The prodigies from the slums.

"We did it, Ryo!" Arata exclaimed happily. Everyone was truly happy, after passing that test, whether luck or pure skill is the one that got them through, it doesn't matter. For them, passing is enough.

"What did you do there, Ryo? Don't tell me you fought Ryujin one-on-one..." Airi said.

"You could say that... " Ryo replied hesitantly as if he doesn't want to bring up that certain subject,

"Hmm? What's wrong, Ryo-Kun?"

"It's nothing. Let's go... " He walked away, leaving them all behind.

"I wonder what happened to Ryo-kun..." Airi thought worriedly.

"Anyway... The melancholic atmosphere isn't the right fit for this victory, You guys should go back and enjoy the feast prepared by the council." Kyouko suggested, slightly raising her right arm forward with open palms.

"She's right, we should go." Haruto agreed.

With everyone's agreement, all of them went to quickly change to their other clothes. Although not long after, Kyouko sneaked out of the group and returned back deep inside the forest... making her way to where Ryujin is. To her surprise, when she arrived at Ryujin's location, all the members of the council are circling him, except for the third who's nowhere to be found.

"Good Job, Ryujin-Kun!!" Stella put her arms around Ryujin with a gleeful smile on her face.

"Although I don't approve of your skills earlier, I do wish you congratulations." The Vice-President said rather coldly.

"Ayako, Don't be like that, your classmate totally defeated me, at least remove the negativities in your statement!" The president replied boisterously.

"In the middle of this celebration, where could Otsuka Sara be? The president mentioned that we should all go here." Another person said,

"Now that you mention it, Kyouko is also missing," Stella responded...

"Uhmmm... I'm here..." Kyouko nervously and slowly walked up to them... she held her hands in her chest as she got close. All attention shifted towards her, making her even more nervous.

"Fujimoto, why are you in such nervousness?" A boy said in a low voice...

"Well, it's mostly because of you and your intimidating eyes and your huge body, you don't even look like a high school student! Come here Kyouko-Chan, Don't be scared now." Stella said as she removed her arm from Ryujin's shoulders and walked up to Kyouko then began gently pinching her cheeks,

"How cute~" Stella added in a satisfied voice...

"S-Stella-senpai, p-please stop!"

"No can do! Hihi!"

"Muwhawhawha!!! This is the correct atmosphere... None shall inflict this with seriousness!" The president said in a loud boisterous voice.

"You're as loud as ever, Shiouru..." The Vice-president said,

"Anyway! We should get going! Enough for the feast, we still have some business regarding the opening of the classes!"

"You are right... Ryujin, change into our uniform, We will work hard this year."

"You're right, Ayako-san, Let's go then!"

The lively atmosphere remained as they walked. The side of the council that was never shown was display, a lively, fun, group of people, in contrast to what they put up in public, a strict, sophisticated and cold.

Meanwhile on the other side,

Ryo and the others entered their room. The people who were there from the previous days weren't there anymore. Instead, only 12 people remained in their temporary class, 1-B.

"W-Wow... More than half of us was eliminated." Hina blurted in amusement and surprise.

The only people there were them, excluding Kyouko. But aside from them, there are 7 more people, 4 girls, and 3 boys. Each of them doesn't look all that friendly. Tension filled the air in between all of them. Just then, one of those 7 people spoke. A girl, with fair skin and Dark blue waist-length hair, with white flower pins each behind neck-length forelocks and light yellow eyes with long eyelashes. While she wore their entrance red uniform, topped with a red jacket and the entrance red knee skirt, whose height is 165 cm.

"Is this test, really hard for a huge number of students, to be expelled? Or are they just too naive and too weak?" She said in a playful voice as if to mock those who failed

"Don't you agree, Kyosuke Ryo?" She said as she spun around and stopped as she lowered her torso forward and faced Ryo, then placing. her index finger over her sneering lips.

"I'm sure we both look at things from the same view, and I'm also sure that you'll agree with me." She added as she raised her upper body up and placed her hands at her back.

In response, Ryo was silent, as well as the others. He doesn't know what to make of this,

"Do I know you?" He said uninterested...

