009 Entrance Exam - Part 3 - Mirai’s POV

I sat cross-legged, focusing on recovering as much luck as I could.

There was no better way to put it. Luck wasn’t something I controlled—it was something I had to recharge. It trickled back naturally, but the process was slow.

Ugh… I hated myself for not reading the itinerary.

If I knew there was going to be a test, I would’ve just slept in the auditorium or something.

I’m such a klutz.

Not my fault, though. I worked two jobs. It used to be five part-time gigs before I cut back, and even then, life was still a juggling act.

I peeked at Psycho—who remained planted near the door like a damn statue.

"What are you doing, Whitey?"

He twitched. "Don't call me Whitey. Do you want me to call you Blackie?"

I grinned. "Fair point, Whitey."

Mark groaned like I had physically wounded him. "Ugh…"

Oh-hoh. So that’s how it was.

I was finally getting a good grasp on Mark.

He was so like those pushovers back in the orphanage. The kind who acted tough but folded the moment you pushed the right buttons.

I stretched my legs out and leaned back on my hands. "So, what were you brooding about?"

Mark exhaled through his nose. "I wish I brought my knife."

Uegh… Okay.

This guy was totally psycho.

I eyed him warily. Yeah, he might look like a pushover, but if he snapped…

He was probably the really scary kind.

…Maybe I should minimize calling him Whitey.

An hour passed.

Whitey was still standing by the door like a damn statue.

Seriously, was he even breathing?

Meanwhile, I was sitting cross-legged, still trying to recover my luck. It was slow as hell, but at least I was feeling a bit peppier.

I’d been experimenting with my power ever since I first discovered it. For some reason, when I got into awkward situations and fed on misfortune, I could stock up luck a lot faster.

I tried to recall the last few hours…

Falling on Blondie’s crotch. Getting dragged around by a psycho. Getting embarrassed over pickup lines…

What else?

Ugh… If I really wanted to charge up my luck, I’d have to get myself into unfortunate scenarios again.

Preferably the kind that made me feel embarrassed.

I chewed on my lip. Hmmm…

Did it really need to be embarrassment, though? Or was it just misfortune in general?

Maybe I could find a way to test it.

I glanced around the rooftop. It wasn’t like I could accidentally slip on nothing.

…Right?

Another hour passed.

Mark finally spoke for the first time in an hour.

"It's 4:30 PM now. We should try to run… or maybe make a final stand here. What do you think?"

I stretched my arms and yawned. Damn, I was feeling stiff. "Mmmm… I dunno. I think staying here is fine. I mean, if they haven’t found us yet, they probably won’t—"

"I think you kids are having too much of a fun date!"

A familiar, booming voice rang through the rooftop.

My blood ran cold.

Mark and I both snapped our heads toward the door, where a figure was standing, arms crossed, grinning like a devil.

Professor Reina Morningstar.

She looked right at home in her role as the Master of the Pioneer Class. With her sharp features, piercing red eyes, and long, flowing black hair, she had this intense presence that made it impossible to ignore her. Even in her crisp, tailored professor's coat, she carried herself like a warrior—a far cry from the usual strict and boring teachers you’d expect at a school.

And her ESP? Absolute Authority.

The woman could make her words into law, bending reality around her commands—at least, to a certain extent. She couldn’t just say, "Die," and expect people to drop dead, but she could absolutely tell you to stop moving, and your body would listen, whether you liked it or not.

Rumor had it she was an ex-mercenary before becoming a professor, which honestly made way too much sense.

And right now, she was grinning like she owned the place.

Mark tensed beside me, his hand subtly shifting into a defensive position.

"Oh no," I muttered under my breath. "We're screwed."

Reina Morningstar was basically a supermodel in the ESPer industry. Even if you didn’t go to this academy, you’d probably still know her name. She was one of the most famous ESPers alive—rumored to be an ex-mercenary, but also a brand ambassador for some combat gear companies. If I remembered correctly, she even had a commercial where she took down an entire group of thugs while advertising running shoes.

And this absolute celebrity of a professor was now standing in front of us, arms crossed, looking amused.

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I barely had time to blink before Mark moved.

