Arata's Monologue -

"No one knows what he can do till he tries". This was first said by Publics Syrus many years ago

but it has survived as an eternal truth to this day. Trial and endeavor are the acid test for deterring

ability. Never judge a book by its cover' goes the proverb and indeed it is impossible to know the

contents of a book by merely looking at its cover. One has to read every page and turn it over

until the last one is reached. Similarly, man would never have found the eternal stone, the

diamond, had he not plumbed the sub-terranean depths. Certain factors make it easier.

Though one must need to put one's shoulder to the wheel, endeavor alone will not achieve

anything unless it is accompanied by motivation. The will to do something is a force potent

enough to move mountains. There are countless, stirring in able odds to overcome their disability

by sheer willpower and superhuman effort.

The very fact that willpower constitutes such an important ingredient required to overcome odds,

presupposes the existence of odds. It is all too human frailty to suppose that a favorable wind

will blow forever. An ill-wind could engulf anybody at any time and sometimes an ill-wind can

do somebody a world of good. A crisis forces a person to draw on his inner strength and shrug

off apathy and complacence.

Thus great successes are built by taking up negative circumstances and turning them around. To

be able to put adversity to one's use one must have confidence in oneself. Dr. Benjamin Spock,

the last word on children and parents, said "Trust yourself. You know more than you think you

do." The courage of one's convictions makes it that much easier to take the first step. It is not

always necessary to have earth-shaking talent. Just plain common sense and perseverance will

do.

This brings one to the need for patient diligence. So when armed with confidence, willpower,

during a crisis situation, one can achieve something and show the world. The baby takes the first

uncertain jerky steps – he too tries without knowing he will walk. He stumbles and falls but he

picks himself up. As Emerson said, "Every artist is first an amateur", One has to accept it and

plod on.

The pinch of salt that makes a dish palatable and any struggle meaningful is idealism. One must

try and strive for something, a goal is essential to prompt someone to keep trying. And as the

recipe says "salt according to taste", so must one flavor any struggle with idealism – too much or

too little could have drastic effects.

Each one of us has the potential to realize things we never dreamed of ourselves capable of. We

simply have to make a beginning and try in right earnest and we will discover the value behind

the truism – try, try again. The tortoise did not know it was going to win against the hare but it

was willing to try. The odds against it were tremendous but it made the impossible possible by

just risking a try.

Chapter 1 - New World

I don't really understand how this world works. It's like my brain and heart is going to break by everything. Everyone was shouting, fighting, and arguing. It was total chaos. Let me explain from the beginning as to what happened and how it happened.

It was a fine morning on January 1st. It was the beginning of a new year. Like usual, I freshened up and put on my school uniform. There was a valid reason I decided to put on my school uniform at the beginning of a year and instead of going to the shrine, I decided to go to school. It was due to the fact that I got a message last night, telling me to do this. The obvious thing to do would be to ignore it, but for some reason, I wasn't able to.

That very message gave me goosebumps. But, the thing that made me more anxious was that it knew my name. The message was like this--

Participant Arata Akihiro,

I would like you to come to your school on January 1st. There is a surprise for you. Make sure you are coming alone and no one is following you either. The sooner you come the better.

No matter how you look at it, it's creepy. It was like he knows my lifestyle in detail. Nevertheless, here I was, following what that message told me to. Since it said the sooner the better I got to school like the usual time I go. Upon reaching there, I was a bit surprised. My other classmates were there too, no, every one of my classmates was present in the room. It was like we were about to start homeroom.

I was nothing special in the class. I was neither special nor someone cool. My existence was like an invisible wall in the class. No one paid attention to me unless it was really needed. Of course, the case is different with teachers but they too did not ask me anything needlessly. Like usual, I entered the class, most of the students looked at me perplexedly and with disgust but afterward went to their usual chattering. I took a seat by the window since it was not school time and everyone else did not pay attention to me, I freely sat there wondering what will happen.

As I was wondering about what to do, a certain classmate approached me.

"Akihiro-kun is it? Do you know anything about this meetup?"

It seems like I wasn't the only one who was sent that message. The classmate who approached me was the most popular girl in class or rather I could say the entire school.

Her name is Okura Kurumi. This white as silk skinned woman has a gentle yet friendly feel about her. She has a round face, a straight nose, very thin lips, and her dark brown eyes are puffy. Her black hair, dip-dyed at the ends with shades of dark red, is long and is combed neatly. She wears light lipstick, garish eyeliner, garish eyeshadow, and raspberry blush. She has narrow shoulders, slender arms with modest breasts with a defined waist.

"I am as clueless as you guys." I told.

From looking up close she really is very beautiful. No wonder all the boys fawn over her. But I was surprised she spoke to me. Maybe it was out of concern or good-will? Well, not that it matters.

After saying that she brought her face close to mine. I got startled and got away for a little bit. What the hell is she doing!? This is what I was thinking as I saw everyone giving me death glares.

"Just as I thought. You are different from others."

"What do you mean?"

I instantly relayed that reply. I don't know what she meant by different but for some reason, it caught my curiosity. I stared at her with inquisitive eyes which I think made her feel uncomfortable as I saw her blushing a little but some things must be done at the moment.

"It's nothing. See you later Akihiro-kun!"

I nodded slightly giving a disappointed expression. I really wished she would have told me the reason. I guess it caught my curiosity because even though it has been about 3 months I spent here in this school and in this class, I haven't actually got to know any of my classmates properly. Or rather I did not care since no one asked anything about me. I am not that good at socializing with people, so, when people ask me about anything only then I reply, nothing more nothing less.

I let out a big relief sigh as she got away from me and people stopped staring at me as well. It really was a pain talking to her. I hope she never talks to me again in the class were my initial thoughts after our first confrontation. But after one storm had passed by another storm decided to come my way.

"Akihiro, don't you think you could have talked to her a bit more or have been a bit more expressive?"

And here came another classmate of mine. Another popular one and he is even popular among boys as well. I could have phrased that a bit better but I like it that way expressing him hehe.

His name is Nakayama Yukio. Standing 6' 2" tall, this white-skinned man was another one of those I can do everything if I have friends feel about him. A particularly notable feature is his winning smile. His light brown eyes are wide and he has shoulder-length, straight, brown hair. He has wide shoulders, muscular arms, a thick torso with defined muscles. A typical handsome looking guy that every girl falls for and boys to be jealous about. I for particular did not care about these kinds of stuff though.

"You think so?"

He seemed to have been taken aback by my reply. He regained his composure and started talking again.

"She clearly wanted to tell you something so don't you think you could have been modest?"

"I don't know what you are talking about. If you care about her that much then why don't you ask her yourself that what she was going to tell me?"

It was obvious why he came to me for blabbering. Even for a lousy observer like me, I can tell that Yukio likes Okura. He couldn't hold his temper after how I had treated her. If I were in his shoes I would have done the same I guess not that I know about love and stuff. It's not like my place to talk about it.

After that Yukio stepped away from me with a dissatisfied yet angry look in his face and everyone else doing with the look as well. Maybe I shouldn't have come I sighed while lamenting on this fact.

It was soon becoming afternoon. Nothing special had happened in the meantime. Everyone was passing their time chatting, playing, and all except for the fact that we did not have to study. While I know that it was a pleasant feeling meeting and talking with friends on new years but some people also wanted to spend it with their families. That family faction became restless and started yelling.

