CHAPTER 28: RANKINGS

"Ranked 238, Siris Houndjo, step forward!" Professor Franz announced.

Everyone started searching through the amphitheatre for the lowest ranked student on the list, as this would let them know if their chances of getting in were still solid or nonexistent.

An averagely tall, black haired boy stepped into the arena, his blue eyes glowing faintly as he looked around the amphitheatre. He sighed and walked towards the centre of the arena where he stood. His face showed a mix of dissatisfaction and relief. Of course he got in, but who wanted to be at the bottom.

Xenon recognised him immediately, it was the crystal boy. He sighed in relief and turned to his cousin.

"I think we have better chances than we previously thought. The boy down there is someone either of us can easily out match, he participated in one of the first few rounds before you arrived. So, relax." Xenon reassured.

"Okay, I’ll take your word for it." Jeage sighed but wasn’t really calm.

The professor continued and the arena slowly started to fill up with happy teenagers. Xenon and Jeage gauged their chances with every new person that walked into the arena.

"Ranked 125, Bèishù Bakudan!" Professor Franz continued.

"What about this one?" Jeage asked his cousin as a new student was announced.

"He’s a strong one, but we should still be placed higher than him. I’ll probably be in the early hundreds or nineties." Xenon replied, hoping to be in the top one hundred at least. A couple of names followed, but Xenon didn’t hear his own.

"Ranked 89, Orion West!" Franz announced, plunging Xenon into despair.

’That was the red head’s opponent and even I can’t guarantee surving against him, if I don’t get called next I’m truly doomed!’ Xenon’s was panicking.

"Hey, Xenon, are you sure we’re still gonna make it? I heard about this guy’s match, it was one of the toughest ones and he still got ranked 89. Are you still sure we’re not one of the five thousand going home?" Jeage had accepted that he might not make it, but he was still hoping for words of encouragement from his cousin.

"At this point, I’m not sure." Xenon simply replied and turned away from the stone railing to take a seat away from the view of the arena. He didn’t want to pay attention to the process going on anymore as it would do nothing but worsen his despair and rub in the realisation of his failure.

Jeage’s face turned blank at his cousin’s reply, he didn’t even bother to look for a seat but sat on the floor, his back leaning against the railing.

Professor Franz continued calling on acknowledged aspirants till only a few were left.

"Now, the top ten best aspirants of this year. These are the ones who have proven their strength in the matches and I deemed to possess either the most potential for growth or the most powerful abilities, or even both. Make space for them at the front of the arena for these youngsters will no doubt be the face of our academy in the future." Franz declared.

The two hundred and twenty eight teenagers who had gathered on the arena, facing the professor on the fifth floor, made way at the front for the ten candidates who managed to elicit praise from the revered professors.

"Ranked number 10..." Professor Franz continued. "Arnetta Towe!" The crowd gathered at the arena clapped lightly, while those on the various floors of the amphitheatre who have not been called simply sneered or kept quiet.

The purple haired girl with the ability to stop time walked into the arena, to the space provided for the top ten rankers. There was a smile plastered on her face as she stood there, she looked straight ahead, avoiding eyes contact with anyone.

"Ranked number 9, Jacquez Pascal!" A blonde boy walked into the arena with his hands tucked in his pockets and stood beside Arnetta.

"Ranked number 8, Karmesínrot Leuchten!" Another applause followed, this one notably lessened. The red head joined the others on the arena.

"Ranked number 7, a scion of the Prasedymum family, Jeage Prasedymum!"

Jeage bolted up in shock, he looked at Professor Franz, his face expressing doubt. The professor nodded, dispelling his doubt. He looked at Xenon, concerned. Xenon simply smiled and looked away.

Jeage went down to the arena, sad for his newly met cousin. He would probably never get the chance to befriend him again, he shook his head as he was feeling a mix of conflicting emotions. Glad, because he got admitted and was placed in the top ten no less; sad, because the person he had been looking forward to befriend couldn’t accompany him.

"Ranked number 6, also a scion of the Prasedymum family..." Jeage perked up and he stared at Professor Franz. "Xenon Prasedymum!" Professor Franz announced, the crowd grew silent, waiting for the called person to appear.

"Xenon Prasedymum!... Xenon Prasedymum you are awaited in the arena!" The professor repeated after a few seconds when nobody approached the arena. "Xenon Prasedymum w...".

"Xenon! You bastard! Get out here!" Jeage interrupted the professor in his unconstrained excitement.

— — —

’In the end I still didn’t make it...’ Xenon thought to himself as he sat down, looking at his cousin who sat against the stone railing a few steps from him. He looked up to the professor who was still calling out names, he called another.

"Ranked number 7, a scion of the Prasedymum family, Jeage Prasedymum!"

Xenon eyes widened, he was excited for his cousin, then realisation hit him. He made eye contact with a shocked Jeage but looked away immediately, he closed his eyes and raised his head to prevent tears from falling.

’How foolish of me to think it’s over for him too, he obviously displayed an incredible performance within seconds without breaking a sweat. How foolish of me to think... ah, fuck it’. Xenon said to himself. ’There’s only two choices now, either I...".

° Ding -he was interrupted by the system.

_________________

•You have completed the main quest ’pass entrance examination into Askesis academy’

_________________

The message appeared beneath his closed eyelids.

’What, how... but I wasn’t called. Hey system are you malfunctioning or wha...’

"Xenon! You bastard! Get out here!" Xenon’s train of thought was interrupted yet again, this time by Jeage.

He opened his eyes abruptly at the voice of his cousin, he walked to the stone railing to see a grinning Jeage.

’It can’t be, can it?’. Xenon thought as he raised his gaze to the professor who nodded softly.

"Mister Xenon Prasedymum, would you kindly join your mates at the arena, you ranked 6th." Professor Franz confirmed his suspicions.

He didn’t hesitate and immediately ran for the arena, he arrived beside Jeage in a second. His enthusiastic cousin gave him a firm handshake and a few pats on his shoulder.

"Ah ha! I knew you’d get in!" Jeage said, a wide smile plastered on his face

"No you didn’t."

"No I didn’t." He admitted.

"Ranked number 5, Aoi Mitsugo!" Professor Franz continued. The blue haired boy who had fought against Bèishù walked into the arena and stood beside Xenon.

"Ranked 4th, Jason Rogers!" Jason, smiling, jogged to his spot beside Aoi, he shakes the blue haired boy in excitement and called out to a fuming Xenon.

"Hey! You also made it? Congra..." Jason was saying.

"How the hell are you ranked higher than me!?" Xenon hollered.

Jason was about to reply but a glare from the professors shut both he and Xenon up.

"Ranked 3rd, Rogue Dām!" A girl with short black hair and scarlet irises walked into the arena.

"Ranked 2nd, Belladonna Grimaldi!" The arena went silent for a moment before exploding in claps and cheers as a girl sporting green hair made in braids and had an eye patch over her left eye walked into the arena. She walked to the front, to the space provided to the top ten and took her stand beside Rogue.

Xenon eyes connected with her right eye for a moment, she had a pinkish green iris, there was a subtle glow under the eye patch on her left eye and her scent drifted over to Xenon.

’Are there perfumes on this world? She smells strangely of... flowers."

"Hey Jeage, who is she?" Xenon nodded in her direction.

"Later." Jeage muttered, nodding in the direction of Professor Franz who was about to announce the number one.

"And finally, the top aspirant this year, ranked 1st, Wonsebolatán Ogun!" Professor Franz announced, eliciting whispers from all over the amphitheatre.