There were only three rules;
Never harm another student without permission.
Never harm a teammate.
Never disrespect the Headmaster.
Other than that, everything else was free game.
You could sabotage a foe, or you could purposefully leave out a teammate you didn't like to diminish their chances of passing the exam.
The academy was a battle of wits as much as it was a battle of strength, and the Headmaster enjoyed it all. It wasn't fair, but the real world wasn't fair either.
The whole purpose of the academy was to prepare the next generation for the brutal realities of the world, and the fact that it would never cater to them.
Ryan drilled it into Agnus's mind ruthlessly; If you feel like you have a target on your back, do everything in your power to get it off you.
Shift it to someone else, make them cower with strength, literally just anything.
Agnus planned to do just that as soon as he could.
The physical exam was the perfect place to begin, as his monstrous flexibility would arouse some form of reaction that would act in his favor.
His only fear was the Magical examination, as he... Couldn't use spells.
Becoming infused with mana was full of its upsides, and with only a few downsides.
A few downsides with immense severity.
Firstly, he could not utilize mana in a traditional sense.
He could only force mana outside his own body if he was touching an object and imbuing it. Otherwise, his mana would not leave his body under any circumstance, therefore preventing him from using a spell.
Secondly, his blood acted as his mana reserves.
The more he bled, the more energy he lost. Not just in terms of mana quantity, but physical energy.
Wounds during a battle would affect him twice as much as a normal person, making drawn-out fights a dangerous predicament.
And lastly, because his mana could not leave his body, his mana sense was incredibly crude and unreliable in many cases.
Over the weeks he trained, he mindlessly trained the technique as much as he could, honing his senses to make it a second pair of eyes. It became sufficient, but not nearly as good as other people had it.
In some cases, he was gifted; in others, severely limited.
He didn't know whether his blood combining with mana was for better or worse, but he'd soon find out against his peers.
—
Ryan trotted through the academy halls, a girthy stack of papers held between his waist and hand as he walked with a purpose.
His black hair bobbed as he opened a door, entering a classroom where a well-built blonde man stood idly, his eyes lingering on the ceiling. "Ah, Professor Zackary. I have an important stack of papers for you."
Jason- Or rather Professor Zackary- clicked his tongue and stood up with a long smile as he courteously took the stack of papers from Ryan's hands and set them down on his desk with a thump, "Anything else I need to know?"
Ryan shook his head with a trained smile, "You'll find it all within the papers." He nodded and stepped out, leaving Jason to his own devices as his face quickly transitioned into one of business as he sat down with a stern gaze, flipping through the pages.
As he flipped through, he made sure to quickly scan over all of them, as they were important nonetheless. His true mission was to find the hidden papers meant to act as communication between the two in the academy.
The possibility that they were always being watched was dangerously high, meaning they could not afford slip-ups.
Eventually, his eyes scanned over a hidden text, [Agnus has Arrived. In the courtyard. I will be there along with the Headmaster to oversee the exams. I have no sightings of Aswald; he is still unknown.
Be wary.]
Jason bit his lip as his mana crumpled the paper into a barely visible size before it conveniently disappeared, blinking out of the fabric of existence. 'I wonder if he's onto us.' Jason thought in his mind, as not once since he had arrived had either of them seen Aswald in the flesh.
"Hmm." Jason expressed as he stroked his chin with his fingers, his eyes staring off into the distance. He was not one for mind-games; his experience as an Emperor was strictly limited to physical combat, never one of wits.
He would not have to worry about a direct assassination attempt on himself, but Agnus was another story.
They could possibly try as early as the joint exam, but he'd be there himself as a Sentinel to watch over the examinees in case something off-script occurred.
Ryan would be there too, spectating from above. Both the Revered and Heretics had criminal organizations within, fighting against their forces; it was impossible to stop completely.
It could easily be covered up as a criminal attack, and the true masterminds would remain unscathed.
The fact that it could happen wasn't on Jason's mind the most; Only the situation where he'd be forced to reveal his true power.
His cover would be blown, and the truth would be dug out, which would only land him and Ryan in deep shit.
Either way, Jason would never let it get to that.
—
Ryan walked through the long hallways of the academy, a stack of papers held in his hands as he coursed down a staircase and arrived at the bottom floor of the main building of the academy, and was greeted by three other figures. "Ah, Ryan. You've arrived." An elderly man with grey hair that streaked to the back of his head, and a prominent bald spot on the top of his head.
"I have. How long until we move onto the stage?" He asked, a smile curling his lips as a gesture of courtesy. "Now."
Ryan nodded and set the stack of papers down, stepping behind the man as he adjusted his robe and let out a deep breath. The man stood straight, his hands clasped behind his back. He slightly turned his head, just enough to catch Ryan in the corner of his eyes, "You have done a lot for me, Ryan. Many pillars don't care about the academy, only embroiled in their own affairs. I can not thank you enough. I know you might be only doing it for personal reasons, but nonetheless, it has been valuable. Thank you."
Ryan smiled, "My honor, Headmaster Cillian."
Cillian returned the smile and walked forward, the doors swinging open automatically.
The vast sight of thousands of students standing idly consumed Ryan's vision, the ground trembling as a cacophony of yells and cheers erupted, shaking the very foundations of the buildings.
Cillian's black robe fluttered in the wind as he stepped forward, his presence flaring over the courtyard with undeniable authority, capturing the gazes of each being present. Ryan followed closely behind, two other important figures trailing him. Agnus, who was in the middle of the students, immediately saw Ryan.
Cillian stepped forward, humbly climbing the steps that ascended him above the students and gave him a clear sight of the entire courtyard.
The cheers died out hastily as he raised his palm, commanding each student to hush their voices. Silence ensued before the man who had authority beyond all of them spoke,
"Welcome, examinees.