Yukio and Okura tried to calm them down but I guess even they had started to doubt that message so they were reluctant. A guy had started to walk away but when he tried to open the classroom door, he wasn't able to open it. Everyone was startled by it and started muttering and rushing. Yukio hurried to the door and used his best strength to open it but failed.

Everyone started panicking and even they too rushed towards the door and tried opening but every single of them were unsuccessful. To be honest, this surprised me as well. I wanted to try opening the door too but since everyone was unsuccessful, I did not give it any more effort. Yuko was still trying his best at opening the door while keeping everyone calm. Okura came close to me and in a shaken voice told.

"What is happening?"

I did not give it much attention and was looking at the door. I thought for sure Yukio had noticed it but this was not a time for arguing on this matter. While I was thinking that I should try to comfort Okura on behalf of Yukio since she seemed a bit shaken too. Sudden darkness fell upon the room. The darkness went on a few seconds and the lights came back. Everyone was paranoid by that and started shouting and running about in the class. On the other hand, Okura who was standing beside me a few moments earlier had clung to me shaking in fear. Her breasts were shoving to my body. Oh boy if anyone sees this heck if Yukio sees this he would kill me spot on. Fortunately for me, he was still trying to open the door and keeping the class as calm as possible and everyone was so scared that they had long forgotten what was going on in their surroundings. I grabbed Okura's shoulders and put her in a normal situation. She had water in her eyes and seemed like she really was so scared that she was about to cry.

"Don't worry, everything is alright now." I said in an embarrassing tone.

No matter how I phrase or deliver myself, I was still a high school boy in his teens. This kind of situation was dangerous for me too. Speaking of this, I was rather scared about this development, and Yukio beating me rather than that lighting issue thing.

"S...Sorry for grasping to you." She said in a blushing manner still water in her eyes.

Well, if everything were to be fine then that lighting issue would have never happened. Right after I told her that everything would be fine, the light started blinking yet again. This time it was blinking very fast instead of going full out. Everyone was so terrified that they started screaming yet again in fear. This time I found it a bit troubling too as I saw a faint hue coming out from the door that Yukio was trying to open. I suddenly had a bad feeling about what was going to happen. My whole body went cold and shivers went down my spine and without thinking for the first time in my entire life, I decided to take the initiative cause to me it looked the light was about to swallow Yukio who had become pale and consumed by despair. I pushed Okura aside and started running towards Yukio and grabbed him by the hands but alas if everything today was going to be okay for me.

The light slowly grew bigger. Big enough to devour the whole class and it did in fact. The hue I saw was white and it swallowed me entirely. Different colors flashed through my eyes. White, Black, Red, Orange, Blue, and many more. Was I able to save him? This is what I was thinking even though I was my eyes were being flashed by different colors. I was thinking I died or something like that. It went like this for a few more moments and then I dropped in the classroom again.

My whole body was still cold and I was trembling. I looked around to see that everyone was like me as well. They slowly got up but were still shaking in fear, unsure of what was going on or what they should they do. I got up as well and saw that Yukio was lying beside me shaking his head to throw the dizziness away. I did not pay him attention and went to the place where I pushed Okura away. She was still lying on the floor. I felt a bit guilty for pushing her, so I went to her and extended my hand.

"Sorry for pushing you. Are you okay?"

"I am fine. Hmph"

She grabbed my hand and stood up while pouting even though she was shaking. That act of her was pretty cute under normal circumstances it would have made my heart skip but the situation was not normal. I looked around again with a concerned look in my face. This time I did not look at my classmates but instead decided to look outside the window. And what I saw left me and my other classmates speechless.

The beautiful spring scenario outside before was all gone. Only a dark sky filled the outside world along with stars. Everyone became anxious.

"What the fuck is this!?"

"What is going on!?"

"I knew I shouldn't have come here..."

"I...I...I want to go home...."

Everyone was lost in their own paranoic world. Muttering words to themselves. Even Yukio who was supposed to be the calm and collective person was feeling a bit scared by the events. Okura still stood by me and grabbed my hand and told.

"I...I'm scared Akihiro-kun."

Is it just me or is she being overly friendly with me today? is what I was thinking at that time but I had to be a gentleman with her or else I have to hear Yukio's pestering later. I put my hand on top of her head and with my level best smile, I patted her head and told.

"Don't worry it's going to be fine."

"Fwahh!?"

She seemed a bit startled by my action. It looks like she did not expect me to do that but for some reason, her trembling stopped and she relaxed for a bit. In a blushing yet embarrassed tone, she told me.

"Don't...Don't treat me like a child you know..."

Ah crap, I should really stop doing this it is bad for my heart. If everything went fine whenever I told then everything would have been fine from the beginning. When I stopped patting her head and looked at her cute embarrassed face, the light blinked yet again and this time a big shadowy figure showed up and we were floating in a huge empty dark place mixed with a red light.

"I welcome you all to Zemuria."

"Z...Zemuria?"

Everyone exclaimed with a trembling voice. No matter how you see it this turn of events must be nerve-wracking for everyone after what we have gone through. At first, it was the shuddering darkness. Next was the blinking lights and now this shadowy figure with all these eerie backgrounds and we must not ignore the fact that we were literally floating.

"Please allow me to explain. Before I explain I shall give you 5 mins to compose yourself since you all might be terrified."

We were true. The shadowy figure did not seem like a bad person at least to me but we must not trust everything readily right now since we are clueless about what's going on and if you were to ask me, I had a really bad feeling since the beginning.

"It seems you lot have settled down. I shall start explaining. You all have been transported from your original world to the World of Zemuria."

It felt like everyone's eyes popped off after hearing that. As if the events before weren't enough to make them crazy this statement made them actually become crazy. They were mumbling among themselves when the shadowy figure told.

"Silence! That was only the start. Allow me to explain everything else."

In short, this is what that shadowy figure told us. We were transported to another world called Zemuria which was surely true since we saw there was total darkness outside even different from night time in our world. The next issues were more shocking to us. It seems like we were summoned here to play some sort of tournament-style game. There were other classes like us too, chosen from different schools across the countries. Apparently, there were 12 schools chosen in total and they were all represented according to the Zodiac signs. If you did not know what zodiac is then, The zodiac is an area of the sky that extends approximately 8° north or south (as measured in celestial latitude) of the ecliptic, the apparent path of the Sun across the celestial sphere over the course of the year. The paths of the Moon and visible planets are also within the belt of the zodiac. In Western astrology, and formerly astronomy, the zodiac is divided into twelve signs, each occupying 30° of celestial longitude and roughly corresponding to the constellations: Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces. And we were supposed to be in one of these zodiac signs assigned as our class.

It was obvious that everyone won't be able to process this information easily because of all those events but it seems like few of them got the gist of it. Okura who was still beside still holding my hand! I know I keep telling this but this situation here freaks me out the most than what is going on. I try to shake it off but she grabs it even harder and then I give up with a sigh. Nevermind that, I got the gist of the situation we were in too but most people won't be able to take it that freely. I was expecting them to protest but they were all quiet. They were all afraid of the shadowy figure that if they complain, it might devour them or kill them. I was a bit curious as to what zodiac sign we were all assigned to. My birthday was on the 20th of October so, my zodiac sign was Libra but I don't think we were going to be assigned like that. Just when I was going to ask about it, Yukio asked the same question to the figure.

"Do you know what sign we were all assigned to?"

"Oh about that..."

It seems like Yukio was thinking the same thing I was. But maybe he was thinking that because of everyone else's safety. Yeah, he is that type of guy.

"You all are assigned to the weakest of the Zodiac signs...Gemini."

