Chapter 4: First Day of School
Nagi let out a satisfied sigh as crashed onto his bed. With a few hours of hard work, his room was finally set up. Boxes were unpacked, his bed was made, and his room neatly decorated. He was especially proud of his desk. A few figures, a nice mouse pad, and a… relatively nice keyboard-mouse combo to boot (something, something, "I could only afford so much, alright!?")
His shelves with some old books he had brought along with him. Art tutorials, light novels, a few western novels, even an old sketchbook or two he had brought for good luck. Alongside a few pictures he had taken with him, indeed, it was just like his room at home.
Ah, right. One more thing… He sat up and looked at the brand-new sketchbook at his side, which he had tossed on the bed earlier. With a smile, he picked it up off the bed and placed it right on the center of his desk. "Perfect!" He exclaimed with a bright grin, setting his hands on his sides with an accomplished air about him. Once he finished feeling proud of himself, he took a look at the time and found it was now five in the afternoon. The evening had just begun. "Well. Guess it's about time, huh…" The greatest fear of any introvert entering a new environment.
Introductions.
Considering the short meeting with Wendy, he did not have high hopes. He glanced at his sketchbook, thinking for a moment to just lock the door and recluse away for the rest of the night. But…
Rita… would probably not be very happy if I did… He smiled bitterly at the prospect of Rita's anger. He didn't know what that looked like, but he'd prefer to not find out. With a sigh, he stood to his feet and made his way to the door. Well… let's not drag it out.
His two roommates were already out and about, sitting on two of the couches in the living room. Wendy glanced over her shoulder as he entered the room while she sat on the couch watching TV. The second—Ana, he presumed—was sitting to the left of Wendy on the smaller couch reading a hardcover book. Platinum-blonde hair and gentle, violet eyes, he did not hesitate to admit she was gorgeous. Though she wore her dress and boots like casual clothing, a simple glance was enough to tell him that this single article of clothing was worth more than his entire wardrobe.
"Um. H-Hi," Nagi greeted, announcing his present with his best smile… which, admittedly, wasn't very impressive, with the way his lips twitched and sweat ran down his cheek.
"Hey," Wendy called back as she gave a casual wave.
"Oh, you're awake. Good evening," the girl he presumed was Ana called as well, closing her book and setting it off to the side. "Izanagi, correct?"
"Oh, um. Y-Yeah. Y-You can call me Nagi, though. I prefer that, actually."
"Nagi?" She tested the name upon her tongue and gave a short nod, as if satisfied. "My name is Ana. It is my pleasure to meet you," She gave Nagi a pleasant smile which made his heart skip a beat.
"I-It's nice to meet you, too…" He took a seat on the same couch as Wendy, sitting on the opposite side of her. "Your name was Wendy, right?"
"Yup." She nodded.
"Well… It's nice to meet you. Again. Wendy."
"Mm." A moment passed. "You too." She finished.
Another few moments passed. Apart from the TV, the room was silent as the three exchanged glances. Before he knew it, Nagi found himself twiddling his fingers. Wendy relaxed her head on the back of the couch. Ana shifted awkwardly, glancing between the former two. The ticking of the clock grew louder with each second, a normally subtle sound now so loud it was almost painful.
Awkward. Was the only thought Nagi could muster. But thankfully… Ana took the initiative.
"Why don't we get to know each other?" she suggested. "Who we are, some things we like. Would that be alright?"
"Mm. I don't mind," said Wendy.
"Works for me," Nagi agreed. Ana let out a quiet sigh of relief, before setting a hand on her chest.
"Then, I'll go first." She cleared her throat a second time. "My name is Ana Schariac, of the Schariac family. I'm an A-Rank Valkyrie, and, believe it or not, a childhood friend of Bianka—ah, Durandal—and Rita. Bianka and I actually became Valkyries together." Ana smiled nostalgically. "Though… well. I'm far from her level. She was out in the field while I was still in training."
