Ranking exams 2

The sun was high now, casting long shadows across the courtyard garden. Then Riku felt a tap.

Riku turned.

"Hey," Daz said, flashing his usual lazy grin. "Knew I'd find you brooding under a tree. You good?"

Riku sat up straighter. "Yeah. Just... thinking."

Daz dropped onto the bench beside him. "So? What'd you think of the exam?"

Riku hesitated. "Some of it felt familiar. But honestly... I'm not that confident."

Daz clapped him on the back. "Man, don't sweat it. First exams are never about the content. They're just trying to weed out the real duds. You'll be fine."

Before Riku could respond, footsteps approached. Slow, steady. Elegant.

A girl appeared before them. She looked slightly older, maybe sixteen or seventeen, with long violet hair that shimmered in the sun and striking red eyes that held quiet power.

Daz stood up immediately and bowed low.

"Your Majesty." Daz said in kind of a casual and mocking manner.

The girl rolled her eyes, but there was warmth behind it. "Daz. I've told you before—here, we're all students. No titles."

Her gaze shifted to Riku. She studied him, calmly, curiously.

White hair. Blue eyes.

She tilted her head slightly.

Daz chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Right, sorry. Uh, this is Riku. Riku... uh..."

Daz looked a little embarrassed. "Well damn, I don't think you ever told me your last name."

"Ikari. Riku Ikari."

Daz nodded. "Cool. I'm Daz Whitehall. And this—" he turned toward the girl—"is Ivy Lucaris."

'Lucaris?'

Riku's chest tightened. That name—

Before he could ask, Daz leaned in slightly. "Yeah. That Lucaris. She's the great-great-granddaughter of Hane, the Sage Emperor."

Riku's mind raced.

Two brothers. Hane and Lucan. He was Lucan's great-great nephew. She was Hane's great-great granddaughter.

He didn't know the exact term, but they were blood. Distant cousins.

Ivy studied him a moment longer, then smirked.

"I just wanted to see Daz's mysterious new friend. And you looked... familiar."

Her smile softened. She extended a hand.

Riku hesitated, then took it.

"Welcome to the Academy, Riku Ikari."

And then, without another word, she turned and walked away, leaving the scent of lavender and legacy in her wake.

Daz let out a breath. "She's got that royalty aura, huh? But she's cool. Sharp as hell though."

Before Riku could answer, a deep gong rang out across the courtyard. A bell. Low and echoing.

"That's it," Daz said, standing. "Five hours are up. Results time."

All around them, students were rising from benches, walking out of shady corners and sunlit lawns, flowing like a current back toward the main hall.

Riku stood and followed.

Time to see who made the cut.

...

..

.

They returned to the great hall.

As always, Riku found himself seated near the far end of the front row.

Headmaster Varos stepped onto the raised platform at the front. His long navy robes trailed behind him like shadows. Tall, broad-shouldered, with a face carved by time and experience, he commanded the room effortlessly. The murmurs fell into silence as his deep voice echoed through the hall.

"Congratulations," he began, scanning the gathered students. "This year, the entrance exam was… more challenging than usual. I admit, even I would likely score only between ninety and ninety-five percent."

Gasps rippled through the crowd. A confession like that from Headmaster Varos was no small matter.

"If I say it was hard," the headmaster continued, "then you can imagine the level we demanded."

Tension rose like a fog. Some students glanced around nervously; others sat straighter, determined not to show doubt.

Varos paused for dramatic effect, then raised one hand slightly. "However… several of you did exceptionally well. A select twelve scored above eighty percent. These twelve will enter the final stage—duels to determine initial rankings."

The hall stirred again, voices rising in curiosity and speculation.

"No one scored exactly eighty," Varos clarified. "All twelve students exceeded that mark. And I should emphasize: all twelve scored ninety and above."

This time, the gasps were louder, more shocked.

Riku's chest tightened. He kept his eyes forward, trying to remain calm. His pulse beat hard in his ears. Ninety? Was he among them?

Headmaster Varos continued.

"At ninety percent: Shun Hang."

A short burst of applause followed. Riku caught a murmur near him—someone whispered that it was expected.

"Ninety percent as well: Yana Reed."

The reaction was louder this time, as more students seemed to recognize her name. Clearly another student of renown.

"At ninety-one percent: Yohara Saret."

Another wave of clapping, mixed with whispers and nods. Each name made the air in Riku's lungs feel heavier.

"Four-way tie at ninety-three percent: Fen Poul. Ascot Nover. Lin Rose. Yumo Rose."

A wave of surprised shouts echoed through the hall.

"The twins!" someone exclaimed behind him.

"Yes," the headmaster said, a knowing glint in his eye. "The Rose twins make their entrance. With style."

Riku's spine stiffened as the names climbed higher.

"At ninety-five percent: Shane Willow."

Applause again, but now more reserved. The room had grown tenser. Riku could feel it—not just around him, but in his own skin. He knew that every percentage from this point now on was genius territory.

"Next," Varos said, smiling slightly, "at ninety-six percent: Juni Minase."

Cheers erupted. Riku's mouth had gone dry.

"Now then," the headmaster said, his voice growing quieter, more intense. "No one scored ninety-seven or ninety-eight."

The silence was instant. Not a cough. Not a shuffle. Only stillness.

Varos's eyes swept the room like a hawk scanning the horizon.

"Tied at ninety-nine percent…"

A pause.

"…Daz Whitehall."

Loud gasps. Several people turned toward Daz, who sat a few seats down from Riku, arms folded with an easy smile, as if it were all just a game to him.

"…and Riku Ikari."

The room broke into shocked murmurs.

"Who?"

"Did he say Ikari?"

"Never heard of him!"

"Where did he even come from?"

Riku barely registered the buzz. His ears rang with disbelief. Ninety-nine percent. Just one point from perfect. How?

And then:

"At one hundred percent…"

The crowd leaned in. Everyone already seemed to know.

"Ivy Lucaris."

The hall erupted in cheers, applause thundering like waves crashing against cliffs. Her name rang like a bell. Ivy stood gracefully from her seat—modest, elegant, offering only a soft nod as she accepted the recognition.

It was clear the result had been expected. But even so, her presence had a magnetic weight that drew all eyes.

The applause faded, and Varos raised a hand once more.

"All twelve of you," he said, "will board the carriages waiting outside. Head to the last one in the line. You're not just students now. You're contenders. Your journey to the top begins here."

The students stirred like a tide rolling outward. Voices mingled—surprise, speculation, excitement. The names were already spreading like wildfire, comparisons being made, alliances forming, rivalries sparked.

Riku stood on unsteady legs, still processing. Daz clapped him on the shoulder.

"Dude," he said, half-laughing, "You scored the same as me. What the hell were you even worried about?"

"I… I don't know," Riku admitted. "I didn't think—"

"Don't think," Daz grinned. "Just accept you're a genius and let's get moving before they leave us."

They exited the hall into the bright sun. The courtyard was now lined with sleek black carriages—each as long as a modern-day bus.

The twelve students approached the final carriage, where an instructor checked names and waved them aboard.

Riku sat beside Daz. Across from him, Ivy Lucaris leaned back with the quiet confidence of someone used to winning. Her eyes briefly met his—curious again, but also... respectful.

"Guess we're on the same track now," she said softly.

Riku nodded. "Yeah. Looks like it."

One by one, the other top students filed in. Riku then realised that the students from the lounge yesterday were all here unfortunately he still didn't know who was who, except for the twins. But still he didn't know which was Yumo and which was Lin.

The carriage began to move. The ranking trials were far from over. They were just beginning.