Chapter 3: Drawing Board

The gym was hushed except for the hum of cooling vents and the faint crackle of mana still clinging to the air.

“What just happened…?” one of the students whispered, his eyes wide.

“Did the transfer student win?” another asked.

“No way! It was obviously Yuki! Look at the health bars!”

“But if it’s about who got the first clean hit…”

Every gaze turned toward Kodaka, who stood motionless beside the console, arms folded, eyes narrowed in thought.

Taichi and Asumi exhaled in unison before looking up at their teacher.

“I lost,” they both said at once.

Asumi turned toward him. “What do you mean, you lost? You hit first!”

“No, I didn’t. That was you! I felt your shinai hit me.”

“Silence!” Kodaka barked, his voice echoing through the rafters.

Every student froze, waiting for judgment.

“That was a fascinating match,” Kodaka finally said. “I’m impressed that Hayato Taichi felt no need to use his aspect against Yuki Asumi despite being on the back foot for most of the duel. His confidence in his swordsmanship is clear.”

“Oh, actually-” Taichi began, ready to admit he didn’t know how to use an aspect, but Asumi stepped forward and cut him off.

“Sensei, who won the match?”

Kodaka smirked faintly. “Let’s see it again.” He tapped a remote, and the projection above the mat flickered to life, replaying the final moments frame by frame. The images slowed – two shinais closing the distance, and then, with one last tap… both struck at once.

“It’s… a tie,” Asumi breathed, staring at the screen.

“Yes,” Kodaka said, his voice rising. “A tie. Congratulations, Hayato Taichi. You tied with the school’s Rank #2.”

Cheers erupted around them. The bell rang sharply, signaling the end of the period.

“Alright, everyone – off to your dorms,” Kodaka called. The students filed out in a storm of chatter and footsteps. As the gym emptied, he pulled out his phone, thumb flicking quickly across the screen. The faint reflection of student-data icons glowed in his lenses.

Taichi lingered until the room fell silent. “Sensei…”

“Fourth floor of the skyscraper,” Kodaka replied without looking up. “You’ll get your dorm key at the Student Living Center. I just finished assigning your roommate.” A few more taps. “Your belongings are in the floor storage room. Once your roommate is notified, the school will reorganize the room and give you your space.”

Taichi blinked. “Right… thank you.”

The corridors of the skyscraper were bright and sterile, sunlight pouring through the glass walls. His footsteps echoed off polished tile as he followed the map from Yukimura. At the Living Center, an automated kiosk blinked awake when he approached. Its display reflected his exhausted face as he entered his information. A mechanical click followed, and a small compartment slid open, revealing a brass key etched with tiny runes and a tag that read Building C – Room 203. A second slot dispensed a slim, school-issued phone.

Following the map again, Taichi crossed a walkway bridge lined with signs pointing toward the dorm clusters. The winter air slipped through the seams of glass and steel, cool and dry against his skin.

He reached Building C, rode the elevator to the second floor, and stopped at the third door from the lift. The lock turned with a soft metallic click. The door swung open, and a familiar face turned toward him in shock.

“Asumi?!” Taichi shouted.

“Taichi?! How did you open my door?”

“It’s my door!” He held up his key helplessly.

“You’re… oh come on… what was Kodaka Sensei thinking?! His meddling’s gone too far!”

“I… agree?” Taichi offered as Asumi stormed past him, only to stop short as Yukimura approached down the hall.

“Yukimura Sensei, what is-”

“Kodaka Sensei told me about the room assignment,” Yukimura interrupted smoothly. “You’re upset because you liked having your own space, and you don’t want to share it with a boy. Correct?”

“Yes, Sensei! Why can’t he room with Natsu? He’s got a single, and he’s a guy!”

“The dorms are co-ed – that’s always been a part of the school policy,” Yukimura said, folding her arms. “Singles are reserved for top ranks. Normally, you’d qualify as number two, but this year’s enrollment was unusually high. Everyone’s paired off – except you and Natsu.”

“So if I beat Natsu in an official duel, I get my single back?”

“Technically,” Yukimura said, a faint smile tugging at her lips. “But do you really think you can beat him right now?”

Asumi’s fist clenched.

“I heard you tied with our transfer student, who didn’t even use his aspect,” Yukimura continued. “Maybe there’s something you can learn from him first. Play nice.”

Asumi’s fist clenched, but she stayed silent.

“Oh – and maintenance will install a divider and reorganize the room to make space for Hayato soon,” Yukimura added, already turning away. “Be out of the room for at least thirty minutes. Show your new roommate around. Grab lunch.”

When she was gone, Taichi exhaled slowly. The silence stretched until Asumi sighed.

“Alright. Let’s head out, Taichi.”