Durandal, huh… I still haven't met her, have I? Nagi curiously wondered what she looked like. The captain of the Immortal Blades, and Rita's superior. Her name's Bianka? Wonder why she goes by Durandal…
As Nagi's thoughts wandered, Ana continued. "Though, this is actually my first time in a real school environment. It's an opportunity I have only thanks to Bianka, so… I'm especially thankful for her."
"Were you homeschooled?" Nagi asked, his curiosity piqued. Ana nodded.
"The Schariac family is…" There was a subtle shift in her expression as she searched for her words, but it lasted only a moment. "...very conservative, if that makes sense. Despite our place in Schicksal's hierarchy, we have a very minor presence in actual fieldwork. Cecilia Schariac was the major exception. …Then again, I am too." She shifted uncomfortably at the mention of Cecilia's name.
Cecilia… The principal talked about these Schariacs, didn't she? Maybe I'll ask her more when I get the chance. "I was homeschooled too, actually. Though, uh. Probably not for the same reasons…"
"You were?"
"Y-Yeah… Um. My family isn't exactly… well, it's uh. Something I'd rather not talk about, actually. I mean, it wasn't— Ugh… ignore me." Ana and Wendy eyed him curiously, but all he could manage was a facepalm. Smooth, Nagi. Smooth.
"I see…" Ana replied, tilting her head curiously. Wendy shrugged. She paused to recollect her thoughts and continued. "Some things I enjoy are reading and writing. Like… letters." She paused once more. "... I also like snow. I once spent an entire day out in the snow as a little girl, in nothing but a nightgown." She giggled to herself, but… her tone was strange. Nagi debated commenting on it, but…
"You ok?" Wendy asked, beating him to the punch.
"Huh?" Ana flinched as if caught off guard by the question. "Y-Yes, I'm fine." She cleared her throat. "A-Anyways, I believe that is enough shared for now? How about you two?"
"I'll go next," Wendy replied, hopping to her feet. "...I'm also an A-Rank. No fancy family, though; I was an orphan in New Zealand before I met Theresa." She paused. "Um. Don't feel bad. It's not a big deal." She shook her head. "She took me into Schicksal… last year?"
"You've only been with Schicksal a year?" Ana asked.
"Mm," She replied, shrugging.
"And you're already A-Rank?"
"Mm," She replied again. Ana's eyes widened in shock. "I met Rita in the process, and she suggested training with the Immortal Blades, so… I'm here now. Oh. Some things I like are running, biking, and soccer. Sports, really. And… I think that's it." She sat back down on the couch with a quiet sigh.
…Wait, she's already done? Nagi felt a drop of sweat as he and Ana shared a glance. Ana was just as surprised, it seemed.
"I-I see… You sound very talented, Wendy." Ana gave her a friendly smile, clapping her hands together as she did. "I look forward to working with you."
"Y-Yeah," Nagi agreed, unsure of what else to even say.
"...Mm. You too." Wendy nodded, before turning to Nagi. "And you?"
He felt his stomach suddenly clench. "Er… y-yeah. Right. Me."
"Mm. You." Wendy nodded again. Ana scratched her cheek, and turned to Nagi as well, both awaiting whatever it was he had to say.
"A-Alright. Um. My name is Izanagi Itsuki, and uh. You can call me Nagi. …Which. I already said. Right. W-Well. I only actually joined Schicksal… very recently. A few weeks ago."
"Oh!" Ana suddenly exclaimed. "You are a psychic, right? I believe I remember Rita mentioning so, at least."
He opened his mouth to complain, only managing to catch himself at the last second. "I… well… W-Wizard."
"...Wizard?" Both Ana and Wendy questioned in sync.
"Like a street magician?" Wendy asked first. "Do you use cards?"
"Like a performer?" Ana asked at the same time. "Or perhaps a trickster?"
"N-No!" Neither questions were the responses Nagi was hoping for. "Like… a fantasy book. Magic. Spells. Fireballs." Their looks turned skeptical.
