Chapter 4

The next morning when Shin entered the classroom he noticed everyone was noisyer.

"What's going on?" - he asked Petia.

"Oh, it's you Shin. I heard that there is a new student comming to our class. The rumor spread fast so everyone is making bets."

"Bets? Why?"

"Because no one knows anything about the new student. They are about what gender the new student will be. So, what do you think? A girl or a boy?" - a black haired boy butted in.

"I don't want to take part in this." - she answered him.

"Che. You Shin? What do you think?"

Shin thought for a bit and said "A boy."

"Ooh, so sure. We'll see soon."

"Leave them alone Yuuto." - Blake said and grabbed the boy's shoulder.

Ding Doong~

Everyone sat down. The teacher entered.

"You might have heard aout it already but we're having a new student starting today. Please come in."

From the door entered two boys. One of them was around 16 and the other was around 13. The older boy was wearing a sleeveless jacled ,a shirt with a strange animal on it, loose jeans and glasses. His hair was short, broun and a bit messy. The younger one wore a woolen shirt, normal pants and sneakers. His hair was a bit long and it was almost entirely balck, except one white part on the left side of his face.

"Teacher didn't you say one student? Why are there two?" - Yuuto stood up.

"Don't rush this much! I'll explain!" - the teacher got angry.

He walked next to the younger boy and put his hand on the boy's shoulder.

"This is your new classmate. Introduce yourself."

"Lance, plesed to meet you." - the boy said quietly.

"And I am the great Kumoto Hagashi! I'm going to work here from today on as a researcher. Hope to work with you without any problems." - the other boy said.

Everyone was wordless.

"WHAT?! You're a researcher?! But you're so young." - one of the girls said.

"Age isn't a limitation for a true genius."

"I thing he's too selfish and proud." - Blake made a remark.

"Now, please sit on that free chair at the back. And you Mr. Kumoto, go to work." - the teacher continued.

"OK! Lance, don't be so nervous and make some friends!" - Hagashi said and left.

The first period passed in questions. Everyone asked Lance about himself. From where is he, what's his connection with that so called 'genius', what was with his hair and etc.

After that the class settled down quickly. It was time for their training session with class A-2.

"Are you excited Lance? You get your own ONE today." - Petia approached him.

".......I guess..." - he answered her.

"I am Petia, nice to meet you."

"Me too."

"And I'm Shin, the unsociable one is Blake. Nice to meet'cha."

Lance smiled and decided to make a handshake with them. When it was Shin's time the A class entered.

"Ooh, is this a new face among the loosers?" - one of the boys asked sarcastically.

"Yeah, it is! I wonder what kind his ONE will be?" - another one continued.

"It's going to be some trash grade ONE again, I'm sure of it!" - a blonde guy finished.

The blondie was Luxen, he was Violet's brother but they were as different as the day and the night.

"I hate this guy. I can't wait for the midterm battles." - Blake murmured.

"What are you saying? You can't fight him even there. You have to be on the first place to be able to fight an upper classman. Do you plan to defeat everyone, even those from class A-1?" - Petia asked.

"No but I'll get to let off some steam by fighting with a person."

"What is 'midterm battles'?" - Lance asked.

"It's an event. To see how much everyone has improved for half year. It's like tournament, it will even be shown on TV. And the winners for each class will fight each other in the final round. Which means that A, B and C class will clash, usually A class wins but it's still epic. After that there's a one day break after the tournament. There is a festival and a concert in the evening." - Petia answered him.

"Ooh."

"Now, activate your ONE. Grab it and try to activate it with your thoughts." - Shin said to Lance.

He did just as he was told. After a while a flash of light covered Lance. When it disappeared everyone saw the form of Lance's ONE. The A class bursted in laugh and almost everyone in C class sighed and facepalmed. His ONE's for was classed even lower than Shin's. The lowest of the lowest 'cat' type. It's verry well known that it's a type that appears rarely because it's for those with the lowest compability wit ONE. It was ordinary ground type with two gloves with sharp blades on each finger.

