Dawn of Zero

Chapter 1 - Her Icy Gaze

Bright rays of light began entering his eyes as he hastily woke up and found himself on the floor instead of his bed.

"Argh, that dream again..." He murmured, his right palm landing on his forehead in pain. Soon, he quickly got up and looked at a digital clock hanging on the wall in front of him. Its digital letters showed 6.30 a.m., and with the sun rising, a new day had already begun.

He then began to stretch his body, patted his moderately long hair with slightly curly ends to minimise his messy look and looked around him. His room seemed to be nearly vacant, with only his luggage and backpack full of his belongings organised in one spot.

The boy walked out of his room and began heading towards the bathroom when a sudden sharp smack greeted him on the head by an older man around sixty years of age with his grey stranded hair tied to a ponytail and a short beard, his thin but fit build slightly overshadowed by his hunched back and wearing a dull dark green yukata.

"Hey, kiddo! You're up late!"

The boy turned back and yelled at him, "Ow! Why'd you hit me with that wooden sword?!"

"Heh, that was slow of you. Get up quickly, Ryuzaki. You'll be late for your first day at the academy if you keep slacking." The older man soon began pushing Ryuzaki's back.

"Jeez... Alright, I'll be ready in a sec." Ryuzaki walked to the bathroom a few steps away from his room. As he scrubbed his hair with shampoo and rinsed it off with lukewarm water from the showerhead, he began to ponder about the dream he had earlier.

What was that about? It's been going on for a few weeks now, he thought. It took him a few moments to think deeper into it before eventually letting out a sigh, I guess I should try to forget about it.

He brushed his thoughts off as he dried his wet hair and face with a towel before wearing his new school uniform and headed downstairs to eat breakfast. As he ate a bowl of rice with tofu and miso soup, the older man came to the dining room and complimented his new uniform.

"Hey, you're lookin' pretty darn good in that uniform of yours." He said with a grin on his face as he observed Ryuzaki's new school uniform. Ryuzaki sported a long-sleeved black blazer that had the academy's emblem on the left side, a plain white shirt with a maroon necktie underneath and a pair of black slacks, which complemented his tall and fit build.

"I mean, it's better than what you're wearing." He responded with a smug face, making the older man strangle him and gave him a noogie.

"Ohoho, don't you dare mock my sense of clothing. You can't even dodge a sword strike on the head!" He continued to rub his knuckles on Ryuzaki's head.

"Alright, alright. You win!" He groaned in slight frustration as the older man burst in laughter. Soon after he finished his breakfast, a honking sound could be heard from outside. He, along with the old man, carried his luggage and other belongings out of the wooden house and into the white van that had a huge label on the sides displaying "Shisaki West Combat Academy."

Just as Ryuzaki's finished placing the last bag into the van, the older man approached him for the last time before he departed to the academy.

"Just be a good boy, remember what I've taught you in training and use them wisely. Or else..."

"Hmm? Or else what—" Before he knew it, the older man had whacked his butt with the wooden sword. He shouted and lay on his left side, holding his butt in pain.

"Hehe, don't forget this too!" The older man then threw a sheathed katana with its holster at him, which he managed to catch.

"Well, consider this as a gift from your beloved grandmaster. See you soon!" Ryuzaki's grandmaster soon walked back inside his house.