The new year had arrived, but there was no celebration. The memory of the god still lingered heavily in everyone's minds, and no one was in the mood for festivities.
Principal Arthur had timed his announcement carefully. Just a day after Judgement Day, he declared that the heirs of the Elite School would soon arrive—a move intended to lift the spirits of the young and refocus their drive.
Now that the day had come, Azrael stood among the Marked, those who had yet to clear a Rift. Across from them stood the Proven, those who had.
This was the first time he had seen them divided in such a way, allowing him to see a clear difference.
Despite the low survival rate of the Marked on their journey to becoming Proven, the Proven still outnumbered them. That wasn't surprising. Most people challenged their first Rift by the age of eighteen resulting in either dying or advancing to the next level, while the Proven ranged from their early twenties to late thirties.
The Moon Breakers didn't care for trivialities like age. All that mattered was power—the ability to prove one's usefulness.
Under normal circumstances, Azrael would've kept his distance, standing alone a few feet away from the crowd. But today, close proximity was required, and solitude was impossible.
'If I have to be near someone, it might as well be someone familiar,' he thought, and made his way toward Victor.
The man was easy to spot. With his towering frame, he stood out like a beacon among the other Chosen.
"Do you know which clans are coming?" Azrael asked, stepping up behind him. His interest wasn't in their presence—it was in their potential power.
He'd been told that if he challenged one of them to a duel and won, he'd be rewarded. He had no intention of missing out on that opportunity.
Victor shook his head. "Can't say I do. But considering this is a meeting between the two greatest schools, I'd expect them to send their best."
'Reasonable deduction,' Azrael agreed, his eyes narrowing as he stared at the gates he had passed through to join the Moon Breakers two months earlier.
Thankfully, they didn't have to wait long. The gates creaked open, allowing the newcomers to enter.
Graceful. Stunning. Powerful. That was the immediate impression they gave the gathered Marked. It was no surprise. The Elite School had paraded its Proven members from the very beginning.
Unlike the members of the Moon Breakers school, they all wore different types of attire—the most distinguishing feature being the color of their clothes. Most likely showing which clan they belonged to.
Azrael's eyes moved with swift precision, using [Inspect] on as many of them as he could.
What he found impressed him—some Proven had a higher Purity Rank than their Ascension Level.
'One…' His gaze locked onto a figure with the Purity Rank of Cleansed. 'If I can kill one of them, my Purity would instantly rise to the next rank.'
That was his ultimate goal. If he could pull it off, he'd also be able to safely evolve his Corruption Rank next. Luckily, after the first elimination ceremony, they had yet to be forced into another room with contained Rift, so his Corruption Rank was being kept in check. This, however, wasn't something that would continue indefinitely.
'Killing a member of the Elite School—especially one much stronger than me—would be a massive challenge. I won't chase it recklessly... but if the opportunity presents itself, I'm not letting it pass.'
After the Proven came the instructors of the Elite School. They didn't disappoint either. It was obvious they were on par with the Moon Breakers.
"Look, they're really here!"
"The angels have blessed us with their presence!"
"The living legends!"
At the end came the Marked—the ones yet to prove themselves by clearing a Rift. And to Azrael's surprise his group seemed most excited to see them. That puzzled him. Shouldn't they be indifferent toward others on their level? What could possibly be so special about them?
Following the collective gaze of awe, Azrael's eyes landed on two women dressed in crimson attire.
One was about a meter seventy tall (~5,6 feet), with snow-white eyes and hair, while the one next to her was a bit taller, blonde, with striking blue gem-like eyes radiating a presence that was hard to miss.
"What's so special about them?" he muttered, still puzzled.
Victor's gaze momentarily shifted to his companion. "I know you don't care about celebrities, but haven't you heard about them? They're kind of hard to miss."
Azrael shrugged. "I don't really care about things like fame, you know."
With sigh Victor explained. "Well, there's a good reason for their fame, I tell you. You see the one with white hair and eyes? If the rumors are true, she's blind, deaf, and mute. And yet she can sweep the floor with us without lifting a finger."
'What?' Azrael's eyes narrowed. This was a made up story, no doubt. There was no way a person could have that many disadvantages and still be stronger than them. Without hesitation, he used [Inspect].
Name: [Isolde Flameborn]
Race: [Human]
Ascension Level: [Marked]
Purity Rank: [Blessed]
'What the hell?' he cursed. Someone on par with their Ascension Level had a higher Purity Rank than them and to rub salt in the wound she was blind, deaf, and mute?
"How is this possible?" he muttered. Considering she was from the Elite School, he could understand if they had thrown injured monsters letting her have the final blow, allowing her to rank up—but to do so for a person with so many disadvantages? Either they had unlimited resources… or she had slain the monsters herself.
His brows furrowed as his gaze landed on the other one, who seemed to draw the attention of both men and women alike, thanks to her undeniable beauty.
Name: [Seraphina Flameborn]
Race: [Human]
Ascension Level: [Marked]
Purity Rank: [Cleansed]
'Cleansed?!' he choked at the discovery. She was not one, but two Purity Ranks higher than her Ascension Level—that was unheard of!
"I think I kind of get why they're so popular," he mused.
They were the impossible made possible, that coupled with their stunning looks—ones that made people turn their heads—made them perfect representations of mankind's future hope.
However, rather than awe, a dark glint appeared in his eyes. For Seraphina was still Marked. So in theory, no matter how much her Purity Rank of Cleansed elevated her, she wouldn't be able to fully utilize it.
She was perfect… the perfect target—strong, but not unreasonably so—for him to kill and rank up.
'It won't be easy,' his fist clenched. 'But it's going to be worth it…' he concluded.
*****
Walking among the gathered Chosen didn't faze her. Why should it? The amount of suffering she had endured was nothing compared to being stared at by others—whether those stares were filled with admiration, jealousy, envy, or something darker.
[Seraphina.]
Isolde's words echoed in her mind, making her pause briefly. Her companion usually didn't communicate with her telepathy unless something dire had happened.
[Yes?]
She replied silently after a momentary pause that no one else noticed.
[There is something wrong—a soul corrupted nearby.]
Seraphina's blue gem-like eyes darkened as her gaze drifted to the onlookers, scanning for any possible disturbance that could cause Isolde's strong reaction.
Eventually, her eyes landed on a man whose gaze was locked on her as well. He didn't seem to be one of the popular ones in their group, his position at the back suggested as much, but something about him felt off. It was faint, but he was radiating some kind of aura—threatening yet familiar.
Without hesitation, she used [Inspect].
Name: [Azrael]
Race: [Human]
Ascension Level: [Marked]
Purity Rank: [Chosen]
Corruption Rank: [Warped]
Her breath hitched for a moment before she returned to her normal composure and averted her gaze. She noted, almost absentmindedly, that the man had only one name, signaling that he had no family or clan affiliation.
'He has a Corruption Rank yet seems sane?'
Her expression darkened briefly. It seemed she had just spotted something interesting—something she needed to investigate.