The atmosphere in the Training hall designated for the first years was filled with subtle tension. They had just assembled there early in the morning which was quite unpleasant for the sleepyheads.
Kuramoto yawned tiredly as his hands scratched his long grey hair with irritation.
"What is that about?" Hazel asked in annoyance.
"Dunno" He replied dryly while pocketing his hands.
A comfortable silence hung between them until it was broken by Isabella.
"Um, did you guys notice Kai's absence?"
They both turned to her with different thought in their head.
'When did she start calling him Kai?' Hazel thought as her cold eyes narrowed.
Kuramoto meanwhile gazed at the blonde haired girl with a serene look in his eyes as he remembered a past encounter with her.
Realizing he was staring too much, he tore his eyes off her and replied.
"Apparently, he was called out for a while by Instructor Itou"
"Oh, I see" Isabella nodded then turned to Hazel with her signature smile. "And Hazel, thanks for your contribution yesterday. It had the class pumped up"
"It did?" Hazel only tilted her head in response causing Isabella to stiffle a laugh while Kuramoto facepalmed.
"Of course. Without your win, everyone would have felt despaired about our chances at surpassing other classes." Isabella replied as her green eyes sparkled excitedly.
"Okay" Hazel gave a dull reply before turning away, showing zero interests in continuing the conversation.
Isabella's lips twitched a little but that was enough for Hazel to solidify her claim. The blonde girl was up to no good.
"Alright then. This evening, we'll be holding a mini party in my room. So feel free to join us okay?"
With a final wave, She disappeared among the crowd.
"Going?" Kuramoto asked.
"As if I'd want to" Hazel snorted in reply.
"You should go" Kaiser's voice joined their conversation as they both looked towards him.
Hazel's brown eyes held a bit of respect and something quite disturbing... according to Kaiser's standard though.
Was it idolization?
He didn't know.
Kuramoto's green eyes on the other hand, held an unspoken seriousness as he realized that he hadn't noticed his friend's arrival.
'He's quite dangerous' He thought, feeling a bitter sense of challenge coursing through him. After all, he had never seen anyone as an equal. Even now, he still found it impossible to class Kaiser in his own league.
'Yes. There is no true friend. You all are tools. I wouldn't care about sacrificing anyone for something more valuable. So, Kaiser pray I don't find a puppet more better than you'
His green eyes shined an ominous light for a brief moment before he realized Kaiser was looking at him quite weirdly. He could swear a caught a mocking look but decided to let it go.
"Is there something on my face?" Kaiser asked and realizing he had been staring for too long, he lowered his gaze and said.
"Yes. Exhaustion"
"Oh?" Kaiser only raised a brow in reply.
"Don't go dropping words and saying other things. Why should I go? At least give me reasons" Hazel butted in their conversation with an irritated scowl.
"Stop questioning me!" Kaiser snapped back as the temperature seemed to grow colder.
Hazel stiffened as the image of Kaiser using her hands to cut himself appeared in her mind, reawakening her fear towards him.
Realizing that he had practically startled her, he covered his eyes in irritation.
He knew he was being hard on her and it was unfair. But just that uncanny resemblance made him almost want to-
'Calm down, Kaiser'
Taking a deep breath, he took a deep breath then held Hazel's shoulders.
Lowering himself to whisper into her ear, he spoke. "I understand your need for answers. But there are some things better left unsaid. Try to understand me."
'After all, no one likes being manipulated'
Kuramoto watched the exchange closely and thought. 'He brought her under his folds but is unable to handle her perfectly because of some specific reasons. Is it related to her personally or just a skill he does not possess? Have I overestimated you Kaiser Solace or am I underestimating you? Am so curious'
"Ahem! Good morning cadets, sorry for the delay. Most of you might not know me so I'll do a quick introduction. My name is Ajila Eren and I'm the current vice president of the student council in my second year Class-B." A white haired senior with purple eyes and flamboyant smile said as he introduced himself. Seeing the attention now focused on him, he continued. "So as promised yesterday, you would all be given access to VR in which you would practice survival for 9 hours in a day which would automatically become 18 hours VR-Time.
While everything in there is almost real, it isn't so there's a 100% assurance that any injury sustained within will not affect your physical body. Although some of you might receive mental scars. Anyway, this course is compulsory and failure to comply will be dealt with a penalty of 5000 points deduction per time."
A ripple of shock spread alongside the words of the penalty as those who had been entertaining the thought of skipping the session felt their hearts drop.
"Now, now, I'm sure that's not going to be a problem since nobody is going to miss a session right? So cheer up. This is your only chance as I find myself quite jealous because our own set was thrown into the horror of the Nirad Realm without any mock practice. So please take this chance greatly." Clapping, he signalled to the staffs on standby to commence sharing the VR Launchers. A small pair of glasses made of black light metal - Vibranium; a unique material known for its extreme flexibility and durability.
After a few minutes, every student had their own in their possession and seeing this, Eren had a satisfied smile.
"So there's a guidebook on how to operate it on your mobile devices and as a friendly reminder, only use it when you are in a comfortable position. Good luck to you all from the Student Council."