The challenge

The group kept walking and entered the academy for the first time. They had been outside conducting their two exams, but now they had to go inside for the third one. They said it would be an intellectual exam so Ed thought it would be a paper test.

Soon enough, they had entered a big classroom that resembled college classes. The group was asked to take their seats and the people in charge started passing them paper. It was indeed a paper test.

After a while, Ed finally got his paper and sighed in relief. 'I can read it!' Ed was afraid he wouldn't be able to read the language. He had been using the prince's memories so far to be able to speak it but he never encountered a situation where he would have to read.

The test was divided into three parts. A simple elementary school problem solving, a history and a theory test. Ed could easily answer the first two parts. He didn't have to hold up on his knowledge since being sick wouldn't stop a person from studying.

In fact, the reason he's able to answer the history part was because the prince was very interested to learn history. As for the theory test, it was about magic theory, how it should be improved, its functioning and how to create new magic.

Ed unleashed all of his anime knowledge on this test and kept writing whatever he could remember, from KI manipulation for creating constructs like in DB, to NEN abilities and how everyone is different due to their imagination.

Ed felt satisfied answering the exam. He had to hold back his true power on the first two exams but this one allowed him total freedom. He was finished when not even half the time had passed so he kept looking around checking other people.

Emilia looked calm but he could see that her hands were shaking. Hayato on the hand seemed to be full of smiles but when he checked his paper he had only answered his history part and some theories on magic while he looked like the math problems broke his brain.

'I guess he didn't come from a different world after all…' Ed had suspected Hayato was a teleporter same as Ed after he had a Japanese name and Japanese features. But it could probably be an ancestor of his instead of him since he couldn't answer simple questions as these.

Time passed slowly for Ed as he was just waiting, so he kept checking the people that left an impression on him. He looked at the beast woman that had the highest score in the physical test and noticed she wrote some stuff about history but was clutching her head thanks to the math part. Ed chuckled a bit and she noticed him so he turned his face away immediately.

The Oni seemed like they didn't have any issues with it either, same with Norris who seemed to be doing okay. He answered almost everything and didn't look like he was struggling.

Time passed by for Ed and soon the test came to an end. It only lasted for one hour yet it seemed a lot more for him. After the papers were collected, an announcement came from the general.

"There will be a pause for correcting the papers, out staff will be done in about two hours. You are free to do whatever you want before the results are released" After speaking, the general left and the group of nobles went out of the academy. Most of them decided to go looking around the academy and Ed was one of them.

"Shall we go and check the academy?" Ed asked Emilia and Hayato. They could be considered his new friends in this academy so he decided to spend more time with them.

"Okay" "I would like that" Both of their answers were favorable and the three of them started their exploration.

"By the way, Ed I wanted to ask you something" Emilia looked at Ed and he could see curiosity in her eyes. "Where is Suika?"

After hearing her Ed's eyes showed a bit of warmth, it seemed like Emilia really like Suika so he wouldn't worry about her being hurt if he were to leave them to play someday.

"I didn't summon her since it would be too boring for her now. I'll get her to come out now" Ed summoned Suika in front of Hayato since it was normal for some people to contract monsters in this world.

"Suu~~!" Suika was as energetic as usual. She looked around and saw that Emilia was around so she jumped to her. She had become acquainted with her last and they both hit it off very well. Hayato on the side looked startled when he saw Suika, it seemed like he felt that shouldn't be messed around with.

"Did your color change, Suika?" Emilia seemed to notice the difference in Suika after her evolution and asked about it.

"Suu!" It seemed like Suika was telling her that she got stronger, Emilia felt this and smiled. Ed smiled too and chuckled in his mind since it was very rare to see Emilia smiling. 'A smile suits her better after all'.

Hayato soon snapped out of his daze and introduced himself to Suika who greeted him back. She seemed like she didn't mind him being there after all.

The four of them kept strolling around the academy grounds, now their group was attracting attention because of Suika. Soon enough someone approached them.

"You there! Fight me!" It was the beast woman from earlier and she was pointing at Ed while speaking.

Ed looked at her for one second and averted his gaze and started moving.

"Don't ignore me when I just challenged you!" The woman seemed pissed and got even more persistent. She was now right in front of Ed.

"Eh? You were talking to me?!" Ed acted as if he didn't know she was targeting him and feigned ignorance.

"Of course I'm talking to you! Who else is there in front of me?" Ed could see the veins on her head showing up.

"Oh I'm sorry but I can't fight you" Ed waved his hand and tried to move past her but she didn't let him.

"Why not? Don't you have your pride, you'll just walk away from a challenge." The woman didn't seem like she will let him go.

"I don't want to fight a war I can't win" Ed wasn't implying like he will lose against her, but there wasn't anything to gain by fighting her.

"Well, I'm not letting you leave until we fight" She took a stance and started her assault on Ed.