While Sidius was celebrating, Sistine continued with her announcement.
"Secondly, there will be a notable change in the process of selecting participants for the annual academy tournament," Sistine declared with a resolute tone.
"We shall no longer rely solely on rank for this decision. Instead, we shall focus on evaluating the participants based on their distinct abilities," she continued with an authoritative voice.
Shocked.
The declaration jolted both Michael and Amelia, visibly catching them off guard. The rule about this has been going on for a long time. It was etched within Edrodorth academy's traditions.
"How will we do that, Headmaster?" Michael inquired, genuinely curious.
"I have devised a plan for that," Sistine affirmed.
"Listen, the three of you. Every student will have the opportunity to challenge their peers. Points shall be awarded for each victory—an opponent of similar rank will earn them one point, two points if the enemy is one realm higher, and so on," she paused.
"Of course, engaging with a lower-ranked student shall not yield any points," Sistine added with a smile.
Amelia chimed in, voicing out her concern. "So, the more they fight, the greater points they will accumulate?"
Sidius gave a nod, a silent agreement on Amelia's query.
'They will also gain greater battle experience. But, this strategy fails when a group of students target the same student. How will the headmaster solve this?'
"Indeed, a good question," Sistine acknowledged with a nod of her own.
"To maintain fairness, we shall impose another rule—each student may challenge no more than twelve opponents. Furthermore, to avoid any potential trickery, each student can issue a challenge only once per week."
"Naturally, a student that was challenged cannot be challenged again until next week," she concluded with a subtle smile tugging at her lips.
Sidius commented in his head, 'So that means, a student can have two matches in a week, one being the challenger and the other being the one who was challenged.'
"That's an excellent proposition, Headmaster. As expected of the headmaster," Michael praised, his admiration evident.
Meanwhile, Amelia rolled her eyes at Michael's flattering behavior.
"Now, go and set this plan in motion," Sistine ordered.
"Yes!" Amelia and Michael responded in unison.
As the others dispersed, Sidius also chose to follow suit. He did not want to stay longer due to the weighty aura that surrounded Sistine. It was like his nemesis.
Nonetheless, his urgency wasn't purely caused by her imposing presence; his time was also running.
Sidius directly made his way to the mission hall where he left his items. His intention was to claim his dues and secure a decent offensive mystical art.
Approaching a desk where a vigilant professor stood guard, Sidius initiated the interaction with a polite greeting.
"Good morning, Professor. I've come to redeem my points."
The professor regarded him with a hint of recognition. "Ah, you're the student who left the note with me, aren't you? I thought you'd be back shortly?"
"Yes, Professor," Sidius replied. "Sorry I was delayed, something unexpected happened," he added while gently scratching the back of his head.
"I knew what happened," the professor nodded. "Alright, give me your student ID."
Sidius immediately complies at the request, excited about what mystical arts he will get later.
—
Somewhere in a grand mansion, a middle-aged man with his sharp features and a cascade of raven hair, seared upon a plush sofa.
His form was covered in the luxurious folds of a bathrobe. A crystal wine glass was gripped within his hand, swaying it gracefully, sending ripples through the crimson liquid inside.
At a respectful distance, two burly figures stood quietly, guarding the elegant room.
"Respectable Executive, our plan was close to being complete. Your foresight is amazing for predicting that this outskirts was the best option."
A lady, clad in a black suit praised.
She added, "After this, your excellency is sure to be promoted."
The man on the throne simply smiled, grabbing the buttocks of the secretary.
— Creak!
Suddenly, the room's ambience was disrupted as a figure in a black suit entered. With a sense of deference, he knelt before the middle-aged man.
"Didn't I instruct you not to disturb me in the morning?" The middle-aged man said in irritation, yet his demeanor remained oddly composed.
An invisible weight pressed upon the kneeling man, making him go lower.
With all his strength, the struggling man stuttered and managed to convey a message.
"C-captain, test subject 13 f-failed."
A wry smile danced upon the lips of the middle-aged man, retracting his aura.
"I expected it, considering the incomplete state of the drug. But who is this test subject 13?"
"T-the one situated within Edrodorth Academy," the subordinate responded, his voice tinged with reluctance.
"Ah, that dumb kid. Their parents paid a sum of money for their son only to end up dying!" A chilling chuckle erupted from the middle-aged man.
Then his face reverted back to his calm expression as he once again looked at the man in front of him
"I remember he is not yet D rank. How did it happen?"
"He f-forced to breakthrough... y-yesterday," the man mumbled in a soft and nervous voice.
"Yesterday?! And you only informed me now?!"
The middle-aged man, who was taken aback, stood up. The air around him pulsated again with unrestrained fury, and an invisible force anchored upon the man before him.
This time, the man struggled to stand up and immediately succumbed to the powerful force. His face was on the ground.
"T-the news remained suppressed, under strict control, I beg for your mercy, Sir Executive!" a desperate plea erupted from the man.
However, the middle-aged man widened his eyes in anger and flashed through to seize the figure before him in a vice-like grip, tracing a glowing red line.
His fist slammed into the man's abdomen, enough to send it flying through the air, hitting the wall and coughing up an explosion of blood.
The action happened instantly that the subordinate was unable to act.
Subsequently, the man in a bathrobe shook off his hands as if disgusted before returning to his seat.
"Remember, excuses have no place in my presence. They are just for the weak!"
Getting to his seat, he recalled the lady standing at the side, "Miss Soh, you should know what to do."
"Right away, sir," the secretary swiftly followed.