A Unique Existence

Sunlight streamed through the high windows of the gymnasium, falling in bundled rays and casting bright patches on the polished wooden floor.

Inside the spacious gym, the new students stood in orderly rows divided by class, clear boundaries drawn between them.

The air was thick with a silence mixed with anticipation, boredom, and faint unease, broken only by the occasional rustle of clothing or a soft cough.

The opening ceremony was about to begin.

On the stage, an elderly man with graying hair but an upright, sturdy frame walked up with steady, powerful steps.

He wore a well-tailored dark gray suit with a dark red tie, and even from a distance, one could sense the authority of one who had long held a position of power and weathered many storms.

Time had carved deep wrinkles into his face, but his deep-set eyes were bright and sharp, as if they could see into people's hearts.

He was the chairman of Yingtai Advanced Nurturing High School, Sakayanagi Narumori.

He stopped at the center of the stage, gently pressing his hands on the edge of the podium, his gaze sweeping slowly like a hawk over the hundreds of young, unfamiliar faces below.

After a brief silence, his resonant, magnetic voice carried through the microphone across the entire gymnasium:

"Good morning, new students. Welcome to Yingtai Advanced Nurturing High School. I am the school's chairman, Sakayanagi Narumori. On this important day symbolizing a new beginning, I am deeply honored to stand here and welcome you all."

His opening remarks were solemn and formal, carrying the distinctive tone of a school administrator.

"What you have stepped into is not merely an institution that imparts knowledge, but a unique platform for tempering your will, unearthing your potential, and exploring the infinite possibilities of the future. Here, outstanding young people from all over the Chongying Protectorate and even broader regions have gathered."

"In the next three years, you will study, live, compete, and grow together here, meet companions who may influence your entire lives, and march forward on the path of excellence you each choose."

"One of the core philosophies upheld by this school is 'meritocracy.'"

Chairman Sakayanagi's tone grew heavier.

"Here, test scores on paper are certainly an important measure of academic achievement, but they are by no means the only one. We encourage and expect you to fully demonstrate your talents and characteristics in academic research, artistic creation, sports, leadership, and even broader fields."

"Dare to set lofty goals, dare to challenge your own limits, and through constant breakthroughs, truly understand yourself, shape yourself, and ultimately surpass yourself..."

Chairman Sakayanagi's speech was smooth and passionate, the content positive and inspiring.

However, the reactions among the students below showed a clear divide.

Except for Class A, which remained relatively quiet and focused, small-scale whispering had already started among students in Class B and Class C. Some were secretly yawning, others had vacant stares.

As for Class D, it was practically a "chaotic carnival"—the buzz of low conversations was louder, some students even turned slightly to chat and laugh with those behind them, and a few bold ones, relying on the crowd and distance, hid their newly issued smartphones in front of them, fingers swiping rapidly across the screens.

"It seems the division into Classes A, B, C, and D was not arbitrary."

Mazumi Mami stood in the Class A formation, his posture straight, but his gaze calmly swept over the neighboring classes, taking it all in.

"Just from the most basic assembly discipline and focus, the 'quality' differences among the four classes are already quite obvious. Class A has the strongest self-discipline, Classes B and C are next, and Class D is the most lax."

"Is this merely a difference in habits and upbringing, or... has it already been influenced by some underlying rules or evaluation system?"

But his thoughts were quickly drawn to the surname on the stage.

"Sakayanagi Narumori... Sakayanagi Arisu."

Mazumi Mami silently repeated these two names, his gaze unconsciously shifting to the back of the silver-haired girl standing in the front row of Class A.

"Both named Sakayanagi. A coincidence, or is there actually a blood relation? If Sakayanagi Arisu really is the chairman's daughter or relative..."

This possibility raised his vigilance once more.

"Then her understanding of this school's internal rules, operational mechanisms, and even certain secrets is likely far beyond that of ordinary students, or even teachers. Paying attention to her words and actions might be a shortcut to deciphering the true face of this school."

