Jonathan couldn't believe it.
As it turned out, there was someone who was more proficient in actual physical combat than him. This was certainly not what he was expecting from his first opponent, considering that he was in the top percentile when it comes to physical prowess.
"I was just unlucky. To think that I'd be put up against her. This sucks." Jonathan muttered to himself, scratching his head as he walked out of the arena. Even though he didn't have any personal attachments to the United Superheroes Academy, he badly wanted to attend it. But now that he had lost, there was nothing he could do but walk away.
Celebration erupted amongst the crowd as the curtains to the fight were drawn to a close. Sai Tama and the commentator started narrating what had happened as best as they could before they announced the next match. Then again, they had a hard time explaining what just happened since the fight was more unorthodox than they had hoped.
Meanwhile, Ivan eagerly watched the live broadcast of the match. He wasn't at all surprised to be informed that Jonathan was enrolling/transferring to the United Superheroes Academy. After all, most children his age would dream of attending such a prestigious school at least once in their lives.
Once the match was over, Ivan clapped at the live broadcast with a soft smile on his face. It was a great fight. Jonathan lost, but it was still a great fight nonetheless. "He did well... the matchup was not in his favor but he still put up a good fight. I'm sure the school's management would take that into careful consideration."
A man walked into the hardware store, interrupting Jonathan's monologue. He ran up to the man, asking if he could assist him in any way. For now, he'd be waiting for Jonathan to come back to the shop.
...
"Wait up!" Emma shouted.
Right before Jonathan could enter his waiting room, Emma caught up to him, calling out his name. Jonathan didn't look back, though. Instead, he lifted his hand and waved in response.
Feeling that it was the right time to approach him, Emma quickened her pace and caught up to Jonathan, who only entered the waiting room to get his bag. "Do you need anything?" Jonathan asked, a smile on his face.
"How did you learn to fight like that?" Emma asked, her eyes sparkling. Had she known that she was talking to someone who killed another person in cold blood, she won't have had that excited expression on her face.
"It doesn't matter. I lost." Jonathan pointed out, heaving a sigh. "I should be the one asking you that. Where did you learn to fight like that?"
"In any case, I'm sure you'll pass. The exhibition matches are only there to showcase our superpowers. I'm sure you're getting in." Emma encouraged. "In other words, don't leave yet."
Jonathan let out a lungful of air before turning away. "I'm not leaving. I just need to stop by somewhere. I can't believe my first opponent is someone with the same superpowers as me... and she was better than me despite having only one superpower."
"See you around." Jonathan continued.
"Sure." Emma returned.
After taking a couple of steps forward, Jonathan noticed that there was a person in front of him. He was familiar, but he couldn't quite put his finger around it. He was of lanky build, dressed in formal clothes, with a bald head. "Jonathan Ainsworth, right?" He confirmed approaching Jonathan while extending his hand.
It took Jonathan a moment to realize that the person in front of him was none other than the head director of the United Superheroes Academy. He should've recognized him a little sooner due to his signature bald head, but he was too caught up in his loss to think properly.
Jonathan nodded in response, returning the handshake that Sai Tama offered. He had a firm grip, and Jonathan could tell that he was holding back when he shook his hand. "You did pretty well on your match."
"Are you going to tell me I failed before I even got out of here?" Jonathan asked. He didn't peg Sai Tama to be the kind of person who rubs salt in wounds. However, he couldn't help but assume such was the case since he brought up his loss before he could even say anything.
"No, no," Sai Tama grinned, grabbing Jonathan by the shoulder as they got out of the corridor. Finding themselves on the school grounds, Sai Tama stole a glance at Jonathan before he continued what he was going to say.
Somehow, Jonathan didn't struggle from Sai Tama's grip. Based on the heavy hand on his shoulder, he was fairly certain that Sai Tama was crazy strong. Every being of his body screamed at him, telling him to run from Sai Tama. Fortunately, he was reasonable enough to not panic.
"Then what is it?" Jonathan went on.
"I'm here to tell you in advance that you passed." Sai Tama said. "Superpower cancellation? That's a pretty nifty superpower. No one noticed it, but you're capable of canceling superpower in a limited area, right? Of course, that includes canceling your superpower as well. To top it all off, you have dimensional portals as your second superpower. That's bound to be useful."
"Are you sure you should be saying that? Wouldn't that be unfair to those who lost... or to those who couldn't get in?" Jonathan asked. He didn't want to garner unnecessary attention at himself, especially when he only had one goal that prompted him to apply to the school.
"I'm the head director, the principal of this school. Besides, you're not the only one who'd be accepted. There are plenty of experts who are judging everyone's performances at the moment. I'm quite confident that you'll pass."
Patting him on the shoulder, Sai Tama then headed back to the box to continue his commentating duties. He waved his hand, stealing another glance at Jonathan. "See you on the first day of the semester." He called out.
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