The next morning, Roy woke up before his alarm.
For a few seconds, he simply stared at the ceiling.
Then he remembered where he was.
The academy.
Roy sat up and rubbed his eyes.
"Right. I'm actually here."
He looked around the room.
His bag was on the floor beside his bed, his academy uniform hanging neatly on the chair.
He got out of bed, washed up, put on his uniform, and left the dormitory.
The academy was already alive.
Students were moving through the corridors, some rushing toward their classes while others were already heading toward the training grounds.
Roy walked toward Class 1-A.
As soon as he entered, Leo waved at him.
"Roy!"
Roy walked over.
"Morning."
Leo looked at him.
"You look tired."
"I just woke up."
"You look like you didn't want to."
"I didn't."
Leo laughed.
"Fair enough."
Roy dropped his bag beside his chair.
Before he could sit, Leo placed a sheet of paper on his desk.
"What's this?"
"Club registration."
Roy looked down.
At the top of the sheet was written:
ACADEMY CLUB REGISTRATION
Underneath were several options.
Combat Club
Weapon Club
Beast Club
Smithing Club
There were also several smaller clubs listed below them.
Roy scanned through the choices.
"So we're choosing today?"
Leo nodded.
"Yep."
Roy looked at the four major clubs.
"Which one are you choosing?"
"Combat."
"You've said that about five times."
"Because I'm definitely joining Combat."
Roy laughed.
"Alright."
Leo leaned closer.
"What about you?"
Roy looked at the sheet again.
"I'm not sure."
"How are you not sure?"
"There are four choices."
"And?"
"I want to see them first."
Leo stared at him.
"You're actually going to visit every club?"
"Why not?"
Leo smiled.
"Alright. I'll come with you."
---
Their first stop was the Combat Club.
The moment they entered the training hall, Roy could hear the sound of fists hitting punching bags and weapons clashing against training equipment.
The building was enormous.
Several training areas had been separated by metal barriers.
Students were sparring everywhere.
Some fought using only their bodies.
Others used their Nexis.
One student moved so quickly that Roy could barely follow him.
Another created a thick wall of earth to defend against an attack.
Roy's eyes lit up.
"Now this is more like it."
Leo noticed his expression.
"I knew you'd like this place."
Roy ignored him.
A tall student walked past them and suddenly stopped.
He looked at Roy.
"You're the new student, aren't you?"
Roy looked at him.
"Yeah."
"Roy?"
"That's me."
The student smiled.
"I heard about your fight with Lee Ching."
Roy sighed.
"Everyone heard about that."
The student laughed.
"You're famous already."
"I'd rather not be."
The student looked toward the training area.
"You should try Combat Club."
"I might."
"Good."
He walked away.
Leo looked at Roy.
"See?"
"See what?"
"You already have people recognizing you."
Roy shrugged.
"I don't care."
They continued walking.
At the center of the training hall stood a large arena.
An instructor was teaching a group of students.
"Don't focus entirely on your element!"
The instructor shouted.
"Your body is a weapon too!"
Roy stopped to listen.
The instructor demonstrated.
He moved forward, dodged an incoming attack and struck his opponent in the chest.
"Your Nexis should enhance your fighting ability, not replace it."
Roy nodded.
That was something he understood.
During his fight with Lee, he had relied heavily on Lightning.
But when Lee had gotten close, Roy had been forced to fight physically.
The instructor suddenly noticed him.
"You."
Roy pointed at himself.
"Me?"
"Yes. Come here."
Roy walked toward the arena.
The instructor looked him up and down.
"You're new."
"Yes."
"Name?"
"Roy."
"I've heard about you."
Roy sighed.
"Of course."
The instructor smiled.
"Let's see if the rumors are true."
Leo's eyes widened.
"Already?"
The instructor pointed toward another student.
"You two. Spar."
The other student stepped into the arena.
Roy followed.
The student activated his Nexis.
A faint glow surrounded his fists.
Roy raised his hands.
The instructor shouted.
"Begin!"
The student rushed forward.
Roy didn't activate his Nexis.
He simply waited.
The student's fist came toward his face.
Roy moved his head to the side.
The punch missed.
Roy stepped forward and tapped the student's chest.
"You're open."
The student frowned.
He attacked again.
Roy blocked.
Then stepped around him.
The student swung again.
Roy ducked.
He was beginning to understand his opponent's rhythm.
Left.
The student swung.
Roy dodged.
Right.
Another punch.
Roy blocked.
Then Roy swept his leg underneath him.
The student fell.
The entire arena became quiet.
Roy looked down.
"You okay?"
The student stared at him.
"Yeah."
The instructor smiled.
"You didn't use your Nexis."
Roy shrugged.
"I didn't need it."
The instructor laughed.
"Interesting."
Roy stepped out of the arena.
Leo grinned.
"That was good."
Roy looked at him.
"He wasn't very strong."
"Still counts."
The instructor walked over.
"Roy."
"Yes?"
"You have good instincts."
Roy smiled.
"But?"
The instructor's expression became serious.
"You're relying on them too much."
Roy's smile disappeared.
"Meaning?"
"Your instincts will help you against people who are weaker or equal to you."
He pointed toward the arena.
"But eventually you'll meet someone who can read you."
Roy remained silent.
"Learn to fight with a plan," the instructor continued. "Not just instinct."
