Chapter 2: Welcome to Hell (Also Known as School)
Hunter Academies were fortresses disguised as schools.
Massive walled institutions built to train the next generation of warriors, each one designed to weed out the weak. The only way in was through birthright, talent, or raw luck.
I had none of those.
Which meant I needed a new identity.
<hr>
Breaking In Like a Genius (or an Idiot)
There were two main ways to enter Arkadia Hunter Academy:
<ol>
<li>Official Enrollment – Available only to those who pass the Entrance Trials or come from Hunter families.</li>
<li>Transfer Program – Theoretically open to anyone… if you had the right paperwork.</li>
</ol>
I had neither.
What I did have was a stolen uniform, a forged ID, and a level of confidence that bordered on self-destruction.
The ID was easy enough—one of the lower-ranked students had a bad habit of leaving their bag unattended. A few modifications, and now, Tatsuya Vael didn’t exist.
In his place?
Kuro Hoshigaki. Rank: C. Class: Phantom Duelist.
Completely fake, obviously. But as long as no one looked too closely at my records, I’d be fine.
Probably.
I took a slow breath, rolling my shoulders. The academy gates loomed ahead, lined with security drones and rune barriers.
No turning back now.
Time to be a student.
<hr>
The Rival Appears
I barely made it five steps past the gates before someone decided I didn’t belong.
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
"Hey. You."
The voice carried the kind of natural authority that made people turn their heads.
I didn’t have to look to know this was going to be a problem.
Still, I turned.
Standing in the middle of the courtyard was a guy who looked like he had walked out of a Hunter recruitment poster.
Tall, broad-shouldered, the perfect balance between noble arrogance and sheer talent. His uniform was pristine, his movements sharp—like someone who had been raised with a sword in one hand and the world in the other.
And his expression?
Pure disgust.
"I don’t recognize you."
Well. That made two of us.
"Cool," I said, already moving past him. "I don’t recognize you either."
A hand gripped my shoulder.
I froze.
He was fast. Not normal-student fast. Hunter-fast.
The crowd around us stopped to watch.
"Name," he demanded.
I glanced at the ID clipped to my uniform. "Kuro Hoshigaki."
His eyes narrowed. "Never heard of you."
"Well, I don’t go around introducing myself to self-important rich kids, so that makes sense."
A few students nearby gasped. Someone choked on their drink.
For a second, the guy just stared at me.
Then—
He laughed.
Not the kind of laugh that meant he found it funny. The kind that said, I am absolutely going to ruin your life.
"Listen, Kuro," he said, voice dropping into something quieter. More dangerous. "I don’t know how you got into this school, but I’ll make this simple."
His grip on my shoulder tightened.
"I don’t like weaklings. Stay out of my way."
I sighed. "See, that would be easier if you weren’t literally grabbing me."
His eyes flashed.
The next second, I felt his aura spike—a pressure that pressed against my skin, heavy and suffocating.
This wasn’t just arrogance.
This guy was strong.
And worse? He was testing me.
I met his gaze, keeping my expression bored.
"Can I go now, or are we holding hands forever?"
Another gasp from the crowd. Someone whispered his name.
"That’s Kaien Aldren. The S-Rank Prodigy."
Oh.
Oh, great. I had just pissed off the strongest student in the entire academy.
Fantastic.
<hr>
Tensions Rise
For a second, Kaien didn’t move.
Then, slowly, he let go.
His smirk was lazy, but his eyes were sharp.
"Fine," he said. "Run along, Kuro. But next time…"
A thin edge of killing intent crept into his voice.
"...You won’t walk away so easily."
I didn’t take the bait.
Just shrugged, turned, and walked away like I hadn’t just dodged a very sharp, very public disaster.
But I could feel his gaze on my back the whole time.
And I knew this wasn’t over.