Chapter 9 9. Declaration Of War

“Hello there chosen ones. I am the president of this Academy for the youngs and gifted, Helios Bright. Some of you may also know me as the no. 2nd, or my alter ego, Lightbringer.”

The welcoming ceremony started with the president introducing himself.

He was a dark red haired man with light skin, in his late thirties. Although if one were to look closer, they could see that all signs of aging has stopped on him, it is as if the man was frozen in time.

“First of all, I would like to welcome you all to this Academy where we forge the legends of tomorrow! I believe in this world, everyone is special. And just the fact that you’re sitting right here is proof enough to tell me how special you all are!

“I must warn you all though, the path you all are going to walk from now is not an easy one. A hero’s job is not just to fight villains and beasts, no it’s much more than that! A hero’s job is to be a symbol, a symbol of justice and righteousness!”

Although the speech was exhilarating at first but after a few minutes in and it was now starting to turn into a torture.

The president just kept on speaking and speaking, most of the students now started to look like lifeless dolls. Barely hanging on as every word by the president seems to drain the life out of them bit by bit.

“Okay I’m done, I give up. Wake me up when the torture ends.” Kiara moved her seat nearer to Sam and whispered, before putting a palm in front of her closed eyes.

Over the span of four years, since he started his journey as the henchman of a certain calamity class villain, Sam has fought countless superheroes and supervillains alike.

However, this was his first time seeing the infamous ‘second strongest superhero’ as they call him, the Lightbringer.

With his ability; Light manipulation, he can create, manipulate and turn himself into light. The versatile nature of his ability has granted him a power to be feared of.

Rumours has it that he once faught Starsuper into near submission. He lost in the end of course, but bringing Starsuper to near submission is a feat not just anyone could achieve.

Needless to say, he has many fans, even among the students that were sitting there listening to him speak.

However even after an hour of continuous speaking, it still looked like the president had no plans of stopping.

One more hour passed and the students were barely hanging on to their sanity. Most of them were sleeping, or atleast trying to, but the speakers were way too loud for that. Few of them were trying to distract themselves by using their holographic phones.

The students who considered themselves as his die hard fans before attending this speech were now trash talking him on the internet.

At this point only four students were listening to him. All of them for a different reason.

Sam, because he doesn’t know anything about him so he was trying to observe the man.

Lucas, the boy who aced the entrance test. He has to give a speech after this too.

A pair of flaxen haired siblings sitting in the front row. Many were thinking that the boy was Starboy, but then who is the girl besides him? A secret child of Starsuper perhaps.

“And with this short speech, I conclude all the things I wanted to say.”

Was it sarcasm or straight out mockery, no one knew. However everyone present there instantly thought about ganging up on him and beating him to death after hearing the words “short speech”, however that thought was quickly dismissed after remembering who the man in question is.

“Now I would like to call the freshmen year representative, Lucas Redwing to come here and take the mic.”

Helios concluded his speech and the students finally sighed with relief after a straight two hours of torture.

Those who were asleep before, woke up to the sound of clapping and instinctively started clapping themselves as they saw a light red haired boy walking up to the stage.

“Wha-What’s happening?” Kiara woke up and rubbed her eyes before started to clap herself.

“Nothing sleeping beauty, the speech is over after 200 years of long suffering, and now the freshmen representative will grace us with few words.” Sam replied sarcastically.

“Speech! Again?!”

“Well you wanted to join the Hero Academy, so here it is.”

“Aghhh!”

The clapping sound died down as Lucas walked up to the stage and held the mic.

Although the boy was supposed to be the first year representative, what most people were seeing was a slender teen with moppy light red hair. With his slim face and light red eyes, the boy was the exact defination of ‘Pretty Boy’.

“Screech!” A screeching sound resounded throughout the hall from speakers as he tried to speak.

“S-Sorry.” He spoke timidly.

Boys and girls alike, found him cute from his actions. Some of the girls even thought of asking him out afterwards.

However that take on him was shattered as soon as he opened his mouth again;

“From the tender age of four, I considered myself as the strongest. How can I not? Afterall I am untouchable. So I came here to find someone, anyone, that equals me in terms of power. However all I found here are a bunch of weaklings. Well for what it’s worth, I’ll graduate as the top of my class.” Lucas spoke narcissistically, his earlier timidness replaced by sheer arrogance.

With that he finished his little ‘speech’ and exited the main hall, leaving all the students present there with a dumbfounded expression on their face.

“What?! Who does he think hs is?!”

“How dare he! I’ll kill that bastard myself!”

“Fuck you! To think I thought about proposing to that son of a whore!”

A chain of cuss broke out among the crowd. Some people even tried to run after him, to chase him down and beat him till their heart’s content. But they were quickly stopped by the staff that was present there.

“Calm down students” The president spoke after picking up the mic from stage, “A little competitive spirit is part of enrolling here. Besides if you really think he’s wrong then prove him wrong, you’ll get many opportunities to do so.”

The crowd calmed down a little after hearing that. Yes that’s right, there will be many mock battles, they all thought.

“I like that guy.” Sam commented with an impressed smile.

“And I would like to see his insides open.” Kiara replied, she was one of the people who was offended by his speech.

