The bell rang.
Jezebeth stood from his seat almost immediately.
"Finally."
Leon looked at him.
"You've been waiting for this?"
"Since yesterday."
Seraphina gathered her books.
"You looked half-asleep during the entire first lesson."
"I was."
Leon stared at him.
"And you're proud of that?"
"A little."
The three of them left the classroom with the rest of the students.
Their next lesson was held outside.
The academy's training grounds were already filled with students from other classes. Several instructors stood around the enormous marble arena, watching as everyone gathered.
Jezebeth looked around.
Different weapons.
Different uniforms.
Different Shikigami.
Some students had visible changes to their bodies. One had scales covering his forearms. Another had pupils resembling those of a cat. Someone else had a faint blue mist constantly flowing around their shoulders.
Jezebeth's eyes moved from one student to another.
Interesting.
He wasn't staring because he was impressed.
He was analyzing.
Movement.
Posture.
Breathing.
The way their energy moved through their bodies.
The way they carried themselves.
Most of them had obvious strengths.
Most also had obvious weaknesses.
A whistle sounded.
Everyone became quiet.
A man walked toward the center of the arena.
He was tall and heavily built, with short black hair and several scars running across his arms.
"Welcome to Ability Control."
His voice was rough.
"My name is Instructor Kaiden."
He looked across the students.
"Some of you are talented."
His eyes stopped briefly on Jezebeth.
"Some of you are not."
A few students frowned.
"But talent means nothing if you can't control what you've been given."
He raised his hand.
A small sphere of energy formed above his palm.
It remained perfectly still.
"Power isn't about how much energy you can produce."
The sphere disappeared.
"It's about how precisely you can use it."
He pointed toward the arena.
"Today, you'll demonstrate basic control."
A few students looked nervous.
Jezebeth didn't.
Kaiden continued.
"You'll each manifest your Shikigami abilities and perform three exercises."
"Movement."
"Precision."
"And restraint."
He pointed toward a student.
"You. First."
The student stepped forward.
A faint glow surrounded his body.
His Shikigami manifested partially through him, causing his arms to become covered in dark scales.
He rushed forward.
His movement was fast.
Too fast.
He overshot the first marker and nearly crashed into the wall.
Several students laughed.
Kaiden didn't.
"Again."
The student swallowed.
He tried again.
This time, he stopped perfectly.
"Better."
One by one, the students went.
Some performed well.
Others struggled.
Jezebeth watched quietly.
Then Seraphina's name was called.
She stepped forward.
The atmosphere changed.
Even the students who had been talking became quiet.
Seraphina closed her eyes.
A faint silver glow appeared around her.
Her hair lifted slightly.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then the air around her froze.
Not with ice.
With stillness.
A thin layer of frost spread across the ground beneath her feet.
She moved.
One step.
Then another.
Her movements were almost effortless.
She reached the final marker and stopped exactly where she needed to.
Kaiden nodded.
"Precision."
Seraphina raised her hand.
A small silver blade of energy appeared above her palm.
She turned toward a row of targets.
Five targets.
One after another, the blades shot forward.
Five perfect hits.
The class murmured.
Kaiden folded his arms.
"Excellent control."
Seraphina returned to her position.
Jezebeth smiled slightly.
So that's Candidate Number Two.
Leon leaned toward him.
"She's good."
"Very."
"You sound disappointed."
"I'm not."
Jezebeth glanced at Seraphina.
"I'm interested."
Leon shook his head.
"You're weird."
"My feelings are hurt."
"You don't look hurt."
"I'm suffering internally."
Leon laughed.
Then his name was called.
"Leon."
He sighed.
"Here we go."
Jezebeth watched him walk forward.
He still looked completely ordinary.
Brown hair.
Average build.
Untidy uniform.
Nothing remarkable.
Leon stood in the center of the arena.
Kaiden looked at him.
"Manifest."
Leon took a breath.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then his shadow moved.
Jezebeth's eyes narrowed.
The shadow beneath Leon's feet stretched several meters across the ground.
It moved like liquid.
Leon stepped forward.
His shadow followed.
He stopped.
