Aina looked down toward the kneeling Rafthin then toward Leonel. By now, wouldn't Leonel have done something? So why was he just standing there holding back a laugh?
In these last couple years, Aina had gotten better at controlling her coercion to the point that it no longer leaked without her direction. So, that sort of primal desire everyone had when they looked at her was no longer there.
Unfortunately, there was only so much she could do aside from this. Even if she covered her face, the annoyances would come. She hadn't had to deal with such things in the last two years, but it seemed that she would have to get used to it now.
That said, there was quite a simple answer to all of this.
Aina's hand flashed to the side and caught Leonel's arms, subtly pinching his skin as though blaming him for not doing something.
Rafthin's expression froze, his mouth half open as he had been prepared to give another long spiel.
His head slowly turned toward Leonel, but all he received in return for his glare was a shrug and an almost sheepish smile.
"Better luck next time."
In the distance, the Head of Rusted Blade's expression darkened. Rafthin was truly not a bad student, but his understanding of timing and place had always been off.
Had he done this after the first round, there wouldn't have been an issue. But, to be embarrassed in such a fashion before it even began would only dampen the mood of the others even more.
'At least maybe now he'll actually take this seriously. How ridiculous.'
Rafthin rose from his knee, patting it until it was free of dust. Without a word, as though nothing had happened, he strolled off into the distance.
"Emna! My beautiful future wife!"
Leonel really didn't know what to say to this… But, as the saying went, you missed 100% of the shots you didn't take. It seemed that Rafthin had taken this philosophy to heart.
Leonel swept a gaze over Emna. She was a beauty with overly pale skin and short cut black hair. All over her body, sheathed daggers could be found. Just from a cursory glance, Leonel was able to pick out over a dozen tied to her small frame. It was obvious that there were many more in some definitely less than obvious places.
Of course, Leonel hadn't looked toward her to compare her to Aina. Rather, Emna should be the name of the Head Student of Crimson Hall.
With another sweep of his gaze, Leonel managed to pick out Wissan who should be the Head Student of Misty Woods. He was quite an obscure and lowkey character. A bit chubby and even wearing glasses. He was definitely not the first look one would have in mind for a Head Student.
However, Leonel was still able to pick him out based on his strength and the subtle atmosphere of those in his immediate surroundings.
'I guess that's enough reconnaissance. About time this starts, right?'
"Be careful."
Leonel paused mid movement, looking back toward Aina with a raised eyebrow. She wouldn't usually say such a thing when he was clearly up against inferior competition. Yet, she had said it anyway.
He looked into her eyes and nodded, a light smile spreading across his face.
At that moment, the elders moved. One of the mysterious four from Valiant Hall along with three others, one from each of the Organizations, dashed forward, sprinting along the waving pillars as though it was flat ground before disappearing into the distance.
The youths remained jostling for position, waiting for the elders to reach the target destination just over ten kilometers away.
Anxiety filled the hearts of the Valiant Hall students. It felt as though they were surrounded from all sides by hordes of enemies, nearly outnumber ten to one.
It was then that Leonel slowly strolled into the backline, not even attempting to push for a frontline position like the others. Looking off to the side, he made eye contact with Aphestus.
Aphestus' glance was quite placid. But, when he noticed that Leonel looked toward his twin daggers again and shook his head, he felt a spark of rage that he immediately calmed.
'He's not the enemy right now. There are bigger fish to fry.'
Aphestus looked away, a bestial aura wafting out from his body. His limbs seemed to lengthen, his pupils turning into slits.
Leonel raised an eyebrow. 'Hoho, how mature of you.'
Leonel smiled more brightly. If they all accepted that their enemy wasn't each other, then this would be easy.
'Since you've made such a smart decision, I don't mind helping all of you pass.'
Leonel's palm flipped over, causing a jet black spear to appear. Chains hung all over its dark body, whipping about as the harsh winds lashed against it.
"BEGIN!"
A booming voice came from the Rusted Blade Head. But, before anyone could react, a massive pair of white gold wings appeared to Leonel's back.
As though a leaf blowing in the wind, Leonel, who had been behind them all, shot past the entire group, his foot landing on the first pillar before anyone had even stepped off of the roof.
Leonel's body waved about, swaying from side to side along with a narrow pillar. His face was the picture of calm and composure.
For some reason, even without him saying a word, those at the very front came to a grinding halt, their rising feet freezing mid air before they could even take a step forward.
An eerie silence filled by the sounds of howling winds filled the space, leaving many at a loss for what to do.
There were easily hundreds of other pillars to jump to, all of which could be used to wrap around Leonel, so why did it feel like no matter which one they picked… it would be a death sentence?
"Alright everyone, we're going to have a very simple exercise." Leonel smiled lightly. "The game is pretty simple, even a toddler could follow the rules, I promise.
"If you're from Valiant Heart Mountain, it's safe sailing ahead.
"If you're not from Valiant Heart Mountain, it's not.
"Simple enough, right?"