New Acquaintance

As Kaito walked into the academy gates, he felt a sudden shift that caught him off-guard. It was as though he had mysteriously been teleported from one spot to another in a split second.

He couldn't tell the difference at first but after a few seconds standing in shock, he came to understand what was happening.

It was the energy.

The energy he was already used to absorbing could be considered pure enough, but compared to the Chakra energy at the school gates, it was akin to polluted air.

"How is this possible..?" Shocked, Kaito stood unresponsive before the effects of the ABS activated and sent a cooling energy into his mind to calm him down.

"I guess this is why the village chief exaggerated this place... No, it isn't exaggeration, but fact." He wondered out loud.

As he made to continue his trek into the academy, he was met with a sudden pressure that seemed to want to press him down.

It was so sudden that he almost tripped, but was quick enough to stop his movements.

"Who are you?" A stern voice asked and Kaito knew instinctively that he was being questioned even if he wasn't seeing the person asking the question.

"I'm Kaito, a new student at Celestial Peak Academy. I come from Veridan Haven." Kaito answered as eloquently as he could.

"New student? The academy doesn't take students this time of the year. Do you have proof?" The voice asked once again.

"Yes. I have a recommendation letter with me." Kaito said and brought out the letter the village chief had given to him.

"Let me see..." the voice said and in the next instant a burly man stood in front of Kaito, arm's outstretched to receive the parcel.

Kaito looked calm externally, showing no outward shock to the man's speed of arrival, but Internally, he wondered how someone so burly could possibly move so fast.

Receiving the parcel, the man observed the seal used to seal of the letter before his eyes widened in shock.

"I see..." he looked at Kaito and appraised his appearance. He had a doubtful look as he looked at the seal once more before looking at Kaito.

"I wonder who your father rendered a favour to..." The man said and handed the letter back to Kaito. "You should start with this next time."

"Understood." Kaito nodded solemnly and received the letter back. "May I ask, sir-"

"Don't call me sir. I'm but a mere guard." The man interuppted.

"Oh... then may I ask, where should I go from here?" Kaito asked politely to which the man nodded and pointed to the letter in his hand.

"You don't need to do anything overly stressful. With that letter in your hands, you just need to meet with the current dean and everything will be sorted out."

"The Dean?" Kaito asked in surprise. He didn't know much about the mainstream in this world, but he knew that in any academy, the position of Dean was lofty and not any random person could meet them as they wished.

"Don't look at me like that. That letter in your hands has that much sway." The man shrugged and then turned to leave.

"I see..." Kaito muttered as he looked at the academy in front of him. He had no idea where was where and the man earlier didn't help him case at all.

"Sigh... what a pain. Hmm? What's with the attitude? Weird."

Shaking his head, Kaito proceeded to pick a random direction to walk and explore, while hoping he doesn't encounter any cliché events.

As Kaito explored the Celestial Peak Academy, he marveled at the grandeur of the institution. The sprawling campus seemed like a world unto itself, bustling with students and activity.

And for reasons so very obvious to him, he was being watched like an animal in a zoo.

"Hmm, I guess I should look for someone cliché enough to ask about the academy and Dean's office."

With that thought he observed the crowd and spotted a lanky looking kid walking dejectedly through the crowd and decided to choose him.

"Hey! Hello." Kaito called out to the boy who stopped, looked around and then pointed at himself as if asking: "Me?"

"Yeah, you." Kaito nodded as he approached the boy who seemed to become nervous with his approach. "My name's Kaito and I'm new here. Can I bother you to show me around the academy?"

"Wha-Who-Why are you talking to me?" The boy asked looking fidgety.

"Hmm? I need directions. As I said, I'm new here. What's you name?"

"You really shouldn't be talking to me, you'll get into trouble." The boy said without answering Kaito's question causing Kaito to frown in displeasure.

"Are you that much of a coward?" Kaito asked the boy causing him to pause before continuing to leave.

"Somethings are just not meant to be." The boy replied.

"The fuck was that? How can that kid talk so cryptically?" Shun thought with a smile and continued following the boy.

"What do you want?" The boy frowned. He realised that Kaito wasn't out to bully him like the other kids and became a little bit outspoken.

"Nothing much, I just felt that it would be interesting following you." Kaito said and patted the boy's shoulder.

The boy frowned. "I don't like that word."

