[Next Day.]
The sun had barely begun to crest over the obsidian spires of the academy when the 250 students were gathered. They stood on the central grounds—a vast, paved expanse as large as three football stadiums—facing the three Elders. Hayatobi stood like a statue of tempered steel, Gaga maintained her smile, and the third man, who had yet to utter a single word, loomed behind them like a silent shadow.
Behind the trio, a massive gateway pulsed. It wasn't just light; it was a rhythmic thrum of dense spirit energy that made the very air vibrate.
"Good morning students." Gaga said with a smile, moving her gaze over the crowd.
Her eyes danced with amusement as she surveyed them. Some were clearly half-awake, swaying on their feet, their skin pale and clammy. Having partied all night at the 'welcome feast,' they had forgotten that in an academy like this, comfort is a trap.
She wasn't angry or upset; this was the main reason for the party. It was a test of discipline. The Academy wanted to make sure the weak-willed got tired enough to fail the test... Of course, failing won't warrant any punishment, just dangerously low points that would cripple their start.
Mirabella stood alert, her eyes clear. She moved her gaze on the students behind and beside her, noting the tremors in their hands, and lightly shook her head.
"It's a good thing you didn't drink too much yesterday." She said.
Carl stood beside her, looking surprisingly fresh compared to the others. He chuckled lightly, rubbing the back of his head: "Yeah... Maybe I don't get easily drunk." He said sheepishly.
Mirabella narrowed her eyes slightly at him, but she said nothing. Instead, she nodded and raised her hand, cutting through the murmurs and drawing Gaga's attention.
"Yes, Miss Mirabella?" Gaga asked, staring at her with interest.
Mirabella didn't hesitate. She asked the question that had been on her mind since she entered the academy. "When would we be getting the awakening stones?" She asked.
"....?!!"
Her question instantly confused all the ordinary, ignorant students who had no idea about 'Awakening Stones.' To them, it was gibberish. However, the reaction from the Elite faction was immediate. Heads snapped toward her, their expressions sharpening.
"Awaken stones... You will have them when you complete a special quest or achievement in the Academy. These goes for everyone." She answered, her tone implying that such treasures were not handed out lightly.
"What a drag... I thought us as Elites will gain some advantage." Stellar sighed loudly from the front row, flipping her hair:
"It seems we will have to prove ourselves first." She added, sounding bored.
"Ok, with that taken care of... Let me explain today's test." Gaga waved her hand.
The air shimmered as a massive, three-dimensional circular map appeared in front of her, glowing with neon light, showing the layout of the dimension inside the gate.
"This is the map of the gateway behind us... There are three regions. The outer region, inner region and core region."
The students watched in awe as smaller circles appeared on the bigger one, forming a target shape: a green outer ring, a yellow middle ring, and a red bullseye.
"You all will be grouped randomly. Each team will have a total of five members, and you'll be mixed making sure at least one Elite student will be among your team."
She smiled sweetly, clasping her hands together, and continued:
"To make this, five of you will be placed in a solo team."
"Huh?"
"Solo team?"
"Who are these five?"
The students looked at one another in confusion. The implication was terrifying: Who are these five who are so powerful that the academy deemed them too unbalanced to be in a group? It simply meant that if they joined a regular team, that team would definitely win effortlessly. The elders' decision was a method of handicapping the monsters to give the sheep a chance.
"Please, if you hear you name. Step forward." Gaga added, pulling out a digital scroll.
"Of course, Lady Aurelia will be among the list." Stellar said with a smile, crossing her arms on her chest confidently.
"First on the list; Lady Rose Korana... The Great Mage of the Korana family." Gaga said with a smile.
Rose stepped forward, her robes flowing around her. Her face was a mask of indifference, her spirit energy pulsating softly around her.
"Of course, Lady Rose will be among." Stellar rolled her eyes, though a hint of jealousy laced her voice.
"Next! Lord Austin Draconian! Great Warrior of the Draconian family, and Lady Aurelia Draconian, Great assassin of the Draconian family. Please step forward."
The twins stepped forward in perfect sync, standing beside Rose. Their expressions remained flat, professional killers in the making.
"Next! Lady Mirabella Sunny!! Um... Please step forward." Gaga said.
Mirabella stepped forward with a bored expression, ignoring the whispers. Inside, her mind was calculating.
'Not yet time to reveal my Sun family status. I need more knowledge about what happened to the family.' She thought, maintaining her facade.
"Last! Lord Hitachi of the Azul Family!"
Hearing the name, the atmosphere on the podium shifted violently. The three elders instantly got serious. Even the silent man shifted his weight. They stared at the young black-haired guy who stepped forward. His face was filled with utter and complete boredom, his hands in his pockets, looking like he didn't belong in this world, let alone this academy.
'It seems they picked out all the strongest, and placed them in a solo team. That is good.' Grace thought from the crowd, staring at the five titans standing in front of them.
"Ok everyone!! These are the rules," Gaga announced, her voice turning sharp. "In the Outer Region, you must move discreetly, making sure not a single monster set their eyes on you! If that happens, you will lose some score." Gaga stated.
"Each one of you will be given 100 score points. Your job is to increase these score or well, reduce it." She pointed her finger at each one of them, her eyes narrowing into slits:
"You are free to kill one another in this test, nothing will be held against you."
".....?!!!"
The silence that followed was deafening, before it shattered.
"What?!!!"
"I thought we can't kill ourselves!!"
"My god! We are dead!!"
The students panicked, staring at the five standing in front of them with horror. Sweat rolled down their temples as the reality of their situation sank in. The safety rules of the school grounds did not apply inside the gate.
"Yes!! So fight to survive!!" Gaga shouted over the noise. "As for the Inner Region! 25 scrolls are hidden, you must find these scrolls and take them to the Core Region. You'll see a dragon pillar with 25 holes on it at the center of the region. Place your scroll inside and you win!"
She explained, and then added the final detail that broke the students' spirits:
"Of course, you have three days to complete this mission. Oh, make sure you don't die. Your total score will be converted into points. A bit of advice, don't cross these five before you, if you think your team can face them, you're free to try."
She moved out of the way, gesturing to the swirling energy of the gateway.
"Once you stepped inside, your team will be decided." She added.
Mirabella adjusted her gloves, her eyes scanning the portal.
'First, test the stealth of each student, then their perceptions and survival instinct, and lastly... Their determination to win... Not bad.' Mirabella thought, walking towards the gateway with the four powerhouses ahead of her.
Her gaze landed on the back of the black-haired boy from the Azul family.
'But who is this Hitachi? And who does he have the name of a villain in one anime I watched?'