Battle Armor and Hope

They entered into the outer court's first-grade classroom, situated on the ground floor of the school building. It was a lecture theater large enough to accommodate three hundred people. Elder Cai stood resolutely behind the lectern with still a gloomy look on her face and as her gaze swept over the assembled students, a collective shiver ran through most of the students.

Shen Yi made her way to Elder Cai's side and addressed the room " Dear students, please find your seats as I call out your names. Nero, row one seat one " Nero didn't have much reaction to this announcement as he had anticipated his seat placement. He was well aware that Elder Cai intend to make his life miserable by making other students target him. However, what she might not have realized was that this strategy was a double-edged sword. While it could certainly paint a target on Nero's back, it also granted him the power to shatter his peer's confidence entirely.

Nero walked over to his seat, which happened to be right in the middle of the lecture theatre. As he sat settled down, Shen Yi resumed the announcements.

" Tang Wulin, row one, seat two. "

"Gu Yue, row one, seat three!"

"Xie Xie, row one, seat four!"

"Xu Xiaoyan, row one, seat five!"

Eventually, everyone settled into their seats. After Shen Yi had finished tallying the total number of students, Elder Cai stepped forward. Her voice carried authority as he began, "I'll say this just once, so pay attention. At Shrek Academy, your teachers can guide you, but it's your choice to take the steps. Your success here depends on how much you put in. But let's move on from that for now."

"Today, you'll get to know how things work around here. Teacher Shen will explain the rules and our way of teaching in a bit. Teacher Shen, if you would," Elder Cai said, her tone firm. She turned to leave after delivering her speech. However, before she reached the theater doors, she cast an indifferent gaze at Nero. In response, Nero simply waved his hand.

As Elder Cai made her exit, the lingering tension in the room began to dissipate. With a sense of relief settling in, Shen Yi stepped up to the lectern and began to speak. " All of you are now members..."She explained how Shrek Academy worked as if she were reading from a script for another fifteen minutes, providing important information, before she finally transitioned to the main topic at hand.

"Today's first topic is battle armor masters," Shen Yi's words immediately seized everyone's attention. "What is a battle armor master? What does it mean to become one?" Every soul master in the room aspired to become a battle armor master. Regardless of their origins, each student had excelled in their previous academies, making their aspirations clear.

"I'm sure some of you are wondering why our first lesson is about battle armor masters," she went on. "Well, that's because you already learned the basics before coming here. If you hadn't, you wouldn't have passed the entrance exam. So, we won't be revisiting those basics. Your goal for the next five, ten, fifteen, or even twenty years is to become a battle armor master."

"Remember what Elder Cai mentioned in her speech during the opening ceremony," Shen Yi reminded them. "You can stay in the outer court until you're thirty-five. But if you can't attain one-word battle armor mastery by then, you'll leave without graduating. On the other hand, achieving it secures your graduation from the outer court. This is the standard for all Shrek Academy students. Let me be clear—only thirty-three percent of outer court students make it through. In simpler terms, one out of three outer court students becomes a battle armor master."

"For those who already developed secondary professions before coming here, congratulations," she continued. "Your journey ahead might be smoother. But if you haven't, it's time to invest more effort in honing those skills."

"Those who achieve one-word battle armor mastery at twenty-five years old or younger can qualify for the inner court," Shen Yi elaborated. "Failing the inner court exam means you'll graduate as an outer court student. Contrary to your expectations, time here isn't as abundant as you might think."

' Alright, you mentioned you were working on modifying the battle armor. Could you tell me more about it? ' Nero, who hadn't been fully focused on the lecture, silently queried Aria as she was in-charge of all the auxiliary work. [Well, explaining all the details would take a while. So, I'll summarize. Remember the Demon metal prototype?] Aria inquired. Nero nodded in recollection, urging her to continue. [After analyzing its structure, I discovered that the metal can adapt to different energy types. Then, studying Beowulf, which evolves with its user, I devised a new metal prototype. This 'Battle-Armor,' if we can even call it that, made from this metal would grow alongside the user. Actually, 'Battle-Armor' isn't quite right—it's more fitting to call it a Divine Outfit prototype, as it has the potential to continue growing even after the user becomes a god and unlike the normal Battle armor which can only be integrated at two-word, this type of Battle armor would fuse with you the moment it is made and it can even repair itself as it is connected to User.] Although, Nero knew that Aria would come up with something outrageous but still he was shocked as she just outright created a method for Divine outfit. If that wasn't enough, Aria continued [ In fact there is still a piece missing from the whole equation, after analyzing the demon metal I found there is a special place in it meant for engraving, but I'm clueless about what exactly should go there. My best guess is that it's linked to your father's initial legacy. ]

' Dad, What is it that you discovered? ' Nero thought, at this point he was sure that whatever was it that his discovered was world-changing. Nero stopped brainstorming about this as soon they would get the co-ordinates for that place and then everything would be revealed. [Aria, what about the chest and waist armor?] Nero asked inwardly. Back when Aria was researching the Battle Armor, he had requested her assistance with those particular components since he wasn't keen on wearing them. [Thanks to your mother's notes, I've devised a solution. You can craft your regular combat attire {Vergil DMC 5 attire} using the Demon metal. Instead of conventional armor for defense, I'll integrate spatial energy engravings into your clothing. These engravings will disperse incoming attacks into the surrounding space, creating a defense superior to traditional armor.] hearing this Nero was eager to begin crafting his Battle Armor, as he truly hated wearing his standard green academy uniform.

