My day started at eight. I might have overslept a little bit since I wasn''t allowed to go on my usual exercise routine, it didn''t matter.


    For the first time I stood in line for a shower, I had the time. More like I had no other choice, but oh well.


    It took only one hour, lucky me. I didn''t feel lucky though.


    I had breakfast in the cafeteria and reached my ss with five minutes to spare.


    As usual, Marg wasn''t in here. This kind of became the new norm nowadays.


    I took my seat and Miss Maire arrived soon afterward.


    "Well, take your seats. Today, we''ll learn about what we know about Sylvanide, its chemical properties and such." She looked around the ss. "Now, who can tell me what it is?"


    My hand rose before anyone else''s.


    "Go ahead."


    ''What the hell?'' I never studied that stuff, how the hell was I supposed to know?


    And not to mention what the hell was wrong with my subconscious? Why was it raising my hands randomly?


    I took a deep breath and emptied my mind. "Sylvanide first came to this through the meteor impact but weter discovered it around the sr system and beyond. It''s mostly pure Xercium, but sometimes found mixed with iron, nickel, and titanium."


    It was probably just gibberish. I didn''t know if anyone got that or not, or if it was even right. Well, I certainly didn''t get what I said.


    And why the hell was everyone paying so much attention to me. I already felt like I was taking a shower, I was that wet.


    I was also preparing myself for the iingughs and belittlement.


    "Bravo. Three credits for you. You''re finally taking this seriously." Miss Maire smiled. "Take your seat."


    ''Wait, what?''


    ''What the hell did I just say? What the hell did she just say!'' More importantly, how''d I know?


    I thought the whole instilling thing was a failure. But I remembered?


    What the hell?


    What the hell indeed.


    I took more deep breaths.


    "Well, looks like you really are taking this more seriously than I thought." A whisper came from behind me.


    I took a nce and Marg was there. ''When the hell did you get here?''


    Okay, maybe suffering that hell for seven hours wasn''t a bad thing after all. At least I had a shot at impressing Marg.


    I didn''t know how much I could recall, but I didn''t want to push it either.


    So, I yed it safe and answered every single one of Miss Maire''s next questions throughout the ss. Honestly, I didn''t know what was wrong with me anymore.


    Which part of this wasying low, my brain? Huh?


    It sure didn''t answer me.


    I got more res than ever as she praised me more and at the same time belittled everyone else.


    Why was this happening to me?


    I never wanted this kind of attention!


    I even got seven more credits!


    Sigh.


    sses ended around 3. And yes, every single ss went like this. In just one day, I was the favorite of all the teachers. I even got close to ten credits in all the subjects.


    At this point, I already crossed the four stages of grief and was currently hovering near stage five. epting all this was the only way forward.


    But asionally, I remembered Marg''s words and felt great about myself.


    ***


    I took another shower at the dorm. I wasn''t taking any more chances, no sir.


    It was past lunchtime but I''d still bought some fried chicken and came back to the dorm. Was I just ruining my health?


    Did you even have to ask?


    All this walking around was probably burning more calories though.


    Right?


    "By the way, you checked the match order yet?"


    As I entered my room, someone rained his wisdom upon me, while also keeping his eyes peeled on his Holo.


    "No, not really." I didn''t have the time to see how many matches I had in the first ce, let alone the order of things.


    I dropped the small stic bag full of chicken on the table and lied down solidly. Even now, my fatigue level was still high. When the hell was I going to be fully cured?


    I did feel a lot better than before though. I roughly had a bit more than half of my stamina. Meaning, I needed at least two or three more days of proper rest to fully restore my health.


    "Well, you might wanna, because you''re not gonna like it."


    "Why are you talking like that?"


    Whenever Merin''s speech became weird, it was always trouble, trouble for me that is.


    I bought out the schedule on my Holo and boy was Merin right: I did not like this.


    "I have seven matches tomorrow? Seriously?" And not to mention there were only ten minutes intervals between the fights.


    Well, there went my chance to rest and recover.


    "You''re fighting the seventh assuming you win all six before it. And there''s also a rumor going around that they might make it a battle royal to make up for the extra time. Just a rumor though."


    If there was a rumor then there was a chance, because anything could have happened in this damn ce.


    With a sigh, I sat tight and bit into the chicken breast. It was soggy. I heated it up a little but still soggy. "Life''s a drag."


    Sigh.


    "If you sigh too much-"


    "I know. Been hearing that for thest two decades."


