The Imperial Academy was not just a school; it was a fortress of ego.
The entrance plaza was paved with white jade. Thousands of hopeful students gathered, dressed in their finest silks. Carriages drawn by Griffins and Unicorns dropped off the children of Dukes and Generals.
And then, there was Team Asura.
They stood in the corner. Kaelen wore his plain grey scholar robe. Bo was sweating in a suit that was too tight. Magnus... well, Magnus was wearing a tarp because no tailor in the city had a shirt his size.
"Look at them," a passing noble whispered, covering her nose with a scented fan. "Did the Academy lower the standards? I smell... dirt."
"Ignore them," Kaelen said calmly. "We are here to get the badge, not to make friends."
"Out of the way, peasants!"
A whip cracked through the air.
Snap!
It struck the ground inches from Bo's feet. Bo yelped and jumped behind Magnus.
A golden carriage pulled by two Fire-Lions halted in front of them. A young man stepped out. He had slicked-back blonde hair, a uniform covered in medals he probably didn't earn, and a face that screamed "My father will hear about this."
This was Cedric von Aethel, the nephew of the Prime Minister.
"You are blocking the VIP lane," Cedric sneered, tapping his whip against his palm. "This lane is for those with Noble Blood. The servant entrance is around the back, near the garbage disposal."
The crowd giggled. They waited for the "country bumpkins" to bow and apologize.
Kaelen looked at the VIP lane. Then he looked at Cedric.
"Noble Blood?" Kaelen asked, his voice polite but loud enough to be heard. "Interesting. I was under the impression that blood is red for everyone. Unless... are you a leech? Leeches have blue blood."
Silence.
Someone in the crowd snorted.
Cedric's face turned crimson. "You dare?! Do you know who I am?"
"No," Kaelen walked past him. "And looking at your face, I don't think I want to."
"YOU—!" Cedric raised his whip to strike Kaelen.
Magnus stepped forward. He cast a shadow over the golden boy. He didn't say a word. He just breathed.
Huff.
The sheer pressure of the Titan's breath made the two Fire-Lions whimper. They laid down, covering their eyes with their paws.
Cedric froze. He looked up at the grey-skinned giant.
"Come, cousin," Kaelen called out. "We'll be late for the test."
Magnus turned and followed Kaelen. Bo stuck his tongue out at Cedric before running after them.
Cedric stood there, trembling with rage. "I will kill them. I will kill them in the Combat Trial!"
...
Trial 1: The Spirit Stone.
The testing hall was massive. In the center stood a Crystal Pillar.
"Step up, place your hand, and channel your Qi," the Proctor announced. "Below Level 5 Body Refining is a fail. Level 9 is Excellent. Spirit Ocean is a Genius."
Cedric went first.
He placed his hand with a flourish. The pillar glowed bright orange.
"Spirit Ocean Level 1!"
The crowd cheered. "A genius! As expected of Lord Cedric!"
Cedric smirked at Kaelen. "Beat that, peasant."
Kaelen sighed. 'Level 1? In my time, that was the standard for cleaning staff.'
"Next! Kael from North Rim Village."
Kaelen walked up. He needed to be careful. If he used his real power, the pillar would explode.
He placed his hand. He carefully suppressed his Golden Dragon Ocean and released a tiny, microscopic thread of Qi.
The pillar glowed a faint, steady blue.
"Body Refining Level 9."
"Pass," the Proctor said, bored. "Average."
Kaelen bowed. "Thank you."
"Next! Bo!"
Bo walked up, shaking. He placed his sweaty hand on the crystal.
Nothing happened.
"Uh oh," Bo whispered.
"Push!" Kaelen hissed from the line.
Bo squeezed his eyes shut. He thought about gold. He thought about stealing. The excitement surged.
The pillar flickered weakly.
"Body Refining Level 6."
"Barely pass," the Proctor grunted. "Next! Magnus!"
Magnus walked up. The floor shook with his steps.
He placed his massive hand on the delicate crystal.
Nothing happened. Magnus had no Qi. He relied on physical strength.
The crowd laughed. "A dud! He has no talent!"
"Wait," the Proctor squinted. The crystal wasn't glowing. It was... vibrating.
Magnus was nervous. He squeezed the crystal a little too hard.
CRACK.
A spiderweb fracture appeared on the priceless testing artifact.
"Oops," Magnus rumbled.
The Proctor's jaw dropped. "You... you broke the Spirit Pillar with raw grip strength?"