"Oh? But that is exactly what you seem like at a glance. Someone who's life is so interesting that it's never boring to watch." Kaito said

"Is that so?"

"Yup. You're like this main character who's life only needs a spark for it to change drastically. I'm pretty sure it would be interesting with you around." Kaito responded.

"Heh, or I could also be like the side characters who's purpose is to be the spark that would ignite something that would affect the people around him for a moment before disappearing into obscurity." The boy said only to have Shun look at him doubtfully.

"What? What's with that look?" The boy asked feeling offended for some reason.

Kaito shook his head in disdain. "You're not that important. Don't overestimate yourself. You'd at much attract a moment of pity before disappearing into obscurity."

"Wha-!?"

"Now. Now, I haven't gotten your name yet. I believe introductions are in other before we can seal our friendship."

"Who want to be friends with a bully like you?" The boy snorted in anger, but his lips showed a small smile which he was quick to hide.

"My name is Zenith. Firebrand Zenith." The boy, Zenith answered.

"Hmm. That's a weird name." Kaito said thoughtfully.

"Heh, says the one who's name is Kaito. What even is that? Like a Kite?" Zenith asked with a genuine curious face leaving Kaito unable to respond.

He didn't know whether to be angry of just amused, but ultimately decided to be amused.

"Ha-ha. Very funny." He said. "But even I don't know. No one has a surname in my village."

"Eh? For real? Doesn't your village have a name?" Zenith asked to which Shun nodded. "It has. Veridan Haven."

"Then isn't that your surname? Veridan Kaito... has a weird ring to it." Zenith said. "I wonder who created that village of yours. He must've had a weird naming sense."

The boy continued, unaware of the damage he had just caused Kaito.

'Hmm, so that's what the old man meant. It's like telling me not to embarrass the family name in the academy.' Kaito thought back to the last piece of advise the village chief, Isamu, had given him.

"Yeah. He must have..." Kaito said with a wry smile before asking. "About the academy...?"

"Oh, that's right, you said you're new right? Come, let me show you around the academy, but be warned, I have a lot of... unfriendly people-"

"Don't mind that, like I said, sticking with you would be interesting. I doubt I would have any boring day." Kaito chuckled.

Zenith shook his head at Kaito's carefree attitude and began walking. "Oh, I haven't asked, how many gates have you opened?" Zenith suddenly asked.

"Gate? Just one apparently." Kaito shrugged. He had initially had five opened but the ABS had closed it all off and opened the first gate anew.

He wasn't regretful about it though, he currently has the strength he once possessed and more. No one in the Chakra opening stage was his match.

"What!? You're even weaker than me?" Zenith cried out in shock as he took shaky steps back with a pale face.

"Yeah, seems like it." Kaito rolled his eyes and answered offhandedly.

"Yo-you should really stay away from me, Kaito. Those guys are dangerous and you're weak." Zenith said in worry.

"Don't worry about it. I'm plenty Strong." Kaito said while pumping his non-existent biceps.

"Whatever..." Zenith sighed and said. "Anyways, I'm at the third Gate of the Chakra opening realm. I'm currently the weakest of our class."

"Our class?"

"Yes, as you are a new student, you'll probably be made to join our class. The age for joining the academy is 9, after six years, we should all be eligible to graduate at 15." Zenith said but Kaito picked up something from his words

"Eligible?"

"Hum. The requirements for graduation is to Condense a core. If one can reach the Chakra Soul stage, they could decide to remain in the academy as teachers."

"For real? Chakra Core just to graduate?"

"Hum, as for the Dean, he's said to be in the fabled Chakra Spirit Realm." Zenith said with a serious expression.

Kaito however just listened with a neutral expression while wondering if he would be able to graduate. Wait...

"What do you actually mean by graduating? Won't I be able to leave when I'm done with my six years course?" Kaito asked.

"You can, in fact, you can leave anytime." Zenith replied

"Then the graduation...?"

"The graduation a akin to a certificate. With it, you'd have a lot of advantages wherever you go in the nation and even neighbouring ones." Zenith said with a fanatic look.

"Is that so...?"

Kaito asked as he wondered if he would be able to actually graduate with his peers when the time came.

The ABS had a strict and stringent requirement. In exchange for being nearly unrivalled in the same realm, he would need twice the amount of time need by a normal person to progress.

With that, he continued listening to Zenith going on and on about the academy and it's structures and arrangements.