As Godfrey enters the school gates, he notes the sheer size of the campus. The buildings look to be integrated with technology, as points of light move on exposed circuits.
Massive floating structures surround the main school building and add to its already majestic image. It makes Godfrey think of the situation in his old world.
'The ingenuity of mankind. Though my previous world had gods, we were stagnant for thousands of years. A truly wondorous development begins when one isn't given eternity to live.'
He walks around the campus as he arrived early, much like a lot of the first years. He observes hovering janitor bots, hovercars going to and fro, and teachers walking about.
Godfrey moves to explore more but is stopped by an announcement.
"All new students, please head to the assembly hall, follow the green line on the floor."
True to their words, a green line pulses on the floor, with arrows indicating which direction to go. Godfrey follows along and quickly finds the assembly hall.
He notices, however, that there are only a few seats in the hall facing the stage. No more than 50 chairs were present. He finds a seat on the side and waits.
5 minutes later, 3 teachers steadily file in along with the students and stand on stage. The students all take their seats and wait for the assembly to begin.
Silence fills the air as the students eye one another.
Godfrey feels that there is something wrong with the atmosphere. The air is charged with something he knows all too well.
BATTLE INTENT
One teacher claps his hand and a wave of energy spreads out from his hands, that draws the attention of everyone.
A portal then appears in the middle of the stage, and a middle aged African man steps out of it. He walks to the edge of the stage and sizes up the new batch of students.
He speaks and a soothing aged voice echoes across the hall.
"Welcome first years, I am Principal Jefferson. I'll cut straight to the chase. The Ascension Academy only accepts the best. It doesn't matter what background you have, or the connections you think your parents have. You will fight to obtain a spot, and you will fight to retain that spot."
The three teachers now stand alongside Principal Jefferson and he continues to speak.
"These three will only accept 30 students total and will be teaching you for the whole of 6 years. For those of you who don't already know, 5 students will be weeded out at the end of every year. At the 6th year, there will only be 5 students left."
Principal Jefferson laughs and assures those that look terrified of the prospect of being kicked out.
"If you are in fact kicked out, then do not worry as we will be giving you recommendation letters. There is only one rule in Ascension Academy. Competition. It is how we improve. The methods are archaic I admit, but it is how we remain as the best academy. Old is gold and all that."
He spread his hands outwards and loudly proclaims.
"Begin."
The boy next to Godfrey throws the first punch. His fists, encapsulated in stone, smashes towards Godfrey and is promptly caught. Godfrey stares at the boy and praises him.
"That was a mighty blow. However, I think it best that your strength is directed elsewhere."
With a casual throw, the boy is thrown into the crowd and pandemonium ensues. Air blades and beams of fire blast out, as students grapple in the air and battle on the ground.
Students with different variations of superspeed race around the hall and on the walls for supremacy.
Principal Jefferson laughs and claps while watching the chaos.
"The students this year have spunk!! I see potential in a lot of them. One of them, however, seems to be sitting it out."
The 3 teachers look to Godfrey who is calmly staring at them with his glowing eyes. Except for the first student, no one else attempts to get close. Soon, they all find out why.
A female student is sent flying towards Godfrey by an exploding shard of ice. She comes within 5 meters and is immediately flung away by arcs of lightning from Godfrey's body.
"AAAAHHHKKK!!"
Her screams make the students freeze. They watch as she flies through the air and rolls on the ground. She only stops after she slams into the wall.
Godfrey calmly sits and acts as if nothing happened. He remains motionless and the students dare not move, fearing that they may be struck next.
Principal Jefferson clicks his tongue.
"Tsk, tsk, this will not do. Future heroes should not be so timid. There are 42 people left, so I have a proposal. If no one attacks him within 12 seconds, you will all be expelled."
The murmurs burst forth as hesitation fills the air.
"Attack Godfrey? I've purposefully been avoiding that monster and they want us to offer ourselves on a platter??"
