Chapter 1: The Protagonist and War

If I may, I'd like to pose this question: What is war truly? By definition, it's "a state of armed conflict between different countries or states". But is it just that? If a child is asked about warfare, he will most likely say that it's a struggle between the forces of justice and evil people, but if you ask a grown man the same question, the answer would most definitely change, since the latter has experienced the world more, and knows that not everything is what it seems.

So what is war truly? I believe that war is nothing, but a conflict of ideas fuelled by humanity's selfishness. It leaves nothing in its wake, but destruction. Lives are lost, dreams crushed, hopes lost.

We have learned from history that war, is a mistake and nothing good will ever come of it and as Einstein once said, "I know not with what weapons World War 3 will be fought, but World War 4 will be fought with sticks and stones."

Then why? Why do humans still wage wars? The truth is, War is a trait of humanity. It's what simply makes us humans. It's a flaw of humanity indeed, but it's a part of us. I know not, what the future holds, but I can say with conviction, that Wars will be fought, and lives lost until the end of humanity. For we are a race, so diverse and equipped with a brain so complex, it's impossible for us to not hold varying beliefs and fight, for what we believe is right.

***

It was the advent of spring and the trees were full of life, blooming with colour and beauty. The birds were chirping merrily as if singing a melody, long lost to men. Spring seems to magically breathe life into nature itself with its dawn. The sun was shining brightly and a gust of pleasant wind, neither warm nor cold engulfed Tokyo.

In a remote part of Tokyo, away from the buzzing metropolis and flourishing trade, there stood an enormous complex, enveloped by tall walls on all sides. The complex itself looked old, apparent from the traditional architecture of the establishment, but it appeared to be in excellent condition. At first glance, It would appear to be a beautiful traditional house to the on-looker.

Standing outside the gates of the establishment was a young boy accompanied by an old man.

The Young Boy was fairly tall, standing at 179cm. He had light-brown hair and a pair of Hazel-brown Eyes which had a glint of gold in them. His hair was neatly fashioned in a simple manner with a single bang slightly grazing his left eye. The boy was currently wearing a plain white shirt accompanied by a wine-red blazer over it, alongside a pair of deep-green trousers. This is Inmetsu Akiyama, a 16-year old boy and the protagonist of our story.

"Are you sure you have everything you need?" The old man asked Inmetsu in a concerned voice.

This is Ieyasu Akiyama, Inmetsu's grandfather and a former army personnel. He was an old man in his late 60s. Although old, Ieyasu was brimming with life and his physique didn't show any obvious signs of weakness. He was a healthy old man with an impressively white beard that held a few streaks of grey within them. He was currently wearing a grey kimono alongside a black hakama.

"Yes grandfather, I have checked everything twice already and made sure that I have everything," Inmetsu said to Ieyasu who simply sighed.

"Sigh! Time passes so quickly, I still remember the time when you were just a little kid who used to run around the house screaming 'Grandpa! Grandpa!', whenever your father called for you!" Ieyasu said as he jerked the fake tears from his eyes.

"I don't think this is the time for that, Grandfather," Inmetsu said with a sigh, he didn't want to be reminded of that! It's embarrassing!

"Hmm? Look at you, being all flustered," Ieyasu said as he smiled heartily while looking at Inmetsu. He was proud of his grandson, exceptionally so, but his heart couldn't help but ache at the thought of being away from him. He had always been with him since the day he was born and this would have been the first time they would be separated.

"Oh! The bus is here, I'll have to go now Grandfather," Inmetsu said as he hastily hugged Ieyasu before walking towards the bus which was waiting for him.

"Bye Grandfather!" Inmetsu said one last time as he waved his hands at Ieyasu, before entering the bus, who simply waved back with a smile.

As the bus picked up speed and disappeared into the horizon, a black car stopped beside Ieyasu who was still looking over at the horizon, lost in his thoughts.

"Akiyama-sama, the Ministry of Defence has called for you again," A man respectfully said as he walked up to Ieyasu. He was wearing a jet-black suit and was completely dressed in black, his shoulders were adorned by a pair of silver medallions, which were sparkling brightly.

"Let's go," Ieyasu simply said as he walked up to the car.

"Yes sir!" The man saluted Ieyasu promptly, before opening the door for him.

***

After entering the bus, Inmetsu realized that the bus was almost completely empty, except for a woman sitting at the front seat.

'Heh, how lucky, I'll get to choose my seat now, since it's virtually empty.'

'Generally speaking, you would want to sit in the middle portion of a bus, on a seat which has better access to the aisle, since that's the best and safest seat in a bus.' Inmetsu thought as he made himself comfortable on the fourth seat from the rear end of the bus.

As the bus zoomed past the deserted Highway, Inmetsu closed his eyes and relaxed a bit.

He liked being alone and being left to his own devices, which in this era is a luxury, considering how busy and hectic an average individual's life is. For this reason, whenever he got the chance, he liked being alone and just thinking about random things, from war and skirmishes in the international territory to what he would eat for lunch.

'Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing Highschool, a facility funded by the government to nurture the country's youth, who will support the country in the near future and act as its pillars. Based on my knowledge, the school uses experimental teaching methods administered by the state to nurture its students,' Inmetsu thought with his eyes closed, as the bus came to a sudden stop and a young girl walked into the bus.

'In other words, a school founded and funded by the state to create students required to guide the nation to its desired future. But from what grandfather told me, there seems to be more to the story than that.'

'A school designed to nurture some of the brightest minds in the country seems like a school for the elite to me.'

'I like the sound of that. Now that I think about it, in that case, wouldn't my class also be,'

"The Classroom of the Elite?"