Loki had just arrived and was about to open the library when he sensed someone’s presence hiding in the corner. It would seem that this person has been waiting for him there. Still, hiding didn’t seem like his strong suit as the person hiding wasn’t even suppressing his presence. Either it’s someone like Michael who doesn’t know how to do that or it’s someone who wants to be found.

‘Should I turn around or should I play coy?’ 

In the end, Loki decided to play dumb as he didn’t want to get involved with the unknown person. Loki took out the key to the library, but when he was about to put the key into the keyhole, he suddenly felt killing intent. Loki’s sharp senses had picked up a projectile from behind him coming his way, Loki dropped his key and bent forward to pick it up avoiding the projectile and at the same time making it look like he avoided the attack by coincidence.

A rock had hit the door to the library, if Loki did not avoid the rock it would’ve hit his shoulder. Loki then turned around with a look of surprise on his face. As usual Loki’s acting was perfect, as his body movment his facial expression and even his aura had potrayed shock. 

“Who threw that rock?!” 

Instead of answering Loki’s question, the person threw another rock at him. This time Loki who saw the incoming rock decided not to dodge it. The rock hit him at his right shoulder hurting him a bit. 

“How disappointing, after I got discharged from the hospital I heard that a genius who directly got promoted to rank four martial artists was here, I got a little bit excited. This is really disappointing I thought you would be better. I can’t believe you’re a rank four with that level of skill.” 

The one who threw the rocks came out of his hiding spot, and Loki immediately recognize who it was. The person in question was the battle-hungry Mugami Shin. 

“You just attacked me and that’s what you have to say? Shouldn’t you at least apologize?” 

“… Fine, I’m sorry about throwing a rock at you. Though normally people above rank two martial artists would be able to easily dodge those things, but I guess you’re a fake rank four.” 

“A fake… Maybe I am, even so, you shouldn’t just throw rocks at people just to test them out.” 

“I apologized already, what else do you want from me? It’s not like I tried to kill you, and I didn’t even throw it that hard.” 

“You have a very odd way of apologizing…” Loki sighed as he looked at the weird expression on Shin’s face. “You’re lucky that I’m such a cool guy. If it were anyone else they would’ve reported you to the Principal to have you suspended or worse expelled. Alright, you can go, but I hope you don’t do this again.” 

“Sure, sure,” Shin waved his hands and turned around to leave. 

‘I thought it was impossible to pass the ranking test with luck… Well, maybe he has some kind of talent that I don’t know off. Still, what a letdown, I thought another opponent near my age had come…. Still, there is something weird about him. The first time he dodged that rock, the timing of his key falling… Also for some reason, it felt like he deliberately stopped his body from moving when I threw the second rock.’

Shin was convinced that Loki was an amateur in battle, but for some reason, his sixth sense was telling him there was something wrong. There was an irritating feeling that he could not shake off. Shin who mostly relied on his instincts had turned around took a coin from his pocket and threw it with all his strength. 

He then saw Loki not only dodging the coin but actually catching it. The strength he put into throwing that coin was greater than when he threw the two rocks, making the speed of the throw incomparable to the other. Also, the coin was way tinier than the rock he threw, it was even hard to spot as it flew through the air but Loki caught it. 

…

Loki was surprised by the thrown coin and his body move instinctively, he wasn’t able to stop it since he wasn’t expecting that surprise throw. He then saw Shin looking at him in shock, then Shin’s facial expression slowly changed into that of glee. He was smiling from ear to ear as he approached Loki.

“Why are you smiling like that? You’re actually smiling after throwning something else at me. I already told you to stop throwing things at other people.”

Even though Loki was trying to act his way out of his current situation he knew that this battle-crazed student would no longer let him go. Loki found it a little irritating that he had made such a mistake twice now. The first time was with Michael, and now it was with this student. Still, unlike Michael who had that annoying Spirit this guy is just making his own guesses. 

‘I need to retrain myself. To be fooled twice now, I’ve been slipping too much.’ 

“Now that’s what I’m talking about. So why pray tell why are you feigning weakness?”

“Feigning weakness, what are you talking about? Enough about that, why did you throw this coin at me? Is it because I said you shouldn’t throw rocks so threw a coin instead?” 

“I’ll apologize for that as well, that was just a slip of my hand.” 

“A slip of the hand?” 

“Yeah, so how about let’s start over. I’m Mugami Shin, a first-year student and rank three martial artist. May I know your name, Sir?” 

“Since you came looking for me, I thought you already knew my name, but fine… I’m Loki Matsuda, the librarian, I’m also an honorary teacher, and a rank four martial artist.” 

After Loki was done making his introductions Shin showed a very menacing looking smile as he made a martial artist salute. 

“I Mugami Shin formally request a sparring bout against the honorary teacher of Sekiko Academy Loki Matsuda.”