Pyro of the Craven

Chapter-14: A-Game

Collector Remus was standing in the stands, watching the ongoing inter-school tournament. He was joined by some government officials who seemed to be discussing something with him.

"Well, Collector Remus, if you please," an official said.

"Ah, I see. Well, allow me to introduce you," said Remus, gesturing towards Vasuda, who was standing nearby.

Vasuda approached them and greeted them warmly. "Good evening, gentlemen. How may I assist you?" she asked.

"Ah, Principal Vasuda! It's good to see you here," said Remus. "These people are from the government. They wanted to have a word with you."

The officials looked at each other before one of them spoke up. "Firstly, Principal Vasuda, we congratulate you for the success of NES. We've never seen an academy in the Nuville city with such excellent results in such a short span of time."

"Thank you, gentlemen. But the true success of NES will be when all these Ryoshi grow up to help Nuville and the country."

"Well, we all wish and hope the same, Principal." another official responded.

"Also, Principal, we have some concerns about your academy." the official added.

"Concerns? What kind of concerns?" asked Vasuda, looking worried.

"It involves the young Ryoshi, Volimiri Ramaraju. We received information about his aggression during some of the missions. And now, you've appointed such a person as the captain of your academy."

"But that was a long time ago. I thought that the government had that settled." Remus interjected.

"That is true, Collector. But the boy killing was never omitted from the story.

Vasuda's face turned serious upon hearing that. "Yes, that is true. But it was an act of self-defense. He was being attacked, and he had no other choice."

The officials looked skeptical. "We have heard that Ramaraju is quite powerful now, even more than some of the top Shinwa in the Nuville city. We are concerned about his power and his intentions."

Vasuda raised her eyebrows. "Well, Ramaraju is indeed powerful. But, he is a responsible and honorable Shinwa. He is a protector, not a threat."

The officials still looked unconvinced, but Vasuda continued to defend her student. "Furthermore, NES Academy has a strict code of conduct that all our students must follow. We do not condone any acts of violence or aggression. We train our students to use their powers for the betterment of society, not for their own selfish reasons."

The officials listened to Vasuda's defense and after a moment of silence, one of them spoke up. "We will take your words into consideration, Principal Vasuda. But, we will be keeping an eye on Ramaraju and NES Academy. We do not want any more incidents like this to happen."

Vasuda nodded, understanding their concern. "I appreciate your vigilance, gentlemen. But, I assure you that we at NES Academy are dedicated to training honorable and responsible Shinwa. We will not let you down."

The officials nodded in agreement before excusing themselves and leaving the stands.

Vasuda sighed with relief and turned to Remus. "They are still on it, aren't they?"

Remus nodded. "You did a good job, Vasuda. But be careful. It's not only the government, but there are many others out there who are threatened by the NES Academy's power levels. Just look around."

As they both watched, many of the remaining participants, excluding the NES's teamed up to go against the NES. Principals from other academies and the audience are talking about NES.