match."
"What?" Finn blinked, caught off guard.
Zen propped his chin on one hand.
"You heard me."
"Oh… 'kay. Are you actually planning to fight her?" Finn asked.
"I am."
"Why?"
"Well… in short, she doesn't seem the type who'll let me be if I refuse. But I think it's worth testing if she could be a potential candidate. Of course, I don't want the entire academy staring at me, so I'll keep it low-key."
"Are you sure? You suck at holding back. You're definitely going to fail," Finn whispered.
Zen exhaled. "I've been focusing on managing my instincts. That… failed this morning, so I'll just have to try harder. This match should also be a good way to test myself again."
Then a small smile took over. "How about a little challenge? If I can maintain self-control the entire match, you'll have to buy me a premium-quality milkshake. Works as a little motivation for myself."
Finn snapped a salute—
"Deal."
—and turned back to his desk
Just then, the bell rang, signaling the end of lunchtime and the start of the next period.