FIRST DAY AT THE RED-DRAGON ACADEMY FOR GIRLS
I was so nervous, I could hardly sleep, but I still awoke at my usual time.
When I rose from my bed, I changed from my pajamas into the uniform I’d laid out the night before. It was the first uniform I’d worn in my life. Well, except for when I tried it on to check the fit. It felt a bit tight now.
There came a knock at the door.
“Are you up, Laika? Can I come in?”
“Yes, Sister. Come in,” I replied, and the door opened to reveal Leila standing there in her pajamas.
In the next moment, she was standing next to me and pulling me into a tight hug.
“Aww! You’re cute as a bug in that uniform, Laika!”
The red dragons’ movements were sharp and agile, and my sister was president of the student government. A typical red dragon would have a difficult time following her with their eyes. I had been unable to dodge her, so I did not shake her off.
“Yes, yes! Now, if you grew your hair out long like mine, I think it’d go perfectly with that uniform. I’m so excited~ Can I braid your hair next time? I love playing with people’s hair!”
“Sister, red dragons though we may be, it is still too hot for me like this… And you’re still in your pajamas.”
I was not going to complain about every little thing, but my sister’s problems lay not exclusively in her pajamas. Her long hair was still a mess from sleeping. She must have just woken up.
“Oh, it’s fine. I’ll be all right; I’ll change before we leave. And my uniform might get dirty while I eat breakfast, so it actually makes sense not to get dressed first.”
“I understand, but then why did you advise me to change as soon as I woke up?”
“Because you’re a new student. You shouldn’t be rushing on the first day. I was stricter with myself at home right after I started school, too.”
“So you are less disciplined now, you mean.”
“You’re so picky for someone who’s got so much to work on herself.” Leila let me go and then started fiddling with my uniform tie. “There, perfect. It’s really hard to get the tie the right length.”
“Oh, did I not get it right…? This is only my first day, so I am still a bit clumsy here…”
“Well, I might’ve messed it up when I hugged you.”
“Then it is your fault!”
“Laika, if I remained this strict with myself as student council president, then I’d be too stiff to ever shift into dragon form. We need to relax.” Leila smiled her student council president smile—I could see everyone looking up to her, although I was unsure if she was admired in reality. I had not yet seen her at school, so it was possible that she was simply talking herself up.
However, that reassuring smile told me that I could trust her. She had a truly charismatic presence.
“I understand that rest is important,” I replied. “Without it, neither physical nor academic improvements will stick. Severe physical workouts do not improve one’s abilities, nor are they sustainable.”
“Whoo, so stiff! It’s almost hard to believe you’re my little sister.” Leila chuckled in exasperation.
“In a way, one could say that I turned out like this because I watched you growing up.”
“Yeah, yeah. Let’s go show Mom and Dad just how great you look.” Leila came to stand behind me and prodded my back, taking me to the dining room.
This time, my parents fussed over me.
“Oh my! How lovely!”
“Yes, you look great, Laika.”
They seemed to be having fun, but I was uncomfortable the whole time. I suppose I must accept it as a rite of passage… I doubted they would fawn over me every day like this.
I was also delighted that my breakfast was a serving of steak for two dragons, apparently in celebration of my first day of school. I have heard that a portion for two dragons is a portion for twenty humans.
Five minutes before I left, Leila was rushing around to get ready, and she eventually emerged in her upperclassman uniform. Her bedhead was nowhere to be seen, and her hair clip stood out against her long hair.
“Well? Don’t I look like the student council president?”
My eyes widened in surprise that my sister could change so drastically, but I was so annoyed by her earlier behavior that I could not bring myself to simply compliment her.
“You must be careful not to praise yourself too much.”
“My little sister is a harsh mistress.” Leila sighed in a theatrical show of disappointment, then grabbed my hand as though we would be attacking in unison. I lost my balance and almost tripped.
“Sister, you are a coward to attack me out of the blue! Especially before school!”
“Yeah, we’re on our way. Let’s go.” She tugged on my hand even harder than before.
I would fall over if I stubbornly stayed in place, so I graciously took a step forward to walk beside my sister.
“I was under the impression that the older students arrive a little late on the day of the entrance ceremony.” I had fully intended on going to school by myself today…
“The student council is welcoming the new students today, so we need to get there early. You’ll thank me.”
