In the sprawling city of Nightfall, Shadows stretched like living tendrils, and Seku moved carefully through them, seeking the academy where he could uncover the secrets of the husk lords and their dark intentions.
A growl from his stomach reminded him that he hadn't eaten in days, all because of the stress from his sister's supposed near-death experience that, thankfully, never occurred.
Seku soon arrived at one of Nightfall City's five-star bars, looking for a drink since he hadn't had time for a snack, and with the entrance exams only three hours away he needed to eat and drink.
Approaching the counter, he ordered a beer. The bartender barely had time to look at Seku before erupting into laughter, the sound reverberating through the bar as every patron turned to see what was happening.
"You? Ordering a beer?" the bartender laughed. "This has to be a joke, you look like you're seven years old." He had no idea how close he was to the truth.
"You think this is a joke," Seku said calmly, "but I'm not." In an instant, the playful edge in his voice vanished, replaced by a chilling seriousness.
The bartender's laughter died at Seku's words. Sweat beaded on his brow as he sensed the murderous aura emanating from him, realizing Seku was a high-ranking demon.
The bartender handed Seku his beer and returned to his duties. As Seku exited the bar, low whispers followed him out into the night.
Picking up his pace, he ensured he would arrive on time and sign into the academy's system before the entrance exam began.
While rushing ahead, Seku accidentally bumped into a girl who was also on her way to the Nightfall City Academy entrance exam.
The girl had bright pink hair that caught the light, paired with soft yellow eyes that gave her a gentle look. At roughly five foot five, she seemed to be about Seku's age.
"Sorry about that," Seku said as he helped the girl up from the ground, realizing as she stood that she barely reached his shoulder.
The girl tilted her head, smiled brightly, and offered her hand. "Hi! I'm Emma Royalvoss. Nice to meet you, and I'm really sorry for bumping into you like that."
"No problem, my name is Seku Nanomi," Seku said, nervously scratching the back of his neck. "I was rushing to the Nightfall Academy entrance exam and didn't see anyone, my fault. Sorry." Talking to girls, anyone other than his sister, Avari, was still awkward for him to this day.
***
When Seku and Emma reached Nightfall Academy, a wave of confusion hit them, they had no clue how to sign up for the entrance exams.
"So… how do we sign up for this?" Seku asked, scratching his head in confusion. Emma looked at him with the exact same expression, equally lost.
"I'm not sure how," Emma said, gesturing toward the desks ahead. "But I think the people there are the ones who can help us sign up for the exams."
Seku and Emma sprinted Swiftly towards the desks ahead, their pace quickened by both curiosity and urgency.
"Hello, are you the ones who handle registration for the Nightfall City Academy entrance exams?" Seku asked, and the woman nodded, confirming he was in the right place.
The woman handed them a pad that revealed their exam stats. Seku went first, watching as his information flickered to life on the display:
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[ Status window ]
Name: Seku Nanomi
Blood Art: Unknown
Age: 7 Years Old
Power Level: 1.5 Million
Rank: High Aristocracy
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"Hold on… you're two years younger than me, Seku-kun, and ranked lower?" Emma said with a playful smirk, stepping up to the registration pad to enter her information.
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[ Status window ]
Name: Emma Royalvoss
Blood Art: Shadows
Age: 9 Years Old
Power Level: 3 Million
Rank: Low Celestial
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"great in the entrance exam i have to deal with a celestial that got a power level of 1.5 million higher than mine," Seku said while scoffing.
"don't hate the player hate the game Seku-Kun, besides its not like we will be in the same group for this," Emma said reinsuring and smirking
"What do you mean we won't be in the same group?" Seku asked, confused, as Emma gave his shoulder a playful shove.
"You don't know? The entrance exam is a battle royale to the death," Emma said, a touch of kindness in her voice. "Each group has ten people, and we probably won't be in the same one, but I still wish you luck."
Emma and Seku went their separate ways, but fate would bring them together again once the exams were finished.