CHAPTER 53: CHAPTER 53: THE BODY TOO WEAK FOR HIS HISTORY

The crystal flashed a solid A-rank.

"Applicant Yomi," the instructor called, his voice thick with annoyance.

"A Dra’kesh?" Kaelen laughed. "What’s it going to do, bite the dummy?"

Yomi walked onto the sand, his expression unreadable. He stood before the dummy, his stillness a stark contrast to Kaelen’s explosive aura. He raised a hand and delivered a single, straight punch.

There was no sound. Only a silent ripple in the air, a distortion like heat haze. For one heartbeat, nothing happened. Then, chaos.

The enchanted dummy, built to withstand the fury of S-class heroes, did not break. It disintegrated. A shockwave tore through the arena, kicking up a wall of sand. The S-rank scoring crystal beside the pedestal didn’t just flash, it exploded into a shower of golden shards.

A profound, deathly silence fell over the arena. Lord Kaelen’s jaw hung open. The instructor stumbled back, his clipboard slipping from nerveless fingers. Every eye was fixed on Yomi, who stood with his hand still extended.

He looked down at his own fist, a flicker of cold disappointment in his eyes. This body is still too weak, he thought with clinical detachment. In my prime, that strike would have shattered the very air.

Lirien stared, her mind racing to dissect the impossible. No aura. No battle stance. Not even a proper martial technique. How? The question burned within her. What is he?

****

The magical assessment range was a stark, enclosed hall where the air hummed with contained energy. At the far end, crystalline targets pulsed with a soft, inner light. An instructor, radiating an aura of profound boredom, addressed the applicants.

"The objective is simple," he stated, his voice flat. "Channel your mana, strike the target. The crystal measures output, purity, and control. Finesse is valued over raw power. Most of you will be fortunate to achieve a C-rank."

The prejudice was more refined here. Nobles were praised for flashy, uncontrolled bursts of energy, while commoners with precise casting earned only cursory nods. When Aeloria’s turn came, she stepped forward, her heart a steady drum. This was her domain. She unleashed a complex weave of healing magic, a sphere of pure, golden light that bathed the target in a warm glow. The scoring crystal shone brightly: a high B-rank for power, an A-rank for purity. The instructor’s eyebrow twitched in grudging respect.

As she returned to her spot, the instructor glanced at his roster. "Next, applicant Yomi."

"Excuse me," Aeloria interjected, her voice firm. "There must be a mistake. He is listed for this trial, but he has no detectable mana."

The instructor’s gaze turned cold. "The assignments are correct. If the Dra’kesh had an issue, he should have read his paperwork. All applicants must complete their assigned trials. No exceptions."

Lord Kaelen’s mocking laughter echoed in the hall. "This will be entertaining! What’s he going to do, spit at it?"

Yomi walked to the line. He faced the target, then turned his head to look directly at the smirking instructor, a silent, chilling promise in his eyes. He began to move his hands in a series of calm, deliberate seals.

The air in the room didn’t hum with magic; it grew heavy, suffocating. An oppressive, primal energy radiated from Yomi’s form, an ancient force that seemed to bend the light around him.

Aeloria felt a tremor of pure dread. That isn’t magic, she thought, her eyes wide. He isn’t asking the world for power... he’s telling it what to do.

A single, fiery orb, no larger than his fist, coalesced before him. The flame was not red or gold, but a swirling, chaotic grey that seemed to devour the light. With a contemptuous flick of his wrist, he sent it streaking across the range.

The Ki bullet struck the target. For one, silent heartbeat, nothing happened. Then, the crystalline target was simply unmade. It dissolved into a fine, grey dust, which was itself consumed by a flash of black fire. The stone wall behind it hissed and cracked, a permanent scorch mark seared into its surface. The nearby scoring crystals didn’t just shatter; they exploded into powder.

A profound, tomb-like silence fell over the hall. Lord Kaelen’s sneer was frozen on his face, a mask of disbelief. The instructor’s face was ashen, his mouth opening and closing with no sound coming out. He stared at the smoldering wall, then at Yomi, who stood unmoved by the chaos he had wrought.

"The... the assessment is... concluded," the instructor finally stammered, his professionalism utterly shattered. "Await your final disposition in the antechamber."

The wait was tense. Aeloria and Lirien sat in a small, sterile waiting room, the silence broken only by the sound of their own breathing. "What have we gotten ourselves into?" Aeloria whispered, her earlier suspicion now dwarfed by a profound sense of dread.

Lirien simply shook her head, her gaze distant. "I don’t know."

They were finally summoned by a junior staffer who couldn’t meet their eyes. Administrator Valerius stood behind his desk, his face pale and slick with sweat. His earlier arrogance was gone, replaced by a deep, palpable fear. He shoved their schedules and dorm keys across the desk. "Your... exceptional results have been noted. Welcome to Astralux."

As they walked through the academy grounds moments later, the evening sun casting long shadows from the seven spires, the System’s voice finally echoed in Yomi’s mind.

[Notice: Trace of high-priority target signature detected.]

[Location confirmed: Astralux Academy.]

[Primary objective is now within operational range.]

Yomi stopped, his gaze lifting to the towering sanctums that clawed at the twilight sky. Lirien and Aeloria watched him, seeing the shift in his posture, the sudden, sharp focus that honed his features into a predator’s mask.

So, that is where you hide, he thought, a cold, humorless smile touching his lips. The foolish rabbit, believing it has found sanctuary, has locked itself in the tiger’s den.

His gaze swept over the seven spires, each a potential nest for his prey.

Now... which one of you is it?