I was unsure if I would, so I refrained from replying and left the house.
Today, I was starting school at the Red-Dragon Academy for Girls.
There were several dragons—the ones who lived farther away from the school—flying overhead, so it was quite shady on the ground despite the sunny day.
We lived near the school, so we arrived in our human forms. The school building was designed for our human forms anyway. Dragon-scale buildings were simply not economically feasible, so red dragons typically lived their lives in their human forms. It really was common, although it did vary from dragon to dragon.
“Ooh, so many new students headed to the academy.” Leila was looking up at the dragons.
“You can tell they’re new?”
“Yeah. They’re not so great at flying, and they’re generally smaller than average.”
“I see.”
Leila and I did not speak very much on the way—going to school with her was miserable.
But I could not be bothered to explain exactly why, so I hugged my bag in front of me and started to walk quickly, at about fifteen gilro per hour. I was not a clingy little sister, so Leila did not find this strange at all.
The path going uphill became very steep.
The academy was in a large hollow in the ground near the sixth checkpoint up Mount Rokko, so the path grew steep partway there, and there were parts of the route where we had to climb up while holding on to a chain that had been hammered into the ground. No human would be able to reach the school, but it was not difficult for any dragons.
Then, as I neared the academy, I found more cause for misery.
“Good morning, Leila.”
“It is lovely to see you, Leila.” “Greetings, President.”
The students were starting to greet my sister.
Even though I had heard that the upperclassmen would be arriving later, I found myself encountering many who had decided to come to school early for various reasons…
“Good morning, everyone. We’re so lucky to have good weather on the first day of school; what a relief! It’s been a bit quiet in the building since the seniors left, but let’s all do what we can to give the new crop of students the warmest welcome,” Leila replied with a dignified expression and an announcement that was hard to refute.
As she stood there, she was the shining example of the student council president. After so many years of her barging in to my room in her pajamas and bedhead, the sight was downright uncanny.
In a way, her transformation was much greater than the difference between dragon and human form.
I suppose I could have survived my sister’s little performance; however…
“Oh, is this your sister?”
“She’s adorable.”
“I am so jealous you have such an upstanding council president as your elder sister.”
I failed to escape…
Of course, I was garnering attention as I traveled to school with Leila.
I would have accepted the stares if I had done something to earn them, but I hated receiving all the attention simply because I was the student council president’s younger sister…
“Ah… My name is Laika… I am afraid I am nothing special, but I am pleased to meet you all… I am glad to make the acquaintance of my sister’s cohort…”
I greeted them anyway; I could not ignore them when they were right in front of me.
“She’s precious!”
“You have such good manners. It’s your sister’s influence, right?”
“Oh yes, I am more than honored to be considered among the president’s cohort.”
My simple greeting earned quite a reaction.
Oh…I’m simply being treated as a pet. Please do not pay me so much attention…
When they spoke, the new students making their way to the entrance ceremony noticed us as well.
“That’s the student council president and her younger sister.”
“I knew the president would look so prim and proper.”
“She’s way different from my lazy big sister.”
I wished I could fly away and hide in a cave somewhere in the volcano… I could feel a blush crawling up my face…
“Laika, you can be more confident. There’s nothing to be embarrassed about.” Leila patted me on the shoulder.
“I cannot… I am a new student with no record to be confident of. Such an attitude would only suggest I think too highly of myself…”
Perhaps some considered me lucky to have the student council president as my sister, but that was a foolish and untrue assumption.
This was an encumbrance. So many people would simply see me as the student council president’s younger sister.
If I ever came up short, they would all talk about how I failed in comparison to their dear president.
No matter what, I had to buck my sister’s good—no, bad influences!
I stretched and began rushing forward. “Sister, I know the way to school, so I will go on ahead.”
I had to remove myself from her.
I heard her talking behind me, but I had properly excused myself, so I would not bother with what she said. And if I were to greet all of her acquaintances, then I would never arrive at school.
However, a few minutes later, I glanced beside me…
…to find Leila walking apace with me with a cool expression.
How odd. I thought I put quite a bit of energy into getting ahead…
“You’re panicking, Laika.” Leila reached out to grab my hand. “I’ve been walking beside you for a while now… But you didn’t even notice.” She did not mention my attempt to leave her behind. She simply smiled. “We’re not running late, so let’s not start sweating before the sixth checkpoint. You don’t want to be compared the more uncouth dragon tribes.”
