Chapter 4: S Rank
Azrael watched calmly as Jane put her hand on the ball. If it had been a few years ago, then maybe Azrael would have nodded to Jane in support, or maybe even given her a few words, but Azrael and Jane were no longer as close as they used to be as children. The foolish naivete that they had when they were still young had been bled away by reality, and it was now obvious that they were both living in very different worlds.
Jane refused to close her eyes as the globe lit up with a white light, and the silence in the room was so deafening that you could have heard a pin drop at that moment.
The light dimmed, and the speaker announced:
[S Rank]!
"WOOOOOOAAAHHH!!"
The children all cheered in shock from hearing the first S Rank announcement in years! They couldn't believe that Jane was able to get an S rank! It was insane!
"I knew she would have high potential, but this is insane!"
"S Rank!? We haven't seen that in more than two years!"
"Look at her, she doesn't even look happy about it!"
"That's one of the Kings for you! They're always calm!"
"I bet Sunny is going to have an S rank as well! I'm sure of it!"
The students started to chat loudly once they heard what Jane's Divine Potential was, and the teachers tried their best to calm the students down, even though the teachers were also very impressed by what they had heard.
Jane looked as unaffected as ever as she turned to start leaving the stage, but Azrael noticed the way Jane's shoulders seemed less tense, with her steps being more certain now. It was a sign that she was relieved that she hadn't let down the people who put all their expectations on her.
Francesca came forward again and continued to call names for the students to put their hands on the globe. Most of the students that were called up landed somewhere between B to D ranks, with a few very unlucky ones ending up with an E rank. The chances of a student getting an F rank were very low, and out of the hundred students that Francesca had called, only one unlucky girl who had a blessing from Poseidon ended up with an F rank. The girl cried her way off the stage.
The vice-headmistress continued calling the names until she got to another name that sent a ripple of shock through the crowd.
"Alaster Maddison."
All the students turned to look at a girl who had been standing alone in the line. She had dark hair and a permanent scowl on her face, with narrowed grey eyes that glared at everyone around her before she started to head up to the stage. Maddison was dressed in the same uniform as everyone else, but she had loosened her tie, and there were white streaks highlighting her black hair. Maddison was one of those who was blessed by Hades, the god of the underworld, and as one of the demigods under a god of darkness, she faced ostracization and scorn just like Azrael.
Maddison put her hand on the globe nonchalantly and waited for it to read her potential.
"Hope she doesn't get a high potential."
"Imagine what a child of Hades with a B rank potential could do. She'll be a fucking menace."
"She even dressed like a delinquent. I bet she'll be a criminal before the year is over."
The crowd voiced their opinions very loudly without bothering if she could hear them or not, and Maddison did her best to tune them out as she waited for the speaker to announce her Divine Potential.
A few seconds later, the light in the globe dimmed and the speaker at the side spoke:
[A Rank]!
Gasps echoed through the room in shock, and even Maddison looked shocked as she realized how high her potential was! With a potential like this, she could become one of the most powerful demigods in the world! Maddison felt a smile spreading on her face, but she had to kill the smile quickly to prevent people from seeing it. If the crowd saw her smiling, then things would only get more difficult for her.
Maddison left the stage amidst the constant whispers and side glances from those in the crowd, and Francesca continued calling the names without showing any reaction to what happened with Maddison.
"Sunny Gaye."
The crowd applauded once more as the name of another of the Kings was called, and Azrael watched as a white-haired boy walked up the stage. Sunny was a very handsome boy with a tall, sturdy figure and bright green eyes that could make any girl swoon for him! He was a demigod blessed by Ares, the god of War, and amongst all the Kings in their year, he was regarded as the strongest in terms of battle power. Sunny smiled as he turned and gave a wave to the crowd, and he laughed sheepishly when Francesca called his name in irritation and told him to get moving!
Azrael noticed that Sunny did not feel any nervousness at all, even with the intense tension that was gripping most of the students in the room. It was almost like he was certain of what rank he would get, and he didn't need to worry about it!
Sunny put his hand on the globe gently, and the light lit up before dimming out and announcing:
[S Rank]!
"WOOOAAAHHH!!!"
Another loud shout came from the students in the crowd as they all cheered loudly! Seeing one S rank in their year was already impressive, but for them to see two of them in the same year was simply unheard of! This had to be some sort of record!
"I love you, Sunny!"
"Sunny, you're so handsome! You're amazing!"
"Oh my god, he looked at me! Sunny looked at me!"
The girls in the crowd were going absolutely mad from excitement as they applauded Sunny loudly! The boys were also clapping, but they weren't as excited as the girls! Sunny just smiled and waved like a celebrity who was already used to the crowds praising him! Sunny expected them to praise him for how amazing he was!
"Please leave the stage immediately!"
The stern voice of Francesca startled Sunny, and Sunny turned around to see Francesca frowning at him. Francesca narrowed her eyes in annoyance as Sunny bowed to her in apology, and Sunny realized that he was pushing it too far and immediately started to make his way down from the stage!
Francesca went back to calling the names of students, and Azrael allowed his attention to shift away from the gathering as he turned to look at one of the students who had been glancing at him all this while. The student was standing with a group of boys who all seemed to be laughing at something funny, and the boy was giving Azrael a condescending look that made Azrael's face twist into a frown.
This boy was named Francis, and he was the typical school bully. As one of the three Kings, Francis had everything that he could ask for in school. He had a ton of lackeys around him, the teachers loved him, and he also had a girlfriend that he wouldn't shut up about no matter how much time passed!
But the thing Francis loved to do the most was pick on Azrael. It was simple things like making sure Azrael couldn't use the training room because his lackeys were using all the tools or telling all the groups in the team exercise not to pick Azrael until the very last moment so that Azrael would be left standing in the sun for longer.
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A/N: I remember a time when I didn't leave a comment in a novel I was reading and the author took my usernmane and made it into a one chapter villian in the story that was killed in the most idiotic way possible... Please, leave a comment.