Heroes' Odyssey: Varunton

2 - The First Encounter

Hiro Naito (May 31, 2000)

Hiro was confused as Ms. Ivanov addressed him. "You've heard a lot about me, Ms. Ivanov?" he asked, his eyebrows furrowing.

"Yes, I've heard a lot about you from Mr. Sheppard," Ms. Ivanov replied, maintaining eye contact. "He mentioned that you're quite unique, am I right?"

Hiro nodded in agreement. "Yes, that's correct, miss. I believe he was referring to my hypercompetence."

With a chuckle, she corrected Hiro's misunderstanding. "You've got it all wrong, young man," she said. "The reason you're unique is because you're a c-class." Ms. Ivanov revealed the truth behind Hiro's rarity.

Hiro's confusion deepened, clouding his mind like a dense fog. "I'm not sure I understand," he admitted. "Could you explain what being a C-class means, Ms. Ivanov?"

"Usually, having an unknown class is common among mutants," Ms. Ivanov explained to Hiro. "While everyone has a class, most people born with a syndrome cannot have their class determined by doctors, except in rare cases like yours, where your class was identified soon after your birth."

"Tell me, can you think of any classmates or teachers in this school who have a class type like yours?" she inquired.

Hiro tried to think of someone but came up empty-handed. It seemed that he was the only one in their school with a known class type.

Ms. Ivanov posed a question to Hiro, seeking confirmation that he was indeed the only one with his particular syndrome. "Am I correct in assuming that there is no one else?" she asked.

"Yes, you're right, Ms. Ivanov," Hiro replied. He hadn't expected to be the only one with a class type.

Ms. Ivanov decided to delve deeper into the topic and share some insights with Hiro. "Let me tell you something about having a class type," she said, capturing Hiro's attention as he eagerly looked back at her, eager to learn more.

"Having a class type can have both positive and negative impacts on your life," she explained. "On the positive side, anyone with a lower class type will always be weaker than you. However, the same applies to the negative side, as anyone with a higher class type will always be stronger than you."

"This is true if the person you're facing also has a class type. However, if you encounter someone with an unknown class, you can use psychological tactics against them," she advised Hiro. "You can make them believe that your C-Class is superior to their unknown class."

"But what if they do have a better class type than me, despite it being unknown?" Hiro expressed his doubts about the effectiveness of psychological tactics if his opponent had an unknown but potentially superior class.

Ms. Ivanov responded in a lighthearted tone, almost like a joke, but her answer carried a serious undertone. "Well, the simple solution is to call upon your allies," she said.

Hiro remained skeptical, still uncertain of the effectiveness of such a straightforward solution.

Ms. Ivanov, however, was confident in her response. She looked at Hiro sternly and explained, "No matter how high their class type may be, the power of a faction is stronger than anything else."

Hiro grasped the concept that Ms. Ivanov was explaining about this class hierarchy.

"Do you have any more questions, Mr. Naito?" their history teacher asked him.

Hiro expressed his gratitude, saying, "I don't have any further questions. Thank you for addressing my inquiries, Ms. Ivanov."

Ms. Ivanov then proceeded to commence the orientation for their history class by writing names on the blackboard using a piece of chalk.