"Attend the academy?" Samael asked in confusion, his brows furrowed tight.

"Yes, young master," the butler said.

"What academy are you even talking about?" he asked.

"The nobles currently attend the Cylar Academy. It is renowned and prestigious. Most of its students are aristocrats, and even Miss Lilith attends there," the butler replied.

Samael fell into deep contemplation.

Attending the academy might indeed be rewarding. I'll get to learn a few things and even be close enough to protect Lilith when threats arise, he thought.

"What are the prerequisites?" Samael asked.

"Oh, allow me to handle that," the butler said.

"So when is the academy going to open?" Samael inquired.

"In two days," the butler said.

Samael's mouth fell agape as he muttered.

"What?"

***

The Cylar Academy is a school for awakened people. Most of its students are comprised of trainee knights and nobles.

The aristocrats believe that knowledge is power. This is the difference between knights and watchers. Knights are required to graduate and must know proper etiquette. Meanwhile, watchers are only needed to pass a test, and then they are good to go.

The academy teaches the young nobles how to fight and how to deal with the politics of aristocratic society. It is highly flexible as it also teaches a variety of things, such as smithing, potion making, and history.

However, the requirements to get in are quite harsh. You would need to pass a test, prove your strength, and have a load of credentials, many of which peasants do not possess.

Although the academy is strict with equality, there are still many nobles who are granted entrance through "gifts." Samael, on the other hand, was recommended by Icarius. Apparently, the old man had already predicted this series of events and had prepared all that he would need beforehand.

As the following days passed, Samael soon found himself in a carriage heading for the academy.

They passed by multiple carriages of other aristocrats, some higher than others, while others were not.

As they neared the gates of the school, he soon spotted multiple other carriages. These were the Thaesir heirs, who happened to arrive at the same time as him. However, he soon understood that none of it was a coincidence, as he saw Lilith's house sigil.

Those bastards are pushing their luck, Samael thought. He felt oddly pissed about the idea of these people buzzing around like flies around her.

As the carriage stopped, Samael stepped out, greeted by the curious gazes of many nobles. Unfortunately, not everyone was invited to the famous serenity ball. Due to this, they've only heard rumors of his feat. Luckily, he was already way too used to the attention, so he just ignored them.

Approaching Lilith's location, the Thaesir heir knights unsheathed their blades as they blocked Samael's path, causing a commotion as the attention of the nobles was lured to him.

Seeing this, Lilith tried to approach them when the knights roared.

"Back away! Know your place!" They said, a glint present in their eyes.

I see how this is going. Samael concluded. It seems the Thaesir heirs are more cunning than he believed. Unfortunately, this wasn't going to work because he does not care about his image.

"Kneel," Samael said as he released his astral pressure, forcing the knights to buckle under their weight as they smashed against the paving stones.

The Nobles stared in disbelief as their murmurs echoed in the air.

"That is quite enough." A voice spoke, luring Samael's attention.

Although the man tried to hide his presence, Samael knew of him from the very beginning. He was silently watching, waiting for him to make a move.

"And why should I stop?" Samael asked, his crimson gaze carving a hole through the man.

The man fell silent as he stared at Samael in bewilderment. "You..."

Seeing the chance, Lilith slipped in as she held Samael's arm. "Are you okay?" She asked, cooling Samael's anger fast.

"Yeah, I was just defending myself," he said as the knights hungered for air.

"May I know your name?" The man earlier inquired.

"Samael," he replied without fear.

"I see... I will overlook this incident only once, seeing they are the ones that started it. But there will be no next time," he said before leaving.

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"Get out of my sight," Samael said to the knights as they scurried off in haste.

"You know, those are my knights," a voice spoke.

Shifting his glance to the man, he saw who it was. It was Lee Sinrage, the heir of the Sinrage clan, who specialized in the element of explosions. A very fitting name for their last name.

Looking at the man, Samael spoke. "Do I look like I care?"

Lee's face trembled for a brief second before he spoke. "It seems we started on the wrong foot here. My name is Lee Sinrage. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Samael simply stared at the man's hand, ignoring it, before he spoke. "I'm not here to make friends. But if you raise your blades against me again, I won't hesitate to cut you down."

"Message received," Lee said as he backed away.

The other Thaesir heirs remained watching before they bid their farewells.

Samael hated people like Lee the most. Deceitful and cunning. That's what they are. Making them the hardest opponents, as they often play dirty.

Steering the conversation in another direction, Lilith spoke. "Hey! I didn't know you were going to the academy as well."

Staring her straight in the eyes, Samael spoke. "Me neither."

A soft chuckle escaped Lilith's lips, prompting Samael to stare at them, memories of their kiss flashing through his mind.

Sensing his desire and gaze, Lilith averted her gaze as her cheeks flushed red. "Let's go; the briefing is about to begin," she said.

Samael gave the girl a nod as he allowed himself to be led by her.

Soon they found themselves in the presence of the other students, all going to the same place. A large hall.

As they sat there, waiting, a figure soon appeared in the middle of the stage as he spoke.

"Good day, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Oliver Herax, the head master of this academy."

