"What in the name of all things weird am I about to see again…" Levi exhaled, eyebrows twitching as he slowly turned toward the entrance, along with every other student in the room.
The man walking in looked like he belonged on a comic book cover. Like a superhero cut out of a DC or Marvel animated series made for a young audience.
Broad-chested and tall, he had short, neatly trimmed white hair that stood like it was defying gravity on purpose. His skin was tanned and rough like he spent most of his life outdoors.
He wore a short sleeved fitted black top, and jeans held together by a black belt.
His arms looked like they were carved out of rock, with some veins visible, but not in an irritating or grotesque way.
Thick gloves covered his hands, and a strange metallic band circled his right bicep, glowing faintly.
As he walked with some otherworldly confidence toward the group, it wasn't just his wide grin hat made them feel his presence, it was the sheer energy rolling off him.
It was like standing next to a walking battery that ran on testosterone and optimism.
You'd think he just hit the jackpot on the greatest lottery of life. Or perhaps got awarded a million dollars with each step he took.
"Hey," Kyle whispered sharply, grabbing Levi's arm. "You think that's him? You think that's him??"
"I don't know what the hell you're talking aboutttt—" Levi barely got the words out as Kyle shook him like a ragdoll, excitement leaking out of every pore.
A sharp knock to the head stopped Kyle on his tracks.
"Stop it, you numbskull." Violet gave him another firm knock to the back of his head. "How's he going to answer that if you shake the soul out of his body first?"
Kyle rubbed the back of his head where Violet's hand had landed, then like nothing happened, he immediately went back to Levi.
He slung an arm around Levi's shoulders and spun him back toward the man. "That's definitely him, right, Violet?"
"Yup," Violet grinned, eyes sparkling like she just spotted a celebrity. "That's Garron."
Her voice was beginning to build up with excitement like she didn't just punish Kyle for something similar.
"We're getting lessons from Mr. Garron!" she squealed—well, almost.
It was more like that silent excited scream girls do when they're holding back. Her hands clenched, feet tapping rapidly against the ground like she was trying to run in place without going anywhere.
It was Like she was bursting with energy and trying her hardest to contain it.
Levi blinked, still trying to find balance again. "Okay, first of all... who the hell is Garron Stroud?"
He looked at both Kyle and Violet, trying to make sense of their excitement. Or did this Mr Garron standing before him have some kind of contagious aura that made people unnecessarily excited?
Then he turned to Kyle with a look of raw confusion. "And why's he so important that you had to shake me till my eyeballs nearly reversed course?"
"Tsk, tsk, tsk," Kyle clicked his tongue and shook his head solemnly. "We have another ignorant situation on our hands, Miss Violet."
"Unfortunately, Mr. Kyle," Violet sighed dramatically. "We do."
Levi did nothing but remain silent, blinking continuously as he waited for his friends to end their theatrics and give him his answer.
"How did I even meet these guys?" He wondered.
"Who's Garron Stroud?" Kyle said, throwing his arms up. "He's a freaking Grade 2 A-rank!"
Levi's eyes widened slightly. His gaze drifted back to the man now standing in a loose conversation with Reinhart.
That man? Levi thought, caught between disbelief and awe.
Normally, titles and ranks didn't impress him. He could respect strength, sure, but that didn't mean he bowed to it.
But this, this was different. Grade 2 A-rank. A level of power that was only a few steps below the absolute peak.
In the entire continent of Astrovia, home to millions of bearers and trained individuals, those who could claim a rank that high were so rare, you could count them with the fingers of six people and still have some left.
And one of them was standing right in front of him.
And even crazier than that? He was about to teach them.
For most of the other students who had been around his school—Rakuzan—longer, it wasn't that big of a deal.
They'd seen Garron before, trained under him, maybe even gotten yelled at by him a couple times.
But for the average Kyle and Violet—who came from a run-of-the-mill academy and had never so much as breathed the same air as someone this important, it was like meeting a living legend.
As for Levi, he didn't share in their over-the-top excitement. He just stared at the man quietly, completely overtaken by his presence.
There was something bright about Garron. Not just his build, or the firm way he walked like the world bent around him—it was the energy. Alive, like his whole being was a flame that refused to die out.
"So this is an A-rank..." Levi muttered under his breath.
"Yes, my boy," Kyle said dramatically, patting him on the back like a proud older brother. "Take it all in... breathe in the greatness."
He then raised his hands slightly, eyes closed like he was praying to the heavens. "Thank you, O mighty stars, for dropping Levi into our lives. If it wasn't for his freakishness, we wouldn't have met Lyra... and she wouldn't have brought us here."
"Shut up," Levi said, his tone flat.
"Okay, boys and girls," Garron's voice boomed across the training hall, snapping everyone to attention. "I'll be handling you for today."
When they looked, Reinhart had already left. They were too caught up in their excitement and explanations and didn't notice.
Garron didn't bother with any formal introduction—no name, no title. It was clear he assumed everyone already knew who he was.
And to be fair, he wasn't wrong. Garron had taught all the students present before. Unlike Reinhart, though, he hadn't been updated that there were new faces in the group yet.
"So," Garron said, his booming voice bouncing off the walls, "we'll be having a simple mock battle. Rules are easy—whoever gets knocked out of the ring first, loses. Clear?"
Levi squinted, confused. "Ring? What ring?"
Before he could finish processing the thought, Garron clapped once, loud and sharp. "Hit it, Aaron!"
From the far side of the room, Aaron—still adjusting his goggles—nodded and tapped rapidly on a panel embedded in the wall.
Levi heard a mechanical sound like wheels rolling, and he felt a fain vibration beneath their feet.
Suddenly, the ground at the center of the hall shifted. A large circular platform began rising slowly, with a hiss sound.
The floor panels slid apart, revealing a metal disc about fifteen meters across. Once it locked into place, glowing blue lines traced its edge—marking the official boundary.
"There's your ring," Violet whispered to Levi, wide-eyed.
"Now," Garron grinned, hands on his hips. "Like I said earlier—who's ready to shed some manly sweat and blood?"
His question was met with silence. All the students just... stared at him.
Some shifted uncomfortably. One student near the back leaned over to another and whispered, "Weird..."
Garron blinked, then laughed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well—not literally. You know. Just... Put in some effort."
He clapped again. "Alright. Who's going first? Step into the ring and pick your opponent. If they accept, we have ourselves a match."
He paused, letting his eyes scan the crowd. "And if they don't... well... someone else will."
No one moved.
It was that exact moment in a classroom where the teacher asked a question and everyone became deeply fascinated by their shoelaces. Waiting, watching, hoping someone else would go first.
Kyle looked left, looked right, then smirked. "Well, I guess I'll—"
"Good, good!" Garron cut him off, clapping. "Now pick your opponent!"
But before Kyle could even move, the crowd began to part.
A single figure had already stepped forward. They hadn't noticed at first. His presence was swallowed by the rest—but now, the other students began stepping aside. Not to give him room, but to give someone else a view.
The students also weren't clearing the way so Kyle and his group could see who was stepping up—they were clearing it Specifically so Levi would see who had stepped forward.
It was Raika.
With his rugged grin, Raika stood at the edge of the ring, his arm casually raised, finger aimed with certainty.
Right at Levi.
Kyle's expression dropped. Violet's smile vanished. Even Garron blinked at the tension that suddenly filled the room.
"Right." Levi swallowed hard. "Nothing like a good day for me, is there?"