Ah, I knew right away that she was wholly steeped in the role of Leila the student council president now.
“All right. I will be more careful.” I bowed my head, and a thought came to me.
My only choice was to become a fine dragon in my own right so that I would not lose to her.
I knew it would not be an easy road, but it was the only one I could take to free myself from this misery.
The academy was a magnificent building, like a temple; the walls and pillars seemed to be exuding light.
The yard in front of the school building was beautiful. Beyond the dragon-carved gateposts lay a large garden with the symbol of the academy sitting squarely in the center: a fountain of flame, the blazes soaring upward into the sky. A human school might perhaps have a water fountain, but this was a dragon school, and that meant fire.
“Those flames use the flammable gas that comes out of Mount Rokko. They’ve been there since before the academy was built,” my sister explained, as though she was the head of the academy.
Beyond that was the school building. From where I stood, it took the shape of an open-bottom rectangle. Beyond it were other buildings, such as the auditorium, and behind that was a beautiful lake of water that had seeped up from the volcano (I saw it when I came to take the entrance exam), but classes and most activities would be taking place in the building in the shape of an open-bottom rectangle.
“The entrance ceremony is in the auditorium. That’s where the new students are going, so we’ll say good-bye here. I’m going to go peek into the student council room.” Leila patted me on the shoulder. “There’s nothing to worry about. It’s normal for the first-years to be worried about something or other.”
“This helps me with nothing,” I protested.
“But if I don’t try to help you where I can, you’re just going to be upset with me, aren’t you?” she said with a devious grin, and I did not reply.
I hated to admit it, but she was right.
“Pain and worry are inevitable, so you should embrace it. I know you won’t let that stop you. You grow every time you feel those emotions. Keep going—so long as you keep concentrating on that, you can do anything.” Leila seemed larger-than-life in that moment. “Well, a blue dragon would wreck the whole school if they heard me saying ‘you can do anything,’ so maybe I shouldn’t say it…”
I suppose blue dragons were those delinquents that came to hover around Mount Rokko every once in a while. Their leader was someone named Flatorte; she often picked fights with Leila.
“I will be going now, Sister.”
“Okay.”
Leila gave me a little wave. It was a gesture a student leader would make, entirely different from her crass attitude at home.
Which one was the real her?
The entrance ceremony proceeded without much commotion.
Several important school figures, including the principal, gave speeches, after which the new student representative spoke…
And then Leila came up onstage.
When she did, several cheers erupted from the auditorium. From the voices, I could tell the majority were from new students.
“That’s the student council president.”
“She’s gorgeous.”
“I wish I could be her sister.”
“Oh yeah, I think her actual sister is in our grade.”
I overcame my embarrassment, managed to lift my head, and watched my sister as she welcomed the new students. I had a feeling I would have attracted more attention had I kept my head down.
Because of that, I was able to see a student standing in front of me who was gazing up at Leila with stars in her eyes. Her hands were folded in front of her chest as though in prayer. No need to treat her as a deity in the flesh.
Leila, however, continued to speak without any signs of embarrassment. It was almost as though this praise was an everyday occurrence for her. If even I could sense the firmness of her character, then it was a given that the other students saw her as special.
She most certainly seemed like a divine, untouchable being compared to us first-year students.
Then some of her words from on high stuck with me.
“New students of the academy, you will fight in many battles, and I hope you will earn just as many victories. Our school motto is Challenge, Victory, Growth.”
The motto was only three words.
What Leila said rang loud in my ears, as though she was speaking directly to me. The forward-looking motto suited dragons well. I rather liked it.
Starting today, I was to begin my first year in the academy.
I would never stagnate and remain as I was on the first day of school! I would become the perfect dragon, so perfect that those who met me would not even think of my sister!
The entrance ceremony came to an uneventful close, we first-years were informed of our classes, and we made our way to our respective rooms.
“Hey! It says Challenge, Victory, Growth on the wall, too!”
When I entered my classroom, students who had arrived before me were pointing at the wall. It almost seemed as though the framed motto was watching over me.
All right, it’s time for my first challenge.
I was going to be friends with the person sitting in front of me!
