The grand hall of Kuoh Academy stood still. A towering chamber carved from old stone and laced with mana-forged metal. The ceilings stretched high above, where stained glass captured fragments of light and fractured them across the floor in soft, shifting hues of gold, red, and blue. The hall was silent... but electric. The students had taken their places—first-years near the front, older years lingering in the shadows of the back rows. A murmur of voices flickered like dying embers, quickly silenced as the mana in the air shifted. It was subtle at first. A hum beneath the skin. A rhythm older than language. Then came the sound. Not footsteps. Not music. A chime. Soft. Clear. Unearthly. The Headmaster had arrived.
She walked alone. Pale heels tapped lightly against ancient tile. A long black coat with white trim swept behind her like a shadow that dared not fall out of line. Her hair—a muted pink—was tied back neatly, not a strand out of place. Glasses framed sharp eyes that scanned the room not with interest, but with precision. She walked up the stone steps toward the stage. Turned. Faced them. The mana in the room shifted once more.
Then—
"Welcome to Kuoh Academy." Silence answered. She didn't seem to mind.
"You stand now where thousands before you have stood. The stones beneath your feet are not just architecture—they are legacy. Memory. Battle. Once, this was a warfront. The final line in a conflict that nearly swallowed Ethera whole. Now, it is one of the Five Pillars."
She raised one hand. Behind her, a massive crystal monolith flared to life. Names shimmered into view, floating in shifting light.
"The Ranking Board will be your mirror. You will see yourself as you truly are—no masks, no noble blood, no excuses. You were tested. And this is where you begin."
Gasps and whispers rippled through the crowd. The first years stared, scanning the board for their names. Some found them low, in the D-Rank tier. Others floated somewhere in C or B. Then there was one name.
High. Alone in A-Rank.
KIYOSHI — A-RANK — Trial Score: 92.4
Eyes turned toward him. Kiyoshi, standing with his hands lazily in his pockets, yawned. He didn't look proud. He didn't even look interested.
Rajieru leaned beside him, whistling low. "You just had to show off, huh?"
Kiyoshi muttered under his breath. "I didn't mean to break the guy's golem. It just... felt right."
Celosia blinked, her hands folded neatly in front of her. "You beat a third-year. That's not 'just felt right.' That's unheard of."
More whispers. Students stared. A few older years narrowed their eyes. The board shifted again, revealing more data—tier breakdowns, trial scores, sub-rank points. Some students celebrated. Others paled. The Headmaster didn't wait for them to recover.
"Rankings are fluid. Changeable. You will rise and fall like the tide. Some of you may never leave the rank you started in. Others will surprise us. Surprising us is... encouraged."
She stepped aside. From behind her, five figures emerged. Each walked with purpose. Each carried the weight of mastery. The faculty. The crowd shifted, straightened. A faint hum rose again. Magic recognizing magic.
The Headmaster raised her voice slightly. "These are your professors. Chosen not only for their mastery—but for their survivability. You'll understand what I mean by that soon enough."
First came a woman with violet eyes and an oversized lab coat, ink stains smudged across her sleeves. Her expression was bored, but the notepad in her hand scribbled notes on its own with a floating quill.
"Professor Runa. Slime magic. Medical theory. Alchemical science. Mana biology."
Runa waved absently, still reading her own handwriting. "Try not to explode. It ruins the pH balance of the classroom."
Next was a man in silver robes that shimmered like still water. His face was calm, but his eyes glowed faintly with layered pupils.
"Professor Enso Virell. Arcane studies."
His voice echoed even when it shouldn't have. "The arcane is vast. If you fear it, you are wise. If you ignore it, you are dead."
Then came a tall, broad-shouldered man with flame tattoos running up both arms and a crooked grin that belonged more in a battlefield than a classroom.
"Instructor Thorne. Combat and physical augmentation."
He cracked his knuckles. "I'll be your favorite. Or your worst nightmare. Depends how much you cry when punched."
The next professor wore a cloak that shimmered with both fire and frost—her presence quiet, eyes like sharpened crystal.
"Professor Mira Solvane. Fire and Ice disciplines."
She looked across the first-years with measured gaze. "Elementalists are artists. Learn to control the brush, or the canvas burns with you."
Finally, an older man stepped forward, robes layered and stitched with ancient spirit sigils. Wisps hovered around him—ghostly remnants that pulsed with eerie calm.
"Professor Eliar. Spirit Magic."
He said nothing not a word, he only bowed and the spirits bowed with him. A chill crept through the air. Celosia flinched, just slightly.
Rajieru muttered. "I'm not the only one who saw that, right? The ghost on his shoulder blinked at me."
Kiyoshi didn't answer. His eyes were locked on Professor Eliar. There was something about him that made Kiyoshi's skin prickle. Something familiar. The Headmaster clapped her hands once. A new panel of light appeared beside the Ranking Board.
"Class Assignments have been selected based on your trial scores, combat style, and projected growth. While you will study together, live together, and train together—you will also compete. Each class will earn points. Prestige. Resources."
"Failure will impact more than just your personal record. Your weakness becomes your class's burden."
She turned toward the crystal board again. Rows of student names aligned beneath class titles: Class A, Class B, Class C, and Class D. Kiyoshi's name was listed first under Class A.
Beneath him:
Rajieru Mylen
Celosia Wynn
Sanae Arclight
Manjiro S.
Zoltan Raye
Rin Greenveil
And several more...
Each of them had passed the trials with high scores. Some had specialties in obscure magic fields. Others were just dangerous.
Rajieru let out a low whistle. "Well, look at us. Team A-rrogant."
Kiyoshi rolled his eyes. "Please don't."
Celosia offered a quiet smile. "It means we'll be together. That's... comforting."
Kiyoshi's gaze returned to the crystal monolith. His name still shone at the top. He didn't like it. But he wasn't about to give it up either.
"You have three days to settle into your dorms. Classes begin at sunrise on the fourth. Until then, explore. Study. Survive."
The Headmaster's tone grew softer. More serious.
"The world beyond these walls is changing. Rumors stir in the wild lands. Mana grows unstable in regions long dormant. Ancient texts speak of a second shattering. I will not lie to you. You are not just students. You are being prepared."
A pulse of mana surged from the ground beneath the hall. The stained glass above shimmered—no longer just a window, but a seal. A relic from the Great War. Light flared, showing visions too fast to track—ancient beasts, titanic demons, armies marching under forgotten banners.
The moment passed. Silence returned.
"Welcome to Kuoh Academy."
And with that, the ceremony was over. But the story was only beginning.
To be continued...