The hall was so quiet that the sound of Kairo's footsteps seemed to echo with unnatural weight. Students leaned forward in their seats, nobles whispered behind cupped hands, and even the instructors seemed caught between curiosity and unease.
Kairo stepped into the circle where the orb rested on its pedestal. The crisp black-and-silver academy uniform he wore was flawless, yet it looked wrong on him—like the garment was forced onto a figure that belonged to another world. The insignia of the academy shimmered faintly on his chest, but against his pale face and crimson eyes, it seemed almost meaningless.
He stopped before the orb, its faint blue glow pulsing like a heartbeat. His expression didn't change. No excitement. No fear. No curiosity. Just that same hollow calm.
"Place your hand upon it," the examiner said, her voice tighter than before.
Kairo raised his hand slowly and pressed his palm flat against the smooth surface.
For a heartbeat—nothing. Then the light flared violently, white-hot, streaks of lightning crackling inside the sphere. The numbers raced upward: 10,000… 20,000… 40,000… 70,000—
A sharp crack split the air.
The orb shattered, fragments bursting outward in a rain of crystalline shards. Gasps erupted across the hall, some students stumbling back as if struck. A wave of mana swept through the chamber, pressing against every chest like the air itself had grown heavy.
Kairo lowered his hand, shards falling from his palm like dust. His eyes didn't waver, crimson light burning steadily as though nothing had happened.
"Impossible…" one noble whispered.
"Another one…" muttered an instructor, his face pale.
The examiner stumbled back, clutching her notes, staring at the destroyed pedestal as if unable to comprehend it.
Above, students watching from the balconies whispered feverishly. Some with awe, some with envy, others with sharp, predatory hunger.
But Kairo turned away from the wreckage, his face unreadable. To him, the shattered orb meant nothing. To everyone else—it was a declaration.
The classless one had arrived.