    Merin started to chuckle haphazardly. The guy had way too much free time for all this.


    I still ate the chicken though and drank some water. Sadly, no chocte milk.


    ***


    I headed out in the evening for a walk. I couldn''t exercise but I could at least walk around. It was better than sitting ducks like Merin. Lately, the guy was picking up more and more weight. But then again it was his problem and no matter how I saw it, I couldn''t just butt in.


    "Hey, did you hear that-"


    "Yeah, let''s go!"


    Students around me were running and no one was exining anything to me.


    It was almost nighttime and the whole ce was lit up- the usual way.


    For the first time, I was a spectator today, so figured. Why not?


    Why shouldn''t I, be one with the crowd?


    I kind of wanted to chuckle at the irony and I did too.


    I walked casually and followed the running students. Things were too boring for me anyway.


    As I walked towards the source, I saw more and more students doing the same. I guess something rather serious, or perhaps interesting was happening. Probably a fight. Definitely a fight.


    It had nothing to do with me, so nothing stopped me from at least seeing who was fighting. After all, no matter how much I preached I didn''t want trouble, in the end, if one of my friends were in trouble, I always acted on impulse anyway.


    When I finally reached the source, there was a huge crowd. I was toozy to shove past them all. So I did what any intellectual would do at a time like this.


    Start asking.


    "Hey, what''s happening here?"


    "A Romswell and a Battlesuin are-" The guy took a look at my face and kind of ran away screaming.


    Was I that scary?


    I sighed. I didn''t care about Battlesuins, but a Romswell? ''She isn''t here, again, is she?''


    Elsa wasn''t that dumb, but she already did something rather stupid before, so I couldn''t take my chances.


    "Coming through!"


    It took a minute but I got through the crowd and reached the front. People kind of gave me space the moment they saw my face.


    I was utterly disappointed.


    "Prepare to meet your demise Vixen!" The guy said. I knew him pretty well. His nails were like des and so was the rest of his body. Every single part of his body could cut things. And that wasn''t the worst part about that power of his. His real power was his strength.


    How''d I know?


    I''d experienced it, firsthand.


    "In your dreams, goat!" The womanughed. I actually didn''t know her. She did look awfully familiar though. And she was basically just blitzing around, from space to space. At first nce, it looked like teleportation, but it probably wasn''t.


    "Hi. Can you two stop?"


    "Hey who the hell do you-" The guy was about tosh out on me but stopped when he saw my face. "Oh, it''s Helio." He came close to me and ruffled my hair. "Long time no see." His goatee was annoying as ever and I hated his prickly voice.


    "Get your hands off me! And what are you doing here! And why are you fighting!" I took a good look. The guy actually looked a bit thinner than before. And more importantly- "Hey, you''re actually wearing shirts for a change."


    He startedughing. "Came here to see my nephew fight, what''s wrong with that?" Heughed harder. "What you wanted to see my lovely body! I''ll be happy to-"


    Apparently, Uncle ke was here, thest person I wanted to meet.


    "I''ll pass." The mere thought was enough to give me shivers. "We both know, you aren''t here for that," I mumbled at looked at the girl who he was fighting with.


    She came towards me and in a sh second, closed in on the gap. Her eyes were literally centimeters away from mine. Red velvet eyes. I knew them. I saw them before. There was no doubt about it, this girl was from that time when I first woke up in that white room. She was the one who sealed my powers, Hyora Battlesuin. "We meet atst. You''ve grown since I''vest met you." Before she could touch my face, uncle, literally, almost cut her in half with his fingers. He missed as she warped back.


    I took a deep breath. "I don''t know why you two are here or are fighting but try not to create problems for the academy."


    "Hey, don''t say that," Uncle spoke like he was talking to a baby. I really hated that about him. "Anyway, I''ll be staying with the principal. Cya tomorrow." Heughed some more and started to walk out. But before all that. "Be wary of that vixen," He whispered.


    Yeah, he didn''t have to tell me twice.


    And he''d leave just like that? He didn''t even bother to tell me what he was doing here.


    The vixen in question smiled gracefully. In a sense, she really looked very familiar: she actually looked a lot like Rin. Her mother maybe?


    It was almost as though I''d known her for a long time. I didn''t care though. The mere fact that mom suffered because of her, was enough to make me want to destroy her this instant. But I had to persevere.


    I didn''t want to make a scene here, right now, while I was still weak and not while there were people still here.


    She didn''t say a word and started to walk in the opposite direction to uncle.


    ''Well, this won''t end well.''