Mikado Jun’s gaze swept over the room like a blade, pausing on each student as if weighing them, measuring something invisible behind their eyes.

Some students sat straight, trying to hide their nervousness. Others looked away, already regretting whatever brought them here. A few, like the rich girl from the bus simply smirked, thinking she's above it all.

Rin sat at the back row, his posture calm, but his pulse ticking faster with every second. Combat Awareness? The words sounded almost absurd in a classroom setting, but from the way Mikado carried himself, he wasn't joking.

Let me be clear, Mikado continued, his voice flat. I don’t care about your grades. I don’t care about your money. In here, none of that matters.

He walked from the podium, pacing slowly between the desks. Some of you think this is a normal school with a few unique policies. Some of you think you can coast your way to Class A because mommy or daddy holds a few school shares.”

His eyes flicked briefly toward the rich girl.

But in this class… He stopped. We strip all of that away.

He turned and walked back to the podium.

Then the ground rumbled.

A sharp, mechanical click echoed through the room.

Gasps filled the air as the floor just in front of the the podium parted, and with a soft hiss of pressurized steam, a sleek metallic staircase rose from beneath, revealing a spiral descent lit with blue light strips on either side.

A few students leaned forward in shock. Even the more composed ones visibly tensed.

What… the hell? someone muttered.

Follow the lights, Mikado said coolly, as if this was all routine. You’ve got ten seconds before I start deducting points.

Nobody moved at first.

Then someone stood, then another and the room flooded with the sound of scraping chairs and hurried footsteps.

Rin rose, slinging his bag over one shoulder. As he moved, he caught sight of that same girl who’d spoken to him earlier,the one who transferred from the unknown Tokyo school. She was already walking, calm as ever, hands behind her back.

He was shocked that she didn't hurry like everyone else.

---

Under Seiryuu Academy 

The tunnel smelled of ozone and dust. It opened up into an underground facility built beneath the academy a place most students wouldn’t even know existed. The walls were reinforced with sleek white panels, like something out of a research lab.

As Class D descended into the tunnel, the light from the classroom faded behind them, replaced by a low hum of underground machinery and flickering blue strips lining the walls. The ceiling narrowed slightly, and the stairwell eventually leveled out into a long, metallic hallway that seemed to stretch endlessly forward.

Their shoes clacked against the steel floor.

Then, click one flashlight turned on.

Then another.

Dozens of small beams pierced the darkness, cutting through the shadows like spears. The walls were smooth, lined with pipes and faded warning signs. It smelled of rust and something faintly metallic… like blood that had dried long ago.

Then came the whispers.

Is this… underground? 

No way this is legal.

Bro, are we being sent into a dungeon?!

This can’t be part of the curriculum…

Yo, this is giving horror movie vibes…

Don’t jinx it, idiot.

The silence began to break.

One of the boys near the back chuckled nervously, his light shaking slightly in his hand. If a zombie jumps out, I’m pushing Haruto first.

You wish, Haruto shot back. I’ll trip you and run.

Someone ahead snorted. I swear if this place has traps, I’m transferring.

Another whispered dramatically, And thus, Class D was never seen again…

Rin thought to himself, if this is just day one… what the hell does the end of the year look like?

Before they knew it they had reached the center of the arena..

“This,” Mikado’s voice echoed as he stood at the center, is where we separate the capable from the deluded.

He raised a hand, and the floor shuddered.

Panels parted with a sharp hiss, revealing a grid of circular zones across the chamber. Each marked by a glowing ring of light.

You will each be placed into a match. One-on-one. No tricks. No safety nets. You are free to defend yourself using instinct, intelligence, or anything you’ve got.

Students whispered nervously.

Each ring will activate when two students stand inside. Your goal? He smiled without warmth. Don’t get knocked out.

One boy raised a hand. What if we don’t know how to fight?

Mikado stared at him. Then you learn. Or lose.

The silence afterward was suffocating.

Pairings will be random for now. After that, your performance will determine your true placement.

A mechanical hum echoed above them.

The high ceiling of the underground arena flickered to life, and a sleek digital screen descended like a judgment from the heavens. Its glow bathed the room in blue light. One by one, names began to flash—matchups displayed in stark, unforgiving white letters.

A collective hush fell over the students. The moment had arrived.

The screen pulsed.

MATCH 1

Akari Minowa 

vs.

Mai Shinonome 

The tension spiked immediately. Akari’s eyes narrowed. Her opponent, tall and graceful with a dangerous glint behind her lashes, flipped her hair with practiced indifference.

MATCH 2

Kenji Maburo 

vs.

Renji Okabe 

Kenji’s glasses slid down his nose as he stared at the name. and he gulped.

MATCH 3

Rin Akagari

vs.

Leoric Vantare 

A hush swept through the arena.

Rin’s name flickered beside the boy who radiated danger—silver hair like cold steel and a grin that promised pain. Leoric tilted his head toward Rin across the chamber, smiling like he’d waited his whole life for this.

MATCH 4

Haruto Tengen 

vs.

Raiden Kurosawa 

Raiden cracked his knuckles, while Haruto sighed deeply, already regretting everything.

MATCH 5

Naoya Ishikawa 

vs.

Shun Kagemura 

Two shadows in a quiet duel.

MATCH 6

Makoto Fujiwara 

vs.

Iori Seijuro 

Iori Seijuro Wears a blindfold, and has been blind since birth. He is from a Noble family, one that is higher than the Vantare's Household.

MATCH 7

Tetsuya Rindo 

vs.

Tetsuya Koma 

The quietest boy vs. the most dangerous unknown.

MATCH 8

Asuka Morishita 

vs.

Mei Yonazaki 

Asuka’s eyes lifted toward the screen, a faint smile on her lips as if this was all part of her plan. Her opponent—tall, composed, carrying the quiet calm of someone who never missed their mark—tightened his wrist guard and stared back.

Rin could almost feel the weight of someone watching him and when he looked up, there he was.

Kaito stood on the far side of the arena with rem and his class mates, already stepping toward the spectator seats.

His eyes locked with Rin’s, and he smiled.

Rin’s heart ticked faster. 

Oh, and before i forget.....Mikado said, his grin stretching wide, laced with something unsettling. You won’t be fighting your classmates. No, no, no—where’s the fun in that?

[ Author's note: Everyone in class D thought that the names listed to spar with them were are also class D ]

He chuckled, low and deliberate, the kind that made a few students stiffen.

We like to keep things interesting here at Seiryuu.

He turned slightly, eyes gleaming.

You’ll be facing your true competition, Class C.

The words dropped like a stone, echoing through the chamber.

Yes… today, Class D and Class C will go head-to-head.

while Class B and Class A will be the judges.

His gaze swept the students below, feeding off their tension.

Let’s see if you can survive your very first taste of suffering. Mikado said with a grin.