This struck us like a death blow. "Weakest" at it. We were all panicking about the fact that we were sent to another world which seemed like it would be very dangerous to survive or something and on top of that we were assigned to the weakest of the signs. Yukio was startled by that too but soon after another boy of our class named Takei Jiro asked another question.

"Umm, what do you mean by the weakest?"

"Isn't it simple? It means you guys are the last of the ranking and weakest in terms of physical, academic, and overall abilities. You all are garbage. I don't know why you were even summoned here, but I guess weak signs are like that. It also pains me to say that I was instructed to be you all's supervisor."

Everyone was appalled by those remarks. As if things weren't worse enough, we were put to the lowest and weakest of the signs as well. I did not care about it, so, I was just passing my time observing everyone's reactions and listening to the instructions of our advisors.

The shadowy figure also gave us more information. The rankings of the Zodiac signs were based on our performances during the school year and how we reacted to the blinking event. Whether we were calm or not or we took rational decisions or not. Well, if they judge out like that then it was pretty obvious that we were on last. Even now, some if not all were still shaking in fear. I know it is hard to act like normal in this kind of circumstance but if we were to raise our ranking we have to stay calm. Not like I will take the lead ever again, it all depended on how Yukio handles it. The current rankings were--

#1 Taurus

#2 Aquarius

#3 Aries

#4 Cancer

#5 Leo

#6 Virgo

#7 Libra

#8 Scorpio

#9 Sagittarius

#10 Capricorn

#11 Pisces

#12 Gemini

It seems like we really were at last. This is also not how normal Zodiac signs were assembled, they really were different from the other ones I saw in my world.

"Let me introduce myself since I will be your supervisor it is better if we are acquainted with."

I did not expect what I just saw right now. Behind that shadowy figure came a beautiful adult lady or rather I did not want to believe it...

"My name is Hayakawa Ume. I am going to be the supervisor of your Sign which is Gemini. I know it is not the best place or situation to be acquainted with and I also said a few harsh words. Nevertheless, nice to meet you boys and girls of Gemini."

Hayakawa Ume was our supervisor. This white-skinned woman has a very cunning feel about her. A particularly notable feature is her crooked smile. Her dark red eyes are big and she has waist-length, straight, dark red hair. She wears dark eyeliner, red lipstick, and light blush.

She has well-built arms even for a lady and huge breasts, and a narrow waist. She was wearing clean, dark clothes that are mostly red and black in color, and she was wearing no jewelry.

Yeah, the fact that she was in a black and red theme gave creeps to everyone present in the room. It piqued my curiosity as well but I decided to ignore it. Yukio on the other hand asked a few obvious questions like, will we able to go home? how can we go home? what are we going to do? where are we staying? some questions like this. However, she told us that she does not have the authority to tell us about this. She continued...

"The place you all will be staying is the Gemini Dormitory. Rest assured, the girls and boys are separated by a wholly different floor. So, sad for the boys."

Even in this situation, the boys were sad by that remark and the girls were staring daggers at them. If I were to say about myself, I too was sad...Ahem, nevermind that.

"That is all for today. Check out your dormitory, the Lords of Zemuria will be paying you for your expenditures of decorating your room. So, don't hesitate to decorate it however you want. Also, you guys will be receiving your living points by playing and winning certain objectives in your games. I will be announcing your first game tomorrow. Rest for today."

After telling us that she disappeared as fast as she came. We stopped floating and were left in front of a huge academy. There was like everything we needed in place. A huge shopping mall, different classrooms for different signs, training ground, commissioner's room, faculty lounge, and 12 dormitories for 12 signs. This felt like so planned that it gave me goosebumps. The shopping mall consisted of various things like karaoke, spa, theatre, different shops to buy from, and an arcade. It was like everything you needed to live a luxurious student life. But something important caught my attention or rather I would not like to call it important...

"Umm, Ano...Okura-san? Everything is alright now. You can leave my hand."

"Ehwa!?"

Yes, this girl named Okura was still holding my hand very hard. She gave a very I don't know how to explain reply and while blushing took a few steps away from me. I was kind of blushing too scratching my cheek with my right hand. It was really awkward between us but Okura who was holding my hand since the beginning of this series of events broke the silence.

"Akihiro-kun, you really are different."

Again with that. This time I did not say anything to her since her gaze was so different from the first time she told me that. Her eyes were sparkling full of admiration though I don't what kind of admiration she found in an introverted guy like me. We stared at each other for a few moments until I realized that Yukio was giving me "stare daggers" while gritting his teeth. I took that shot right at my heart and decided to leave. Everyone was still paranoid by these events. It was obvious. They were transported to some unknown world, away from their families and our original world. I did not care about that enough to comfort anyone. I was alone in my previous world from the beginning. So...I do not intend to change that fact here either. I put my hands in my pocket and left everyone else to explore this unknown world or academy called Zemuria.

I was wondering as to what to do. I could go straight to the dormitory and prepare my room and head off to bed or I could go to the shopping mall and pass some time. I decided to do the latter. I went inside the shopping mall and my jaw dropped at what I saw. There was everything a person can hope for or I could say anything you want is here, it's not even an exaggeration. There were even swimming pools, an amusement park theme area, and a place, especially for couples, was arranged too. Not that I was interested in it, no I definitely wasn't.

I strolled my way through the shopping mall checking out everything I was interested in and thought was useful. There were quite a few people in the mall even though it was only the first day. I guess most people had taken it in a normal way since no matter how they say it, we weren't going to be sent to our world that easily. If they were powerful enough to summon so many people, so, of course, we won't be able to beat them in a fight either. So, the best course of action here is to put up with them until we clear whatever they want with us and sent us back that way.

I took a cup of cafe latte and sat down in a seat by the window. I saw people passing by with many different expressions on their faces. Despair, Anxiety, Worry, Happy, Sad, and Cheerful. I took a sip of my latte and sighed heavily. The latte tasted great. The extra milk doesn’t mean lattes taste bad—they just taste more… milky. With 2x as much milk as other espresso drinks (or more), lattes are chill. The espresso flavor is there, but the acidic bite is completely hidden, making it the most approachable coffee drink out there.

I saw a lot of different people from other signs as well. Just when I was about to take my last sip from my coffee two-person approached me and took the seat in front of me and beside me.

"Do you mind if we seat here?"

Yes, it was Okura and Yukio. They seemed to have taken a liking to me ever since this incident started which I dearly hope they would leave me alone. Okura took the seat in front of me and Yukio sat on the seat beside me. And here we were, a very unique trio you wouldn't see usually.

"I don't but what's with you guys?"

I gave a short yet direct reply along with a question that might rack their brains a bit. I was really curious to know why they were so much interested in me after not paying attention to me at all for 3 months. Yukio replied in a rather assertive tone.

"Uhh, nothing special. We are classmates, right? We shall get to know each other."

"I see."

That's definitely not the case here. His look was like why is he here and why am I here. I made a poker face to annoy him because I loved annoying him as he always falls for it. As I was trying to tease Yukio a bit, Okura cut us short.

"We were just passing by and checking out the shopping mall while we saw you so we decided to stop by."

"So, that's how it is."

I was happy that at least someone was honest here. Yukio gave a blatant look at her after hearing this which I ignored and got up from my sit.

"Well, I am done here. I am going to head to the dorm now. Enjoy your date."

"D...Date!? It's nothing like that!!" exclaimed Yukio.

