The cries of the child filled the hospital wing. A baby boy was just born. The nurse held him after the birth, cleaning the child off as the mother's heart rate slowed after the intense birth. The labor had lasted 10 hours, the pain she went through in that grueling time was evident, sweat dripping from her forehead, and her body in pain as any slight movement she made caused her to wince. But that didn't matter, all she cared about was seeing her child in the nurse's arms. Her husband had held her hand through the process and assured her that everything would be ok. Acknowledging the agony his wife was in after the labor, told her as he looked her in the eyes that their child would be their pride and joy, that she just birthed their child and the wife smiled a soft smile after he squeezed her hand a little tighter. After some time the nurse handed the child to the mother, the mother's face brightened as she finally felt her child's skin against her own, cradling her baby in her arms and holding his head up while she got the first clear look at her beloved child.
"Have you thought of a name?" the nurse asked with a smile on her face.
The mother turned to her husband and back to the child, staring longingly at him.
"Daikoku, our good luck charm," her smile beamed as she looked at the child.
The name Daikoku came from a Shinto god, the god of wealth, farming, and most importantly....luck.
15 years later
Daikoku sprang out of bed, filled with excitement and nervousness. Today was the day. He swiftly threw on his jeans and a nice gray polo. His steps were light yet swift as he made his way down the creaking stairs towards the kitchen where his mother had prepared him eggs and toast, the same meal he's always had, but he was still ever grateful.
"Are you ready for the orientation, Daikoku?" His mother asked with a bright smile. She always seemed happy, no matter how bad things got, but today she was truly overjoyed.
"In all honesty," he said while looking down at his food, "I'm really nervous, but I'm also excited!" he looked up at his mom, reciprocating her smile.
This was the day he'd been long anticipating, his first day of school. That isn't to say he hadn't had an education until now, his parents had put in an effort to home-school him. They had saved money every day since he was born so they could one day enroll him in the best school possible, "Pantheon Academy" a school that provided the best possible education to normal humans as well as the descendants and reincarnations of gods. While the descendants and reincarnations could enroll for free, humans were required to pay a hefty fee as well as pass the entrance exam, something Daikoku just barely managed to accomplish.
Daikoku savored his food, though he did not dottle. When finished he handed the plate to his mother, thanking her profusely not just for the meal, but for all she had done for him until this point. He would have done the same for his father but he was working, as usual, thus all Daikoku could do was leave a note expressing his gratitude before darting out the door, his backpack was thrown over his shoulder. His long black hair trailed behind him, if you didn't know any better you may mistake him for a woman.
After running for ten minutes his steps became heavy, and his breath became louder. He could see the school, though it was still a decent distance away, the dome was simply unmistakable. It seemed more like a stadium than a school.
"Maybe I should have taken the bus," He thought, sweat streaming down his face.
Still, he continued to run. No matter what he had to make it to the orientation on time. His legs felt weak, his arms were heavy, and his breath labored, but he was close, he could see the crowd of students and the stage where the principal stood. Finally, he made it. He bent over, hands on his knees, panting heavily.
"Supreme gods almight!" even speaking was labored. After what felt like an eternity Daikoku finally caught his breath.
"You okay?" asked a feminine voice. "You look like you're dying."
Daikoku slowly lifted his head, a puzzled expression on his face. His eyes widened as he saw who was in front of him. She was of average height with flowing blonde hair that almost seemed to glow, her eyes were a deep blue, and Daikoku...Daikoku was absolutely mesmerized. This was the first time he'd ever seen a girl like this, outside of his mom at least.
"Hey…..Hey…You okay?" She said, waving her hand in front of his face
"Huh, what?" He said, startled by the action.
"Jeez you completely zoned out"
"Uuuuuuh sorry, I...I didn't mean to," Daikoku was fumbling with his words, he was still trying to process what was happening. Eventually, he stood up almost completely straight.
"Um….I'm Dai...Daikoku" He couldn't look directly at her.
"Why did this have to happen now?" He thought.
"I'm Iliya," She responded almost immediately.
"Wait, you said your name was Daikoku, like the god of luck?" She asked in surprise.
"Uh…..Yeah, my parents named me after him because they thought I'd bring them luck. I'm not a reincarnation or anything….." He couldn't help but mumble the explanation.
"Wait so you're just a normal human?" Iliya asked, completely puzzled.
