I, Wally Amporean, was sitting in Class 1C with my classmates mingling with their group and cliche.

Nick was beside me eating barbeque chips while I was doodling stars on my notebook while listening to juicy gossip.

I overheard the vampire group talking about Isabella's situation quite loudly. Gossiping quite happily that the vampire from Class 1A being punished heavily. The punishment was either banishment or getting her eyes removed. It was wild speculation what punishment the adults will place onto Isabella.

Even among the same species, vampires didn’t get along with each other. It seems the rumors of our involvement were and the fact that Hikari was the victim was kept secret.

Konpeito Enterprise must have threatened, I mean negotiated with the Vampire Clan about the event. Hikari family is not someone a single Vampire Clan wants to mess with.

Hikari entered the classroom and placed her bag on her desk.

I was staring at her, wondering how she recovered from getting her blood drained by a vampire. She should be in bed and Nick and I had to carry her to safety yesterday because she couldn’t even walk after the ordeal.

Hikari seemed to hesitate before coming toward us.

Hikari was between mine and Nick's desk.

Hikari said, “Thankyou for helping me yesterday. You saved my life.”

Nick said easy going, “No problem.”

Hikari said, “Their something I’m wondering about, I don’t believe in coincidences. It seems you knew I was going to be attacked and was waiting for me. How did you know I would be in danger?”

I replied, “That’s a secret.”

“I see,” Hikari said as she twirled her hair, “Fine. Is their anything you two want.”

I looked at Nick with a serious expression. Nick looked at me with a serious expression.

We both nod at the same time.

We said, “Food!”

Hikari said, “Alright.”

Professor Benson arrived and said, “Good morning!”

Assistant Mabel and Sickle arrived alongside Professor Benson.

"Today we’ll be starting Mock Battles," Professor Benson announced. "Everyone, suit up in your combat gear and meet on the field for practice."

The class buzzed with excitement, and we all headed to the lockers. The School Combat Suits, tougher than Kevlar, were made from some mysterious material that could withstand blows even from upper B-rank monsters. They looked like sleek, white fencing uniforms, and we slipped into them before heading to the training grounds.

Forty students lined up on the field, ready for battle. Professor Benson, along with Assistant Mabel and Sickle, were the referee.

There would be three mock battles at a time, student versus student.

First up: Valentina, the class rep, versus Joseph. Valentina wielded a katana, while Joseph, built like a football linebacker, held a heavy battle mace.

Despite Joseph's imposing size, Valentina was calm. The air was thick with tension as they sized each other up.

Professor Benson raised his hand and then brought it down. "Begin!"

Joseph charged with surprising speed, but Valentina, graceful as always, swung her katana, releasing a flying slash that sent Joseph flying across the field. He crashed hard, rolling to a stop. With a single, elegant move, Valentina had won.

I glanced at the other ongoing battles, but they ended quickly.

The next three battles began.

My attention quickly shifted to Hikari versus Holly. Hikari, tense and focused, held a standard rifle, while Holly, my vampire roommate, stood relaxed with a traditional bow and arrow.

Modern tech versus ancient weaponry. Human versus vampire.

Assistant Sickle, acting as referee, raised his hand. "Begin!"

Hikari fired first, but Holly danced around the bullet, moving with the grace of a ballerina. Hikari tried to track her, firing shot after shot, but Holly was too quick, weaving across the field effortlessly.

In one fluid motion, Holly leapt into the air, notching an arrow mid-flight. She released it with precision, hitting Hikari squarely. With a single arrow, Holly had won, much to my disappointment.

The other matches wrapped up.

The next three battles were beginning.

"Mathew versus Wally!" Professor Benson called out.

I made my way to the field, gripping my Bronze Bent Spoon—my Magic Item of choice. Using telekinesis, I floated over, eager to prove myself.

Valentina approached Mathew and warned him, "Wally’s a tricky opponent. He’s a rogue type who relies on tools and Magic Items. Stay on your guard."