I ended on that note specifically to see the reaction of Okura but Yukio never ceases to please me with his dismayed reactions. I did say I wanted to see Okura's reaction but what she relayed to me surprised me a lot. The instant I got up, she grabbed my hand, brought her face close to my ear, and whispered.

"If you don't mind. Can I come to your room later?"

That startled me so much that I took a step back and nodded to her question and in return, she gave me a luminous smile so pretty that I am sure everyone else in the cafe was staring at her. My heart skipped a beat by that and I did not want to believe it but maybe I was blushing at that moment. While preparing to go away I took a glance at Yukio who was dead as a doornail, of course, he isn't dead I used that phrase to describe his expression right now. Even though he was like that he gave me a determined glare which seemed to relay the message that I will not lose to you Arata Akihiro. Though I really wished they would leave me alone but I guess that's a far stretch since nothing is going the way I wanted today and if I said everything is going to be fine it would get worse. Sighing over this fact, I left the cafe.

I was on my way towards the dorm and during that time I decided to review a few things which seemed a bit suspicious and caught my curiosity. At first, it was the rankings of the signs. If it is really is determined by the performances of the students then Pisces and Capricorn might be weak like us too. I would need to see their performance to determine that...Whether we can crawl up the ranks ourselves. The rankings looked a bit rigged to me too. It's like they intentionally put us in a low rank to test out our growth. If I assemble the signs according to the months then that will make Gemini on 5th spot and Pisces 2nd and lastly Capricorn at the last spot. I can't think of anything else except for the fact that there is some kind of secret meaning behind the rankings of the signs.

The second thing I noticed surprised me the most. It seems like in this world we can use different elemental magic. Fire, Earth, Water, Wind, Dark, and Light. 5 elemental magic. This startled me a lot since we neither used magic nor have any physical combat experience before. Some students might have that but I for specif don't have any major experiences. If I recall what I read about the signs that Gemini, Libra & Aquarius people excel in the Wind element. If there is magic involved in this world that means our games will require fighting monsters or perhaps against other signs as well. Then if I were to create a hypothesis, if we were to be matched against Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn in a game then we will be at a huge disadvantage since wind cannot pierce nor split the earth. On the other hand, if we were to be matched with Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces then we will have a bit of an advantage since the wind can thump it. But in the end, it all depends on how well we perform since everything is judged on that.

The third thing that I noticed which I am the gladdest about out of all the other things is that we can use our regular money as cash in Zemuria. Thanks to that I was able to buy groceries for home-cooking which I prefer over convenience store food. If this place did not accept normal money then I would have been penniless right now and hungry as hell. But this all still seemed strange to me. If our original world's money works here that what was the point of the thing, Hayakawa-Sensei told us. "Living points" was how she called it. No matter how much I think about what happened today and whatever is going to happen next, I can't seem to shake off the feeling that, we are being pulled into something really dangerous...While evaluating all this stuff, I made my way into my room.

It was late evening. Since the Lords of Zemuria will be paying for the expenditures, I decided to decorate my room a bit more deftly. I was thinking of setting up my bed by the window since I love the night wind breezing through at nighttime which gives a very pleasant vibe and lets me have a comfortable sleep but this time I decided to put my bed in the corner of the room in front of the TV. I placed my reading table by the window, yes, I decided to switch it up. I placed a few wall arts, accessories, and some other stuff to make the room look a bit more cheerful. There were a kitchen and a bathroom already in the room. I did not anything special to the kitchen and kept it simple. I put the other unneeded groceries in the fridge and freshened the vegetables and grains. Since there was a bit of time before I finish preparing dinner, I decided to take a bath in the meantime.

The bath was very warm. It was so refreshing that I forgot all the things that happened today and relaxed in my bed for a bit. At that moment it struck me in my head that I really was in an another world. Maybe it did not strike me before because it did not feel like one. My imagination of an another world was like there would be many different species, demon and gods, adventure guilds, and some other kind of fantasy things. But here I was living in a dormitory. It was no different from a regular boarding except that we will be playing some kind of unknown games.

Just when I was about to turn on the TV while thinking about a few stuff, someone rang the bell at the front door. I got up and took the intercom.

"Who is there?"

"Uh! It's me Akihiro-Kun, it's me Okura."

"Oh yeah. Come in."

I totally forgot that Okura was supposed to come in later. It was probably 8 pm at night. A young girl coming to the boy's floor this late at night...If our supervisor sees this I would be doomed. Heck, if any of the boys see that Okura visited my room this late at night I will be beaten to death, the worst-case scenario is Yukio.

"Ah! Don't worry no one saw me come here. So, rest assured."

It seems like she was aware of what I was thinking. It was a relief that she was undetected but I searched the academy and dormitory carefully and saw that there are many hiding spots available for stalking someone so I won't be surprised if anyone really did see her come to my room. I invited her in and she sat on the bed comfortably. I was a bit embarrassed since it's the...Ahem, the first time a girl came to my room and it's the most popular girl in the school.

She was looking very beautiful as always. She was wearing casual clothes which were elegant. She wearing pinkish lipstick and natural-colored blush as makeup. Her casual clothes were done in white, pink, and silver, a loose top with a double medium-length sleeve. Not going to lie she was umm...Ahem, I must retain my composure, or else something dangerous might happen.

"I see you already decorated your room. It has a nice relaxing feel to it. I like it."

She was relaxing in my bed with her two hands down on it. The night cool breeze was flowing in the room through the window. It really was a nice feeling. Just when I was about to start a conversation, the lid blew off and it reminded me that my dinner was ready. It would be rude if I did not offer her to eat with me even though it is something only couples do but I don't any other option in this case.

"Did you have your dinner yet?"

"Ah! No, but you don't have to really. I will eat later."

"No, it is fine. Since you are here already and the dinner is ready so might as well eat here."

''If...If you say so then I will take you up on that offer..."

I can see that she is clearly blushing way too much and I was no exception either. My heart was beating way hard. I arranged the food in the chabudai and offered her to eat. I was even more embarrassed because I forgot she was coming and made a typical dinner. I gave her a bowl of rice, a bowl of miso soup, pickled vegetables, and meat. I was a rather heavy meat eater than fish, so I made meat instead of fish.

"I'm sorry for treating you to such an ordinary and a light meal."

"No no!! It's fine!! I am surprised that you can cook."

Is it not normal for a boy living on his own to learn cooking? Well, I guess no one knew that I lived alone so I can't blame her for thinking like that. I simply nodded and took a bite. She also took a bite from the rice bowl and drank some soup. She was amazed and looked with a look of admiration yet again.

"It's...It's so delicious Akihiro-kun!! I never ate a miso soup so juicy. It's really so good umaiii!!!"

"I'm glad you liked it."

I was glad. I was hesitant to let her taste my cooking since I was not that confident in my cooking. Ever since my parents left me alone for their work, I had to live alone. So, to stay healthy I learned how to cook simple dishes. It's not good to stay living only on convenience store foods. But seeing her eat my food so happily really made me feel well. While she was eating our eyes met for a second and she averted her eyes blushing. I too averted my eyes and kept eating and she broke the silence by telling...

"It...It feels like we are newly wedded..."

"Fwash!! Why would you say that at this moment!?!"

"Uwah!! Sorry!!!"

