The Hero Academy was a city within a city. Towering walls of polished stone and reinforced glass reflected sunlight across the sprawling courtyards and training fields. The air hummed with the faint vibration of Idols, a constant undercurrent of energy that even casual observers could feel. For the students, every corner was a challenge, every shadow a potential mistake.
The day began with drills that combined speed, precision, and rescue exercises. Students wore standard academy uniforms fitted with sensors to track their performance. Instructors moved silently among them, evaluating, adjusting, critiquing, and cataloging every action.
Akihiro dominated the First Division with effortless grace. Radiant energy pulsed faintly from his form, his movements precise, efficient, almost mechanical in perfection. Other students watched him, some in awe, some with envy, some quietly fearful. Even among the elite, his presence made the standard seem ordinary.
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The First Division was home to the academy's top tier: the future top 10 heroes. Here, every student had an Idol ability, every movement was scrutinized, and every decision could determine their ranking.
Akihiro – Radiant Body; natural leader and prodigy; charismatic yet competitive.
Yuto – Tech-based Idol; adept with precision gadgets and ranged attacks. Calculating and analytical, always seeking an edge.
Sanae – Meta-type Idol; plant manipulation; calm, observant, and strategic, often predicting opponent moves.
Riku – Might-type Idol; brute strength, short temper, struggles with finesse but excels in raw combat.
Hikari – Arcane-type Idol; manipulates minor lightning and sound-based abilities; cocky but smart.
Each prodigy was aware of the hierarchy, the ranking points, and the inevitable competitions that would test them. Friendships existed but were fragile, built on mutual benefit rather than trust. Rivalries simmered beneath the surface, bubbling in drills, sparring matches, and strategy games.
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Students moved through simulations that mimicked real-world hero scenarios. Rescue drills involved civilian dummies rigged with sensors; combat drills paired students against one another in controlled duels. Points were awarded for precision, efficiency, control, and teamwork.
Akihiro breezed through drills, not for the points, but for the subtle thrill of challenge. Each flawless maneuver built not only his score but his reputation. He understood that one mistake could jeopardize media perception, which directly influenced Hero Association rankings later in life.
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The environment was relentless. Students were monitored constantly—performance logs, media reports, peer observations, and instructor evaluations fed into a comprehensive system. Failure was not fatal but shameful, and under Solarius' watchful eye, mistakes were magnified.
Even the First Division prodigies felt the weight. Every duel, every training simulation, was a public demonstration of potential. Students pushed themselves to exhaustion, their Idols flaring as they raced, fought, and rescued. The tension was a tangible thing, curling through the hallways, binding every student to the academy's invisible but inescapable hierarchy.
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Outside the academy, the city's balance teetered. Reports of missing civilians, whispered stories of purple smoke in alleys, and hints of shadowy groups moved like a current beneath the streets. Students remained unaware; their world was bright, ordered, and structured. But danger, like night, approached steadily, unnoticed until it arrived.
For the academy's top students, the future promised glory, but for the world beyond, darkness was already gathering.
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As the day ended, students gathered for evaluations. Names were called, scores announced. A murmur ran through the ranks—some celebrated, others clenched fists at narrow losses. Akihiro smiled faintly, already calculating strategies for tomorrow, unaware that his world, structured and radiant, was only one half of the story.
Outside, shadows stirred. The city breathed a little faster, a little colder. And somewhere in the distance, smoke moved, quiet, patient, inevitable.