007 Entrance Exam - Part 1 - Mirai’s POV

I’m deadass late!

I might not have been if I hadn't crashed straight into some poor guy at the gate. Maybe if I’d left my dorm a minute earlier. Maybe if I’d skipped breakfast. Maybe if I hadn’t spent five whole minutes panicking about what to wear, even though we had a damn uniform.

But then again… this was me we were talking about.

Even if I hadn’t hit that white-haired dude with my bike, something else probably would have delayed me. A flat tire. A sudden earthquake. A spontaneous chicken parade blocking the road. I didn’t just have bad luck—I burned through good luck so fast that the universe had to balance things out somehow.

It was a miracle I even made it here at all.

The moment I entered the auditorium, my heart nearly stopped. The place was packed—thousands of freshmen seated in rows stretching far beyond what my panicked mind could process. The ceiling arched high above, glimmering with artificial stars that mimicked the night sky, a subtle flex of ESP technology. Massive screens hovered at the front, broadcasting the stage where the Archon of the Academy stood, delivering his speech.

I had to move fast.

Head low, I scanned for the nearest empty seat. No way was I going to walk all the way to the back like a loser. With every ounce of stored luck I had been expending since I woke up, I wove through the aisles, barely slipping past scanning eyes, avoiding any professor’s glare, dodging the overly enthusiastic upperclassmen positioned around the room.

One seat, right there. Third row from the left. I was almost there when—

"... And so, as you take your first steps into the halls of World ESPer Academy..."

Oh. Lucky.

The Archon was wrapping up his speech. I slipped into my chair, exhaling slowly as my heart pounded against my ribs. Crisis averted.

Now that I was here, I finally got a good look at the guy speaking.

The Archon—leader of the Academy, one of the most powerful ESPers in the world, and apparently nearly a hundred years old—looked like a damn elementary schooler.

His hair, neatly tied into a high ponytail, was split down the middle—half black, half white, like someone had taken two completely different people and stitched them together. His eyes were even stranger. One glowed deep purple, the other a sharp emerald green, like jewels reflecting some unseen wisdom. Even standing on an elevated platform, he barely reached the podium’s height. If I hadn’t known better, I would have mistaken him for some rich kid cosplaying as a student rep.

But there was no mistaking the weight of his presence.

Even with his small frame, he commanded the room, his voice smooth and unwavering, holding the attention of thousands.

And then…

I felt it the moment it happened.

A sudden emptiness, like I had used up all my stored luck in one go. My ESP had run dry.

Oh, crap.

Every time my luck ran out, bad luck came crashing down right after. It was an unspoken rule, a cruel joke the universe liked to play on me. And sure enough—

My foot caught on absolutely nothing.

I lurched forward, too fast to stop myself, and slammed face-first into something soft yet firm. My nose throbbed. My pride shattered. There was a stunned silence around me, followed by a sharp inhale.

When I looked up, I met a pair of wide blue eyes. Blonde hair. Red cheeks.

And then I realized where my face had landed.

Oh. Oh no.

Students around us gasped, their whispers sharp enough to stab.

"Did she just—?"

"Right in the—"

"A public execution…"

Heat crawled up my face, my entire soul shriveling. I scrambled to get away, but before I could bolt, a hand grabbed my wrist.

"Dude, let go." I tried to yank free, but my strength was nothing compared to his grip.

He looked just as flustered as I felt, his face burning red. "Y-you can take my seat if you want…"

Then, without another word, he stood, helped me up, and quietly moved to the seat I had been aiming for in the first place.

I stared at him, still processing what just happened.

"...Thanks," I muttered, sinking into the chair.

I was never riding a bike again.

He nodded stiffly, avoiding my gaze.

What was this guy’s problem?

Nevermind.

I didn’t have time to dwell on it.

The Archon had finally finished speaking, and the podium was handed over to a new speaker.

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“My name is Reina Morningstar,” began the new speaker. “And I am not going to repeat myself twice. Do you understand?”

A few nodded to her words.

Reina took the stage with the confidence of someone who owned the place. Her brown hair was tied back in a high ponytail, and her piercing gaze swept over the crowd like a hawk searching for prey. She adjusted the microphone, then leaned in with a smirk.

“Alright, brats. Listen up.”

A ripple of murmurs spread through the audience at her bluntness.

She sighed. “I said shut your trap!”

The entire auditorium went silent.

“Good. Now that I have your attention—” She straightened and crossed her arms. “Name’s Reina Morningstar. Professor. Master of the Pioneer Class. You’ll be seeing a lot of me, so burn my face into your tiny little brains.”

More whispers broke out.

She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah. I know what you’re thinking. ‘What’s the Pioneer Class? Why does she talk like a thug? Is she really a professor?’ Newsflash—I don’t care what you think. What I do care about is making sure you understand what you’re here for.”

She leaned on the podium, tapping her fingers against the wood.

“This is World ESPer Academy. You made it past the entrance gates, so congratulations, you’re officially students. But don’t go celebrating just yet. First, you’ve got to take the Entrance Exam.”

A wave of tension spread through the room.

She grinned. “What, nervous? Don’t be. This isn’t a test to weed you out. No one’s getting expelled for failing. Every single one of you will be attending this Academy, whether you like it or not.”

That got a few confused looks.

Reina continued, undeterred. “This exam is meant to gauge your potential. Strength, intelligence, strategy, adaptability—you name it. It’ll determine where you belong. Whether you’re fit for the elite classes or better off learning how to file paperwork. Either way, you have a role in society, even if it’s just being a glorified desk jockey.”

Some students laughed. Others looked horrified.

