"Crap. How long was I gone for? What class period is it?"

Looking at the schedule, his P.E. class had almost started. He darted through every classroom, growing more anxious with each passing minute, but failed to find anyone. With no other option, Koroki stepped outside from the right side of the building and strolled around the school courtyard, lost. Students flooded the campus floor, their voices blending into a low hum of conversation.

Judging from the students idling around, the bell Koroki heard earlier was for the previous class.

"Where’s the gym?" Maybe one of his classmates could help him. He struggled to find anyone from his homeroom class, preferably Surata, but-- no luck.

He technically skipped most of his classes, so he wasn’t trying to cause more trouble for himself.

Stranded in the courtyard, Koroki looked up at the tall buildings on campus. Next to one of the buildings was another, much smaller compared to the school building. He noticed students walking from and into the building. The faces of those students weren’t familiar to Koroki.

If it was time for P.E., it would be in the gymnasium, a.k.a. the shortest building.

“Is this the right place? Ugh, at this point, it doesn’t matter.”

Koroki either picked the wrong building and became late or found his class on time. Taking his chances, he headed for the small building. Strolling through the open-air corridors that connected the different school buildings, his sense of worry faded away as his monotoned expression returned.

___

Looking like he didn't have a care in the world, Koroki entered the building, walking with his hands behind his head. Lockers hugged the walls as Koroki was greeted by a crowded hallway of students. Coincidentally, after entering the door, Koroki heard someone calling his name.

“Koroki.” Its voice grew louder as it approached Koroki. A light but friendly punch to his back caught Koroki off guard.

"Hey, Koroki. How was your trip to the doctor's office?" Koroki looked toward the voice and found Surata.

Thinking back to the nurse’s office. Koroki wanted to erase the entire moment from his memory. "I- I don’t wanna talk about it.”

“Oh alright. Well, why did she punch you like that?”

“Apparently, Ishio told her to punch me and wanted to test it out." Koroki rubbed his head again, remembering the pain. “Damn, she really didn’t hold back!”

Surata half-heartedly chuckled, "Well, that's Father for you."

The brothers paused their conversation for a while. As they continued walking, Koroki curiously asked, "By the way, how do they even know Ishio?"

"Father works in the Noye Agency building next to us. He also used to be a teacher at this school before.

“Teacher?! Who would let someone like that teach students?”

Surata added, “Some of the teachers would tell me how happy he was training his students. But, during the War of the Fallen, Father stopped teaching. Now he's only focused on working as one of the higher-ups."

"Mhmm."

As the brothers headed to the gym, a strong presence approached them. Because of the number of students in the hallway, they couldn't feel the aura or pinpoint the presence. It wasn't until they bumped into each other that they finally noticed each other.

"Hey! You're Koroki, right?" they asked with their dark and deep voice.

Despite their presence, the tall, lean, muscular man stared Koroki down, annoyed. The man was dressed very professionally, his sandy-blonde short hair slicked back. He wore thin glasses and a white-collar shirt with black suspenders.

Koroki felt the man’s powerful aura forming around him as if he were the prey of a predator. Koroki could tell right away--this man was dangerous.

Koroki kept his cool, unfazed. He slowly turned around and gradually faced the intimidating man. "Yes?"

"Mr. Latro, is everything alright?" Surata replies.

Latro was a licensed Shikari and a staff member in this school. He was a teacher who wasn’t liked by his students. His serious demeanor and dark, powerful aura intimidated them.

"Ugh…Why does everyone want my attention today?” Koroki complained, “Didn't know I was a celebrity." To his knowledge, Koroki had never seen Mr. Latro before. Yet, for some reason, Latro couldn't wipe away his annoyed expression, as if Koroki did something to make him angry.

Koroki inspected Latro's face. Whenever Latro blinked, Koroki discovered a Noye marking carved from his inner eyelid.

The marking had the symbol:

侃

Latro's eyes narrowed as he observed Koroki. As if his anger flowed through him like lava. Latro immediately swung at Koroki. Caught by surprise, Koroki's reaction timing was tested as he swiftly ducked under Latro’s strike.

