Lined up before the magnificent Academy, a total of 5,000 Chosen Challengers stood with proud smiles on their faces.
At the front stood an imposing woman, flanked by the Academy's Professors.
Strands of the woman's pink hair peeked out from under her large, old brown hat—the type traditionally worn by Wizards before they were referred to as Mages.
She was the one who shouldered the title of Principal of the Academy, Laurence Manavona.
Rumors said she's reached the age of 300th when these students haven't even been able to walk on their two legs. But rumors remained as mere rumors. No one believes such a ridiculous thing. Laurence, after all, was a Human.
Just by looking at her spotless, pinkish skin, anyone could see how youthful the Principal was. There's still a boundless vigor hidden beneath her appearance, which could only be found inside the youths.
But as the saying goes, "There's no affairs without exception," Laurence was considered an exception to the aging rule. Only the Vice Principal, Monica, and a small number of people know about the fact.
Laurence's eyes fixed on the students' faces, gauging their expressions. Some looked excited, while others worried, with several individuals who had that confident smile on their faces mingling among them.
After some time of silence, Laurence finally spoke up.
"Today, you, under the light of the sun, are gathered. The reason was to participate in the Spring Seven Challenges, to win, and become the Champion of Challenge."
Laurence's tone was high, truly a superior, commanding, yet charming.
"You have chosen. By me, by the Professor, by the Academy. You are the Chosen Challengers, the ones who would defy the challenges." She states their position and role as truthfully as possible.
As her words soaked through the students' minds, her appealing words were rejuvenating their determination, lacing their hearts with eagerness and excitement.
"3000 years ago, our ancestor, the Brave, Lord Lizarck, was born. In those days, the world was still surrounded by shadow and the rain of blood. Dark clouds concealing the sun, the wails of thunder and angel's echoes through every corner of the world. Under the nine Ancient Calamities, the world was torn apart. Cries and rotten flesh were scattered everywhere. There, one rose from the shadows, a man. He raised his sword upon his enemies with a White Dragon, and a Goddess stands beside him."
But as Laurence sank into her reverence towards the Brave, the speech began to lose its main point. The students' excitement was extinguished.
"It sure would take time, wouldn't it?" Reybond guessed while wiping his forehead.
"I am hungry..." Attey grasped his stomach, grumbling as he felt his unsatisfied appetite.
"You should've eaten more before, man!" Reybond derided him.
Several lines behind the two, Loryarc pays little attention to the Principal and lets his mind stray away instead. His eyes glanced at his side, toward a dark brown, bob-haired girl—his Challenger Partner; the only one he could depend on among these thousands of students while he participated in this grand event with them.
He's looking back at the time when he was being told by the Professor to be paired with Rina.
Regarding him, the Good-for-nothing Bastard, no one(except his fangirls) is willing to be on the same team with him. "He's an omen, or jinx," they say.
There was also a rule in the Academy that prohibited the pairing of the Commoner students and the Noble students under any life-threatening event.
This rule was created because in the past, several Commoner students have been found dead in a miserable state after participating in events as dangerous as the Spring Seven Challenges. And the inspection results were the signs of death caused by civilized weapons instead of under the claw or fang of a monster.
Thus, unfortunately, Loryarc couldn't form a team with his fangirls.
But then, why did he end up being paired with Rina, a Commoner in herself? The reason was that among the Chosen students of Loryarc and Rina's class, the 3-E class, only the two were left without an already decided partner beforehand.
Because it couldn't be helped since the situation forced them to, and because the two of them show no malice to each other, the Professor made an exception for them and gave them the allowance to form a team together.
While Loryarc was thinking of something else, a gentle pat on his right shoulder snapped him back to reality. He turned his head toward Rina, who patted his shoulder.
But instead of looking at him, Rina's brown eyes fixed on the sky. Her lips separated open, while her eyes signified how surprised she is right now.
"To our surprise, this Spring Seven Challenges seemed to be even more special than any Spring Seven Challenges before. This grand event had been escalated in magnitude, bringing even more grandeur than ever! Your first challenge is to take down that Holvern!"
As the Principal raised her voice to speak their purpose on this event, a horrifying roar of a beast echoed through the sky.
Rina brought her pointer finger up to show Loryarc that the source of the deafening cry came from.
"Lo-look up, M-mister Loryarc..." She said.
Loryarc raised his head while grimacing at the buzzes left by the beast's roar to his poor, sensitive ears. His eyes contracted in fear and awe as he spotted the figure of the flying beast flying high, very high above them.
That was a Holvern.
Laurence opened her hands wide and declared upon these youths. "The Holvern of Yagnunil! The corrupted descendants of the Dragon! Oh, my child, that was what you would face as your first challenge. Raise your head up, child. The enemy has come. Our ancestors' enemies have come! Go, and take their heads down! Purity their fleshes, just like what our ancestors did!"
Right after Laurence ends her speech, the clouds in the sky begin to gather and form a massive, fortex-like dark cloud above the Capital.
""SSCCCCCCRRRREEEEAAAAAAAKKKKKKKHHH!!"" From the dark clouds, some more horrifying Holvern's cries echo and vibrate the air.
"Oh... Isn't this challenge too special?" One student muttered in a fearful tone.