The city shook.
Not with earthquakes. Not with explosions. But with the tension of hundreds of students, faculty, and authorities converging on a single, undeniable truth: power was measured, displayed, and fought over—and Kael Dominus, Rank-E, stood in the eye of the storm.
The inter-academy trial had begun. A colossal arena in the heart of Ironclad City had opened its gates, holographic panels and ranking monitors stretching across the stands like a wall of light. Every system monitor, every ranking authority, and every student with ambition had gathered to witness the spectacle.
Kael walked toward the arena, footsteps calm, expression unreadable. Yet beneath the surface, the presence that had saved him, that had calmed rogue beasts and survived system oversight, pulsed with anticipation. The Sovereign Authority had awakened—but patience remained its guide.
The first announcement rang out:
"Welcome to the Inter-Academy Trials! Today, the top students from Ironclad City High and foreign academies will compete in a battle of beasts, ranks, and strategy. May the strongest prevail!"
The crowd erupted. Ranks flashed overhead, names and scores lighting the air like fireworks. Students from across the city and beyond were displayed, from Rank-B prodigies to untouchable Rank-One elites.
Kael ignored the spectacle. His eyes scanned the arena, noting patterns of movement, observing the authority flows of every participant. The system labelled him weak. The students mocked him. But Kael didn't need approval. Not yet.
The first duel began. A Rank-B student summoned a blazing gryphon, wings cutting arcs through the air, fire trailing in its wake. The opponent, Rank-A, commanded a stone serpent whose coils twisted the arena itself. Spectators cheered, system panels tracked damage, and authorities noted potential rankings in real time.
When Kael's turn arrived, the crowd erupted in confusion and barely suppressed laughter.
Rank-E. Dominus Kael. No bonded beast. No authority detected.
The arena quietened. Monitors flickered. Panels glitched. The system struggled to register his presence.
Kael stepped onto the circle. The pressure beneath his feet pulsed faintly. The Sovereign Authority stirred, unseen, unheard, but undeniable.
The world measures power by beasts… Kael thought.But it forgets the unseen.
He raised his hand. Not a beast appeared. Not a display of fire or thunder. Only the air shifted, subtle but undeniable. The ground beneath the arena vibrated faintly, and monitors flickered in response.
Then, one of the strongest competitors, a Rank-A student from the Capital Academy, summoned a massive spectral wolf, its eyes blazing like molten gold. He moved with precision, intent on eliminating the unranked threat.
Kael's gaze narrowed. A presence within him responded, ancient and patient, waiting for his thought to act.
Command.
A sound like breaking crystal reverberated through the arena. The wolf froze, its movements locked mid-air. Its summoner's control faltered. Monitors glitched. A system warning flashed:
Unauthorised Authority DetectedPotential System Overload
The crowd gasped. The student stumbled, eyes wide with disbelief. Kael didn't move, didn't shout. He simply existed, letting the authority within him ripple outward.
The wolf collapsed, not destroyed, not harmed—but entirely immobilised. Control had been stripped. Power redefined.
System panels blinked red. Warnings cascaded. Authority analysts whispered frantically into headsets.
Rank-E shouldn't be able to influence Rank-A beasts.
Yet here he was. The Sovereign Authority, unregistered, unmeasured, undeniable.
Kael felt a thrill—not arrogance, not pride—but clarity. The city was ranked by beasts, yes, but he did not need one. Recognition, obedience, and authority—these flowed through him, unseen but absolute.
And then came the next challenger.
A Rank-One student from Ironclad City High approached, aura blazing, glyphs etched in the air around her. The crowd fell silent. The system registered only one potential outcome: her victory.
Kael observed, calm. The presence within him shifted, sensing the challenge, measuring the risk.
Authority is not mana, Kael thought.It is recognition, restraint, and will.
The duel began. Blades of elemental energy clashed. Beasts roared, summoned powers flared, and monitors tracked every movement. Kael remained still. The Rank-One charged, expecting chaos.
Instead, the arena shifted subtly—walls vibrating, glyphs distorting, the very air resisting her command. The crowd murmured; authorities noted the anomaly.
He doesn't summon beasts… and yet the arena bends to him.
The Rank-One faltered, her confidence shaken. The spectators leaned forward, whispers echoing through the arena:
"He's… controlling without being a beast?""Impossible.""Rank-E can't do that!"
Kael's gaze never wavered. Calm. Measured. Absolute. A ripple of authority flowed outward, invisible, undeniable, and unregistered.
The Rank-One stopped, unable to move her beast. Her aura flickered, uncertainty creeping into her perfect control. The system attempted recalibration. The panels glitched. Warnings cascaded.
Kael stepped forward, each movement deliberate, asserting presence without action. The arena recognised him, even if the system did not.
I do not need approval.
The Rank-One bowed her head slightly—not in submission, not in fear, but in acknowledgement. She understood. Authority was not measured by glyphs, not by beasts, not by panels. It existed where recognition met command, and Kael had it in abundance.
By the end of the day, chaos had spread. The arena panels couldn't fully register Kael. His name, Rank-E, should have been a target of ridicule. Instead, students whispered, instructors muttered, and monitors displayed warning icons continuously.
The War of Rankings had begun. Not just a battle of beasts, not just of numbers, but of unseen authority challenging the very system that ruled the city.
Kael returned to his dorm that night, the city lights painting patterns across the walls. Rina appeared beside him, her expression unreadable but knowing.
"Everyone saw," she said quietly."Yes," Kael replied, voice calm. "But they don't understand. Not yet."
Recognition, unseen authority, patience—it all pulsed faintly beneath his skin. The city had eyes everywhere, but it could not see him. Not truly.
And the shadows—guilds, rogue students, and hidden powers—were waiting. Watching. Calculating.
The War of Rankings is only beginning, Kael thought.And I am ready.