Surata's eyes widened as he stood by, confused by Latro's behavior. “Mr. Latro never attacked a student like this before. Did Father tell him the same thing he told Nurser Hapi?”

Koroki could probably take on a teacher with his current fighting skills, but it would give him a bad image on his first day.

To prevent this fight from lasting longer, Koroki hurriedly ran away from Latro. Surata copied Koroki, thinking that he might be hit next.

“Come back here!” Mr. Latro declared with his voice filled with authority.

The boys ignored Latro and attempted to escape. They rapidly squeezed through the cluster of students, trying to find their class. Students stared at the interaction as if they were watching them play a game of cat and mouse.

Down the crowded hallway, Surata spotted their fellow classmates entering a room. “C’mon Koroki, our class is this way!”

They hurried to the classroom door. With quick effort, Koroki powerfully slid the front door open. After the boys entered, Koroki forcefully closed it shut, using his body as a barricade.

___

The second bell rang, signaling the start of class. The boys gasped for breath, holding themselves by their knees.

The teacher stood in front of the class, glancing in their direction. “Nice job, boys. You barely made it.”

The teacher’s voice felt familiar to them. They focused their attention on the teacher as they greeted the class.

"Good morning, class!"

The students responded back in unison. "Good morning.”

“Your teacher called in sick today, so I will be your substitute for today. You can call me Mr. Ishio.”

“Huh?!”

The boys’ eyebrows were raised by surprise. They looked at the front of the class and saw Ishio greeting the other students.

Ishio turned to the boys again. "Hey boys, how's school going so far?" he kindly smiled, gesturing at them.

Despite their shocked reaction, Surata couldn’t stop gasping for breath while Koroki recovered but sighed in disgust as he walked to find a seat.

Their class wasn't in a gymnasium. Being in a vast, empty room with no signs of desks, the room resembled some training hall- a dojo. So, the students sat on the vast floor or stood.

With everyone present, the class began.

Ishio decided to evaluate the students’ skills. “Let’s start by doing some basic exercises.”

The class erupted, complaining about the simple task. “Umm... why do we need to learn the basics?”

“Yeah, we know the basics. Let’s just practice our Noye.”

Ishio sighed, disappointed by the class’s whining. “Before we learn Noye, we must train our bodies first. Our Noye needs a strong vessel as its host."

He prepared for the students to begin strength training: arm exercises, core exercises, leg exercises, and an excessive amount of cardio. The class turned into a gym session.

Despite the students giving it their all, some excelled more than others.

Surata effortlessly excelled in all these training exercises. If this were a test, he would probably have the highest score.

On the other hand, Koroki saw this as an opportunity. Giving himself a break from the ruckus, he lay sideways near the corner of the room, nearly falling asleep.

He arrived on time, so Ishio couldn’t give him backlash for skipping class.

Ishio appreciated Surata’s hard work in effort. He let out a heart-warm smile towards Surata. On the other hand, he glanced at Koroki and sighed.

The classmates grew tired fast, panting and sweating. That was an indication for Ishio to proceed to the next phase of training. “Alright, class. Now it's time for actual training."

Ishio headed to the nearby storage room in the gym. Sounds of gym equipment and balls bouncing around flowed out of the room. After a while, tons of wooden bokkens flew out of the room, scattering across the floor.

It looked like there were enough swords for each student.

The students stood there, dazzled, with a blank stare. "What's the point in using these?” one student asked.

If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

Some students weren't fans of wooden swords. They only learned how to use Noye during hand-to-hand combat.

Mr. Ishio explained in detail. "Noye can be used offensively and defensively. Using your Noye increases your base power and defense. For this combat training, we will use these "special" weapons."

The students closely examined the wooden weapons. Each sword had a small marking on the hilt.

The marking was the symbol:

情

"These weapons are Noye-infused swords. Simply applying Noye to these weapons will extend your attacks, becoming stronger."

One of the basic requirements for enrolling at Shikari High was to understand Noye already. You would never get registered in this school without knowing or awakening your Noye.

"Now I want you guys to pick a partner to spar against."

All the students looked at one another as they began picking their partners.

"Yes! Finally!" Excitement sparked in Surata. He was eager to practice actual combat, so he decided to find one of the stronger students to spar against.