"Um. Izanagi… why do you say that?" Ana asked, obviously trying to be polite. Wendy gave him a strange, inquisitive look. And Nagi himself felt like anything more would only dig his grave deeper… but he continued nonetheless.
"...W-Well. I can do magic, obviously. Y'know, spells, and stuff. But… I kinda… can't anymore. It's… well. Easiest to say I fell out of practice…." As he said that, he idly grabbed at his wrists, unpleasant memories surging in his mind as he tugged at the black wrist covers he wore. "Now all I can do is toss mana around…"
"Mana?" Wendy asked.
"Like… energy, I guess? Not Honkai energy! I have a Stigmata, but the two things are unrelated."
"Oh."
"Is that so? Can you show us, Izanagi?" Ana asked. "Your mana. Your Stigmata as well, if you're comfortable."
"Mm. I wanna see." Wendy had an uncharacteristic glimmer in her eye, her curiosity apparent.
"Oh, sure… I don't mind." He lifted his hand with his palm outstretched towards the ceiling. He took a deep breath and conjured a small, pink orb. It radiated a gentle warmth as the two girls exclaimed in excitement. "See? I used to be able to use it for more than just this, but… yeah." He closed his palm, and the orb dispersed into a bunch of small particles.
"What happened?" Wendy asked, with Ana nodding in agreement. Nagi's expression darkened.
"W-Well... I'm not really... wanting to talk about it..." He muttered, gripping his wrists even tighter. "But... it's related to my homeschooling. That's all I'm up to share... sorry..."
"...It's alright, Nagi," Ana spoke, her voice gentle and with a smile as sweet as honey. "You don't have to. What are some other things you like? Your hobbies?" Nagi looked at her, grateful for the distraction.
"Well. I like to draw. Sometimes I do music. More often I'm just an artist, though."
"An artist? Could I see some of your art, then?"
"Oh, uh—" His reply was cut off by the grumbling roar of a stomach. Ana and Nagi turned to its source in sync, as Wendy suddenly grew very interested in the ceiling. "...Hungry?" he asked, deciding to use the chance to segue from the conversation.
"...Maybe." Another quieter grumble followed. "I... skipped lunch."
"Oh. Well… I guess it is dinner time, isn't it?" Nagi noted, taking a quick glance at the clock. "Who wants to cook?"
"..." Wendy gave no reply, still very intrigued by the ceiling.
"Uh… W-Well…" Ana scratched her cheek, giving an awkward laugh as she did.
"...Heh. Lucky for you two…" Nagi hopped to his feet. "I'm a pretty decent cook myself." Comes with being stuck inside all day… He kept that thought to himself, however.
"Um… I can try," Wendy spoke as the young man started off towards the kitchen. But Nagi shook his head.
"I don't mind. I like cooking. Even a shorty like me can make a good meal, you know?"
"...What does your height have to do with it?"
"...Er." He paused for a moment but decided it wasn't worth the effort. "Don't worry about it."
He made his way into the kitchen and did a quick inventory of supplies. To his surprise, they were already stocked full of ingredients. Though he would normally attribute it to Schicksal and their ridiculous budget, a certain maid popped into his head. Well, not like I'll complain. Let's keep it simple for tonight… curry. He grabbed some ingredients and went to work.
He ended up needing a stool to be able to effectively use the counter, but once he passed that hurdle, he got to work. Rice, chicken, spices, cream, all of it was—as per the norm when it came to Schicksal—some of the best quality ingredients he had seen in his life. Soon enough, a delicious smell wafted through the room, one that Nagi had to admit was making him want to stop cooking and just eat. Ana and Wendy peered over at him across the island that separated the kitchen and the living room, unable to hide the eager hunger in their eyes. Nearly an hour later, the meal was ready. He neatly sorted out the contents onto three plates and brought them out to the table.
"Bon appétit~!" He exclaimed, a rare sense of pride as the two hungrily eyed the food. "I may not be a gourmet chef by any means, but I've had plenty of practice.
"It smells delicious! …What is it?" Ana asked.
