"I was never meant to be here." In a world where Gifts determine status and power, Saul Mayne stands at the top - a sword-wielding prodigy blessed by fate. Louis Hall follows closely, heir to a billion-credit empire with talent and pride to match. Then there's Paul Wayne - a nobody. No background. No family. No rank. Just a strange tattoo on his hand and a broken system that shows a question mark where his identity should be. He shouldn't even be at Diamond Academy, the elite combat school where future heroes are forged. But the invitation came. The uniform fit. The door opened. Now trapped in a story that isn't his, Paul must navigate ruthless guilds, overwhelming talents, and an academy designed to chew up the weak. But there's something wrong with this world. And Paul Wayne might be the glitch that changes everything. --- An academy setting. A mysterious system. A forgotten extra with no place in the script. The truth behind his existence... starts now.

Everyone at Diamond Academy fights with magic or swords. I chose a gun. They laughed-until they saw what my Stigma could do. Time slows. Targets fall. And I never miss. I'm not here to prove anything. I'm here to survive... and win.

After spending years as a mercenary, 16-year-old Kai Ren returns to his hometown, determined to leave behind a life of violence and bloodshed. Reuniting with his younger sister, Naomi, and his single mother, Hana-who are struggling to make ends meet in a working-class neighborhood-Kai longs for a quiet, normal life with his family. To stay close to Naomi, he enrolls in a local high school, hoping to blend in and protect his loved ones from the shadows. But trouble has a way of finding him. Gang conflicts, corrupt officials, and enemies from his past threaten to tear apart the fragile peace he's trying to build. Forced to rely on the lethal skills he wanted to leave behind, Kai must navigate the dangers of his new life while keeping his dark past a secret. To protect his family, he'll do whatever it takes-even if it means becoming the monster he hoped to bury. Inspired by Mercenary Enrollment (Teenage Mercenary)

Ren Takashi, a 17-year-old high school student, has struggled to keep his life on track. With his parents having been killed 2 years ago, he is forced into the cruel world of adulting too soon, having to manage both finances and relationships all while he takes care of his two younger sisters. Every day, he wonders if things will ever change... On the day of his opening ceremony, he gets his wish... twice? Ren meets Emery, a transfer student who turns out to be crushing on his best friend! At the same time, he is offered a special opportunity to become a nanotech assassin, allowing him to carry out hits for quick cash. Talk about luck! But as he delves deeper into the difficulties of complex emotions and deadly consequences, he realizes he isn't as lucky as he first thought. Will Ren be able to maintain the balance between his two lifestyles while navigating a complex love triangle? Or will everything interlock, and force him down a difficult path that could result in him losing everything and everyone he cares for?