For the past 4 days, Brian has been heading out to teach classes. Kuro has been waiting for the chance to 'showcase' his awakening. He has been ''training' in the yard around the time Brian gets back.
Today, he will finally 'awaken' to shadow manipulation. He will show that he has the capability to control shadows to bind people as well as manifest shadows into weapons.
Kuro's decision was based on the intel that the Shadow Bird has collected in the past 4 days. According to the intel, there are no students that are currently in the academy that are stronger than him. Even without the Shadow Soldiers, Kuro can beat them easily.
5 P.M.
As the sun was going down, Kuro was 'practicing' for the year. When the Shadow Bird notified him that Brian is close, He acted like he was having some pain.
Kuro stumbled back slightly, clutching his head as though he were 'overwhelmed' by a sudden headache. He winced, letting his body sway a little to make it look more convincing.
Kuro had been laying the groundwork for a while now, carefully watching Brian's routines and timing his "struggles" so that Brian would find him just when he was about to demonstrate his newfound powers.
As the minutes passed, Kuro could sense Brian nearing, his footsteps becoming more distinct as they approached. When Brian finally appeared around the corner, his gaze immediately locked onto Kuro, who appeared to be struggling.
"What's wrong, Kuro?" Brian called out, his voice panicking.
Kuro's expression was one of pain, but his eyes glinted with a secret. He took a step forward, his hand still gripping his forehead. As he did, the shadows around him began to stir. The ground darkened under his feet, tendrils of shadow creeping outward like living things, responding to his call. Slowly, the shadows grew more intense, forming vague shapes that seemed to pulse with a life of their own.
"I... I'm not sure," Kuro said, keeping his voice strained as if he was struggling to keep himself under control. "Something. I don't understand it, but... it's like I can feel them now."
Brian's run toward Kuro, recognizing that something wasn't right. He could see the shadows around Kuro rippling and extending outward. As he got close to Kuro, the shadows shot toward him, trying to coil around him like a serpent.
"Stay away! It's dangerous!" Kuro 'shouted'. "I can't... control it fully yet." He let out a low, pained groan, his voice 'faltering' for a moment. "It's... overwhelming."
Brian didn't move forward. His instincts screamed at him to keep his distance. There was no denying what he'd just witnessed—Kuro had awakened the power to manipulate shadows.
As the last of the tendrils pulled back toward Kuro's feet, the shadows gathered around him, swirling like a storm about to explode. Brian's gaze flickered to the ground, noticing how the darkened earth under Kuro's feet seemed to pulse as if the shadows themselves were alive, waiting to strike again.
"You awakened boy?" Brian asks, unable to hide his awe. If what he just saw is true, then his grandson would be the youngest awaken in the world. He couldn't help but feel proud.
"It seems so. For the past few days, I have been feeling like I need to train. I can't sit still without training/ It might be due to me being close to being awakened.
Brian ran up to Kuro and picked him up. "Hahahaha! Let go! I want to show those other old bones that my grandson is the best!"
Brian took Kuro through the whole academy campus, shouting and getting attention from everyone he met.
In a single evening, Kuro became famous with every student and staff member. In the end, Brian took him to meet the principal.
The principal personally tested Kuro's awakened ability and admitted him into the academy as a first year student.
Kuro became even more famous when the news spread.
***
2 Days Later
Kuro walked into the classroom for the first time. Everyone one looked at the kid who only looked like he was 6 or 7 years old. They still couldn't believe that there was someone who awakened this early with an ability powerful enough for the principal to admit him into the academy while disregarding his age.
Kuro scans the faces of the other students. Most of them were older, taller, their expressions a mix of curiosity and skepticism. There were murmurs as he made his way to an empty seat near the front. Kuro sat down, his legs swinging beneath the desk, his small form in stark contrast to the rest of the class.
"Kyahh! He sat behind me! What should I do?! My heart can't handle this!" The girl in front of Kuro suddenly shouted, scaring the living daylight out of him.
