Nakano Kumiko

Most students positioned themselves in their seats already. I made my first friend named Ichinose, who sat up ahead. Saki, who I had become close with, sat beside me. I was surrounded by familiarity, which was the best possible outcome I could imagine.

The one that sat diagonally across from me was a boy. He looked timid and exuded a weak aura. His body build was slimmer than average, though not to say it was abnormal. I wanted to know everybody in this class, so perhaps I could start with those nearby.

I didn't want an unnatural encounter, though. Since I couldn't just go up and talk to anyone like Saki, I had to rely on unintentional contact or active people like Ichinose earlier. I certainly didn't want to bother people or create an awkward situation.

Having decided that it was best to let nature take its course, I loosened up my body. The chair was more comfortable than I had imagined. It was definitely better than the wooden chairs that I had at home.

I grabbed the tablet on the table and looked through its features. It was an ordinary device, similar to phones. It was equipped with a stylus - a gadget resembling a pen, used for input on a touch-sensitive monitor. I also found an app where you could organize lecture notes. That was about it. It only served the purpose of note-taking.

As I put the tablet down, I saw a shadowy figure standing at the door. Maybe it was our homeroom teacher waiting for the bell to ring. The time was 8:55 AM, and the class would start five minutes later. I knew these five minutes would feel like half an hour since the anticipation inside was building up rapidly.

Some students noticed the figure outside too, so they straightened up and returned to their seats. One by one, the class was now filled with silence. I could only hear faint whispers from certain directions, but generally, no one was causing any chaos.

Soon after, the bell rang. Another first was added to the list of firsts. The sound was loud enough to startle the students. Merely seconds later, a woman entered the classroom. Her stride spoke poise and confidence. She definitely exuded a strong and provoking aura. Somehow, I felt that her actions didn't correlate with her age. She looked very young like she had just turned 20 yesterday.

To my surprise, she had the same hair color as mine, which was white. Her hair reached her lower back. She had disheveled fringe swept to the left. Her attire was the most peculiar. She wore a black jacket with white piping and had a ribbon tied around her abdomen. Under it was a white dress shirt and a red tie. The jacket was long enough to cover her short gray skirt. Additionally, she wore heeled knee-high black boots with a shiny black stocking covering her full legs.

"Good morning," she said. "My name is Nakano Kumiko, and I will be in charge of class 1-B. I teach everything about combat in general. Of course, completing all levels of every academic subject is mandatory. Also, it should be noted that I will not be replaced for each new school year. I will be your homeroom teacher for the next three years. Any questions so far?"

She was articulate with her words. I mean, every teacher should be eloquent, but she had a slight charm that captured everybody's attention. Not a lot of teachers had that from what I heard. I had listened to many of Saki's stories about how boring and monotonic most teachers were. Nanako-sensei might pique her interest.

"W-wait, Nakano Kumiko...?"

"That Nakano Kumiko?"

"That's not the real one...right?"

"Isn't she our nation's Light, ranking behind only Raphael Gagnier of Noxio...?"

Murmurs and gossip suddenly broke out in the classroom. What got into them saying stuff while the professor was standing in front of you? 

"Saki... What's going on?"

"Hmm... The name does ring a bell, but I can't seem to remember," Saki was deeply contemplating sensei's name. Was she someone that popular?

"Quiet, everyone," with that resolute voice from Nakano-sensei, the entire class fell deep into silence. 

"Since some of you may not know me, I'll introduce myself again. I am Nakano Kumiko, proudly one of two Lights in Hakuryuu. All of you belong to the class of the 12th generation students of the academy, deemed to be the golden generation that will change the landscape of the world. My duty is simple. As the Light of Hakuryuu, I'll guide you to achieve your goals and become the best Repulsors in the world."

Her aura was insane. A stare that could grab the attention of thousands. Every student started clapping their hands ferociously after that grand speech.

'So she's a Light. No wonder I feel a different energy from her.'

"Lights" were beings that transcended the realms of what humans could achieve. Each nation could only appoint two Repulsors as their Lights, so there were 12 Lights in total. 

I didn't realize Nakano-sensei was a Light because I tend to shut myself off from the world. The only source of information I listened to was from Saki herself.

The only names I knew were Noxio's Light Raphael Gagnier, Belegaer's Light Myrin Aekas, and Lemiapolis' Light Hugo Ambrose. They were excellent protectors of their respective nations, and they were well-known since they dealt with diplomacy and security directly to the World's Administration, while others worked as mercenaries and only responded to their government when needed.

"To think a second-ranked Light is here to teach us. This is the opportunity of a lifetime, Hiryu-kun!"

"She's the second strongest in the world?" 

"The Light ranking system is quite complicated since it takes in contribution, honor, and other factors, so not really. Still, she's super strong beyond human understanding! Jeez... I can feel the pressure seeping into me just by looking at her."

"A Light in a secluded place like this isn't something I expected."

"She just called us the 'golden generation,' didn't she? This gotta be the privilege of being talented. I love it!"

It was surely great to receive lessons from one of the best in the world. I heard she was a swordmaster as well, so this could become beneficial for my growth.

"Let's get back to the topic at hand. I'll answer one question before we begin."