Loud gasps reverberated in the room as the students whispered to one another. After all, it wasn't every day you saw the headmaster of the most prestigious school there was.

"Now, I will get straight to the point. There will be a test to measure your overall ability. Passing these tests will mean you will be admitted to the academy. Your performance will also decide what group you shall belong in," he said.

"But before we begin, I will make it clear. There are no biases here. Everybody is equal. Your rank, family, and prestige do not matter. Here, you are a student, and as such, you will follow the rules. Any forms of misconduct or cheating will be punished by expulsion," he clarified.

"These tests will be held by different instructors, each with their own specialties. The tests will be comprised of elemental aptitude, strength measurement, general knowledge exams, combat intelligence tests, and finally, real combat," the headmaster narrated when a hand within the crowd rose up.

"Yes?" the headmaster asked.

"Why include real combat when we already have the following tests to make up for it? Also, who will we fight?" The student asked.

"Thank you for your question. To answer them, elemental aptitude and strength alone do not measure your true ability; they are merely statistics to show your potential and current level. Real combat shows how you utilize said talents," he answered.

"As for who you will fight, well, you will engage with your professors," he followed.

"Back to the topic at hand. Once you pass these tests and receive high praise, you are free to choose the familia you will belong in for the duration of your stay."

Excited whispers echoed in the hall as students expressed their glee. Cylar Academy was known for its unique structure. Once a student passes, they are free to choose a family. Each family has a professor managing it.

Currently, there are five. Namely, the Raging Bulls are led by Professor Arnold Sinrage, the eldest of the Sinrage family. Next is the Bloom familia, led by Therese Deneiro, a family that specializes in the wood element. Next on the list are the Cold Hawks with their leader, Raymond Posh, a family that holds dominion over ice. Afterwards, we have the Crimson Lions, managed by Rudy Donovan. Lastly are the Nightwalkers, led by a man named Michael.

After a few more ground rules, the head master finally returned to the real topic.

"Without further ado, let us begin the tests!"

With that, anxiety and excitement brimmed in the hearts of the students there. This was their chance to increase the prestige of their families. They cannot fail. Never.

As they gathered in a large training dome, they were soon cut into groups and tested as such.

As the tests went on, the excitement was soon replaced by fear and anxiety as they saw many fail the very first tests.

To pass, they would need to reach a certain level of proficiency; failing to reach it means they've failed.

Eventually, tears soon fell as some nobles were unable to handle the revelations that they'd failed. Those who won wore wide smiles on their faces.

Eventually, Lilith's group was next. Two of the Thaesir heirs also belong there, resulting in high expectations for their results.

One by one, they tested, some failing and some succeeding. But when it came to the final three, everyone held their breaths.

First up was Lee Sinrage. He came up to the testing stage, where a large, solid white wall stood. It was thicker in diameter and taller than the man. The test was simple: use your element to damage the structure.

Without sparing any words, he dashed forward as he slammed his fist against the wall.

BOOOOOOOOMMMMM!!!

A large explosion shook the testing dome as dust filled the room. As it calmed down, it was revealed that the wall had sustained a hole along with occasional cracks.

"You have passed, with high praise," the instructor said.

Next up was the test of strength. The test was also simple: just punch or kick the dummy.

A loud bang echoed in the room as Lee struck the dummy hard, where multiple digits appeared on a screen near them.

He scored a whopping 12,332 kilograms of force, enough to collapse a building should he choose to. An expected outcome considering his family specializes in close combat.

Next was Rob Deneiro. As he approached the giant wall, he raised his hands as giant wooden roots sprouted from the ground, intertwining with each other, before drilling a hole in the white wall.

After a few seconds, the drill stopped as there was no more further damage done.

"You have passed with high praise," the instructor said.

Next up was the strength test. As he stood before the dummy, he pivoted his foot and delivered a heavy punch.

"4,566 kilos of force. You passed with high praise," the instructor said.

This was enough force to deform or even pierce metal plating. Rendering normal armor to nothing but mere jokes.

Now, it was Lilith's turn.

Samael's attention sharpened as he focused on the girl, watching her every move as she positioned herself before the wall.

Samael could not help but feel excited to see her power. Ever since knowing of it when they were kids, he has been curious as to what it really is. Now, it was before him.

Closing her eyes, Lilith stood relaxed. For a few seconds, nothing occurred until they saw sparks of orange appear on the ground, slowly circling her like a tornado.

Opening her eyes, she willed it forward as it slammed against the stone without mercy, like a storm against a house.

After a few seconds, the whirlwind of chaos stopped, revealing the insane corrosion the wall sustained. It had faded and its edges had gone, reduced to mere dust by the chaos energy.

"You have passed with high praise," the instructor said, his eyes glued to the wall.

Cheers thundered in the crowd as both girls and men cheered for her.

As she stepped before the measuring dummy, she inhaled. With one breath, she delivered a heavy kick to its stomach, causing a large explosion to reverberate.

"26,788..." the instructor muttered, causing another wave of hysterical cheers.

It was enough force to dent, bend, and even flatten metal.

"As expected of demons, they truly possess incredible strength," the nobles whispered.

Now, it was Samael's group's turn.