Before finding a partner, Surata approached his father joyfully. “Hey Father, I’m glad you’re teaching again. What made you decide to come back?”

“Oh… I remember when you asked me about it. So, I decided to give it another shot.”

Ishio turned to Surata with a smile that felt a bit too sincere, almost as if he was hiding something. On the other hand, Koroki was still lying in the corner. He couldn't try to be more of an outcast even if he tried.

Once again, Ishio noticed his sons' behaviors. To avoid using his threatening methods, Ishio approached the laid-back Koroki and attempted to motivate him.

"Koroki, since you don't have a partner, I've found a student to spar with you."

The student looked ordinary in Koroki's eyes. His genuine happy expression and face full of confidence were typical of a star student. He looked well-nurtured and determined to succeed.

Rather than being bored in school, Koroki decided to play along. The boys shook hands as an introduction.

Koroki stood up, picked up a wooden sword, and walked to an open space with his partner. They took their stances glaring at each other.

"I won't go easy on you," the student declared.

"Mhmm."

Once everyone found their partners, they separated into their own space, and the center of the room became packed.

The rest of the students took their stances. They closed their eyes, concentrating on their Noye. They could feel their heart rate increasing and body getting hotter. Their eyes glowed their distinguished color.

Koroki and Surata patiently waited for their opponents to use their Noye.

Ishio watched as his students activated their power. “Great job! Now, try to apply your power to the weapon.”

The students struggled to transfer their Noye into their weapons. Some tried to force the power out like they were constipated, while others did it with ease.

Eventually, the class figured out how to transfer their Noye. As they shared their power, their weapons gradually resonated with their corresponding Noye color.

Surata was bedazzled by his opponent's infused sword. “Woah! That’s so cool! I can feel their power from their sword.”

Surata noticed his partner’s knees buckling as they firmly gripped their weapon. Their weapons felt heavier than usual. Surata felt their aura expanding to their swords as if it were attached to their bodies.

The students carefully took their stance.

"Looks like almost everyone figured it out," Ishio said, inspecting his students individually. “Now, we can start practicing combat. Ready. Begin!”

The class began sparring one after another, the clash of wooden swords echoing throughout the room.

“Ah!”

Not even a second went by, and Ishio suddenly heard a student scream across the room.

Everyone stopped in place, distracted by the interruption.

Ishio followed the cry, only to find Koroki standing above his partner, who was lying flat on the floor.

Koroki disappointedly sighed. "Well, that wasn't much training for me."

Speechless was the only word to describe it. The entire room silently stared at Koroki, stunned by the feat. They couldn’t comprehend. Maybe his partner slipped? There’s no way Koroki won that quickly.

While the class searched for answers, Koroki casually strolled back to his spot and sat on the floor with his wooden sword leaning on his shoulder.

Ishio nervously smiled, unable to find the right words. "Come on Koroki, that was too fast! You could've at least gone a little easier."

"You said this was training. So, I couldn't go easy."

"I guess you have a point." As much as Ishio hated admitting it, Koroki seemed more competent than he appeared.

The class realized that the lazy Koroki was no joke. They thought he was really an ordinary, weak kid. Sweat glances formed around the students’ faces.

However, a sly grin spread across Surata’s face, the corner of his mouth curling up in a confident smirk. "I knew this would happen. That kid stood no chance against Koroki. He's too strong for him."

Surata would have chosen Koroki as his partner at first. Koroki would have been an excellent partner, giving him a run for his money. However, with Koroki’s sluggish behavior, Surata knew Koroki would most likely decline his offer, so he had a better chance of finding someone else.

The students' shocked expressions weren't taken negatively, however. The other students steadily returned to their sparring session. Back and forth they went, smacking each other’s weapons.

Despite fighting without Noye, Surata blocked his opponent’s strikes with ease, knocking them down with a strike of his own. Surata wiped the sweat dripping from his forehead. “Phew, that was a good fight. I wonder who my next opponent will be.”

Eventually, the rest of the class finished their fights. Ishio proudly clapped his hands, congratulating their efforts. Koroki refused to watch the other sparring sessions as his body grew tired from sitting. He slowly closed his eyes, falling asleep. However, his slumber was interrupted by the loud stomps in the room. He opened his eyes and was surrounded by his classmates.

