"Junior brother, be careful when you run." The young lady smiled warmly as she lifted her hand and gently rubbed his head.

"Ah?" She suddenly leaned closer, staring at his eyes in surprise. "You're really good-looking." Seeing his long lashes and eyes even larger than her own, she cooingly pinched his cheek and giggled before turning around and jogging away.

It stung a little, but the pain snapped Ray out of his daze. That senior sister is really beautiful. She's jogging here, too, so she must be from the intermediate division.

Watching her get farther away, Ray instinctively sped up to catch her. With his strengthened body, he closed the distance in no time.

"What's your name, junior brother?" she asked, turning her head as they ran.

"I'm Ray, first grade," he replied eagerly. "What about you, senior sister?"

"Oh? So young and already this bold?" She glanced at him sideways, eyes sparkling. "Trying to strike up a conversation with me?"

"I-I'm not!" Ray protested, face burning.

"Haha! You're really cute when you're embarrassed." She laughed, then suddenly said, "How about a race? Ten laps. If you win, I'll tell you…"

Before finishing her sentence, she burst forward.

Ten laps?

Ray immediately chased after her, excitement flaring.

She was about half a head taller than him, already slender and graceful, her long blue hair flowing behind her. Each stride was light and rhythmic, full of youthful vitality.

Though Ray was physically stronger, he strangely felt a warning in his heart. He followed just behind her, matching her pace rather than overtaking her.

Her stamina was impressive. Not only did she maintain her speed, she also but gradually increased it. Lap after lap passed like this.

Soon, the tenth lap approached.

One hundred meters left.

Only then did Ray remember the goal. He suddenly accelerated, unleashing his explosive strength and overtaking her at the fifty-meter mark.

"Ouch!" A cry sounded behind him.

Ray turned in alarm—only to see the pink-clad figure suddenly surge forward, slipping past him and dashing across the finish line.

"Haha! You little fool, you fell for it!" Her clear laughter echoed across the quiet campus.

He had been tricked, yet looking at her flower-like smile, Ray felt no anger at all.

He jogged to the finish line, scratching his head awkwardly. "Senior sister, you're amazing."

She smiled even wider. "Alright, I won't tease you anymore. You're quite strong, junior brother. Keep it up!" With that, she waved and headed toward the dormitories.

Ray watched her leave, a strange feeling stirring in his chest. He didn't understand it, only that he wanted to see her again.

"My name is Uriel. Fifth grade, class one." Her voice floated back to him.

Uriel… what a beautiful name.

"Stop staring. She's long gone." A teasing voice came from behind.

Ray turned to see Raziel Phoenix grinning at him, arms still wrapped in bandages.

"You're back already? How are your arms?" Ray asked in surprise.

"Nothing serious. Bones are set, just need ten days to recover." Raziel Phoenix smirked. "But you? I leave for one day, and you're already chasing senior sisters."

"I'm not!" Ray quickly denied it.

"Oh, really? She even told you her name. You seriously don't know who Uriel is?"

"I don't!" Ray said without hesitation.

Raziel Phoenix laughed. "She's the prettiest girl in the entire intermediate division. Tons of seniors chase after her, even from the advanced division. She's four years older than us. You can give up now."

Ray frowned. "Why are you thinking like that? I just think she's pretty. I admire her, that's all."

Raziel Phoenix snorted. "Sure, sure. Every guy has a senior sister like that burned into his memory."

Ray fell silent. Somehow, the name Uriel had already settled deep in his heart.

After breakfast, they headed to class, only to be informed that all first-grade students were to gather at the sports field for an assembly.

Despite his injuries, Raziel Phoenix's condition was stable enough for him to attend.

Alfred led class five as usual, his expression as cold and stern as ever.

When they arrived, all eyes turned toward them. Most gazes focused on Ray, Raziel Phoenix, and Lily.

Ray especially stood out. His desperate victory the day before had left an unforgettable impression.

"Are we celebrities now?" Lily whispered.

