The remaining members of the Drakon clan showed remarkable results, and then it was the Aether clan's turn. They achieved similar outcomes to the other clans, but one girl stood out in particular.
She was Lyra Aether, a 15-year-old girl with short brown hair, brown eyes, and a petite frame. What caught everyone's attention was that she spent more than a minute cleaning the stone before touching it. When she finally did, she awakened a spirit with a unique name and a high-positive potential. However, since she was the granddaughter of the oldest Sinner, who was also the head of the Aether clan, no one expected anything less.
After the Aether clan, the next person called caught everyone's attention, especially Axel's. It was Aria Luxoria.
She walked onto the stage confidently. Having grown up within the government, she was familiar with each person present, and she greeted them all respectfully before approaching the stone and placing her hands on it.
For the second time that day, the carvings shone with a blinding light, and the weapon that materialized could only be described as unusual: a gunblade. It had a medium-length blade with a revolver integrated into it, and the hilt was decorated with two phoenixes—one fiery red and the other electric purple.
"Unique name: From The Ash. Growth grade: exceptional-neutral. Congratulations, Aria," Lady Emily said with a smile.
A mix of surprise and shock could be felt in every corner of the room. For the first time in a single generation, two people had achieved exceptional grades, and one of them was even exceptional-neutral.
Unlike the others, Axel showed little reaction. First, because he didn't fully understand the fuss about potential, and second, because his only interest there was Aria.
"I'm sure your parents would be proud of you," said Marcus, giving Aria the signal to return to her seat as she continued to caress her weapon.
Next was the Seraphim clan's turn, but after Aria's surprise, it was hard to evaluate the following results normally. Still, several individuals stood out, like a pair of opposite-gender twins who both received high-neutral grade spiritual weapons and a stunningly beautiful girl who received a high-positive grade one.
Finally, it was the turn of the last member of the Seraphim clan: Lucas Seraphim. He was 17, with black hair and gray eyes, and had the kind of face that could easily make girls fall in love. As he walked onto the stage, there were traces of anxiety in his expression, but he maintained the composure expected of a clan member, even though he technically wasn't one.
Lucas was an orphan adopted by Gabriel Seraphim, the current head of the Seraphim clan and the youngest person ever to reach SSS rank at just 35 years old. Lucas had shown talent from a young age, but years had passed without him awakening as a Sinner, but that year he finally did it.
Climbing onto the stage, he respectfully greeted those already present. Then, after a deep breath, he placed his hands on the stone, and almost instantly, a golden light filled the room, blinding everyone.
As the light faded, a magnificent two-handed sword appeared in Lucas's hands. It had golden engravings on both the blade and the guard, a deep blue hilt, and a pommel shaped like a roaring lion.
Emily quickly gave her evaluation.
"Unique name: Lionheart. Growth grade: exceptional... e-exceptional-positive."
Silence fell over the room. What did it mean to have an exceptional-positive growth grade?
Unlike the usual ranks, the Z grade was a realm that only one person had ever reached—long, long ago. Since then, some had achieved growth grades ranging from exceptional-negative to exceptional-neutral, but none had ever reached Z. With Lucas, however, the situation had changed.
With the right opportunities and enough time, Earth might finally have its next Z-grade.
As that realization spread, the room exploded with joy and excitement. Everyone cheered at the top of their lungs. Even the other clans applauded, everyone except the Drakon clan, who refused out of pride.
"You may sit down, boy. You now carry a great weight on your shoulders, don't forget it," said Kaelan's hologram to Lucas.
"I won't!" Lucas replied, his eyes shining with determination, but also with the joy typical of someone his age.
"Good. Now that everyone—"
"Wait, President. There's one person left," Marcus said with a complicated expression.
"Hm?"
Kaelan's hologram checked the student list on his terminal—and indeed, one name was missing. As he read the information, even his expression turned complicated.
Even though what Cain said was offensive, it wasn't too far from the truth. The Government had their citizens go through the ceremony first, so they wouldn't feel the gap between themselves and the clan members. That's why they would have preferred to end the event with Lucas's display. Unfortunately, rules were rules, and everyone had to go through their ceremony there.
Meanwhile, the various students in the hall chatted among themselves, finding it odd that the people on stage had been whispering for a while. Then, on the monitor that everyone thought had been turned off, another person's profile suddenly appeared.
Many turned to look at the boy walking toward the stage. He had fairly long white hair that partially covered his bright red eyes, and he was so short that it was hard to believe he was fifteen.
From his profile, they could see that his name was simply Axel and that he was fifteen years old. But when they read his place of origin, Quarantine Zone N-, their blood ran cold. One person in particular, Lyra Aether, shouted out in outrage.
"What's the meaning of this?!"
"What are you referring to, Miss Lyra?" Marcus asked, sounding unaware.
"Don't play dumb! Why is that biological bomb here?!" she shouted angrily, pointing at Axel, who had just stepped onto the stage.
The others quickly joined her, yelling for him to be removed immediately.
Some humans had adapted to spiritual energy, but others had a negative reaction, developing a disease known as 0oN. The name came from the fact that those who developed it had zero or no chance of survival.
Even after years of research, a cure had not been found, especially since the disease's effects varied. Some went mad and ended up taking their own lives, others slowly lost their life energy, and others mutated biologically. The second major problem was that the disease was highly contagious, even to those who had adapted. That's why the quarantine zones were established.
These zones were placed on islands several kilometers away from the continent to avoid any risk. People were gathered there to study the disease more closely, but in truth, it was simply a prison to stop the infected from interacting with the healthy. Quarantine Zone N-1, in particular, was also where death-row prisoners were sent.
