Early morning sunlight crept through the blinds of Classroom 1-A at the Hero Academy. Virat was lazily sprawled on his bench, eyelids drooping but still trying to stay engaged in a very serious debate.
"I'm telling you," Joseph said with absolute confidence, "Chocolate is the superior flavor. It's a classic. Can't beat it."
Kenji, sitting cross-legged beside him, raised an eyebrow. "Vanilla exists in a dimension of elegance. You chocolate lovers are just bitter because you're basic."
"Oh, now you wanna argue, you piece of electric wire?" Kenji shot back, sparks literally crackling at the tips of his fingers.
Joseph stood up, eyes narrowing. "Of course I wanna argue, you Japanese sugar-daddy! I bet you bathe in syrup!"
The room erupted in laughter. Even Virat choked on his water.
By now, half the class had joined the fray, not to stop the fight, but to cheer it on.
"Go Kenji, beat that chocolate bar into pudding!"
"Joseph! Zap him so hard he turns into cotton candy!"
Julie and Mackenzie were nervously trying to wave them down. "Guys, we're in school—"
"Let 'em cook," Ayush said, ice cubes forming around his soda can. "This is better than cable TV."
Ali stepped between them, raising a hand. "Okay, okay, calm down. We're in a classroom. We have to respect school laws. No duels unless they're registered and refereed."
Suddenly, the door creaked open.
Tap... Tap... Tap...
Everyone froze as Mr. Acturus walked in, red scarf fluttering slightly in the breeze like a war veteran entering a battlefield.
"Those who are fighting," he said in a tone too calm to be anything but terrifying, "get on your benches before I sit on the chair."
The students scrambled like cats in a thunderstorm. Kenji instantly sat cross-legged on his desk like a Buddha, Joseph zapped himself to his seat, and even Ayush slid back into place like an ice hockey puck.
Acturus sat down slowly, dusting off his coat.
"Good," he said with a thumbs up, which somehow made it scarier. "Now, listen carefully. Starting today, we begin your first real step into becoming true heroes. Combat training."
A few jaws dropped.
"You'll be training under Titan," he continued, "and… a special guest."
Everyone looked at each other. Even Xavier raised an eyebrow.
"During this program," Acturus explained, "you will unlock and strengthen two forms of aura: physical aura and mental aura. I know some of you already have one or the other. Some of you, none. And most of you don't even know what the second one is."
He stood and began walking between the aisles.
"Let's start with what they are."
He tapped the whiteboard. It lit up with holographic diagrams.
PHYSICAL AURA
"The most basic form," Acturus said. "Physical aura unlocks through sheer will, determination, and intense pressure. It often manifests in moments of danger or strong emotional drive."
He turned and pointed to Jax.
"Mr. Crimson Hair over here likely triggered it in a life-or-death moment. Didn't you?"
Jax nodded silently, crossing his arms.
"With physical aura, you gain enhanced strength, speed, durability—and the best part—it's infinite. You can make it stronger over time. Some of you might even forge it into your weapons."
Virat glanced at his hands. So that glowing light around Ali and Jax when they fought… that was physical aura.
"Also," Acturus added with a grin, "when you use it, your body glows with a color. That color is linked to your personality. But once chosen, it's permanent. So don't whine if you end up looking like a glow stick."
Kenji raised a hand. "What if your glow color is pink?"
"Then you fight fabulously," Acturus replied without hesitation.
Kenji nodded. "Acceptable."
MENTAL AURA
"Now, mental aura," Acturus continued, this time pacing slowly. "It's different. You can't unlock it just by yelling some emotional monologue or fighting your ex's boyfriend."
Everyone chuckled.
"Mental aura requires focus, dedication, and training. It sharpens your reflexes, enhances your reaction speed, and—if trained well—you can begin sensing your opponent's intentions."
"Wait, like mind-reading?" Manish asked, now very interested.
"Eventually," Acturus said. "With intense mastery, you can even access fragments of memories. Some prodigies even see glimpses of the past… or future."
The room fell silent.
"But let me be very clear. Mental aura is harder to master. You can't fake your way through it. It's not about brute strength—it's about awareness."
Ayush whispered to Jax, "So basically, it's Sharingan but real."
Jax didn't reply but gave a small nod of agreement.
"Alright," Acturus concluded. "Titan will arrive tomorrow morning for physical training. The mental aura trainer... you'll meet when you're ready."
Virat raised his hand. "Do we get to spar with each other?"
"You'll get to spar with monsters if you want," Acturus said. "But first… ice cream."
Kenji and Joseph looked at each other in horror.
"No," Joseph whispered. "It's not over."
"Agreed," Kenji growled. "Class may be dismissed, but the flavor war has just begun."
The bell rang, and the students filed out with excitement. Virat couldn't help but smile.
Combat training, aura awakenings, and his classmates going full anime over desserts—this was going to be fun.
The class sat in stunned silence, digesting the mountain of information like it was a five-course meal. Virat raised his hand, looking half curious, half confused.
"So uh… if I train hard enough with mental aura… can I see the past? Like… last week's math test answers?"
The class burst into laughter. Even Acturus smirked.
"Only if your mental aura can break the fourth wall," he said, adjusting his red scarf. "And if you're that desperate, ask Kenji. He probably transformed the test paper into mochi."
Kenji blinked, looking genuinely offended. "Why would I ruin good mochi like that?"
Ali chuckled. "Alright guys, enough jokes. This aura stuff sounds intense. Let's give it our all."
The students nodded in agreement, the room now buzzing with motivation. Training was coming—and with it, the real road to becoming heroes.
[TO BE CONTINUED]