With the help of the map, he was able to get around the city. And now, he arrived at Saintellia's Grand Academy Of Magic.
The Academy stood tall before him, like a fortress of grand power.
The massive entrance gates, made of enchanted gold, towered over the students.
And beyond those massive gates, was the main Academy, and a set of wide, stairs, leading upwards.
Saintellia Academy stood tall with its white stone walls and golden spires shining under the sun. Its grand entrance led to a wide courtyard with a flowing fountain at the center, and several wood benches around.
Surrounding that courtyard, was the main Academy. Towering was the massive building of the Academy, with exquisite patterns, towers, and arched windows and doors. It gives a majestic welcome to those entering the school.
Tsukishiro could only stare in awe.
"So this is it..." He murmured.
Around them were many other people who wanted the same dream as him, to become a magician.
Then, the massive gates slowly opened, and a man in a white cloak walked in front.
"Everyone, you may enter the premises." He said in a loud voice, before disappearing.
Given this signal, everyone, Including Tsukishiro walked inside. The moment he passed through the gates, the air around him changed. Inside, was like a whole, new different world.
He walked through the courtyard, admiring the garden and beautiful flowers lined up on the side, before arriving at the main entrance.
Given the massive number of people wanting to try out, the staff asked everyone to line up. Though the waiting time was long, Tsukishiro never grew impatient. And finally, he reached the front desk.
"Name?" The staff in charge asked without looking up from the numerous paper scrolls on her counter.
Tsukishiro stated his full name.
She flipped through the papers, nodding when she found his name.
"Yamato Ami (Elder Ami) registered you, is that correct?"
"Yes."
The staff wrote a little something on her paper, before giving her a golden-etched wooden card.
As he grabbed the card, it automatically carved his name, along with a set of numbers below.
"Present that to the exam hall. The first batch will happen in 10 minutes. Next."
Tsukishiro bowed down before hurrying. However, there was one problem. He didn't know where the exam hall was.
He goes back to the staff at the counter, and quickly asks,
"Uhm, where is the exam hall?"
"Go straight to the left, then, at the end of the hall, go to the right. The first door there is the exam hall."
"Thank you very much."
He quickly hurried his way towards the directions given to him. He navigated through the long, hallway. It was grand, with a row of pillars etched with intricate architecture, big windows, giving an overview of the courtyard, and tied-up red curtains.
His mind was running with nervous thoughts when suddenly,
Thud.
He bumped into someone.
Tsukishiro quickly stepped back, his face apologetic. "Sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going."
The person, specifically, the girl he bumped into barely made a sound. Not even a small gasp. She was quiet.
On top of that, she had a very, faint presence, almost like she wasn't there at all.
She was small in stature, had a fair complexion, and a petite body. Her silvery-white hair, with streaks of light green at the tips, cascaded behind her back.
Her purple eyes were timid and shy, however, it was sharp, almost calculating, even.
A soft, brown cloak covered most of her, with a white dress inside.
"It's fine," she murmured in a barely audible voice before stepping aside and continuing to walk.
Tsukishiro hesitated for a moment, however, was instantly brought back to reality. He immediately walked again, towards the direction of the exam hall.
After a few minutes of searching, he found himself at the entrance of a grand room. He slowly entered inside.
When he arrived, he found himself in an enormous chamber with high ceilings. Rows upon rows of aspiring magicians filled the room, their voices buzzing with anticipation. At the very front, standing on an elevated platform, was a man, with long, red hair, and a pair of glasses. His build was packed with muscles, and his aura gave off a sense of authority and confidence.
"Welcome, examinees," the man spoke, his voice echoing through the grand hall.
"I am Vlad Kirsten, one of the lead instructors at Saintellia Academy. Today, you stand before the gates of opportunity. Beyond these walls lies the path to power, knowledge, and greatness. But only those who prove themselves worthy will be granted entry."
He paused, sweeping his gaze across the students before continuing.
Murmurs spread through the crowd, but Tsukishiro remained silent, his mind nervous, yet already preparing for the road ahead.
"Now, let us begin," Professor Vlad declared.
The Saintellia Academy's Entrance Exam has officially started. All the numerous examinees were led into a vast, circular chamber, filled with a bright, golden glow. In the middle, was a door, leading to a small room, where the exam would take place.
"The rules for the first exam are simple: All examinees would step forward into the room, and will place their hands over a magic material, which will test the capacity of their magic capacities. The goal is to make it glow." Vlad, who was in front, said in his loud voice, before calling the examinees one by one and entering the small room.
Once done, they were led to the other door to the right, leading to the next exam. Some, had an ecstatic look on their faces, while others, looked nervous and anxious.
