The best POV chapters are short, sweet, and relatable. This one is no exception. ENJOY!
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“SAY WHAT?!!!”
Never had Brian been woken up so urgently.
It should have been a great morning, a morning of celebration, and a morning of congratulations. After all, his standing with the student council was growing quickly.
< Congratulation! You’ll give the Newbie Speech! >
< Congratulation! You’ll give the Newbie Speech! >
< Congratulation! You’ll give the Newbie Speech! >
…
Even just remembering the message had him grinning. FINALLY!
He was now trusted enough to welcome the new Legendary-U students. He would be one of the few to visit their classes and tell them more about the workings of the Academy from a student's POV.
1. Two weeks of 101 Classes
2. Elective Classes being Added
3. Extra-curriculum becoming available
4. The vital importance of the Student Council
…
He was in charge of reassuring and hyping them, meaning he was trusted. Soon, he'd even get a seat on the council! How amazing was that?! VERY! After all, he hadn't been here that long himself.
His badge showed that much: Second Year: Student Council Enforcer.
‘Don’t worry, you all! I won’t let you down.’ The student council leader in particular. He was the one who had seen the potential of his Cards and helped him train them.
Over the last year, the man had helped him grow so much, and his title at the academy had quickly reflected that. He, who had started as a joke, had become so much more.
The Useless Card Mage
The Card Trickster
The Arcane Dealer
…
At first, his Quirk had been useless, only generating ethereal cards that passed through matter, but after months of arduous training, he had finally managed to make them explode!
And now he had everyone’s respect. ‘Don’t piss off the Arcane Dealer’ ‘He deals cards, justice, and a shitload of pain’ ‘He’s one of the Rising Stars Rookies, ain’t he?!’
Yes, he was on Legendary-U’s homepage, right next to the Elective Classes available. Everyone clicking on the website would see his handsome face up there.
Because of all this, it should have been the best morning.
It wasn't...
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“WAKE UP! THERE’S AN EMERGENCY!”
“FIRST YEARS ARE GOING CRAZY! IT EVEN REACHED THE DAMN SCHOOL FORUM. JUST LOOK HOW FAST #SQUIRRELS IS TRENDING!”
“WEREN’T YOU APPLYING TO GET A STUDENT COUNCIL CHAIR? TOUGH LUCK BUDDY, BUT THIS IS GONNA LOOK SO FREAKING BAD FOR YOU. YOU’RE SCREWED”
“FIRST WEEK YOU’RE IN CHARGE AND THIS SHIT HAPPENS? YOU MIGHT AS WELL RESIGN. YOU WANNA TEACH THEM ABOUT SCHOOL RULES AFTER THIS? PFFTT!!!”
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
He wasn’t even sure who the guy messaging him was, since the number was UNKNOWN, but he sure as hell knew he was fucked! And then a second later, it turned worse…
As he quickly checked the forums, he found a video of the event. All over the screen, students were fighting one another over squirrels and doing their best to kidnap them?!
And evidently, EVERYONE was aware of it…
Ding! Ding! Ding! That first spam had only been the precursor. As his phone started dinging and ringing madly, he knew. The Council wanted HIM to take care of it.
So many messages, all similar to one another…
“You’ll take care of this, right?”
“We’re counting on you!”
“Show us your power!”
…
With a jerk, he rose. Getting ready? There was no time for that. He barely got dressed and stormed off, ready to show those bastards what happened to those causing trouble.
Good thing he had his personal car. It was an old and rusty Camry, but it still worked pretty well as long as he didn’t push it past 65 km/h. With this, he wouldn’t have to wait.
He’d drive as fast as the car allowed, be at Legendary-U in thirty minutes, and then he’d be able to deal with whatever madness was happening.
He headed for his car, only to stop…
It was a bloodbath. Fur, feathers, and shit. So much shit that it was unbelievable, and yet reality stared him in the face. His car had turned into a battlefield for squirrels and pigeons?!
Not only that, but it was ONLY his car?! All the others on the street were absolutely fine! As he saw this, he couldn’t help but feel betrayed by life itself.
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“Why me?! Ah, never mind, that’s why…”
Right above his car, on a big tree, there were five bird feeders. Someone clearly hadn’t seen the Squirrel Migration notice… and it had caused this. Still, this didn’t change the situation.
