Professor Clara continued calling out names, one after another.
"Derek Myles—C Rank.
Selina Vore—B Rank.
Milo Trent—S Rank."
A few students in the top 20s had managed to secure S ranks, impressive for their age, but the majority hovered around B or lower.
The professors exchanged glances, quietly proud. Humanity—once considered the weakest of the four kingdoms—finally had a promising generation emerging.
Whispers and conversations filled the hall as students compared ranks, celebrated small victories, or muttered complaints.
No one paid attention to the very last name on the list.
"Chrono Zephyr."
A few heads glanced briefly, but most dismissed it as the usual last-ranked student.
Chrono walked toward the crystal.
Chrono walked toward the crystal, last-ranked as always. Most of the students barely registered him, their attention still on each other, discussing ranks and minor victories.
Then his hand touched the crystal.
___
A laugh slithered into his mind. Low. Twisting. Manic. Alive. It crawled through every corner of his thoughts.
[HAHHAHAHAH OH CHRONO DID YOU REALLY THINK IT WOULD GO AS THE NOVEL]
"P-paradox?"
Paradox. His companion. His guide. And in that instant, a presence that seemed larger than the world itself.
The crystal erupted in a violent flare of light and shadow.
Dust and mana swirled, and sparks licked the air like serpents.
Chrono's hair turned pure white, flowing like molten strands of energy. Black and white mana coiled around him, dancing in chaotic harmony.
His eyes—his clockwork eyes—glowed with spinning gears, each tick and second visible inside him, counting the world in a rhythm only he could perceive.
The sound of reality itself seemed to crack, metal bending under unseen pressure. The hall went silent.
Every student froze, every professor stiffened.
The air hummed with awe, fear, and disbelief.
The crystal's light surged, bursting into the sky above the academy.
A colossal clock etched itself across the clouds, the hands spinning impossibly fast. Chimes rang, each one stretching time itself in impossible waves.
Paradox's voice rang louder, more commanding, more manic:
[Show them… Show them our strength, Chrono. Let the world witness… little Chrono… this is our power!]
The laughter grew, intoxicating and unrelenting, echoing through every mind in the hall:
[HA! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! YES! SHOW THEM! SHOW THEM ALL]
And then the crystal displayed the impossible:
SSS-
A stunned silence swept across the hall. No human other than Arthur Veridian and Ragnar Zephyr had shown this—no student, no teacher—had ever displayed this power.
Leon Ardent's confident smile faltered.
Lia Heartly's eyes widened, clutching the edge of her seat.
Liam Veridian's jaw tensed, competitive fire igniting.
Nia and Rina exchanged shocked glances.
Carl Vale, usually expressive, stared silently, his eyes distant.
Ms. Clara stepped forward, shielding the crystal.
The crystal flickered violently. D?
The Crystal now showed it was D rank.
"Impossible…" whispered a voice.
Ms. Clara didn't hesitate. She grabbed Chrono's arm, dragging him away before anyone could process what had happened. Outside, whispers erupted:
"He… he got D but that clearly was SSS-?!"
"D rank b-but that makes no sense!"
"What… what just happened?"
Inside Chrono's mind, Paradox's laughter twisted and burned:
[Yes… YES! The world isn't ready… but you are! Little Chrono… our power is yours… all of it… show them!]
Time, light, shadow—they all merged into him, flooding every nerve, every thought. He was nothing and everything at once.
And then, slowly, Chrono's consciousness began to fade. The overwhelming power consumed him.
Reality blurred. The last thing he felt was Paradox's triumphant, unrestrained laughter echoing through his mind:
[Show them… show them all… HAAAAHAHAHA!]
______
Far above the world, near the edge of the stratosphere, a lone figure hovered effortlessly. White hair whipped gently in the void-like wind, crimson eyes closed in calm focus. His face was sculpted with perfection, as if even the gods had bent their hands to shape him.
And then his eyes opened.
A sharp, piercing crimson, scanning the world below. A small, almost amused smile curved his lips.
"Chrono."
The name hung in the air like a prophecy.
This was Ragnar Zephyr,
The Sword king,
The Strongest Human alive.
SSS-.
The man whose skill and presence alone could tilt the balance of kingdoms.
____
In another kingdom, far across the seas, a different power stirred.
A man with long, flowing purple hair and amethyst eyes sat upon his throne, gazing eastward—towards Humanity. His eyes were cold, like shards of ice, calculating and detached. A faint, almost imperceptible smirk curved his lips, but it carried no warmth—only the quiet certainty of supremacy.
Another one?
This was the Dragon King, Vorthalyx the Eternal, ruler of his domain. A being whose mere presence chilled the air, whose silence weighed like a winter storm. His power had long been whispered in legends, yet even the boldest of mortals rarely dared to glimpse him directly.
______
In another dimension, a man stood, his face hidden in shadows. Only his golden eyes shone brightly, piercing through the darkness and making even the vastness of the world feel small beneath their gaze.
Suddenly, a portal shimmered open, and a woman stepped through. Her presence radiated immense power—clearly an SS+ ranker—but as her gaze met his, a flicker of unease crossed her expression.
The golden-eyed man didn't even glance at her.
His eyes were fixed on a distant, specific point beyond the portal, as if nothing else in existence mattered.
Finally, the woman spoke, her voice low and cautious:
"Boss, both Jester and Nephius haven't responded yet."
A small smirk curved the man's lips. Slowly, he raised a hand, and the dimension itself trembled under the weight of his aura.
"Very well… let's begin without them."
Silence followed, heavy and absolute, as the world seemed to pause at the announcement of his intent.