When Tsukishiro's turn arrived, he stepped forward, exhaling slowly.
He slowly entered the room. The room was relatively small and simple, with only the transparent magic ball in the middle. Beside it, was Professor Vlad, who signaled him to come forward.
"Start anytime you are ready."
He slowly walked forward, and slowly, reached his hand towards the transparent ball. He let out a deep exhale, before exerting magic force onto his hands.
Then, the ball flared to life, slowly glowing brighter, and brighter. The ball flickered for a few moments, before settling on a clear, and bright golden hue.
"That concludes your first exam. Proceed to the next exam in the room to the right." Vlad said as he wrote several notes on his long scroll of paper.
Tsukishiro allowed himself a small smile. He knows, that he didn't disappoint in the first exam.
Then came the next exam—a test of intelligence and knowledge.
The second exam occurred in a high-ceilinged lecture hall, where the examinees were seated at long wooden desks.
The proctor for the second exam was different from the first. It was a woman, covered with a black, witch hat, and a black cloak. Her eyes were crimson red, and her aura was dark and sharp.
"Listen, all of you youngsters, I am Yoruha Soutome, a lecturer here. This exam will test your technical magic knowledge and theory. You have an hour to answer the test that will be given to you shortly. And remember," She stopped for a moment, before continuing, this time, in a sharper, and much more threatening voice. "Many attempted to cheat, and it did not end well for them." She said, her crimson eyes glowing, adding a layer of fear to the examinees.
This caught Tsukishiro slightly off-guard, however, he retained his focus. At the sound of a bell ringing, a paper, a quill, and an ink bottle were manifested in front of them simultaneously.
"The time starts now!"
Tsukishiro immediately grabbed the paper, and upon seeing the exam, his heart dropped. This wasn't his strong suit. He had no formal education; all his knowledge came merely from personal study.
The questions on the exam were foreign to him. The exam required memorization and logic. He gulped, before shakily picking up the quill, and dipping it into the ink, before nervously writing down his answers.
Some of the problems, such as basic structures of casting magic, were possible to answer. However, the deeper knowledge of theory required information that he never heard of before.
As time quickly passed, his heart pounded loudly. His answers were unsure, and so was his performance in his exam. Can he pass this exam?
The bell rang again, signaling them to pass the paper. After proofreading his answers, he nervously passed them on to Professor Yoruha's table.
After the second exam, they were guided to the last part of the entrance exam—the third, and final exam; The combat trial.
...
The final exam was held in a wide room made of stone. In front, was another door, leading to the arena, where the final exam will be held.
And beside the door, was an incredibly, almost 2 meters tall, male figure. He had black hair, with a muscular build, wore a black uniform, and a red cloth covering both of his eyes.
"When I call your name, do proceed to this door." He gestured at the door beside him
And so one by one, the examinees made their way inside one by one.
However, most of them left the room with a disappointed expression.
"Just what is inside that," Tsukishiro murmured.
Many people have done the exam now, and yet, none seemed to be happy when they left.
And now, it's his turn.
The proctor called him.
"Young boy, I wish you the best. May you pass the last exam." The proctor encouraged.
"Thank you," Tsukishiro nodded before slowly entering the room.
The room was an indoor colosseum. At the far end of the large room, was a massive gate.
Out of nowhere, a voice spoke.
"The mechanics are simple: There will be a relentless wave of wild animals and monster spawning. Your grades will be dependent on the quantity and quality of monsters killed. As you kill each wave, another wave with stronger monsters will spawn. This means that the faster you kill each wave, the faster they'll spawn, and the more the difficulty will increase. However, this also means more points. In case of a surrender, please drop your weapons, and raise both of your hands up. That is all. Good luck."
The voice was almost robotic and generated. However, Tsukishiro didn't care.
He was focusing on taking out the third, and final exam.
And at last, the massive gates opened. He braced himself, and took a deep breath, unsheathing his small, rugged blade.
It has been used a lot of times. However, it is still usable.
Seeing a wave of magic-controlled, small wild dogs, he entered a stance.
"I will, pass this exam."
...
Elsewhere, at the hall of the first exam, murmurs of astonishment filled the room.
A student broke the transparent ball in a matter of seconds—no, in a matter of milliseconds. With a single contact, it broke and shattered into many pieces.
Even Vlad was surprised by the student's presence. Although it was calm, the aura surrounding it was almost on par with that of the lecturers.
"You... -------, passed."
The student bowed their head down, before leaving the room.
Everyone looked at the student in amazement.
Who is that?
I heard that the student over there broke the exam itself!
Is that a prodigy?