The final night of the Aegis Academy trial was a symphony of chaos and adrenaline for Eleanor's group. A massive black boar with ominous red fur stripes was relentlessly barreling down on them, its sheer bulk unimpeded by the trees it flattened in its path.
"Go, go, go!" the male A-rank yelled.
The D-rank member, his brow furrowed in concentration, whipped out thick, thorny vines from the undergrowth. They snaked up, giving the group just enough leverage to swing out of the boar's path as it charged past with the force of a battering ram. But there was no respite; the beast halted, adjusted its immense body, and continued its furious charge.
Eleanor unleashed a volley of ice spears aimed directly at its eyes. They shattered upon impact, mere splinters against its hardened eyelid.
"We can't continue like this! We need to split up!" the A-rank shouted, his voice strained. "We'll have a better chance of surviving if we do!"
A grim understanding passed between them. There was no better option. With a shared glance, they fragmented, each scrambling in a different direction. Initially, the boar veered towards the D-rank, but from the corner of its eye, it caught a glimpse of Eleanor's retreating figure. Perhaps fueled by her prior attempt to blind it, its focus shifted. It turned, its beady red eyes locking onto her.
Eleanor didn't hesitate. She used her power to instantly freeze the forest floor, creating a slick, glassy surface. She slid across it, a blur of white hair, hoping to outmaneuver the charging behemoth. Occasionally, she conjured thick ice walls in its path, hoping to impede its progress. The boar, however, was an unstoppable force. Its hooves crushed the icy surface, and its body slammed through the ice walls as if they were made of paper. It was gaining fast.
As it drew terrifyingly close. She created an ice slide, launching herself into a backflip that landed her squarely on the boar's broad back. She held on tightly with one arm, but her perch was short-lived. The boar bucked and thrashed wildly, trying to fling her off. With a powerful, sudden swing, Eleanor was hurled into the air.
Using her power and the nearby trees as anchors, she rapidly created platforms of ice, leaping from one to the next, gaining height above the enraged beast. The boar, roaring in frustration, slammed its massive tusks into the base of the tree she'd just left, felling it with ease. But Eleanor was already on the next.
She continued moving in an unpredictable pattern, forcing the boar to charge at an empty tree, then stop, reorient itself, and charge again. Its maddening attempt repeated several times. Eventually, the boar let out a final, frustrated roar. It spun around, abandoning the chase, deciding that wasting its immense energy on such a small, agile prey wasn't worth the effort. Its massive form disappeared back into the darkness of the forest.
Eleanor let out a long, fogged breath, settling on a sturdy branch. She stayed there for a long while. A faint light of dawn could be seen on the horizon, signaling the impending end of their grueling trial.
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Lights flashed at the center of the grand circle in Aegis Academy, and numerous students materialized, disoriented but triumphant. A wave of elated shouts erupted.
"We're back! I passed!"
"You won't believe where I was sent, it was in the middle of a freaking lake! I had to swim for hours, escaping from giant fish monsters!"
"I passed! Hahaha! Suck it, losers!" a returning teen taunted the group of failed students watching from outside the circle.
The Deputy Headmaster stepped forward, a faint smile touching his lips. "Congratulations," he announced, his voice carrying through the hall.
"Not bad. Seven out of the eleven S-ranks have passed." A murmur rippled through the returned students, whispers of "S-rank" filling the air. He continued, "Oh, and it seems an individual has even received a blessing from that minor apocalypse beast too." This sparked more excited murmurs among the teens, now about "apocalypse beast."
He then addressed the failed students. "Those who have failed, be not afraid. You will have more chances in the future." His gaze then swept back to those who had awakened their abilities among them. "In the meantime, for those who awakened, we will allow you to use, train, and practice your new powers when you return home. However, be warned: if you are to use your abilities for crime or other problematic things, they will be permanently locked by our agents, with no chance to awaken them in the future. We will be watching, I assure you."
A loud cheer erupted from the students who had awakened their abilities, excited at the prospect of showing off their new powers to friends and family, and the myriad other uses they could imagine. Those who hadn't awakened were merely determined, now knowing what awaited them in the next attempt.
"Now," the Deputy Headmaster declared, his voice booming with renewed cheer, "be it those who passed or failed, let us have a feast!"
With a clap of his hands, all grime and dirt vanished from the students still within the circle, and their tattered or missing clothes instantly transformed into fresh, clean sets of Aegis Academy's uniform. They then found themselves suddenly seated at a series of long tables, next to strangers. The passed and failed were divided by section, yet all joined in the feast. More excitement and joy emanated from those who had passed the trial, while a more somber, determined air hung over those who had failed.