Welcome," Miss Clarissa said, her voice echoing through the space, "to your Squad Assessment. This will decide who you'll be partnered with for the rest of your years here. Consider it your first mission as exorcists."
Talia raised her hand nervously. "Um… what exactly do we have to do, Miss Clarissa?"
"Simple," Clarissa said, lifting a fan she seemed to have conjured from nowhere. "You'll each demonstrate your ability against a simulated enemy. Don't worry — they won't kill you. Probably." She gave a sly wink. "The key isn't just raw power. I'll be watching how you think, how you adapt, and how you handle stress."
I clenched my jaw. Figures. Another test disguised as some kind of bonding exercise.
"Alright, Fuji Kane, you're first," Miss Clarissa announced.
Fuji stepped forward without hesitation. A blade of polished steel gleamed in his hand, his aura wrapping around it like fire. With a beat of metallic wings, he dashed at the shimmering humanoid projection Clarissa had summoned.
"Seven Dances… First Step," he whispered. His movements blurred, his slash cutting clean through the projection.
But then, feathers shot from his wings in every direction, piercing more than intended. The backlash sent him staggering.
"Tch," Fuji muttered.
"Solid start," Miss Clarissa said, smiling. "But remember, control is just as important as strength."
Next was Yuki. He conjured his spiritual sword, a sleek silver blade glowing faintly. "Watch closely," he smirked.
He lunged, fast and sharp — but his blade fizzled halfway through the strike, forcing him to leap back before he got hit.
"Still can't stabilize aura projection?" Suki muttered, arms crossed.
"Tch. Shut up," Yuki growled.
When Suki's turn came, she was silent and graceful, her blade steady. She managed to slice the projection in half, but her movements lacked force, and her breathing grew heavy after just one strike.
"One twin's reckless, the other's hesitant," Clarissa mused. "Interesting balance."
Then came Mikio. He didn't speak — instead, he stomped the ground. BOOM! The sound amplified, shaking the air. In a blink, he blurred forward, heat rolling off his body as fire flared around his fists. He landed a blazing punch against the projection — but the flames flared too wide, scorching the ground and nearly hitting Jackson beside him.
"…Sorry," Mikio wrote.
Next was Mikasa. Her aura flickered as she summoned a sword — thin, blue, and transparent. She gripped it tightly, wings of aura forming on her back as she lifted into the air.
Her Spirit Eyes glowed faintly, veins visible around them. "I can see… the weak points…" she whispered. She dove down, but her blade shattered on impact, leaving her tumbling unsteadily before she caught herself.
Miss Clarissa clapped lightly. "Good instincts, poor execution. That's something we'll work on."
Jackson stepped up next, pulling a blade from his own arm. Blood dripped, swirling into crimson spears that shot at the projection. He gritted his teeth as his knees buckled slightly.
"You push too hard for flash," Miss Clarissa said sternly. "Control your sacrifice, Jackson."
Then Talia. Flames erupted around her hands as she unleashed a wave of fire — but it spiraled out of control, nearly burning through the projection's boundaries before fizzling. She coughed, her regeneration already patching up the singed skin.
"My, my," Clarissa sighed. "A phoenix with training wheels."
Finally, Sakura bounded up, practically vibrating with excitement. A fox-shaped aura glowed around her, tails flickering behind her back. Her speed tripled, her illusions scattering across the battlefield. She slammed into the projection with a glowing fist — only for her illusions to spiral wildly, crashing into each other.
"Ehh?!" she yelped. "Not again!"
The class laughed.
And then it was me.
I sighed, stepping forward. Shadows curled at my feet like loyal dogs. The projection lunged, and my shadow rose like a wall, intercepting. My fist drove forward, cloaked in aura, smashing the enemy back. Smooth. No stumbles. No wasted motion.
For once, silence filled the room.
Miss Clarissa tilted her head, her eyes narrowing. "…Interesting."
I brushed my hands off and stepped back.
"That's enough for today," she finally declared, clapping her hands. The training hall flickered, returning to a normal classroom. "You've all seen your strengths — and your flaws. Tomorrow, I'll reveal your squad placements. For now, reflect. Remember: squads aren't about shining alone. They're about covering each other's weaknesses."
The class buzzed with murmurs. I leaned against my desk, already exhausted.
Another test. Another cage.
Not that I care.
After the Assessment
The class returned to the dorm lounge, a wide, cozy room filled with sofas and tables. Most of them slumped down, exhausted after their trial by projections.
"Ughhh…" Talia groaned, nursing her arm. "Day one and I already feel like dying."