She smirked. “Harsh? Maybe. But that’s reality, kids. Some of you will be soldiers. Some of you will be leaders. Some of you will barely scrape by, but you’ll still be useful in some way. And as long as you’re useful, you have a place here.”

Her expression turned sharp.

“Now, if you’re hoping for a smooth ride, I suggest you quit that fantasy right now. This school isn’t for the weak-willed. It’s for those who’ll shape the future. And whether you end up shaping it from the frontlines or from the shadows—that’s up to you.”

She stepped back from the podium.

“Welcome to World ESPer Academy. Let’s see what you’re made of.”

For a moment, the auditorium was silent. A short, tense quiet.

Then, the dude beside me started clapping like a seal. Slow, loud, and painfully enthusiastic.

I shot him a look. He ignored it and kept clapping.

Then, like some kind of contagious disease, the applause spread. One person joined in, then another, until the whole room was clapping.

…Never mind. Might as well join in. I clapped too. Seemed like the polite thing to do.

Reina didn’t react to the applause—just waited for it to die down before she continued.

“Alright, now that you all know what’s at stake, let’s talk about the test.” She smirked. “We’re keeping it simple this year. It’s hide and seek.”

Murmurs filled the auditorium again.

“Survival edition,” she added. “Here’s the deal—the entire main academy grounds will be your playground. Students will be hiding. Professors will be seeking. Your goal? Don’t get caught.”

More whispers.

“Oh, and combat is allowed,” Reina said casually, like she wasn’t just encouraging a battle royale. “We, the professors, will be equipped with anti-ESP cuffs. Once you’re caught, you’re dead in the water.”

The murmurs turned into full-on discussions.

I glanced around. Some students looked excited, others horrified. The dude beside me? Grinning like an idiot.

Hide and seek, huh? Sounded simple. But if they were throwing in combat and ESP suppression cuffs… yeah. This was going to be a nightmare.

Reina clapped her hands. “Alright, brats. You’ve got three minutes to run.”

No one moved.

She raised an eyebrow. “I’m counting.”

“One—”

A red-haired guy immediately bolted for the doors. Smart.

The rest of us? Just stood there, blinking. Some looked confused, others frozen in place. Blondie and I? Yeah, we were just zoning out.

“Two—”

Reina sighed. “Idiots. START RUNNING.”

The room exploded into chaos. Chairs screeched against the floor, students shoved past each other, and the stampede began.

Blondie turned to me. “Hey, want to stick toge—”

I didn’t hear the rest.

Because at that moment, I felt myself getting yanked.

“What the—?!”

I tried to fight back, but whoever had grabbed me was way stronger. I was lifted clean off my feet and slung over someone’s shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

“Oi! Put me down!” I kicked my legs, but it was useless. The guy was running—no, sprinting—for the doors like he had somewhere to be.

Wait.

White hair.

And a bandage covering half his face.

Oh. Oh no.

I felt a shudder.

I knew exactly who this was.

I cried out for justice.

"I’m sorry! Please don’t kill me! I don’t have money!"

No response.

"HELP! SOMEONE! THIS GUY'S KIDNAPPING ME!"

Blondie stood frozen in the chaos, looking absolutely devastated—hand stretched out like he was witnessing a tragic farewell. His mouth opened and closed, as if trying to process what was happening.

Meanwhile, white-haired psycho just kept running. “Stop being silly.”

SILLY?!

He smashed through the doors, took a sharp left, and—finally—dumped me back onto my feet. Well, sort of. He still had a death grip on my wrist.

"Run," he shouted. "Like your life depends on it!"

He was dead serious, like we were being chased by Dire Wolves or something.

That’s when it hit me.

This dude was crazy.

Just behind us, chaos erupted.

More students flooded out of the doors, pushing, shoving—some even tripping over each other. The congestion turned into a full-blown stampede.

Before I could process what was happening, Whitey scooped me up in a princess carry.

"WHAT THE—"

Then he jumped.

Right through a freaking window.

I screamed my heart out as we arched through the air, glass shards flying past us. We crashed through another window, rolling across the floor. The impact rattled my bones, and I was pretty sure I got a few cuts, but Whitey had it worse—he had wrapped himself around me midair, shielding me like some kind of insane bulletproof vest.

We barely had time to breathe before a shadow loomed over us.

A bald man stood in front of us, arms crossed, completely unfazed.

We froze.

The professor glanced at a pocket watch and said, "Relax. There's still time. Reina-chan is probably still counting."

I didn't wait for him to change his mind. I turned on my heel to run—only for Whitey to grab my wrist again and yank me in the opposite direction.

Psycho dragged me through the halls like a madman, dodging groups of students, taking sharp turns, and vaulting over obstacles like he had the whole map memorized.

I barely had time to process where we were going before he kicked open a door, yanked me through, and slammed it shut behind us.

“Where—” I panted.

“No time,” he cut me off, pulling me toward a staircase.

And then he ran up.

Why up?! The ground was right there!

I stumbled, but he tightened his grip on my wrist, practically lifting me as he sprinted. The stairwell ended at a locked door, but instead of stopping, he jumped onto the railing and launched us sideways—straight through a gap in the wall.

I screamed. Again.

We landed on a rooftop walkway.

"You—are—INSANE!" I gasped between breaths, my legs wobbling.

He didn’t even acknowledge me, just kept moving. We ducked under metal pipes, leapt across platforms, and at one point, he ran up a wall to avoid a group of students. I was convinced at this point—this guy had to be some kind of cryptid.

"Why are we going UP?!" I demanded.

"Staying high is better," he said like it was obvious.

"Better for who?!"

He didn’t answer. Instead, he suddenly stopped, scanned the area, then dragged me toward the edge of the building.

Oh no. No, no, no.

“You are NOT about to—”

He jumped.

And he took me with him.