Chapter 18: The Aftermath of the Survival Challenge
The entrance exam was over.
For 48 hours, the battlefield had tested endurance, intelligence, and raw strength. Now, the survivors stood in the central exam hall, waiting for the final results.
The massive holographic screen above them flickered to life.
The Final Rankings
A voice echoed through the hall.
Exam Official: "Congratulations, students. You have survived Aether Academy's entrance exam. The top 50% will move forward. The rest… are expelled."
The rankings appeared.
Top 10 Teams:
🥇 1st Place – Team Kozuki Renjou (Highest Points)🥈 2nd Place – Team Rei Kurogane🥉 3rd Place – Team Lina Veras4️⃣ Team Kenji Arata5️⃣ Team Elias Krow6️⃣ Team Zayne Alistair7️⃣ Team Daigo Shiranui8️⃣ Team Mika Fujiwara9️⃣ Team Ryoma Takeda🔟 Team Akari Kisaragi (Rei's teammate, leading a second group)
Below Rank 50% – Eliminated from Aether Academy
Exam Official: "If your team name is not listed above, you have been disqualified. Pack your belongings and leave immediately."
A wave of shock and disappointment spread through the hall as dozens of students realized they had failed.
Reactions to the Results
🔹 Kozuki Renjou (1st Place) – Stood silently, completely unsurprised. His team expected victory.
Kozuki (calmly): "As it should be."
🔹 Rei Kurogane (2nd Place) – Adjusted his glasses, his mind already analyzing what went wrong.
Rei (thinking): We came close, but it wasn't enough. Kozuki… next time, I won't let you dominate so easily.
🔹 Lina Veras (3rd Place) – Crossed her arms, frustrated but still satisfied.
Lina (gritting teeth): "Tch. If I had just been a little faster…"
🔹 Kenji Arata (4th Place) – Smirked, stretching his sore muscles.
Kenji (grinning): "Guess I need to hit harder next time."
🔹 Elias Krow (5th Place) – Nodded, unfazed.
Elias: "Expected."
🔹 Expelled Students – Some protested, others walked out in silence, defeated.
Expelled Student (angrily): "This isn't fair! We trained so hard!"Exam Official (coldly): "Aether Academy doesn't accept second chances."
Only the best remained.
Aether Academy – The Beginning of a New Era
The headmaster of Aether Academy finally arrived.
A tall, imposing figure dressed in a dark academic robe, his presence demanding absolute silence.
Headmaster (voice echoing): "Congratulations to those who passed. But do not celebrate yet."
Headmaster: "This exam was merely the first step. Aether Academy is not a place for the weak. From this moment on, every day will be a battle."
A sudden hush fell over the room.
Headmaster: "There will be no rest. No safety. No mercy. Those who cannot keep up… will be left behind."
A cold chill ran through the students.
The real challenges had yet to begin.
Dormitory Assignments & Rivalries Begin
After the rankings were displayed, students were assigned dormitories based on their exam performance.
Rei Kurogane, Souta Arclight, and Akari Kisaragi remained in the same dorm.
However, new rivalries were forming.
🔹 Kozuki Renjou's team occupied the elite dormitory. Their victory solidified their status as untouchable.
🔹 Lina Veras, Kenji Arata, and Elias Krow were all placed in the same dormitory, fueling competition between them.
🔹 Zayne Alistair, the manipulative strategist, requested to be alone in a private dorm, increasing the mystery around him.
Zayne (smirking): "I prefer solitude."
As students settled into their rooms, tension remained thick in the air.
Souta (grinning): "Welp, looks like we're officially students now."
Akari (serious): "Yeah… but something tells me this academy is going to be way more dangerous than the exam."
Rei (thinking): This isn't over. This is just the beginning.
The Next Trial – Aether Academy's Harsh Reality
As the first night at Aether Academy began, students were handed mysterious envelopes.
Inside was a simple message.
[First Academy Trial: Begins Tomorrow Morning. Be Ready.]
Rei (narrowing his eyes): "Already? No rest at all…"
Aether Academy was not a school. It was a battleground.
And the next trial was about to begin.