"Mister President,"
Shigeru began, his voice steady, but there was a slight edge of urgency beneath his calm demeanor.
His sharp, calculating eyes met Shinju's, unblinking, as if testing his reaction even before the words had fully left his lips.
The grand hall and the symbols of its elite divisions, seemed to hold its collective breath.
The room was filled with high-ranking officials, seasoned instructors, and the academy's brightest students—yet all attention had shifted to this singular moment.
"I have a request for you."
Shinju raised an eyebrow, visibly surprised.
The great scholar Morishita Shigeru was not known for making requests.
In fact, he was the kind of man who usually had all the answers, known for his decisiveness and strategic mind.
That he was asking for something now, and in such a public forum, sent a ripple of unease through the hall.
Shinju shifted his gaze in Shigeru. His tone, though calm, carried suspicion.
"A request?" he repeated slowly, as though tasting the word.
"What could you, the renowned Morishita Shigeru, possibly need to request from me?"
The room remained silent, the air thick with anticipation.
Students and officials exchanged confused glances, wondering what could warrant such a rare plea from a man of Shigeru's stature.
Shigeru, ever composed, allowed the silence to stretch for a moment, as if letting everyone feel the weight of the words to come.
His expression remained neutral, but there was a glint in his eyes, a sign that his request was anything but trivial.
"President Shinju,"
He began again, his tone now slightly more forceful, yet still measured.
"As you are well aware, these students—our top elites—possess strength that rivals even the most seasoned masters in the defense force.
They are the pride of this country and their power is undeniable."
His gaze drifted toward the group of elite students standing proudly near the stage, their confidence evident in their straight postures and resolute expressions.
Shigeru's voice grew more intense, drawing everyone deeper into his argument.
"However, no matter how powerful they are, they are still students.
Untried. Unblooded. They have yet to experience the true chaos of battle."
Shinju's eyes narrowed. He recognized the truth in Shigeru's words, but he also sensed there was more to this than mere concern for the students' inexperience.
Shigeru's eyes swept the room once more, noting the reactions of the high-ranking officials.
Most of whom remained stone-faced, trying to gauge where this was leading. His voice softened, becoming almost ominous.
"They may have the raw power to crush their enemies, but in war, power alone is not enough.
Strength without experience, without strategy, is a liability."
He paused, his gaze falling on the elite students, all of whom remained stoic but were clearly affected by his words.
"Without the experience of real battle, they could act recklessly—on instinct rather than strategy.
And that recklessness could lead to regret... or worse, to their deaths."
The murmur of the audience grew louder, with some of the instructors nodding in agreement while others remained skeptical.
The elite students stood in tense silence, feeling the weight of Shigeru's assessment.
Shinju leaned forward slightly, now fully engaged. His voice was firm, yet there was an unmistakable undercurrent of wariness.
"What exactly are you trying to say, Shigeru?"
Shigeru's lips curled into a slight grin as he met Shinju's gaze directly.
"My request is simple, Mister President,"
He said, his words deliberate,
"I propose we appoint a ninth elite student—someone whose abilities go beyond raw power. A healer."
A collective gasp echoed through the hall.
Even Shinju, usually unflappable, blinked in surprise.
His confusion was mirrored by the murmurs spreading like wildfire through the crowd.
"A healer?"
Shinju repeated, incredulous.
"Among the elites?"
The elite students exchanged uneasy glances, unsure of how to react to such a radical proposal.
Some looked insulted at the suggestion that they would need a healer among them, while others appeared deep in thought, considering the wisdom behind Shigeru's words.
Shigeru, unfazed by the shock rippling through the room, continued calmly.
"War, Mister President, is not won by strength alone.
It is won by strategy, coordination, and, most importantly, survival.
The battlefield is a place where injuries are inevitable, and having someone capable of healing grievous wounds in real-time could make the difference between life and death.
Between victory and defeat."
The murmurs intensified. The hall, once filled with whispers of admiration for the elites, now buzzed with uncertainty.
Shinju's frown deepened.
"And who, exactly, would you suggest for this position?"
He asked, his skepticism apparent.
"There are only four students with strong healing abilities, and none of them are close to matching the power of a person with healing magic in a defence force."
Shigeru's expression didn't waver. His voice dropped just slightly, adding an air of mystery to his words.
"I would not have proposed such a thing if I hadn't already found the perfect candidate,"
He said, turning slowly toward the gathered students. The tension in the room spiked.
"The ninth elite will be none other than the girl who caught my eye during the final battle of the Inter-Division Competition.
If it weren't for her timely healing of Aramiya Ryuu, I doubt the Second Division would have secured their victory."
The crowd stilled, anticipation thickening the air.
Shigeru's eyes flicked toward the back of the hall, where Masumi sat quietly, unassuming, as if she was trying to disappear into her seat.
"The girl who once saved my life,"
Shigeru added, his tone soft but purposeful,
"Sakaguchi Masumi, of the Second Division."
A stunned silence followed his declaration.
Ryuu, Ryoko, and Seichii looked as if they had been struck by lightning.
Their eyes widened as they processed the revelation, while Masumi, frozen in shock, could hardly believe what she was hearing.
Her heart raced, and her hands trembled as a torrent of emotions surged through her.
Memories of her struggle, her isolation, and her quiet determination flashed before her eyes. She blinked, tears welling up.
The hall remained deathly quiet, as if the very walls themselves were waiting to see what would happen next.
Shinju clearly unsettled by Shigeru's bold move. His gaze shifted to Masumi, who was still in shock.
"Sakaguchi Masumi..."
He began cautiously.
