As the sun began to set over the sky of Moorloch Grand Academy, a group of five students and a regal-looking man appeared inside the massive wall that guarded the academy.
After a day and a half in the wilderness of the forest, they finally returned to safety.
The students were well received by a cheer of teachers and students, even though the particular students looked gore in their bloodied clothes.
But the teachers who had looked enthusiastic by the arrival of the group suddenly toned down, their gaze switching continuously at them.
A man with blonde hair and beard, stunning in a uniform black suit and trousers, stepped forward, his brows furrowed while he gazed deeply at a red-headed student amongst the group.
A man stepped in front of the arriving students, his gaze resolute, but aware of the principal's confusion.
"Acer! Where is he?" Mr. Ferron, although his gaze fixed on the odd students, still, managed to muster a word.
In the green field that stretched a few meters, silence temporarily invaded the environment, striking the heart of every onlooker in a fit of panic and confusion.
"Mr. Ferron!" The Elite Master who had led the students remained in his facial state of resolute and seriousness,
"Your student... Acer Pierce only spent a few minutes with the group before he separated himself."
At the echo of those words, a dramatic lace of emotion wore on the faces of the teachers before him.
All of their brows were shot sky high, in perfect sync with their dropped countenance.
From what the Elite Master saw, his fellow Elites had not yet returned, so it would have been another round of explanation at their arrival.
"Acer Pierce, in addition, was mana disabled - the reason why his mana watch kept counting zero."
Silence paved the environment at the next moment.
The pupils of every teacher and the principal's dilated as their brains still tried to figure out what the Elite Master meant by his words.
A star student such as Acer couldn't suddenly become mana disabled!
The revelation had certainly torn deep into the heart of the listeners, bearing with it a grave feeling of grief.
'And he still made to run away?' Mr. Ferron seemed to have been heart shattered, his once happy demeanor thwarted over a looming disgrace.
He looked at the faces of the students in front of him...Adam, particularly, who should have been pained.
As expected, the latter's head was bowed to the ground, desperately trying to hide the sadness he felt.
The four other boys beside him seemed to have shared a sense of sympathy, though subtle when compared to what Adam must have felt.
Then there was the boy with long red hair that was packed into a high quiff, yet they touched the base of his waist.
The lad gazed at the bounds of structure and mass land before him.
His eyes were shady and grim, poorly hiding his disgusted reaction towards the crowd. And while his facial expression remained poker, his Asian features didn't fail to stand out amongst the crew.
His facial concept was a direct concept of the other Japanese students in the academy, but he looked more honorary and otherworldly.
The teenager's midnight eyes were keen like that of an eagle, his nose slant and narrow, further attributing to his edged face and mesmerizing skin tone that seemed to glow in the dark.
Clothed in a camaraderie of heavy shirt and wide trousers, a katana further armored into his fitting, Mr. Ferron could barely figure out the body concept of the lad.
An energy of inhumanity kept steaming from him, a deceit of his humanoid form.
And as an experienced soldier in Moorloch - plus the principal of its Grand Academy, Mr. Ferron could have considered the teenager as not human.
"Who is he?"
"A farm boy we came across in the forest." The Elite Master was getting into a bright mood at the mere calling of the boy.
With a raised voice, soothing and calm, he continued, "His ability is strong and brutal! And for that purpose, I considered that he should be enrolled into the academy."
"Yes sir." Another voice was displaced into the environ, instantly crushing the doubt and repulsion the teachers had on him.
The owner of the voice was bold and tall, sharing height with the Elite Master, "My name of Ryuu Kyushishu! A farmstead boy from Moorloch,"
"It has been my dream to be a student in Moorloch, but I've never had a sponsor."
"So when I heard an Elite Master was going to be testing out his students in the forest...I came to try a shot!"
Mr. Ferron was fazed at the compassionate demeanor of the boy, his daunting boldness as well as captivating as he made his way in front of the Elite Master.
" You don't look too much like a farm boy to me child."
The principal closely watched the facial direction of the said aspirant, as well as not failing to notice a slight twitch in the boy's brows.
A cheeky smile protruded from the principal's lips, "Moorloch isn't the most heavenly place just yet, but you look like you were raised in a deluxe home."
"and that blade! It seems expensive...how many tokens?"
The scene remained silent after the words from the principal, but then, the Elite Master quickly stepped in, drawing Ryuu behind him.
"Principal Ferron! We want to set up a hospitable atmosphere for this kid... And since your second-best student is now left as a waste in Moorloch - probably even eaten by a beast, Ryuu is an important status in this academy."
Mr. Ferron and Elite Master Blaze shared rivaling eye contact for quite a second, but quickly, the former seemed to have loosened up, his gaze once again fixed on the young man.
"Ryuu, your class orientation will begin first thing tomorrow morning,"
"And meanwhile,"
He turned to the students who stood in silence and then at the teachers behind him, "A search party will be conducted for Acer...so that, at least he can become a normal student at the other part of the school."
Mr. Ferron heaved a sigh and decided to ignore Acer or the new young adapt in the academy in the meantime.
He gazed at the Elite Master, his eyes sparkling with determination and hope," Elite Master, 've you made a selection?"
"Oh yes!" The man drew his shoulders over the red-headed students beside him and turned to the students behind him.
"Since the hopeful student deserted his crew, I'm left to pick two amongst these four,"
"And I'm pretty glad it turned out to be Adam Coe...and Larry Jonas!"
Only the tall chap named Larry shrieked in excitement, and his opposite mate, Adam Coe barely reacted to the revelation.
The lad was lost in thought as he stared directly at nothing, only recalling the overwhelming purge of blue emotions Acer exhibited. And at the unwanted appearance of a mysterious age-mate who'd cleared two beasts quite effortlessly.
All of the events in the forest had somewhat thwarted the exciting scenario he'd planned out in his head, instead setting a perfect beginning that, unfortunately, was no easier.