POV: Rai Shinsei
After leaving the boy's dormitory, I began heading towards the academy as I looked upwards into the sky and sighed.
It's surreal to believe that I'm actually attending a hero academy.
Just a few weeks ago, I-
Disrupting my thoughts were none other than three students, who were bullying another student under one of the many white cherry blossom trees that was scattered across the academy.
The three bullies all wore the standard school uniform, which was very similar to my own with the exception of a gray blazer, which they wore loosely.
As for the student they were bullying, the boy had a warm ivory complexion with messy gunmetal hair and black rimmed glasses framed around his dull gray eyes that lacked vitality.
The boy also wore the standard school uniform as his clothes were sullied from the bullies kicking him around across the ground.
Out of curiosity, I glanced around to see if there were any bystanders and to my surprise, there were at least a dozen of them as a few of them even recorded the fight with their phones while the others laughed among their friends.
Instead of helping or calling for a teacher, they rather sit here and watch their fellow classmate get beaten into oblivion.
Even at a prestigious hero academy, it's still the same.
I clicked my tongue in annoyance from the bystanders' actions as I began walking towards the trio of bullies, who relentlessly stomped on the defenseless boy.
POV: Everett Laventh
"What's wrong, Everett!? Did you finally regain your sanity after talking back to me!?" Jordan yelled while the three of them unleashed their wrath upon me as I questioned my own existence.
What did I do to deserve this?
Was it wrong for me to ask for forgiveness?
All I wanted to do was become a hero and yet, I'm criticized for my actions and reminded everyday how much of a failure I am.
Fighting back is pointless since I'm barely stronger than a normal human.
All I can do now is pray since nobody cares to help a low-ranker like myself anyways.
"I'm sorry." I mumbled hopelessly as Jordan gritted his teeth in exasperation.
"What did you say?!" Jordan asked as he picked me up by the collar of my shirt and activated his Aspect, releasing his Aspectual Force in the midst as I struggled persistently to free myself from his firm grasp.
"Speak up, Everett. I would love to hear what you just said!" Jordan added with a malicious grin as he clenched his fist and punched my face in delight, sending me tumbling backwards across the ground until I crashed into a tree with blood trickling from my nose.
It seems I'll be heading back to the infirmary.
As Jordan approached me, I closed my eyes and raised my guard as I braced myself for Jordan's next attack, but to my surprise, his attack never came as I opened my eyes to a boy, who held back Jordan's wrist with a poised demeanor.
There was an enigmatic air surrounding the boy as he stood a few inches taller than me with an ivory complexion, tousled, yet curly black hair with bangs that ended just below his ears and distinctive blue eyes that resembled a reflection of the sky itself.
"Who the hell are you?" Jordan asked, vexed from the boy's sudden intervention as he tried to intimidate the boy with a glare, but his attempt was to no avail as the boy remained unfazed.
"A student just like yourself." The boy replied casually as he pulled Jordan towards him and kneed him in his abdomen, causing Jordan to cough up saliva as the boy then kicked Jordan's bottom, sending him stumbling forward as I overheard a few of the bystanders snickering at Jordan.
"Andy and Seth. Make sure he regrets his actions for the rest of his life!" Jordan demanded furiously, flustered from the bystanders' mockery as his lackeys activated their Aspects and released their Aspectual Force towards the boy, who remained calm as he placed his hands into his pockets while the two of them rushed towards him.
Andy approached the boy first and threw a wide right swing towards the boy's face, however, the boy weaved his attack effortlessly as he swept Andy off the ground and glared down at him in disappointment.
"You're a coward." The boy remarked as he smashed his foot onto Andy's face, burying his head into the earth below as Andy lost consciousness in the midst, silencing the bystanders as Jordan began watching the boy cautiously while Seth stopped in place with cold sweat beading across his forehead.
He overpowered him without using an Aspect?!
The boy then shifted his gaze towards Seth and began advancing towards him, but despite having the advantage of an Aspect, Seth began stepping backwards for every step the boy took towards him with fear written visibly across his face as his cowardice prompted a contemptuous grin from the boy.
"What's wrong? You look like you're about to piss yourself." The boy asked mockingly, provoking Seth, who clenched his jaw in frustration as veins began to form across his forehead.
"SHUT YOUR MOUTH!" Seth bellowed in anger as he rushed towards the boy and tried to punch his face, however, the boy weaved his attack with a swift side step as he landed a hook kick into Seth's jaw, knocking Seth unconscious as he collapsed forward onto the ground while the boy's actions left the bystanders astonished.
Even though he's outnumbered against empowered students, he's defeating them with ease without even using an Aspect!
Who is this boy?
POV: Jordan Fuchai
Seth and Andy were taken out without any difficulty at all.
I don't know who the hell this guy is, but he's obviously skilled in hand-to-hand combat, but despite your talents…
I'm not like those two idiots who rushed you-
"You're thinking too hard." The boy said as he suddenly appeared beside me with his hand placed on my shoulder.
When did he-
As his inconceivable speed startled me, I immediately retaliated with a sharp uppercut into his chin, however, the boy caught my fist with his hand as he glared intensely into my eyes while I struggled to overpower him, despite my Aspect enhancing my raw power.
