" Today, i will present the lesson you all will be learning today: 'Mock Exam' - according to the school's regulations, "
"i will have to educate you all to the best of my ability and that i will first need to assess your potential. "
" This is the purpose of the exam and the homework of yesterday - do exercise your best, novices. "
Stellaria spoke while looking at the students with alarming gaze resembling that of a battle-tempered beast.
With those resounding declaration, the class underwent a gossiping ruckus and ignited the dormant enthuasism in them,
They were warriors, it was their purpose to become stronger to follow their dreams.
" Let's set us straight here, using the standard chivalry ruleset - whoever can subdue the opposing king or 'World Core' first will be the victor. "
" While i will allow any eliminations - torture or intentional stalling is forbidden - you can declare surrender at any time and the match will end, is that clear to you? "
Stellaria's statement sent chills throughout the class, they soon realized that wasn't a question but rather a suggestion that they have to obey.
" Now then, since i've spoken my thoughts - i will now announce who will be dueling in the first match, "
Stellaria spoke but it seems she struggled to continue her sentence, after a brief moment passed - she continued her lines of words.
"Aldritch, since your name starts with A - why don't you go first? "
Silence shrouded the classroom with air of suspicions...
'Aren't you just making sh*t up at this point?!'
The entire students body is thinking on something along the lines, as the one being called out, Aldritch wasn't keen on the trouble being thrown in his direction.
" What, why? "
" Don't ask why, just pick an opponent - isn't it easy to do? "
Stellaria spoke sarcastically while clearly not budging, usually this kind of unfairness would be boycotted by the students - but Stellaria reputation and rumors surrounding her was not an insignificant one.
Being close with the principal is one such rumors - no one is idiotic enough to mess with the teacher that the principal is favored.
They could only pretend to go along with her and just bare with it.
"Fine, since miss Stellaria asked - I do have someone in mind. "
Aldritch sighed to himself internally, while this wasn't according to his plan.
He could only cursed and improvised, he wasn't bluffing when he wanted to duel someone.
He pointed at the student sitting in the far corner to the right-hand side of the classroom.
Some were gasped in atonishment at the finger being pointed at 'him', since they recognized the student as one of the protential 'powerful' candidate for the representative.
" Vicuel Beckman? This doesn't seems like a good matchup for you. "
Stellaria frowned for a bit, while she made some calculations on who Aldritch would pick, Vicuel Beckman was the least of her options.
As for the reason why, the Beckmans were famous for their assassination skills and a long history of the 'Shadow Tabi' technique since the pre-technology outbreak time.
Essentially, while Vicuel is not the only younger generation of the Beckmans and is considered inferior compared to the chosen heir.
All beckmans inherited the qualities of an 'assassin' and Vicuel is no exception to that.
'Assassin versus Summoner.'
She muttered under her own doubt and experience, attempting to rationalized such a choice.
Everyone with common sense would know that the summoner would be at the mercy of an assassin.
However, Aldritch's words would only further escalated and validate his determination to proceed with this matchup.
" I want to face my mortal enemy. "
Aldritch stared at Stellaria as if asking her for the permission.
Right now it wasn't his rationality, but rather his obsession to become stronger that propelled him to make this choice.
" All right, since you were challenged. How will you respond? "
Stellaria turned to Vicuel after recieving the affirmation, she was curious on how this will play out.
" I won't disappoint you, mentor - I will accept this duel. "
Vicuel naturally responded with no hesitation, he was a person that doesn't back down from a fight that favored him - he didn't have any sadistic inclination but rather a natural strategic mindset.
" Then, it's settled. Student Leucognia will be going against novice Beckman - i hope both of you will show some growth after this war. "
The class after witnessing the exchanges and a confirmation from the teacher herself was descending into an uproar - unlike what you would usually expect.
This match was too exciting to miss out on!
**
'I need to overcome this.'
Aldritch whispering to his own fork as he was currently in the cafeteria, recast in his usual 'thinking' habits - any outsider would think that he had caught onto an eight-grade syndrome.
But in reality, he was formulating a plan as his goal currently was to win against the top scoring students in terms of protential in the year.
Because there were posts in the 'harmony' site regarding the 'class' and the protential amongst his peers - he wasn't ignorant enough to not scout his fellow classmates.
The novices who were ranked top 10 amongst the first years are those he must learn to defeat before going any further:
==
Lu Styxia - Rank 1
Seo-Jun - Rank 2
??? - Rank 3
??? - Rank 4
Sakino Wakashi - Rank 5
Isadora Berndette - Rank 6
Fjord Bergstark - Rank 7
Vicuel Beckman - Rank 8
Kizler Von Almarch - Rank 9
Deniz Gosterir - Rank 10
==
Due to the fact that Styxia and Jun had to take a leave of absence because of personal business - he was left with two people in his class that he could personally dueled with.
Isadora and Vicuel.
While he could utilized this opportunity to spar with his friend - Aldritch wasn't as particularly comfortable with fighting a girl that can carry around a tons of weight everyday as his opponent in fear of being crushed - he settled with Vicuel.
And while the matchup is not favorable - he could learn a lot about it.
There wasn't anything to forfeit, in fact he would gain a lot from this than getting beaten by anyone else.
As he continued to justify himself and embracing the inevitable clash,
A receptive sensory feeling of his shirt being tugged as he was snapped out of his zen state.
" Eat. Food go cold. "
Isadora muttered between her breath as she chewed on her own plate of delicacies that was the school lunch,
Aldritch thought that it would be good to have a schoolmate to eat with.
And he didn't mind the girl opposite of him, they are compatible in a way.
" Mhm, sure. It's probably better to eat it now. "
Aldritch took the fork and jabbed into the golden cow meat - while he wasn't a glutton like his twin sister or his new buddy.
He still retained some knowledge of gourmet and culinary cooking, Mainly because he had lived on a budget in his past life and learning it became mandatory.
" This is pretty good. "
Aldritch had a realization that if he were to start a restaurant or another kind of food manufacturing business utilizing rudamentary knowledge from Earth - it would be a decent way to earn money for an average household.
Still that may be, currently it wasn't important to his academy's years.
" Friend. "
Aldritch once again had a deja vu, he felt as though he was with a chick trying to get his attention.
" What it is? If it about the food, i'm already full. "
"No. Follow. I help you."
Isadora shake her head and insisted on Aldritch following her, it supposibly to be a serious business.
'Is this...what they call a confession?'
Aldritch proceed to follow the girl with few words, her long half-colored hair fluttered along the wind as she stride in a medium pace,
Her posture and movement doesn't seems to be impaired at all.
**
After sometime wandering in the nexus, Aldritch was greeted with the sight of a dimensional hatchery.
"Come."
Isadora invited him into a portal which she activated using her ID which obviously would lead the world she was cultivating personally, identical like him.
'Interesting, what kind of world it is?'
Aldritch reflected to himself before going in the portal, since he was going to use this opportunity to observe his friend's world.