It really did seem that way to her!? was my initial reply to her but I fumbled. She was blushing with her cheeks dyed a deep red. On the other hand, my heart which was beating hard had started to beat even faster. What the hell is up with that this kind of development. I was thinking that but Okura was looking very cute at that moment. The way she was blushing while playing with her hair a bit. No no no no no!! I can't think this way, at least not with Okura. Yukio would murder me coldly if I do anything to her. To avoid anything else, I gulped down my food fast and went to wash the plates, she too did the same but I insisted her that I will wash it and she accepted it. I sighed and thought in mind so awkward.......

After finishing our dinner, she sat on my bed yet again in a relaxed way. I brewed tea for both of us and offered her which she gladly accepted. After a while, I decided to go straight to the point since letting her stay in my room any more will result pretty badly for me.

"So, why did you want to discuss with me or come to my room for?"

The question seems to have made her a bit uncomfortable but she regained her composure and from her relaxed position, she got a bit serious.

"Akihiro-kun, what do you think of this world?"

"What do I think of this world huh?"

"I talked with people from other signs as well but some of them were reluctant to disclose any information."

"It is plausible. Since we don't know what kind of game we are about to be thrown into tomorrow. It could be against other signs as well."

"If it is like you say then we might be at a disadvantage. The whole class is still paranoid by everything, we can't rely on that much if it comes to a sign vs sign battle."

"I see."

So she came to me to see whether I was okay as well or not. I guess it is out of good-will that she is looking out for me like that. Too much for...Nevermind.

''I am fine if you wanted to know about it."

"No!! It's not like that...I...I wanted to come to see you too..."

Wait hold on. No, please no. I have had enough for today. No more of that cuteness, please. I tried my keep my cool but this development had gone far off my hand and I started blushing too. She put her downs and laid down in my bed. I was flabbergasted by that, confused as to what she was doing. But rather than being flustered, she continued...

"In middle school, I was isolated..."

It seems like she had started to tell me about her past. In short, it was like this. Her parents are busy with their works just like mine so they rarely came home and therefore she had to spend most of her time alone. In middle school, she was fawned over by the boys of the school which made the other girls jealous of her. She was a beauty even in middle school but she hated it about her. Because of this beauty of her, the girls did not talk to her. She was isolated from the girls like this but since the boys always tried to get her attention, the girls were pretty jealous and angry about it. An incident happened which changed her life. As usual, she got to her classroom but she saw no one there. A moment later, all the lights went off and someone poured hot water over her. She frizzled in pain and screamed loudly but no one was there. Then she realized that it was a setup from the beginning by the girls of her class. She cried and trembled in fear and pain of the hot water over her. Soon after some boys along with the teacher came over and took her away to the infirmary.

Telling me all these, she seemed sad and was about to cry again. After hearing these, all of my questions until now were answered. Her fear of darkness and her clinginess. And I also got a basis for why she told me I am different. It seems like to her, I am not like other boys who like or stay with her for looks only. Not that I can tell about it but to me, looks and other stuff came secondary. If a person has greed and deceit in his personality and inside, there is no way anyone will like him or her easily.

I was pleased with her honesty. I chuckled a little, got up from my seat and sat beside her, and patted her head slowly.

'Fwahh!?" She shouted extremely embarrassed and got up instantly as she was lying down in my bed.

She seems flustered at the moment with her cheeks as red as it is. Her mid-school memory was really terrible as I confirmed it. While I was stroking her head, I gently touched her cheek and stroke her hair backward as I saw the hot water bruise on her neck. It was burnt. She was so ashamed and abashed by it that she averted her eyes and closed it. I for one stopped patting her. My heart ached pretty hard. I want to protect her no matter what this thought resounded within me. I guess it was because I also had a similar experience. Nevertheless, my resolve in protecting her was real as I said to her...

"Okura, don't worry."

"Huh?"

"No matter what happens I will protect you. I promise you that."

''Gwah!?"

She seems to have been taken aback by what I said. She did not expect I would say that at the very least her reaction relayed that message to me. She bit her lips a bit and replied to me.

"Would you really protect me?"

"Yes."

"No matter what happens?"

''I would. No matter what happens."

After hearing this she sighed. It looked like to me that she gave a sigh of relief and after that, she looked to me and gave the most beautiful smile I have ever seen of her and said...

"Thank you very much Akihiro-kun. You really are different from others and I am glad that it is you who is protecting me. I...I feel very safe around you. So, please keep on being a true friend of mine..."

I was speechless. All I could do right now was smile in return and bask in this moment of cuteness. The wind flowed even fresher and the night light glowing upon her made her look even more majestic. It was really was a very pleasant and relaxing night for me. After that, we chatted for a while and she left with a radiant smile on her face. It seems like I had awakened and explored a new self of Okura Kurumi who now will be able to handle everything she catches her eye on.

It was morning. It felt a bit different as I got up from my bed and looked at my surroundings. I was in another world. Then the events of last time flashed through my eyes and I suddenly got so embarrassed that I wrapped myself with the futon screaming in embarrassment.

I somehow pulled myself up, freshened up, and ate my breakfast. I remembered the fact that today it was going to be announced what type of game we will be playing. Our very first game. I had mixed feelings. I was excited, afraid, anxious, and curious. My heart was beating full of unknown emotions. I ate my food as fast as I could and left for my very first day of the Gemini class.

I was on my way to the class. The wind was breezing coolly, the sun was bright and even though I wanted to say the weather was humid, it was hot even for spring. When I was about to put on my headphones which I purchased yesterday on my ears, a familiar voice called me from my back.

"Good Morning Arata-kun!"

It was Okura rushing to catch up with me and with Yukio following her from behind. Did I hear her right or did she call me by my first name?

"Arata-kun? Why are you using his first name Okura-san!?''

It seems like I was not wrong. Well, I'll get the answer through Yukio anyways so let me greet them first.

"Good Morning Okura. You too Yukio."

"Hmph..."

Okura pouted a little ignoring Yukio's mumbling of questions. It seems like she is pouting because of me but since she was ignoring Yukio's question, I decided to ask why did she call me by my first name myself but was cut short...

"Uhh, Okura-san why did you---"

"Kurumi..."

"Huh?"

"Call me Kurumi!"

Alright. Let's get married...HELL NO!! WHAT THE FUCK DID I JUST HEAR!!! Clearly, she just told me to call her by her first name. WHAT DID I DO TO TRIGGER THIS EVENT!! I took a glance at Yukio who was standing there pale as white mumbling something like "Time to die" in a low voice. I don't even know what to say or do here I tried pestering a bit.

"Oku---"

"K-u-r-u-m-i-"

She brought her face close while blushing she blurted those words out. It was obvious that it took a lot of courage to say that to me. I did not want to waste this profound effort of her since I said that I would protect her from now on. So, in a reluctant voice, I replied.

"Kurumi..."

"Ghh..."

She seemed to have liked it and with a smile in her face and her cheeks bright red going on her way to the school, she replied...

"Let's get along well with each other then, Arata-kun."

With that, she left. It is only morning and I am already facing heart problems. Yukio who was standing there before as a white statue had come towards and grabbed me by my shoulder from behind...

"What exactly happened yesterday? A-r-a-t-a-k-u-n!?"

Oh, God. Please have mercy on me. Explaining everything in a fictitious lie to Yukio, I ended my eventful morning and (really) got to my Gemini class.

I entered the class and since there was no plan for sitting and there was a free seat by the window, I took it without hesitation. I glanced around the room and saw that everyone was present and were looking better than before. I guess everyone settled down and accepted it since there is no way we will be let to go home this easily. I heard someone sigh beside me.

