That was the same level as Lord Rodney Nyx. It was shocking to say the least. Her huge mana capacity wasn't for show after all.
"Beast: Unknown…" the next announcement was even more shocking.
Unknown? Like how? How could your beast contract be unknown?
Even Rena herself was shocked.
"Is the device perhaps broken?" she asked, her voice cold, laced with barely restrained anger. The principal sensing this moved to check the device.
"The device is working fine… your beast is really unknown," he answered with a nervous face.
"Unknown means either the beast is powerful or… there's no beast at all!" a girl with huge square rimmed spectacles whispered in shock, but because it was quiet everyone heard it.
Rena slowly turned to look at her, her purple eyes glowing with a piercing light, a cold smile on her face.
"I will remember this." She said as she descended the stage and left the hall, her cold aura prompting everyone off her path.
Miss Chloe turned to the principal, her expression worried.
"Don't worry about it. SSS rank is a mystery to the world, only Lord Rodney knows what it truly entails. We can only hope it's not the latter or else…" he said, but even his tone screamed doubt.
If it turned out to be that Rena was without a beast, it would be only a matter of time before even an A rank surpassed her in terms of power. That was how important a beast was.
…
The hall didn't die down after Rena left—it erupted.
"Unknown?! Just what does that mean?" A boy with yellow hair asked, his necktie loosened.
"Are you stupid or beyond stupid? Felicity clearly said what it means? Or you are just blind?" A grey haired guy answered with an incredulous expression.
"Fuck off!"
"So it really happened? A person with no beast— and the heiress of the Nyxs herself. Fate sure is a bitch." A girl with short silver hair and blue eyes said with a smile as she stood up.
Her name had been mentioned. Celeste Arrodes. Her gaze was calm, her movements fluid and graceful. One thing that made her different from a lot of girls like Rena, was her stature.
She was tall, already standing at 6-feet-tall for an 18-year-old girl. She had a slightly muscular stature that gave a fearsome vibe and aura. She was known as the third campus belle and muscle goddess. Her uniform barely held muscular body, especially in places of her boobs and butt—they especially stood out, struggling in their holds.
The young miss of the Arrodes family—Celeste was one of the few who were expected to awaken something awesome.
And she did…
Standing in front of the device, Celeste released her mana, gradually filling the air with a heavy presence that only lost out to Rena's own. The device rotated and span, covering her in a blue light.
Soon her awakening was done and the results announced.
"SS rank Body Manipulation : beast… Living Echo!"
Just the sound of her beast was enough to send the hall in a frenzy. A Living Echo was a known beast, although rare but never of SS rank. The highest ranked Living Echo was an A rank and it could level a city. So an S rank…was just amazing.
Another thing was that, Living Echoes didn't have a single appearance or form. They could be anything.
With a smile that fluttered the hearts of many, Celeste descended the stage with unhurried steps, basking in the limelight.
As she went to her seat, a new person was called. As for Rena, she'd been forgotten… for now.
…
Speaking of Rena…
She could seen seated on a closet in the ladies' washroom, eyes red and puffy with a bit of black stains on her face.
Her lips quivered every second as she sobbed uncontrollably.
"UNKNOWN!"
The word rang in her head like a loud bell that wouldn't stop ringing no matter it did.
Unknown… either her beast is very powerful—something she doubted or she had none. And she believed the latter.
There was no orb in her consciousness and she knew it or so she thought.
"Why? Why me? What did I do?" She asked to no one, her voice cracking as tears streamed down her eyes.
Rena, the cold, arrogant academy's best student was here, reduced to a crying mess because of her awakening.
She had been given a strong dose of reality—something even her background couldn't help with.
SSS rank?
It was all for nought if she lacked a beast contract. It would only be a matter of time before even the A ranks surpassed.
She would become a bottom level character, something she would never survive on.
"I will kill myself if that's the case!" She swore under her breath, her purple eyes darkening with acceptance.
"Hold it there babe… you'll do no such thing."
A beautiful voice, a bit deeper than hers sounded from behind the door, catching her off guard.
"Who?" She sniffed and asked, her voice barely audible.
"Someone who cares for you… now would you come out? Crying doesn't suit the best student of the academy." The voice answered laced with worry and a hint of amusement.
"Tell me your name!" Rena demanded, though her voice was a different matter. She sounded like a puppy trying to play fierce—she was cute.
"Does it really matter?" The voice asked incredulously.
"…"
"Fine! It's me, Celeste Arrodes. Please come out now." She answered, making Rena's eyes widen in surprise. 'What is Celeste doing here?!' She thought, trying to understand the situation.
With a bit of shakiness, she slowly got up, fixed her uniform and opened the door. There she came face to face with the silver haired, tall beauty—eyes meeting. Blue against purple, a faint spark passing through them.
Because of the height difference, Rena had to look up to see her face well.
Celeste's shadow fell over her, a silent conversation passing through them that they didn't even notice.
Their cheeks slowly reddened until Rena cleared her throat, breaking the growing tension.