Raziel Phoenix scoffed. "You act so mature yet care about this? If anything, Ray's the celebrity. He's the one who turned the tide yesterday. By the way, I still haven't thanked you for avenging me."

Ray shook his head. "I shouldn't have gone that far. They were wrong to hurt you, but I was wrong to hurt them, too."

Lily snorted. "Listen to him. And someone here was full of confidence before getting knocked out."

"You—!" Raziel Phoenix glared at her.

"What? Even uninjured, you're no match for me," Lily said coolly.

Raziel Phoenix fell silent, fuming.

Ray patted his shoulder. "It was luck yesterday. They're strong. Focus on recovering, and we'll cultivate together."

As they stood assembled, Ray noticed Barbara was absent. Broken legs were no small matter. Volt, however, was present, his arm bandaged like Raziel Phoenix's.

At the front stood not only Director Aaron, but also President Luthor.

Aaron spoke loudly, "Today's assembly is to announce two matters. First, due to special circumstances, the Class Promotion Tournament will not continue. However, the first-grade classes will be rearranged according to results. Former class five is now class one."

A wave of murmurs erupted.

No more tournament? That meant no more chances to challenge upper grades and gain rewards.

The atmosphere instantly turned restless.

After the establishment of Class Zero, Ray finally understood what true preferential treatment meant.

The difference was night and day.

Their classroom had been relocated to a far more open and spacious area, quiet and isolated from the noise of ordinary classes. Their dormitories were upgraded as well. No more four-person rooms. Each of them now had a private room, arranged side by side, identical in standard to those reserved for teachers.

In other words, they were enjoying teacher-level待遇.

Barbara signed the contract without the slightest hesitation the moment he learned that Volt had already signed. With Alfred included, Class Zero now officially consisted of six people.

Alfred himself was also reassigned to new living quarters. His former dorm had been replaced with a proper suite located next to his students' rooms.

The academy gave them one day to settle in. Official classes for Class Zero would begin the following day.

Naturally, not everyone could fully participate yet. Three of them were still recovering from fractures and could only attend theory lessons.

Class Zero's classroom felt strangely empty.

Though the room itself was no different from a standard classroom, with only five students seated inside, it felt unusually vast.

Ray, Raziel Phoenix, and Lily sat on one side.

Barbara and Volt sat on the other side.

Like two rivers divided by an invisible line.

Barbara leaned back with his injured legs propped on a chair, his expression gloomy. Volt remained silent as always, though his gaze occasionally drifted toward Ray.

Alfred entered the room.

His expression was as cold and sharp as ever.

He stopped at the center of the classroom and swept his eyes across the five students.

"From today onward," he said flatly, "your curriculum will change."

All five straightened unconsciously.

Even Barbara and Volt, despite their pride, harbored genuine respect for this man. The battle between Alfred and Eren had left a deep mark on everyone who witnessed it.

"Given your current physical conditions," Alfred continued, "practical cultivation will be postponed. We will begin with theory."

He paused.

"Today's topic is mechas."

Mechas?

The five exchanged glances, momentarily stunned.

Barbara frowned and spoke up, "Teacher, isn't mecha theory part of the advanced division curriculum? We're only first-year students. Isn't this too early?"

Normally, the intermediate division only taught fundamentals. Mechas were not formally introduced until the advanced division. Only after graduating from there would students specialize further. Anyone who made it through an advanced academy was already considered an elite.

They had barely begun their first year, yet they were already learning about mechas?

Alfred replied calmly, "This will not be in-depth instruction. The workload will not be heavy."

Then his gaze sharpened slightly.

"Among you, who intends to become a Mecha Master?"

Silence.

Mecha Masters were synonymous with power in the eyes of most people.

"Since that is the case," Alfred said coolly, "you will listen carefully."

He shot Barbara a glance. Barbara felt a chill run down his spine and immediately shut his mouth.

"Modern mechas have undergone ten thousand years of development. Soul devices have evolved even longer, spreading into every corner of society. All technology shares one origin."

"War."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.