As classes concluded, Nero headed towards his dormitory, his thoughts consumed by the design of his Battle Armor. Just before entering his room, a recollection of yesterday's incident flashed though Nero's mind. He opted to call out and determine whether she was present inside. As he was on the verge of shouting, he stopped, not knowing how to address her ' Should I use Yehui? But won't that be too close? Using her full name might come across as odd. But addressing her as Yuanen might seem rude ' While Nero pondered over the best way to address Yuanen Yehui, a voice suddenly sounded from behind him, "Why are you standing at the door?". As the voice reached his ears, Nero turned around and found that it was Yuanen Yehui without her disguised form.

"Well, I thought you were inside, and I was debating how to address you," Nero admitted, his embarrassment evident as he scratched his head. Yuanen Yehui responded with a melodious laughter upon hearing Nero's explanation. "Hey! It's not that amusing; I was just trying to be respectful," Nero retorted swiftly, a hint of defensiveness in his tone. "Yeah, yeah, you were," Yuanen Yehui responded, causing Nero to let out a resigned sigh.

"You can just call me Yehui, it's fine," Yuanen Yehui said once her laughter had subsided. Nero nodded in response. "So, are you working on the Battle Armor?" Nero inquired as they entered the room. "Yeah, why?" Yuanen Yehui confirmed. Nero continued, "Pause that for now. Your martial soul issue will be resolved within a week." Her surprise was evident as she questioned, "That quickly?" "Well, I happen to know someone skilled in this area," Nero nodded, providing an explanation.

[ Nero, I think we can share the new Battle-Armor design with her, ] Aria suggested, ' Why? It's not that I don't trust her, it is the first time you have allowed something like this ' Nero inwardly asked in curiosity. Aria explained, [ First, sharing the design could help us gather more data. Since we're already helping her with her Martial Soul problem, it makes sense to trust her. Second, she's currently neutral, unlike Xie Xie, Ye Xianglin, and others tied to the Tang Sect. Plus, she has the Demon bloodline, so you both have common enemies. She'd be a suitable ally. ] Nero agreed with Aria, considering that Yuanen Yehui was the only person who could become his ally, especially since in the original timeline she joined both Shrek Academy and the Tang Sect due to the Demon Seed issue.

" Yehui, You came to Shrek because of the Demon Seed problem right? " Nero's tone turned serious as he posed the question to Yuanen Yehui. Her surprise was evident at Nero's sudden shift, but she swiftly matched his seriousness, sensing the gravity of the conversation. "Yes," her response allowed Nero to continue, "I can resolve that problem for you. And I'm willing to share how it's done." Yuanen Yehui paused for a moment, her expression pensive, before she inquired, "What do you want in return? Be honest, Nero. I know you wouldn't bring this up just because we're friends." Based on their conversation from the day before, she understood Nero's character well enough to realize that although Nero wasn't selfish but he would never get himself involve in troublesome things unnecessarily. { I don't want any comment about why they are discussing these when they only met one day ago. If you can't tell this specific conversation isn't between two friends }

"Trust. I want your trust as an ally, to an extent where you won't align with any organization," Nero responded candidly. He understood that his request was excessive but considering the enemies he would face this was something he had to do. Without a pause, Nero continued, "And of course, you won't be at a disadvantage; you'll have everything you need." Yuanen Yehui remained silent for a minute before she answered, "First, I want to know how you plan to resolve the Demon Seed issue. After that, I'll decide. If you can genuinely achieve it, I'm even willing to take an oath to place complete trust in you." Yuanen Yehui reached this decision after careful contemplation. Witnessing her mother's sacrifice had convinced her that neither Shrek Academy nor the Tang Sect could effectively address the Demon Seed problem. and after hearing Nero's perspective, she was unwilling to sacrifice herself solely for the sake of others.

"This is my martial soul, Yamato," Nero introduced, conjuring Yamato into view. He continued, "It possesses a unique ability. Actually, 'ability' isn't quite accurate. It harbors a law within it, known as the Law of Separation." Nero then proceeded to provide a detailed explanation of the Law of Separation. The term 'shock' would be an immense understatement to describe Yuanen Yehui's feelings after Nero's explanation. She struggled to fathom how a martial soul could have such a BUG ability. Gradually returning to her senses, tears welled in her eyes. Nero approached her and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. He understood that, deep down, she was scared of sacrifice, much like her mother. Now, discovering that she could actually survive, it was only natural for her suppressed emotions to surface.

"It's okay to cry; I understand how frightening it must have been," Nero's words finally shattered the last barrier Yuanen Yehui had been holding onto. Tears streamed down her face as she began to cry. Nero felt a momentary stiffness throughout his body when Yuanen Yehui instinctively hugged his waist. He sighed softly, gently rubbing her back in an attempt to provide comfort during this emotional moment.

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