Her name is Matsumoto Hana. This snow white-skinned woman has a passive feel about her. A particularly notable feature is her distinctive glare. Her blonde hair, layered with dark blue dye, is elbow-length. She wears light blush, artistic eyeshadow, and complimentary eyeliner. She gentle hands, a slender torso with no muscle tone, a narrow waist, with modest-sized breast.

She sighed pretty heavily so that caught my eye. She caught my gaze and shyly told.

"I'm...I'm so sorry..."

"Don't worry it's fine. I feel like sighing too."

"Do...Do you hate this world too?"

"I wouldn't say I hate it but I hate the fact that we were brought here without our consultations."

"So you get it!? You get it after all!?"

"Hmm?"

It seems like she was disillusioned about the fact that she was brought here with her will. It seems like this quiet nature girl has some kind of self-problems. I nodded slightly and returned my gaze to Oku...Kurumi who was staring at me even though she was talking with some girls. I nodded to her as well relaying a message with my expression that everything is fine and she happily smiled at me but it seems like the words (Everything is going to be fine) is a curse for me. Whenever I say that something bad happens and yes this time too. When I told that through my expression, Hayakawa-Sensei entered the room.

Everyone went silent after seeing her enter and sat down in their respective seats. Kurumi took the seat in front of me of course. I did not object to that since if anything happens she will be close enough and I will be able to protect her.

Hayakawa-Sensei looked us thoroughly and gave a grin.

"It seems like you all have settled down for now.''

It is true. The faces I saw, yesterday were not there. They were determined to fight their way back home. I for myself was ready as well. But I don't know why I can't shake this bad feeling I am having...

"You all already know that today I am going to announce the first game you guys will be having but before that, I want to tell you guys the penalty if you are unable to win the game."

Everyone was startled by that. I did not expect a penalty either. Is the game that hard that we won't be able to complete it? A mixture of excitement and terrified crept in me. Hayakawa-Sensei continued...

"The Penalty, if you are unable to complete the game, is also decided by a game. We call it Eliminators."

"Eliminators?" asked Yukio while everyone else was curious yet scared as well.

"It is as it sounds. The signs who are unable to finish or complete the game are sent to the eliminators and if they are unable to complete the eliminator game then, all of the members of that sign will...Die."

This is what I have been waiting for and even though I expected that it still gave me goosebumps. I am pretty sure everyone must be freaking out right now but they were surprisingly calm. Hayakawa-Sensei gave a surprised look and continued with a grin.

"You guys have surprisingly got tough huh. Well, not that you would be able to survive regardless since you are the weakest sign."

"Heh, we already knew about that Sensei. There is no way you guys will summon and let us go home that easily."

Yukio said in a rather shaken tone. I am pretty sure Hayakawa-Sensei caught up on that but she decided to ignore it.

"Alright then, I am going to announce the first game to you guys. Pass this rules sheet to the person behind you."

I got the rules sheet from Kurumi and started reading through the details.

Game #1 - Guess who?

Condition of winning - Correctly guess 1 secret cardholder of any signs class.

Condition of Losing - Failing to guess any of the cardholders

Failing to guess any 1 of the cardholders

Failing to submit your guesses in 1 week

Secret Card - This is a card that allows you to have a secret power authority in this game. However, you like to use it, depends on the person getting this card entirely. The person who gets this secret card will be the secret cardholder. You have to guess this person correctly if you want to win.

Secret Card Power Authority - can act upon one of these commands

#1 The person holding this card can use its power to change their guess during the result announcement time.

#2 If the person holding this card can guess more than 1 cardholders then, that sign will get x2 amount of living points than their normal living points. However, if he or she takes this risk but fails his guess's then there will be x-2 living points count.

#3 If the person holding this card can guess more than 1 cardholders then, that sign will get a pass from the next game. However, if he or she fails then they will have to take the penalty game even if they win.

#4 If the person holding this card is able to guess all of the signs cardholders then that sign class will get a surplus of spirit points which might result them to raise the ranks by +3.

Eliminator - Unable to complete the game will result in eliminator game and unable to complete the eliminator game will result in DEATH.

The details of the game are brief but very precise, just the way I like stuff. I saw Hayakawa-Sensei give a short glance towards but averted her eyes later. I wondered what that was. Anyways, let's talk about this game. This game can be both easy and hard at the same time. I wouldn't say that this is a perfect game to check out the potential of the signs and its people but somehow it was. This game will allow us to interact with the other signs and if we are observant enough we might be able to get some information about their overall ability.

Regarding the secret card issue, I was still a bit reluctant about it. For instance, this is a card that holds more disadvantage than being in the advantageous side. If I had to make an example out of my class then, if the card goes into the hands of someone like Matsumoto the girl sitting beside, we will definitely lose unless she can perform to our requirements. The person in this situation to be the cardholder would be either Yukio or Kurumi but I am not sure about that either since they both freaked about that death sentence even though they were not expressing it. In that case...

"Hayakawa-Sensei, what is spirit points?"

Kurumi questioned about it. I was curious too so it' great she asked about it. Hayakawa-Sensei sighed and continued...

"Did you think that you would stay at the last rank? Spirit points are points you gain by completing each game. If you earn enough spirit points to surpass a sign higher in rank than you, then you will be promoted up the rank while that sign will be demoted."

Everyone was a bit surprised and happy to hear that. They might have seen this as a hope to let them go to our home. That might be the case but I doubt that it is that easy. I took a glance at Matsumoto who was trembling, she might see this game as impossible for her to do, and just like I said before if she becomes the cardholder, everything is done for us. I took my seat close to her and patted her back.

"Wah!? W...What are you doing?"

"It's a stimulus to make you feel a bit better. Rest assured I don't have any ulterior motives."

"When you phrase it that way, I can't help feel a bit suspicious."

That is true. But I did not have any excuse to give to her at this moment so I patted her back for a few more minutes and returned my seat to the usual place. My eyes met Kurumi's, who was pouting and averting her eyes from me. Is it me or does it feel like she is being jealous? My eyes also met with a certain classmate of mine who was the proudest person of the entire school when we were in our world.

His name is Matsubara Shin. Standing 6' 2" this tan-skinned boy has a self-indulgent feel about him, and he has a distinctive scar on his back. He has a round face, a narrow nose, and his purple eyes are scary. He has piercings in both his eyebrows. He has long arms, a bulky torso, a straight waist, and muscular legs. He looks like a real gangster and personally I would not want to get on his bad side.

I decided to ignore it but he was still staring at me. Why am I getting popular suddenly after this happened...This type of cliched lines was popping in my head.

"Does anyone else has any questions regarding the game? If not then that's it for today. The person for the secret cardholder will be randomly chosen and announced tomorrow in class. Rest for today as well and plan yourselves for how you will tackle this game. Good Luck."

Ending on that note she left the classroom while giving me a sharp glance. I instantly knew what was up so, I nodded. After she left it was like a death storm had gone by us. No one let show until she left. Everyone was freaked out. Even though I knew that it was going to happen sooner or later still that freaked me out too. I took a glimpse of how Yukio and Kurumi were holding up. Kurumi looked okay but still, a bit shook, I guess even though she resolved herself to become tough, the death sentence might have been too much even for her strong self whereas Yukio was standing motionless beside his seat. Matsumoto was trembling so frivolously that her bench was shaking as well. I don't really understand how this world works. It's like my brain and heart is going to break by everything. Everyone was shouting and freaking. It was total chaos.

But...if no one takes the initiative, the class itself will crumble before even the game starts. I got up from my seat. I did not expect that I will attract attention just by getting up from my seat but nevertheless everyone looked at me with a frightened expression. I took a deep breath and said...

