Entrance ceremony

The Military Academy was an aristocratic kind of school. Heirs of noble and merchant families could get enrolled to learn the ways of knights and be granted a noble title at graduation. Being the best academy in the Empire, it receives countless resources every year to form high-quality soldiers for the empire.

Here you would learn many things, from theoretical knowledge to spellcraft, Suit Piloting, Starfighter Piloting, Gun Handling, Military Strategies, Survival Skills, and so on. Every teacher was among the strongest Military Nobles, a branch of nobility directly focused on the empire's military rather than land management the main branch of nobles focuses on.

How do I know that? Well, because my memory started to get working on the way to the Academy, and I could confirm that I had somehow transmigrated to another world.

And that's not all, this world is most likely the same one from the Dating Sim I had purchased!

My memories at least seemed to match the general background of the game's protagonist. A pity I had no time to actually play the thing and better understand what the future was holding for me, if I had been so lucky, maybe I could've prepared for whatever was coming my way.

But knowing that this game was praised as the Dark Souls of Visual Novels, I think the future is quite dark... If anything, I better take my studies seriously and never slack off, the game would still assist me with the level-up system that increased my basic parameters, but here? Well, I'm basically fucked because it doesn't exist.

"Masato-son, look the ceremony is being held at the Academy's gym." Kyoko pointed to a pamphlet glued to the wall.

"Let's go then, I don't want to be late!"

We hurried across the campus and following the map at the entrance we soon arrived at the Gym. The noisy chattering from afar told us that there were quite some people inside, after showing the staff at the entrance our enrollment papers, they finally let us inside.

The gym was pretty much like a stadium, at the center was a stage with many speakers and a giant screen, and around the many sports fields at the center of the gym, there were many grandstands where the students were sitting at.

I guess this place could probably support a few thousand people.

Despite the chattering, less than half of the stadium they called a gym was filled and the grandstands were divided by year, so it seems that our seniors were also here to watch the entrance ceremony.

After asking around for a bit, I and Kyoko finally found the first year's grandstand. There were about one hundred students and most seats had already been taken. As I looked around for a place for us two to sit, someone cried excitedly towards me.

"Ani-ue! Here, come sit with me!"

I smiled hearing this voice.

"Kyoko-san, let's go sit with my little sister."

"U-um!" Kyoko nodded but her cheeks were somewhat reddened, maybe she was a little bit shy next to so many people.

My little sister is called Yanagi Usagi, although we are technically the same age, she has been smaller and less mature than me, when we were younger, I would help her with many things, like beating bullies that were messing up with her or just playing around, at least that was what the original Ishihara Masato used to do... Not that I wouldn't do the same, but I guess it still weighs in my mind that I'm in someone else's body.

We approached and I sat down on her left side while Kyoko sat down on her right side. Usagi was a beautiful petite girl, while her chest had yet to blossom like Kyoko's she was much more charming in her own way. Since she is a direct descendant of a noble family, her aura was noble like and her face was somewhat cold, but that was only with strangers, whenever she was with me, she would be a cute brat.

"Ani-ue, who is this girl...?" Ignoring Kyoko, Usagi glared daggers at me as if I was cheating on my wife or something. Seeing her cold narrowed aqua blue eyes staring at the depths of my soul, I shuddered for a moment and quickly explained.

"She is only someone I happened to help on the way to the Academy. Really, it's no big deal!" Seeing her stare getting increasingly threatening, I gulped and turned to Kyoko. "I-Isn't that, right? Kyoko-san?"

"U-um! Masato helped when I was being attacked by a thief!"

"Is that so?" Usagi stopped looking at me but I could feel the lack of trust in her voice. Before I could say anything, she poked Kyoko in the arm and said with a cutesy voice.

"Hey, hey, Oneesan!"

"Eh, are you talking to me?" Kyoko asked surprised. She had to lower her head to look at Usagi because there was around a 10 centimeters difference between the two

Usagi nodded with a kittenish smile. "You should be careful around Ani-ue, you know?"

Uh? What was this brat talking about? Oh no! "Hey, Usagi, stop slandering peop-"

Usagi stood up from her chair and went around me to close my mouth from behind with her hands as she grinned at me and continued speaking without minding the situation. "You know, Oneesan, Ani-ue is a big pervert, when we were younger, he would help other girls, just to touch them and feel their hands, if you're not careful he will try to eat you!"

I opened my eyes wide at the audacity of the little brat! How dare she spills the bean-like that! What happened with our brother and sister relationship!? You should have helped me, and not the other way around!

