The GATE Academy [Please read description]

Chapter 5: Arcadia

Yet again, another one of the benefits of attending the GATE Academy: We have an hour and fifteen minutes for break. Love us or hate us, that's not going to change the fact that we have a longer break.

The bell signaling the start of lunch rang while Professor Cloud finished his last sentence concerning history, "special" history, that is. He had briefly gone over how in the last two years of our learning in GATE concerning the first supernaturally gifted had been told as a story, as myths, that we were eventually tested on for general plot and basic moral comprehension of the situations that our predecessors faced. This year, Professor Cloud had told us that we were going into the "beef" of these stories, search deeply and more in depth, and learn about the secrets that hide true intentions and the importance of the lines of these first supernaturals and their descendants accomplishments.

This history, "History of the Firsts" (HF) as we call it, was the most fascinating subject to me. It turns out that Greek mythology is deeply imbedded in the the appearance of the first supernaturals and that many of the "gods" that the Greeks created were based on live, ancient supernaturals. Though, their influences on Fate and the creation of the world seems to have been made up by the Greeks.

I watched as Kane filed out of the class with Falen and Iris, who, speaking of which, I put on my list of things to do to make friends with them.

I thought about Yuki, who was still packing up silently behind me, and how she was supposedly CL-10 already. Maybe I'd ask her how she had passed the test. The next CL-10 test wouldn't be until November, and I will make sure to pass it. The only thing I would have to worry about are the guys from the DH Academy...

I haven't told you about the DH Academy yet, have I? Let's just start off with the basics then. Essentially, the DH, Dark Hearts, Academy is a high school for the supernatural as well. They are considered our rival school, more so than the other Academies (the term "Academy" has been adopted as the official title of schools for the supernatural now) due to an unsettled dispute some 16 years or so ago.

Basically, every year, all of the Academies around the world would send their top 10 students to fight in a tournament and the winning school would receive bragging rights, which was more than enough. GATE always managed to beat out the other schools, with DH as a close second. Until one year where the most qualified student from GATE went missing and all evidence pointed at the top qualifier from DH. Ever since then, GATE and DH have been on bad terms.

Even though there was a possibility that Yuki might have transferred from DH, there should be no reason to judge her just because she went to a rival school, right?

Riku sat on the edge of my desk while Keita stood patiently at his side.

"What do you say, Shizuo? Shall we take a ride into town and get our annual croissants?" Riku eagerly asked me. Keita nodded in approval.

Every year, we've made it a tradition to visit the city, a large metropolis on the other side of the island, and visit a small café that has the best ham and cheese croissants that I've ever had. The city and GATE are separated by a mountain range and forest, but there are highways going through and around the areas.

I smiled as I picked up and shouldered my bag over my left shoulder.

"Of course, I wouldn't have it any other way. We can take the new bikes that I designed over the summer."

Keita raised an eyebrow at me.

"I hope that mine is silver."

"Of course, I think I'd know by now that that is your favorite color" I commented.

"What color is mine??" Riku pressed me for an answer.

"White, just so that it would match Keita's silver bike and my black one."