"Attack the boy who commands the skies? That's insane."
"I don't think you guys know this, but he knocked out 5 people on that first throw he did."
"He didn't even move while sending that girl flying. I'm not risking it."
Principal Jefferson chuckles and reminds them of the time.
"5 seconds."
A domineering feminine voice then cuts through the whimperings of the crowd.
"If you aren't even going to attempt fighting him, then you all should drop out."
A girl, who looks to be from the Emperor Alliance, readies a spear of ice and hurls it with preternatural force. It pierces through the air at impressive speeds and splits into 5 when it nears Godfrey. They each move with different trajectories that would confuse a normal person.
Unfortunately, all 5 spears are directly struck down by lightning and Godfrey slowly stands. He turns to the girl and walks towards her. Some students are unable to get out of the way in time and are electrocuted.
The girl sends out shards of ice and discreetly condenses ice energy under the floor board in Godfrey's path. He swats the ice shards away as if they were a nuisance. The deflected shards hit other students and knock them out before they can react.
Godfrey inevitably steps on the trap, and an explosion of frost takes out 4 students as they were battling one another.
A cloud of frost obscures the vision of all those present. They are unable to determine the effectiveness of the girl's attack and simply wait. She isn't idle, however, as she creates an ice sword and a barrier around her. With a flourish of her hand, several ice shards shoot into the fog.
A voice suddenly speaks from behind her.
"Well done girl. Your skill is commendable, your decisiveness even more so. However, you lack ruthlessness. You will learn as you grow."
The girl swings her blade backwards, but it shatters against Godfrey's skin. Lightning forms on his hands, but he is interrupted as a voice bellows.
"That is the end of the initiation. Well done students."
Some students fall on their butts, and some drop to a knee in their exhaustion. The girl simply stares at Godfrey and releases a huff.
"Are you sure you're 12?"
Godfrey chuckles and replies.
"Yes. I am very much a 12 year old."
She stares for a while longer and asks another question.
"Then why do you talk and feel like an old man?"
She rubs her neck as she complains.
"Also, why are you so tall?? My neck hurts just talking to you!"
Godfrey laughs and apologises to the girl.
"Hahaha. I talk this way out of preference. Also, I apologise. My parents have given me quite the genetic advantage."
He holds his hand out and introduces himself.
"I am Godfrey Gallahad."
The girl looks to Godfrey's hand and instead extends a fist.
"I am Sylphaera Frostborn. It is a pleasure to meet you. Sorry, the way you speak is hard ahahaha."
Godfrey's eyes flash in confusion as he regards her name and appearance.
'She looks to be a younger version of...no. It is not possible.'
He looks to the fist and is confused. Sylphaera doesn't pull away and so he does the only thing he can do. He envelops her fist in his hand and shakes it up and down.
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"Ok that happened."
Godfrey tilts his head and confusedly asks.
"Is this not the way for me to shake your hand?"
She laughs and hesitantly asks her question.
"Hahahaha. You...don't really have...friends. Do you?"
Godfrey is about to ask what she means but Principal Jefferson starts herding the students towards the exit for their biometrics scan. He assures the remaining students that nurses will arrive for the injured students.
Godfrey stays at the back of the group as they all walk towards a domed structure. The remaining students keep whispering and glancing back at him and it's beginning to try his patience.
Sylphaera moves next to him and distracts him from his growing annoyance.
"Am I the first person of your age that you talked to?"
Godfrey raises an eyebrow.
"What gives you that idea Sylphaera?"
She simply stares at him deadpan, and Godfrey actually feels slightly embarrassed.
"Ehem. If you must know then yes."
Their conversation is put on hold as Principal Jefferson stops in front of a large door. He turns to the students and crosses his arms.
"Tests that will push you through your limits lie behind this door. Are you ready?"
Godfrey merely thinks to himself.
'What happened to a simple initiation and biometrics scan?'
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END