His gaze settled on Sakayanagi Arisu's slender back.

The girl stood with an elegant posture, her back straight even while leaning on her cane, as if she were listening intently to the speech.

But Mazumi Mami noticed that her head made extremely subtle turns, and her gaze didn't seem fully fixed on the stage. Instead, it was covertly sweeping over the other classes, as if searching for something.

Finally, her gaze stopped, locked onto a certain spot in Class D.

Mazumi Mami followed the direction of her gaze and also looked toward Class D.

His eyes cut through the crowd and quickly locked onto a target.

It was a boy with short brown hair and a slender build, standing alone in the Class D formation, not talking to anyone around him.

He had yellow eyes, their gaze calm to the point of emptiness, yet with a hint of indescribable sharpness lurking deep within, as if observing the world through a layer of ice.

He was about 176 centimeters tall, his stance seemingly casual, but to Mazumi Mami's eyes, trained by harsh experience, it was a posture where muscles were in a delicate balance, ready to burst forth with power at any moment.

Overall, he gave off a sense of detachment, gloominess, and even a touch of mystery.

"This person..."

Mazumi Mami's eyes instantly became focused and sharp.

The aura emanating from that brown-haired boy was all too familiar to him—it wasn't a state achievable by ordinary students or athletes through regular training, but a unique mark left by someone who had been tempered in truly dangerous environments, possibly even exposed to the realm of "life-and-death combat."

An almost instinctive perception, a recognition of a kindred spirit, was warning him: this boy was anything but ordinary.

"Interesting."

Mazumi Mami thought to himself, his face remaining calm.

"Someone with such specialized training, clearly possessing unconventional abilities, was actually placed in the most undisciplined Class D? That in itself is abnormal."

"And on top of that, he has attracted the specific attention of Sakayanagi Arisu, who might be the chairman's daughter..."

This meant that the brown-haired boy was either some kind of "anomaly" under the S System's evaluation, or he had entered this school with a special identity or purpose.

Either way, he was worth investigating in depth. He might even be...

Just as Mazumi Mami was silently analyzing this, Kiyotaka Ayanokouji, standing in the Class D formation, felt an inexplicable, faint chill run down his spine, as if some extremely dangerous existence had been spying on him from the shadows.

His yellow pupils contracted almost imperceptibly, but his expression remained utterly unchanged. He only instinctively suppressed his own "presence" even further.

"What's wrong, Ayanokouji? Why are you looking at me?"

Suzune Horikita said.

"Nothing."

Ayanokouji said.

"Good. If just standing here was enough to catch your attention, I'd find that pretty disgusting."

Suzune Horikita said.

Kiyotaka Ayanokouji: ...

He felt a wave of speechlessness.

But he had something else on his mind.

"...Was I noticed?"

"That's to be expected. It's too noisy."

Kiyotaka Ayanokouji's thoughts were calm and flat. "But the gazes came from... the Class A direction? More than one gaze..."

On the stage, Chairman Sakayanagi's speech continued, encouraging the new students to strive forward.

Below the stage, an invisible network of gazes had already begun to weave silently. Beneath the calm surface of the campus, undercurrents started to churn faster.

Several "observers," each in different positions but equally extraordinary, had already begun their first round of silent mutual probing and evaluation.

For Mazumi Mami, the opening ceremony was not just a formality; it was the first real observation window for his "inspection" mission.

And at this moment, he had already discovered more than one target worthy of close attention.

"Sakayanagi Arisu... Ayanokouji..."

He silently marked them in his mind. "Looks like this campus trip won't be boring."

As the chairman's speech neared its end, the atmosphere in the gymnasium shifted once more. The new students began to eagerly anticipate the ceremony's conclusion so they could explore the vast and mysterious campus.

Mazumi Mami withdrew his distant gaze and looked back at the stage, appearing just like an ordinary new student listening attentively.