In the middle of the hallway, a plump man dressed in a stylish suit walked alongside a tall, imposing woman who exuded an air of danger. The man couldn't help but sweat nervously as each second passed.
"I hope our school has lived up to your expectations, Executioner Leywin. Our science building is among the most advan-," the principal began, attempting to impress her.
"Cut the jabbering, Principal Falker. I'm not here to praise your academy," the woman replied sternly. She was wearing a black military uniform with a white mask hanging from her belt. Her eyes were covered by a blindfold, and her uniform bore the words "Black Guard."
"O-of course, I don't want to waste your time. We're almost at the training gymnasiums," the principal stammered, clearly anxious.
Normally, HSA and Black Guard operators only intervened to neutralize significant threats such as Lux Aeterna or to protect important figures. However, there was an exception, the Rising Espers Tournament. Every time the tournament was approaching, the academies had the opportunity to request a Black Guard scout to assess one of their students directly, bypassing the need for the Tournament and directly recruiting them for the Black Guard. A positive evaluation from the scout would earn the academy public recognition and elevate its rank. On the other side, if the scout judged the esper didn’t meet the standards, the academy would be severely penalized for wasting the operator's time. As a result, academies only recommended espers when they were absolutely confident they could capture the attention of the Black Guard scout.
"For your sake, that child better be as impressive as you claim, or else... well, let's just say you wouldn't want to find out," Executioner Leywin warned with a threatening tone, causing the principal to gulp in fear.
"I assure you, Executioner Leywin, even by Hyperion Academy's standards, this child is a prodigy," the principal regained his composure and affirmed.
"We shall see."
The principal couldn't help but feel unlucky with the assigned scout for their recommended esper. Among the Black Guard operators, the top five espers were known as the Executioners, and Executioner Leywin was one of them. Her standards would undoubtedly be exceedingly high.
As they continued walking down the hallway, they approached a wide window revealing a vast gymnasium. In one corner stood a girl with pink hair inside a square ring, while an older boy occupied the opposite corner.
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"Interesting," Executioner Leywin muttered, her attention focused on the girl. ‘So, she's truly a step 1 manipulation stage esper, and at such a young age,’ she pondered.
The principal breathed a sigh of relief upon noticing that the scout's interest had been piqued, even if only slightly. It was a good sign.
‘That boy... he recently achieved step 3 of the manipulation stage. That's a two-step leap for the girl,’ Executioner Leywin thought as she focused on the boy.
"Stella, this is Kurt, the third-year I mentioned. He recently reached step 3 of the manipulation stage. You'll be sparring with him today," a burly man, Stella's teacher, introduced.
"Congratulations on your breakthrough, and thank you for taking the time to train with me," Stella expressed respectfully to Kurt.
"No, the pleasure is all mine. I must admit, I've been eager to test Hyperion's ace myself. I have high expectations," Kurt replied with a smile, assuming a battle stance while pointing his wooden spear at Stella. Stella mirrored his stance, wielding a wooden sword.
‘She chooses an offensive stance even against someone two steps ahead? She's quite confident, huh?’ Ms. Leywin noted.
"Begin!" the teacher declared.
In a swift motion, Stella reached into her pocket and threw a knife and her sword toward Kurt.
The knife and sword hurtled toward Kurt at great speed, but he was not taken by surprise. Skillfully, he parried both projectiles with his spear, showcasing his extensive combat experience. No apparent opening appeared as he deflected both weapons.
Kurt quickly refocused on Stella, but she had vanished.
Shing! Pack!
Stella swapped places with the knife, appearing above Kurt and catching her sword in mid-air.
BANG!
Kurt reacted in time, blocking Stella's attack with his spear. The collision emitted a minor shockwave that rippled through the surroundings.
"This is gonna be fun," Kurt smirked.
Suddenly, several spikes emerged from the ground, made from the same material as the ring's surface, aimed at Stella.
Shing! Bang!
Stella quickly teleported beside Kurt, evading the spikes, and immediately swung her sword at him. However, he reacted promptly, blocking her strike.
More spikes erupted from the ground toward Stella, but she swiftly distanced herself from Kurt, evading them.
Clang Clang
She skillfully blocked the remaining spikes with her sword, creating distance between herself and Kurt.
"You sure have an incredible ability. However, even such abilities must have limits," Kurt stated, grinning. "The fact that you just dodged those attacks instead of teleporting makes me believe that there's a delay between each teleportation. I'd say it's around two seconds. Plus, if my guess is right, swapping places should reduce the delay significantly, am I right?" He asked Stella, ‘I also suspect there are restrictions on where she can teleport. It's likely she can only teleport to places within her line of sight. I'll have to test that,’ he pondered internally.
‘That boy is quite clever, and she’s undeniably at a disadvantage. What will you do now, Stella?’ Executioner Leywin wondered, intrigued.
Stella maintained a focused expression on her face, unaffected by Kurt's analysis.