Ranking System

[Eryn POV]

"What do you mean that our sponsors want results? Our school is already the best of the best! Most of the top rankers are students of our academy from the past."

Listening to the director, my head started to hurt. With the recent invaders, our sponsors want to improve the younger generation's strength quickly.

"While the academy is doing good, we've to do better. What all of us want is an elite group worth grooming."

"We can't relocate all the resources to students who don't perform. That's why the sponsors and I will change our academy."

I sighed, listening to the director. Knowing him, he won't change his mind once he puts his thought into it.

"Then what do you suggest we do?"

Since there was no arguing with him, all I could do was go with his plan. Talking back to your superiors is someone no one would ever do.

"We'll create a new ranking system that isn't concerned about the overall ranking."

Doesn't that defeat the purpose of the ranking system? Our academy prides itself on having students of a higher overall ranking.

"Our ranking system will be based on competence. We don't need rubbish to take up the spots in the ranking board."

"In a few days, we'll do a reexamination. For this examination, we'll test all of the student's capabilities."

"We'll reward the top twenty percent of students while expelling five percent."

"Five percent isn't that too much? What will the parents of the student say?"

"Why would we need their opinion? If they aren't performing well, then that's on them. They can't do anything to us."

He wasn't wrong, but their complaints will go to my ears. Why is this job so hard? I need a vacation.

"Then what'll we be doing for these tests?"

The most common one would be a battle, but I doubt that's all the sponsors want.

~

Thinking back about what the director said, I can't help but hope that the new items implemented will be a bright idea.

The students for today will be engaged in a fight against a projection of a monster that will be the same strength as them.

This is the best way for students to improve and to see if they have any talent to fight. If they can't beat a challenge like this, then I can hope that they have talents somewhere else.

As the academy's principal, seeing how well most of the students are doing couldn't help but make me proud. About eighty percent of them had passed.

Looking at one of the students, I could instantly recognize him. Charles Anderson. His rank couldn't help but be a surprise to me.

Wasn't he on the thousandth rank when he joined the academy a week ago? He is now ranked 395 and would get under the hundredth rank in no time.

His fight was about to start, and I couldn't help but wonder what monster he would face. The monster he will fight wouldn't destroy the dimension, right?

What Charles was matched against was a zombified dragon. The thought of Charles sending an undead monster to hell was a sight.

But instead of Charles doing that, something else happened. Instead, the zombie dragon started to decay, and the rotting body started to come off.

Turning into a skeleton dragon, the dragon screeched loudly, and the bones around it started to fall off.

Without doing anything, Charles won the fight. Wasn't Charles skill summoning? But seeing how he defeated the monster, it was something else.

I wonder what his skill is. His powers are a mystery for someone being first in the ranking regarding the skill.

Brave Academy hopes that talented people like Charles will become stronger. That is what our sponsors and academy are striving for.

~

[Charles POV]

Seeing a zombie dragon for the first time is an exciting experience. The aura from this thing wasn't a joke.

I would've been destroyed if I had seriously fought this thing. I then used my skill, Target Of Misfortune, instead of sending the monster to hell.

The dragon's magic malfunctioned, and with that, the monster killed itself. With me defeating the dragon instantly, my ranking should be at least first.

Coming back from practicing on my test subject, I could see everyone looking at me. They didn't know how I defeated the monster, but with how quickly I did it, some of them couldn't believe their eyes.

Everyone who saw my battle was commenting about it. Sometimes being too good would cause me too much attention. Finding my way back to my

"Reina, Nene, Montgomery, how did you like my performance?"

I boasted, making all three of them smile. Nene clapped and couldn't help but be amazed at how I easily defeated a strong monster.

Reina and Montgomery were more composed, seeing that I won easily. Now that I had finished my exam, it was Reina's turn. But who knows how long it would take for her to start.

Snacking on food and watching everyone fight was an excellent time to pass. One person who I had watched particularly interested me.

A girl by the name of Kate Davila had impressive skills. Her skill allows her to command any living thing.

It was scary if appropriately used. It was a skill that would warrant a lot of fear. Being able to control one body without permission is a scary thing.

For me, this kind of match-up was even. If I cursed her first, I would win. But if she could control me first, I'll lose.

"Nene. Let's buy an artifact that won't have some people affect our mind."

"Yes, Master~!"

Watching some of these fights made me realize how many skills there are. Some skills would threaten me, while most would be harmless.

After watching a lot of fights, it was finally Reina's turn.

"Good luck."

"Don't need it. I know I'm going to win."

Reina smiled confidently and walked toward the stage, and the battle for her was about to begin.