From an outsiders view, Kayui had fit right in with the rest in his new uniform. But that was far from the truth.
Nobody in the class even spared him a glance after the first hour of class, the majority of them excited to show off their abilities.
Most of their prowess was unknown to him besides some whispers and rumors he heard using his ability to enhance his senses.
In Celestia power was invaluable. If you were strong you were undeniable. This rule stood for the entire world, but especially for capitals like Celestia.
Gathering information was a big part of that power. He knew his ability would be strong in due time.
In reality, from an outsider's view no one in this class blended in at all. All of them were painstakingly unique in different ways but Kayui put them all in the same category — rivals.
"Okay class," Mr. Kong said, leading the students to an auditorium room that reminded Kayui of the old gyms they used to play basketball on at school years ago.
The sport died out a while back but the old videos still floated around every now and then.
"The first test is simple." He gave a signal with his right hand and the floor behind him opened up. From the space below came up a simple target.
"Hit this as hard as you can using your altitude or altitude ability. This will measure a lot of different things that you don't need to worry about. I'll give you a simple score.
The center of the target resonated a faint light.
"Altitude stone." Kayui muttered but no one paid him mind.
They all were more knowledgeable on altitude technology then he was. His hometown was less advance in this new age of Altitude compared to the rest of the world.
"Some of you are already familiar with this kind of stuff." Mr. Kong looked at Kayui with a slight smile. "Others obviously not so much.
100-400 is considered below average while 400-750 is average. Anything above 750 is considered talented, so be mindful when I tell you your scoring."
Kayui looked around at his classmates. Everyone, even Taz, seemed excited and confident — Kayui did not.
His palms grew sweaty. He still didn't know exactly how to use his ability. He knew he was gonna come up short compared to everyone else, especially in the flashy category.
He flushed those thoughts and started practicing pushing his mana down his arm.
He now had an easier time seeing his altitude core. His aura was harder to visualize. He didn't understand it yet but he could feel it. When he fell deep into his mind scape there was no way to see that it was there.
So instead of trying to understand the internal aspect of his ability, he focused on the simple things.
"Whoever wants to go first, come on ahead."
Immediately one of the students walked up. His hair up in a ponytail, and his face oddly familiar. He walked with a still confidence but there was little arrogance in his face. Kayui couldn't shake the feeling that he recognized his sly eyes and dark straight hair. As he took off his jacket Kayui understood why. His undershirt was crested with a black star with red cracks riddled throughout it.
The crest radiated altitude proving it was legit.
"The Dying Star clan."
His face was a dead giveaway to most in Celestia. Their genes ran strong. Pale skin, black hair, with fox-like eyes and an enigmatic smile. All known members of Dying Star shared these features.
His jacket hit the wooden floor and dark purple shadows festered down his arm. Everyone fell silent, not out of fear but respect for the child and his lineage.
Kayui lost his train of thought as he watched the shadows dance. He was taken aback.
He could almost hear the shadows screeching. He didn't feel any pure altitude, only dread.
The Dying Star clan an ominous lineage that eluded all history books, and yet everyone knew of them. Celestia hadn't seen one in decades, Kayui knew he was special.
He took a step and slammed all his momentum into the target with devastating force. The target didn't move an inch but Kayui knew if he took that hit he'd probably be dead.
Mr.Kong looked down at his tablet and a smile appeared on his face, "972, 30 points more than last month. Well done Kage."
A few claps sounded but no one seemed too surprised.
"Thank you, I strive to do even better next time."
Kayui looked around the room, his arm still pumping itself with aura.. Nobody volunteered.
"Okay then, Kayui , you're up next."
He heard his name and sighed. He wasn't surprised.
The moment he released his aura, his arm fell limp.