Chapter 9: Entrance VI
Yosen Magic Affiliated College – After Classes
It was only the first day, but the exhaustion in the air was palpable.
Some students dragged their feet across the corridors, their energy drained from the day's relentless activities.
Others simply stared blankly, overwhelmed by the harsh realities of Yosen's expectations.
They had all been advised to head home and prepare for tomorrow, where the real grind would begin.
"Fuu..."
Damian slung his bag over his shoulder, followed closely by Shane and Kaiden, both mimicking his movements with a shared sluggishness.
Enma, of course, had already left to handle his Student Council business—duties that none of the other brothers wanted any part of.
Shane let out a frustrated groan, rubbing his temples as if to physically squeeze out the stress that had taken root there.
"That depressed instructor..." he muttered irritably.
For someone used to taking things easy and only exerting himself when necessary, the sudden attention he'd garnered today was far too much.
Damian raised a brow at him. "Shane, you okay?"
"Do I look okay?" Shane deadpanned.
Damian chuckled, though he didn't press further.
Shane had a tendency to deflate fast, and poking the bear would only make things worse.
Once their bags were packed, the three brothers strolled out of the classroom, ready to call it a day.
"Hello. Damian Creed."
The voice came from just outside the door.
All three brothers turned in unison to find Ayaka Tendou standing there, her light-blue hair catching the evening sun.
"Tendou?"
Damian tilted his head, though Shane and Kaiden both leaned in slightly, curiosity piqued.
"Can I speak with you for a moment?"
A ripple of surprise ran through the group.
Even Kaiden, whose attention was solely on his book, ignoring most matters, raised an eyebrow in genuine interest.
"Hoho~? Well, Kaiden."
Shane said, a mischievous grin spreading across his face as he nudged his brother.
"Looks like someone's getting confessed to."
Kaiden gave a solemn nod, playing along.
"It's only the first day, and Damian's already moving fast."
Damian ran a hand down his face in exasperation.
"If you two are done..."
Shane gave him a mock salute. "Say no more, dear brother. We'll leave you to your moment."
He dragged Kaiden along with him, the two of them grinning like cats who'd cornered a mouse.
Ayaka tilted her head, completely missing the innuendo.
"Confession? What do they mean by that?"
"Forget about it," Damian muttered with a sigh. "They're idiots."
With the peanut gallery gone, Damian turned his attention back to Ayaka.
"Alright. What did you want to talk about?"
"You," Ayaka said bluntly, catching Damian slightly off guard.
She gave him no time to respond before continuing. "I want to become stronger. Teach me."
Damian blinked, clearly not expecting that request.
For a moment, he studied her face, curious but not disapproving.
"Sure," he said with a casual shrug. "During sparring sessions, we can use the time to train."
Ayaka gave a small bow. "Thank you."
"Ngh... It's no big deal," Damian replied, waving her gratitude away.
But after a brief pause, he added.
"I'm surprised, though. Most students express hostility toward us openly. I figured you'd be the same."
Ayaka paused, as if thinking it over. Then, with the same calm demeanor, she answered.
"Rather than waste time expressing such tosomeone stronger than me, it's more productive to learn from them."
She looked Damian in the eyes, her expression unflinching. "That's what I believe."
Damian chuckled softly, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "I see."
He turned, waving over his shoulder without looking back. "See you around, Tendou."
…
As Damian descended the stairs toward the ground floor, he spotted Shane and Kaiden waiting at the bottom, leaning against the wall.
"Hn. As expected of Damian," Shane muttered to himself, nodding in mock approval.
"Rizz level: 100. Truly unstoppable."
Kaiden adjusted his glasses, the lenses catching the light with a sharp gleam.
"Indeed. And it's only day one. Impressive."
"What are you two doing?" Damian asked flatly, narrowing his eyes at his brothers.
The two younger Creeds exchanged glances, completely unbothered by Damian's irritation.
"Shut it, both of you." Damian muttered, walking past them.
But as he did, Shane's teasing grin faded, replaced by an unusually serious expression.
"How unusual."
Shane said quietly, the air shifting around him.
Even Kaiden's demeanor turned serious.
"You taking an interest in that girl, that is."
Despite the sudden change in atmosphere, Damian remained unfazed.
"I took an interest in her. Is that a problem?"
Shane blinked, his usual playfulness returning. "Hmm… I see. It must be that case."
"What case?" Damian asked, narrowing his eyes.
"Oh, you know," Kaiden chimed in with a rare smirk. "It's that."
"What the hell are you two mumbling about?"
Damian muttered, his lips twitching.
Before either brother could continue, as they approached the entrance to the student building.
A forgotten familiar voice called out to them.
"Damian, Shane, Kaiden!"
The three brothers turned to find Lucas standing awkwardly in the doorway, clutching his bag.
"Oh. It's Lussac."
"It's Lussac."
Lucas groaned, rubbing his forehead in frustration.
"It's Lucas. For the last time, my name is Lucas!"
Shane waved him off, grinning ear to ear.
"Sure thing, Lussac. So... How was your day?"
Lucas groaned again, clearly regretting his life choices… again.
A Few Hours Earlier – Class F
"The reason all of you are in this class..."
The instructor's voice was sharp and filled with disdain, cutting through the air like a whip.
"...is because, compared to the other classes, you're all trash."
The words hit the students like a slap to the face. Several flinched, others scowled.
Lucas, standing near the back, rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.
The instructor continued without missing a beat.
"You've passed the assessment portion, but here at Yosen, we focus on real survival."
"Out there, it's about monsters and practical combat, not book smarts."
He scanned the room, his gaze cold.
"So. Let's say you encounter an Orc... but it's stronger than a normal Orc. What's it called?"
The room fell silent, save for the occasional shuffle of glances.
"Mutation."
Lucas muttered under his breath, but unfortunately for him, the instructor caught on to his words.
"Correct. One point for the transfer student."
Lucas shrank a little under the sudden attention.
The instructor then continued.
"Just like how some Awakeners can enhance their abilities beyond that of what they're capable of—Modifiers."
"Monsters can undergo mutations, becoming stronger than their baseline classification."
With a sharp clap, the instructor barked, "Now pair up and fight. I want to see what kind of trash I'm dealing with."
The rest of the day in Class F had been... less than ideal.
For many students, the excitement of enrolling in Yosen quickly faded, replaced by harsh reality.
In a place like this, strength ruled—if you didn't have it, you were nothing.
…
Back in the present, Lucas scratched the back of his head sheepishly as Shane gave him an exaggerated thumbs-up.
"Ah, Lussac," Shane said, patting Lucas's shoulder. "You've grown so much. All thanks to Damian's killer training."
Lucas laughed awkwardly. "I... wouldn't go that far."
Just then, Enma appeared, his expression as neutral as ever.
"What happened?" Enma asked.
"Let's see," Kaiden replied seriously.
"Damian got confessed to, and Lucas is the pride of Class F."
"Pfft—Damian got confessed to!?" Lucas practically shouted that out loud.
"Hngh. That's not true, Kaiden. What are you even saying?" Damian sighed.
"Oh, so that's how it is," Enma said, his tone perfectly deadpan.
"Enma, don't just say that with a straight face."
Before the teasing could escalate further, Shane cut in with a sly grin. "By the way—"
"—Shane, shut it!" Damian snapped, cutting him off.