"Eh? You haven't heard of Curry before…? It's pretty common."
"Oh. Well…" Ana scratched her cheek. "Hehe…" Meanwhile, Wendy was already sitting down, a bite of curry on her spoon as she silently took a bite. Her eyes shot wide, shining with amazement.
"Good…" She muttered in breathless awe. She took hold of the plate and began to shovel bite after bite into her mouth without relenting.
"D-Don't choke!" Nagi exclaimed, but his words fell on deaf ears. After a moment, he shrugged and turned to Ana. "Let me know what you think, then. Not often do I get to see someone taste something new."
"Alright." Ana took a seat at the table as Nagi set her plate down before her, taking his own seat promptly after. She gently blew on the food before lifting it to her lips, taking a delicate first taste of the steaming curry. She tasted it for a few moments as Nagi eagerly awaited her response.
"...It's good. Really good," she muttered, earning a grin from Nagi. "It's… hmm." She contemplated her words. "It's different from what I'm used to. Simpler. But… that makes it taste better, I think." She smiled once more, making his heart skip a beat a second time.
She's pretty... He averted his eyes as a faint blush grew on his cheek. "I-I'm glad to hear it." Ana nodded, and continued to eat, taking it much slower than Wendy beside her who had already scarfed down her entire plate.
"Can I have seconds?"
"I made plenty. Go ahead!"
Wendy nodded and shot to her feet, stuffing her second plate full twice as large as the serving Nagi had given her before. He gave an awkward laugh before finally taking a seat himself, taking up his own spoon. He took the first bite, the pleasant taste a welcome relief upon his tongue after a long and stressful day. Not too bad, Nagi. Not too bad.
The night went on as the three shared a meal, quickly warming up to each other's company. But as the flow of time would have it, the three soon went their separate ways to their room and fell into the gentle embrace of sleep.
"You alright, Nagi?" Wendy asked, leaning over the young man as they walked.
"...Y-Yeah," He replied, rubbing his groggy eyes for a third time that hour, and holding back a yawn to boot. God, I hate mornings… "Just didn't get enough sleep…"
"Want some tea?" she gestured to a vending machine in passing, but Nagi shook his head.
"I'm alright. Caffeine doesn't do much for me, anyway."
"...Alright," Wendy said with a shrug. The day was off to a rough start after a series of unfortunate bathroom-related incidents. As it turns out, a single bathroom shared between two girls and one guy would lead to problems. Nonetheless, the three of them had figured it out, and all rushed out the door toward their respective homerooms for the day.
Wendy and Nagi happened to be sharing a homeroom together, with Himeko as their primary teacher. Ana, on the other hand, was assigned to an Honors class above them and thus would be in a different homeroom.
What an Honors class with Schicksal was like, Nagi had no idea; he could only imagine it took a special breed of capable to get into it, though. Or perhaps it was just because she was a part of a major house… he shrugged.
Shame we aren't all together, he thought as he followed behind Wendy. Himeko hadn't actually given him a schedule or class number, so he had to depend on her to get to class at all. The two arrived at class with a decent few minutes to spare before the start of class. They made their way inside…
And Nagi had to hold back a scream as he saw just how filled the classroom was.
Five rows of desks in three wide columns each, with almost every single chair filled apart from two or three in the back. Various folks of all kinds of backgrounds jumped out at him at a glance; a Japanese girl with long black hair styled in a pony-tail, a girl with white hair like Theresa's, styled in two long braids—the thought crossed his mind that they were related—a glasses-wearing Chinese girl with gray hair, and more. Of course, if it were just the rows filled with people, he could have gotten away with just a terrible sense of anxiety.
What really made him want to scream was the fact that every pair of eyes in the classroom suddenly locked onto him. A foggy memory was suddenly called to the front of his mind, paired with a sudden realization.
Valkyries… are all girls… aren't they?
"Nagi? Something up?" Wendy asked, turning back to him with a confused look. His entire body locked up as his heart started pounding in his chest.
