Chapter 11: Those Who Decide

  “In the name of the gods, what kind of evaluation is this, Bernard?” a tall figure demanded.

  He stood with his arms crossed, eyes fixed on the light projected by the triangular crystal. Within it, shifting illumination formed a living image, two students locked in brutal combat against monsters.

  “We weren’t expecting them to fight,” Adelion replied, his tone measured.

  “They’re doing exceptionally well,” another figure added, his voice edged with restrained surprise.

  “I must admit, they are talented, both of them,” Professor Elowen said, her gaze shifting from the projection to one of the figures beside her. “But, they would be doomed if this were a real fight, wouldn’t you say, Aurelius?”

  Aurelius answered in a tired voice. “Yes. The student-”

  “Tyka,” Bernard supplied.

  “He’s been bitten by a Venomtailed Scarab,” Aurelius continued. “Their venom is deceptively harmless at first, but it is extremely paralytic, especially dangerous for someone so young.”

  “That said,” the headmaster interjected, “the sheer force the student displays is impressive, wouldn’t you agree, Kazzak?”

  “Yes,” the tall figure replied. “But that much is to be expected. Giants are known for their ridiculous strength, not the brightest lot, perhaps, but devastating if trained properly. His specialisation suits him well.”

  “Yes, yes, all very well,” the headmaster cut in again. “But those orbs…”

  His gaze sharpened.

  “They’re extremely clever. An exceptional method of Straum manipulation, especially considering the straum capacity of student meliodas,

  “Yes,” Adelion replied. “I was surprised the moment I saw them.” What student Meliodas is doing isn’t spellcasting in the traditional sense. He’s fabricating spell structures ahead of time, then releasing them when needed.”

  Adelion continued, his expression sharpening “His lack of capacity and raw power is the true issue. His manipulation, however, is exceptional, better than any new student I’ve seen. Even his sister wasn’t this precise at his level. Wouldn’t you agree, Bernard?”

  Bernard nodded slowly. “Exceptional, yes. But what follows is even more remarkable.”

  All of them turned their attention fully to the recording.

  They watched as Meliodas manifested the small bird, fragile, almost comical, then the eruption followed, the monster engulfed in flame, moments later reduced to ash.

  No one spoke as the recording continued.

  “Exceptional,” the headmaster said at last. “Such determination to save not only his life but also put it on the line for a boy he has only just met…”

  “Foolish,” Kazzak scoffed. “But that spell, what was it? I must admit, I am… confused.”

  Aurelius spoke next, his voice measured. “To possess such control over one’s Straum at that age… The concentration required to merge prefabricated spells into a single, decisive attack is astounding.”

  Adelion’s gaze snapped toward him. “You can’t be suggesting spell fusion. Not at that age or level. That would be impossible, there must be another explanation.”

  “I see no other explanation,” the headmaster replied calmly. “Truly exceptional.”

  The recording ended as spikes erupted from the ground.

  The room fell into silence. After a moment, Aurelius spoke.

  “I don’t believe Meliodas was fully aware of what he accomplished. The children of Archypego are full of surprises, it seems. First Thalessa and now this. Still, he lacks judgment. Tapping into Straum decay was foolish.”

  “I agree,” Elowen said. “It was impressive, yes, but compared to what Lucien is capable of, it hardly measures up.”

  Kazzak laughed openly. “Comparing an academy student to a Chosen One? That’s a rather thorny comparison.”

  Elowen shot him a look of pure disdain but said nothing. The tension in the room thickened.

  “Now, now,” the headmaster said, clapping his hands once. “The real question is this, what should we do with these children?”

  “Before that,” Bernard interrupted but spoke carefully, his tone cautious, “you briefly mentioned Archypego’s third child before headmaster.”

  The headmaster turned to him.

  The change was immediate.

  His easygoing presence vanished, replaced by something heavy and suffocating. The air around the table thickened, pressing down on the professors like a weight. Bernard felt a chill crawl up his spine, his breath catching as the headmaster’s gaze locked onto him, sharp, unforgiving.

  “I will say this only once, Bernard,” the headmaster said quietly. “And it applies to all of you.”

  His eyes swept across the room.

  “Do not mention that boy’s twin. Not around me. Not around anyone. Especially not around his siblings.”

  The headmaster leaned forward slightly, his voice lowering.

  “You should not be curious about him. You should not search for information, and you most certainly should not ask Meliodas anything about him.”

  He placed a hand flat on the table.

  “This matter ends here.”

  Silence followed.

  Every professor at the table nodded, slowly and without question.

  The headmaster relaxed, the oppressive pressure lifting from the room.

  “Very well,” he said. “My judgment regarding our special entrance students is as follows.”

  He gestured toward the crystal.

  The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

  “Tyka is an excellent prospect. He shows no fear of monsters, is decisive and confident, perhaps a little too confident. His carelessness is what led to the poisoning, but his raw strength and defensive instincts are admirable. His Straum affinity, stone, suits him exceptionally well.”

