A Fight with No Essence The moment Ryo lunged, Batman moved. No hesitation. No wasted motion. Ryo’s bde crackled with lightning as it sshed through the air. Fast. But not fast enough. Batman sidestepped, his body weaving through the attack like smoke. He twisted, striking Ryo’s wrist—hard. The sword wavered. Ryo’s eyes widened. “What—” Batman didn’t let him finish. A brutal palm strike to the chin. A sharp elbow to the ribs. A sweep to the legs. Ryo hit the ground with a thud. Silence. The gathered students stared. An Unranked had just taken down a Ranked. Without Essence. It was unheard of. Ryo coughed, scrambling back up, rage burning in his eyes. “You—” Batman’s foot crashed into his stomach. The air left Ryo’s lungs. He crumpled, gasping. The fight was over. Batman stepped back, calm, controlled. “You lost.” The system confirmed it.

  [Ranked Duel Complete]

  Victor: Batman Rank Increase: 5000 → 4812 Murmurs spread through the crowd. “This guy…” “Unranked and already climbing?” “Impossible. He has no Essence.” He ignored them. His goal wasn’t to prove anything to these people. This was just step one.

  Before the crowd could disperse, a voice rang out. “Damn, bro. That was crazy.” Batman turned. A greenhaired boy stood there, grinning like he had just seen the best thing in his life. Messy hair. Energetic eyes. A uniform that looked slightly oversized.

  Midoriya

  Rank: 3021 Css: Schor Fighter “Man, you just used pure skill, huh?” Deku’s eyes were practically sparkling. “No Essence, no enhancements, just raw technique—” He stopped himself, then coughed. “Oh, right, I should probably introduce myself. Name’s Midoriya. But people call me Deku.” Batman didn’t respond immediately. This boy… was different. His posture was open. No aggression, no hidden malice. Just… genuine excitement. Deku grinned. “And you are?” “…Batman.” Deku blinked. “Wait. That’s your actual name?” A pause. Batman wasn’t about to expin his entire life story. “…Yes.” Deku seemed to accept it instantly. “Cool. Welcome to Arcadia, Batman!” For some reason, that made Batman’s eye twitch.

  The Strongest F-Rank Before the conversation could continue, another voice cut in. "Move, nerd.” A girl stepped forward. Silver hair, golden eyes. An air of confidence that commanded attention. She was… powerful. Not just in rank, but in presence.

  Jessa Valeria

  Rank: 751 Css: Arcane Swordmaster Her gaze locked onto Batman, unreadable. “You’re interesting.” Batman said nothing. Jessa tilted her head. “You don’t belong here, do you?” He didn’t answer. Because she was right. Something about him—his existence—cshed with the system of Arcadia. Jessa watched him for a moment, then smirked. “I like it.” Then, just like that, she walked away. Deku exhaled. “Wow, she actually talked to you? That’s rare.” Batman didn’t respond. Jessa Valeria. Another person to watch.

  The Beast Awakens The moment was interrupted by ughter. Deep. Menacing. A towering figure stepped into the courtyard, surrounded by a squad of lesser-ranked students. Muscles. Pure intimidation. The kind of guy who could bench press a castle. His grin was predatory.

  Gigachad Maximillion

  Rank: 101 Css: Titan Warrior He cpped his massive hands together. “So this is the new toy everyone’s talking about?” Batman’s senses sharpened. Gigachad’s aura was… heavy. Not like Lucian’s refined strength. This was raw power. “You’re climbing ranks real fast, little guy,” Gigachad mused. “But you see, there’s a problem.” His grin widened. “I don’t like weaklings stepping above their pce.” A threat. No—an announcement. The entire academy was watching now. Batman understood immediately. This wasn’t just a fight. This was a decration of war. ---