Daikoku nodded, still not looking at Iliya directly.
"Why the hell would you want to go to a school like this if you're just a basic human?!" Iliya was almost yelling.
Before Daikoku could answer, a blaring high-pitched noise sounded over the speakers. The audience turned at once to face the stage. A large man with a flowing white beard and an eyepatch could be seen standing proud at the head of the stage. His voice boomed through the speakers.
"Welcome, future students of Pantheon Academy! I am Mr. Morell, but many of you will come to recognize me as the reincarnation of Oden!"
"Wait, Oden?" Whispered Daikoku.
"What you didn't know?" Iliya said in a mocking tone.
"After today you will all be recognized as students of this fine academy. The vast majority of you enrolled here due to scholarships and offers, while some got in the hard way. Nevertheless, we will ensure that your efforts are well worth it. After this orientation, you will all be given your classroom assignments as well as your dorms. I look forward to seeing how much you will all grow in strength, intelligence, and as people."
The students all seemed to smile with anticipation, rearing to begin their new lives at the academy.
"That is all I have for you today," Boomed Mr. Morell. "I wish you all the best of luck!"
Daikoku noticed as his pears began to file towards the entrance of the school. Unfortunately, he'd be one of the last in line.
"Well, at least I'm not waiting al….." A look of shock crossed his face as he realized Iliya had made her way towards the front. Daikoku was dumbfounded.
"It's fine, I'll just have to wait longer" He muttered to himself.
After what felt like hours, Daikoku finally reached the front of the school. Finally, he could get his class number and dorm. He stepped up to the desk where a slight old woman sat.
"Name?" She asked, ready for this to finally be over.
"Um….Daikoku Albasta," He responded nervously.
"Your dorm room is 149, your class will be C, follow this map and please don't get lost. Here is your key."
"Thank you." He took the map and key and left for his room.
Daikoki halted almost immediately, taking in the site of the school before him. He had originally believed that the dome was the school itself, in reality, it was almost like a barrier that kept the school from the outside world. From where he entered a brick path surrounded by grass stretched to the middle of the dome where the main school building sat. It was incredibly large and rectangular in shape. The exterior was covered in carvings and extravagant pieces dedicated to various mythologies. In front of the school sat a large fountain depicting Poseidon controlling the flow. From the fountain, the brick path continued to the right and left. The leftmost path lead to a pair of dome-like structures, almost like miniature versions of what surrounded the school. The right-most path led to something far more simplistic, two simple rectangular buildings.
"The dorms?" He presumed.
Daikoku looked back towards the dome-like structures and noticed something beyond them. Another path lead to what seemed to be a forest, in which a large colosseum resided.
"Huh. Wonder what that's for?" He pondered.
Daikoku began to make his way towards the dorms, he could see his fellow students filing into the respective dorms. Each dorm contained 75 rooms, each room meant for two students. He made his way over to the left-most dorm, his steps light as always. Following the other students inside he watched as the students dispersed into their respective rooms. As Daikoku made his way down the hall he began to feel a large presence behind him. As he turned to face what was behind him, a large hand gripped his face and forcefully threw him aside, crashing into the wall. A loud thud was heard as Daikokus's body made an impact and subsequently fell to the floor. A man-sized fracture could be seen in the wall where Daikoku was thrown.
"Out of my way!" The figure demanded.
Daikoku slowly stood, wondering who and why they would do such a thing.
The man was tall and muscular with light blonde hair. As the man walked away a smile crept across his face.
"Next time," The man said, "Don't get in my way."
"What's his problem?" Daikoku thought in utter confusion.
He winced in pain as he stood up.
"My back," Daikoku had never felt something like this before, it concerned him. But he decided to simply push through the pain, he didn't want to cause unnecessary trouble.
Daikoku began to stumble down the hall. His room resided at the very end of the dorm. His steps were no longer light, they landed heavily on the wooden floor. His forearm was planted on the wall of the hallway, a desperate attempt to keep himself from collapsing. Daikoku could no longer stand straight, the pain was simply too great.
"Why...why did this have to happen?" He thought. Still, no matter how intense the pain was, he continued to move.
Finally, Daikoku made it to his dorm room. Still supporting himself on the wall, he moved his key toward the doorknob. In that instant, he felt something, something ominous, almost evil. His hand jerked back as horror crossed his face.
All he could think was "What the hell is behind there?!"