Morning sunlight spilled through the high windows of Dormitory D-7, warm and golden, cutting across the quiet common room like a spotlight. The first rays filtered through lingering motes of dust, catching on the floating mana particles that always seemed to drift around the Academy.
Kiyoshi lay sprawled across the couch, arm dangling off the side, hair a tangled mess and one slipper half-on, half-off. Rajieru sat cross-legged on the floor, chewing a piece of dried fruit while scribbling something weird and glowing in the air with a fingertip. Celosia shuffled out of her room, wrapped in a blanket like a sentient pillow, eyes half-closed and hair completely uncooperative.
"Morning," she mumbled, heading straight for the kettle.
Rajieru didn't look up. "You say that like it's a good thing."
Kiyoshi groaned. "Tell me orientation's canceled."
"It's not," Celosia replied, still half-asleep.
"You're evil."
She blinked at him slowly. "I made tea."
"…You're forgiven."
Footsteps echoed down the hallway—then a crash.
"I'M AWAKE," came Manjiro's voice from somewhere in the back, followed by a thud and the sound of something toppling over.
Zoltan appeared moments later in the doorway with perfect posture and zero signs of fatigue. "You all look pathetic."
"You look like you've already fought three demons this morning," Kiyoshi muttered.
"I did," Zoltan replied dryly. "In my dreams."
"Of course you did."
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By midmorning, the Class D students had assembled in one of the smaller orientation fields just past the eastern gardens—a circular training plaza surrounded by low walls and enchanted trees. Floating orbs hummed lazily above the group, casting gentle light to match the rising sun.
Rin sat perched on a ledge, absentmindedly tossing pebbles into a hovering orb. Asami leaned against the wall, arms crossed and expression skeptical. Sanae was flipping through the orientation packet, frowning at the formatting. Haruki and Kotaka stood quietly near the back. Giyuu was simply there. Still, somehow, like he'd always been and never arrived.
Then—
"YO~!"
The voice boomed like sunlight itself.
From above.
"Who's ready to suffer?!"
A figure came crashing down in a flash of radiant light, flipping once in the air before landing with a perfectly timed whoosh. Dust and light scattered like confetti.
The man was tall—muscular in a lean, honed way. Short snow-white hair framed his face, though his eyes were hidden behind a sleek black blindfold. He wore a tight-fitting black shirt tucked into an elegant white hakama that fluttered slightly as he moved, paired with a black scarf coiled loosely around his neck like a rebellious accessory.
He grinned, wide and chaotic.
"Good morning, Class D! Or as I like to call you—my personal project of glorious misfits!"
Silence.
Then Rajieru clapped once. "I like him already."
Manjiro raised a hand. "Are you… our teacher?"
"You bet your baffled faces I am!"
He struck a pose, finger pointed to the sky like a cheesy hero. "Kayuki Yatan, professor of being awesome. But you can call me Sensei, Hey you, or just Don't Kill Me Please depending on how our lessons go."
Kiyoshi blinked. "…He's serious."
Celosia sipped her tea from a travel cup. "I think I like him."
Kayuki walked up and down the row of students, hands behind his back like he was inspecting a line of recruits. His energy radiated like bottled sunshine, infectiously bright but sharp underneath.
"You all ended up in D-Rank. Not because you're weak. But because the world doesn't know how strong you are yet." He stopped. Tilted his head. "Or, okay, maybe one or two of you are a little weak—but that's temporary. I fix temporary."
He turned, hands spreading wide.
"I am your homeroom teacher. Your point man. Your babysitter. Your hype-man. Your disappointment-dispenser. Your emergency medical responder. I am your guy."
He winked. "And I've already read all your files. You're not boring. Which means I won't be either."
Asami raised an eyebrow. "And what exactly will we be doing?"
"Learning," Kayuki replied. "Living. Not dying. Mastering the art of survival in a world that won't stop throwing mana beasts and political nonsense at you."
He clapped his hands.
"Today's orientation is simple. No tests, no fights. Just a good old tour, a bit of bonding, and maybe some surprise evaluations I'm not supposed to tell you about."
Sanae narrowed her eyes. "That sounds like a test."
"Exactly!" Kayuki grinned. "Now follow me, children of chaos. We're going for a walk."
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As the class followed him through the lesser-seen parts of the Academy—subterranean libraries, disused gardens laced with runes, the edge of the training grounds where the mana grew wild—there was a strange sense of unity beginning to form. Even if they didn't speak much, just moving together under the bright, ridiculous energy of Kayuki created a shared rhythm.
Kiyoshi walked near the front, hands in his pockets, quietly listening. Beside him, Celosia offered him a wrapped candy out of nowhere. Rajieru took it without asking. Kayuki was already standing on a ledge ahead, the wind catching in his scarf and making him look absurdly dramatic.
"Class D!" he called. "Let me leave you with this for today—"
He raised one glowing hand, and the sunlight bent, forming a radiant beam that split into shimmering shapes.
"You're not here because someone believes in you. You're here so you can believe in yourselves."
A pause.
"Also—don't be late tomorrow. I start at sunrise. No exceptions."
He vanished in a flash of light. Everyone stared at the spot where he'd stood.
"…He's insane," Rin said.
Manjiro grinned. "Insanely cool."
Zoltan didn't say a word. But there was a flicker of interest behind his usual blank stare.
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