Demonstration!

Shanny's silent masterpiece

Gasps and murmurs rippled through the Capital One Arena like a rolling tide. All eyes were fixed on the shattered remains of Aether's second mechanism. What had just happened was deceptively subtle — too subtle for most to catch.

"How… did the panther get there so fast?"

"It didn't even look like it was moving…"

"Was that really her speciality? Or just some clever trick?"

Even Aether stood quietly for a moment, eyes narrowed, feeling the faint tremble of mana that still lingered in the air. Then his lips curved into a small, knowing smirk.

So that's what it was.

Inside his mind, gears clicked as he reconstructed the scene.

The water barrier wasn't just a distraction — it was carving micro-grooves into the mechanism's defenses, shaving away layer after layer right at the same vulnerable point. By the time her panther leapt in, the construct's core was already compromised. The slightest force would have collapsed it.

Then he huffed a soft, amused breath.

And that's why it crumbled into dust from just a single strike. Clever… if you're not paying attention, it looks like all the panther did was jump in out of nowhere for the finishing blow. No wonder the crowd can't figure it out.

All around him, students were making wild guesses.

"It has to be her least speciality, right? The panther did everything — she just made a barrier that looked fancy."

Someone else shook their head fervently. "No way! Didn't you see how the mechanism broke down? It was way too clean. That had to be her speciality… we just missed how."

Meanwhile, up in the stands, Olivia clutched the railing, eyes sparkling with confusion and awe. Lucas beside her watched stone-faced, arms folded, looking as though he'd chew through the rail if left alone any longer.

The vice president's playful cruelty

Shanny, with her panther sleekly winding around her legs, turned back to face the crowd. Her turquoise eyes danced with mischief.

"So?" she called out, smiling sweetly. "Did anyone figure it out? Was that my speciality, or wasn't it?"

Dozens of students groaned. A few actually slumped over dramatically on the railing.

"Just tell us already!"

"Vice President, don't keep us in suspense!"

She pressed a finger to her lips, giggling. "Sorry… I can't reveal that. You'll have to keep guessing."

As she strolled back to her place among the other chosen ones, the arena exploded with mixed reactions — some playful boos, some laughs, and even more whispered theories. Aether watched it all with a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.

She really knows how to handle a crowd. Keeps her secrets safe and still leaves them wanting more.

Aether's quiet deduction

But Aether didn't need to wonder. He tilted his head, counting under his breath, then nodded to himself.

Luke took five seconds to obliterate my mechanism, using what he called his least speciality. Shanny took three. If she hadn't used her true speciality, it would've taken longer, not less — simple as that.

A self-satisfied grin spread across his face. So it was her speciality. Pretty sure only she and I figured that out. Well…

Suddenly his ears twitched. Nearby, a gentle voice, clear as a silver bell, drifted over.

"It took her three seconds. That means it was her speciality. Whoever crafted these mechanisms must be at least a year four or five to stand up to that at all."

Aether's eyes darted sideways. Down near the arena edge stood a figure half-shrouded by shadows — a young woman with an almost ethereal calm. Before he could study her face, someone approached and whispered, "Miss, we should be going." With a nod, she turned and disappeared into the milling crowd.

Aether blinked.

Huh. Guess I wasn't the only one after all. Looks like someone else interesting is about to step onto the stage of this academy…

The next exhibitions

Once the chatter settled, the third chosen one — Esdeath — stepped forward, her long white coat rippling behind her. Her mana beast padded at her side: a graceful fox with silver markings that practically glowed.

Everyone tilted forward, whispering eagerly.

"Her mana beast's speciality is healing, right? How's she going to break something with that?"

But instead of channeling her magic into her fox, Esdeath knelt and let her familiar rest its paws on her shoulders. A soft emerald glow pulsed outward — and in an instant, Esdeath's mana surged so sharply the air actually buzzed. Her eyes snapped open, blazing with liquid green runes.

"Whoa… the familiar gave her mana?" someone gasped.

"Like a buff! That's incredible."

With her power multiplied, Esdeath traced an intricate spell circle in the air. A lance of compressed wind shot out, striking Aether's mechanism dead center. It buckled, groaned, and then exploded outward in a violent burst.

"See?" another student said breathlessly. "Familiars can empower their partners too — not just the other way around."

Celestia's breathtaking void

The fourth to demonstrate — or rather the eighth chosen one in the lineup — was Celestia. Her mana beast was a delicate deer-like creature with swirling black antlers that cracked the very air around them.

Excitement surged through the stands.

"It's teleportation, right? Her mana beast can create void gates!"

They weren't disappointed. Tiny pockets of darkness began to blossom around the next mechanism, like droplets of ink on paper. Celestia lifted her staff, eyes shimmering, and released a narrow beam of concentrated starlight.

It vanished into a void before her — only to explode out of another rift directly beside the mechanism, striking it at blistering speed.

"WOAH! It's faster when it comes out the other side!" someone shouted.

Three quick shots — three bursts from three different voids — and the mechanism finally caved in, collapsing with an almost delicate crash.

The final display of brutal force

At last came Kong and Jason, the ninth and tenth chosen. They stepped forward together, both towering figures clad in heavy gauntlets. Their mana beasts — massive boar-like creatures with stone-crusted hides — snorted and pawed the ground.

"These guys are the tanks of year five…" someone whispered, nearly trembling.

The ground cracked as their familiars stomped forward. With coordinated precision, Kong and Jason slammed their palms into the arena floor. Earth magic rippled out like a tidal wave, forming gigantic stone hands that clamped down on Aether's final mechanism.

Then they squeezed.

Metal shrieked and folded under monstrous pressure, crushing inward until the construct quite literally burst apart. The ground itself seemed to recoil with a dull boom.

A chill ran through many watching.

"Imagine if that was you inside," a pale-faced boy muttered. "You'd be paste."

Aftermath — ideas and schemes

And so, one by one, every single chosen one had demonstrated their overwhelming power. Each mechanism Aether had so carefully forged now lay in ruin — smashed, ripped apart, or simply vaporized.

But standing there with his arms folded, Aether didn't look angry. In fact, his eyes gleamed with a spark that hadn't been there before.

So many new angles… so many ways to reinforce the cores, re-route the mana lines, maybe integrate a multi-layer countermeasure against pinpoint strikes…

His mind was already racing ahead, sketching out improvements.

Meanwhile, across the arena, Luke was basking in the glow of admiration. His plan had worked flawlessly. The younger students — and even many of the staff — now whispered in awe of the chosen ones, with Luke at their head. If anyone had come hoping to be dazzled by Aether's famed constructs, they'd left with the image of them getting systematically obliterated instead.

Exactly as I wanted, Luke thought, a satisfied glint in his eye. Now let's see if that earns me the dean's full attention — and finally pushes that little interloper out of my way.