Room 1A-1

As the faculty continued their hushed discussion, Grand Master Magnus Greycastle's gaze slowly swept across the hall, meticulously scanning for survivors of his potent mental assault.

He noted a bunch of them still conscious.

Some looked relatively unaffected, merely glistening with a light sheen of sweat.

While others appeared half-dead, their eyes wide but glazed, barely clinging to consciousness.

His eyes then landed on one student in particular who was directly looking back at him, meeting his gaze with unyielding defiance.

The kid was clearly half-dead, drenched in sweat, but a fierce smile was plastered on his face.

Magnus even saw a trickle of blood at the corner of the boy's mouth, a testament to how hard he'd bitten down to endure.

A flicker of surprise, almost imperceptible, crossed Magnus Greycastle's stern features.

"Interesting," he murmured, his voice low, audible only to the faculty near him.

"A commoner that can resist my mental attack, barely, but still with eyes like that."

A faint, almost imperceptible smile touched the corner of his lips.

"This year might be different."

Kaito felt the Grand Master's gaze settle on him, a prickling sensation that wasn't part of the mental attack but rather the sharp observation of a powerful being. He didn't flinch. The pain in his head had receded, replaced by a dull ache, and the metallic taste of blood still lingered from where he'd torn the inside of his cheek. His body trembled with exhaustion, but a wild exhilaration surged through him. He did it. He beat it.

He returned Magnus Greycastle's stare, his own eyes burning with a defiance born not just from successfully completing a game quest, but from a lifetime of facing a far more inescapable threat.

"So, you noticed me, old man? Good. You should."

Kaito's smile widened, a grim, blood-stained crescent on his face.

"This 'lesson' of yours about death, about reality... you're preaching to the choir, Grand Master."

He remembered countless nights in the hospital, listening to the rhythmic beeps of machines, feeling his own weakening pulse, knowing that any day could be the last.

Death wasn't some abstract concept he learned from a stern lecture; it was a constant, cold breath on his neck, a reality he lived with every single moment.

"You think this is a game, huh? You tell us it's not a game."

Kaito scoffed internally, the irony almost laughable.

"For me, the game was the escape."

But this? This is my second chance at a life where I'm not trapped, not counting down my days."

The sheer, raw power Magnus had unleashed was terrifying, yes, but it was nothing compared to the fear of a body betraying you, piece by agonizing piece.

"And you, you S-Rank Apex," Kaito thought, his gaze lingering on the Grand Master.

"You're all talk in the lore, never there when it counts."

"An incredibly powerful NPC who conveniently has 'other business' during every major crisis."

"Well, I'm not going to be like the rest of these cannon fodder."

"I'm going to actually use this power, this life."

"I'll make sure that when true death comes for this world, I won't be some 'busy' background character or a weak extra getting swept away."

He saw the other students around him, still gasping or unconscious.

Eric Lionheart, one of the main characters, was still awake, though clearly shaken, his red hair slightly dishevelled.

The childhood friend beside him looked pale, but her eyes were also open, showing her resilience.

"They're strong too, in their own way, Kaito conceded."

"But they haven't lived with the shadow of death whispering in their ear every single day."

A newfound resolve solidified within him.

He wasn't just surviving this ceremony, he was claiming his existence in this new reality.

---

With a subtle, almost imperceptible flick of Grand Master Greycastle's finger, a wave of calming magical energy washed over the hall.

All the slumped, unconscious students stirred, then slowly, groggily, began to wake up.

The mental strain that had pressed down on them vanished completely, as if wiped clean, and a slight restorative energy seemed to mend their immediate discomfort.

Even Kaito felt a subtle easing in his strained muscles and a clearing of the lingering haze in his mind.

The Grand Master had subtly given them a bit of help.

Magnus Greycastle's voice, now devoid of the previous oppressive aura, resonated clearly through the hall.

"You have all endured, in your own ways, the initial test. It was a mere glimpse of the resolve and resilience required to walk the path of Crimsonsteel."