It was the same girl who had been standing right in front of me at the ceremony, looking up at Leila in awe and envy. Her long hair was neatly curled, pulled up on either side of her head like a chandelier. Styling it in such a manner seemed like more trouble than it would be worth, but perhaps only someone who had that much concentration every day could achieve such symmetry.
“Um, pardon me,” I said, and she stood up and whirled around to face me.
There was a big frown on her face, and she had her arms folded. “My name is Hialis. You are Laika, the student council president’s younger sister, correct?”
So she already knew who I was. I was not entirely pleased with that being the first thing she called me, however.
“That is correct. My name is Laika. I thought since we are sitting close to each other that we might be frie—”
“Face me in battle!” she declared, pointing at me.
“In…battle…?”
“You are the esteemed student president’s younger sister. You will have no shortage of opponents here on the first day of school! Let me be your first trial!”
“Ah, I am glad to hear my sister means so much to you, but…why must I battle you…?”
“Isn’t it obvious? Admiration will not bring me to her heights; if I don’t act on it, I would be doing her a grave disservice. Training to one day surpass her is how I plan to thank her for inspiring me. And!” Hialis’s voice grew in volume. “She is not only well-mannered, but long-praised as the most powerful student in martial abilities in the school! I must make my way up, even if by force! I refuse to let my words be no more than words!” Hialis’s eyes shone brightly.
She was right!
What she said convinced me. I hoped to one day surpass my sister, myself—to aim for the very top.
Because it was Leila who was doing as she pleased with the title of strongest at the academy!
…Yet I was still unclear as to why this girl was challenging me and not my sister… I suppose she wanted to fight one who had spent most of her life by her side.
I had also spoken to Hialis with the intent of challenging myself.
But challenge alone was not enough. Of course, a challenge is important, because nothing can be accomplished without it, but without victory—without success—then stagnation is inevitable.
Victory or defeat—this was the perfect opportunity to draw that line.
I doubted Hialis would want to be friends with someone who turned tail and ran now anyway!
“Understood. I accept your challenge!”
The moment I said that, the happy atmosphere in the classroom was replaced by a kind of frenzy.
All those chatting and laughing, reading the new student brochures, or spending the time as they pleased immediately pulled the desks to the perimeter of the room to create an open space in the center.
“Now this is a fight.”
“Red dragons always fight when they need to.”
“We first-years have to talk with our fists!”
Ah, this was a tradition of the academy.
One girl in my class stepped forward.
“If I may, I will be the referee for this fight. Since we are in the classroom, no dragon forms. No fire, either. This is a sudden death match with no time limit, only ending when one gives up or falls unconscious. Any objections?”
I was impressed—the people at the academy were always ready for battle.
“I have no problem with this.”
“Neither do I.”
Hialis and I faced each other in the open space in the classroom.
“Ever since recess in elementary school, I have been feared as Bodybreaker Hialis. I can tear an opponent’s muscles moments after touching them. Whenever we would play cops and robbers, any robber I would touch would drop to the ground in pain.” Hialis briefly extended her hands; perhaps that was her stance. It reminded me of a wrestling stance.
“I see. It seems you passed the entrance exam to the academy for good reason.”
The academy’s exam not only looked at academic skill, but also physical and martial skills.
“I wanted to see how much the student council president’s younger sister could do. You have great timing.” Hialis licked her own left hand to provoke me.
“I have a long way to match my sister in skill, but…you will regret making light of me!”
I turned straight toward Hialis and started with a punch.
I never hesitated in battle; I would get hit if I did! And now that the battle had started, I would keep up the pressure!
Hialis crossed her arms to block my attack.
“Hah!” she shouted.
My punch bounced off!
My center of gravity moved backward.
“Action, reaction, and momentum!”
I did not know that was possible…! I cannot let my guard down here!
“There!”
As I leaned backward, Hialis reached out and touched my leg.
Ting.
There was an odd sensation in my leg—followed by searing pain!
“Rgh! Is this a muscle tear?!”
“Ha-ha-ha-ha! This is my body-breaking technique! You should be terrified; I know everything there is to know about muscles!” Hialis’s laugh echoed off the walls, almost as though amplifying the ache in my torn muscle. “I’ve already won! No one can concentrate on battle with such pain! There is nothing you can do to recover!”
