Invitation

I groaned at the thought of all that I needed to do. However, I sucked it up and started working.

I sat down at my desk and started to work. I had already made a task plan of what to do over the next few days and planned to hire people to do it. After finishing all my work, it was already 3:00 am and I retired to bed.

*****

I got up in the morning and opened the curtains. The bright sun shone in. I have been sleeping less lately. It was all thanks to the company and training.

I was so busy with work that I had no time left to sleep. But I don't regret that. All of this was to ensure survival in the future. There is an enormous joy that comes from working hard and seeing the fruit of your labor.

I finished showering, got dressed, and then had breakfast. Then I headed for class.

As I walked into the classroom, the students started talking to each other about me.

[ "It's Zero." ]

[ "Did he really defeat Lucas and Rowan. Isn't it due to Hiro that he won?" ]

[ "You were not there during the match. I saw with my own eyes when Zero viciously thrash Lucas and Rowan." ]

[ "Really? Then Zero is Rank-E+?" ]

[ "Idiot, what do you know? Lucas and Rowan were already on the verge of falling when Zero joined the fight. He was only able to beat them because they were exhausted from fighting Hiro." ]

[ "Totally. If he was so powerful, he would have joined the fight earlier." ] …

My reputation had spread throughout the school. Some were upset that I was riding on the coattail of Hiro; it was mostly students who were not there to watch the fight.

While many of my classmates were shocked that Romeo of their class whom they thought was a coward was able to display such impressive strength.

I walked towards the back of the class. As I did, the students stopped talking and stared at me.

I walked to my seat and sat down. My seat was at the back of the class. No one came over to talk to me.

I glanced in the direction of Hiro. Unlike me, Hiro had lots of friends who always chatting with him. Hiro, who was talking to his friends, turned around and looked at me. Then he offered me a smile.

I smiled back at Hiro. He smiled wider and went back to his conversation.

*****

{Hiro's POV}

The following day, I entered the classroom and sat down on my seat. I was fairly early and most students hadn't arrived yet.

I was instantly surrounded by people. Even more than before the second year began harassing me.

During that time, fewer people will come to talk to me due to the fear of offending the seniors.

Actually, I enjoy that kind of calm morning, but I could not stand seniors making trouble and causing disturbance to my fellow students.

["Hiro, has your wound healed?"]

One of Hiro's fangirls asked Hiro.

[ "All healed up. The Academy healer is really proficient at healing." ]

Hiro replied while swinging his arm.

[ "Hmph! You even got beaten up by two weaklings. Look like you need to train harder." ]

Zion said with a condescending sneer.

For others, Lucas and Rowan might be strong but for Zion, they were not much different from other students. Just a tad stronger than other weaklings.

Zion didn't watch the fight until the end. He decided to leave the arena before finishing the match.

Zion was annoyed when he later learned that Hiro, who he considered his rival, had been defeated by Lucas and Rowan. Then, wouldn't it mean Zion was weaker than them since Zion was second to Hiro?

On top of that, Zero who was chasing after his girl had defeated them. Now that Zero was finally getting some recognition, the rumors that Zero was a coward who couldn't fight were falling apart.

This means that the impression of Zero might improve in Lisa's eyes. This all would have been avoided if Hiro had properly defeated Lucas and Rowan.

[ "Don't listen to him. Hiro, you did great in the battle." ]

Sylvia told him. She and Lisa came to class together.

[ "Yes, Hiro you were really cool." ]

[ "Being able to fight two seniors is an incredible feat." ]

[ "If it was not for Lucas and Rowan breaking the rule, you would have won." ]

[ "Exactly. Professor William didn't even disqualify them for eating the pills. It was clear he was helping the seniors." ] …

Hiro fans started to cheer for Hiro. They started to insult the seniors.

There was a sudden drop in sound in the surrounding area. It was because Zero has entered the class. It was then that one of the girls said angrily.

[ "If he had helped earlier, Hiro wouldn't have been injured." ]

[ "It's all thanks to Hiro that he won. He wouldn't have won if he was the one fighting them at the beginning." ]

[ "It was Two vs Two but he was just standing on the stage without doing anything." ]

Zero glanced in my direction. I smiled at him and he smiled back at me.

[ "I am grateful for his help. I was the one who told him I wanted to fight alone." ]

[ "Ohhh. I thought about why Zero was not helping you. This explains it all." ]

Sylvia said to me.

[ "Why did you want to fight alone?" ]

Lisa asked with a puzzled expression.

[ "I wanted to compare my current strength with the seniors. Though I ended up getting defeated." ]

I was embarrassed to say that. Like others have said if I had fought with Zero from the beginning we would have won easily.

However, I felt responsible for dragging Zero into that fight. He didn't even agree to accept their challenge, they just included him because I had accepted to fight.

No matter what others say, Zero had saved me. I would have been humiliated and harassed if we had lost that fight.

Though I didn't expect that kind of power from him. Others were saying, he had won because Lucas and Rowan were exhausted from fighting me.

Although their mana and stamina may have been depleted by fighting me, they still had the power of a Rank-E+ peak. I know how strong they were and I had to admit that I would have lost if Zero had not interfered.

From what I know about Zero, he was Rank-F+ during the start of school. He was pretty famous because Zero would always pester Lisa.

While others thought he was a coward for refusing to fight when challenged. I thought it was incredible for him to endure being provoked.

He knows that most of his classmates are arrogant and would be provoked at slight provocation.

There can be two reasons why Zero ignores those insults from other students. One, he really is a coward. However, it was unlikely because you wouldn't see any trace of fear on his face when other students bother him

The second reason could be, he is more powerful than them. Powerful people don't like to waste their time fighting weak people. If they did, the people that would challenge them would never end.

And the fight proved that the second reason was true. However, to grow from Rank-F+ to Rank-E+ in two months is an insane speed. Even with the help of the system, it takes more than a month to Rank up.

[ "What are you thinking?" ]

Snapping me out of my thoughts was Sylvia's voice. All the students near me were staring at me.

[ "Ah! I-It was nothing." ]

I chatted with my friends until the teacher came.

The students returned to their seats after Professor Mia entered the class.