All the students in our group successfully passed the test, and Tasu emerged as the top scorer among us.
"Look, it's Tadoki-sama," whispered some of the students around us.
"Is he going to take the test too?"
"Yes, all the students of the academy must take it, even those entering the second year, to assess their summer progress."
"I see," I replied.
"120,000."
"W-what?" Tasu stammered in surprise.
Tadoki was clearly on a whole different level—ten times stronger than me... It was astonishing. After Tadoki, another boy, a second-year student, stepped up.
"98,000."
"What?! It seems there are many students this strong among the second-years."
"Alright, kids, we're heading to the written exam now," announced the teacher.
We left the room and went up to the second floor. There were many classrooms, a long corridor with a staircase leading to the third floor in the middle. The walls were light brown, and large crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling. We entered the classroom. The desks were arranged in a tiered fashion, with the blackboard and teacher's desk at the bottom. Tasu and I took seats at the back, while Kimi and Shiari sat at the front.
We were handed papers with mathematical and magical problems.
"I'll collect your papers in an hour," said the teacher.
One hour later
"Phew, finally done," sighed Tasu.
"You probably did excellently."
"Doubt it. I'm not Akusa..."
"Alright, hand in your papers," the teacher instructed.
Everyone placed their papers on her desk.
"You can take a short break. I'll announce the results in thirty minutes."
"How many points can we score in total?"
"Two hundred." This should be interesting.
The students began discussing their answers. Tasu started chatting about something with Shiari.
"Tasu, already becoming a busy man?" I teased.
"What? No, of course not."
Shiari smiled shyly.
"Akusa?" Kimi addressed me softly.
"Can I speak with you for a moment?"
"Ah… sure."
We stepped away from the class.
"Akusa, could you help me after the exams?"
"Help? With what?"
"There's something I need to sort out," she said, slightly embarrassed.
What? I haven't even officially enrolled, and I'm already being asked for help by such a lovely lady?!
"I don't mind. What do you need?"
"Maybe… let's meet tomorrow?"
"Sure. Will the café near the academy work?"
"Yes!" she replied happily.
After some time, the teacher gathered us.
"Let's start with Shiari. Your score is 167. Congratulations."
"Next, Kimi. Your score is 175. Congratulations."
"Tasume, you scored 150."
"Aaaaah!"
I smiled slightly.
"Akusa, you've surprised me. Your score is 200. Congratulations."
He even solved the final problems in such a short time... These questions usually take professors hours, Rin thought.
"What?! How?!" Tasu turned to me, his face filled with disbelief.
"Oh, I thought it would be lower."
"Akusa, you're going to teach me now!" Tasu exclaimed.
"What? No, handle it yourself."
"Come on, Akusa, Akusa, Akusa..."
Everyone was stunned, while Kimi and Shiari laughed. The teacher continued announcing the other students' scores. Most didn't exceed 150 points. With the passing score set at 125, we did pretty well. A few students failed, but from what I understood, they wouldn't be expelled.
"Now, let's head outside to the practical exam area."
We all went outside. Surrounding the exam field was a tall barrier, and a large crowd of spectators stood around it. Our temporary classmates entered the field one by one to take the exam—though some seemed to struggle more than others.
"Remember, you need to use one of your strongest spells to hit the target," Rin reminded us.
"Of course."
"Kimi, you're up."
"Got it."
Kimi placed her hand on the barrier, which automatically recognized her and allowed her through. She stepped into position and extended her hand toward the target. A bright white light glowed around the target, and it became completely frozen.
"Wow, that's beautiful!" Tasu exclaimed.
Kimi turned her hand to the right, and the ice, along with the target, shattered into tiny pieces. Everyone looked on in awe. Kimi stepped out of the barrier.
"Well done, that was impressive," the teacher praised her.
"Thank you."
"Next, Shiari."
"Alright."
Shiari entered the barrier and took her position.
Let's try attacking with the spell 'Water Cutter,' she thought. With a wave of her hand, a thin stream of water shot out, slicing through the target and causing an explosion. Shiari exited the barrier.
"That looked cool," Tasu said.
"Thank you."
"My turn," Tasu said, stretching his hands.
"This should be fun," I added.
"What do you mean?" the teacher asked.
"You'll see soon enough."
Tasu rose into the air, and a massive vortex formed within the barrier, kicking up clouds of dust. He snapped his fingers, and the entire whirlwind crashed down on the target, obliterating it completely. Tasu stepped out of the barrier.
"... I thought it would be more dramatic," I said.
"I should've used more power," Tasu replied.
"Akusa, it's your turn now."
I entered the barrier and took my position, extending my hand toward the target.
"Bang," I said, forming my fingers into the shape of a gun. A small fireball appeared at my fingertip and shot toward the target at incredible speed. An explosion followed, triggering an earthquake within the barrier. The target was utterly destroyed. I stepped out of the barrier.
"That was quite powerful. Well done," Rin praised me.