Hialis started dealing me blow after blow. Though no one hit packed much punch, she dodged all of my counters right at the last second.
The pain was weakening my concentration!
To make matters worse, she tore another muscle in my other leg during the fight, and the pain dulled my mind even further.
This was bad—it was sending me into a terrible spiral!
From around the classroom, I could hear whispers. “I didn’t think this would be so one-sided…” “A bad condition can take out the foundations of even the most skilled fighter… And now both her legs are injured…”
All I could do in the moment was endure and find the key that would lead to my chance at victory. But I had to find it quickly; exhaustion would only make this harder…
“I guess the president’s sister didn’t amount to much in the end. I had high hopes for you,” Hialis said as she continued her barrage. “If this is all, then I can surpass her and devote myself to my studies! I will be more than the strongest being in the academy!”
As Hialis delivered blow after blow, I somehow managed to keep myself in place with the heel of my left foot.
This was my chance to win.
“It seems you are losing some concentration yourself, Hialis,” I whispered.
“No need to pretend. I am destroying you!”
Hialis dealt a kick with her long legs. She was fully intending on taking me down with that one blow.
I blocked the attack with my right arm.
“Argh! She stopped it! No, her center of gravity is coming back forward…”
That was correct—and if she had been paying attention, she would have noticed it.
“Hialis, you have been thinking about the president this entire fight. But I am me! I am Laika the red dragon…before I am her sister!”
If you could not concentrate on the enemy in front of you, your attack and defense would inevitably be weak!
“You are battling me with the intention of fighting my sister—this mistake will prove fatal to you!”
I shifted into offense and leaned forward, stepping into Hialis’s space.
Hialis was unable to read me just then; I could tell by the way she spoke.
Her lapse in judgment would be her downfall!
I extended my arm, my right hand in a fist that went right into her!
“Ha! I’ll just deflect—” She brought her arms up to guard, but…it was no use.
“I have put my entire weight into this punch!”
I shattered her guard and hit her full force!
“Gh…ghaaaaaaah!” Hialis spun backward and collided hard with the classroom wall.
The impact shook the framed Challenge, Victory, Growth from its spot on the wall, and it fell on top of her head.
“I—I have…lost…in my own challenge… I have no regrets…”
The referee yelled, “Hialis has given up! That’s it! Laika wins!”
Applause and congratulatory cheers erupted around me.
“I did…all that I could.”
I could feel a fire quietly burning in my chest.
I had a feeling that I was inviting unwanted attention on my first day…but I could not grow stronger by giving into the need to fit in. Once I had been challenged, I needed to prove victorious, after all.
This was how it was at the Red-Dragon Academy for Girls—this was a garden of women who would master both beauty and strength!
I extended my hand to the collapsed Hialis.
“That was a nice fight. My legs still hurt.”
“I had no chance. Just as you said, I’d lost sight of who I was fighting against… How embarrassing.” Hialis dropped her gaze to the floor.
“Then you must challenge me again.”
That was a part of our school motto, after all.
“Of course.” Her expression relaxed, and she took my hand.
“Starting today, Laika, I will serve you.”
That was a strange expression…
“Ah, well, if we were to be friends—”
“We are classmates, but now I am your younger sister. I will grow and improve with your guidance.”
Hrmmm…
“Um…can we not be friends instead?”
“No. It’s an unwritten rule here at the academy that when you lose in battle against an upperclassman or classmate, you become a ‘sister’ under them. I can’t escape the rules by pretending not to know them; I refuse to make a fool of myself right on the first day.”
I did not know about this unwritten rule!
More importantly, why did Leila not tell me about this before…? Leila!! She intentionally kept it from me, didn’t she…? That was the only thing I could think of…
“Ah… I didn’t know about this when I agreed to fight…”
“I put in my all, and I still lost to you. I have no qualms about being your younger sister!” Hialis yelled.
Cheers came from our classmates around us.
“Fantastic.”
“What a touching change of heart.”
“Oh, my heart…”
I could not turn her down now. “U-understood… I accept you as my sister…” I bowed.
“Me too. I’m glad you accept. Of course, you’re always welcome to come to me for help. I’m here for you.” Hialis smiled brightly.
I had a feeling I’d failed in making a friend, but…I had someone on my side on the first day of school already…so I suppose that was fine.
My days at the academy had just begun!
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