The morning sunlight poured through the tall windows of the classroom as Celia, Rio, and Saji entered together. Saji's enhanced hearing immediately picked up the whispers and murmurs among the students.
"Look, it's them."
"Those are the commoners who transferred in."
"Why are they dressed like nobles?"
Saji ignored them, his sharp eyes scanning the room with quiet disinterest. He strode calmly up to the podium, his presence alone silencing some of the louder students. Celia clapped her hands to get everyone's attention.
"Everyone," she said, her voice composed but firm, "we have two transfer students. Their names are Rio and Jon Snow."
She gave the class a pointed look. "Be nice to them, all right?"
Rio stepped forward first and introduced himself in his usual polite, respectful tone. Though humble, he carried himself with quiet dignity that made a few students pause their judgment.
Then it was Saji's turn.
He looked at the class full of spoiled noble children and made a choice. If they wanted to talk, they needed a reason to fear him. Without a word, Saji released a wave of pure, unfiltered killing intent.
A suffocating aura enveloped the room.
A terrifying image of a colossal, shadowy demon appeared behind him, its mouth curling into a sinister grin. The temperature plummeted to freezing as fear gripped every heart in the room—students, Rio, even Celia. All of them trembled.
And just as suddenly as it began… it vanished.
The air returned to normal, but the fear etched on every face remained.
Saji then spoke, his voice low and absolute. "I'm Jon Snow. I'm here to learn. Stay out of my way, and we won't have problems."
Celia blinked in stunned silence before regaining composure. "T-Thank you, Jon. Now, please take your seats."
She directed Rio and Saji to the front desks near the podium. The class continued, but for both new students, the lesson might as well have been in an alien language. Letters, numbers, symbols—it all blurred together. Still, they stayed silent, absorbing what they could.
During the break, Celia knelt beside them and whispered, "Don't worry. You'll catch up. You're not alone."
After school ended, the two boys walked to the basement of the library tower, as promised. As they approached Celia's lab, Saji heard her talking to herself inside.
"She's definitely here," he said, tapping Rio's arm.
Rio knocked gently. No answer.
He knocked again.
Still nothing.
Just as they turned to leave, the door swung open with Celia yelling, "Can't either of you read the sign?!"
Rio flinched. "Sorry! We didn't mean to—"
Saji cut in flatly. "Yeah, yeah. Shorty, we can't read, remember?"
Celia blinked, embarrassed. "Wait—Rio? Jon?! Oh—right, tutoring!"
She stepped aside quickly, cheeks red. Inside, the lab was chaos. Books stacked everywhere, papers scattered across desks.
"It's just a tiny bit messy," she muttered.
Rio, polite as ever, said, "I see."
"It's usually much more organized," she added.
Saji sighed. "This is going to take a while."
He formed a cross with his fingers. "Shadow Clone Jutsu."
In a puff of smoke, four identical clones of Saji appeared and immediately began tidying up. Rio stared in awe. Celia, however, was captivated.
"What was that?" she whispered, wide-eyed.
Saji smirked but said nothing.
As the clones worked, Rio turned to Celia, curious. "There are a lot of difficult books here, but you still look young, Professor."
That caught Saji's attention too.
Celia chuckled. "Oh, I'm still only twelve years old."
"What?!" both boys shouted.
"I should be in primary school, but I skipped several grades and graduated from high school early."
Rio blinked. "You must be a genius."
Celia blushed. "Well… I suppose."
Soon, the clones finished organizing, and the tutoring began. Both Rio and Saji picked up writing, reading, and numbers surprisingly fast. Their sharp minds and determination made progress rapid. Celia started giving them more advanced problems by the end of the session.
During one of the questions, Celia asked something personal that caused Rio's expression to darken. His mood shifted, and Saji noticed it instantly.
Curious, Saji leaned closer to Celia.
"Hey, Professor," he said casually. "Can we ask for a favor?"
"Sure. What do you need?"
"Would you mind recommending some books for us? For writing and numbers?"
Celia smiled brightly. "Oh yes! I'll pick out some from the library for you tomorrow."
---
The next day, the students were outdoors practicing their emotion arts. The girls sparred with sticks while the boys used practice swords and shields.
Rio and Saji trained side by side, exchanging movements in harmony.
The sword instructor walked over and gestured to Rio. "Come. Show me your stance."
Rio obeyed, and though his form was unpolished, his potential was unmistakable. He landed light strikes with growing confidence.
Then it was Saji's turn.
The instructor hadn't expected much—until his sword flew out of his hand in an instant.
The onlookers gasped.
The instructor, stunned, stared at Saji. "You… You'll make a fine swordsman. No—the finest Beltrum has ever seen."
From that day on, the instructor took a special interest in training Saji, determined to sculpt him into a legend.
---
Weeks passed.
As the term came to an end, preparations began for the final exams.
In the library, Saji and Rio's clones filled the reading tables, devouring textbooks at unnatural speed. Their dedication was unmatched. Even Celia tried convincing them to take breaks.
"Relax a little," she said softly.
But both boys shook their heads.
"We'll rest after the exam," Saji muttered, eyes locked on the page.
The day of the exam arrived.
Both boys poured everything they had learned into those papers—their countless hours, sleepless nights, and silent resolve.
When the results were posted, chaos erupted.
Saji – 1st Place.
Rio – 2nd Place.
A storm of shock swept through the school.
Princess Christina scowled. Roanna's eyes narrowed in irritation. Alphonse, trembling with rage, clenched his fists.
"How dare they—how dare a commoner and a bastard beat us?" he hissed.
A storm was coming.