3. Tutorial Fight (Now with Real Pain)
963 Words
There were three things Kairi Aozora was certain of:
He was definitely going to die.
Amaya Kisaragi looked way too good in gym clothes.
The System was trying to murder him via cardio.
“Again,” Amaya ordered, standing tall like a general surveying a battlefield.
They were in the old gym — the one behind the main building that no one used except spiders and sports clubs desperate for space. The wooden floors creaked under Kairi’s feet as he panted, drenched in sweat.
“I—I think I’m gonna pass out—”
“Then pass out faster. You’re wasting daylight.”
She tossed him a foam sword.
He barely caught it before it smacked his face.
⚔️ Quest Started: Amaya’s Combat Training
Objective: Survive 30 minutes
Reward: +1 DEX, +1 Combat Stat
Bonus Objective: Land a hit on Amaya (Reward: ???)
Bonus objective? Hell no. That sounded like a death sentence.
“Can’t we—I dunno—train in strategy? Or maybe emotional resilience?” Kairi gasped, wiping his forehead.
Amaya raised an eyebrow. “You think you’ll have time for ‘emotional resilience’ when someone’s trying to knock your teeth out in the hallway?”
“That’s a very specific scenario.”
She didn’t answer. She just lunged.
Kairi squeaked and dodged sideways — barely. Her wooden sword missed his ribs by inches, but the wind of the swing alone made his soul leave his body for a second.
He swung back, but it was like trying to fight a hurricane with a pool noodle.
Amaya moved like she had cheat codes.
⚠️ Alert: You are currently outmatched.
Tip: Try not sucking.
“Helpful,” Kairi growled under his breath, ducking another strike.
HP: 84/100
HP: 62/100
HP: 45/100
“SOME OF THESE AREN’T EVEN HITS, SHE’S JUST HURTING MY PRIDE—!”
Fifteen minutes in, Kairi collapsed to the floor, gasping like a dying fish. Sweat soaked through his shirt. His knees screamed. His self-esteem was already buried six feet under.
Amaya stood over him, arms crossed.
“You lasted longer than I thought,” she admitted.
“That’s… comforting,” he wheezed. “In a ‘please don’t let my funeral be lame’ kind of way.”
She offered a water bottle.
He took it without thinking, gulping it down like holy nectar.
For a moment, silence.
Then, she sat down beside him — not close, not far. Just… there.
“You have potential,” she said quietly.
Kairi blinked. “What?”
“Don’t make me repeat it.”
“No, I heard you, I’m just wondering if I hit my head.”
She side-eyed him. “You did. Twice. But that’s not the point.”
Kairi stared at the ceiling.
The sunlight streaming through the broken windows made the dust float like fireflies.
Maybe it was the exhaustion, or the quiet, or the way her voice sounded a little softer than usual — but his chest felt warm.
Dangerously warm.
⚠️ [Emotional Sync: 1%]
Warning: Bond forming. Proceed?
His heart jumped. “What does that mean?”
Amaya turned. “What?”
“Nothing! Talking to myself. Definitely not falling for you or anything.”
Her eyes narrowed.
He coughed. “I said definitely not!”
She stood up. “We’re done for today.”
“Wait—”
“Same time tomorrow. Don’t be late.”
As she walked away, the System pinged.
Quest Complete: +1 DEX
Bonus Objective Failed: You did not land a single hit
You tried tho. Here, have a pity reward: +1 Stubbornness (Passive)
That night, Kairi lay in bed, arms aching, brain fried.
“Emotional Sync,” he mumbled, staring at the ceiling. “Why does that sound like I’m pairing up with a Bluetooth speaker?”
He opened the System menu for the first time since it all started.
It was more organized than he expected — like a futuristic RPG overlay.
[Player: Kairi Aozora]
Level: 2
Class: Unlocked – Wildcard
Stats:
• INT: 32
• DEX: 13 (+1)
• CHR: 14
• LUCK: 77
• HP: 98/100
Skills:
• Accidental Charm (Passive)
• Shared Trust (Amaya)
• Stubbornness (Passive)
Quests:
– Survive Reiji’s Presence (Ongoing)
– Amaya’s Combat Training (Repeatable)
– Unlock Class Bonus (???)
“Wildcard?” Kairi mumbled. “What does that mean?”
[Class: Wildcard]
You don’t follow the rules. That’s the point.
Effect: Every day, something random happens.
Warning: Could be good. Could also kill you. Have fun!
Kairi stared.
“…Cool. I’m a walking glitch.”
He rolled over and groaned into his pillow.
The next morning, chaos continued as usual.
Someone in the hallway was arguing with the vending machine. Another kid was levitating his books with a glowing aura. Reiji passed by without a word, but his eyes lingered just a little longer on Kairi.
Too long.
Kairi sped-walked to class like a man on fire.
But something was different.
Whispers.
People were whispering about him.
“That’s the guy who—”
“Did you hear he beat Amaya in a duel?”
“Is he… a new hidden System user?”
Passive Buff: Rumor Magnet (Activated)
“WHY AM I A RUMOR MAGNET?!”
+5 Notoriety
-5 Peace and Quiet
And then it happened.
Mid-lesson, the classroom lights flickered.
The air shifted.
A cold breeze crawled down Kairi’s spine.
🚨 Alert: SYSTEM ANOMALY DETECTED
A “Corrupted Quest” has appeared nearby
Type: Glitched
Zone: Classroom 3-B
He looked around.
No one else flinched.
No one else saw it.
Only him.
Side Quest: Investigate the Glitched Zone
Reward: ???
Risk Level: Unknown
Kairi swallowed hard.
So this wasn’t just fun and games anymore.
Something — or someone — was playing with the rules of this world.
- Writer