A crippling wave of isolating anxiety washed over him, his limbs locking up tight. It was like countless pairs of drills digging into his skin, like a hundred laser sights all trained on his head ready to end his life on the spot. He—
Smack!
"Ow!?" Without warning, a blunt pain struck the back of his head, pulling him from his paralyzed state, if only for a moment. He spun to see what had hit him… and found Himeko herself staring at him with a smirk.
"We've already got one door here, hun, I don't need a second," She teased. It took him a moment to understand what she meant before his face lit up red.
"S-Sorry…" he muttered, quickly shuffling out of the way of the door and letting Himeko step in. Off to a wonderful start…
"...Well. Good job making it here on your first day. Was worried you might try and play hooky like a certain someone." As she said this, the redhead shot a glance toward the students, though Nagi couldn't see who specifically.
Nagi turned to look at Wendy, only to find she had already made her way to her seat in the back of the class. Nagi quickly made to follow her, only for Himeko to grab him by the back of his shirt.
"Forgetting something, hun?"
"H-Huh…?" He heard a snicker from the desks behind him. His face turned another shade of red, fueling his desire to just implode and simply stop existing in this world. Alas, he was human, and could not do so on command… yet. Himeko sighed.
"You're the new kid. Gotta introduce yourself, obviously."
Perhaps Nagi would defy logic and implode anyway, with the way those words made him feel. He was impressed he didn't self-destruct on the spot in the first place. Himeko didn't pay his mental dilemma any mind, however, as the class start bell rang its ominous chime.
"Morning, brats. I'm sure you've noticed this shorty, here, and I'm sure you're all curious about who he is. Well, from this day on, you can consider him your newest classmate." At that, a surprised murmur ran through the clustered students. The white-haired girl suddenly stood to her feet, her brows furrowed angrily as she crossed her arms.
"But he's a boy! What the heck is a freaking boy doing here!?" She all but shouted, glaring daggers at Nagi down below.
Nagi decided he did not like this girl.
"Kiana!" The Japanese girl sat beside her exclaimed, immediately trying to force her to sit back down. On her other side, a shorter girl with her hair styled in drills facepalmed. Beside him, Himeko sighed, before shooting back her own deathly glare at the now-named Kiana.
"Did I ask for your opinion, brat?" she replied coldly, a wicked smile on her face. "Sit down before I give you 3 weeks of personalized supplementary lessons on gender equality, girl." Kiana flinched; Nagi gathered that this was a very real threat on Himeko's part. Regardless, he was very certain that if he allowed her to glare at him any longer, he would combust on the spot.
He wanted to disappear from sight as fast as possible, but Himeko's grip on his shirt remained tight. His last defense was to avert his eyes if only because he was sure eye contact would result in instant death.
"Anyways!" Himeko turned to Nagi and patted his back. "Go on, introduce yourself, hun."
"U-Uh. Um. I-I-I—" He shook his head hard, and swallowed down as much anxiety as he could. "M-M-My n-name is… Izan-nami— Nagi! Izanagi I-Itsuki!" Barely managing to spit out his own name, Nagi bowed his head as fast as he could so he could hide away from the dozens of stares… if only slightly.
"..." Himeko scratched her cheek with an awkward smile. "And… there you have it. He's transferring in from homeschool, so go easy on him. And don't treat him differently just cuz he's a boy, alright? Looking at you, Kiana." Kiana pouted, obviously wanting to say more, but instead holding her tongue as the Japanese girl shot him an apologetic look.
Himeko turned to him. "You'll be sitting beside Wendy in the back." Nagi nodded dejectedly and hurriedly made his way up to the back row. He heard a few murmurs along the way, but not quite well enough to tell what they were saying. Before long, he took a defeated seat beside Wendy, resisting the urge to let his face slam into his desk.
"...I think you did fine," Wendy whispered.
"That makes one of us," he whispered back. Wendy pursed her lips, before awkwardly patting his back. "I... appreciate the effort…" Wendy nodded, and Himeko's lecture began.
