BOOM!
Startled, every student rushed to the windows, eyes wide with curiosity. Outside, smoke billowed from the courtyard. As the haze began to clear, a tall, sleek man emerged. Dressed in a sharp navy-blue suit, his blond hair slicked back, he exuded authority. His glasses glinted ominously in the sunlight.
Without hesitation, he called up to the gawking students, his voice firm and commanding. "Get down here! Class starts now."
The students didn't hesitate. One by one, they leaped from the windows of the ground-floor classroom, landing with varying degrees of grace. Once assembled in the courtyard, the man stepped forward.
"My name is Nod Ketchers. From today onward, I'm your teacher. So, you'd better behave." His voice had a rough edge, almost like a gangster's, causing a ripple of nervous energy through the crowd. "I know you're all fired up after the principal's speech, but I'm here to crush your illusions. Dreams don't become reality if you're not serious. So, you brats want to be Bagers, huh?" He smirked, a cruel gleam in his eyes. "I hope you brought extra pairs of diapers."
Who talks like that? Is he a thug or something? Varg thought to himself, eyebrows furrowed in disbelief.
Ketchers paced slowly before stopping. "Welcome to your first class: Physical Habilitation."
The students glanced at one another in confusion. A brave soul raised his hand. "Uh, sir... What's 'Physical Habilitation'?"
Ketchers grinned darkly. "It's a training program to increase your physical power... and your ability to withstand damage." He cracked his knuckles. "Basically, I'm going to beat the crap out of you."
Gasps filled the air, the shock on the students' faces unmistakable.
Without warning, Ketchers threw a punch into the stomach of the nearest student. The boy gasped for air, his face contorted in pain before he collapsed, unconscious. The next student tried to stand strong, but the same fate awaited him. One by one, they dropped like flies, unable to handle Ketchers' brutal training.
Varg watched in disbelief. "This place is nuts," he muttered under his breath. "Maybe Bager Academy isn't for me. These guys can't even take a single hit."
Then, The tiger tattoo stepped forward, his face determined. Varg couldn't help but watch closely. "Oh, here comes the tiger tattoo guy... Let's see how he handles this, he looks quite weak"
The tattooed student braced himself. Ketchers, wearing a bland expression, delivered a punch to the boy's gut. To everyone's astonishment, the student didn't fall. He stood there, unfazed.
"Hey... Did it hurt?" Ketchers asked,
The boy shrugged. "Didn't even scratch me."
Ketchers blinked, unimpressed. "Go," he said, waving him off. The boy returned to his place as murmurs of admiration rippled through the group.
A large board stood near the courtyard with two columns: one for Fallen and one for Survived. The numbers shifted. Under Survived, the number "1" appeared. Under Fallen, "24."
"Whoa... That's actually pretty cool," Varg thought, feeling a twinge of excitement. But then his heart sank as he saw his name appear next. "Oh no. It's my turn."
Sweat beaded on his forehead. His legs felt like jelly, and his stomach churned. "Oh crap, I think I peed a little," he muttered in a panic.
Reluctantly, Varg stepped forward, his face pale. Ketchers sneered at him. "Hey, fatty," he barked. "Get ready. I'm about to punch."
Varg nodded weakly, but his mind raced. Wait… I know a technique. Dad's Water Tornado... I should use it!
A flashback came to him—his father demonstrating the strange technique in bath with him. "This is called the Water Tornado, Varg," his father had said. "It creates a vortex around your belly. It could come in handy someday."
Desperate, Varg concentrated. A wind began to swirl around his stomach, circling from his belly button. Okay, here goes nothing.
Ketchers launched his punch. As it connected with Varg's belly, the vortex absorbed some of the impact, but it still hurt like hell. His insides felt like they were about to explode. "Ahh... Ahhh!" Varg gasped, barely holding on. "I... I think I survived."
But the world spun around him. His head grew light as his vision blurred. Ketchers waved him off. "Go."
Varg turned and staggered toward the crowd. The last thing he heard was the murmuring of his classmates before he collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
The board shifted again. Fallen: 46. Survived: 7.