Miru Lonia, the wielder of Mirror Magic, chimed in, "Watch out for that spoon. The attacks are invisible, and some users can choke you while you stand still. Keep moving."

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

Penelope, all carefree smiles but hiding monstrous strength, simply added, "Just hit him hard."

Mathew, with his dark hair and blue eyes, flashed a confident grin. "Don’t worry, I’ve got this."

Handsome, popular with the girls—Mathew was the number one enemy of every guy in our class.

I impatiently asked, "Can we just start already?"

I could already feel the glares from half the female population, including Assistant Mabel.

Nick, my best friend, cheered from the sidelines, "Go, Wally!"

I smiled, at least someone was on my side.

I faced Mathew, who carried a massive buster sword. It was more of a shield, really, and he hit like a truck with it. He had once taken down a huge monster in a single swing—if given time to charge his attack.

But I wasn’t worried. I had the upper hand. I was a time traveler, and I knew exactly how Mathew fought. I was ready.

Professor Benson raised his hand, and I tensed, ready to spring into action. As soon as his hand dropped, he shouted, "Begin!"

Without hesitation, I launched myself forward, closing the distance between Mathew and me in an instant. Mathew swung his massive buster sword, but I was too fast. I soared upwards, narrowly dodging the swing, and delivered a sharp kick to his face. Before he could react, I followed up with three quick kicks to his chest, sending him crashing to the ground from the impact.

Now, I stood behind him.

Mathew groaned as he tried to get up, but I was faster. Another kick to his back sent him sprawling. From the crowd, I could hear the boos and jeers—no doubt from the girls in our class, still cheering for Mathew.

Mathew learned quickly, though. This time, Mathew rolled out of the way and managed to get to his feet. But before he could counter, I used my telekinesis to yank the buster sword from his grip.

Mathew barely had time to react as I lifted him off the ground, suspended in mid-air by my powers. Calmly, I said, "It’s over, Mathew."

Still defiant, he shouted, "I can still fight!"

I raised an eyebrow. "Do you get motion sickness?"

Before he could answer, I started spinning him through the air like a cartwheel.

"Enough," Professor Benson called out, raising his hand. "The victory goes to Wally."

I released Mathew, letting him drop to the ground, Mathew was disoriented and dizzy. The crowd erupted into boos once more.

I shouted at my classmates, “Stop treating me like the villain you lovestruck fangirls!”

My popularity with the girls in my class was plummeting low while my popularity with the boys in my class increased.

----

After Professor Benson’s Adventure Class, I headed to the Mana Development Room, carrying a water bottle. I found one of the Fire Mana Rooms and peeked inside, spotting Sarah meditating intensely at the center of the blazing hot chamber.

Knowing her tendency to push herself too hard, I decided to wait outside in the hallway for about half an hour. In the first timeline, Sarah had collapsed from heat exhaustion on this very day and had to be rushed to the hospital. I knew it wouldn’t be long before it happened again.

Sure enough, after the half-hour mark, I walked back into the room and found her lying unconscious on the floor.

Without much urgency, I approached and laid her flat on her back, tilting her head back to open her mouth. I quickly dumped the water into her mouth—a little too much, actually, as it ended up drenching her face and clothes.

"Cough, cough!" Sarah sputtered as she woke up. "What are you doing?"

"You passed out from the heat, so I gave you some water," I explained.

"Thanks, I guess."

"You should probably head to the nurse's office."

"Yeah, okay."

“...”

“...”

"Are you going or what?"

"Aren't you going to help me to the nurse's office?"

"I wouldn’t want to waste this prime Fire Mana Room," I said with a shrug.

Sarah glared at me, dead serious. "Help me to the nurse's office, or I will burn you alive."

"Why is every girl in this school so violent?" I muttered under my breath.

They say every rose has its thorns, but I’d say the thorns around these girls are more like swords.

Reluctantly, and as the gentleman I am, I helped guide Sarah to the nurse’s office. Afterward, I returned to the Fire Mana Room to focus on developing my Mana Core for the rest of the day.