"Is this truly your desire? Do you accept this responsibility?"
Masumi, her vision blurry with tears, struggled to find her voice.
The weight of everyone's stares, the pressure of expectations, and the overwhelming surprise left her momentarily paralyzed.
She glanced toward Ryoko, who smiled warmly at her, silently urging her to stand tall.
Masumi swallowed, her heart pounding in her chest. She took a deep breath.
"Yes, President Shinju,"
She said softly, her voice trembling at first but growing stronger.
"I... I will do my best."
The room remained tense, the decision still hanging in the air.
Suddenly, the atmosphere shifted as the lights flickered, casting long shadows across the hall.
A strange energy pulsed through the air, making everyone uneasy.
The doors at the back of the room creaked open slowly, and a figure stepped through, clad in dark, regal robes.
Leaving everyone in utter shock.
The figure's presence was ominous, shrouded in a thick veil of darkness that clung to him like living shadows.
His face, though human-like, was something else entirely—eyes glowing with a sinister, unnatural light, and his skin paler than any they had ever seen.
As he moved further into the hall, the air grew heavier, as though the very space around him was bowing under the weight of his power.
Everyone froze. The figure's energy was so overwhelming that even the strongest students could barely breathe.
Ryuu and Seichii stood their ground, but their faces betrayed the sheer force pressing down on them. This was no ordinary being.
Shinju swallowed hard, his throat dry, beads of sweat forming on his brow.
"W-who… who are you?"
He asked, his voice shaking, though he tried to mask his fear with authority.
The figure paused, his gaze sweeping over the room as if the question was beneath him.
He smiled—a cold, twisted smile—and replied, his voice echoing unnervingly in the chamber.
"Who am I?"
He chuckled softly, the sound chilling.
"It's too early for you humans to know my name. Consider it a blessing to witness me."
His words sent a collective shiver through the room.
The black fog surrounding him pulsed and thickened, making it even harder for those present to maintain their composure.
It was as if the air itself had turned into a thick, suffocating cloud of despair.
Ryoko's expression hardened, her eyes narrowing. Like as if she didn't wanted to see the figure, the figure noticed her and smiled.
The figure continued his slow, deliberate walk toward the stage, his eyes gleaming as he scanned the students standing there.
His gaze lingered on the nine elite students standing beside Shinju
Each of them felt an icy chill run down their spine as the weight of his presence bore down on them.
"Oh, so these are your best students?"
The figure said mockingly.
"I must admit, some of them show potential."
His grin widened, sending a wave of discomfort through the room.
Then, in a sudden, swift motion, he raised his hand.
The air crackled with a surge of energy so powerful it made the entire hall tremble.
"But I must complete my task."
A low rumble echoed through the hall, growing louder with each passing second.
The floor beneath their feet began to shake as black tendrils of energy snaked out from the figure's body, spreading across the room like roots of darkness.
The air grew colder still, the oppressive force of his power making it nearly impossible to breathe.
Ryuu, Ryoko, and Seichii instinctively moved to protect Masumi, sensing the danger that was about to unfold.
Masumi's heart pounded in her chest, her mind racing as she tried to process the situation.
She had never faced anything like this before.
The figure turned his dark gaze on the four of them, his expression one of amusement mixed with contempt.
"The future looks… interesting, he-he-he"
Hsaid with a chilling laugh. His voice was like the whisper of death itself, sending chills down their spines.
Suddenly, the figure began to dissolve into the black fog, his body disappearing into the shadows that swirled around him.
His sinister laugh echoed through the hall as his form vanished entirely, leaving behind an eerie silence and a lingering sense of dread.
The oppressive dark energy that had filled the room slowly dissipated, and the black fog began to thin, allowing everyone to breathe again.
But the weight of what had just happened still hung heavily in the air.
The elites, the president, and all those present remained frozen in place, trying to comprehend the figure's appearance and the cryptic words he had left behind.
Shinju, still trembling slightly, looked around the room at his students and staff, unsure of what had just transpired.
"W-who was that?"
He whispered to himself, barely able to find his voice. His mind raced with questions, none of which had answers.
Ryuu clenched his fists, anger and frustration bubbling beneath the surface.
(What did he do? Was he connected to that black figure I saw back then!? I need to move faster.)
He muttered, his eyes scanning the hall as if searching for the figure's presence, but finding nothing.
"Who was he?"
The room was filled with uneasy murmurs, the students whispering among themselves. No one had answers.
Ryoko stared at where the figure disappeared as she twitched her eyes.
(So finally, they're on a run,huh?)
.
.
.
.
Far away, atop a tall, gnarled tree on the edge of a dark forest, the same figure reappeared.
He kneeled, his face filled with dark satisfaction.
In front of him stood another figure, cloaked in even deeper darkness, their face obscured, but their sinister smile unmistakable.
"I did my work perfectly,"
The kneeling figure said, his voice laced with pride. He rose to his feet, dusting off his robe.
"I guess the time has come, huh?"
The shadowy figure beside him nodded slowly, their eyes glowing faintly in the darkness.
"You've done well. This is what fate has decreed, and we are but witnesses to its unfolding."
They both looked up at the sky, a deep, swirling void of darkness that stretched endlessly above them.
The stars seemed to flicker and fade, swallowed by the encroaching blackness.
The kneeling figure sighed, his expression unreadable as he gazed into the night.
"Fate, huh?"
He shook his head slightly.
"I wonder if those children even realize what's coming."
The other figure remained silent, their dark form blending into the night as they both stared into the abyss.
The future they spoke of was already in motion, and none of them could stop it...