"Don't think much. You'll definitely get the worst score among anyone here," Elias sneered from behind, his voice laced with contempt and lingering frustration. The sting of being overshadowed by Aria had left a mark, and now he was venting that bitterness on Max.
It was petty, but no one stopped him. The hall had gone quiet again, all eyes turning toward the boy who, by all logic, shouldn't have even made it this far.
Max didn't bother looking back. Instead, his attention shifted to the young man in the black and gold coat—the one with the strange floating blue spheres around him. Calm, composed, almost eerily indifferent, the man waited.
"I want to know what the basis of the score is," Max said evenly, his voice cutting through the tension. "I'm at Seeker Rank, and they're all at Master Rank. If it's measured on Master Rank standards, then this isn't really a trial for me, is it?"
