The first class of the semester was "Introduction to Dragon Family Genealogies." The freshmen claimed their seats early, a restless, almost reverent anticipation filling the air. Principal Angers-the legendary dragon-slaying hero who had lived for over a century-would be teaching the course himself.
"Did you hear? The principal left campus three days ago."
"Seriously? Professor Mance Rondstedt's 'Magical Mechanical Design' class was canceled at the last minute, too."
"Something huge must have happened. Both heavyweights are gone at the same time..."
Ding-
The bell rang.
The door opened.
The man who walked in wasn't the principal.
Professor Guderian wore a plaid suit, his tie askew and his hair looking as though he had just walked through a gust of wind. He stepped up to the lectern with a radiant smile.
"Good morning, everyone! The principal has an urgent assignment, so I'll be filling in today."
A wave of disappointed sighs swept through the lecture hall.
"Come on, no sighing." Professor Guderian adjusted his glasses. "My life may not be as legendary as the principal's, but I do know a thing or two about Dragons' family genealogies."
Disappointed though they were, and sigh as they might, no one slacked off.
Because the next thing Professor Guderian said made every ear in the room prick up.
"I hear you've been discussing why Professor Mance Rondstedt's Magical Mechanical Design class was canceled as well?"
The classroom fell silent for a moment.
"That's right." Professor Guderian nodded, his expression turning serious. "Both the principal and Professor Mans are away on assignments. There have indeed been some... developments lately."
The freshmen exchanged looks, their eyes filled with mingled tension and excitement. Something big was coming!
Professor Guderian picked up a piece of chalk and wrote "Ragnarök" on the blackboard.
Twilight of the Gods.
"Everyone! Welcome to the real world..."
Zero sat to Lu Mingfei's left.
She had deliberately crossed more than half the classroom to choose this seat, only to turn into an ice sculpture once she sat down. Curious, gossip-hungry gazes swept over her like blades. She took them all in and ignored them completely.
A white shirt, a navy-blue pleated skirt. Today, her pale blond hair wasn't pinned up but fell loose over her shoulders, its ends curling slightly. She had settled into her seat as quietly as a cat landing on a windowsill.
"Twilight of the Gods, the final chapter of Norse mythology. Beneath the World Tree, the venomous dragon Nidhogg gnawed through the last root. The great wolf Fenrir broke free of his chains, and the great serpent Jormungandr awoke in the depths of the sea. Fire giants attacked from the south, and the armies of frost giants trampled the rainbow bridge to pieces..."
Lu Mingfei propped his chin on one hand, bored out of his mind.
He had heard these so-called "secrets" countless times inside the entry plug in the EVA world.
Back then, he and Lu Mingze could only meet through a mental link. With no idea what lay ahead, both had thought they would die in that world. During the daily synchronization tests, the little devil came online to complain to him every day, recounting the reptiles' family tree like juicy gossip. Along the way, he kept Lu Mingfei's synchronization rate steady at 100 percent, leaving the NERV staff's jaws on the floor.
"The gods took up their weapons and marched out of Valhalla. Odin carried his spear of eternity, Thor raised Mjolnir, and Tyr drew the Demon Sword. They knew this was their final battle. They knew they would die. But they went anyway."
Professor Guderian's gaze swept across the classroom like a searchlight.
"Because behind them lay the world of humanity. Midgard, the Middle Realm!"
Lu Mingfei glanced at Zero beside him.
She sat upright, her hands resting flat on the desk, her notebook placed squarely in the center, her pencil to its right, and her eraser beside the pencil. Everything was arranged with perfect precision, yet he had the feeling her mind was elsewhere.
"This is our destiny, the destiny of Hybrids."
The lecture hall was utterly silent.
"For thousands of years, our ancestors have fought this same war over and over. Dragonkind awakens, and Hybrids rise to fight. Dragonkind sleeps, and Hybrids multiply, wait, and prepare. We do not fight for power, or wealth, or a crown in any human kingdom."