The rest of class was far less painful for the young man, at least. Whether it was because he was no longer the focus of the class, or because he at least had something to focus on instead of his anxiety, he wasn't sure. It proved shockingly enlightening.
He learned that most of the history he had known in the world was wrong... a statement that sounded like a conspiracy theorist's dream. In fact, he was sure if a conspiracy theorist learned any of this, they would celebrate as they told everyone they met, 'I told you so!' Thankfully, he didn't mean in the sense that the world was flat or that lizard people controlled the government. It was more so the level of influence Schicksal held over the world as a whole. It was… honestly terrifying.
The ancient, medieval crusades? That was Schicksal. The moon landings? Funded by Schicksal. The Ice Age? That was Honkai… apparently. Even the World Wars supposedly had something to do with Honkai.
Truthfully, the last two left him doubtful, but the point was clear. Schicksal and Honkai were intertwined with history all across the world in ways he didn't think a single organization could manage. He didn't learn all of this from the lecture, of course.
Though he did gather some of his newly acquired history from class, most of what he learned was from speeding through the provided textbook to catch up. After all, he was joining an in-progress semester, meaning he had a lot more work to do. He just didn't expect that he'd end up with so many world-shattering revelations. He spent almost as much time browsing the textbook as he did trying to comprehend Himeko's lecture.
Unfortunately, there was only so much he could do in regards to the latter. Apart from topics he had learned about either from Rita or from his minor history with Schicksal, he really was mostly in the dark. Many of Himeko's words were alien to him, yet the only thing he could really do was talk to her after class about it. An hour came and went, and yet the biggest revelation Nagi had was that he certainly had his work cut out for him.
No free time for me this week… He thought with a dejected sigh as Himeko's lecture came to a close, resting his head on his desk. He glanced at Wendy, but her expression was mostly stoic as usual. Wonder how she's doing… He wondered. Himeko cleared her throat, gathering the attention of the class as she prepared to make an announcement.
"Now then, brats, I'm sure you're all bored to death of my voice by this point. Some of you…" She grabbed an eraser. "Couldn't even be patient enough to finish listening!" She hurled that same eraser at none other than Kiana herself, who was slothfully drooling on her desk. The eraser bounced off her head with an impressive rebound before landing on the ground nearby.
"Ow!? What was that for!?" She shot awake as a red mark quickly formed on the center of her forehead. Nagi tried and failed to repress a smirk, instead hiding it as best he could.
"We'll be talking after class, Kiana." That uncharacteristically cold tone of Himeko's returned, and Kiana's face paled. "Where was I? Ah, right. So… who's ready for practical lessons?" An excited murmur woke from the class. Nagi shot a questioning look at Wendy.
"Combat training," She replied.
"Huh!?" He hissed as quietly as he could.
"Mm. Combat training is mandatory. Did you not know?"
"N-No! …W-Well, I guess it makes sense, but—!" He didn't have much time to complain as the rest of the class began to stand, including Wendy. He gulped nervously, following along behind the girl as they made their way out of the class.
They walked in one big group out into the main schoolyard, making their way towards an arena-like structure he had seen the other day. I wanted to watch a fight between Valkyries, not fight a Valkyrie… He could feel his fingers trembling. He desperately grabbed his wrist—each covered by a black wrist cover—and squeezed it tight to try and hold them still, to little success. They arrived at the arena and lined up in small social pockets as Himeko stood in front of the arena.
"Alright! As usual, we'll go one at a time, by alphabetical order of last names. Each of you will be assigned a random mecha, Honkai beast, or zombie to face with a difficulty according to your rank. You may fight multiple, or you may fight only one, depending on what the simulation decides is most appropriate. Understood?" The class gave a rehearsed sound of acknowledgment, which seemed enough to satisfy Himeko. Even Wendy gave a quiet nod; Nagi was the only one out of the loop.
"Um… did she say Honkai beast…?" He whispered to Wendy.
"Mm. Why?"