“Huh? Why is everyone surrounding me?”

Without rest, the entire class quickly approached Koroki, with their eyes sparkling. They spoke in a rush, their voices rising with each word.

“Hey, Koroki. Let’s spar!”

“Koroki, we should fight it out!”

The classmates fidgeted around Koroki, challenging him.

"Why am I suddenly getting this attention? I didn't ask for this." Koroki complains to himself. The last thing he wanted from his spar sessions was to do more useless work. “I’m good. You guys should spar with someone else.”

The students' constant yapping ruined his relaxation, almost making Koroki lose his mind.

“No way! You ended your fight in seconds! I want to see how strong you really are.”

“Yeah, and you didn’t even use your Noye. You must be strong!”

Ishio looked on, smiling at the class’s determination to fight Koroki.

Koroki barely received much praise in his life. Rather than go crazy, Koroki accepted their challenges. “Alright, I’ll fight you guys!” Koroki declared, scratching his hair. “The faster I fight them, the faster I can go back to sleep.”

Whether it was one against one or one against twelve, one by one, Koroki challenged them.

He would spar with them, holding back a little. The class struggled to land a strike on Koroki as he swiftly dodged their attacks, winning every time. Each fight displayed a different Noye and different levels of strength. The gap between their power levels was obviously vast. There were no breaks. The fighting didn’t stop. When one fight ended, the next one quickly started. Koroki felt like he was fighting infinite battles, and he was never going back to sleep.

Ishio encourages the class, "Who would like to fight against Koroki next?"

The students huddled up, raising their hands to get picked.

"I'll fight him!" the crowd split as Surata stepped up for the challenge. He was eager to prove himself against Koroki.

The crowd gossiped with each other.

"Wasn't Koroki the person who saved him yesterday?"

"Yeah, does he think he has a chance of winning?"

Those comments weren't enough to stop Surata's determination. He wanted to prove to his classmates, to Koroki, and to himself that he was strong.

Koroki arched his eyebrow. "Um…you sure you want to take me on, Surata?"

Surata confidently responded. "Yeah! We never had an actual fight between brothers yet, have we?"

Koroki glared at Surata, showing how serious he was. "I won't go easy on you. You know that, right?"

"I wouldn't want it any other way."

The boys grabbed their choice of weapons and took their stances, glaring at one another with their poker faces. Even though this was a Noye training session, the class erupted in excitement watching two brothers fight without Noye. The class settled down, feeling the tension growing thicker.

Surata’s body trembled from Koroki’s immense aura. He gripped the sword’s hilt desperately, sweat dripping from his palms. Despite his nervousness, his resolve hadn’t swayed, focusing on winning this spar.

After a moment of silence, Ishio shouted, "Begin!"

The two began to brawl. The swings of the swords pierced through the air. Surata struggled to land a successful hit on Koroki while Koroki effortlessly dodged each strike.

As he continued attacking, Surata felt uneasy. As Koroki continued to dodge, Surata noticed that Koroki was only dodging. Koroki refused to attack Surata, only defending.

"Why hasn’t he attacked yet? I thought he said he wasn’t going easy on me.” Surata's determination gradually faded into anger. “Is he messing with me?"

Koroki probably felt Surata was still weak. He was just toying with him. With that thought, Surata's anger only grew, and his eyes became sharper.

Enraged, Surata strays from his usual swordplay and surprisingly manages to slip into a successful strike, hitting Koroki on the cheek. “Wow, I got a hit in!”

The spectators could only gasp in amazement since he was the first student to land a hit on Koroki.

Surata couldn’t let that attack disrupt his concentration on the fight. Koroki was caught off guard by Surata’s attack. He acknowledged Surata's enraged strikes and quickly changed tactics.

Koroki continued to block his strikes, making Surata think he had the advantage. After dodging for a while, Koroki knocked Surata’s sword with a powerful thrust.

Following the strike, he instantly threw a barrage of fast strikes toward Surata. Surata's eyes couldn't keep up with Koroki's rapid strikes. Surata struggled to keep his stance from the onslaught. Once Surata recollected himself, Koroki swiftly faded from Surata’s vision. “Where did he go?”