Roy nodded.
"Got it."
The instructor handed him a club registration form.
"Think about joining."
Roy took it.
"I will."
---
Their next stop was the Weapon Club.
Unlike the Combat Club, this place was much quieter.
The walls were lined with weapons.
Swords.
Spears.
Axes.
Staffs.
Even strange weapons Roy couldn't identify.
Students stood around practicing different techniques.
Roy walked slowly through the room.
He picked up a wooden sword.
The weight felt natural in his hand.
He swung it once.
Whoosh.
A nearby instructor looked at him.
"You've used a sword before?"
Roy shook his head.
"No."
"You're holding it like you have."
Roy looked at the sword.
"Maybe I'm just good."
The instructor smiled.
"Confidence."
Roy placed the sword back.
"What makes this club different from Combat Club?"
"Combat teaches you how to fight."
The instructor pointed toward the weapons.
"We teach you how to make a weapon an extension of yourself."
Roy looked interested.
"Can Nexis be used through weapons?"
"Of course."
The instructor picked up a sword.
His Nexis flowed into it.
The blade began glowing.
"With proper synchronization, your weapon can amplify your abilities."
Roy stared.
The instructor swung.
A wave of energy shot across the training room.
Roy's eyes widened.
"Interesting."
He looked at the sword in his hand.
For some reason, the idea of using a weapon alongside his Lightning felt natural.
The instructor noticed his interest.
"You should consider joining."
Roy smiled.
"Maybe I will."
---
Next came the Beast Club.
Roy wasn't expecting much.
Then he entered.
He immediately stopped.
A massive creature was standing in the middle of the training area.
It looked like a mixture between a wolf and a lion.
Its eyes were glowing.
Roy stared.
"What the hell is that?"
Leo laughed.
"That's why I wanted to come here."
The beast suddenly looked at Roy.
Roy stared back.
For a moment, neither moved.
The creature growled.
Roy raised an eyebrow.
"Doesn't like me."
A student nearby laughed.
"It doesn't like most people."
The beast walked toward Roy.
Leo stepped backward.
"Uh... Roy?"
Roy didn't move.
The creature stopped directly in front of him.
It sniffed him.
Then walked away.
Roy blinked.
"Okay."
Leo laughed.
"You survived."
Roy looked at the beast.
"What do they teach here?"
"Beast training, bonding and combat coordination."
A student demonstrated by fighting alongside a small winged creature.
The two moved almost perfectly together.
Roy watched carefully.
"It could be useful."
"Definitely."
Roy looked around.
"But it's not for me."
Leo nodded.
"Fair."
---
Finally, they reached the Smithing Club.
The sound of metal hitting metal could be heard before they even entered.
CLANG!
CLANG!
CLANG!
Roy stepped inside.
The temperature was much higher than the other clubs.
Several students were working around furnaces.
Others were examining weapons.
A student was hammering a piece of glowing metal.
Roy walked over.
"What are they making?"
"An enhanced weapon."
A voice came from behind him.
Roy turned.
An older student was standing there.
He picked up the weapon.
"Nexis can be infused into certain materials."
He placed his hand against the blade.
Energy flowed into it.
"This allows the weapon to interact with a user's Nexis more efficiently."
Roy examined the weapon.
"So the weapon can become stronger depending on its user?"
"Exactly."
Roy nodded.
"That's actually pretty cool."
The student smiled.
"Interested?"
Roy looked at the furnace.
"Maybe."
Leo laughed.
"You've said that about every club."
Roy looked at him.
"Because they're all interesting."
Leo shook his head.
---
After several hours, the two returned to the courtyard.
Roy sat on a bench.
He looked down at the registration form.
Four choices.
Combat.
Weapon.
Beast.
Smithing.
Each offered something different.
Leo sat beside him.
"So?"
Roy looked at him.
"What?"
"Which one?"
Roy thought for a moment.
"Combat."
Leo smiled.
"I knew it."
"But..."
"But what?"
Roy looked at the Weapon Club building in the distance.
"I want to try Weapon Club too."
Leo laughed.
"You're allowed to have more than one interest."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
Roy looked at the registration form again.
"Then I'll probably join both."
Leo nodded.
"Sounds good."
A group of students suddenly walked past them.
One of them glanced at Roy.
"That's the new kid."
Another student whispered.
"The one without a family name?"
Roy heard them.
His expression changed slightly.
Leo noticed.
"Ignore them."
Roy looked at him.
"I am."
The students continued walking.
Roy leaned back.
He wasn't angry.
Not yet.
But there was something about the way they said it.
As though not having a famous surname made him less important.
Roy looked toward the enormous academy buildings.
"I'll show them eventually."
He didn't know how.
He didn't know when.
But he would.
For now, however, he had a more immediate problem.
He still had to choose his clubs.
Roy looked at Leo.
"Let's go."
"Where?"
"Back to the registration office."
Leo smiled.
"Combat?"
Roy nodded.
"And Weapon."
Leo laughed.
"Of course."
The two walked away together.
Neither of them noticed the student standing on the upper floor of the academy.
A black-haired boy watched Roy through the window.
His eyes remained fixed on him.
"Roy..."
He quietly repeated the name.
Then he turned away.
"Interesting."
And just like that, Roy's second day at the academy came to an end.