Guderian slammed his fist onto the lectern, sending up a small cloud of chalk dust.
"We fight to survive. So that humanity, as a species, can continue living on this planet."
Lu Mingfei remembered the end of another world.
As the Third Impact approached, the boy in the black suit, his body dissolving into particles of light, had gripped his shoulders and delivered his "last wishes" through gritted teeth.
"I had a first-rate script all ready for you! Back home, I went to all that trouble, coaxing and conning a Healer Trio into protecting you, and left a few contingencies to turn that world upside down while I was at it..."
Lu Mingze had laughed at himself then, his voice growing fainter and fainter.
"You might never get to use them now, but remember this: a Russian girl named Zero will enroll in the same year as you. An icy beauty-you'll recognize her at a glance. Through her, you can take over what I left behind..."
"You are not ordinary students, and Cassell College is not an ordinary university. Dragon blood flows through every one of your veins. Every one of you is a living weapon. Every one of you stands on humanity's front line against Dragonkind!"
"What is the front line? It means standing in the very first row. If Dragonkind awakens, you will be the first to fight, the first to die in battle, and the first to become heroes!"
Lu Mingfei turned slightly toward her and lowered his voice. "Zero."
Zero's eyelashes stirred. Then she slowly turned her head to look at Lu Mingfei.
"Lu Mingze already told me," Lu Mingfei said quietly. "I don't need looking after now, and you don't have to keep an eye on me. Just do whatever you want to do."
Zero watched him silently for a few seconds, then turned back without a word, showing no sign of agreeing.
Lu Mingfei was sure she had heard him, but he had no idea whether she had understood.
Zero, what exactly are you thinking?
Guderian abruptly thrust his right hand toward the ceiling.
"You will be afraid. You will be terrified. You will wake in the dead of night, drenched in cold sweat, remembering the things you saw that day that should not exist in this world. But you will not run. Because behind you are seven billion human beings who know nothing of Dragonkind's existence. They do not know they are standing at the edge of a cliff, and you-you are the railing at that edge!"
Ding-
The bell rang, ending class.
Professor Guderian put down the chalk, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and smiled. "That's all for today. Next class, we'll cover the detailed genealogies of the Four Great Monarchs. Please read chapters three through five beforehand."
Thunderous applause erupted throughout the classroom.
Lu Mingfei had nothing to pack up and headed straight out through the back door. Zero gathered her things and followed two paces behind him.
The moment the two of them stepped outside, the freshmen still in the classroom finally stopped holding back, and the flames of gossip roared to life.
"Did you see that? Lu Mingfei and Zero were sitting together!"
"Obviously. The whole classroom saw them. They were sitting together before class even started."
"But... how many days has it been since school started? They turned in their 3E Exam papers early together, ate together in the cafeteria, and now they're even sitting together in class?"
"And did you notice? Lu Mingfei talked to her during class!"
"What did he say?"
"No idea... I was too far away to hear..."
"How did Zero react?"
"She didn't react at all. She just turned her head and looked at him."
"Isn't that how she normally reacts? She wears that same expression with everyone, doesn't she?"
"She wears that expression with everyone, but she doesn't sit next to just anyone."
"Don't you think it's strange?" A girl wearing glasses lowered her voice. "Those two girls around him, Nono and Zero. Neither of them usually gets close to anyone, but both keep gravitating toward Lu Mingfei."
"So how many girlfriends does Lu Mingfei actually have?"
"Who said they were girlfriends? Can't they just be friends?"
"What kind of ordinary friends go to Hakone together to soak in hot springs?"
"Public hot springs! The men and women bathe separately!"
"They still went to the hot springs together!"
The girls chattered away, the subject shifting from "Does Lu Mingfei have a girlfriend?" to "How many girlfriends does Lu Mingfei actually have?" and then from "How many girlfriends?" to "Which one is more likely to be his actual girlfriend, Nono or Zero?"