He shot forward like a ghost, his hand cutting straight for her throat.

Reina’s eyes flickered. "I can see you."

Before the hit could land, she caught his wrist.

Wait—caught it? She shouldn’t have been able to react to that! Mark’s ESP made him practically invisible to people's attention!

Reina tilted her head, gripping his arm firmly. "You have an interesting power. I almost forgot you were there."

Then, in one fluid motion, she flipped Mark over her shoulder.

Shit!

But—Mark wasn't done.

Somehow, mid-throw, his body twisted unnaturally, his back bending at an insane ninety-degree angle as his feet landed on the ground instead of his back.

My jaw dropped.

Before Reina could react, Mark pulled at her arm, using her own momentum against her.

And suddenly—whoop—the professor was the one flipping over, crashing down with a thud as Mark landed on top of her, pinning her down.

I just stared.

I mean… whoa.

That psycho rocks.

Reina grinned.

A bad sign.

She jerked her head forward—crack!—and slammed her forehead right into Mark’s skull.

Mark recoiled. "SON OF A—!"

Reina cackled. "OH, SHIT! You felt that, huh? That’s what you get for throwing me, you little bastard!"

Mark held his forehead, looking dazed. "I did throw you! You tried to yeet me first, dumbass!"

"You're the one who attacked me first, dumbass!"

"You’re the one who snuck up on us first, dumbass!"

"You’re the one hiding like a rat, dumbass!"

"You're the one who—wait, this is hide and seek?!" Mark froze, then groaned. "Oh my god, I am so conflicted right now!"

"Good, stay conflicted!" Reina barked a laugh, cracking her knuckles. "I thought you'd be a coward, but look at you. You’re really throwing hands with me, huh?"

Mark clenched his fists. "I don't know whether I hate you or if I should be proud that your Mom’s friend, but screw it. I’m putting everything I’ve got to the test!"

…Wait a damn second.

I narrowed my eyes. "Mom’s friend?"

They knew each other?!

Unfortunately, there was no time to question it.

Because if Mark was going all out—then so was I.

I focused. Luck, as a concept, wasn’t just about getting things to go my way. It let me move in perfect coordination with my ideal outcome. It wasn’t just about dodging attacks—I could set myself up for a perfect counter.

And right now, my ideal outcome?

Me, taking down Reina Morningstar.

Mark lunged forward again, and I used the moment to sneak behind her. His ESP made him hard to notice, and my luck let me move like a ghost. It was the perfect combination.

To be more specific, I made my luck move me like a ghost.

Reina was too focused on him to notice me slipping into her blind spot.

I aimed.

And with a snap, I kicked the back of her knee.

Reina's leg buckled, and she fell.

Before she could recover, I locked my arms around her neck, squeezing tight in a headlock.

I grinned. "How’s that?!"

I clenched my teeth as Reina’s arms somehow still reached me, even though I knew I had pinned them correctly. Damn it—she was an adult, taller, stronger, and built different. I held on, silently pleading that she wouldn’t be able to utter a word. If she activated her ESP, things would go downhill fast.

Reina grunted and drove an elbow into my ribs.

Once.

Twice.

Thrice.

Pain shot through my torso, but I refused to let go. My pain tolerance was way higher than your average high schooler. I had survived literal starvation before—I could handle this.

Or at least, I thought I could.

Reina suddenly contorted her body like a damn snake, twisting out of my grip and slithering behind me.

Before I could react, her arm coiled around my neck.

Her grip was iron.

“This,” she whispered into my ear, “is how you perform a headlock.”

My vision blurred as my oxygen got cut off. "Ugh…!"

Where the hell was Mark?!

I barely managed to glance forward.

He was standing there, warming up.

Was he seriously stretching while I was getting strangled to death?!

Then—he vanished.

Reina chuckled. “Neat trick, but you can still hear me…”

I felt my breath shorten. Shit—she was using some kind of ESP trick.

“And I say,” Reina declared, tightening her grip, “reveal yourself.”

My heart almost exploded as Mark suddenly appeared—

Not behind Reina.

Not somewhere else.

But right in front of me, crouching low and using my body as cover.

