The number one hero, Light, had lived for several centuries… a pioneer of humanity… or more precisely, an alien who brought peace to Earth after his own planet was destroyed.
Now, he was working as a simple teacher at the academy. For him, it felt like a break from his heroic duties—strangely peaceful.
After the entrance examination, he had begun observing telekinesis users from a distance. In particular, he had first checked the upper classes before focusing on the newly enrolled students. If Void was still at the academy, he needed to find him before graduation.
However, surprisingly, even a common ability like telekinesis was almost nonexistent in the S and A classes. He had already finished checking the last graduating class as well.
Light let out a quiet sigh.
He took a short walk through the academy's shopping area and bought a coffee. As he took a sip, he thought about the students.
"…Ah, ten minutes until class starts."
He slowly made his way toward the training grounds.
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Training Area
The S-class students had already gathered in the training area.
This place existed for two purposes: either you became a hero or a police officer, or you learned to control your powers and live a normal life.
For young people, using their abilities and gaining fame was important. That's why instead of suppressing them, academies were created to help them rise, and various events were organized.
In the past, many suppressed ability users had become criminals. Because of that, wars, survival trials, and even real-life competitions were established.
While the students waited excitedly for their teacher, the door opened.
Zero entered.
He walked slowly toward the students and scanned them one by one.
"Nice to meet you all."
His voice was calm.
"I'm Zero, an A-rank hero. Most of you probably already know me, so I'll skip the introductions."
He slightly bowed his head.
"I am your close-combat instructor."
The long-haired man wearing an eye patch stood before the class. He was a well-known swordsman. His ability allowed him to sharpen the weapons he used. It might sound average, but there was more to it than that. He had never been defeated by any A-rank criminal.
The most striking thing about him, however, was that he had been fighting for three years without opening his eyes.
Noah watched him and thought:
"Either that's a skill… or extreme training."
Zero continued speaking:
"Since everyone has chosen their weapons, we can begin the lesson."
He paused.
"What is the most important factor in winning a fight? Anyone want to answer?"
Students immediately raised their hands:
Strength
Speed
Reflexes
Perception
Willpower
Ability level
Zero listened to all of them.
Then he shook his head.
None of them were correct.
The class fell silent.
He asked again:
"Anything else?"
But once again, no satisfying answer came.
Finally, Zero spoke:
"The answer… is experience."
The students focused.
"Strength, speed, reflexes… all of them are important. But what truly determines the outcome is experience."
He raised his hand slightly.
"Imagine someone who has swung a sword at the same point for a year without thinking. That person no longer hesitates."
His gaze sharpened.
"But a less experienced fighter… hesitates with every strike. And even that small hesitation means death."
The class remained silent.
Zero continued:
"Experience creates instinct. It allows you to recognize weaknesses, defend, and attack automatically."
He finished firmly:
"That's why you should never waste your free time. Practice. Fight. Gain experience."
After that, the instructor divided the students into groups: weapon users and fist users.
Most students either relied on superhuman strength or chose to fight with their bare hands to disable opponents, so these were the two main options.
The cutting group used daggers, swords, and their variants, while the fist group used only gloves.
The purpose of the grouping was to teach more efficiently.
Sword users were shown techniques and made to repeat them slowly. Dagger users received similar training. The fist group was taught basic combat fundamentals.
After half an hour of training, students were released and allowed to spar with wooden swords and daggers.
If they were facing the instructor, and had enough experience, they could have used real steel weapons. But this restriction was necessary to prevent inexperienced students from injuring themselves.
"Hey Noah, want to fight?"
Noah looked at the one calling him. It was the stone boy. He had forgotten his name, so he only recognized him by his ability.
He nodded and stepped into the circle.
Noah drew his sword and took his stance, observing his opponent.
The stone boy did the same.
(Even the author had forgotten this kid's name. Truly a sad situation.)
The match began.
Noah tried to maintain distance. If his opponent closed in, it would be difficult to handle due to his physique. From experience, he could tell the boy likely had a C+ or higher superhuman body ability.
As Noah kept his distance, the boy suddenly threw a punch.
Noah deflected it downward with his sword and followed up with an upward slash.
But the boy dodged back without taking damage. For Noah, distance was an advantage, so he kept pressure on.
The boy's body made him slower.
Noah lunged forward. The boy regained his balance and threw a crooked kick.
Noah used the kick as leverage, jumped to gain momentum, spun mid-air, and struck as he descended.
The moment he landed, the fight was over—Noah's wooden sword had already hit the boy's chest.
Many students watching were stunned. Unlike most who relied purely on strength, Noah fought with precision and control.
Instructor Zero lightly clapped as he approached.
"Well fought. Your names?"
"Noah Valier."
"Bryan Vulk."
"Bryan Vulk and Noah Valier… excellent. I won't forget your names."
Zero continued:
"Bryan, you have a strong build and good endurance. Learn to protect your vital points. Defend and counter when you see an opening. Or improve your speed. But don't hesitate—hesitation means defeat."
Then he turned to Noah:
"You fought very well. But despite your opponent being inexperienced, you moved like someone with far more experience. Who taught you swordsmanship? And for how long have you been using it?"
Noah answered briefly:
"My mother. For 7 years."
Zero looked slightly surprised, then smiled.
"Very good. I have an offer for you."
"You've caught my interest."
He paused.
"You will fight a student of my choosing. If you win, you'll receive academic points and academy currency. From the second year onward, performance and grades will be converted into money."
Noah looked at the teacher and thought for a moment. His endurance wasn't very high, but he still didn't refuse.
"Elisa Rose, please come here."
Among the students, the girl who had previously appeared with red hair had now dyed it blue—or perhaps she had never been red-haired in the first place. Either way, her beauty had not changed.
Elisa slowly walked into the circle. Her expressionless face revealed no emotion, but for Noah, it was already clear that this fight would not be an easy one.
Once both of them took their positions, the teacher spoke:
"Begin."
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Author's Note:
If you have any criticism, feedback, or thoughts about the story, please don't hesitate to share them. Your opinions are valuable to me and will help me become a better writer. I'm always open to suggestions and improvements, so feel free to point out anything you think could be better.
Author:Zeravon