Half a century after humanity gained its powers, factions began to form. Those with similar powers and characteristics flocked underneath the banners of the powerful, and soon the groups began to establish themselves in areas of human civilization.
Commerce, technology, research, and combat. Years after their founding, these groups were recognized as independent organizations known as "The Great Clans".
At the top of the combat-focused clans stood the Family of the Torch, and their offspring were said to be born into wealth, prestige, and martial prowess. Their clan head himself was a member of the Elite Hunter Division, the only ten Broken Class Hunters. Throughout the years, they had refined their bloodline enough that their descendants predominantly manifested variants of one specific power, and their offspring were known as genetic prodigies. They were popularly known as the House Of Fire, but a few addressed them by a much simpler name—
The Raidou Clan.
Lloyd Raidou however, had hoped to be treated differently in Dawn Academy.
His position in the clan made it nearly impossible for him to face proper challenges, and he was always surrounded by people praising him for his prowess, stature, and future.
He was sick of it.
It would be a lie to say it hadn't gone to his head, of course. He had looked down on people, bullied more than a few, and had always been declared as "right". His redemption came in the form of a rather... rude awakening to reality, when he witnessed an incident he never should have seen. Since then, his arrogant nature faded, and he removed himself from the company of those who had put him on a pedestal, and began to hang out with his cousin: Rex Raidou.
Dawn Academy is famous for its lack of bias no matter who gets involved. So far, I haven't run into many problems. Although... some members of the other Clans are here. It's no wonder I'm not seen as 'special'.
Raidou sighed quietly at the expression of the boy in front of him.
I thought he wasn't really suited to this course, considering his quiet nature. However, his combat abilities and his usual demeanor are like night and day.
At the sight of Liam snapping to attention and stammering, Raidou's eye twitched. He sighed quietly before asking:
"Is it because of my family?"
Liam blinked in surprise. "Your... family?"
Raidou's eyebrows rose in slight surprise at the confusion in Liam's eyes.
"Do you not know who they are?" he asked.
Liam's expression stayed the same, but his eyes began to lose focus. After three seconds however, Liam's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Th-th-the House of Fire?!" he hissed.
Raidou sighed. One of the few disadvantages of being a member of a Clan is the lack of Venma privacy.
"Heatwave's your family head, right?" Liam asked, catching Raidou off guard. "What is he... ah! Sorry!"
Raidou stared. ...This is not the reaction I usually get.
He smiled a little.
Refreshing.
"Your reaction tells me you aren't really one to care about these things. That's relieving. This class is full of people who really don't seem to care about social structure."
His smile was genuine, but Liam had already fallen silent. The atmosphere around them began to grow increasingly awkward until—
"Hey~! Raidou, my guy!" Nanami grinned as he threw an arm over his friend's shoulder. "Let me introduce you!"
Liam visibly recoiled at Nanami's idea. "I don't th-"
"Liam, this is my best friend, Lloyd Raidou! Lloyd, this is my new pal, Liam Paxton. Though his official nickname is Pax-"
"Excuse me?" Liam interrupted. "What nickname?"
"Huh?" Nanami turned to him in surprise. "Weren't you told? Lisa calls you-"
"Nanami."
Both boys flinched at the drop in tone of Liam's voice.
What the-?! Raidou blinked.
"You don't get to decide my nickname. And I don't get why you listened to that brat-"
"I'm right here, you know?" Lisa called out from the nearby weapons rack.
Liam glanced at her, then pursed his lips.
"Please don't c-call me that..."
He turned around to continue cleaning the mat, then jumped back as two more people walked up to them.
"You're Liam, right?" said the taller, dark-skinned boy. "Oh, hey Raidou."
Duke Quansah... Raidou thought as he nodded at the eye-patch wearing boy.
Duke's eyes lingered on Raidou for a few seconds before turning to Liam. "You've got some pretty sick moves, man. Wanna hang out sometime later?"
Raidou observed Liam closely.
He seems quite... bizarre. Nervous, can't really hold a conversation, seems to lack some self confidence, but can also be intimidating, and is a decent combatant. How will he-
"Sorry, but I have stuff to do. I don't think I can."
Raidou blinked in surprise at the clear answer. ...Is it because he recognized me as a member of a Clan? Is that why he was so nervous?
Liam's entire body was stiff, giving off no signs of nervousness. Raidou's mood soured a little, thinking Liam had been acting like that on purpose.
"Hey, you're really rejecting an offer like this?" said the other guy. "You only ever hang out with that girl over there. Is she your girlfriend or something? Or has she hypnotized you into being antisocial?"
Raidou, as well as those nearby, stared at him in shock.
The boy's name was Faust Morgan. He was a few centimeters taller than Liam, possessed short black-and-grey hair and yellow eyes, and currently had a smirk on his face.