By the time he’d be done washing it, the problem would have either exploded or ended entirely. And he wasn’t about to risk it. Mumbling to himself, he ran as fast as he could.
“Breathe and stay calm. You got this, Brian.”
It had been a long time since he had taken the bus, but luckily he still remembered the one that would bring him to Legendary-U. There was only one, but it would do.
But just as he turned the corner, he saw it.
It was already there?!
If he missed that one, he’d have to wait 20 minutes for the next! Not on his watch. He resolutely activated his Quirk, feeling the familiar tingle through his fingers.
A card appeared on his fingertips, one that crackled with power as he felt his Mana being drained to feed it, making it even more potent. And then he released it all.
It flew faster than any bird ever could, and then…
Fwoosh! Shiiiing—KRAK-KRRSH! Fwoosh! Shiiiing—KRAK-KRRSH!
As it flew, he crossed his fingers. He had always had terrible luck all his life. With his luck, a pigeon would fly and block it, or worse, an actual Super would show up for some reason.
But as nothing of the sort happened and it exploded above the bus, he felt all tension leave him. The explosion had been colorful, eye-catching, and more than harmless.
Yet, it had done its job, a bus conductor coming out puzzled. And with this, the two locked eyes, Brian hollering louder than he had ever done before.
“Wait for me, I NEED to be at Legendary-U!”
“Keep the bus still. I’ll be right there!”
“It’s an emergency, I swear!”
…
Would it convince the driver? Yes, it bloody did!
As the man in the distance gave him a big thumbs up, he felt like his luck was finally turning. He’d take that bus, get to school, fix the issue, and get rewarded!
And as he arrived at the bus stop panting, he was so damn grateful for the man to have waited for him that he almost hugged him as he went inside the bus.
“Thanks so much for waiting. You don’t know what that means for me.”
And even while saying that, he was already accessing his Mana Wallet and buying himself a ticket, the little box at the entrance soon shining with runes confirming his purchase.
Seeing his eagerness, the old bus driver couldn’t help but laugh.
“Going to Legendary-U, eh? Must be nice to be young.”
He seemed in a good mood, but there was one thing that was more than perplexing. Why was he outside the bus even now? He was now looking toward the sky, enjoying himself.
He even sighed in contentment as the sun rays fell on his face, a happy-go-lucky smile plastered on his face. It seemed as if he was in no hurry to go back on the road.
That’s when Brian had the bad feeling that something was wrong…
“Just to be sure, but when are we departing again?”
“Hmmm. That’s a great question. Not sure.”
“Not sure? What does that mean?”
The man didn’t even bother replying. He simply pointed toward the exterior of the bus, or rather one of its wheels. And that’s when he actually saw it. It was yet another blood bath!
Squirrels, so many squirrels, dead squirrels. Their corpses engulfed one of the front wheels, turning it into a bloody mess, one that totally prevented it from moving!
“D-Don’t tell me?!”
Sensing his dismay, the bus driver patted his back gently as he reassured him. “No worry. We should be out of here in 15 minutes or so. Just gotta wait for the cleaner.”
Wait for the cleaner?! He probably had 15 minutes, but then that would be BEFORE they could even get moving! No, if he was that late, he would never hear the end of it.
He wasn’t the only one gunning for a student council seat. Sure, people there were elected by the student body, but a recommendation from a current member went a long way.
“Never mind that. I’ll find an alternative…”
He searched like his social status depended on it. He searched to make sure not to give any ammunition to his rivals. He searched with squirrel-hate-fueled dedication.
And Brian found MANY alternatives…
A. Rent a Warper — Expensive as hell!
B. Super Ride Share — None before 2 weeks!
C. Drake Riding Service — Unavailable Cause Squirrels!
D. Old-School but Reliable Taxi — The only damn option left!
…
With a bleeding heart, he hurriedly ordered one. Priority? Urgent. Comfort? Irrelevant. Address? Use Mana localization. Leave a tip? Just bring the damn car!
Even as he filled out the quick questionnaire, his phone was still dinging with worrying messages, most of which he’d reply with a quick. “On it.” “Don’t worry.” “Gonna Arcane it.”