The shadow stopped.
Kaiden nodded.
"Good."
Leon moved again.
This time, his shadow shot forward.
It struck the first target.
Then the second.
Then the third.
Three clean hits.
Leon returned to his position.
A few students looked surprised.
Jezebeth smiled.
Not ordinary after all.
Leon walked back beside him.
Jezebeth looked at him.
"Interesting."
Leon frowned.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"You keep saying that."
"And yet you keep asking."
Leon sighed.
Before they could continue, Kaiden called another name.
Then another.
Eventually...
"Jezebeth Chronos."
The entire arena became quiet.
Jezebeth slowly stepped forward.
Hundreds of eyes followed him.
He could hear the whispers.
"Candidate Number One."
"Let's see what he can do."
"I heard his assessment was ridiculous."
"Do you think he'll use his full power?"
Jezebeth stopped in the center.
Kaiden looked at him.
"Manifest."
Jezebeth closed his eyes.
He reached inward.
The familiar presence of Ryoma stirred.
His heartbeat slowed.
A faint mist escaped from his skin.
The temperature around him dropped.
Jezebeth opened his eyes.
Black.
The colorless mist curled around his arms.
Several students took a step back.
Kaiden's expression changed.
"Vessel manifestation."
Jezebeth looked at the first marker.
Then disappeared.
A burst of pressure exploded behind him.
He appeared at the marker.
No wasted movement.
No hesitation.
He turned.
Repulsion.
The force launched him backward.
Before he reached the ground, Attraction pulled him toward the second marker.
His body changed direction instantly.
He landed.
The class went silent.
Jezebeth looked at the targets.
Five of them.
He raised one hand.
Attraction.
The first target ripped from its stand and flew toward him.
Repulsion.
It changed direction violently.
The target slammed into another target.
Then another.
Then another.
Four targets collided in a single instant.
The final target remained untouched.
Jezebeth lowered his hand.
Kaiden stared at the destroyed arrangement.
"You were supposed to hit them."
Jezebeth looked at the targets.
"I did."
"That wasn't the exercise."
"Oh."
Jezebeth shrugged.
"My mistake."
A few students laughed.
Kaiden rubbed his forehead.
"Again."
Jezebeth sighed.
He raised his hand.
This time, he focused.
A small distortion appeared in front of his finger.
The final target moved.
Not violently.
Not quickly.
It simply slid across the ground until it reached the exact center of the marked circle.
Perfect.
Kaiden's eyes narrowed.
"Again."
Another target.
Perfect.
Another.
Perfect.
Jezebeth continued.
Every movement was precise.
Every use of Attraction and Repulsion was controlled.
There was no wasted energy.
No unnecessary movement.
When he finished, the arena was silent.
Kaiden looked at him for several seconds.
Then he spoke.
"Your control is exceptional."
Jezebeth smiled.
"Thank you."
"But your attitude needs work."
The smile disappeared.
"That's unfortunate."
Leon laughed.
Even Seraphina's lips curved slightly.
Kaiden turned toward the rest of the class.
"That is why Jezebeth Chronos is Candidate Number One."
The students looked toward Jezebeth.
"Not simply because of his raw power."
He paused.
"Because of his control."
Jezebeth looked down at his hands.
The blackness in his eyes slowly faded.
His skin returned to normal.
The mist disappeared.
Within seconds, he looked like an ordinary sixteen-year-old again.
Kaiden blew his whistle.
"Class dismissed."
Students began leaving the arena.
Jezebeth walked back toward Leon and Seraphina.
Leon looked at him.
"So..."
Jezebeth glanced over.
"You're not ordinary."
Leon frowned.
"I never said I was."
"You didn't have to."
Seraphina walked beside them.
"Your ability is interesting."
Jezebeth looked at her.
"So is yours."
Their eyes met.
Neither looked away.
For a moment, the atmosphere between them changed.
Not hostility.
Not friendship.
Something else.
Competition.
The bell rang in the distance.
Jezebeth smiled.
Tomorrow was supposed to be the combat assessment.
And for the first time since arriving at the academy...
He was genuinely excited.