“Hey, what sort of power do you have?” I ask the person nearest to me, she looks at me with a strange face as though this isn't a normal question.

“I have my family’s battle skill slash, that’s all I need.”

I nod and ask the person next to her, “What do you have?”

“Bash.”

“Aren’t they any sort of element? What was that purple energy? I could tell the earlier portion was plasma.”

“You haven’t ever see the Goddess Blessing?”

I shake my head, “What if I say that I have the memory of a hero?”

“Do you have head damage or something?,” one of them asks in a mocking tone.

I shrug my shoulders, “My powers are too quick so I can’t see the effects.”

“Anyone that uses a skill in this world will receive a blessing from the goddess, it will enhance any skill they use and take it to its ultimate form at your current level.”

I raise my eyebrows in surprise, “Wow, wonder what my skill will look like after the blessing.”

Halzdadt coughs lightly upon hear that while I feel some daggers being stared at me, I look out of the crowd and towards the column where someone is standing with a cloud of pink energy above them.

It gathers and turns into a hammer made of iron disappearing into a pink mist, there’s no damage.

“Grace Hejjeetn, Passed,”

A quiet cheer comes across the crowd as the loud old voice resounds in the entire stadium, I continue asking questions.

“How do we fail this? It seems like no one can do any damage.”

“No one strong enough to damage it has gone yet, there’s maybe 2 people that can in this group.”

“Is that normal?”

“2 is abnormal, usually there’s no one. This column is made of strong materials, impossible to replicate yet it keeps growing for some reason. There’s some myths going around but the officials won’t confirm anything.”

“What do we get if we damage it then since I assume no one fails?”

“Placement in the special class.”

“Ah, that all?,” I respond without much care and look towards the column where someone else is walking away.

“Special class is important, but it’s not like you’ll get there.”

“Special class has that many more resources spent on it. You have no idea of the advantages there.”

“Fine, do we need to pay for damages?”

A few of the girls giggle upon hearing this, I keep quiet for a few moments as several more people go through the trial without damaging the column when Halzdadt walks up to it, her golden hair fluttering in the light breeze that has picked up. Everyone has gone silent, even the crowd as they watch her walk up to it.

Halzdadt looks out at the crowd with a smile before looking over my direction giving me a glare, “Watch this everyone!,” she says loud enough for it to echo in the stadium.

A faint silvery energy comes out of her body causing it to glow softly creating an unglow for her entire body, it looks stunning as everyone watches her.

A light brightly glows from her fingers which she points towards the column, “Collapse.”

Everyone watches with wide eyes, even myself, as a dark energy sphere appears on the surface of the column, it expands and expands until it swallows up over 30 metres causing a few people to move back. The dark sphere is emitting a dark and cold energy that cannot be seen through yet it’s also not dangerously swallowing everything around it.

Halzdadt glances at me again then smirks, “O Lord Blessing this servant…” she sings a melodious hymn filling the stadium yet again. This causes her body’s energy to glow brightly even forming an illusory form of wings behind her back yet it only lasts a moment as the energy flows into the black sphere which has changed into a much darker colour, much stronger.

In only a moment she has collapsed causing the sphere to disappear revealing a large smooth spherical hole in the column over 50m wide yet not very deep as it only ate several metres inward. Halzdadt recovers her step gracefully trying to play off how tired she is and stands by Hazel to the roars of the crowd shouting her name.

“Junifer Glinis Stugel Halzdadt, passed. Good work,” the old voice over the announcement comes over this time much more enthused about speaking.

“Is that her usual skiil?” I ask the people remaining.

“One of them. She cannot show too many in public due to family rules.”

The short blonde haired woman steps up, her body glows a green colour as tree branches appear from her hands and into the form of a large axe with a green mist turning into a metal blade, she takes a shot at the column yet causes no damage.

“Ballonforf Capponotolili, passed.”

The crowd dwindles down to the final two, just me and someone else who hasn’t been forthcoming with talk as they pace about nervously. The crowd has been restless as nothing exciting has happened and they’re getting ready for the next round. The other person walks up before me and stands at the column and summons a large iron axe and has the same result as nearly everyone else leaving a few people whining in the crowd.

“Veettin Liin, Failed.”

The young woman up at the column slumps over in defeat but Hazel quickly walks up to her and carries her off leaving me to take the stage, I let out a sigh and begin the walk towards the column. Halzdadt scrunches up her nose as I walk past the groupp that has officials that seemt o be scanning all over my body with every step.

I cross the remaining couple of metres, walking up to it and touching the cold metal. A smooth yet rough textured feeling that already feels like it’s smoothing out as I run my finger across it before turning around returning to where Halzdadt and now Hazel are standing.

“Was that all Valley?,” Halzdadt asks mockingly.

