Three days passed quickly.
Too quickly for some.
The academy grounds were filled with a nervous energy that hadn't existed earlier in the year.
Training yards were packed from morning until sunset.
Students pushed themselves harder.
Faster.
Sharper.
Trying to squeeze out every last bit of progress before the exams.
Kunai struck wooden targets in constant rhythm.
Sparring rings stayed occupied from dawn to dusk.
Even the quiet study halls were full.
Everyone understood the same thing.
The year-end examinations would decide everything.
Who had truly grown—
And who had not.
The Morning Assembly
The academy courtyard filled earlier than usual.
Students gathered in clusters beneath the tall stone walls.
Some whispered nervously.
Others practiced quiet chakra control.
Some simply stared ahead.
Waiting.
Daigo stood with his arms folded, staring at the large wooden board near the entrance.
"…That wasn't there yesterday."
Akari followed his gaze.
A long black board had been installed overnight.
Covered.
Hidden.
Raizen studied it silently.
Inside his mind Astra spoke.
"Probability: academy ranking display."
Daigo's face dropped.
"…Please tell me that's not what I think it is."
Akari nodded.
"It is."
Daigo sighed.
"…I hate this place."
Takeshi Aran Steps Forward
The courtyard fell silent as Aran stepped forward.
Several instructors stood behind him.
Watching.
Measuring.
"You have completed the training cycle for this term."
His voice carried across the courtyard.
"For the first time since entering the academy…"
"…your performance has been evaluated."
Students stiffened.
Aran turned toward the covered board.
"This ranking reflects your results across all exercises."
He raised a hand.
"Combat."
"Team coordination."
"Endurance."
"Discipline."
Silence deepened.
Then—
He pulled the cloth away.
The Board Revealed
Names filled the board in clean vertical lines.
Students surged forward.
"…Where am I?"
"…Wait—"
"…No way…"
Daigo pushed through the crowd.
"…Move—move—"
Akari walked forward calmly.
Raizen followed.
At the very top:
1 — Rei Kurogane
Murmurs spread instantly.
"Of course…"
"He's always first…"
Below that—
2 — Akari Mizuta
Daigo blinked.
"…Wait."
He turned.
"You're number two?"
Akari shrugged.
"Apparently."
No excitement.
No surprise.
Just acceptance.
Then—
3 — Raizen Tenrai
The reaction shifted.
"…That's him…"
"…Storm Run…"
"…War game…"
"…First-year?"
The whispers carried a different tone now.
Recognition.
Daigo stared.
"…Okay."
"That's actually impressive."
Raizen didn't react.
He simply kept reading.
Further down—
4 — Hayate Arashi
5 — Tetsuro Kurogane
6 — Daigo Mizuta
7 — Mizuki Suiren
Daigo grinned.
"…Top ten."
Akari glanced at him.
"You were already top ten."
Daigo shrugged.
"Still counts."
The Reaction
Students gathered in clusters.
Some proud.
Some frustrated.
Some silent.
But one reaction mattered more than the rest.
Rei Kurogane stepped forward.
His eyes scanned the board once.
Then locked onto Raizen.
"…Third place."
Calm.
Confident.
Raizen met his gaze.
"Second place."
A pause.
Then—
Rei smirked.
Akari folded her arms.
"…You're both annoying."
Daigo looked between them.
"…Yeah."
"This is definitely a rivalry."
Akari didn't disagree.
Instructor Words
Aran stepped forward again.
Silence returned instantly.
"These rankings are temporary."
His eyes moved across the board.
"They represent where you stand today."
A pause.
Then—
"They will change."
His gaze lingered briefly on the top names.
"Soon."
Everyone understood.
The exams would decide everything.
Aran turned toward the academy building.
"The examination period begins tomorrow morning."
Tension snapped tight.
"Prepare yourselves."
He walked away.
No further explanation.
Quiet Determination
The crowd slowly dispersed.
Some rushed to train.
Others to study.
Some stood frozen.
Processing.
Daigo stretched.
"…Alright."
"Third place."
He grinned at Raizen.
"That's not bad."
Akari looked at the board one last time.
"…It won't stay that way."
Raizen already knew.
Rankings meant nothing—
If they couldn't be defended.
Inside his mind Astra spoke.
"Competitive tension increasing."
Raizen looked toward the training grounds.
Tomorrow—
The exams would begin.
And the academy would find out—
Who truly deserved their place.