"I commend those who stood, and even those who fell, for simply being here marks you as exceptional."

He paused, letting his words sink in.

"You have all passed the entrance exams. Now, your true journey begins."

"You will now proceed to your specific homerooms to have a little time to familiarize yourselves with each other and to your homeroom advisor."

A magical projection shimmered briefly in the air above the stage, displaying an example of what he was about to describe.

"Your homeroom assignments will be posted on various bulletin boards scattered around the campus.

Additionally," he added, with another subtle magical flourish, "the information will be sent directly to your personal academy watches that were provided to you when you passed the exams."

Grand Master Magnus Greycastle concluded his speech with a final, authoritative nod.

"Go forth, students. Your future awaits. Dismissed!"

With that, the Grand Master and the faculty members turned and began to exit the stage, leaving the hundreds of freshmen to slowly rise, some still rubbing their heads, others already eager to find their assigned classes.

The ceremony was over, and the real life of Crimsonsteel Academy was about to begin.

---

A few minutes had passed since the intense mental assault from Grand Master Greycastle, and the vast ceremony hall was now a swirling mass of students. The lingering magical exhaustion made Kaito feel as though the air itself was thick, and he was still staggering slightly as he tried to navigate through the disoriented crowd. His legs felt like lead, and his head throbbed faintly, a reminder of the raw power he'd just endured.

Just then, a soft beep chimed from his wrist.

He looked down at the academy watch, a sleek device of polished metal that had been provided upon passing the entrance exams. A notification shimmered on its surface:

Notification from the Academy

Student: Kaito Kuromaku, First Year

Class: D

Rank: 838

Room 1A-1

Kaito blinked, staring at the displayed information.

"Class D... Rank 838?" he mumbled to himself, the numbers sinking in.

It was precisely what he expected for a baseline "extra" in the game.

Not the lowest, but certainly not anywhere near the top-tier A or B, no even C class, where main characters like Eric and side characters as well, would undoubtedly land.

A wry smirk touched his lips.

"Figures. Start me at rock bottom, why don't you?"

But there was no real resentment, only a familiar challenge.

This wasn't the pre-determined path of a game, this was his new reality.

He still had those sweet stat points and market coins from the completed quests, and now a clear objective, find Room 1A-1.

After several minutes of navigating the now-bustling academy halls, Kaito finally located Room 1A-1.

He opted for the back door, hoping to slip in unnoticed, away from the main entrance and the lingering aura of the stage.

As he pushed open the door, a wave of enthusiastic chatter washed over him.

The room was alive with noise, students were already forming small groups, introducing themselves, and laughing.

He scanned the faces, taking in the varied personalities that made up Class D, Rank 838.

There were the quiet, studious types, likely the "nerds" he mentally categorized, hunched over books or whispering shyly.

Then, there were the loud and proud, mostly nobles from the looks of their fine attire and confident postures, already dominating conversations.

Some students were even boldly hitting on others, their flirtations adding to the vibrant room.

Kaito's gaze drifted, casually taking in his new surroundings, when he noticed a familiar spot at the front of the room.

It was near the teacher's desk, and the amount of people gathering there was gradually increasing.

At first, he didn't care, he was too preoccupied with his own fatigue and surveying the general chaos.

But as the crowd thickened and the talks grew noticeably louder, his indifference began to wane.

The sheer volume of excited chatter was undeniable, drawing his attention whether he wanted it to or not.

Curiosity, a rare but potent force in his new reality, finally won out.

He decided to look.

Kaito squinted, trying to get a better view over the heads of the burgeoning crowd. He pushed slightly to the side, angling for a clearer line of sight.

As the bodies shifted, he finally saw it, and his jaw nearly dropped.

Right there, at the eye of the storm, was a familiar red-haired boy.

His vibrant crimson hair seemed to catch every available speck of light, and he was already laughing, charming, effortlessly drawing everyone around him into his orbit.

It was undeniably Eric Lionheart.