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Author's Chapter Notes:

Enter Suzaku Academy, training school for Warriors, Mages, and Thieves.  Hitoshi Hayama, a slacking student, has been ordered to the Principal's office.  Does he go there right away?  Of course not!

There are many stories of young, brave heroes being caught in a dastardly plot of world conquest.  Many tales have been told of the small conquering the large.  Throughout history, it has happened time and time again.  The Bible refers to such a story, as does China myth.  Time and time again, one thing is clear:  Size and power isn’t everything.  No matter how big a villain may become, there will always be a small hero standing in their way with both the willpower and the courage to overpower them and come to supreme victory.  This is such a tale of the tiny conquering the large.  This is the tale of the Ari no Tsurugi, the Sword of the Ants.

Deep in the mountains lies a special school known as Suzaku Academy.  Suzaku is a premiere school for the training of young graduates.  At Suzaku, there are three studies that can be undertaken.  Attendees can learn the ways of the sword-clad Warriors, the stealthy knife-users known as Thieves, or wielders of the arcane arts, the Mages.  The Academy was host to many students male and female, short and tall.  Our story revolves around one special student, a young man known only as Hitoshi Hayama. 

Hitoshi, a trainee in the ways of the Warrior, was definitely not among the prime students of the Academy.  While he was nowhere near the best, he was also nowhere near the worst.  A laid-back soul, many people referred to him as a slacker, one who didn’t train hard and learn his true potential.  However, all of that would soon change.  The Wheels of Fate were turning, setting events into motion that would change Hitoshi’s life forever, not to mention every single boy at the Academy.  Hitoshi would be put to trial after trial, risking his life, and not even Fate could tell if he would succeed or fail.

Hitoshi was wandering the campus, as he always did, when he received a notice of utmost importance.  Principal Ayuka, the head mistress of the school, had summoned him.  He was told this was a matter of ‘great importance’.  This confused Hitoshi very much.  He was an average student, at best.  What in the world could Ayuka have to say to him, that couldn’t have been handled better by some of the other students?  An even bigger question is…what will happen to him once he finds out what she wants?  Was she going to expel him?  Punish him for slacking off?  Hitoshi didn’t have the foggiest clue, but it wandered his mind.

Unfortunately for the Principal, Hitoshi was a slacker and didn’t quite take his notice very seriously.  He stood next to the main building of the campus, going over what had been said to him.  As he gathered his thoughts, he didn’t want to go to the principal’s office right away.  All he cared about at that moment was the fact that she requested him right when Free Time started.  What a bummer!  Instead, he decided to trek the campus and say hello to everyone.  After all, how could it be that big of a deal if he, of all people, was the person she wanted to see?

As he looked around campus, he tried to think of who he wished to visit first.  To his right was the track field and the training course.  To his left, was the garden, pond, and main building of campus.  After taking a deep breath, he shrugged his shoulders and decided to head towards the training grounds.  He hadn’t been out there in quite awhile, and he thought he’d pay Professor Moriko a visit.  With a smile on his face, he strolled to the right, his spikey brown hair blowing in the wind.

As the young Warrior walked across campus, directly over the dirt course track, three other students whipped by him, nearly taking him out as they sped by.  One started running directly behind him, a girl with short-green hair.  She came up and scoffed at him.  “Unless you plan to join me out here, get out of the way.  Are you TRYING to get yourself run over?”  Hitoshi quickly jumped to the side, off the track and the green-haired girl sped off without saying another word.  He let out a sigh of relief as she did so.  That girl was always working out.  Hitoshi very much doubted that she’d even notice if she ran him over.

Shaking his head, he looked around, realizing that he’d jumped right at the gates of the Training Course.  Regaining his smile that was lost with his encounter on the track, he slowly stepped through the gates.  As he entered the area, he looked around; enjoying the scenery he hadn’t seen in quite some time.  There was a stream that ran through this area, adorned with silver, steel walkways.  Most of the area otherwise was filled with greenery, flowers, and trees.  This place was no walk-in-the-park, however.  The academy kept animals and beasts in this area, enabling the students to brush up on their combat skills.

Directly in front of the gates was a small wooden cabin, the home of the Training Course’s designated instructor, known as Professor Moriko.  As Hitoshi approached the cabin, he could see the slender figure of the professor, standing just outside the building.  Her jet-black hair split in the front on both sides, flowing down her shoulders, her bangs slowly blowing in the wind above her golden eyes, and a long ponytail trekking down her back.  As he approached further, his boot hit a small twig.

Whipping around, Moriko immediately noticed Hitoshi’s presence.  With a surprised look on her face, she stared him up and down.  “What’s this?  Hayama’s at the training course?  During free time?!  Hell has officially frozen over.”

Chapter End Notes:

What sort of trouble has Hitoshi come into by visiting Professor Moriko?  Is she happy to see him, or will he be punished by the black-haired teacher?

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