  Several professors nodded in agreement.

  The headmaster continued.

  “Now, to the more intriguing case, Meliodas.”

  The room grew attentive.

  “Dual specialization is rare. A buffer specialization is exceptional. While he lacks the raw firepower one would expect from a conventional spellcaster, his control is remarkable. His focus and manipulation ability are outstanding for his age.”

  He paused briefly.

  “His shortcomings are equally clear. His Straum capacity is limited, and his nervousness caused a lapse in focus, resulting in a broken arm. However” his tone sharpened slightly, “his decisiveness may be his greatest strength.”

  The recording flickered briefly in the crystal.

  “He did not hesitate. He did not consider the danger. He pushed himself beyond his limits without a second thought. Foolish? Yes. Admirable? Also yes.”

  The headmaster leaned back.

  “Both of these students are more than equipped to belong in your class. Wouldn’t you agree, Bernard?”

  “Yes, Headmaster,” Bernard replied immediately. “I agree.”

  The headmaster’s gaze swept the table.

  “Does anyone have any further additions?”

  Silence.

  “No, Headmaster,” the professors answered in unison.

  Meliodas woke to the sound of birds.

  Morning light filtered softly into the room as he stretched and yawned. His pocket watch lay atop the small piece of furniture that separated the two beds. It was still early, he had a few hours before the initiation ceremony.

  He turned his head toward Tyka’s bed.

  Empty.

  Meliodas frowned slightly. Where could he be so early? he wondered. Then he shrugged it off. It didn’t really matter right now.

  He pushed himself up, pain exploded through his body.

  Every muscle screamed as a sharp jolt shot through him. Meliodas stumbled and collapsed to the floor, cold sweat broke out instantly. A folded note slipped from the bedside and landed beside him, likely disturbed by the sudden movement.

  Gritting his teeth, he reached for it, hands trembling as pain pulsed through him, he read:

  Student Meliodas,

  Do not leave your bed until you use the potion I gave to Student Tyka.

  I strictly prohibit you from using any form of Straum until I say otherwise.

  Come to my office once you awaken.

  -Professor Adelion

  Meliodas exhaled shakily, letting his head fall back against the floor.

  He laid there for a couple of minutes, head spinning, nausea creeping in waves. The room felt distant, unreal.

  The door burst open.

  “Shit… bro, are you okay?” Tyka said quickly, concern tightening his voice.

  Heavy footsteps followed as Tyka rushed toward him. He slipped an arm under Meliodas’ shoulders, lifting him just enough to keep him upright. Before Meliodas could protest, Tyka uncorked a small vial.

  Meliodas barely registered what was happening as the liquid was poured into his mouth.

  The bitter medicine burned its way down his throat. Pain surged through his body again, sharp, intense, but this time it faded quickly, replaced by a deep, spreading relief. His vision steadied. His thoughts cleared.

  With a groan, he pushed himself up, leaning back against the bed for support.

  “Easy, bro. Easy,” Tyka said, keeping a steady hand on his shoulder.

  Meliodas steadied himself. “Thank you, Tyka,” he said shakily.

  He looked up at the half-giant, who was drenched in sweat. “Where were you?” he asked.

  “Went for a quick workout,” Tyka replied, flexing his muscles casually. Surprisingly, he was wearing a plain white shirt. “Thought you’d sleep longer. That elf professor came by yesterday morning.”

  “Yesterday?” Meliodas said, alarmed. “How long did I sleep?”

  “All through yesterday,” Tyka said. “I was worried until the professor came and explained.”

  Meliodas swallowed. “What about the entrance ceremony?”

  “You missed it,” Tyka said, laughing.

  “What?” Meliodas said, eyes widening..

  “Didn’t really miss much, bro. Just a lot of talking. The seats were uncomfortable too, way too small, after that, they gave us our uniforms and that was it. I grabbed yours, so don’t worry.”

  Meliodas exhaled slowly.

  “We start proper classes in two days,” Tyka continued. “Professor said you should be recovered by then.”

  “Damn,” Meliodas muttered. “Did anything else happen?”

  “Nah. Well, now that I think about it, people stared at me a lot,” Tyka shrugged. “Until that blond guy showed up. Then everyone forgot about me.”

  Meliodas frowned slightly. “Blond guy?”

  “Yeah,” Tyka grinned. “You should’ve seen his elven companion. Damn, she is beautiful. Honestly, I think we won the lottery, brother, our year’s got a lot of pretty girls.”

  “Did you get his name?” Meliodas asked, ignoring Tyka's other remark.

  “Something like Lu… Lu…” Tyka concentrated, thinking for a moment. “Lucien,” he said finally. “Handsome guy, I’ll admit. I was about to ask him if he was up for a spar, but people started crowding him after the ceremony ended. Even a couple of third-years came looking for him, he has a weird mark on his neck too.”

