Tenrei Academy was not just a school; it was an institution that had shaped the history of Country T for over three centuries. Founded during the early years of the soul master era, the academy was built on a massive piece of sovereign land on the edge of Neon City. It was designed to train the elite, turning raw talent into powerful forces that would run the military, the government, and the top corporate conglomerates.
The most notorious aspect of Tenrei Academy was its brutal admission process. The school maintained a strict annual quota of only one hundred students. Thousands of geniuses from across the continent applied every year, but only the absolute top one hundred were permitted to step through the obsidian gates.
Following the chaos of the soul test, the academy officially released the public statement listing the accepted candidates for the new academic year.
To keep Hayato from drawing the deadly attention of the capital, Chairman Hiroshi had used the full weight of the Saito Clan's influence to manipulate the public rankings. Despite achieving a completely unprecedented score that naturally placed him at the very top of the list, Hayato's name was artificially pushed down to the 14th spot. It was high enough to respect his public Rank 5 status, but low enough to keep him out of the immediate spotlight.
The official public list for the top thirty accepted candidates was published on the global network:
1. Kamado Ren (Capital Representative)
2. Kobayashi Kaito (Koba Group Heir)
3. Sano Shinichiro
4. Tachibana Haru
5. Kurogane Itsuki
6. Muramoto Riku
7. Asuka Rei
8. Fukuda Daiki
9. Kirishima Yuto
10. Minami Sora
11. Shiba Taiju
12. Hasegawa Kenji
13. Tanaka Hinata
14. Saito Hayato (Saito Corporation Heir)
15. Tsukishima Kei
16. Okazaki Tomoya
17. Inumaki Toge
18. Fushiguro Megumi
19. Kurosaki Ichigo
20. Uzumaki Boruto
21. Namikaze Minato
22. Uchiha Sasuke
23. Todoroki Shoto
24. Bakugo Katsuki
25. Midoriya Izuku
26. Yami Sukehiro
27. Silva Nozel
28. Vermillion Fuegoleon
29. Agatsuma Zenitsu
30. Hashibira Inosuke
On the morning of registration, a sleek black Nissan Patrol pulled up to the grand gates of Tenrei Academy. Red, the Chairman's trusted bodyguard, stepped out and opened the door for Hayato. Unlike the corporate events where I had to dress in stiff suits, today I wore simple casual clothes. The academy issued its official uniforms only upon arrival inside the school premises.
"Let's go, Master Hayato," Red said, his voice level as he grabbed my single duffel bag from the trunk. "The Chairman requested that I see you completely through the registration process."
I nodded, looking up at the massive stone archway. The air inside the campus felt heavy, saturated with the residual spiritual power of generations of powerful soul masters.
Red walked beside me through the administrative building. The process was highly efficient. Within minutes, my biometrics were scanned, my Rank 5 status was logged into the school's internal database under the modified records, and I was handed a neatly folded package containing the deep blue and silver Tenrei uniform.
"Your assignment is Dormitory Building 4, Room 1055," the administrative officer stated, handing over a sleek electronic keycard.
Red followed me across the sprawling campus, past the massive training arenas and ancient libraries, until we reached the residential district. Room 1055 was located on the top floor of a high-end dorm building overlooking the northern gardens.
As I unlocked the door, I found a spacious, modern suite with five separate bedrooms connected to a large central living area. Red walked in, set my duffel bag down on the bed of the room labeled with my name, and turned to face me.
"My job here is done, Master Hayato," Red said, giving a polite, respectful bow. "The Chairman expects you to build your network. Take care of yourself."
"Thank you, Red. Tell the old man I'll fulfill my end of the deal," I replied.
Red gave a final nod and left the suite, heading back to report directly to Hiroshi.
Left alone in the living room, I heard doors opening. Four boys walked out from their respective rooms, having already settled in. As I looked at them, I recognized their faces from the admission list I had memorized back at the villa. Due to the academy's system of grouping top-tier talents together, my dorm mates were all ranked in the top twenty.
"Oh, you must be the fifth guy," the tallest one spoke up. It was Shiba Taiju, ranked 11th. He had a rugged build and a booming voice.
"I'm Saito Hayato," I said simply, stepping forward and offering a calm smile. "Nice to meet you all."
"Saito? As in the Saito Corporation?" asked Hasegawa Kenji, ranked 12th, his eyes narrowing slightly in curiosity before a friendly grin broke across his face. "Man, we've got some serious status in this room. I'm Kenji."
The other two stepped forward as well.
"Tsukishima Kei, rank 15," a tall boy with glasses said, nodding coolly.
"And I'm Okazaki Tomoya, rank 16," the last one said, waving casually. "Looks like we're going to be stuck together for the next few years."
Finding myself among people my own age was a strange feeling. For the past three months, I had only interacted with cold businessmen, doctors, and the stoic Chairman. Here, the atmosphere was different. I introduced myself simply, keeping the details of my past vague, focusing only on the identity the Saito clan had given me.
To my relief, the introduction went incredibly smoothly. Despite their high rankings and wealthy backgrounds, the four boys were easygoing. Taiju cracked a joke about the academy's strict discipline, and Tomoya immediately started complaining about the grueling physical tests they had all gone through to get here.
We sat down around the common room sofa, sharing stories about our hometowns. Within an hour, the initial awkwardness completely vanished, and the five of us clicked. A loud burst of laughter filled the room as Taiju recounted a hilarious misunderstanding he had with an examiner during the interview phase.
But the laughter died down instantly.
WUUUUUUUUUUU...!
A sharp, piercing siren echoed through the walls of the dormitory, vibrating straight through the floorboards. The overhead lights in the common room pulsed with a steady, yellow caution light.
A crisp, magical broadcast voice filled the suite: "Attention all first-year students. Orientation is now commencing. Assemble at the Academic Building's Grand Hall immediately. Delayed arrival will result in immediate disciplinary demerits."
The five of us looked at each other, the casual atmosphere vanishes in an instant.
"Well," Kenji said, standing up and pulling on his new blue academy jacket. "Looks like the peaceful part of our day is officially over."