----

It was lunchtime, and Nick and I were about to feast like kings. Hikari was with us, graciously footing the bill.

I ordered a wyvern steak with avocado and a bunch of greens I couldn’t even name. Nick, on the other hand, had a whole buffet in front of him.

We devoured our food like animals, while Hikari, the generous sponsor of this meal, watched us with a look of disgust.

“You know, you can chew your food,” Hikari pointed out.

Nick, mouth full, responded with an elegant, “Bleth bleth bleth.”

With a sigh, Hikari rested her cheek in her palm and leaned on the table. “I did some digging on you, Wally. Nothing major, except your brother’s a B-Rank Adventurer.”

“Flattered,” I replied with a smirk.

“What do you know about nobles?” Hikari asked out of the blue.

“Strange question,” I said, “but they’re rich because they own valuable dungeons.”

Nobles were blood tied to the Founding King or his closest allies, usually rewarded with dungeons and exempt from taxes.

Hikari sighed. “My father’s aiming to become a noble, and he’s planning to marry me off.”

“Is that so...,” I mumbled.

“Oh, and just so you know, I’m straight. I like boys,” she added casually. “I know you might’ve thought I was a lesbian.”

I blinked, caught off guard. “I was under the impression you were dating Isabella.”

Hikari chuckled. “Isabella transcends normal gender conventions—and even my own preferences. She's the only woman I’d ever consider bending the rules for.”

Before I could respond, Hikari shifted the topic back to her family. “My parents want me married into nobility, but I want freedom. I want to run my father’s corporation, to master alchemy, to make groundbreaking discoveries. Balancing ambition and greed isn’t easy, you know.”

“That’s... impressive. Me? I just want to be an adventurer,” I shrugged.

Hikari raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t that a little beneath you? Your talents are wasted as just another adventurer. This is Anubis Academy, and you defeated the golden boy, Matthew. I half-expected you to start your own faction by now.”

“Sounds like a headache,” I replied, dismissing the idea. I had my hands full with graduating.

“Motivation, Wally. If I had your potential, I’d be gathering top talent for my own adventuring party already,” she said pointedly.

Curious, I asked, “So, why are you here at Anubis Academy, anyway? Shouldn’t you be at some alchemy institute?”

Hikari’s lips curled into a knowing smile. “Connections. The Vampire Clans, elite adventurers, nobles, and hidden talents—they’re all here. And I want them. All of them. Even you.”

I raised an eyebrow,. “Flattered that you think so highly of me.”

Her smile grew more mysterious, leaving me to wonder what exactly she had planned.

----

I returned to my dorm and found a package waiting by the door.

Inside, Holly was already at her desk, focused on her homework. I headed to my bed, tore open the box, and finally saw my new lionfish. They were much smaller than I expected.

Grinning, I carefully placed the two fish into the aquarium I'd set up earlier—complete with a castle, coral, and plants. The lionfish darted around, exploring their new home.

Holly wandered over, eyes on the tank. "Have you picked out names?" she asked, smiling softly.

"Names?" I blinked.

"For your fish. Do they have names?"

I thought for a second. "Not yet. I just got them."

She tilted her head thoughtfully. "How about Romeo and Juliet?"

I glanced at the fish. Remembering that I’d ordered a male and a female, I nodded. "Yeah, that’s perfect. Romeo and Juliet—pretty romantic."

"I always wanted a pet," Holly mused. "Maybe a parrot."

"I prefer fish. Low maintenance, you know? Plus, I talk to them."

"You talk to fish?"

"Of course! People with pets always talk to them."

Holly chuckled. "Lionfish, right? Aren't they dangerous?"

"Yeah, but look how beautiful they are." I smiled proudly at the tiny fish.

"You should smile more," she said, giving me a warm smile of her own. The kind that could make anyone fall for her if they weren't careful. "It's nice."

"Uh... thanks." Suddenly, Holly felt about ten times more dangerous.