  Meliodas’ expression tightened. “You said he has a mark on his neck?”

  “Yeah. A weird one,” He paused for a moment then continued “Didn’t get a good look though. When I saw I couldn't talk to him I left to grab our uniforms and ranks, then worked out the rest of the day. Even sparred with a professor.”

  Meliodas froze.

  “Wait, what? Our ranks? And… Did you just say you sparred with a professor?”

  “Yeah,” Tyka said casually. “A strong one. Name was Kazzek. Almost as tall as me, he kinda looked like a lizard, honestly.”

  Meliodas shook his head in disbelief. “So… what’s our rank?” he asked slowly.

  Tyka grinned. “Why don’t you look for yourself, bro?” he said, pointing toward one of the chairs by the desk, where Meliodas’ folded uniform rested.

  Meliodas pushed himself upright and started walking towards the chair, he picked it up. It was a robe of beige fabric, accented with deep green trim.

  “This is good fabric,” Meliodas said, rubbing it between his fingers.

  He glanced at Tyka, noticing the beige pants and white shirt he was already wearing.

  “Wait… you’re already wearing your uniform?”

  “Sure am,” Tyka replied. “Well, not the upper part. I got warm, and it's a bit restraining.”

  “Aren’t you afraid you’ll ruin it?”

  Tyka shrugged. “Not really. The professor said something about it being self-repairing and self-cleaning. Yesterday, I took a shower and when I looked at it again, it was clean.”

  “Huh. Enchanted uniforms,” Meliodas muttered. “The academy really didn't spare expenses here.”

  “You know how to do that stuff, right?” Tyka said eagerly. “You said you liked array formation or something. If you can, can you do my other clothes too?”

  Meliodas put a hand to his forehead, shaking his head slightly.

  “No, Tyka. Arrays and enchantments are two different things.”

  “Ah, damn,” Tyka said. “Well, worth asking.”

  “Now where’s the rank, Tyka? I don’t see it.”

  “Stop complaining and put it on,” Tyka replied.

  Meliodas shrugged and slipped the uniform over his shoulders. The moment it settled, he frowned.

  “…This is big,” he said slowly. “Actually, this is way too big.”

  Tyka blinked.

  “What? There was only one size, bro.”

  Meliodas shot him a look. “Are you sure? Or did you grab the first thing you saw because you wanted to be done as fast as possible?”

  Before Tyka could answer, the fabric began to glow with a faint ice-blue light.

  Meliodas nearly jumped in surprise, but the sharp pain of the sudden movement stopped him halfway.

  The glow pulsed once, then the robe tightened and shifted, the fabric adjusting smoothly until it fit him perfectly.

  When the light faded, Meliodas looked down at himself.

  “…Okay,” he admitted. “That’s impressive.”

  Tyka burst out laughing. “You should’ve seen your face, it was priceless,” he said, still chuckling as he extended Meliodas’ token toward him.

  Meliodas took it, glancing back at the mirror mounted above the desk. He was now slightly annoyed.

  “I still don’t see my rank. Why would I need the token now, Tyka?”

  “Just take it,” Tyka said, grinning. “Trust me, bro.”

  Meliodas eyed him suspiciously, then accepted the token.

  Nothing happened.

  He looked back up, unimpressed. “Seriously? Tyka, what are you playing at?”

  “Just wait,” Tyka replied, laughter barely contained.

  A few seconds passed.

  Meliodas’ unease grew, until the token in his hand began to glow.

  The light intensified, then in a blink, the token vanished completely.

  Meliodas blinked, confused, instinctively looking around. “My token—?”

  “Relax, bro. Look,” Tyka said.

  Meliodas lifted his gaze. Tyka was now wearing a jacket, beige like the rest of the uniform. Tyka tapped his chest with his fist.

  Meliodas squinted. Damn it… my eyes, he thought. He couldn’t focus properly.

  Tyka noticed and tossed him his glasses. “Here.”

  “Thanks,” Meliodas muttered, slipping them on.

  The moment he did, the emblem embroidered onto the jacket over Tyka’s heart came into sharp focus. It was identical to the token’s design, except now a number glowed at its center.

  “Seventeen,” Meliodas read aloud.

  Tyka grinned broadly. “Told you. Rank seventeen out of ninety-two. Pretty good, huh?”

  “Yeah,” Meliodas said honestly. “That’s impressive. Congratulations.”

  Tyka glanced at Meliodas's emblem.

  “Oh,” he said, the smirk fading.

  Meliodas' face became serious.. “Is it that bad?”

  Tyka shrugged and nodded toward the mirror behind him.

  Meliodas turned slowly, his palms beginning to sweat, he stared at his reflection.

  At the emblem on his chest, as he focused on the number he saw it.

  22.