Koroki magically reappeared behind Surata. Surata quickly turned around, in shock at Koroki’s quick movements. Before Surata could react, Koroki swept Surata’s sword from his hand with a quick strike. Not giving a chance for Surata to breathe, Koroki kicked Surata off his feet.

A couple of minutes was all it took for the battle to end. Koroki victoriously stood above Surata, aiming his sword's tip at Surata's throat.

“Alright, that’s it!” Ishio announced.

The spectating students cheered on the boys for putting on a good fight, like spectators witnessing the end of a play.

"Nice try. That wasn't half bad." Koroki exclaimed, asserting his superiority in strength.

Surata was left without words, refusing to accept the result. “It was never a close fight at all. Damn, I thought I had a chance. He really was just testing me!!!"

Since their first interaction, Surata had known Koroki was on an entirely different level from him. He clenched his fists, disappointed in his performance.

"I thought I was getting closer to him, but now I realize the gap between us is too big. At this rate, I’ll never become a Shikari!"

Koroki lowered his sword and reached his hand out to Surata. Surata took Koroki’s hands and Koroki helped Surata stand up.

Koroki acknowledged Surata’s resolve throughout the fight. So, he decided to test Surata out. He purposely stalled until he had a grasp of Surata’s fighting skills.

He only took Surata’s fight seriously because of his determination-- though he will never admit that to Surata.

Ishio approached the boys with a heartfelt smile, patting their heads. "It looks like you've gotten stronger, boys!"

The boys’ faces were flustered, embarrassed by Ishio.

As they were being praised, the last bell of the day rang. The class cleaned up as school ended. The students headed to their lockers to pick up their belongings and exited the building. The boys were tired from their battle, so they decided to head home.

___

Half an hour later, the Aoi family returned home. Ishio opened the front door, feeling wonderful. “Today was a good day. Did you boys have fun?”

Surata stood straight, with a jolt of energy, “Yes. Today was amazing, Father!”

“That’s great! What about you, Koroki?”

Koroki sluggishly responded, “The worst day ever! It was straight torture!”

“Maybe tomorrow will be better.”

“I’ll pass. I think I’ll stay home.”

Ishio raised his fist, trying not to crack. “I think you will have fun at school tomorrow.”

Ishio sent chills down Koroki’s spine.

“Umm…Yeah, I’ll try again tomorrow.” Koroki quickly waddled into the house, avoiding Ishio.

“Good.” Ishio lowered his fist, keeping his composure.

Surata entered the door and removed his shoes. “Father, I’m going to start making dinner. Could you and Koroki make the table?”

“Alright, sounds good to me,” Ishio replied, thinking of what Surata would cook.

After the family settled in their home, Surata finished preparing dinner. He carefully brought a huge bowl of white rice and a tray filled with chicken to the table, which had been prepped by Koroki and Ishio. “Alright, guys, today I made some Chicken Parmesan with some rice.”

Ishio couldn’t wait another minute, salivating from the smell of the rich aroma of the food.

Once everything was set, they sat down, put their hands together, and prayed for the food.

“Thank you for the meal! Amen!”

The family began enjoying their long-anticipated dinner.

“Mhmm, this is so good!” Ishio said, enjoying every bite he took.

The delicious food stopped them from speaking at the table as they were absorbed in its appetizing flavor.

While eating, Ishio broke the silence and suddenly asked something of Koroki.

"Hey Koroki, there's something I'd like to ask you?"

"What is it?" Koroki mumbled, stuffing his face with food in his mouth.

"I noticed you didn’t use your Noye in class today. Is there something wrong with your power?"

Bringing that question up made Koroki think back to his memories. Koroki swallowed his food. Gazing at his food, his tone suddenly turned serious. "That's not important."

Ishio felt the tension at the table growing. "Oh. Sorry if I said something wrong."

The family went back to eat their dinner. Even though he brought Koroki in, Ishio didn't know much about him. Ishio's gaze lingered on Koroki for a little longer, a poker-faced expression in his eyes as they finished their meals.

___