Kaizen Reign yawned loudly, stretching his arms above his head as he leaned back in the old, creaky teacher's chair. The classroom was silent, the dull hum of the fluorescent lights above the only sound filling the room. He was supposed to be "teaching" at this hero academy, but right now, all he wanted was to lie down and take a nap.
"Another day, another batch of undecided heroes," he muttered to himself, tapping his fingers rhythmically on the desk. "When do I get to retire again?"
He glanced at the clock. Ten more minutes until class started. Perfect.
The door to the classroom slammed open, and in walked his first student of the day—a tall, overly confident-looking guy with spiky hair and a smug grin plastered on his face.
"Good morning, Professor Reign!" the student greeted loudly, his voice full of enthusiasm.
Kaizen blinked, not at all surprised by the sudden burst of energy. This was part of the job—students who thought they could take on the world before they'd even learned how to tie their shoes properly.
"Morning, kid," Kaizen replied, not bothering to stand up or offer any form of greeting. He wasn't the warm, welcoming type, and this place wasn't supposed to feel like a cozy learning environment anyway.
The student took a seat in the front row, clearly eager for whatever Kaizen was about to impart. It wasn't that Kaizen didn't know the material—far from it. He was an expert on the subject of heroes. But his methods were... unconventional.
The rest of the students began trickling in, and Kaizen, now fully aware of their presence, slowly stood up from his chair. He grabbed the chalk and wrote a single phrase on the blackboard:
"How to be a hero—first lesson: Embrace your villain side."
A few of the students exchanged confused glances, while others just stared at him, waiting for the catch. Kaizen smirked. This was always his favorite part.
"Alright, kids," he began, his tone as lazy as ever, "you're here because your little grandmas think you're going to save the world someday. But guess what? The world doesn't care. And neither do I."
He casually leaned against the desk, making direct eye contact with a student in the back who looked like he'd never been told no a day in his life. He had the aura of someone from a powerful family, probably used to getting what he wanted by force, and Kaizen could already tell this one would be a problem.
"Now, I'm going to teach you how to become the best heroes you can be, and to do that, you need to learn the most important lesson of all: how to be a villain first."
A beat of silence.
"I know, I know," Kaizen waved his hand dismissively. "You're all thinking, 'But Professor Reign, we're here to be heroes!' Well, guess what? Every good hero has a bit of villain in them. You're going to need to understand how to be ruthless, cunning, and unpredictable if you ever want to get the job done."
One of the students—a tiny girl with a big attitude—raised her hand. "Are you seriously teaching us how to be bad guys?"
Kaizen grinned. "Not bad guys. Just... efficient guys. Heroes don't win wars by playing nice."
The students exchanged uncertain glances, unsure whether this was some weird joke or if they were actually supposed to take him seriously.
He could already tell who the real troublemakers were going to be. The kid in the back, the one with the powerful family aura, was already looking like he might try to challenge everything Kaizen said. And the girl who'd spoken up—her stance was defensive, like she was already prepared to challenge everything he said. She'd be fun.
"I don't expect you all to get it right away," Kaizen continued. "But by the end of this semester, you'll see the world through a different lens. Maybe you'll even get to the point where you're questioning the so-called 'heroes' who are supposed to be saving the world."
He glanced at the clock. They still had ten minutes. Perfect.
"And remember," Kaizen added, leaning forward with a smirk, "some of you might be from rich, powerful families. Some of you might come from weak, poor families. Some of you might have secrets you haven't even figured out yet. But guess what? This class isn't ranked by your family power. It's ranked by your ability to adapt. And that... is what you'll need if you want to survive."
The bell rang, signaling the end of the first class. Kaizen grinned again, his eyes scanning the room. Some of them were still confused, but a few had the spark of curiosity in their eyes.
He leaned back in his chair, placing his feet up on the desk. This was going to be a long ride, but at least it would be entertaining.
"Alright, class dismissed," he called, already looking forward to the next lesson. "And remember—villains always have the best snacks."
As the students began filing out, he caught a glimpse of one girl who was lingering near the door. Her posture was rigid, her eyes narrowed. He recognized the type. She had that martial arts background vibe. There was something about her that felt... familiar. He made a mental note to keep an eye on her.
After all, in a school for future heroes, there were bound to be more than a few who had hidden motives, and Kaizen was excellent at spotting them.