"Forget about who am I, tell me, do you agree?"

"I do agree with you for the most part."

"That's great, that's all I need to hear, come on, Let's go, Souta." As she said that, a boy stood up from the couch, a boy with scruffy whitish blonde hair, with a thick strand of long hair on his left side, with emotionless blue eyes and whose height is the same as Ryo, 176 cm.

"See you later, Kyosuke," The girl said as she walks past him. But, as she was about to leave the room, she stopped and leaned backward and towards Ryo's ears.

"Eri Aoki, remember my name, okay?" She said in a playful manner with a giggle before That Souta person opened the door for them and both left,

"What was that about...?" Airi asked worriedly

However, Ryo didn't answer. He felt somewhat disgusted and annoyed by what happened, to be specific, it's not the incident... But rather, Eri's playful yet ferocious behavior.

"Ryo? what's wrong?" Hina asked with a hint of worry in her voice.

"It's nothing. Don't worry about me, rest."

He said as he walked up to the couch and threw himself in.

The others have gone to their own things, some took a shower while some straight in the kitchen. Beside him on the couch he threw himself in, it was a girl, a girl whose height is an inch taller than him. She tilted her irises to Ryo, with such a dangerous sharp look on it.

"Um." Just then, a male voice spoke, a boy across Ryo's couch leaned his body forward and was awkwardly trying to talk to him.

Ryo took noticed of this and turned his eyes towards him.

"If those two, especially Eri annoyed you in some way, I'll apologize on their behalf." He said,

"I did indeed felt annoyed, but think nothing of it."

"These things usually happen especially in middle school,"

"Classmates?"

"Yes..." The light tone of his voice slowly fades away and was replaced by a hard tone as he continued.

"Those two... Are geniuses...or... Prodigies, rather... They're quite arrogant, especially Eri, she loves to pick on weaklings. In one instance, they executed a cheat plan to pass the final tests to graduate by manipulating the people around them. If their life was a story, they'll be an unbeatable antagonist. But despite that, they still have empathy, they still have a heart."

"What are you getting at?"

"They helped me tremendously, I don't want people to see them as arrogant, dangerous and someone to hate, I want people to see their good side."

"I don't see them that way... don't worry," Ryo said. Lies filled his words. It isn't true that he doesn't see them that way... Instead, he sees them at first glance as nuisances, someone who could cause trouble for him, and someone he should eliminate before they eliminate him and as he noticed earlier, Eri's voice was filled with contempt towards him.

"I see... By the way, I apologize for forgetting to introduce myself... I'm Shino Kazuo from our class, nice to meet you once more.

The boy who claims himself as Shino raised his hand up, offering a handshake. A boy with orange hair and dark blue eyes.

"You're being too polite... no need for such formalities and handshakes,"

"I-I see... I'm very sorry!" He said as he brought down his hand in embarrassment.

Just then, the person beside him spoke,

"Ryo Kyosuke, You're the brat that defeated that water-amplitude guy?" She leans forward, not caring about anything, with her face only a breadth away from his, she looked directly into his void eyes.

"What do you want?" Ryo has, seemingly undisturbed of the situation he is in.

"Nothing, Wahahah! I just want to congratulate you," She backs off and slapped him hard on his left elbow, and oddly bursts into laughter."

"Today was somewhat weird. Meeting these odd people, I don't know what is gonna happen anymore. " Ryo thought to himself as he lets out a sigh of disbelief. So much happened this day, too many things in fact. He can't wait for the next day, the day of departure,

The day where they will finally return to the academy, with so many things waiting for them, even people waiting for them, an enemy or ally be it.

But while all that is happening, in the corridors of the hotel, walks Eri and Satou.

"Satou, when is the dual tournament?" She asked in a different voice from earlier, a cold and distant voice.

"A month from now, why do you ask?" He replied emotionlessly.

"I'd like to enter,"

"Are you sure? I thought you don't want to-" but then, she cuts him off halfway.

"Don't question... just this time..." She said,

She gave off a chilling look as she said this, a look and eyes of an assassin who lost its feelings, a deep abyss holding its deepest secrets. But Satou was not bothered nor disturbed, for he always sees this side of her.