KamiKowa: That Time I Got Transmigrated With A Broken Goddess-Chapter 26: [] D for Divine

The ferry’s engine hummed to a halt as it docked at Catalyst Academy’s private pier. Xavier adjusted his tie, watching the pristine white buildings of the academy come into focus through the morning mist.

"We’re here," he announced unnecessarily.

Calypso groaned beside him, her face buried in her hands. "And we’re late. Fifteen minutes late, to be exact."

"Which is entirely your fault." Xavier stood, slinging his bag over one shoulder. "If someone hadn’t spent twenty minutes deciding which earrings matched her ’student aesthetic’—"

"Oh, please. You’re the one who used all the hot water."

"That’s not why we’re late, and you know it."

The ferry was eerily empty—no other students, just them and the bored-looking operator who kept checking his watch. The last ferry had departed fifteen minutes ago, right when first period started.

Calypso straightened her blazer, pink eyes narrowing. "Maybe if you hadn’t spent so much time on your hair—"

"My hair takes five minutes, max." Xavier gestured toward the exit. "After you, Ms. Valentine."

They disembarked onto the polished stone pier, their footsteps echoing across the empty docking area.

"Everyone’s already in class," Xavier said, consulting the map on his tablet. "Class 1-D should be in the north wing, third floor."

Calypso nodded, then surprised him by bouncing slightly on her toes. "It’s magnificent, isn’t it?"

"It’s a school." Xavier raised an eyebrow. "Since when do you care about education?"

"I don’t." She tucked a strand of silver hair behind her ear, but her excitement remained evident in the slight flush of her cheeks. "But I’ve never been a student before. Gods don’t exactly attend school."

"So the all-powerful Goddess of Reincarnation is excited about homework? Color me shocked."

"Not homework, you cretin." She jabbed a finger into his chest. "The experience. Making friends. Learning new things. Being young!"

Xavier snorted. "You’re over two thousand years old."

"Physically, I’m eighteen." Calypso spun in a quick circle, arms outstretched. "And for the first time, I get to act my apparent age without divine responsibilities weighing me down."

Xavier watched her, momentarily caught off guard by her genuine enthusiasm. In their short time together, he’d seen many facets of the goddess—petulant, manipulative, lazy, demanding—but his favorite was definitely seeing this unguarded joy.

"Well, don’t get too comfortable," he said, starting down the path toward the main buildings. "We’re still here for a reason."

Calypso fell into step beside him. "Doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy ourselves along the way."

They walked briskly across the campus, passing crystal fountains and holographic displays showing class schedules and campus events. Through windows, they glimpsed classrooms already in session—students bent over tablets or watching instructors demonstrate techniques.

"Relax," Xavier said, noting Calypso’s increasingly nervous glances at each occupied classroom. "It’s a big school. Our class probably has at least fifty students. No one will notice us slipping in."

"I hope you’re right." Calypso chewed her lower lip. "I’d prefer not to start our academic careers by making enemies."

They entered the main building through towering crystal doors that parted silently at their approach. Inside, the air carried a faint electrical charge—residual essentia from hundreds of awakened students and faculty. Their footsteps echoed on polished marble as they navigated the empty hallways, following directional signs toward the north wing.

"Third floor," Xavier murmured, checking the room numbers as they climbed the stairs. "Room 317."

They found it at the end of a corridor—a simple door labeled "1-D" in holographic letters that shifted between blue and gold. Through the small window, they could see movement inside.

Xavier straightened his tie one final time. "Ready?"

Calypso nodded, squaring her shoulders. "Ready."

Xavier pushed the door open.

The classroom fell silent.

Fourteen pairs of eyes turned toward them, expressions ranging from curious to amused to judgmental. The room was smaller than Xavier had expected—with only fifteen desks total. Thirteen occupied. Two conspicuously empty.

At the front stood their teacher—a striking woman with light blue hair pulled back in a ponytail. Her hazel eyes shifted from warm amber to cold green as they landed on the latecomers. She wore a tailored black blazer over a crisp white shirt, her posture radiating authority and barely contained irritation.

"The Valentine cousins. How nice of you to finally grace us with your presence."

Xavier opened his mouth for some glib excuse, but something in her eyes made him reconsider.

"Sorry we’re late," he said instead.

"Sorry doesn’t reverse time, Mr. Valentine." She gestured toward the empty seats. "Take your places. You’ve already disrupted enough of my class."

Xavier spotted the two vacant desks—one near the front beside a girl with electric blue hair styled in an undercut, the other in the second row between a mountain of muscle with red-brown hair and a petite girl with curly green hair.

Calypso hesitated, looking between the two seats.

"Ms. Valentine, front row." The teacher pointed. "Mr. Valentine, second row. Now."

They moved quickly to their assigned seats. Xavier slid into his desk, acutely aware of the curious stares from his new classmates. The girl with green hair glanced at him from beneath her bangs, her large green eyes appraising him briefly before returning to her tablet. On his other side, the muscular student barely acknowledged him, focused instead on what appeared to be a detailed diagram of combat techniques.

