Perspective: Utahime Iori
The main building of the Kyoto Wizarding School was quieter than usual that morning. Utahime, arms crossed, gazed through one of the main hall windows. That silence wasn't normal. It was an omen.
"So... the Zen'in Clan's prodigy will arrive today?" she muttered to herself, with a mixture of skepticism and tension.
The rumors had arrived before him. Rumors that even the Zen'in Clan elders feared him. That Naobito had challenged him to defeat a special-rank spirit before his 18th birthday. That his cursed technique could defy the flow of time.
"What kind of teenager carries expectations like that... and survives?" Utahime thought.
A shadow crossed the door. He entered without saying a word. Silent. Elegant. With an expression of controlled arrogance. She wore the clan's black uniform, slightly modified in her own style. Her eyes were intense, as if she were gauging the power of everyone present without saying a word.
"I'm Naoya Zen'in. I was told this was my class," she said without bowing her head, without formalities. Just an affirmation of presence.
Utahime swallowed. She felt a pang of discomfort in her stomach.
"I'm Utahime Iori. I'll be your instructor while you're here."
Naoya looked at her for two seconds. She didn't respond. He walked straight to the back of the classroom and sat down as if he'd already conquered everything.
Perspective: Riko Amanai (temporary name for a classmate, you can change it)
From her seat by the window, Riko had been watching the newcomer with a mixture of curiosity and fear.
"That guy... he's not normal," she thought.
She'd barely sat down when everyone was already staring at him. Even Ryuu, the most arrogant sorcerer in the group, didn't say a word. He remained still. Cautious.
During the cursed energy practice class, Utahime asked everyone to release their basic technique.
Naoya refused.
"Aren't you going to participate?" she asked, crossing her arms.
"It would be a waste of time. No one here can force me to exert myself."
A wave of murmurs filled the classroom. Riko felt a mixture of anger and intimidation.
But then, Utahime insisted:
"I order you to participate. This isn't the Zen'in clan. Here you obey."
Naoya looked at her, with that subtle smile that wasn't a smile, but a disguised threat.
He stood up. He extended his arm. For an instant, the entire classroom seemed to slow down. The air grew thick. The cursed energy twisted.
"What… is this?" Riko thought, her eyes wide.
Naoya moved a finger. Just one. The training dummy in front of him exploded in an invisible shockwave, disintegrating without even being physically touched.
Everyone fell silent. Even Utahime, who took a deep breath.
"Are you… using Time Manipulation?"
"Celestial Projection Technique. Superior level. My personal variation," he replied, not bothering to elaborate.
Riko felt chills. That boy wasn't just strong. He was in another league.
Perspective: Kyoto Principal
From the highest tower in the school, the principal watched everything through the security monitor.
"Zen'in Naoya…" he whispered, scratching his chin. "This is far beyond the capabilities of this school."
He switched on a special communicator, a line he used only in emergencies.
"Yaga?" he said when the voice on the other end answered.
"Hm. Who's speaking?"
"Headmaster of Kyoto Gakuganji. I need to speak with you... about a possible transfer. We have someone here who belongs to a higher sphere than this school."
"Is he that strong?"
"It's not just that. He's... unstable. Dangerous. And I'm afraid that if we don't place him where he can be monitored... he could overwhelm us all."
A pause. Then Yaga answered:
"Zen'in Naoya?"
Gakuganji's silence was enough confirmation.
"Let me think about it. I don't want another monster loose in Tokyo."
Perspective: Utahime (epilogue)
At the end of the day, Utahime walked alone through the courtyard. She could still feel the imprint of the cursed energy Naoya had left behind.
"This boy... has terrifying potential. But also a wounded soul." Will technique tame him… or will he be devoured by his own ambition?
She looked up. In the sky, a flock of crows was crossing to the west.
"We need to be prepared," she thought. "Because this student… could change everything."
Perspective: Gakuganji Director
Director Gakuganji stood alone in his office, arms crossed, staring at the still-open file containing Naoya Zen'in's profile. His tense expression masked a cold euphoria.
"A killer who smiles as if he knows more than adults... typical of the Zen'in," he murmured.
He had told Yaga that he might transfer him. A lie. He never would. Not when he finally had something that could tip the balance of power between the schools.
"This time, Tokyo won't win."
He remembered the last School Exchange as if it were a fresh wound. Satoru Gojo's absolute dominance, Yaga's arrogance, and the way the Kyoto school was reduced to spectators.
"Do you think it will always be your monsters who decide the game, Yaga?" he whispered, lighting a rice paper cigarette. He took a slow drag, the smoke filling the office with a sour smell.
He stared at the frozen screen where Naoya was disintegrating the mannequin with a single flick of his finger.
Cold. Precise.
And more importantly: ambitious.
"With a little pressure and direction... this boy can become the fist of this school. The nail that closes the coffin of Tokyo's arrogance."
He stood up and walked to the window, where he could see the schoolyard. Naoya was there, training on his own, as if everyone else didn't exist.
"I won't send him to Tokyo. No, Yaga. This time I won't send you another monster to tame," he snapped. "This time... the monster is mine."
And in his mind, he could already see the upcoming School Exchange Event. Not as an exhibition, but as a prestige war. Naoya at the forefront. Utahime as the guide. And the others as supporting players.
If Tokyo lost again, the wizarding world would notice.
And maybe, just maybe... they could finally put Yaga in her place.