“Ah come on Kia, a little competitive spirit is part of enrolling here.” Sam commented sarcastically.

Kiara however could only give him a dead smile before the president spoke again.

“And now that all of you are calmed down. Let’s proceed with the end of this welcoming ceremony, I would like to invite the future star student of this year.”

The president didn’t even completed his words before the crowd broke out in cheers, they didn’t need him to tell who is coming to the stage next, it’s Starboy.

“Hah that’s the spirit! Yes! I would like to call the boy who started working as an unofficial superhero since the young age of 13! I would like to call Starboy! Anthony Willburn, please present yourself here!”

After receiving the cue, a flaxen haired boy from the front row got up and started walking towards the center stage. The cheers from the crowd only grew louder and louder with each step he took.

Sam glanced sideways to see that even Kiara was clapping.

“Really?” He questioned the silver haired girl.

“Wha- I-I don’t wanna get suspicious…” Kiara stuttered while Sam could only helplessly roll his eyes.

The flaxen haired boy took the mic from president’s hand and stood their waiting for the cheers to die down.

His appearance could only be described with words such as ‘Holy’ or ‘Angelic’. His jwel like golden eyes along with his chiseled face gave him a perfect look.

His presence oozed off a sense of superiority, the kind of which that would even make the kings kneel down to him.

How can someone resist such a holy existence? The cheers that were supposed to die down by now only grew louder until Anthony finally opened his mouth.

“Calm down guys.” he spoke with a bright smile, although they wanted to cheer more but the students complied.

“I would like to say many things, sadly enough we don’t have that much time after our president’s long speech.” Anthony laughed lightly while all the students gave a death stare to the president after hearing that.

“Anyway, I think I would like to start by telling you all how grateful I am for this chance to enroll in this academy with you all. You see, you all may think that being the only son of the greatest superhero is fun and all but it is not. Not always anyway.” Anthony took a pause before speaking again;

“I became a superhero, an unofficial superhero I mean, since the age of 13. I visited countries, I fought villains and I saved people. I love all that but I don’t have many friends, that’s the only thing I don’t like about my job. But now that we all are here, I would like to get to know you all and be friends with!” as soon as he said this, the crowd started cheering again.

“Haha. Thank you guys! Now that we are all friends, I should tell you about my likes and dislikes, I like many things, my job, almost all the fast food, amusement parks, many things! But you know there’s also something that I don’t like.” Anthony took a short pause again before speaking;

“I don’t like when someone hurts my friends. And there’s someone in this city who is doing just that!” The bright amicable front that he was putting on earlier was replaced by a dead serious look.

The crowd was left dumbfounded, everyone confused about what Anthony was talking about.

“There’s someone in the academy city hunting heroes.” He dropped a bomb on everyone present there. Even the staff didn’t expected him to do something like that.

Yes they were aware that there is someone going after heroes but they didn’t in their wildest dreams expected Anthony to adress that situation here! In the welcoming ceremony!

Murmuring among the crowd broke out, some were confused and many were scared. They have heard the news about an explosion occuring in one of the apartment building but they were told that it was just a gas leakage and no one was hurt.

‘This bastard! Does he not care about the reputation of Academy City!’ even Sam couldn’t help but shout in his mind in disbelief. On front though, he was putting up a confused look.

“Yes you heard it right, an SS class lurker has been killed! Murdered in her own apartment! And the policemen that came to her rescue were also killed by an explosion.

“Then there’s a S rank warrior who has gone missing, her friend says that she left after leaving some note, but authorities have reason to believe otherwise.”

Anthony took a deep breath. Feeling of uneasiness among the crowd was growing by the second.

The president thought about taking the mic from Anthony but then again, this could very well be a plan from Starsuper, thinking this he did nothing.

“Now I know you all are scared, why wouldn’t you be? This villian is bold enough to attack us in our stronghold! And by the looks of it, the villain is at the very least of SS rank.

“But I ask of you, do you trust my father? Do you trust Starsuper? Because if you do, then I swear on my family name of Willburn, that I’ll hunt this villain down and avenge the two our fallen comrades!”

The crowd started to calm down after Starsuper was mentioned. They all smiled and nodded, cueing Anthony to speak further.

“I have lost many friends this past year and I’m not ready to loose more. So since I called you all my friends earlier, I promise you all, I will protect you all no matter what! I will hunt down this villain and not stop there, no, I’ll hunt every last one of them down! I’ll make a villain free society! This right here, is my declaration of war!”

Anthony droped the mic on the ground and performed a short bow.

“I’m with you!”

“Let’s do this! Let’s kill all the villains!”

“I got your back! My besto friendo!”

Cheers like that resounded throughout the hall. Those who were not cheering, were clapping. Those who were not clapping were nodding in determination. Everyone was happy.

Except one young man. His lips trembled and a soundless giggle escaped his mouth.

‘You’ll hunt me down?! ME?! A GOD?! Fine, I accept.’ Sam announced in his mind.

As Sam swore to take down Starboy in his mind, Anthony too vowed to hunt down this new villain that has appeared in the academy city.

‘Bring it on!’ They both mentally declared the war on each other in unison.