Still, he didn’t bother too much with it, tapping his foot with increasing worry. It had already been 7 minutes 40. At this rate, he’d barely save any time.
But just as he was despairing more and more, IT appeared.
It wasn’t a taxi, it wasn’t even a car. What appeared was an omen of death, one that would have made anyone question if whoever worked at the taxi company was mad.
What they had sent him was a Hearse?!
A vehicle to carry the dead, the big kind that was elongated and heavy with metal, more ceremonial than anything. It didn’t look better as the driver rolled down his window.
“Taxi for Brian? Heading to Legendary-U? Get in. I have a casket to deliver after this! You said urgent, right? Let’s go, young one!!”
“…..”
A casket to deliver?! At this moment, he was starting to regret ticking that comfort level irrelevant option! This wasn’t comfort; this was bloody public humiliation!
“That’d be me. Let’s go…”
Yet, he still went in, the heavy door clenching after him. As for the interior, it was even worse than it sounded. There was this HEAVY smell of perfume and stillness.
It was as if the owner had done absolutely everything he could to cover the smell of death, creating the most absurd olfactive abomination. It wasn’t even bad, just so strange.
“Alright. Let’s start the counter, and let’s GOOOO!” And with this, they were on their way, the ride to school being quite eventful.
Three car accidents slowed them down, a pigeon splattered in their windshield, a casket in the back kept weirdly rattling way too much, and a counter kept going up super fast.
[3 Credits]
[12 Credits]
[28 Credits]
…
At this rate, he’d arrive broke.
Still, he forced the anger down. The only thing that mattered was to find the source of the madness at school and squish it in the bud. Luckily, it soon became evident.
Even as they were still driving, he quickly discovered it, thanks to a post that was getting upvoted crazily on the school forum and clearly pointed at the culprit.
< 30 Credits a Squirrel! He Who Sells Dreams! >
< 30 Credits a Squirrel! He Who Sells Dreams! >
< 30 Credits a Squirrel! He Who Sells Dreams! >
….
Jack Bright— Or so the post said.
“Dreams, was it? I’ll turn your business into a nightmare. Just you wait!”
He’d whack the hell out of that troublemaker, bring him to the school’s direction without them having to lift a single finger, and then he’d return order to Legendary-U.
With this, he’d secure his position at the school and remind his fellow students why he had been chosen by the student council in the first place.
And just as his resolve was growing incredibly fierce…
“Oh? Is that so? Wanna buy a casket while you’re at it? Hero’s Rest, the best of the best of the funeral services. Buy a casket for your loved ones, your pets, and your enemies alike!”
The driver’s selling pitch was so out of the blue that he couldn’t help but chuckle. “Don’t worry; If I need one, you’re definitely the one I’ll contact.”
That was the last thing he said before they arrived.
And as soon as Brian saw Legendary-U, his heart ached. The entire entrance had been completely trashed and was a desolate sight. Hell, even the gleamgrass was hiding underground in fear.
‘What have those bastards done to my school?’
‘Is that how new students behave?’
‘What is the world coming to?’
…
He froze. A stall. They had set up an entire freaking stall?!
As soon as he saw it, his heart ached some more. He had just paid 107 Credits for an “Urgent” taxi ride, and now awaiting him was a shameful display of wealth.
An encampment so lavish it had its own defensive barrier, two students cheerily drinking, and TONS more that could be seen transferring funds via Mana-pay.
And then it got worse, one of the youngsters chiming in…
“You keep it all; I’m fine money-wise for a while—”
Brian’s brain blocked out the rest. Of course, they were bloody fine! For one to have gear like that was already proof of wealth! It's when something inside him snapped.
He was stuck with an old car. He was stuck with a huge taxi bill. All to deal with those bastards who were enjoying themselves as they flaunted school rules?!
‘That’s it. I’ll show them not to mess around next time.’
With this, he readied his power at full blast.
Little did he know that hunting the student known as Jack Bright wouldn’t be that simple, nor did he know he’d soon get the longest streak of “bad luck” in his entire life.
After all, careful planning was so often misunderstood as luck. Oh, and one thing would become very clear, but only in hindsight.
He should have bought that casket…