Kyoko's face became red like a tomato as she lifted her hands and started shaking her head shyly. "N-no, y-you are misunderstanding. I swear! W-we did nothing like that!"

Usagi grinned playfully as she hopped away from me, finally allowing me to breathe.

"You little brat! Do you think it's fun to slander your honorable older brother like that?"

Usagi stuck out her tongue playfully and spoke with a voice full of righteousness. "Don't worry, Ani-ue. I'll act as the guardian angel of all girls of this Academy! None will have to suffer in your lecherous hands!"

I smacked Usagi in the head and we kept throwing insults at each other for some time, and not too long after, the principal, Professor Kubo Takeshi appeared on the stage together with a bunch of students, they had teleported through a magic circle of sorts that had been inscribed to the ground.

The chattering instantly died off as nobody dared to disrespect the Court Supreme Commander. In times of peace, the headmaster of the Military Academy is precisely the one who has the highest control of the military forces in the Kingdom, the man was such a powerful knight that he was said to have defeated an entire army of a thousand ships alone.

Who in their right minds would dare to oppose such a grand existence? Heck, even annoying him might be the end of your life.

Stepping up forward, the sturdy old man in grandiose armor swept his eyes on the crowd.

"Welcome to everyone in a brand new year at the Military Academy. As you may know, you're currently stepping on one of the most powerful learning institutions on the whole continent. Some of you have been here for some years... others are enrolling now at the tender age of 18. I may not know who you are, but I hope you know what the empire expects of you and why the empire is willing to use so many resources to train you."

"You may think that the monthly fees are too high, or that we are trying to steal your money, but know this... in the whole history of this Academy, the empire never ever profited off it, without the fees the Academy, operating it would be impossible. From equipment to research resources, monster hunting, dungeon diving, and more... all of those costs a fortune, and it is all to make you the true competent elites that the Empire expect you to be."

"You may have expected me to say something beautiful like you are the hope of the empire or something like that, but I hope you understand that things aren't so simple and that your fates and that of the empire are closely tied together. You succeed and the empire succeeds with you... you fail and the empire will go down with you. So if you don't want to see a massacre, the destruction of the society you have lived in through all your lives, and the death of your loved ones, YOU WILL DO YOUR BEST, AND AVOID A FATE WORSE THAN DEATH."

Having spoken those words, the Supreme Commander turned around and walked to the center of the magic circle that lit up and teleported him away from the gym.

One of the students that accompanied him to the stage, a girl with blonde hair just like Usagi stood up from her seat at the stage and stepped forward. Even though she had no microphone, her voice, just like that of the Commander resounded throughout the gym with the help of the magic speakers.

"Look, look! It's Ane-ue! Isn't she beautiful in the Student Council's Uniform?"

Usagi sounded excited as she gazed at the stage with admiration.

"W-what!? That hateful woman is in the Student Council?!"

I was shocked at this, that girl speaking on the stage was actually the same one that called me in the morning and insulted me non-stop. Yanagi Asuka, although she's also my 'half-sister' like Usagi, Asuka is a year older and she has always been kinda bossy and nosy, even though she is beautiful and also has a big chest, I can't stand her in any way, she is far too annoying!

When we were younger she would order me around and force me to do many things like studying do that I would intelligent enough to do her homework, cleaning my and her bedroom, cooking for her, and other things... all because I stole one panty of hers! Can you believe it!? The worst part was that she somehow had a picture of me in the act and is holding on to it till this day as a threat to make me do her bidding!

"Who is hateful? You are the hateful one and also a pervert, Ani-ue!"

"Masato-san, you shouldn't speak of your older sister like that..." Kyoko who had been listening to the sound also reprimanded me making me want to cry!

Wait, now that I think about it, why does this sound like a parallel version of my other life? Woah, was this Masato my soul brother or something similar?

Thinking of this, I got quiet and listened to my older sister's speech.

"Everyone, I'm this years' president of the Student Council. I'd like to first thank you for coming to the entrance ceremony. As you may know, every year at this gym, we from the Student Council are tasked with revealing the heroic tasks of the years."

Hearing this, everyone on the first year's stands started discussing in confusion.

"What is she talking about?"

"Wait, since when there was such a thing?"

"Tsk, my parents never told me of something like that."

It wasn't only then, even I and Usagi were confused about this because Asuka had never told us about it.

"As the first years are not aware of the Heroic Tasks, let me first explain what they are and how they work."