As soon as they walked out the door Lionel and Richie were faced with a crowd of over a hundred people who all looked their way immediately.
Some fierce some calm, some glanced over then directly ignored them.
"Yeah I am not dealing with this." Richie turned back looking for an escape route, but when he did he realized the door he came through was already gone.
'Who the hell designed this place?' But he immediately understood what had happened.
The door must have had a Minor Teleportation Rune on it. Runes were less of symbols and more of a language in itself. They could inspire miniature variable changes in Ether and that could lead to major changes when strung together, in complexity.
Don't forget that all things have Aether as a foundation that includes living things too. In this case a Rune Master, was invited the lay down a formation in their waiting room.
"Look who finally showed up! Why were you guys so slow?" Sakura whined as she grabbed unto Lionel's hand, swinging it dandily.
Richie was about to tell her that it would be best to let him go but surprisingly, Lionel didn't seem to react much. A slight smile even appearing on his face.
'Good for you brother! I didn't know you were such a play boy!' Richie silently gave Lionel a thumbs up and nodded his head.
If Lionel could read his thoughts he would probably kill him.
Richie remembered the words of their father, 'A woman can love a man but a man should love women.' Words of wisdom. Mr. Kage would be proud.
Lionel looked over at Richie before he raised a brow. 'What goes on in hi ' s head? He does know she's our cousin right?' he shook his head.
"Don't think about it, we got caught up in something." Even if he did love women there was no way he would lust over his cousin right?
Looking over ahead of the crowd he saw a podium, the set up was similar to the arena like stadium Clinton locked them in.
A grand arena like that would even put the colosseum of times past to shame. It seemed that not only had technology improved but so had architecture in general.
'They are waiting for someone.' Lionel thought to himself.
He wouldn't get it in his head that he was the strongest here, as a matter of fact, in his current state he could very well be one of the weakest.
Suddenly someone showed up. It was a well dressed middle aged man with a well groomed beard, almost as if each individual strand had been groomed separately.
As he got up unto the podium he first looked through the crowd as if searching for something, his eyes stopping on Lionel for moment but he eventually shook his head.
Lionel narrowed his eyes, why did everyone seem to piss him off today? 'What does he mean by that?'
He was angry.
It seemed that everyone was out The students around him didn't take him seriously but they suddenly found a foreign pressure bearing down on them.
They wanted to know who it was but something deep within their souls told them not to look back.
'Is this all the east quadrant has to offer this year? It seems there is no way to stop our current decline.' The well groomed middle-aged man who was named Christian Gates sighed in his heart.
"Hello all I am Christian Gates, The Dean of the Academy's Eastern Quadrant. congratulate you all in your success of being admitted." Gates let out a smile as he announced this information, but the shock it brought to those down below was not small.
'Are those that passed this time around really so few?' They thought to themselves. Some even murmured aloud.
One had to understand that the normal influx of studens for every quadrant was at least 500, bringing a total of 2500 students every three years. Yet this time around their quadrant hardly seemed to have more than 200 people.
Lionel though seemed to realize something, and understood why Gates shook his head. His gaze wasn't directed to him per say but in Lionel's heart there was little difference really.
'You worry about the quadrant when you have me?'
Ignorance.
That was Lionel's opinion on the matter. Who was he to worry? Did Lionel need a reason to be number one? The answer was no.
If others knew his thoughts though, they would definitely call him a mad man. 'Who was he?' They would definitely say. But if they heard the surname they might have differing opinions.
"Now we will have a written session after this but I doubt any of you will have major problems with that. So I will go ahead and skip any additional information. They will be informed to you later by these seniors behind me
"You will learn of them with time. But I do have one thing to say." At this point everyone was listening attentively to what he had to say.
When he saw that he had everyone's attention he said,
"Watch."
His eyes gained a light purple hue as he snapped his fingers.
BOOM!
Bright lighting flashed through the sky, darkening with every moment that passed. The clouds rumbling ever so often as if to assert their dominance.
The winds gushing by like a flood, lifting the skirts of some unlucky few and creating a nice atmosphere for those peeping. The students had varying expressions, some showed fear, some awe, and a certain few were burning with excitement.
Lionel of course couldn't help but grin, 'I wonder how long till I can make this man kneel.'
"Disperse." Gates said after he had achieved the effect he wanted. Almost immediately the winds cleared, the clouds dispersed, the rumbling stopped.
It was almost as if what they had just witnessed had never happened. If it wasn't for how sure they were they would think they were under an illusion.
"Nothing is impossible. Aether is the basis… Find your opportunity. Now gather into a group of four each you'll be lead to your living quarters by your seniors on standby
"This is where you will be staying for however long you'll be here
"You have an hour then registration and confirmation of identities processes will begin."
"Remember, there is no limit." And with that he vanished. Well at least that's how it would seem to untrained eyes. But for new students? It would suffice.
"Hmm that professor was a weird man. A little fat too." Sakura spoke audibly to Lionel. Those who heard what she said, started getting cold sweat.
That was the dean of their quadrant. Couldn't she be a little more cautious with her form of speech?
But Lionel, who couldn't care less about their opinion started nodding his head. "Indeed he was a little fat."
At this point some of the nearby students who listened in on their conversation directly fainted. Did they really think so little of a man who could command the elements causing the weather to change?
But the truth was Lionel really didn't think much of the Dean. He knew that many of the chefs at his father's restaurant were at least that strong.
Earth wasn't the only place with humans. There are many worlds out the with far higher standards than earth. He didn't see it as a big deal. He would eventually reach it anyway. Wasn't it just the 5th Lock?
"Hello students I am Sammy, I hope you have a wonderful time within your stay on campus." A bright ginger haired lady who looked rather elegant came over to greet them.
She was one of the seniors who had been assigned to guiding the new students.
She looked towards Lionel and was slightly stunned before she said, "A rather handsome fella aren't you?" But as soon as she said these words she had sparked the flames of a sleeping tiger
[Author's Note: The flames of a tsundere, what a world.]