“You’ll be fine Valley,” Hazel says while patting my shoulder.

“I don’t think it really matters,” I shrug while speaking the announcement comes over the stadium.

“Valley, passed. Excellent Job,” the old voice says in an excited tone which sets the crowd into a stir as they talk about this extra commentary which was reserved for only the most impressive of people. As far as they can tell, the young brown haired woman just walked up to the column, touched it then walked back.

“Did you really just touch it?,” Hazel asks.

I nod, “I did just touch it.”

“How did you get into the special class then?”

I shake my while while smiling, “Wait for it.”

Everyone looks at me with a confused expression, I simply point upwards causing most of them to turn upwards.

*BOOM* *BOOM*

Two giant objects bury themselves into the ground kicking up dirt and dust as if they have fallen from an incredible height, the dust settles revealing what it is.

Two giant heads of disgusting figures, one a demon and one a devil.

“Why did those fall? Is the column damaged from when Halzdadt struck it?,” someone in the crowd asks.

“It could have been from all that knocking?”

“It was rather old so it could be that.”

…

The crowd discusses for a moment, even in the crowd of officials the discussion is the same. No one seems to suspect that I had anything to do with it which suits me, I begin to walk away when Hazel catches up to me as the rest of the crowd talk among themselves wondering what was going on.

“Did you do that?”

“Does it matter? Now where do I go?”

“Well… there’s a ceremony later but I imagine the principal and vice principal will come see you and Halzdadt before then.”

“What about you?”

“I have to help out with group E.”

“Oh, will I see you again?”

Hazel reaches out and pats my head, “Of course, even if I’m not in the special class I’m sure we’ll run into each other besides,” her voice quietens as her face blushes, “I do want to see you again too.”

“I couldn’t hear that last part,” I say with a teasing tone.

“That’s not important, look here comes the two of them now,” Hazel directs me towards one of the edges where an old woman and younger woman are approaching, two people that I’ve met previously.

The frail yet fierce looking grey haired Principal and the straight-haired, young yet mean looking Vice Principal are making their way over towards the two of us, each person they cross will stop to greet them before returning to their work even the officials standing beside Hazel and myself salute them as they arrive.

“Principal, Vice Principal Madams,” they say in unison.

The two newcomers stand before me and Hazel while looking at the officials, “Enough, return to your work,” the old woman says before turning to face us, “you certainly surprised me… twice.”

“Twice?,” I ask as the vice principal raises her voice.

“Lady Halzdadt, get over here please,” her shrill voice containing a commanding tone speaks out over the crowd breaking their murmurs.

Halzdadt quickly shows up from the crowd, walking to and standing beside Hazel and me side glancing now and then, “Principal Zhifu and Vice Principal Jalien.”

“That was a good display of Collapse, Halzdadt,” vice principal Jalien speaks first disrupting any chance for the principal to speak, the young white haired girl responds.

“That was probably my best display all year. I don’t think even my older sister could do as well as me by this age.”

“Nova certainly didn’t have your power at her age when I saw her at the Holy Academy, her displays of Collapse could never get beyond 10 metres in diameter so you’re well above her before factoring in your blessing factor.”

“Yes that’s right so I think I might even awaken the ancest–

–you have the chance just like everyone. We shouldn’t talk about that here,“ Vice Principal Jalien cuts off her words abruptly.

Halzdadt is silent for a moment as the vice principal frowns at her giving the Principal an opening to speak.

“Your displays have been quite interesting, I couldn’t quite tell what you did the first time but the second time was quite marvellous. You were able to find the resonate frequency of the material at a certain temperature as it’s higher in the end determining the cut length and then sending a strike through the material at the weakest points. That’s an advanced display of swordsmanship that I wouldn’t expect someone of your age to display.”

“Well you know my upbringing, do I have to speak about it?”

“Not if you don’t want to.”

“Ok thank you, I heard that I’ll be in the special class?”

“That’s right. It’s typically reserved for nobility but some can be chosen for it during tryout. You and Halzdadt acquired the qualifications this round, alongside 5 in the previous groups.”

“Wow, that’s a few,” Halzdadt comments while glaring at Hazel, “why didn’t you share the information.”

I subtly place my hand around Hazel’s waist where Halzdadt can see it, Hazel speaks uncaring as I do this.

“I wasn’t going to reveal that sort of secret, it’s usually saved until the last round.”

“Everyone knows anyways,” Halzdadt says while rolling her eyes before they catch sight of my hand around Hazels waist, she turns her nose up disgruntled as the principal speaks again.

“Valuley wasn’t surprised at the result, she cannot wait to meet you again.”

“Where is she? Can I see her?,” I ask. I truly have been wondering about the brown haired girl who seemingly disappeared after we parted ways.

“You can see her once you settle in the dorms,” the old woman’s calm voice speaks.