Unfortunately, Yoru didn't have the luxury of heading to bed nor the chance to worry about Sunny's perception of him. It was time for his first Combat class.
And He had absolutely zero combat experience.
Well actually, that would be a bit of a lie.
He managed to piss a few people off in his world so he wasn't completely new to the concept of fighting. But his world's idea of fighting and this one couldn't be more different from each other. In his world it was low-stake scuffles at best. Over here, it would be against appalling beasts and abhorrent creatures that wouldn't think twice about ending his life.
If he wanted to survive in this world and save it, then he would need to adapt to it. Learning how to fight wasn't just a necessity but a requirement. Whether it be against awakened or nightmare creatures. And sooner or later, that meant killing. But first, it was the basics.
****
Now dressed in a white dobok, Yoru was stood within a large dojo. Instructor Rock, who taught the combat class, had previously stated that today would be used as a test of sorts, to allocate certain sleepers into groups ranging from: novice, advanced and expert. After that, some sleepers would be paired together or given private tutors. They would also be choosing their weapon of choice.
Yoru stood near the back of the dojo watching the sleepers as they went up to strike the special measuring device. So far, the average was between ten to fourteen and anyone who exceeded that probably possessed an enhancement aspect.
Yoru idly thought to himself, 'I'd probably score a 12.'
As he had this thought, he noticed a human shaped shadow glide across the floor and hide within a dark corner of the dojo.
'It's almost amazing how no one notices this…Actually that makes me even more amazing for succeeding to do so!'
However, he didn't intervene in Sunny's espionage antics, he was more preoccupied with setting a certain plan into motion. Throwing a glance towards Nephis who similarly stood near the back of the dojo, Yoru cleared his throat and approached her.
Nephis was calm, poised and radiated the utmost confidence. All of these things combined made the prospect of walking up to her feel a tad intimidating. But how could a miracle such as himself, be intimidated by a mere future queen of humanity?
"Changing Star? I haven't had the chance to introduce myself. I'm Yoru."
Nephis met his gaze and held it for a few long, agonising seconds. There wasn't the slightest shift in her expression, she just stood there regarding him coldly.
'Is it that difficult to give a simple hello?!', Yoru thought to himself, practically suffocating under the wieght of her gaze. She must be trying to figure out whether he was a threat or not. It was easy to forget how paranoid Nephis was in the beginning of the novel since that side of her was rarely ever shown.
After what felt like an eternity of silence, Nephis replied:
"Nice to meet you."
She responded! Yoru finally felt like he could breathe again.
"Yes it is. Anyways I wanted to say that this whole True Name thing is seriously being blown out of proportion. I mean…I've got one to, it's nothing special."
Nephis' face remained still and she didn't show even the slightest hint of intrigue.
Yoru threw his hands up in surrender.
"Alright fine! Fine! No need to pester me. I can practically tell your dying to know what it is."
He paused for dramatic effect.
"My True Name is…Wish Upon a Star."
Nephis nodded and replied in monotone:
"That's nice."
Simultaneously, as Nephis spoke, Yoru heard her voice overlap with another that echoed in the back of his mind. It was a whisper so loud it practically screamed, an incessant noise that constantly chanted the same line over and over. Bearing the voice of Changing Star it whispered:
"…to destroy the Nightmate Spell."
Yoru froze.
It wasn't the content of the wish that made him freeze, but rather the intensity of said wish. It was simply too overwhelming and overbearing. The incessant murmur assaulted his mind and he couldn't shake the feeling that a whisper shouldn't sound this loud.
Gritting his teeth, he exerted every ounce of mental power he had in suppressing the noise.
Noticing his discomfort, Nephis spoke out, a hint of concern leaking from her voice.
"Are you alright?"
Struggling to suppress the whispers that were bombarding his mind, Yoru grit his teeth and forced out a smile.
"Don't worry…Im fine. Just…give me a second…"
It took all his might and willpower to suppress the whisper, but surprisinlgy once he had reigned it in, it became much easier to keep under control.
Eventually, he even managed to mute the whisper entirely.
He let out a sigh of relief.
Thank goodness he didn't tell the Academy about his True name! If he had, then a mere headache would probably be the least of his worries.
'I don't think a whisper should've been that loud though. It felt too…intense.'
Yoru was sure that whatever had just happened, shouldn't have. But he didn't have a clue as to why.
'Perhaps it's the amount of conviction behind the wish? But that would imply that there are varying levels to even the deepest of wishes.'
If he was right, then it meant that the more meaning behind a wish, the louder it was in his head.
In other words, Yoru may have picked the worst candidate to test his innate ability on.
Nephis had been standing there staring at him for a good half a minute now, so it was best he didn't ignore her any longer.
"Thanks for the concern but I'm alright now."
She nodded and focused her attention back on the Sleepers and the measuring device.
Yoru had first gotten the idea to reveal his true name to Nephis this morning in the cafeteria. She was incredibly socially inept and for that reason - had no friends. The chance of her telling anyone his true name was very low. There was also the fact that she probably wouldn't even believe him and assume that he was just messing around.
Little did she know that he actually was, in fact, worthy of a true name - or at least, the original Yoru was.
But even if she knew he was telling the truth, he still found it hard to imagine that she would care very much. Unless she believed him to be some sort of assassin sent after her. Then things would get complicated and probably life-threatening. But all seemed well for the moment.
He had accomplished what he wanted to do but it felt kind of wasteful to just share his true name and simply walk away.
So, he tried to make idle chatter.
"I always see you with headphones on. Do you listen to any Night&Gale?"
For the first time since arriving in this new world, did he see Changing Star's expression change. Her steel-grey eyes focused on him and her brows slightly rose.
"I do."
"Ah that's great. I Haven't really had the chance to listen to them, but I've heard they're really good."
"Oh…you should listen to them. They are more than good."
Oh? What was this? Was Changing Star, the autistic blowtorch actually conversing?
Yoru flashed a wry grin.
"Oh wow, are you a fangirl? You must be sad that they haven't released any new songs recently."
Nephis turned her head back towards the Sleepers.
"Yes, it is unfortunate."
"Hm. I've heard rumours that the lead singer, Night, went missing and that's why they haven't released anything. Hah! Imagine he was trapped in some bygone death zone of the Dream Realm with no way to return."
Nephis spared him a furrowed glance and walked away towards the special measuring device, abruptly concluding their conversation.
'I'm not sure why I said that either.' He thought to himself dejectedly.
Eventually, it was his turn to strike the plate.