"Iit's not that bad,right?" - Petia looked at Shin and Blake.

"...." - Blake remained silent and went to train.

"Yeah, it's not that..." - Shin tried to comfort him but was interrupted.

"AWESOME!! This is awesome! Like that ninja...what was his name again...? Well doesn't matter!" - Lance said and made a pose.

The sudden change in his bahavior shocked them.

"You don't mind it?" - she asked.

"No. Cause I look like the ninja I saw on TV."

"Oh, so you also like anime and ninjas? My fave anime is Ninja Choritto and yours?" - Shin asked.

"Ninya- paws of fury and justice!" - Lance said and made another pose.

"Eh...?" - was what Shin managed to say to his responce.

The ninja anime Lace was talking was a kids' show with ninja cats that fight an evil tyrant and try to free Nyapon from his tyrany and all evil.

"A very interesting taste you have there."

"Yeah, my favourite character is Nyankichi!"

Shin and Petia were baffled. After that they trained together and helped Lance to get the hang of operating his ONE. He got used to it quickly. The second years, more acurately Luxen's group, wern't happy with the new kid's behavior.

"I don't like him." - one of Luxen's punks said.

"Yeah, he and his looser friends are such a disgrace, well... except the guy with the 'snake'. He isn't as big disgrace but still one." - Luxen said outloud.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY PUNK!" - Blake was furious.

Shin and Petia barely stopped him from attacking.

"Let me go! I'm gonna smash his face!" - Blake shouted.

"No! You'll get in trouble!" - she tried to convince him.

"I don't care!"

"If you do it now then you won't be able to participate in the midterm battles. You might even be expelled." - Shin added.

"OK. I'll hold it in for now." - he finally calmed down.

"Wait. Where is Lance?" - Petia asked.

By the time they calmed Blake, Lance had already went to the area where A class was training. He didn't understood why but he was angry because what Luxen said.

"What do you want?" - Lux asked.

"Fight me." - the boy said calmly.

"You heard that? He wants to fight me."

HAhahahaha. A class students laughed.

"What will you do with your 'cat' type, huh? My ONE is a 'condor' type. You won't be able to even reach me! Are you serious?"

"Yes." - Lance said with a poker face.

"Hmph! OK then! Lulu, appoint a battle 'practice' three weeks from now after school. Between me and this runt."

A purple haired girl turned suddenly.

"Eh, are you serious?! Won't you forgive him he started today."

"That's why I'm giving him therr weeks to train."

Then the bell rang and they left.

"I'm sorry for his behavior." - Lulu apologized to the four.

"Nno need to. We should be" - Petia started.

"No! He got too far! But there is no helping it. Once he decides something, he'll do it, no matter what."

"You sure know him well." - Blake said.

"We are childhood friends afer all. By the way I'm Lulu Maxwell, from the Student Counchil."

"The Student Counchil?!" - the four said in surprise.

"Yes, I'll try to change his mind, if not I promice I'll give you more than 3 wekks time to train." - she said and left.

Untill the end of the day everyone had heard about the incident. Everyone was joking with Lance, except Shin, Petia and Blake. After the end of school they all went to the dorms. Lance was in Shin's room. Before barting with Blake, who was on the fourth floor, he said something.

"To tell you the truth I liked what you did today." - he smiled before the elevator's doors closed. Shin and Lance also smiled and entered their room.

"This is our room. I hope we get along." - Shin said.

"I hope too."

After sudying Shin went out on a stroll around the floating city. Lance decided to take a bath after he finished, too. When he took his shirt off and went under the shower there were three scars on his body. One a bit higher than his ankle, it was two diagonal lines on both sides of his leg. The second was a huge cut-like scar across his back. The last one was a + shaped scar in the middle of his chest. After the shower he put new clothes and went to see professor Kumoto. What was the story behind his scars? The answer lies in the boy's mysterious past and the events during the first years of the war.