The girl's face was flushed bright red, her hands clutching her cheeks. Her eyes were wide, her gaze toward Kuro.
(❤ω❤)
Kuro could see heart shapes in the girl's eyes and felt like he was in danger. He looked around and saw other girls looking at him with similar expressions. He even saw 2 boys sending him flying kisses.
☆⌒ヽ(*'､^*)chu
(ʘ ͟ʖ ʘ)
Kuro's eyes were wide open, he couldn't believe what he was seeing. 'I am a 6 year old boy. What the hell is wrong with you people?! WHERE THE FBI!?'
Kuro's face turned bright red as he frantically looked around the classroom, half-expecting someone to burst through the door and drag him out of there. This was not what he had imagined when he decided to enroll in the academy. He had come here to train, to become stronger and take advantage of the academy dungeons—not to be the center of what felt like some weird epidemic.
Before he could make sense of the situation, a boy sat down next to him and leaned over, chuckling. "Looks like the 'Kuro fan club' is already forming. You've only been famous for two days, and you've already got them swooning. Impressive." He winked at Kuro, clearly enjoying the spectacle. "The name Eli by the way." He extended his hand toward Kuro for a handshake.
Kuro looked at the boy who looked around 14 or 15 years of age.
"Nice to meet you, Eli." He then shakes hands with Eli. "By the way, do you know what is going on? I haven't even done anything! How is this happening?"
Eli raised an eyebrow. "It's your awakened ability and the age at which you awakened, kid. You've got power that most people could only dream of, and apparently, you've got that 'cuteness' factor to boot." He motioned to the group of girls staring at Kuro.
Kuro froze, his hands clutching the edge of his desk for support as his mind raced. 'This is absurd. What should I do? I need to train, not deal with… whatever this is!'
At that moment, the girl who had shouted earlier, Lira, slowly turned around in her seat to face him again, still blushing furiously. "S-Sorry about earlier," she stammered, her voice barely above a whisper. "I didn't mean to cause a scene. I… I just wasn't expecting you to sit behind me, and, well… y-you're just so adorable!" Her voice trailed off, and she looked at him through wide, nervous eyes.
Kuro's cheeks flared, and he buried his face in his hands, unable to look at her any longer. He wanted to disappear. 'What is wrong with these people?'
The other girls in the class giggled at Lira's words, and Kuro could feel their collective gaze on him like a pressure he wasn't prepared for. He could see one girl making a heart with her hands and another whispering something to her friend with an excited grin. 'How do I make this stop?!'
The teacher, who had been observing the situation since coming in, cleared her throat. "Alright, everyone, settle down," she called, and immediately, the noise in the room quieted.
Kuro breathed a sigh of relief as the class resumed, but he could still feel the weight of all the eyes on him. It was as though the entire class was waiting for the next cute moment to unfold. He could even feel the weight of some of the stares from the 2 boys now, sending playful winks in his direction.
"Ugh…" Kuro muttered under his breath, sinking further into his seat.
Lira, who had turned back around, didn't seem to notice Kuro's discomfort. Instead, she kept sneaking glances at him, her face still flushed. Occasionally, Kuro would catch her looking at him out of the corner of his eye, and she would quickly turn away, embarrassed.
Eli, who had been watching all of this unfold with a smirk, leaned over again. "You're handling this like a champ. If you can get through the next week without getting overwhelmed, I might just start respecting you."
Kuro shot him a glare. "I don't need respect, I need peace and quiet."
"Hey, Kuro," Eli said again, leaning closer. "Look on the bright side—at least you'll never be lonely. You've got a fan club already."
Kuro narrowed his eyes at Eli. "I'd trade this fan club for some peace and quiet any day."
As the lesson continued, Kuro paid attention to what was being taught since he didn't know anything related to Prime Earth.
He left the Shadow Bird to scout around the academy and Niji to sneak into one of the academy dungeons. Even if he is busy learning, he could still grow by letting Niji grind away inside the dungeon. 'Hopefully, he can sneak in without getting caught.'