The air inside the classroom was still hot and vibrating after Aster's Phoenix display.
The dazzle in the students' eyes hadn't yet faded when Professor Valerius's booming voice drowned out the admiring whispers, inviting them back to reality.
"Next! Kevin James."
An ordinary, stocky boy with brown hair and a face full of freckles stepped forward, trying to control his trembling legs.
Kevin was known as the class's cheerful but somewhat clumsy boy. However, the seriousness on his face right now proved that he, too, saw this moment as the turning point of his life.
When Kevin reached the center of the circle, he squeezed the obsidian dagger in his hand with hesitation.
When his blood dripped onto the complex runes, the blinding divine light Aster had created did not appear. Instead, the room's atmosphere suddenly grew heavy, and a sharp smell of ozone, burning the nostrils, spread through the air.
Blue sparks rose, curling like snakes from between the stones on the floor. Despite the closed windows, a wind began to tousle Kevin's hair.
And then, accompanied by an electrically charged bark, a silhouette appeared in the center of the circle.
A wolf, standing waist-high to Kevin, with fur as dark gray as storm clouds and small lightning bolts shooting from its nose with every breath.
"A Storm Wolf..." said Professor Valerius, nodding slightly in approval. He brought the orb closer. "A solid build. Fast and deadly." The orb glowed with a blue light. "B Rank."
Kevin exhaled a deep breath in relief. Sincere and appreciative applause rose from the class, though not as wild as it had been for Aster.
A B Rank was more than enough to secure a significant position in the empire.
As Kevin proudly returned to his seat, stroking his wolf's fur, Alicia felt like a condemned criminal waiting for her turn.
Names were read one after another. Some screamed with joy, while others slumped their shoulders in disappointment. And then, when Professor Valerius reached the seventh name on the list, his tone took on a theatrical quality.
"Seraphina Lysandra. The stage is yours."
The girl sitting in the very front row stood up with an elegant movement the moment she heard her name. Seraphina Lysandra. The heiress of the Empire's wealthiest merchant guild and the "Princess" renowned for her beauty.
As Seraphina glided down the steps of the amphitheater, the atmosphere of the class shifted once again. This change was not magical, but entirely carnal.
She wore a version of the standard school uniform that had been heavily modified to audaciously display her curves.
Her skirt was at the shortest length legally permitted, and with every step she took down, the fabric clung to the curves of her hips, riding up slightly. Her platinum blonde hair looked as if it had been polished with artificial light.
The male students' gazes were locked, hypnotized, on Seraphina's legs, her slender waist, and her chest that bobbed slightly as she walked.
Gulping sounds could be heard in the room. Seraphina was aware of these stares; she even fed on them.
A thin, mocking smile, a combination of self-confidence and arrogance, hung on her lips.
As she continued walking, she looked back over her shoulder and fixed her violet eyes on Alicia's pale face.
There was neither friendship nor enmity in her gaze; only the disdainful contempt a queen feels when looking at mud stuck to her shoe.
"Keep your eyes open, Emberlune," Seraphina said in a venomous whisper that only Alicia could hear. "Watch and learn how the blood of a true noble dances with mana. Maybe it will be useful to you."
Alicia didn't answer, she just clenched her fists. Seraphina reached the center of the circle, leaving the scent of her expensive perfume in her wake.
She grasped the dagger with elegant fingers. Her movement was not like a butcher, but like a violin virtuoso.
The moment her blood touched the runes, a pillar of mixed pink and white light exploded, reaching up to the ceiling of the classroom.
This light was not like Aster's scorching sunlight; it was softer, more enchanting, but equally suffocating.
As students shielded their eyes with their hands, cries of "Whoa!" flew through the air. The mana density was so high that the hair of those sitting in the front row stood on end.
As the beam of light slowly dispersed, a being appeared in the center, curled up at Seraphina's feet.
It was a fox. But not the kind one would see in a forest. Its fur was brilliant white, as if woven from the purest silk, turning to candy pink toward the tips.
Its most striking feature was the two long tails swaying lazily behind it, each moving as if it had a will of its own. Its eyes were a clever and cunning violet, just like its owner's.
Professor Valerius approached, narrowing his eyes. When he held out the measurement orb, it trembled and emitted a dark, saturated magenta color.
"Mystic Twin-Tailed Fox," said the Professor, unable to hide the admiration in his voice. "Rare, very rare... A species specialized in illusion and mind magic. S Rank."
The class was once again caught in a storm of applause. The boys' clapping mixed with admiring whistles.
Seraphina tossed her hair, pleased with the attention, and lightly stroked her fox's head. The fox rubbed against its owner, making a high-pitched sound of satisfaction.
"Congratulations, Miss Lysandra," the Professor said, taking notes. "You may go to the advisor's office to complete your registration."
Seraphina shook her head as she picked up her fox. Her gaze drifted to the red-haired girl sitting in the back row. "No, Professor. If you don't mind..." she said, her voice sweet as honey but her intent bitter as poison. "I would like to stay in class and watch the performance of my friends... especially some of them. I wouldn't want to miss this historic day."
Professor Valerius realized where Seraphina's gaze was directed. He sighed slightly but shrugged his shoulders. "Very well. You may take your seat."
As Seraphina returned to her place with the air of a victorious commander, Alicia felt the knot in her stomach tighten even more.
That girl had stayed to watch Alicia's humiliation from the front row.
The ritual continued. Time felt both stopped and moving at a terrifying speed for Alicia.
The vast majority of students, as expected, matched with C and D Rank creatures.
Rock turtles, flame-spewing lizards, wind hawks... Some lucky students won the class's appreciation by summoning A Rank creatures, a Griffin cub and an Ice Golem.
But not everyone was so lucky. Five students summoned E Rank creatures with trembling hands.
Under the giggles and pitying looks of the class, these students tried to hold back their tears as they either lowered their heads and returned to their seats or ran out of the classroom in shame.
Alicia saw her own fate in every failure. Her heart was beating as if it wanted to break her ribcage. Her palms were sweaty, her throat dry. "Please," she begged silently, not knowing whom she was begging to. "Just let it be something useful. C Rank... Even D Rank will do. Just don't let me become a laughingstock to these people."
And finally, the inevitable moment arrived. The list was nearing its end.
Professor Valerius ran his finger over the paper, stopped, and frowned for a moment.
He paused, as if even reading that name left a bad taste in his mouth. He lifted his head, his yellow eyes focusing directly on the red-haired girl in the back row.
"Alicia Emberlune."