"Are you all going to give up before even trying?"

I did not shout. I did not falter. I did not beat around the bust. I got straight to the point. Hearing that everyone turned their attention to me even Yukio who was standing motionless, turned to look towards me.

"I know this sounds selfish but...I am not. I will fight. I will keep fighting until I beat every single one of them. I don't care about returning home as much as you guys do because I don't have anyone waiting for me there but..."

I turned to look at Kurumi for a second and our eyes met. I don't know what this feeling is. I don't know if people call this love. But for some reason, at this moment, my heart is beating really fast. I don't...I don't want her to die. Then I took yet another deep breath and continued...

"But now I want to go home. I want to go to our home. The place we all love and of course, I want to go there with everyone. I don't know how you feel about me, you probably might be thinking that I am blabbering my own feelings disregarding all of you guy's feelings but...Trust me. I will try to do anything so that we all can go home together. After all, we are...We are the weakest sign isn't it?"

I tried to crack a joke by ending with that and a grin but it seems that was a flop. Everyone was still staring at me but it seems like my words reached out to them. They looked a bit relaxed and their stiff expressions were starting to waver. But I guess that speech was very bland. I was never good at these things but since I was the calmest in the at that moment I had to do it.

After a while....well...Everyone started laughing at my remarks. I was so embarrassed out of this world at that moment.

"Oh my god, what the hell was that speech uff man I can't stop laughing..."

"How can he be so straight forward after saying we are the weakest sign..."

"Heh, good going Mr.Unethical."

The "Mr.Unethical" comment was made by Matsubara. I was a bit hurt by it but who cares at this moment, the fact that I was able to cheer them up, I smiled a little and looked at Kurumi. She knew what to do by my look and told...

"That's right guys. We can't fail here. Didn't we resolve ourselves that we will reach home together no matter what is the cost?"

"It is. I will make sure no one dies as well. We will surely go home together after we finish all this bullshit!"

Yukio also pitched in with Kurumi's statements. Things were changing for the better now. The broken yet anxious atmosphere surrounding the room was gone now. Everyone was ready for the game, their minds shouting Bring it on inside them. They had a cheerful expression on their face now and with that, my job here is done. I got close to Yukio and whispered to him.

"I leave the rest to you.''

"I hate to say it to you but thank you for earlier.''

"Don't mention it. It was...embarrassing."

"Now I see why Okura-san took a liking to you."

"I wouldn't say it that way."

With that short exchange, I left the classroom situation to Yukio. And left the classroom myself afterward. I heard two distinct footsteps follow me and a girl shouted at me from the back. It was Kurumi.

"W...Wait for me Arata-kun!"

It seems like Kurumi decided to come after me but I was surprised that she was with Matsubara. But I was somewhat glad that he was here since I sensed that things might get a bit ugly when the games will be announced...

"Yo folks from Gemini."

Yes, the game has started except for the fact that the cardholder was still not announced. The brain games for extracting as much information from your enemy is still the main key to winning this game. Three people approached us in a rather suspicious manner. I instantly knew what's up and it seems like Kurumi and Matsubara also got it.

''Hello? Umm, sorry but who might you guys be?"

I politely asked them so as not to provoke anything and let not any information out. He gave a grin and told...

"We are people of the Pisces and we are here to negotiate."

Just as I suspected, it seems like if it comes to fighting with elements, Gemini can overpower Pisces in some places so they decided to make a truce with us so that we won't bother them. Matsubara on the other hand had other plans...

"Why would we need to negotiate, you are one above us so we can pulv--"

I gave a look to Matsubara to make him stop which I think he understood as he stopped talking. I then looked at the people from Pisces.

"I'm sorry I guess we could have had a better approach. Let us introduce ourselves first."

"My name is Kirigaya Kotaro, I am the class representative of Pisces. Nice to meet you. These two are my friends."

Friends? They felt more like bodyguards...

"Miyata Shoichi" "Yaginuma Rikiya, Glad to be your acquaintance"

Kirigaya Kotaro, standing 5' 7" tall, this pale-skinned man has a very passive-aggressive feel about him. He seemed like a very academic student to me. There's something ambiguous about him, perhaps it's a feeling of indifference, or perhaps it's simply his bravery. his pale yellow eyes are slanted and he has hip-length, straight, dark yellow hair which is combed neatly. He had good build even for an academic student.

Miyata Shoichi and Yaginuma Rikiya had quite a few similarities between them. They had a fighter build just like Matsubara. Shoichi and Rikiya both had blue eyes and a tattoo of a dragon by their neck. I don't know what that was, most probably they were both part of a gang before coming here.

"So, the reason we came to negotiate is--"

"Oho, if it isn't Kotaro."

"Tsk. Katagiri Hirotaka."

Yet another new guy came into the scene. He gave me a really scary vibe. His gaze was enough to make someone tremble and it is true since Kurumi took my hand and she was shaking a bit. I fixated my gaze on this Katagiri Hirotaka guy and it looks like Matsubara did the same while standing on my right side. We were being pincered right now by who knows it might be two sign classes.

"Oh come on Kotaro don't be so cold. We are childhood friends aren't we?"

"We were. Not now. I can't side with someone from another sign, especially with someone lunatic like you who wants to destroy me. Knowing that how can say that with such a straight face."

"That's cruel you know. Just because I am from Capricorn does not mean that our bonds are broken..."

Those were all lies. He is trying to provoke Kirigaya's anger so that he fights up. It's so obvious but the conversation flow is making things worse for Kirigaya. He said this Katagiri Hirotaka was from Capricorn. He might be the class representative of Capricorn.

Katagiri Hirotaka, standing 6' 4" tall, this boy has an interesting feel about him. Particularly notable information about his appearance is his deadly gaze. His dark brown eyes are narrow, and he has a monobrow.

He has mid-back length, frizzy, deep purple hair which is un-styled.

He has long arms, a heavy torso, a well-defined waist, muscular legs, and wide feet. He looked scary through and through.

I realized that things were starting to get bad and fights might break out. I looked at Matsubara and Kurumi and whispered...

"Things might get ugly. You do know how to use your wind elements right?"

"I do"

"I don't"

It seems like Matsubara knows how to use it but Kurumi does not. I nodded and let Kurumi know that don't worry. I then averted my gaze at both of the signs, fighting with words to each other.

"Hirotaka, are you trying to pick a fight with us?"

"Heh, what are you saying Kotaro? You know me better than that." Hirotaka said with a grin in his face.

"Just saying because you won't be able to beat all three of us."

"You think so? I might steal from you this time too who knows?"

I don't what Katagiri meant by steal but it hit Kirigaya very hard as he got ready for battle and yes, a fight was about to break.

"Miyata & Yaginuma get ready."

Katagiri looked unfazed by everything. Since Pisces specialized in Water and Capricorn specialized in Earth, Pisces had an advantage and moreover, there were 3 people and Katagiri was alone. He was fighting at a massive disadvantage and a handicap. I was curious to see the result of the match so I decided to stay until things get way out of hand.

''Water Elemental - Runic Ray" Kirigaya shouted his spell name and gestured his hands from up to down and water came from the ceiling pouring down at Katagiri.

Katagiri moved backward very swiftly, dodging the water from the ceiling from where he was standing before. Just when was about to get a good landing, Shoichi and Rikiya rushed from both and those rushes were not ordinary...

