Class 2-A
Sol's gaze sharpened as he looked at the five figures in matching black hoodies, each marked with a sleek K1NGS emblem stitched over their chests.
"Hm... K-1-N-G-S," Sol murmured. "Kenta, Izanagi, Nero, Gin... and Shin?"
Kenta stepped forward, folding his arms with an aura of quiet dominance. His expression was unreadable, his smirk faint but undeniable. "Yeah. We're the founders of this crew... and the strongest in the school."
Izumi narrowed his eyes, arms crossed. "Strongest, huh? So what's the point of this crew?"
Kenta's gaze briefly shifted downward, as if recalling something long buried. Then he looked up, his voice firm. "It's a long story."
Sol tilted his head. "Wait... you're all students? But this is Horizon School. I've never seen you before."
Nero chuckled from the back, his hands in his pockets. "Yeah. We're students here too."
Tasuya blinked. "Then why don't we ever see you?"
Nero scratched the back of his head, giving a lopsided smile. "B... Because we rarely show up."
Silence settled again as the five stood firm, the aura around them almost visible—like kings of a realm no one dared challenge.
Even the wind paused.
This wasn't just a crew.
This was something deeper.
Something dangerous.
Something... destined to shake the world.
Ryker pushed open the door to Classroom 2-A. The noise inside faltered as his presence swept through the room like a cold wind. Around him, the K1NGS Crew and his classmates—Sol, Izumi, Tasuya, and Amelia—sat in groups, the air tense with unspoken anticipation.
Ryker didn't waste time. His eyes locked on Sol.
"Hey, Sol. Come with me," he said flatly.
Sol stood, walking a few steps ahead—but suddenly stopped. He turned, grabbed Ryker's wrist, and looked him in the eyes.
"You really don't want to join?" Sol asked, his voice softer than usual.
Ryker pulled his hand back with calm firmness. "I already told you. No."
Before Ryker could walk away, Izanagi stood up, his expression serious.
"Ryker... I want to help you," he said.
"But I don't need your help," Ryker replied without hesitation, his voice unwavering.
Nero stepped forward from the back of the room, his hoodie fluttering slightly as he drew the blade sheathed on his back, resting its tip on the ground.
"We came to talk friendly," Nero said coldly, "but your attitude... pisses me off."
Before the tension could escalate further, Kenta raised a hand.
"Stop, Nero," he said in a calm, but commanding tone.
The room fell into silence once again.
But it was a silence on the verge of a storm.
Ryker's gaze swept across the room, meeting the eyes of every K1NGS member. His voice was cold, yet calm.
"See… you all come only when you need something. And I still don't know why you're here," Ryker said, his tone cutting through the silence.
A brief pause followed, heavy with weight no one dared to challenge—until Shin finally spoke.
"Ryker… we've been protecting people on the city roads. We fight the gangs, we stop crimes. Now, we're planning to join the Hero Guild officially," Shin said. He stood tall beside Kenta, the K1NGS logo on his hoodie almost gleaming in the sunlight.
"And to do that… we want to expand our crew."
Ryker narrowed his eyes, unmoved.
"Then do it. But I'm not joining."
There was no hesitation in his words. Just clarity.
The tension remained, unbroken, but in that moment—it became clear:
Ryker wasn't someone who could be recruited. He was someone who chose his own path, regardless of who stood before him.
The cafeteria buzzed with life, voices echoing off the walls, but Ryker sat alone—isolated in a sea of students. His tray sat untouched as his eyes drifted toward the window, lost in thought.
A shadow loomed over the table.
"I'll handle Ryker Tensai," Gin had said moments earlier.
Now, he stood across from Ryker, eyes unreadable beneath his black hoodie.
He took a seat without invitation.
"I already said—" Ryker began, but Gin cut him off gently.
"We were all homeless once." Gin's voice was low, almost a whisper, carrying something deeper than persuasion. "We created K1NGS so no one would feel that emptiness again. That's all we wanted, Ryker."
For a brief moment, the words hung in the air like a confession.
But Ryker didn't flinch.
"You can't manipulate me with your sob story," he said flatly, turning his eyes back to the window.
"I've been alone longer than you can imagine."
Gin stared at him, searching for any crack in the wall Ryker had built.
But there was none.
Just silence… and a boy who had already made his choice.
Classroom 1-A. Evening.
The sound of sliding doors echoed through the room as a tall man with sharp eyes and a commanding presence stepped in.
"Alright, listen up." His voice cut through the morning chatter like a blade. The class fell silent.
It was Aria-sensei—their homeroom teacher and a former elite hero.
He walked to the front, turning to face the students with his usual stern yet encouraging gaze.
"Only three days remain until the Hero Guild Trial."
He paused, letting the weight of the words settle in.
"I hope you've all been preparing. That trial won't go easy on anyone—not even those with talent."
The students exchanged glances, tension and excitement bubbling beneath their focused expressions.
"This is your first step to becoming real heroes. Train your bodies, sharpen your minds, and keep your spirits ready."
He placed his clipboard down with a soft thud.
"Because once you're in that arena, no one's going to save you but yourself."
Silence followed.
Then whispers. Nervous murmurs. Determined eyes.
The countdown had begun.
The air in Class 1-A thickened with tension after Aria-sensei's announcement.
At the back of the room, Sol Yoshida leaned back in his chair, arms behind his head, a cocky grin tugging at his lips.
"Heh… finally. I've been waiting for this."
Next to him, Izumi raised an eyebrow.
"You talk like you're already in the guild."
"Aren't I?" Sol shot back, winking.
"With power like mine, it's practically a formality."
Tasuya, flipping through his notebook, gave a small sigh.
"Still… it's not going to be easy. I heard last year's trial had people hospitalized."
At the front, Ryker Tensai sat silently, eyes fixed on the window. He didn't react to the excitement or the fear around him. His expression was unreadable.
"Ryker," Aisa's voice came gently from beside him.
"You okay?"
He blinked slowly, then nodded.
"Yeah. Just thinking."
"About the trial?"
He didn't answer directly.
Instead, he muttered, "Three days, huh…"
His fingers tapped the desk rhythmically.
"Let's see who's really ready."
Meanwhile, in the Second-Year Building, the K1NGS Crew gathered on the rooftop.
Kenta, seated on a bench with his black hoodie zipped up halfway, looked out over the courtyard below where the first-years walked to class.
"The Hero Guild Trial is coming," he said. "Time for the first-years to see the difference between us and them."
Shin, leaning on the railing, smirked. "Especially that Ryker kid."
Amelia, seated beside him with a cold gaze, added, "If he can't handle pressure, he doesn't belong in the hero world."
Nero, flicking his blade out of his sleeve and catching it again, laughed. "He'll break before he even steps on the field."
Gin remained silent, arms crossed.
Izanagi, always calm, spoke finally, "Let's not underestimate him. I've been watching him… and he's different."
Kenta stood, hoodie casting a shadow over his eyes.
"Then let's see what he really is… when the trial begins."