This is getting ridiculous.
Not only was I unable to perceive his movement earlier, but you're telling me that he's able to overpower me without even using his Aspect?!
"What do you gain from bullying the weak?" He asked as he pointed his fingers towards my chest with his off-hand and landed a one-inch punch, seizing my breath as I slid backwards across the ground while every advancing step the boy took towards me exuded confidence.
There's no way I'm losing to a guy without an Aspect!
I glanced around in a panic and noticed several students recording the fight with their phones as my heart raced with anticipation of being humiliated.
No, I refuse to let him humiliate me anymore!
I rushed towards the boy with a barrage of punches towards his face, but despite my relentless attempt, the boy weaved through every punch until he eventually ducked under my overextended arm and swept me off the ground with a swift low sweep, sending me face-first into the ground as I felt the boy's gaze of pity seeping through the back of my skull.
I may not be the strongest noble, but I still have noble blood running through my veins nonetheless.
I was blessed with a superior body since birth, so how…
I cursed aloud, slamming both of my fists onto the ground as I jumped up from the ground with the intention of striking the boy's face, however, the boy weaved under my attack, stepping forward in the midst as he landed a sharp uppercut into my abdomen, causing me to spew out saliva as he then grabbed the bangs of my hair and smashed his knee into my face.
How am I losing to you?!
As blood gushed from my nose, the boy released his grasp from my hair and dropped me onto the ground as he began walking away with his hands inside his pockets while I slowly picked myself up from the ground, observing the boy's back as his arrogant demeanor further enraged me.
"You can deny it all you want, but deep down, you know that you don't stand a chance against me." The boy said nonchalantly as he turned around to face me while I wiped the blood trickling from my nose.
"Who are you? I've never seen you at this academy before. Are you a new student?" I questioned, however, the boy ignored me as he began walking towards me, prompting me to raise my guard as I watched the boy's every movement with intense focus.
As he approached me, I quickly stepped forward and tried to land a right hook into his jaw, but despite what I assumed was impeccable timing, I suddenly began falling towards the ground as my consciousness faded away in the midst.
I didn't even see his attack-
POV: Everett Laventh
The bystanders surrounding the fight remained silent as the boy's display of strength left them in awe.
Defeating three students isn't much of an achievement, although, defeating three empowered students without the use of your own Aspect is a different story.
What did he just do?
His foot moved so fast that I couldn't even see his attack, nonetheless…
He defeated Jordan and his lackeys without even being touched.
Is it even possible for me to become as strong as him?
As I tried to imagine myself attaining a level of strength on par with the boy's, he shifted his attention towards me and began approaching me as my heart raced with anticipation.
I need to calm down.
He just saved me from Jordan and his friends, so unless he's a psychopath, there's no way he would hurt me.
"You okay?" The boy asked with concern as he crouched down to match my height.
"Y-Yeah, I'm fine." I replied awkwardly as the boy examined my injuries.
"I'm assuming this is an everyday thing for you, right?" The boy asked as I confirmed with a nod.
"I see." The boy said with sympathy as he stood from the ground and extended his hand towards me, offering to help me up from the ground.
I accepted his hand as he pulled me up from the ground before handing me my glasses.
"You know, you could have won if you actually tried to fight back." The boy said as his statement left me baffled while I placed the frame of my broken glasses onto my face.
Does he think that I'm strong?
"Oh, I'm not strong at all. In fact, I'm actually the weakest student in the entire academy. I've already tried fighting back and all that led to was more suffering. Unfortunately effort doesn't matter in the face of power." I replied with a sheepish laugh as I recalled every time I've been bullied by Jordan and his friends.
The results are always the same, regardless of my actions.
"You couldn't be more wrong. You never actually tried, have you?" The boy asked as his vague questions vexed me.
"You may have fought back, but you gave up after realizing you're weaker than them, right?" The boy added as I clicked my tongue in frustration, despite the boy's generous actions earlier.
"Of course I did! I kept trying and trying and eventually, I lost hope and gave up because there's no reason to piss them off even more if it just leads to more suffering! I'm not as strong as you or anybody else in this academy." I replied irritably as the boy pointed his finger towards my heart.
"That's your problem. No matter how weak you are or if the situation seems hopeless, don't ever give up. If they beat you into the ground, you get back up and try again. It's better to lose knowing you gave it your all than to surrender in the face of despair." The boy said as he moved his finger from my chest and onto my forehead.
"The real battle isn't what's in front of you, but inside you. If you're able to overcome that, then you'll never lose again." The boy added with a genuine smile as he turned around and began heading towards the academy while his words of motivation left me amazed.
Who is this boy?
With the exception of my best friend, Jeffery and the Student Council President, Aria, no one bothered to care about my existence ever since I enrolled into this academy, but he was different.
He's stronger than I can imagine and yet, he stepped in and saved me without wanting anything in return.
I have to at least thank him!
I began chasing after him until I eventually caught up to him and grabbed his shoulder, causing him to turn around with his eyebrows raised as I gathered my breath.
"I'm sorry, but may I ask what your name is? I never got a chance to thank you-"
"It's Rai." He replied with a soft smile as he continued heading towards the academy while I couldn't help but admire his strength and kindness.
He really is different from everyone else.