"...We keep Honkai beasts here? The thing we're supposed to... y'know, kill?"
"...Ah. You wouldn't know." She shook her head. "Simulations. Not real, but they feel real. …Well. The mechas can be real. But the zombies and Honkai beasts aren't."
"O-Oh…" I guess I shouldn't be surprised, considering what Schicksal is capable of…
He watched as the first student stepped into the arena. It was a circular platform with the emblem of Schicksal painted onto its floor, constructed of a fine marble—or maybe it was just a material like marble, he wasn't quite sure—and with plenty of room to maneuver. It was free of anything to get in the way, leaving it all down to a contest of skill between Valkyrie and the opponent.
The student in question positioned herself on the left side of the arena as particles of blue energy began to form across from her. They coalesced and formed into a Honkai beast; a Chariot-class, from what Nagi remembered, a hulking creature stanced like a gorilla, yet was only vaguely reminiscent of one in its appearance. Pink Honkai energy swirled around the creature, a single glowing eye shining bright with the same color as it focused on the Valkyrie before it.
Seconds later, two more Chariot-Class beasts formed behind the first. Though the creatures did not have mouths, they somehow still unleashed a powerful roar that shook the arena itself. His eyes widened. I-Isn't this a bit much for training!? Yet, the girl did not seem daunted by her opposition; if anything, she seemed a bit excited as she took up her weapon—a halberd—and charged her foes.
The battle was short, but intense. The Valkyrie took more than a couple hits, but in the end, came out victorious as she plunged her weapon through the last simulated creature with a gleeful smile. A victorious chime was played through a nearby speaker as she caught her breath and stood to her feet. Himeko gave her a round of applause.
"Well done, 8/10. Please exit the arena. Next!" And so the next Valkyrie proceeded, and the next after her. The scores were varied. Some failed the fight with bitter groans, and some passed with flying colors. However, Nagi could only focus so much on the specifics of each fight, his own thoughts instead focused on the butterflies fluttering in his gut.
His last name was Itsuki. He'd be going up sooner rather than later. It wasn't the same feeling as when he pursued Bohr; he at least had adrenaline mixed with necessity to fuel him back then, alongside the added confidence boost of Rita backing him up. Hell, it wasn't like he was afraid of being hurt or killed, either; when you've taken a bullet through the skull and walked it off, it's hard to be afraid of death… ok he was lying a bit, pain definitely scared him, and he was not keen on finding out what could kill him, but still.
His biggest fear was making a laughingstock of himself. Despite what the reports said, his combat experience was minimal at best. Even his encounter with Bohr was mostly luck, but this? He would have no luck on his side, no environment to use to his favor. Suffice it to say… he was anything but ready.
The glasses-wearing Chinese girl—her name was Fu Hua, apparently—was up next, facing a squad of four bulky mecha nearly four times as big as he was. He recalled seeing this model at the Schicksal HQ, even.
He would be right after her. As such, he focused up as much as he could to watch the fight, hoping to maybe, just maybe, learn something from her fight he could use—
But that hope was dashed almost immediately. The fight was over in less than ten seconds. The girl, Fu Hua, tore through the Mecha in barely any time at all, and with her bare fists, at that.
"Stellar as usual, Fu Hua. 10/10." Himeko congratulated. Fu Hua gave a small nod and adjusted her glasses as if the experience was nothing more than a light warm-up. His heart pounded in his chest. That was it!? He needed more time, he wasn't ready, he was gonna screw up, he would—
"You're up, Kiana. Don't sleep through this one, brat."
Nagi blinked. Once. Twice. Had he gotten the order mixed up? He quickly counted through the alphabet in his head. H, I, J, K… what? He looked around, as if there was some kind of mixup, but no one seemed to bat an eye, not even Wendy. He debated going to go and ask Himeko, but her attention was already set on Kiana in the arena, being put up against a group of simulated zombies.
Her fight began and ended almost as fast as Fu Hua's, just a few seconds longer, though Nagi had missed most of it. "Tsk. 10/10. Where the hell is that focus in class, brat?"
