For the first time in my life, I had my own room. It was massive! Six square meters all to myself, and it even had a private bathroom. Usually, I'd be lucky to share a space this size with three other people and one bathroom per floor. There were even snacks. Life was finally turning around.
Unfortunately, the snacks weren't a meal, so I eventually had to venture out for real food. As I left my room, I noticed a crowd of students heading toward the main hall instead of the cafeteria.
Intrigued, I followed. A massive digital billboard had been erected in the hall, displaying a ranking the government had compiled of all the Dreamers currently at the Academy. I was placed near the bottom.
Who do these people think they are, comparing me to these random weaklings? It was obvious at a glance that I was first-class. Thanks to years of intense manual labor and exercise, I had a physique most of these pampered kids couldn't dream of. People looked at me with intimidation.
Good, I thought. You're supposed to fear me.
Then, the whispers started.
"You heard? He's the one who got the Abysmal rating."
"Look at his face. He looks like a monster."
"He's going to murder us, isn't he?"
Infidels! I am the great Sandu, not some lowly animal. I noted the girl who had spoken; she was definitely on my list. At that moment, my shadow lashed out, extending across the floor to hers and began violently thrashing it. Her face turned deathly pale, her lips trembling.
The sight of her fear was delectable. I could practically smell it.
My revelry was cut short by a tall guy stepping into my path. I turned my gaze toward him and barely held back a laugh. My shadow was having the time of its life, clutching its stomach in silent hysterics. This guy... he had a baby face! He looked no older than twelve.
"Get out of the way, weakling. I don't have time for brats. Grow a mustache before you try to stand in my way," I said, giving him a dismissive push.
The atmosphere in the hall grew so thick you could cut it with a knife. The guy didn't even budge from my push. He looked at me coldly, and a split second later, a sharp pain exploded across my face. I staggered back, my vision swimming.
He punched me!
My pride snapped. I lunged at him, throwing a wide, desperate swing, but I missed completely and tripped over my own feet, rolling across the floor. A hand gripped my hair, wrenching my face up to meet his.
"Apologize to the girl you frightened," he commanded.
Like hell! No one hits me and walks away, and I wasn't apologizing for anything. He had made a mistake by grabbing me, though. I gripped his wrist with both hands and activated [Bravado].
My body surged with artificial strength while simultaneously beginning to collapse under the strain. Bones cracked. Tendons snapped. Muscles tore. IT HURT SO MUCH!
I didn't care. I bit into his hand like a rabid dog and clawed at his skin with my nails, intent on inflicting as much damage as possible while he hammered me with his free hand and knees. We sprawled on the ground, a mess of blood and broken limbs, but I didn't let go—I bit down harder.
Suddenly, a wave of unnatural exhaustion washed over me. The world went black.
I later learned an Awakened guard had used an Aspect Ability to force us both into a deep sleep. The wound I'd given the boy's hand was deep, but the damage to my own body was worse—both from his fists and my own ability.
The consequences were immediate. I was labeled a "Beast," a danger to society, and a pervert, effectively ruining any hope of a peaceful Academy life. I had a long, unpleasant talk with the Principal afterward.
The government wanted to avoid a scandal, so the incident was suppressed. However, the boy was apparently a "big deal" from a powerful clan. His face—that baby face—was his Flaw, and making fun of it was considered a grave insult. Like I cared! In this world, only those with the power to be right are right.
I wasn't expelled, but I was sentenced to spend my final two months before the Dream Realm confined to my room with a guard outside the door. The government killed two birds with one stone: they kept me from causing trouble while protecting me from the vengeance of the boy's family.
To hell with this. How is any of this fair?