Awakening: Starting With The Villain System

Think. Think.

And then, like a spark in the darkness, I remembered.

I wasn't bound to just my katana. I had more.

A grin split across my face as I slid the blade back into its sheath.

The sound of steel locking in place echoed across the room.

The effect was instant.

Gari's eyes sharpened, the faintest flicker of expression breaking his stone facade. The students whispered, their voices spilling over each other like waves.

"Did he give up?"

"Is he out of his mind?"

"Why would he put his weapon away?"

They were all wrong. I wasn't giving up. I was about to show them something different.

I bent my knees slightly, bouncing on my toes. One. Two. Three. Four. Five hops to wake up my body, to shake off the tension. And then I moved.

My legs exploded into motion, propelling me forward like a bullet. Air rushed past my ears as I launched myself into the swarm of machines.

The first dummy swung its sword down at me, but it never had the chance to finish.

I clenched my fist, drew my arm back, and then—

Bang!

The area rattled as my fist connected. The impact was like thunder, the shockwave rippling through the nearest dummies.

Metal shrieked. The first robot caved in, its chest crumpling like paper, before it was blasted backward into its allies.

One hit. Just one punch. And the wave of dummies collapsed like dominoes, crashing into one another in a tangle of limbs and weapons until the entire front line had been reduced to sparking wreckage.

The gasps around me were louder than the crash itself.

Even Gari's expression had cracked, not much, but enough for me to notice. Shock? Surprise? Maybe even… interest.

For the first time, I had pulled something out of him.

I rolled my shoulders, a grin spreading wider across my face.

"That's the perk," I whispered, flexing my knuckles, "of having a high strength stat."

Suddenly, something at the far edge of the training field caught my eye.

A barrel. A faint gleam of steel.

My stomach dropped.

A gun robot dummy.

"Shit." The word slipped out before I could stop it.

My pulse spiked, the hairs on the back of my neck standing straight. The gunner wasn't supposed to appear randomly. At least, not for me.

In the past runs, only Yara's simulations had spawned one. Why the hell was mine suddenly stepping up the difficulty?

I didn't have the luxury of answers.

If I tried to dash at it head-on, it would fire. I didn't care if the bullets were rubber or wood, the pain was real enough.

And I had no desire to get shredded in front of Gari, the students, and especially Yara. No way in hell.

My eyes darted quickly, scanning the field until they landed on another dummy. Not too far from me. Not too far from the gunner either. Perfect.

Without hesitation, I dashed toward it, shoe pounding against the training ground. The robot swung clumsily, but I was already there, katana flashing in a silver arc.

Its head clattered to the ground, sparks hissing. And before its body could topple over completely, I was already moving.

I leapt. My foot landed on its falling shoulder, and I pushed off again, vaulting high into the air.

The timing couldn't have been tighter. The gunner had already fired, the sharp crack echoing through the hall.

I felt the wind of the bullet tear past, but by then I was already mid-flight, body cutting through the air in a desperate arc.

Before the robot could realign its aim, I was on top of it. My blade whispered once, clean and fast. Its head flew, sparks showering the ground as the body collapsed.

I landed in a crouch, breathing hard, as the headless gunner toppled behind me with a metallic thud.

And then—

Beep!

The shrill sound of the timer echoed through the arena. My assessment was over.

I exhaled slowly, sliding my katana back into its sheath. My chest rose and fell with the aftermath of adrenaline, but I straightened my back and forced calm into my movements.

Deliberately, I slowed my pace as I walked out of the area. I made sure to pass close to Gari, just so I could catch his reaction.

His eyes were locked on me, steady, sharp, but not empty like before. No, there was something else there now, surprise, maybe even a spark of curiosity.

He probably had a dozen questions. After all, I had just shown him a strange mix: strength, speed, and a little bit of brain. It wasn't the most polished performance, but it wasn't ordinary either. And that was enough.

I walked past him with my head high, satisfaction bubbling in my chest.

And then I glanced toward Yara. She wasn't smiling. Her face was expressionless, but her eyes, slightly wide, locked on me, said more than enough.

I grinned at her, cocking my head slightly, and added a wink for good measure.

Her lack of reaction only made it better. My satisfaction meter shot through the roof.

I silently prayed she had noticed Gari's expression. If she saw that, maybe, just maybe, she'd let me breathe in peace at this academy.

Because Gari didn't show expression often. He reserved it only for the first-years who defied his expectations, the rare few whose potential was undeniable.

It wasn't about being the strongest; it was about going beyond what he thought possible at our level.

And today, I had managed to earn a flicker of that recognition.

Still, I wasn't delusional. I did well, yes, but compared to Yara, and to some of the others who had gone on the first day, I was nowhere near their level. They had abilities. Techniques. Things that set them apart.

I was still lacking in many areas. I knew that. I wasn't the strongest. Not yet.

But I was stronger than most, and that was enough for now.

The murmurs around the arena reached my ears, students whispering to one another, not even bothering to hide their surprise.

"Who is he?"

"That guy's pretty strong, honestly."

Their words fanned the pride inside me, warming me like a fire.

Gari seemed to finish whatever silent calculations he was making, and without another word, he began calling names again, voice cutting clean through the chatter.

I stepped aside, still grinning to myself.

For the first time since stepping foot in this academy, I felt like I had left a mark.

Which was actually true, aside from the mark I left first with Yara.