The lights of the room began to dim, gradually drawing everyone's attention to the front.
I looked around, waiting for something to happen, until a cold, hollow clang echoed as the sixth gate unlocked and slowly swung wide. Blinding light poured through the doorway, washing over everything until the room seemed drowned in brightness.
"Please welcome the finalist," Principal Gregores' voice rang out, reverberating throughout the room.
A shadow of a man stepped through. As my eyes adjusted to the light, I saw him clearly—blond, wavy hair and piercing light blue eyes.
"It's him… he passed," I murmured nervously, realizing it was the same blond guy I had fought during the exam. His gaze immediately locked onto me, sharp and threatening.
But my worry wasn't just for him. My thoughts drifted to Kagetsu, hoping he had made it.
Another shadow emerged, handsome, with light blue hair and a victorious grin plastered on his face. He wore a white shirt with two angels facing each other, standing out in the light.
"Come on, Kagetsu…" I whispered under my breath, biting my lip. My heart raced, threatening to burst from my chest.
Then a third shadow appeared. His baggy black pants were streaked with dirt, his muscular frame visible beneath his black shirt, earning a few impressed murmurs—and even a quiet purr from a girl in the crowd. A gauze bandage crossed his right cheek, and another wrapped like a headband across his forehead. His expression was deadpan, serious, almost intimidating.
"Yes!" I shouted in my head as I spotted Kagetsu. We approached each other and did a quick dap.
"I knew you'd make it," I said with a smirk.
His expression shifted from blank to a smug grin when he saw me.
Behind them, the gate slowly began closing, and the auditorium lights brightened again. Our eyes adjusted just as the big screen flickered to life. Principal Gregores appeared once more.
"For those of you who have just qualified and joined us, this school is where you will learn to refine the power within you and apply it to real-world situations. Your performance during the exam has already earned you a rank, and that rank determines the privileges you'll receive. The higher the rank, the greater the benefits," he explained, reiterating what the new qualifiers should already know.
"Enough said. Welcome to Tsubasa Academy."
As he spoke, the gate beneath him slowly opened, revealing a massive elevator large enough to fit all of us. Applause and cheers erupted from the qualifiers as they entered. Within seconds, the elevator doors closed behind the last of them, and it began ascending.
A few moments later, the elevator opened, revealing the now-empty main room where our journey had begun. The stage rested atop the elevator platform, rising smoothly with it.
"We're finally gonna be able to go home," I said cheerfully to Kagetsu, a wide smile plastered on my face.
"We still have a few more things to do before we can leave," he replied, his tone lacking the same brightness as before.
"Really… like what?" I asked, confused.
"We need to get our belongings back. Don't you remember? We wrote our names on the tablet and put our stuff in a box," he explained, scanning the room for the retrieval area.
The voice of Principal Gregores echoed from the speakers installed in the ceiling.
"Your belongings will be near the front door. Please enter your name on the tablet, and you will receive your items," he instructed, then fell silent.
Kagetsu and I walked toward the entrance and joined the line forming near the door. Ahead of us was Jin Chao. Both his eyes darted in opposite directions, and drool trickled down his chin—he looked utterly oblivious.
After a few minutes of waiting, it was Jin's turn.
"What a dumbass," I muttered under my breath as I typed his name into the tablet. "Jin Chao."
Metal clanked, and a black box emerged from the wall under the tablet. Inside were a phone with a white case and eight golden rings.
"Dang… is he rich or something?" I murmured, astonished by the sheer number of rings. Perhaps he just liked collecting them.
I gathered his belongings, carefully stuffing the rings into his pockets before placing his phone back in the box. Then I typed my own name, retrieved my phone, and stepped aside for Kagetsu.
Once we were both done, we walked outside. Fewer cars were on the street than at the start, and the afternoon sun cast a warm glow over the city. The sky was almost completely clear, only a few clouds on the horizon.
Kagetsu and I stood on the sidewalk, waiting.
"So… uh, what exactly are we waiting for?" I asked, scratching my head.
"My mom is picking us up in ten minutes," he said, eyes glued to his phone.
"Got it," I replied.
I took a deep breath, feeling a wave of gratitude wash over me. "I really am grateful for being reincarnated," I thought. "Back in my old world, I never would have had this much fun. Even with all the chaos and weirdness, I… had a blast."