"SILENCE!" Marcus's thundering voice silenced everyone at once.
"Do you think we're fools or idiots? Before coming here, Mr. Axel underwent several tests and was declared healthy. Also, Miss Lyra, you seem to forget that 0oN cannot form or be transmitted to those who become Sinners. Therefore, Mr. Axel has every right and duty to awaken his spiritual weapon, and I will not accept any more objections. Is that clear?"
Marcus's stern tone stopped anyone from speaking further. Even though Lyra still wanted to protest, one of her companions shook her head, making her give up and sit down. The whole time, though, she stared at Axel with disgust while rubbing antibacterial cream on her hands.
"Sorry for the delay. It's your turn now, young man," President Kaelan said apologetically.
"It's a strange feeling, being popular," Axel replied.
Kaelan laughed, thinking he was joking, but seeing Axel's neutral expression, he had to wonder if he wasn't.
With no more distractions, Axel walked up to the stone. After glancing at it curiously a few times, he placed his hands on it. Immediately, a shock ran through his entire body, and as if by magic, he could feel something inside him calling out.
The stone lit up with a blinding dark red light, taking everyone by surprise. Axel's hands and forearms were suddenly wrapped in black armor with red decorations that ended in clawed fingers.
'How strange.'
Axel looked at the armored gloves with interest, moving his fingers and clenching his hands a few times. He didn't feel any discomfort. It was as if the gloves had merged with his body.
Recovering from the surprise, Emily Windsong immediately stepped forward to evaluate Axel's spiritual weapon, eager to satisfy the curiosity shared by everyone after what had just happened.
"Let's see... unique name: Blood Fiend!"
Gasps of surprise escaped from the mouths of all the students. He was the only person without clan ties to possess a spiritual weapon with a unique name. But the real shock came next.
"Growth grade..." Emily's voice suddenly stopped as she looked back and forth between Axel and his gloves as if none of it made sense.
"Is something wrong, Miss Emily? What's its growth rank?" Marcus asked.
"Lower-Negative."
A heavy, awkward silence fell over the room as if everyone had just misunderstood what they'd heard.
"...I don't doubt your assessment, Miss Emily, but are you sure? It has a unique name," said Kaelan, confused.
"He does have a unique name, yes, but his growth rating is lower-negative... you could say it's a first in history."
Emily tried to soften the matter by presenting it as a new historical event, only managing to make things worse.
"HAHAHAH! N-No, I can't take it. More than a historical event, it feels like throwing a gold bar into a pile of crap! HAHAHAH!"
Cain's body shook with uncontrollable laughter, tears streaming down his cheeks as he tried to catch his breath. Every time he attempted to stop, one glance at the ridiculous situation set off another wave of laughter, wiping away the foul mood caused by his cousin.
Maybe because someone had started it, but gradually the others began laughing too. After all, it really was a pitiful situation.
"...You may return to your seat, Mr. Axel," Marcus sighed.
"Hm? Oh, alright."
Axel, who had been lost in thought while staring at his spirit weapon, looked around in confusion, wondering why everyone was laughing. But thinking about it, he didn't really care and returned to his seat, even though the people nearby immediately stepped away from him.
"Ahem. Now that everyone has awakened their weapon, here's what will happen. To make instruction easier, you'll be divided into twenty classes of fifty students each. The people here beside me will be responsible for each class. During this time, you will be evaluated, and based on your final rank, you will receive resources essential for surviving in the Inverted World. I wish you all good luck, and may you become the guides of humanity's future."
After a deep bow, the hologram of President Kaelan disappeared, and Marcus continued the announcement.
"The classes will be determined by the system, and you will find out which class you're in once you enter your dormitory room. There, you will find a holographic bracelet that each of you must wear. It will identify you and show your assigned class. I must go now, but we'll see each other again soon."
With those words, Principal Marcus's hologram vanished as well, and under everyone's gaze, the stage began to open. From the floor, a strange platform rose.
"Students from this row to this one, please stand and step onto the teleportation platform. We will now head to the academy," said one of the teachers.
Obeying his instructions, the students stood up and moved toward the platform. Once the machine was activated, their figures blurred for a moment before disappearing completely.
Slowly, the entire hall emptied, and finally, it was Axel's group's turn. Just like the others, one moment they were there—and the next, they found themselves outdoors in a completely different place.
It took Axel a few seconds to recover from the teleportation, and then he began to look around, curious.
As Axel and the others arrived outdoors, they were greeted by the vast campus of New Hope Academy. Towering buildings stretched across the horizon, their sleek surfaces reflecting the sunlight. The sea breeze could be felt clearly, as the academy was located on a well-protected island, guarded 24 hours a day.
At the heart of the academy stood the main tower, dominating the surrounding landscape. It housed the main classrooms, administrative offices, and the central library.
"For the rest of the day, you'll be free to explore and get used to your spiritual weapons. But first, I'll guide you to the dormitories so you can collect your holographic bracelet," said the teacher who was with them.
Once they arrived at the dorms, Axel found himself in a large, bright atrium, with white walls and minimalist yet elegant furnishings. A hologram on the ceiling projected a starry sky, creating a calming atmosphere. A staff member welcomed them and led them to a series of terminals, where they could see their assigned rooms. Axel's was the last one on the third floor.
When he got there, he was more than pleased with his new accommodation. The room was spacious and well-furnished, with a comfortable bed, a desk, a wardrobe, and a large window offering a breathtaking view of the academy. On the table beside the bed was a welcome package with a bracelet, which he put on, as it contained all the necessary information.
"I think I could get used to living here… but how does this thing even work?"