They stepped into the crisp afternoon air. The glass towers of Eclipse gleamed in the winter light, their mirrored panels catching the clouds.

“Why are you calling me Taichi now when you were calling me Hayato during class?” he asked as they walked.

“The last thing I need is people asking about our ‘relationship,’” Asumi said, fingers forming sarcastic air quotes. “If I start using your first name after we supposedly just met, people will assume something exists between us. If we don’t want to be subject to rumors, we’d have to explain the real situation, which means we tell them about that attempted robbery we never reported, and… yeah, no thanks.”

“I see… I failed at that, huh?” Taichi admitted with a sheepish chuckle. “Didn’t realize the cube was see-through.”

“Who said you could call me by my first name in the first place?” she shot back, wagging a finger. “Don’t get overly familiar. That tie doesn’t change the fact that I’m stronger – and that I didn’t need you to help me in the first place.”

Taichi blinked. “Oh… I’m sorry, Yuki. I suppose I misunderstood-”

Asumi burst out laughing, interrupting him. “I’m kidding! Relax. You can call me Asumi. We’re roommates; I’m not going to start a war over names.”

“Oh. Right.” He rubbed the back of his neck, offering a forced chuckle. “Sorry. You really are the stronger fighter. If that match had gone by health bars, I’d have lost long before the end. How did you even manage to wrap the shinai in fire? Shouldn’t it have burnt?”

She glanced at him sidelong. “The fire wasn’t actually touching the shinai – I controlled it to keep it just shy of burning while providing heat and additional thrust power. Refining that is something I spent a lot of time learning how to do… but even without using your aspect, your speed and technique were insane. You deflected my flames with raw strength and didn’t even crack the shinai.”

“That wasn’t easy,” Taichi said. “My arms nearly gave out after every parry. I only managed the tie because I focused on one clean hit. You’re more used to drawn-out duels.”

“Yeah, you’re right.”

They entered the main tower again. The elevator hummed as it rose, its transparent walls revealing the city skyline in all its glory.

“The academy has two cafeterias,” Asumi said as they stepped out. “One on the first floor – closes at nine. The other is on the twenty-third – open until two A.M.”

Steam and chatter spilled from the first-floor cafeteria as they passed through its sliding doors. The scent of rice and grilled meat hit them immediately.

“Each student gets a base number of credits they can spend in the cafeteria,” Asumi explained over the noise. “That’s usually enough to get by for the year, but the menus also have slightly more luxury items for a higher price. There are two ways to get more credits – winning competitions in the school, and having a higher school rank. Since I’m Rank #2, even without winning any events, I still get a ton of extra credits. You’re unranked, so if you want extra credits, you need to win competitions set up by the teachers.”

“Can you spend real money here?” Taichi asked.

“No, only credits. You got your school phone with the room key, right? Double-tap the side button and scan it. It’s basically just phone pay. Here, I’ll show you.”

They stopped at a kiosk glowing blue beneath the cafeteria lights.

“A kiosk for everything? They’ll replace the teachers next,” Taichi said.

“There are still people cooking… I think,” Asumi replied dryly. “Pick something.”

“Uh… beef rice bowl?”

Taichi took out his phone, but before he could scan, Asumi leaned in and tapped her phone against the reader. “Too slow.”

“Huh? Why’d you pay?”

“I had to go all-out on you earlier or I’d lose my bonus credits. Consider this an apology.”

“You didn’t have to-”

“Just take it!”

A conveyor tray slid forward, steam curling from the bowl. She shoved it into his hands.

“Thanks…”

She ordered her own sushi platter – double the cost – and they found a corner table. The low murmur of voices filled the air as snowflakes drifted past the windowpanes.

A new voice broke through their quiet.

“Hey, Yuki. Showing the transfer student around? That’s not typical of our Snow Princess.”

Asumi didn’t bother to look up. “What do you want, Natsu?”

He grinned. “Nothing much. Just wanted to congratulate the new guy for tying with you. Guess number two isn’t what it used to be.”

Her knuckles whitened around her chopsticks.

“Oh? Gonna prove me wrong?” Natsu teased. “Are you going to challenge me to a duel? You tied with a person who hadn’t trained at this school at all. What’re you gonna do?”

Asumi began losing her composure – the temperature of the cafeteria slowly increasing. With a sigh, Taichi rose slowly, the chain of his pendant glinting in the cafeteria lights.

“You’re Rank #1 in the school, right? Duel me,” he said.

Natsu’s grin sharpened. “You couldn’t even beat her, and you think you can beat me? You won’t stand a chance.”

Taichi’s fingers tightened around the pendant. His eyes met Natsu’s.

“Only one way to find out.”

Natsu chuckled, low and dangerous. “This will be fun.”