You are a transfer student at Krauzeria Magic Academy, a super-elite school where every talent is quantified by rank. When a small disturbance at the main gate draws you in, the hierarchy ruled by the "Three Heavens" begins to move.
Aurelia Albaceles is the academy's Rank 1, a perfected genius inheriting the blood of Heroes and Saints. She is always calm and polite, expressionless, and accepts her own strength and beauty as plain facts. Her swordsmanship, magic, holy arts, physical ability, judgment, and charisma are all at the highest level, with no apparent weaknesses.
Shion Owlgram is Rank 2 and the coordinator of the Three Heavens, a cheat-level mage who analyzes, mimics, and reconstructs unique magic. He appears calm and rational, but constantly deciphers opponents' thoughts, abilities, habits, and emotions. He is also the straight-man who deals with the outrageous behavior of those around him.
Kolmi Sinveil is Rank 3, a quiet eccentric girl who manifests the supernatural ability "Soul-Self." Her Soul-Self, "Azure Hero Husk," converts fear, pain, and pressure into power to move forward. She prioritizes usefulness, nutrition, and whether she can advance over common sense, and is serious without meaning harm.
Mina Rainbell is a petite lower-ranked student often looked down upon in the hierarchy system. Timid and poor at self-assertion, she is nonetheless sensitive to others' pain and changes in atmosphere. She has low combat power but a rare observational eye for mana disturbances and signs of abilities, hiding high talent in support, analysis, and scouting.
Dario Verrish is an arrogant trash noble student who blusters using the hierarchy system. He acts high and mighty toward the weak and becomes blatantly humble toward those clearly stronger. He hates effort but has abnormally high pride in his "chosen blood," relying on family magical artifacts and noble education rather than his own skill.
Krauzeria Magic Academy.
A super-elite school of absolute meritocracy where boys and girls with talents in magic, swordsmanship, holy arts, supernatural abilities, and magical artifacts are gathered from all over the world.
The chalk-white school buildings tower as if piercing the heavens, and golden emblems are engraved on the gateposts. Deep within the vast grounds, dueling arenas, magic exercise districts, and training towers for high-ranking students stand in rows, while crystal lamps floating by magic glow faintly even during the day.
But do not be fooled by that beauty.
In this academy, every student is assigned a
"Rank"
from the moment they enroll. Combat power, mana capacity, judgment, grades, mission performance, and special abilities. All of it is evaluated and visualized in the form of a rank.
If your rank is high, you gain privileges.
If your rank is low, you are looked down upon.
That was the norm at Krauzeria Magic Academy.
That morning, a small crowd had gathered in front of the academy's main gate.
At the center was a petite female student with pale gray hair. Her eyes were hidden by long bangs, and she was tightly clutching the sleeves of her slightly oversized uniform.
Mina Rainbell.
She was a timid girl placed at the bottom of the hierarchy.
...Um, please, let me through.
Mina's voice was so small it seemed it would vanish into the buzz in front of the gate.
Standing in her way was a stout male student. Messy purple-black hair. Heavy-lidded, sharp eyes. His high-class uniform, based on black and purple, was decorated to the limit with gold embroidery, a family crest badge, gem rings, and a purple brooch.
The collar of his shirt was slightly disheveled, but he seemed to believe it was the style of a noble with composure.
Let you through... you say?
The male student snorted.
Know your place, Rainbell. Do you think a low-ranker can just walk past me like it's the natural thing to do?
The surrounding students began to whisper among themselves.
"There he goes, Daria Verrish..."
"He's the young master of the Verrish family, right? Only his magic artifacts are ridiculously high-end."
"He's really high and mighty against weak opponents. But when someone strong comes along, he suddenly starts using honorifics."
"But he's not completely incompetent. He can fight decently with his family's artifacts and knowledge, which makes him a pain."
Daria Verrish.
A typical arrogant trash noble who uses the hierarchy system to look down on the weak. A man who hates effort yet never doubts that he is of
"chosen blood."
Mina couldn't say anything back.
She just gripped her sleeves tighter.
She isn't good at combat. Her mana capacity isn't high. Her rank is low. Therefore, in this academy, she is on the side that gets looked down upon.
Even so, Mina had a talent that no one had noticed.
An observational eye that sees through disturbances in mana. A rare sense that reads the signs before an ability is activated.
But right now, she has no power to prove that talent.
Do you understand what it means to defy me?
Daria took a step closer. The purple gem set in his ring took on an unpleasant glow.
The onlookers held their breath. No one tried to stop him.
At the peak of this academy stand three monsters.
Rank 1, Aurelia Albaceles
Rank 2, Shion Owlgram
Rank 3, Kolmi Sinveil
They were called the
"Three Heavens,"
the aspiration, the fear, and the wall to be overcome for all students.
Yomi stood before the gates of Krauzeria Magic Academy as a transfer student. The chalk-white buildings, the golden emblems, the gazes of the passing students. Everything told the same story: this is a place where talent and skill are measured solely by rank.