Holy crap.

Reina wouldn’t see him coming!

Mark met my gaze and mouthed, Lean to the side.

I did.

Mark’s cross jab crashed into Reina’s cheek with a satisfying thud.

It landed.

A chill ran down my spine. Oh shit. This is real.

But my luck told me—push through.

I followed up, striking Reina’s throat with an open palm. She gasped, her breath disrupted.

Mark followed with a hook straight to the lip.

I slammed a palm heel strike into her temple.

Mark drove a straight jab into the philtrum.

We were beating her senseless.

For a brief moment, I actually felt guilty.

And then—

"BWAHAHAHAHA!"

Reina laughed.

Blood dripped from her nose, her lips were bruised, her face should have been wrecked—

But instead, she grinned like a lunatic.

“You make me proud, kids!” she cheered, her voice wild with excitement. “I don’t even feel pain anymore! And I’ve never felt stronger than ever!”

Oh, hell no.

Before we could react, Reina grabbed both of our foreheads in a vice grip—

And smashed us into the ground.

"UUGHH!"

Dirt and concrete scraped against my face. My body screamed in pain.

Mark groaned next to me.

I looked up—

And saw Reina smiling down at us, completely healed.

"And look!" she boasted, gesturing to her perfectly unscathed face. "I’m already healed!"

I wanted to cry.

Even cheating had its limits, okay?

I tried to reach for Reina’s face—couldn’t.

I tried to attack her arms—couldn’t.

Mark struggled just as much, his arms flapping to reach her uselessly like mine.

But I wasn’t about to give up.

I clenched my jaw and focused, forcing every last bit of my luck into action. If there was one thing I had learned, it was that luck wasn’t just about making things go right—it was about rewriting reality in my favor.

I reached out and grabbed Mark’s hand.

Reina raised an eyebrow. “Holding hands? That’s cute.”

“No, dummy,” I gritted out. “I’m sharing my luck.”

Holding hands was for chumps.

…Wait. That was a self-burn, wasn’t it?

Ugh. My mood swings and stray thoughts aside—Mark moved.

And holy hell, he moved like a monster.

He lodged his feet onto Reina’s shoulder, using her own body as leverage. With a sudden, explosive motion, he flipped, twisting mid-air and forcing her into an armbar.

I grinned and grabbed his arm, giving him extra leverage so he could fully lock her in.

Reina’s confidence finally wavered.

“Ouch, ouch—what the—” She winced. “Why does it hurt?!”

She let go of me.

I cackled with malicious glee.

“DO IT!” I cheered. “THE SUBMISSION POSE!”

Mark groaned. “This isn’t as easy as it looks.”

“What do you mean? Just break her arm.”

“I’m not breaking her arm.”

“Lame.”

“I’m using my ESP,” he continued, “to artificially make her ESP think I own it by forcing it into a Second Perspective.”

I blinked.

“…What?”

I took it back.

I didn’t understand a single thing this psycho just said. But whatever it was, it sounded like some next-level cheating.

Reina suddenly laughed.

“Ahhh, so that’s what’s happening.” She smirked. “You kids really gave me a run for my money. So here’s lesson one—don’t tell your enemies what your ESP does.”

Mark froze.

“Ah, crap.”

I stared at him.

“What?”

Mark grimaced. “I lost control of it.”

Before either of us could react, Reina stood up, lifted Mark up, and then flung him into the air like a ragdoll.

I gawked as his body soared straight up, higher and higher.

He kept going.

…And going.

"MARK!"

I sprinted, my legs moving before my brain even processed it. *Screw it—*my luck should save me, right?

I ran, jumped onto the roof, and prepared to leap after him.

And then—

Something snagged my leg.

I yelped as my body jerked to a stop.

Gravity pulled me down, my skirt flipping up in the process.

“GAH!” I scrambled, pushing my skirt down before anyone got a free show.

I twisted my head and—yep. Reina had grabbed me by the leg like I was a misbehaving cat.

Reina smirked up at me. “Not bad, kid. But—”

“I give up, Professor,” I deadpanned.

In the distance, I heard Mark’s screams growing smaller.