Next Morning

  Creepy voice,"Wakey, Wakey! He he he. Fine that's weird for an introductory sentence. Don't leave please I beg you the writer will eat me aliveeee!"

  The Colosseum was buzzing again. The sheer volume of people hadn't decreased, but the anxiety in the air definitely had spiked. Today was the day dreams either lived or got horribly crushed.

  I stood in the massive crowd, the morning sun warming the white fabric of my Azure Frost jacket.

  Suddenly, the magical amplification array crackled to life. The announcer's voice boomed across the stone arena, rattling off the participant numbers of the few who had survived the Sacred Stone's judgment.

  "...937, 963, 965, 971..."

  I listened to the numbers tick by. I wasn't sweating, obviously, but I did cross my fingers inside my pockets. You know, just in case the universe decided to pull a fast one on me and let Talestia rig the results from the heavens.

  "...989, 997..." The announcer paused for dramatic effect. "...and the last..."

  Come on. Say the magic number.

  "...1001! Congratulations to all the qualifiers!"

  I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding. Boom. Told you. Never had a single doubt.

  "Your badges may now show a different number," the announcer's voice echoed, shifting to give the next set of instructions. "And you may now proceed to the main board to check your assigned teammate for the battle phase!"

  The announcer's voice echoed across the Colosseum, signaling the start of the stampede. Thousands of students immediately surged toward the massive bulletin boards erected at the edge of the arena.

  I didn't run. I simply slipped through the chaotic crowd with the practiced grace of someone who had spent the last two years dodging lightning wolves and psychotic apes.

  "Let's see what we're working with," I muttered, pulling the silver metal badge out of my pocket.

  The surface of the metal suddenly grew warm. A faint, magical sparkle danced across the surface, and the humiliating '1001' dissolved into a completely new, singular digit.

  A sharp, distinct 7.

  "Amazing," I smirked, flipping the badge in my hand. "A single digit. Finally, some respect on my name."

  I approached the towering wooden board, my eyes scanning the massive columns of parchment pinned behind a protective glass barrier.

  "Alright... Team 7. Let's find out who's dragging me down, or who I'm carrying." I traced my finger down the list. "Team 4... Team 5... Team 6... Ah! Here."

  Team 7: Participant No. 7 - Ragna

  Participant No. 3 - Starlia Lesse

  I froze. My finger stopped dead on the glass.

  Starlia Lesse.

  The Princess. The Genius of the Century. The reincarnated Goddess who dumped me in this world in the first place.

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  "Holy shit," I whispered, a wicked, triumphant grin spreading across my face. My heart actually skipped a beat from the sheer, unbelievable convenience of it all. I didn't even have to manipulate the brackets or bribe an official. The universe—or whatever chaotic script ran this world—just handed me my master plan on a silver platter.

  Step 1: Join the Academy. Check.

  Step 2: Befriend the Princess. Currently in progress.

  "So? Who did you get?"

  Celestia popped up beside me, leaning over to follow my gaze.

  "Uh," I cleared my throat, quickly pulling my finger away from the glass and trying to mold my face back into a mask of stoic indifference. "Starlia Lesse."

  Celestia gasped. Her hands flew to her mouth, her golden eyes sparkling with absolute, unrestrained mischief.

  "Oh my God! Ragna, it's a dream come true!" she squealed, nudging me hard in the ribs. "Were you praying all night for her? Is that why you went to bed so early?"

  "No, I wasn't!" I snapped, feeling an annoying heat rise to the tips of my ears. "Do I look like a guy who prays, Celestia? I don't pray. I calculate."

  "Oh, sure, sure," she waved a hand dismissively, her teasing grin only growing wider. "Why would you tell me, right? A boy's first crush is a very private thing. It's okay, Ragna. I know how madly you love her."

  "No, I don't!" I growled, pulling the hood of my Azure Frost jacket up to hide my face. "I've literally never met her! I am operating on pure tactical efficiency, and she is a highly valuable asset! That's it!"

  "Asset. Right. I'll make sure to tell her you called her that," Celestia giggled, clearly enjoying my misery way too much.

  Before I could verbally defend my dignity any further, two familiar figures pushed through the crowd toward us.

  "There you are," Akira said, looking over the heads of the surrounding teenagers like a titan among mortals. Leonica was right behind him, practically bouncing on her heels.

  "So," Akira crossed his massive arms, looking down at me with a proud grin. "Who is your teammate, Ragna?"

  I adjusted my hood, regaining my composure. "It's the Princess."

  Akira's eyebrows shot up into his hairline. "Wow!" he boomed, letting out a heavy laugh. "The Princess of Alzaria herself? The Academy's evaluators must have recognized your potential to pair you with the highest-ranking candidate. That is no small feat, my boy."

  "Yeah, well, we'll see if she can keep up," I said casually, though I was secretly thrilled. I turned to my sister. "What about you, Leo? Who did you get stuck with?"

  Leonica's grin turned absolutely predatory. "Someone you know."

  I frowned, racking my brain. "Someone I know? Who?" I hadn't interacted with anyone my own age in six years. My social circle consisted of burnt rabbits, angry dragons, and two ancient gods who lived in my chest.

  "It's Nyra Emberlyn!" Leonica announced, her eyes dancing with amusement.

  My stomach dropped. The name hit me like a physical blow, dragging up a deeply buried, highly suppressed memory from my early childhood.

  "That half-dragon stupid girl," I deadpanned, rubbing the bridge of my nose.

  "Yep!" Leonica giggled, completely ignoring my absolute lack of enthusiasm. "That stupid girl. And I bet she will be extremely shocked and happy to see you alive."

  "Oh, why not?" I sighed, my voice dripping with so much sarcasm it could melt steel. "We were best friends, y'know. We got along famously. Just famously."

  (Spoiler alert: We did not get along. She was a menace.)

  "Yeah, you were," Leonica laughed, clearly remembering the chaos of our toddler years very differently than I did.

  "Alright, whatever," I grumbled, turning away from the bulletin board. "If I have to deal with her and the Princess in the coming days, I need to blow off some steam. Bye, then. I have to go practice now."

  I started walking toward the Academy gates, my mind already shifting gears. I needed to get back to the forest. I needed to focus my mana. I needed to figure out how the hell to activate that Blue Origin transformation Jase showed me last night, because yelling at the trees wasn't cutting it.

  "Be careful in the forest, Ragna!" Akira called out behind me, his fatherly instincts kicking in.

  I stopped walking. I slowly turned my head, looking back at the Commander of the South Gate over my shoulder.

  "Dad," I said, a dry, arrogant smirk pulling at the corner of my mouth. "Who do you think you are warning?"

  I survived the Death Forest when I was six years old with nothing but a wooden stick and spite. I was the apex predator of that woods. The monsters didn't hunt me; I hunted them for their lunch money.

  Akira blinked, registering my words. Then, the worry melted off his face, replaced by a slow, knowing smile. He remembered exactly who he was talking to.

  "Oh," Akira chuckled, shaking his head. "Yeah. Fair point. Bye."

  I gave a two-finger salute and turned back around, slipping my hands into my pockets.

  Alright, Jase, I thought, feeling the familiar, comforting hum of my Elemento Draco-Phoenix core spinning in my chest. Let's see if I can figure out your little parlor trick. Three times harder, huh? Watch me.