Chapter 127: The Rite of Qualification

The academy auditorium was vast, and with nearly a hundred people scattered across its immense space, it felt rather empty. Since it was still early, the hall remained quiet.

Ye Chen and the others, who had undergone the implantation and awakening, were present for the entrance ceremony. Before this, Sakuya Tsukimi had revealed the nature of the traditional entrance activity—the Rite of Qualification—to them. She had instructed Ye Chen, Julie, and the others to sit separately, as she did not want her three highly promising special cases to be eliminated so prematurely.

Upon entering the luxurious hall, Ye Chen chose a seat at random. Julie and Kanade Tachibana also selected seats not far from him. As they waited, other students gradually filled the hall. Many of their eyes lit up upon seeing the likes of Kanade and the others already seated.

There was a frantic, cheerful scramble for the seats beside the beautiful girls. After a brief period of clamor, most students had settled into their places. The most eye-catching among them were Julie, Kanade, and another silver-haired, red-eyed beauty. Those sitting next to them felt incredibly lucky and kept trying to strike up conversations, though none of the girls paid them any mind. Julie and Kanade occasionally glanced toward Ye Chen. As the ceremony was about to begin, the seat next to Ye Chen remained empty.

Ye Chen sat calmly, radiating an inexplicable aura; he was right there in front of everyone, yet he felt strangely distant.

"Excuse me, may I sit here?" a cute girl with tea-colored hair tied in a ponytail asked Ye Chen in a friendly manner. Her eyes looked curiously at the sword bag in Ye Chen’s lap, seemingly drawn to it.

"Go ahead, though I should warn you, it would be better for you to choose another seat," Ye Chen advised, prompted by her friendly demeanor.

"Eh? Why?" The girl tilted her head in confusion, unable to grasp his meaning. She dismissed his warning and sat down, offering him a bright smile. With a natural, outgoing air, she introduced herself: "Hi, I’m Imari Nagakura! Nice to meet you!"

"I’m Ye Chen." Seeing she had ignored his advice, Ye Chen said no more. However, as Imari sat down, both Julie and Kanade cast sympathetic looks toward her, pitying the tragedy of this girl being eliminated during the very first entrance ceremony.

Imari felt something was a bit off, but she didn't dwell on it. She smiled and pointed at the sword bag in his lap, asking, "Ye Chen, do you study swordsmanship?"

"I suppose you could say that." Ye Chen thought for a moment; although he was mostly self-taught, it surely counted as learning.

*Tap, tap, tap...* Each step Sakuya Tsukimi took was perfectly measured, creating a rhythmic sound. She walked onto the podium, and her calm voice resonated throughout the hall: "Welcome, new students, to Koryo Academy. I am the chairman of this academy, Sakuya Tsukimi."

"We will now proceed with the academy’s traditional event, the 'Rite of Qualification.' First, please confirm the person sitting next to you. That is your partner."

Though she didn't understand what the Rite of Qualification was, Imari was about to say something to Ye Chen, her partner, when Sakuya squinted her eyes and continued in a flat tone: "Now, I ask you all to duel your partners!"

"What!" Most had expected a long speech from Sakuya about the academy’s history and merits, as one would find at an ordinary school. Instead, they were met with a duel. While this was an academy for cultivating combat skills, most of the new students had never learned how to fight.

"Only the victors will be admitted. The losers will have their Dawn Crests removed and be expelled from the academy." As she stated this plainly, the auditorium erupted in chaos. Almost everyone began to protest loudly. If only the winners were admitted, half of the people present would be eliminated.

Having just sat together, many had already formed a slight rapport, and the sudden demand for a duel was unacceptable to most. No one wanted to be expelled on their first day, and many tried to persuade Sakuya to change her mind.

"What is this! We never heard about anything like this!" "Weren't we told we just needed to be able to adapt to get in?" "A duel... I can't do that!"

Most students complained in frustration, and the scene became rowdy. Sakuya surveyed the chaos below, completely indifferent to the commotion. She observed their reactions; aside from the majority who complained, a few remained calm, accepting the situation with composure.

"These are the ones the academy truly needs."

Her black eyes lingered on those individuals. Then, Sakuya’s flat voice shattered the hopes of many: "If a victor is not decided within ten minutes, both parties will be marked as failing!"

Spurred by this, some finally steeled their resolve. The gazes they cast toward their neighbors grew hostile; compared to the fleeting feelings they had just developed, successfully entering the academy was far more important.

"P-please, wait a moment!" Imari, who was sitting next to Ye Chen, suddenly stood up. Sakuya asked, "What is it?"

"Expelling us just for losing is too heartless!" Facing Imari’s question, Sakuya chuckled softly. "You could call this the Koryo Academy entrance exam. It is a struggle for survival based on the simple rule of defeating others to ensure your own survival."

"Can't we just have a normal exam instead!"

Sakuya ignored the question and continued, "A word of advice: the Blaze is a weapon created by manifesting one's soul. Therefore, it can only harm the soul; the attacks will only cause mental exhaustion. You will absolutely not lose your lives due to bodily harm."

"Now! You will all soon be plunged into battle. You should have understood this when you chose to enter Koryo Academy. If you cannot even pass this most basic test, then you have no qualification to be here. The person beside you is your first enemy! Fight, children chosen by heaven! You have already been granted the power to fight. Take up your soul’s power, your Blaze, and seize your future!"

"The ten-minute timer starts now!" After Sakuya announced the start, one student manifested their Blaze and attacked their partner. This triggered a chain reaction, and regardless of whether they wanted to or not, the students began to fight each other.

In the blink of an eye, the luxurious auditorium transformed into a battlefield. The floor and seats were destroyed in moments. Sakuya and the other teachers present paid no mind to the destruction, watching the battles with great interest and mentally noting those who stood out.

"Ye Chen, I have things I must do by entering this academy. I will not back down on this path, so please, give it your all! Blaze!"