Chapter 5: Opening Ceremony
After scanning the papers on the bulletin and trying my hardest to squeeze around the crowd, I finally saw the room I was going to attend my classes. 2-B. From what the map guide on the school told me, the 2-B classroom is located on the second floor of the main building. I already memorized the whole building's structure so it is impossible for me to get lost in here. The hallways are bustling with students and most of them are just talking with their old friends, hitting up girls or hanging out with new friends. Still, I can't let it out on my head the notification on my phone the demon energy that it has scanned in this place. If that was the case, someone is currently a demon here. I have to be careful about who should I interact with. I may be paranoid but I am not a hero. I am not someone who cares to tackle this demon and if necessary, I would run away. Call me a coward but that is just normal human instincts towards the unknown.
While thinking about those things, I have finally reached the room with the nameplate of 2-B. There were several students already in the chairs but they didn't notice my arrival. That is alright for me because I feel uncomfortable talking to someone right now. Most of the students in the room are all talking with someone else and I can feel how out of place I am in this place. I don't mind it anyway. I am not the only one who seemed to be out of place. There is one girl currently sitting beside me who has a moon hairpin on her hair that seemed to be similar to me. She is not talking to anyone else and is currently facing her table facedown. I think she is sleeping. There are some guys who are just busy playing games, reading a book and other kinds of stuff. All in all, they are all doing different stuff.
Just as I was about to pull out my phone, the speakers started resounding throughout the area with the announcement.
"Good morning students Please assemble to the gym right away. We are about to hold our opening ceremony."
Looks like it is time to go to the entrance ceremony. I stood up but then noticed the girl beside me still sleeping. I may be hesitant to talk to others, but I am not someone who ignores others. It's not so kind to my principle. Approaching the girl, I shook the girl a bit and whispered, "Hey, wake up. The entrance ceremony is about to start."
Contrary to my expectation, the girl responded like she did not sleep. "Yeah, I know. Don't worry about me. Go on. Thanks for the concern."
Hearing that, I decided to just go back off from this person. I shouldn't have bothered to do that if she was not sleeping at all. Oh well, I have done it, nothing to be done.
Our class started lining up outside and proceed to the gym. Many of the students are still talking to each other and doing this and that. And yep, no one still talked to me, which is cool. As soon as we arrived, the students are clumping on the entrance like some sort of fishes wanting to get inside. Still, I don't really care what they are doing and just followed. We sit to our individual chairs and it was separated into every section in the school. I know it was boring stuff as always so I decided to just passively listen. I connected the headphones on the phone and decided to go listen to some songs. My memory card has been inserted here already and my favorite songs are already downloaded there, which I decided to use to pass time while the long-ass speech is going on.
Just as I was listening to a song, the same mechanical voice from my phone resurfaced again and it started talking in my headphones.
"Warning. A 3rd tier demon is near your location. Calculating data, you are still not someone ready for a battle. Evacuate the place. I repeat a 3rd Tier demon is near your location. please evacuate."
This time, I froze on the spot. The demons again? Can someone put a stop on these demons?
"You are a magician. It is your job to defeat demons and kill them for the safety of everyone in the world," the mechanical voice said.
I was pissed off by this mechanical voice. Luckily, this thing can still scan what I am thinking and I can talk to it while not opening my mouth.
"You keep on monologuing yourself. It's weird. Stop it," the mechanical voice said.
If not for the fact that I don't have money right now to buy a new phone, I would be willing to squash this phone to smithereens.
Since this weird phone keeps on sending warning, I decided to look around and check who is the one doing it. However, with this densely populated area of the gym, it was impossible to check whether a person is a demon or not. Then, the person beside me pinched my hands.
"Do not look around, you will be discovered."
This made me halt and look at the person beside me. Now that I think about it, it was the same girl that currently my seatmate and now my seatmate here in the gym.
"What?" I looked at her in confusion.
"You are a magician, right? I can sense the app on your phone giving you out the warning system. Don't worry, I am also one of those people receiving those things," she said to me.
"Then..."
"That is right. A demon is currently blending with others here. From the looks of it, you are still a clueless guy, Which faction in Japan are you Prom?" she asked.
Wait, what? Faction? I don't have a faction! I am just a normal guy without any kind of sh*t! Oh, except the shoes and the gloves that spit out flames. Then, the phone explained again.
"Factions are the group of magicians grouped together as one. They are allies and will help each other in need. Usually, this term is used in two different groups having a conflict with each other. I suggest you join the Japan-Tokyo Faction."
"Does that mean, you are a magician?" I looked at her.
"Shh, don't blurt it out. We can't reveal our identity as magicians to other people. Didn't you read the rules in the app?"
She is right. There is a rule stating that kind. However, does that even apply to me?
"...thank you and good day, everyone. Good luck on your journey and may the all of you find success!" the principal said on the stage before she bows down and everyone started clapping which means that the opening ceremony is finally over.
"Let's meet up in the rooftop later. We will discuss what we have spoken here there later. This lunchtime okay?"
"Ah, yes..." I said but I doubt she heard that as she already moved out from the area along with the torrent of students.