The Grand Arcane Arena exhaled, its final spell echoes fading into a charged hum of mana that prickled the skin.
High above, the enchanted scoreboards flared, their runic glyphs searing the Round 1 results into the minds of every onlooker:
Class A – Average: 9.8
Class B – Average: 8.4
Class C – Average: 6.9
Class D – Average: 3.2
Class D's number was dismal, a mockery in the eyes of the academy's elite.
But beneath that cold statistic, something glinted—a flicker of defiance that refused to be ignored.
Spectral ravens swooped from the arena's command circle, their black feathers glinting as they carried parchment reports to the noble boxes.
One raven looped lazily above the field, its message ribbon trailing in the wind:
"Class D scores four hits above 5. Names: Eva, Olivia, Nellie, Viora, Myra."
The vendor rows erupted in a low buzz.
"Hey!" a gruff voice barked from beneath the stands, mana-glazed candies spilling from his tray. "Class D's got life!"
