Chapter 6: First Encounter with Airi Akizuki

"Whoosh~"

A breeze swept through as Blake's eyes fluttered open. The moment he took in his surroundings, the distant murmur of chatter and shuffling footsteps reached his ears.

He blinked.

Ahead, young men and women in uniforms walked past in pairs, chatting animatedly as they headed toward a massive school building. Some whispered, others openly stared at him—especially the girls, who practically sparkled with admiration.

The guys? Less impressed.

Jealous glares. Scowls. Some clenched their fists like they were already picturing his face as a punching bag.

Blake sighed internally. Here we go again…

His silver hair, crystal-blue eyes, and chiseled features tended to have that effect. He didn't do anything special, yet people either idolized him or resented him.

And then, his gaze landed on the large engraved sign near the entrance:

"St. Maple Academy."

A pause.

Blake squinted. Wait a second… St. Maple Academy? Isn't that—

A memory surfaced, making him frown slightly. He'd definitely heard of this place before. Wasn't this from that… "cultured" anime he watched in his past life?

He exhaled. "Huh. Either reality is playing a joke on me, or I ended up in a world based on that..."

Not exactly the high-stakes battlefield I was hoping for.

Before he could dwell on it, a familiar cheerful voice rang in his mind.

"Master, congratulations! You arrived exactly where you wanted! You're so lucky~" Sia chirped.

Blake rubbed his temples. "Right. Luck. Sure."

If he had a choice, he'd prefer a world more suited for training—somewhere with actual threats instead of… well, this.

Still, he couldn't deny one thing:

A new world meant new opportunities.

And it seemed like one of those opportunities had just made itself known.

Blake's senses tingled.

His expression turned serious as he abruptly looked toward a spot about a kilometer away.

A dense aura of malice.

It was unmistakable.

Something's happening over there.

Without hesitation, he changed course, weaving through students before breaking into a light sprint toward the alley.

---

At that same moment, deep inside the alley, a frustrated yet clearly annoyed voice echoed.

"I already told you—I don't want to go to the KTV! Why are you guys so persistent?"

The voice belonged to a girl.

There was an edge of panic beneath her irritation, making it clear she wasn't just dealing with a pushy friend.

Three older students—two tall, one particularly burly—stood in front of her, their smirks oozing arrogance.

The tallest sneered, crossing his arms. "Watch your mouth, freshman. We're your seniors—show some respect."

The burly one chuckled. "Relax, Akizuki-san. We're just inviting you to sing, that's all."

Despite his seemingly polite tone, his eyes betrayed his real intentions. The way he scanned her figure made her skin crawl.

She knew exactly what kind of guys they were.

Even if they weren't stupid enough to do anything out in the open, their goal was obvious.

And unfortunately for them…

They were about to have a very bad day.

"Is this really how low you've fallen? Forcing a girl into something she clearly doesn't want to do?"

A cold, sharp voice cut through the air like a blade.

The three boys snapped their heads around, only to find a silver-haired stranger standing at the alley's entrance.

His casual attire made him seem relaxed, but the long object strapped to his back hinted at something far more dangerous.

The tallest snarled. "The hell are you supposed to be?"

The burly one frowned, taking a step forward. "Mind your own business, kid."

Blake exhaled, already bored of their attitudes. "Yeah, see, that's the problem. I can smell the malice coming off you two like cheap cologne."

The tall one's eye twitched. "You—"

Bang!

Blake's fist smashed into his face before he could finish his sentence, sending him flying backward like a ragdoll.

The burly one barely had time to react before Blake swept his leg out from under him, sending him crashing down hard onto the pavement.

Thunk!

A brief silence.

Then—

"Gah—!!!"

The two seniors howled in pain, clutching their injuries. Their eyes were wide with shock and terror—because as far as they could tell, Blake hadn't even moved properly before they were on the ground.

It was like he had teleported between attacks.

And now, he was staring down at them, his voice flat and emotionless.

"Get lost. If I catch you pulling this crap again, I'll break your legs."

A heavy silence fell over the alley.

The two seniors scrambled to their feet, nodding frantically before practically tripping over themselves as they bolted out of sight.

The moment they disappeared, a hushed murmur spread among the students who had been watching from a distance.

Especially the girls.

Their eyes sparkled as they stared at Blake's back, admiration written all over their faces.

He wasn't just handsome—he was strong.

Some had fantasized about meeting their "prince charming," but never in their wildest dreams had they expected to witness something straight out of a movie.

Naturally, their gazes drifted toward the one girl at the center of it all.

Airi Akizuki.

Her golden-blonde twin ponytails shimmered under the sunlight, emerald-green eyes wide with surprise. Her delicate features were already stunning, but with her slight blush from the situation…

She looked straight out of a fairy tale.

And yet, unlike the other girls, her expression wasn't admiration—it was pure curiosity.

Blake turned back toward her, ignoring the onlookers.

He met her gaze and smiled slightly, his previous cold demeanor softening.

"You alright?"

Airi blinked, still processing what just happened.

Then, realizing he was waiting for an answer, she quickly straightened up, her usual confidence returning.

"I'm fine," she said, brushing off imaginary dust. "Thanks to you."

Blake nodded, satisfied.

He hadn't expected much from this random world, but fate had a way of throwing him into interesting situations.

And today, it had led him straight to Airi Akizuki.

---

Re Worked