In Sever Hall:
After Sarah swiped a special card, the digital door dissolved into numeric particles, revealing what lay beyond.
Venturing into the Hall, the trio was greeted by a spacious area constructed of digital material. At the center stood a grand podium with runic patterns etched on its surface. While it's Surroundings were decorated by inscription seats floating in the ether and some firmly planted on the runic floor. These seats were occupied by individuals of different racial features, some even displaying animalistic characteristics. They chatted amongst themselves, seemingly anticipating an upcoming event.
("It seems we have arrived at a time of some momentous occasion," Sarah muttered, her oceanic eyes gazing at the aristocrats high above and the commoners down below.
Void and Sora, filled with curiosity, surveyed the crowd, observing individuals from various backgrounds: elegant elves with their distinctive pointed ears, dwarves of various statures, beastly humanoids with cat-like ears and dog-like tails, vampires displaying their sharp teeth, and the majority of supernatural humans.
Hearing one of the digital doors materialize, some people looked back and scrutinized the cloaked trio but soon became disinterested.
However, there were still some lingering gazes with thoughtful expressions, especially one that was emanating an undetectable killing intent.
Sarah, who could easily perceive the murderous glare, turned her icy gaze towards the source.
Void, also detecting the subtleties of an agitating signs in the unknown, shifted his gaze towards the levitating seats housing the aristocrats.
On a levitating seat shaped like a sofa, a humongous man looked down at them with an ugly expression.
(Hah! How the hell did that guy get here before us?) Void exclaimed, surprised.
Upon hearing his surprised tone, Sora also turned her gaze towards that particular seat. Meanwhile, Sarah indifferently clarified.
(When a person enters the digital gateway, every batch of people will be transported to different digital corridors. The analysis tower's internal structure is no different from a maze. If you're lost, the only way to find your way out is through the routers interconnected to the corridors. Not only that, an ability user is stripped of their power and is no different from ordinary people. This is to ensure that the sourceless children wouldn't get harmed because of disputes.)
("What about you? Is your power restricted, Aunt?") Void asked with a mischievous glint.
Seeing Void poke fun at her powerless self, Sarah replied sneeringly. (Ridiculous! Only those low-level users could be restricted by the Nexus system. If I wanted to, I could effortlessly destroy this tower and the 'Alphis' governing it.)
While saying that, Sarah lifted her cloaked head upwards and gazed into the ether in a specific direction.
(Anyway, let's go get seated.)
With that, the trio walked towards an unremarkable seat housing commoners and sat down. They didn't want to attract attention for specific reasons. Otherwise, if Sarah wanted, she could have occupied the entire tower for her private use.
*****
(Will the mayor of the thirteenth district really make an appearance?) a voice questioned.
(Forget about the mayor, there's a rumor among the aristocrats that a child of one of the eight noble households will shortly arrive in this tower for primeval analysis,) another voice replied.
(But that alone shouldn't have warranted the big shots to gather in this place, right?) the first voice doubtfully asked.
After all, whether it's the major factions or even a noble household sending their children for primeval analysis, it isn't uncommon.
Hearing her on-the-mark query, the second voice knowingly replied, (Do you still remember the phenomenal visualization that engulfed 10% of the original city in a sea of blue fire?)
("Yes, of course I do. After all, I happened to be living in that part of the city. So, when the phenomenon of the dreadful blue Sea of Fire emerged five years ago, it left a significant visual impact on my psyche,) the first voice replied fearfully.
(Indeed, but you know what? That phenomenon was actually caused by the birth of a child in one of the eight noble households. Unlike the circulating rumors of a cataclysmic omen or somekind,) the second voice explained.
(Wait, doesn't that mean the child will formulate a distinctive source in the future?) the first voice exclaimed.
(Of course, the child is from one of the eight noble households with a grand heritage and background, so from the start, the child was destined to form a distinctive source that differs from normal people. But that's not the point. Since that child's birth caused a momentous visual on the world flow, indicating that the source the child might formulate will also be an exceptional one, even among the up-and-coming children of our world. Who knows, in the future, the child might even leave a lasting impact in the land of Odyssey.) The second voice said with profoundness.
(This meant, the aristocrats are here to do some bottle licking.) The first voice finally understood the situation.
(Shh. Hey, are you trying kill us?) Hearing her bluntness, the second voice became scared and hurriedly shut the first vioce's mouth.
Upon hearing the gossip from a nearby seat, Sarah entered a state of deep contemplation. (A sea of blue fire, huh? Interesting,) she pondered silently.
(Is that really true, Mom?) Sora questioned skeptically.
(I'm not sure, dear. I'm not in the original city because of some pressing 'issues' at that time,) Sarah responded, her voice tinged with sadness. However, she quickly shook her head and dispelled her melancholic thoughts.
All of a sudden, the surroundings became noisy.
(Look, it seems the protagonist of the hour has arrived,) Void chimed in and said.
(You have quite a way of putting things, huh?) Sarah looked at Void and muttered in exasperation.
(Does that mean you will be the antagonist of the day, onii-chan?) Sora sneered.
Regrettably , Void maintained silence in response to Sora's provocation.
(Hehe, onii-chan, are you lost for words? Say something.)
🔵🔵🔵🔵🔵
AA digital door materialized in the center of the hall, and from it, three figures emerged.
To the left stood a middle-aged man, radiating a solemn aura. On the right stood an elderly man, with wisdom shining through his eyes. Finally, in the middle stood a child of five or six years old. The boy had a remarkably pretty face, with blue hair and indigo eyes, exuding a calmness unbefitting for someone so young.
(Young Master Azul, we extend a warm welcome to your presence.) The moment the boy appeared, the aristocrats rose from their seats and greeted him respectfully, one by one.
(So it's the {Noble Household of Sorcery: Cadzle}, huh?) Sarah muttered causally.
Meanwhile, Void gazed at the boy with keen interest and mused to himself.
[A Reincarnator? It appears I have found an intriguing toy for my game.] Beneath the cloak, Void's obsidian pupils gleamed with enigmatic blankness..