All attention turned to Liam to see his reaction. Would he get angry? Nervous? Would he be indifferent?
Some of the eyes, however, were trained on Lisa.
She seemed perfectly relaxed, leaning against the rack with her arms crossed. But if one were to look closely, they would see how hard her jaw was clenched.
"Not going to say anything?" Faust asked with a raised eyebrow.
Liam kept his eyes locked on him for a moment, then sighed.
"If I was hypnotized into being antisocial, why would I be standing here? If I was her boyfriend, wouldn't I grab her hand and leave or something? If I was under control, realistically speaking, I should be furious right about now."
Liam paused, then turned halfway-round.
"I don't know why you're so hostile, but if you want to fight, I'm not interested."
Faust sneered as Liam began to walk to a different side of the gym. "What, are you being a coward right now? What kind of Hunter walks away from a challenge?"
Liam paused, then turned around with a small smile.
"All of them, when there's no merit to be gained."
Silence fell on all the present students. Even Nanami went quiet.
Then the silence was broken—
"Of course, only an idiot would fight after being punished for fighting."
—by Liam himself.
****
I escaped, I escaped, I ESCAPED!
Liam sighed tiredly before setting the cleaning machine he had carried along down.
"Why are people coming towards me?" he muttered. "I got so nervous I froze up again..."
When Duke had asked him to hang out, Liam had already hit his limit for social interactions, so he froze up and gave the first answer that came to mind.
Although...
Liam's eyes narrowed, and his jaw trembled from how tightly it was clenched.
That Faust guy actually pisses me off.
When he had insulted both him and Lisa, Liam had felt the slightest urge to punch him in the face. Luckily, he managed to control himself and talk Faust down before leaving.
Is it because I beat up two people that I feel like hitting him?
Liam paused to observe himself.
That... was the first time I actually fought on equal ground with people who wanted to hurt me. Bullies always outnumbered me or overpowered me as a kid, and Kazumi demolished me. Lee... that's different. The fact that I won too makes me feel great, but if I get cocky I'm gonna get bulldozed again.
Liam held his head and sighed. Well, I know for a fact that I'm avoiding Faust with double the effort. As for that vampire girl...
Liam's expression hardened.
There's a reason Denied are feared. Honestly, I never want to meet that girl again.
Liam shook his head as he remembered the feeling of his shoulder being bitten. He shuddered a little, then tried to redirect his thoughts.
...Wait a minute. Didn't Nanami call me... his 'pal'?!
Liam frowned. We barely know each other. How the hell are we 'pals'? And I really don't want to be friends with someone as outgoing as that... hold on, does that mean...?
For Liam, who had made no friends but Lisa his entire life, the situation was dumbfounding. He was almost completely oblivious to his own growing social circle.
Almost.
This makes no sense. Hannah's supposed to be my engineering partner, and Lee is my instructor. Since when did friendship come into the mix? Lee and I work out together and talk sometimes, Hannah and I bonded over engineering, and we all hung out yesterday... are we friends?! I'm pretty sure Hannah called me her friend, and Lisa did say Lee and I were basically friends... is it that simple? Does that mean Zoe's... she's an acquaintance. I don't want to get friendly with Nanami. Rex seems chill though-
"Liam, Raidou's calling a class meeting. Snap out of it and come with me."
Liam was jolted out of his thoughts by none other than Lisa, and she was already walking away from him.
"...Are you angry?" Liam asked as they walked up to the middle of the gym.
"Somewhat," she answered. "That Faust guy's just a jerk. I'm not gonna bother over it or I'll end up getting pissed."
"Fair." A corner of Liam's mouth curled upward.
****
That evening...
"This is insane!" a boy said as he visibly vibrated in his seat.
"Calm down. You're embarrassing us, Jayden."
Jayden, a boy whose skin was covered in faint green markings, pouted.
"Whatever, Sam."
Samuel Harrison, or as everyone else called him: Sam, sighed dejectedly.
I completely failed to make the power difference clear. Not only that, I got beaten to a pulp. That guy...
Sam gritted his teeth in anger.
I'll make him pay.
"Relax, Harrison," the silver boy on his right said. "You're gonna explode at this rate."
"Let him be, Chul." the horned boy behind them growled. "His strategy failed. Let him stew. We're all here, waiting for the moment he explodes."
"Shut up, Obanai." Sam turned, glaring. "I don't care if you're from a Clan; mess-"
"All of you be quiet."
The boys looked at the speaker and clicked their tongues. He possessed short white hair and icy blue eyes, and his demeanor was that of a tired adult dealing with children.
"We already lost. Get over it. And besides, Sam..." he paused to look Sam straight in the eye.
"What, Lance?" Sam glared back.
"The Heroes will be here soon. We don't want them seeing anything disgraceful."