"Water Elemental - Runic Rush" Shoichi and Rikiya both of their body were glowing blue and they both were about to spear Katagiri but he let out an evil grin and shouted...

"Earth Elemental - Harden (Hand)" Katagiri hardened his hand so much that it was as hard as a brick. He blocked both Shoichi and Rikiya's rushes with his hand. That was clever of him. Since Earth is weak against Water, he used the elemental to harden his body instead to fix the gap. He then shouted again...

"Earth Elemental - Wrath of the Arcane" and blew them away by punching both of them to the guts. They hit the wall and fell, screaming in pain. This made Kirigaya even more and he finally snapped.

"No, I am not going to lose to you again!!"

"Hehehe. Then try me again Kotaro!!"

The handicap was gone just like that. I became aware and afraid of this guy named Katagiri Hirotaka. He is a troublesome opponent. It was only the second day and he already knew such a lengthy and powerful spell. He is a man to be aware of in this game cause he might end up beating some folks like this for information. But that's not the issue right now. Kirigaya who has snapped was preparing a large-scale spell in this small hallway...

"With this, I will kill you!! Water Elemental - Call of Decimation" A huge tsunami came from behind him and went full course speed at Katagiri.

"This is bad" I exclaimed.

"Arata!"

"Let's do it, Matsubara."

For a second it felt like Matsubara called me by my first name but now is not the time for this argument. I gave a glance at Kurumi who quickly hid behind me and Matsubara and I shouted...

"Wind Elemental - Mystic Typhoon" A strong gust blew from our hands and I whispered something else in a very low voice so that no one will realize it...

"Dark Elemental - Penance" the gust suddenly turned dark and went full course head to head with the tsunami and broke out. The dark particles were shattered and were falling down like snow in the hallway. It created a beautiful scenery.

Both Kirigaya and Katagiri looked at us but soon after we heard noises coming from the hallway. It was from the other students and it seems like they had noticed us fighting and had called our respective supervisors. Hayakawa-Sensei was present too glaring at us seriously. The supervisors of Capricorn and Pisces came too. If I remember correctly, all the supervisors had their nameplate and assigned sign somewhere around their chest. There it is.

Sasaki Jou, supervisor of Capricorn. He had a lot of scars around him and looked like he was a trained battler. He only had a coat wrapped around his body and his tops were open. He has very short, wavy, red hair which is styled with a military cut. He has toned arms, a stocky torso with defined muscles. If he was not a supervisor I would have mistaken him as a martial arts fighter.

Tanifuji Miyo, supervisor of Pisces. This fair-skinned woman has a relaxed feel about her. She has a round face, a small nose, and full lips. Her navy eyes are wide and she has thin eyebrows. Her dark blue hair, dip-dyed almost the full length with shades of dark blue, is shoulder length. She wears dark eyeliner. She has slender arms, broad hips, long legs, and huge breasts just like Hayakawa-Sensei. She was wearing stylish clothing that is very colorful.

"Katagiri, how many do I have to tell you not to pick up with Pisces.''

"Kirigaya-kun you too. I know you may have some dark past with him but here you are fighting for your class's survival. You can't have personal feelings hinder it. You might end up dying."

"Sorry Tanifuji-Sensei."

"Hmph."

They were both getting their share of lectures. I was not interested in that. What I wanted to see was already done so I lost interest. I looked at Matsubara and Kurumi and saw that they both were fine but they were looking at me in wonder. Hayakawa-Sensei came over to us and asked me...

"Did something with you guys? I know you guys are that type who prioritize their own safety before anything else so, why are you standing here still?"

"I wanted to check out their ability since this might be the first time I get to experience magic." I replied solemnly.

Hayakawa-Sensei was fascinated by my answer but it seems like even now Matsubara and Kurumi were looking at me with wonder and Matsubara decided to ask me a question...

"Arata was that Dark Elemental magic?"

"Yes, it was. Who knows who cast that? Did you?"

"N...No I did not!"

"Dark Elemental? What are you guys saying?"

Every one of us looked at Hayakawa-Sensei. Even the other students too including Kirigaya, Katagiri, Shoichi, Rikiya, Tanifuji-Sensei, and Sasaki-Sensei. I started explaining how Kirigaya had cast a Water Elemental Magic at Katagiri but since it was getting way out of hand and might hurt us too so Matsubara and I decided to stop it when suddenly this Dark Elemental Magic came and blasted everything away. It seems like Katagiri knew that I was going to step in with the Wind Elemental Magic so he did not cast any spell at that time and just watched me move.

Sasaki-Sensei gave a suspicious look at Katagiri but he denied it. It was credible but it is true. Since Katagiri was from Capricorn, he can only use Earth Elemental Magic. The supervisors were in deep thinking looking at us and talking with each other. Kirigaya and his 2 friends came to us and said...

"I'm sorry. We were here for negotiation and it turned out like this."

"No problem."

Katagiri who was away from us was looking at me keenly and smirking. It was creepy so I decided to ignore and nodded with Kirigaya's apologies. Then they returned to their spots. I looked at Matsubara and Kurumi and sighed...

"Man, I did not expect this outcome at all."

"I feel you."

''Are you alright Kurumi?''

"Y...Yes, I am. All thanks to you Arata-kun!"

''Oho! Look at you both being lovey-dovey in this type of situation."

''It...It's not like that!!"

We both exclaimed at the same time. I blushed a little and looked at Kurumi whose cheeks were bright red. But I decided to shake my head and shake this feeling and ask one question I have been curious about...

"Wait hold on Matsubara. What's with this Arata business? Why my first name?"

"Huh? Aren't we friends? I thought we were..."

"No, it's not something like that..."

Even though he had a wild gangster type vibe but he seems like a nice and kind person by heart so I did not want to hurt him like that. Just when I was about to correct my sentence he answered...

"I have been always curious about ever since you entered the school but you seemed that you liked being distant so I did not approach you. But over in this world, you were approachable. So, I decided to get to know you after all this time."

Just as I thought. He really is a nice guy in the heart. I then refreshed my thoughts. Getting him as an active member and make him learn some combat might come in handy later for survival. So, I decided to accept his offer and even I was curious about him.

"Heh, you should have told me that from the beginning. Nice to meet you then Shin."

Shin's eyes sparkled in delight. I could tell, he was very happy at this moment.

"Nice to meet you too, Arata!"

When the mood was getting good, Kurumi jumped on me. Her breasts were fiddling against my back and I gave out a weird scream...

"Ehaw!? What are you doing Kurumi!? Everyone is watching you know!"

"Don't forget I am here too you know. And I like piggybacks so carry me to my dorms, hmph."

She pouted and averted her eyes from me. I had to agree, she was acting pretty cute at that moment. Shin let out a chuckle and the people from other signs were also looking at us and laughing happily. Even the supervisors were happy looking at us. They might be relieved since they thought we were all going to be in a panic after hearing all these and that. It is true that we were in a panic and who knows when we might lose our lives playing some petty games. But, our determination to go home was that great that we were able to discard those emotions.

I was so embarrassed at that moment. But I still decided to carry her to her dorm like this. While on a piggyback, she hugged me real hard from the back and let out a really cute and luminous smile. I too smiled at the very sight of her being this happy. Shin too was walking side by side us talking and letting out a laugh sometimes.

This is the world I live in right now. I don't know whether I should like or hate this world but whatever it is, there was a slight feeling in my heart that said that I don't want to go home so early. I want to create memories that I will cherish sometimes here and then go to my world and maybe who knows...Live a better and happy life than I did before...

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