Yara Wall stepped down from the platform, her movements graceful, deliberate. She didn't so much as glance at the crowd, only sparing Gari a fleeting look before returning to her spot.
Every eye in the hall followed her. Some whispered under their breath, others simply stared in awe
It wasn't just that she had completed the assessment. No, it was the way she carried herself, like the trial had been nothing more than a warm-up.
Gari's lips curved into a small grin, his voice dropping low enough that only I caught it.
"What else should I expect from the daughter of the strongest man alive…"
"Next…" Gari's voice boomed, pulling the others out of their daze.
But me? I couldn't look away.
She was… overwhelming. The very definition of elite. Calm, precise, and deadly. She hadn't just passed one test, she had handled two assessments at once like it was child's play.
If she went against an E-rank Hero, I was convinced she could defeat most of them and at the very least put the others on edge.
E-rank. Level one through twenty.
Based on how she moved, I would bet she was already around level ten, maybe twelve.
Meanwhile, I was only level four. Four, achieved in just a few days, true, but compared to her? My rapid growth suddenly felt… small.
Still, I reminded myself, it had taken her years of privilege, maybe even training before awakening. While I didn't even try to do that, so it was my fault.
As I was mulling over the gap between us, her gaze swept the crowd. I felt it the moment her eyes locked onto mine. Sharp. Piercing. Deliberate.
I swallowed hard. Of course she had seen me. Sharpshooters weren't just good with arrows, they were known for heightened senses and frightening perception.
And just as easily, her attention slipped away as if she hadn't looked at me at all.
I exhaled slowly, trying to calm my nerves. But then… something strange happened.
A cold prickle crawled down my neck, and instinct forced me to turn. My soul nearly abandoned my body.
Yara was standing right beside me.
I blinked once, then twice. I looked back toward where she had been standing before.
Empty. My head snapped back. She was still there, her presence radiating danger wrapped in elegance.
Her lips curled into a practiced smile, the kind that looked sweet but carried nothing sincere behind it.
"Hello, big brother~."
I gulped so loudly it hurt. Every instinct in me screamed danger.
"…Uh, hello." I forced myself to reply.
Her smile vanished instantly, replaced by a flat, terrifying expression, eyes sharp enough to slice me open.
"Don't get formal with me."
We locked eyes. Hers were unblinking, calculating. I tried not to flinch, though my heartbeat felt like a drum in my ears.
This wasn't casual banter. She was testing me, weighing me, trying to crush me under her stare.
I forced a smirk I didn't feel.
"Alright then… what do you want, Miss Yara?"
Her brow twitched. Clearly, she hadn't expected me to answer like that. For the briefest second, she hesitated.
Then, just as quickly, the false sweetness returned to her face.
"I was only joking, big brother. Why would I mind a little formality?" Her tone dripped with amusement. "Ah~ but who would've thought you'd be this interesting? Quite surprising."
The way she kept saying big brother made my stomach churn. I knew exactly why, it's because I annoyed her by calling myself that on the first day of class.
But hearing it now, from her lips, felt more unsettling than staring into the eyes of a lion preparing to eat me alive.
"But this works out nicely," she continued. "Saves me from explaining too much. You already know me, don't you?"
She leaned closer, her breath brushing against my ear.
"…So you must already know my capabilities."
My body stiffened. Every word was layered with unspoken threat. I forced down the lump in my throat.
"I think I do, Miss Yara."
She sighed lightly, as if bored of the dance.
"I don't like moving in circles, so I'll just say it straight."
Her expression shifted, mock amusement twisting into something darker.
Slowly, she lifted a finger and pointed toward Instructor Gari, who was still calling the name of the next person from the tab.
"You know he values potential. The kind that makes him react, the kind that surprises him."
"I know," I answered quietly.
She stepped around me, moving to stand directly in front of me. Her shadow fell over mine.
"If you can't make his expression change during your assessment…" Her eyes narrowed, the smile returning, but sharper this time, like the edge of a blade. "…then I'll make sure you're expelled from the academy."