The morning sun cast a golden glow over the sprawling campus of Limitless Apex Academy, a fortress of knowledge and power hidden away from the eyes of ordinary society. A grandiose gate adorned with the school's emblem stood proudly at the entrance, welcoming only those deemed worthy of its challenges. Beyond it, students gathered in clusters, each one more eccentric than the last. Some hovered in the air, others conjured flames with casual flicks of their fingers, while a few sharpened their senses, preparing for yet another day of battles and tests.
But amidst this display of power and grandeur, a single figure walked calmly down the path, entirely unremarkable to anyone passing by. A girl in the standard academy uniform, her hands tucked into her pockets, strolled with an almost lazy gait. Her expression was blank, eyes half-lidded as though she were more interested in taking a nap than attending the first day of school.
Her name was Kaiya Arashi—an ordinary-looking transfer student with an extraordinary secret.
As she crossed the threshold into the academy, a soft hum filled the air. Her eyes briefly flicked upward as a holographic screen appeared above her head, visible to everyone nearby.
Transfer Student: Kaiya Arashi
Rank: Unranked
Murmurs immediately broke out among the nearby students.
"An unranked transfer? They're really letting anyone in these days."
"She looks like she'd break if you even poked her. What a joke!"
"Must be cannon fodder for the real challenges."
Kaiya paid no attention to the whispers. She was used to it. Blending into the background was her specialty—something she'd perfected over years of dodging attention. Her goal was simple: get in, find out what she needed, and stay as invisible as possible. But Limitless Apex Academy wasn't the kind of place where invisibility was an option.
As she walked further into the school, she spotted a towering holographic billboard displaying the current top-ranked students. At the very top was a name that glowed brighter than the rest:
Rank 1: Ren Tsubasa (Student Council President)
Title: The Arbiter
Kaiya's eyes lingered on the name for a moment before she looked away, uninterested. She knew who he was—everyone did. The Student Council ruled this academy with absolute authority, and Ren Tsubasa was the king of this hill. But she had no intention of challenging that throne. Her objectives lay deeper within the school, far beyond the petty rivalries of students hungry for power.
Before she could take another step, a loud voice cut through the air, drawing the attention of everyone around.
"Hey, new girl! You look lost. How about I show you the ropes?"
Kaiya turned to see a student blocking her path. He was tall, with spiked green hair and a cocky grin plastered across his face. His entourage snickered behind him, eyes gleaming with excitement. He was clearly one of the rank-seeking hotshots eager to prove themselves by picking on easy targets.
His name flashed above his head:
Rank 53: Jin Saito
Ability: Stone Fist
Kaiya sighed inwardly. It was too early in the day to deal with this nonsense.
"I'm good," she replied flatly, trying to walk past him.
But Jin wasn't one to let a potential victim slip away so easily. "Hold up, transfer. You see, we have this little tradition here where new students have to prove themselves. If you want to walk these halls without getting crushed, you'll need to show us what you've got."
Kaiya's eyes narrowed slightly. She could tell from the malicious gleam in his eyes that this wasn't a friendly challenge. Jin was aiming to humiliate her in front of everyone.
"I'm not interested in fighting," she said, her voice still calm.
"That's too bad, because I am!" Jin raised his fist, and it immediately turned to solid stone, doubling in size as he activated his ability. The ground beneath his feet cracked from the sheer weight of his transformed hand.
The crowd cheered, eager for a show. After all, the academy thrived on these displays of power.
Kaiya took a deep breath. So much for keeping a low profile.
"All right, fine." She pulled her hands out of her pockets and stretched lazily. "But don't say I didn't warn you."
Jin laughed. "Big talk for someone unranked. Let's see how you handle—"
Before he could finish, Kaiya moved. In a single fluid motion, she stepped into his space, dodging his stone fist by mere millimeters. The speed of her movement was so sudden that the crowd gasped, struggling to keep up.
"Too slow," she muttered.
Jin's eyes widened in shock as he felt a sharp pain in his gut. Kaiya had delivered a precise jab to his abdomen, targeting the exact spot where his transformation hadn't fully hardened. He staggered back, clutching his stomach, the stone fist cracking from the backlash.
"How…?" Jin stammered, disbelief plastered across his face.
Kaiya's eyes gleamed with an intensity that hadn't been there before. "You think brute strength is all it takes to win? You're predictable. The moment you activated your ability, I could see every move you were going to make."
Jin gritted his teeth in anger and charged at her again, but this time Kaiya didn't even need to dodge. Her body shimmered briefly as her skin took on a metallic sheen, countering Jin's next punch with ease. The stone fist shattered completely on impact.
"Impossible…" Jin whispered as he fell to the ground, defeated.
The crowd fell silent. Whispers spread like wildfire.
"Did you see that? She adapted to his attack instantly!"
"What kind of ability is that?"
"Is she… a monster?"
Kaiya took a step back, her metallic skin reverting to normal. She glanced down at Jin, who was groaning in pain, and shrugged. "Next time, pick your fights more carefully."
She turned and walked away, leaving the crowd stunned and murmuring. She knew that her little display would draw attention, but it was too late to change that now. In a place like Limitless Apex Academy, even a brief moment of weakness would spell disaster.
Unbeknownst to her, a figure watched from a nearby rooftop, arms crossed. Ren Tsubasa, the Student Council President, smirked as he observed the scene below.
"Interesting," he mused to himself. "It seems the new anomaly has finally arrived. Things are about to get very… entertaining."