Division of Status III — Virion

Everyone turned to stone when they saw the cold gaze that had fallen upon them.

High Professor Deuzetai stood by the doorway, towering over the hot-blooded adolescents with the grandeur and grace of a king. He looked down upon them with a deathly glint in his gaze.

But his following words were calm. A few words spouted by a measly youth were not enough to faze him

"Proceed to your classes." His voice rumbled like the cry of a whale in the deep blue, "Silently, orderly, and with respect for your fellow classmates."

Bowing my head slightly, I ended up drawn by the flow of students leaving the classroom. We walked in single file as Deuzetai blocked off half the door.

When I got out, I noticed each student awkwardly glance at their peers, too afraid to speak. They could still feel Deuzetai's gaze in the lingering area.

When many of us turned the corner, we sighed in relief.

The invisible pressure disappeared in that instant.

Thank the gods. We could breathe once more. The High Professor's tangible will was as shocking as it was the first time I experienced it.

That time during the entrance exams really came as a unique experience. I never expected that someone could exert that much force without moving an inch.

It was honestly an eye-opener, and ever since, I've been trying to train that aspect of myself. I was able to look through a few techniques that could help me with condensing some form of tangible will. Aethercaller was pretty generous with the techniques it gave out.

There was an entire section in the library labelled, [ Basics of Palpable Intent ].

There were also sections for swordsmanship, archery, hand-to-hand combat, and more. All of the basics were available for everyone to use.

Only the more advanced topics were locked behind different requirements: Grades, merits, or cold hard cash.

Despite having turned the corner, however, we still heard Deuzetai's voice boom.

"Except for you, boy. It seems like you wanted to pick a fight."

I couldn't help but pause. I was intrigued.

"Do you really want to see the difference between you, a measly Rank 311 and the Rank 1 born from my examination?"

A meek voice spoke in reply, "S-Sir.."

"Report to to the coliseum in four hours. You will duel with the Rank 1 first year, Caelum Phricius. If you claim victory, then you may take his place as the first ranker. I will also ignore your disrespectful claims and descriptive adjectives."

A momentary silence came. I could almost imagine the flash of greed shining in the noble's eyes as he heard what Deuzetai had said.

"But... what if I lose?"

"Lose, and you will be punished for falsely accusing your fellow student of dishonesty, as well as for the words that have left your lips."

Deuzetai continued, hammering the nail in.

"...You're asking as if you are deciding if you should take the fight or not. I will rephrase what I said earlier. You are to duel Caelum Phricius in four hours. You do not have a choice."

Then, Deuzetai's footsteps rang out. He probably entered the classroom, ready to start his next class in a few minutes.

...

I had two classes after that, leaving me with thirty minutes before the duel was going to occur. Word had gone around quickly. Almost too quickly. I had even overheard that a few classes were suspended for the simple reason that Deuzetai was going to show why his Rank 1 examinee was truly in Rank 1.

I don't know why, but I found myself among the many first year students who were busy chattering amongst themselves and sitting at the stands of the coliseum. Sylfie was beside me, worriedly glancing at Caelum from afar.

"...Do you think Cael will be okay?" She asked me, bitting her lips.

"If his skills are still as sloppy as a month ago, then he should theoretically lose this duel." I blinked, "But he might have some hidden card up his sleeve that we are all unaware of. That card that allowed him to climb to first place."

At this point, I wasn't sure of my guesses.

Caelum was unpredictable. The way he acted gave me the feeling that he was not from this continent. The way he hid his face under his hood just made me all the more suspicious.

"I hope he doesn't get hurt," Sylfie sighed. "Why did High Professor Deuzetai force this duel onto them anyway?"

"It probably has to do with the fact that that noble kid, Julius, had spoken ill of him and Caelum in his presence. He had a reputation to uphold, and in this world, being a pushover would simply make your life more difficult than it already is." I replied.

"You nobles really care a lot about reputation, don't you?" Sylfie pouted, "Can't the world be centred around sweets and dessert instead?"

I chuckled.

"Yes... If only that was possible."

It was at this moment that Caelum and Julius went up to the stage. High Professor Deuzetai was standing at the centre, awaiting their arrival.

He glanced at the two for a moment and nodded. Then, his voice boomed throughout the arena,

"The rules are simple. Stepping out of bounds counts as a loss. Getting knocked unconscious counts as a loss. Recieving a possibly lethal attack directly counts as a loss. Maiming and crippling one's opponent is not permitted. Killing your opponent is also disallowed."

Deuzetai allowed those rules to sink in for a moment.

Then, with a wave of his arm, he disappeared from his spot. His voice resonated through bones.

"Now... You may begin."

A sound-based spell fell upon the stands, silencing the audience and keeping their chatter from disturbing what was about to occur.

I watched as Caelum calmly unsheathed his blade.

Then, under the incredulous eyes of many, he threw his blade out of the arena.

His dagger flew out in a beautiful arc, gleaming with the early afternoon sun. It then fell onto the ground just outside the bounds of the arena.

Clang—!

It embedded itself within the soft-ish rock that served as a cushion for those who were knocked out of the stage.

Just what was Caelum thinking?