Noah walked through the academy grounds, his thoughts churning like storm clouds. Around him, snippets of conversation all circled back to the same topic—the upcoming competition. Even Miss Brooks had gotten caught up in the fever, spending half of homeroom discussing how Class 1B needed representation in the cardinal level matches.
'Everyone's so focused on proving themselves,' he mused, watching a group of second-years practicing combat forms in the distance. 'As if the Harbingers care which school you graduated from when they're trying to tear you apart.'
The irony wasn't lost on him. Humanity had united against an existential threat, yet here they were, still desperately clawing for recognition, for that extra edge over their peers. The academies had become pressure cookers of ambition, each student trying to prove they deserved their spot in humanity's last line of defense.