"Is that... pass?" Magnus asked innocently.
"I... I don't know," the Proctor stammered. "I guess? Physical Prodigy? Just... go to the next station. Don't touch anything else."
...
Trial 2: The Written Exam.
This was Kaelen's playground. The questions were about Imperial History, Tactics, and Beast Theory.
Question 4: Who won the Battle of the Red Cliff 300 years ago?
Kaelen smiled. 'I did. And it was raining, not sunny as the history books say.'
He wrote the answers effortlessly. But he deliberately made a few mistakes to keep his score at 85/100. Perfection attracts attention.
Bo, on the other hand, was having a mental breakdown.
Question 1: What is 2 + 2 if x is a variable of Qi flow?
"Is the answer 'Apple'?" Bo whispered, tears forming in his eyes.
Suddenly, he felt a tap on his shoulder. It was Kaelen sitting behind him.
Kaelen tapped a rhythm on the desk.
Tap-tap... Tap-tap-tap.
Bo's thief instincts kicked in. It was Morse Code.
Bo grinned. He started scribbling furiously.
They passed.
...
Trial 3: The Strength Test.
This was the final hurdle. A massive Black Iron Golem stood in the center of the arena. It was designed to measure impact force.
"Hit the Golem!" the Instructor shouted. "Score above 500 to pass!"
Cedric stepped up again. He drew his sword, channeling his Spirit Ocean Qi.
"Burning Slash!"
BANG!
The Golem wobbled. Numbers flashed above its head.
Score: 1,200.
"Incredible!" The Instructor clapped. "Top score of the day!"
Cedric sheathed his sword, basking in the applause. He looked at Kaelen's group. "Your turn, trash. Try not to break your hand."
Kaelen nudged Magnus. "Go. Remember... Gentle."
Magnus walked up to the Golem. The Golem was big, but Magnus was bigger.
Magnus looked at the iron machine. He remembered Kaelen's order: Class B student. Be average.
"Average..." Magnus mumbled.
He decided to use one finger. Just a flick.
He wound up his massive arm and flicked the Golem's chest plate.
PING.
It sounded like a bell.
Score: 499.
"FAIL!" The Instructor shouted. "One point short! You useless lump!"
Magnus looked sad. He looked at Kaelen.
Kaelen face-palmed. 'Too gentle.'
"One more try!" Magnus pleaded.
"Fine. Make it count."
Magnus panicked. He didn't know how to calibrate. 'Too soft is bad. So... a little harder?'
He made a fist. He didn't use his Titan Art. Just a normal, frustrated punch.
"Stupid... metal... man!"
WHAM.
It wasn't a loud noise. It was a deep, sickening crunch of metal collapsing on itself.
The Black Iron Golem didn't fly back. It folded. Its chest plate caved in, exploding out of its back. The head popped off and flew into the VIP stands, knocking over a Duke's wine glass.
The numbers on the display spun wildly.
Score: 9,999... ERROR... ERROR...
Fizz. Spark. Boom.
The Golem exploded into scrap metal.
Silence. Absolute, terrified silence.
Cedric's mouth hung open. The Instructor dropped his clipboard.
Magnus looked at his hand, then at the smoking pile of scrap.
"Is... is that 500?" Magnus asked hopefully.
Kaelen sighed and stepped forward. "My cousin apologizes. He doesn't know his own strength. He works on a farm. Very stubborn cows."
From the shadows of the VIP balcony, a man watched. He wore a General's uniform with three stars. He had a scar running down his left eye.
General Thorne.
He stared at Magnus, then at the calm, white-haired boy speaking for him.
"A farm boy who destroys a Military Grade Golem?" Thorne whispered, his eyes narrowing. "And a 'scholar' who scores 85% exactly while tapping codes?"
Thorne smiled. It was a wolf's smile.
"Interesting. Pass them. Put them in Class S."
"But General!" the aide protested. "Class S is for the elite! For monsters!"
"Exactly," Thorne turned away. "I want to see what happens when you put wolves among sheep."
Back in the arena, the Instructor cleared his throat, looking terrified of Magnus.
"You... uh... Pass. Class S."
"Class S?" Bo whispered to Kaelen. "Does S stand for Safe?"
"No, Bo," Kaelen looked up at the balcony where Thorne had been standing. "S stands for Suicide."
They had passed. But they had failed to keep a low profile. They were now the top targets of the Academy.
Author Note: "If you like the story, please vote with Power Stones! It helps me write faster."