Jackson smirked from the couch, twirling a knife between his fingers. "Speak for yourself. That was fun."
"Fun?" Fuji muttered, leaning against the wall with arms folded. "You nearly blew up half the training hall."
"Half?" Jackson raised a brow. "I was aiming for three-quarters."
Suki sighed and smacked her brother Yuki's shoulder as he lounged lazily on the sofa backrest. "Don't get any ideas."
Yuki grinned. "Too late."
Amid the chatter, Sakura plopped herself beside me with a bright grin. "Hira-kun, you were so cool out there!"
I groaned, dragging a hand down my face. "Don't start…"
"I mean it! You just—whoosh!" She waved her arms dramatically, almost knocking Mikio's fire-written "Quiet" sign out of the air. "And then bam! Shadow binds, clean punch, done! Textbook hero moment!"
"Not really," I muttered. "I've got weaknesses like everyone else."
"No you don't," Sakura shot back instantly.
"Yes, I do."
"No, you don't."
"Yes"
"No!" She leaned so close her forehead nearly touched mine. "Don't lie, Hira-kun!"
The entire class stopped their side conversations to watch. Even Mikio wrote in fire letters: "Drama."
I pinched the bridge of his nose. "My shadow manipulation doesn't cover everything. If there's no light, it's useless."
Sakura gasped. "That's not a weakness! That's… um… a technical inconvenience!"
I glared. "It's a weakness."
"Not for you, Hira-kun!"
"Then whose weakness is it, exactly?"
"...The enemy's?"
The class burst into laughter. Even Suki cracked a faint smile, and Fuji's shoulders shook as he fought to hold in a chuckle.
"See?" I pointed around. "Everyone gets it."
"No!" Sakura puffed her cheeks, crossing her arms. "You're just too cool to have weaknesses. Admit it!"
"I'd rather die."
"Don't say that!" She smacked his shoulder. "I'll write your weaknesses for you!"
"You don't even know them"
She grabbed a notepad off the table and scribbled:
1. Grumpy.
2. Doesn't smile enough.
3. Pretends not to care but actually cares a lot.
She slammed it down in front of him. "There! Proof!"
"That's not… those aren't… what even is number three supposed to mean?!" I sputtered.
The class howled. Yuki pointed at the list, cackling. "She's got you pegged, man. Number three is so you."
"I don't care," I said flatly.
"See?" Yuki slapped his knee. "That's the pretending part!"
"Ugh…" I buried his face in my hands.
Mikasa, cheeks red, raised her hand shyly. "Um… actually, I think weaknesses are important to admit. I can't hit anything when I'm nervous. That's a real weakness."
Sakura spun toward her, eyes sparkling. "That just makes you adorable, Mikasa-chan! Don't worry, Hira-kun will protect you!"
"Don't volunteer me!" I snapped.
"Yes, I will!" Sakura declared, grabbing my arm and raising it like a victory banner. "Right, Hira-kun?"
The room erupted into laughter again. Even Mikio scribbled with flames: "Whipped."
My eye twitched. "Erase that. Now."
Mikio silently underlined it instead.
"Still," Fuji said after calming his chuckles, "Miss Clarissa's right. If we don't acknowledge weaknesses, we won't improve."
"Yeah, yeah," I muttered. "I already admitted mine. Not my fault some people refuse to accept it." I shot a side glance at Sakura.
"Because you don't have any!" she insisted. "Hira-kun is invincible!"
I groaned and sank into the couch, muttering, "Why is she like this…"
"Because," Sakura whispered with a cheeky grin, "I'm your childhood friend. It's my job."
And with that, the whole class cracked up one more time, leaving me to wonder how on earth I ended up in the lowest-ranked class with this lunatic sitting beside him.
I sank into the lounge couch, regretting every decision that led me here. Passing the assessment was supposed to feel like a relief, but now I was surrounded by idiots who had way too much energy.
"Invincible," Yuki snickered from across the room. "That's what I'm calling you from now on."
"No," I said immediately.
"Yes!" Sakura shouted beside me, practically bouncing in her seat. "Invincible Hira-kun!"
My eye twitched. "…Stop it."
Fuji leaned back in his chair, arms crossed and smug. "Nicknames usually stick whether you like them or not."
"Exactly," Yuki said. "You should be honored. Invincible Kage. Has a nice ring to it."
I glared at him. "Keep talking and I'll prove how breakable you are."
That only made him grin wider. "History is being made! The Invincible himself just threatened me."
Suki tugged on his sleeve, whispering a scolding, but he just shrugged her off. Typical.