"I can kick all kinds of butt! Your lectures are just boring!" Kiana shouted back as she stormed out of the arena… but not before shooting a smug grin at Nagi in the process. For a moment, he forgot his anxiety as it was replaced with sheer annoyance… but only for a moment. After that, one Valkyrie after another went. Same as before, some thrived, some failed, and some performed in between. Yet his name was not even spoken, never called out to perform himself. While he wasn't disappointed he wouldn't have to go and make a fool of himself… something felt wrong.
Now, Wendy was up next, one of the last to go up with only the drill-haired girl behind her. With his nerves finally calmed down, he was able to watch her fight properly. She wielded a pair of small chakrams in each hand, and was facing up against a squadron of three Chariot Class and two smaller, floatier Honkai beasts. Seraph-Class, he believed they were called. Each was about the size of a small dog, with small wings that seemed hardly involved as they hovered about the air. They lacked appendages other than the wings, leaving Nagi curious about how they even attacked to begin with.
The battle began.
Wendy was fast. Incredibly fast, and agile to boot. Even when under assault from five directions at once, Wendy was basically untouchable, not a single movement wasted as her circular blades slashed and tore through the silicon that made up the beasts' flesh. The battle took no longer than ten seconds, less than a second longer than Fu Hua's performance, and ended with a graceful flourish of her blades which finished the two Seraph-Class beasts simultaneously.
"Well done, Wendy. 10/10. Bronya, you're up." Wendy and the drill girl—now named Bronya—shared a nod as they exited and entered the arena respectively. Wendy stopped beside Nagi, having not even broken a sweat.
I can see why she's A-rank, he thought to himself as Wendy glanced at him. Best to not get on her bad side either.
He watched as the now named Bronya stepped onto the arena, and couldn't help but notice the strange leg guards she wore. He looked a bit closer and realized they were not leg guards, but leg braces. He felt a bit bad that he had been panicking while this girl was striding in with full confidence.
But the amazement of that was nothing compared to what came next.
"Project: Bunny," She called out in a faint Russian accent, throwing her arm forward in sync with her voice as two mecha units deployed onto the field. From behind her, as if materializing out of thin air, formed a hovering, mechanical construct nearly twice her size. A massive cannon was attached to its left arm and was about the same size as Bronya herself.
That's... that's so freaking cool! Nagi had to slam his hands onto his mouth to stop himself from squealing in excitement. His eyes were beaming at the very sight of the thing. While the name confused him, his confusion was nothing compared to the sheer excitement he felt at the sight of the machine. I want one! I want one I want one I want one!
"Fire!" She shouted, and the machine followed her command. A cluster of missiles launched forth from the construct's cannon, faster than either Mecha could respond. Both of them were annihilated in a fiery explosion, having stood zero chance against the small girl before them.
"Told them she's better than B…" Himeko muttered. "10/10. Well done, Bronya." She turned to face the class as Bronya exited the arena and took her spot beside Kiana and the Japanese girl he now knew as Raiden Mei, who had fared similarly to Bronya.
"Better results than last time; I'll hand it to you brats, you're getting better. Some of you might even be looking at a rank up in the near future. But for now…" Himeko smiled. "Class dismissed." A light cheer erupted from the class as they each turned and began to leave… except for Nagi. He approached her as she shamelessly popped open a can of beer, turning to him with a surprised look. "Hmm? What's up, hun?"
"Um… Ms. Himeko…" Nagi began, timidly at first. "I, um… well. Why didn't I go?"
"Huh?" Her confusion did nothing for the anxious feeling in his gut.
"I didn't fight. You skipped me." Himeko raised an eyebrow at that. "W-What?"
"Hun, you aren't supposed to fight."
"Huh…?"
"Uh... do you not know, kid?" Himeko's confusion turned to slow realization. Nagi remained silent, an ugly, twisting feeling taking hold of his gut.
"You're C-Rank."