"Now that we’re all present," the teacher said, emphasizing the last word with a pointed look at Xavier and Calypso, "let me reintroduce myself for our latecomers. My name is Luna Valdez. You may address me as Ms. Valdez or Professor Valdez. Call me Luna, and I will turn you into a popsicle. I will be your homeroom teacher for the next three years. In addition to general education, I specialize in Enhancement-type combat instruction." Professor Valdez swept her gaze across the room, pausing briefly on each student. "You have been placed in Class 1-D based on your entrance exam results and your current ranking."

Xavier noticed several students shift uncomfortably at this. D-rank. The bottom tier of the academy’s first-year classes.

"This does not mean you lack potential," Professor Valdez continued, as if reading their thoughts. "It means you have the furthest to go. The greatest room for improvement. Whether that’s due to underdeveloped abilities, limited combat experience, or simple lack of discipline remains to be seen."

Her eyes locked with Xavier’s for a moment.

"In Class 1-D, we focus on fundamentals. Control. Precision. Strategy. While Classes A through C may advance more quickly into specialized techniques, we build an unshakable foundation." She tapped her desk, bringing up a holographic display of the academy campus. "By graduation, my D-class students outperform their higher-ranked peers precisely because they cannot rely on raw power alone."

Xavier glanced around the room, taking in his classmates more carefully now. Fifteen students total. The lowest-ranked class in the academy. So much for blending in—in a group this small, every absence, every mistake, every success would be noticed.

"Today," Professor Valdez said, "we begin with essentia theory. Understanding the source of your power is the first step toward mastering it."

She brought up another holographic display—this one showing three distinct energy patterns labeled Emission, Transmutation, and Enhancement.

"The three primordial types of essentia manifestation. Each of you falls primarily into one of these categories, though some exhibit hybrid characteristics." She expanded the display. "By understanding your core type, you can develop techniques that complement your natural strengths."

His own ability—Input Buffer—operated on principles he was still discovering, a unique hybrid that didn’t quite fit the standard classifications. The more he learned about essentia theory, the better he could adapt his fighting game mechanics to this world’s power system.

"For today," Professor Valdez continued, "you will demonstrate your basic essentia control. Nothing fancy—simply manifest your ability and maintain it for thirty seconds."

She looked directly at Xavier and Calypso. "Our latecomers will demonstrate first, as they seem so eager to be the center of attention."

Shit.

He and Calypso had barely practiced their abilities—they’d been too busy setting up their apartment and... other things.

"Ms. Valentine," Professor Valdez said, gesturing for Calypso to come forward. "Show us what you can do."

Calypso rose gracefully from her seat, smoothing her skirt as she approached the demonstration area at the front of the classroom. She looked completely calm, but Xavier noticed the slight tension in her shoulders. For all her divine power, she was now limited by their entanglement, her abilities reduced to a fraction of their true potential.

Professor Valdez stepped back, giving her space. "Whenever you’re ready."

Calypso took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and extended her hands. Pink-gold energy began to shimmer around her fingers, forming translucent cards that rotated slowly in the air before her.

"Support type," Professor Valdez noted, watching the display with clinical interest. "Emission/Transmutation hybrid. Uncommon."

The cards continued to spin, their glow intensifying slightly. Calypso opened her eyes, now glowing the same pink-gold as her ability.

"Thirty seconds," Professor Valdez announced. "Well controlled, if somewhat limited in application. We’ll work on that." She made a note on her tablet. "Return to your seat, Ms. Valentine."

Calypso let the energy dissipate, the cards fading like morning mist. She returned to her desk, catching Xavier’s eye briefly as she passed. He gave her a small nod of approval.

"Mr. Valentine." Professor Valdez turned her cold gaze on him. "You’re next."

Xavier stood, his mind racing through what little practice he’d managed with his ability. Input Buffer required combat action to build meter—it wasn’t designed for static demonstration. Still, he could at least show the basic manifestation.

He approached the front of the class, aware of thirteen pairs of curious eyes tracking his movement. The girl with green hair had stopped sketching and was watching him intently. The mountain of muscle had finally looked up from his tablet.

Xavier took position, centering himself with a breath.

"Today would be nice, Mr. Valentine," Professor Valdez said dryly.

He closed his eyes, reaching for the power he’d only just begun to understand. When he opened them again, a translucent pink energy meter had appeared beside him, currently empty and waiting to be filled.

"Interesting," Professor Valdez said, circling him slowly. "I’ve never seen this manifestation before. Explain."

"It’s a resource management system," Xavier said. "The meter fills through combat actions and empties when I use special techniques."

"Show us."

Xavier hesitated. "It requires actual combat to build energy."

Professor Valdez’s lips curved into what might have been a smile on anyone else.

"Then it seems you and I have something to demonstrate this afternoon." She made another note on her tablet. "Return to your seat, Mr. Valentine. We’ll explore your... unusual ability in more detail during combat practical."

As Professor Valdez continued her lecture on essentia theory, Xavier glanced at Calypso. She caught his eye and mouthed what looked suspiciously like "told you so."

He suppressed a sigh and turned his attention back to the lecture. Three years in this tiny class with a teacher who already seemed to have it out for them. Perfect.

At least things couldn’t get worse.

Then again, with his legendary flaw of Divine Entanglement, he probably shouldn’t tempt fate.