Before entering the room, Raziel knew his appearance was bound to disrupt the gathering.
He saw Avina seated high above with his uncles, her expressionless face revealing nothing.
Staring at the others, he felt a deep satisfaction watching their conflicted expressions.
The crowd finally calmed down and Algar continued with his speech.
"As you all know," his voice echoed through the hall, "the Exorcist Academy grants our clan three spots every year as a gesture of respect." He paused, his calm gaze momentarily stopped at Raziel before he continued.
"This year is no different... we're gathered here to honour the remarkable result achieved by these young ones and to decide who among them will represent our clan's name in the academy..."
The rest of his words blurred as Raziel was pulled away by his thoughts.
'The Exorcist Academy, huh... that might be the perfect place.' Right now, Raziel's position within the clan was anything but safe. Even with Eliza's appearance, he doubted she would be able to protect him with her powers weakened in that body.
He was also weak. A painful reminder that he sought to fix quickly.
The Exorcist Academy offered an opportunity to do that. Also, being accepted into the academy would place him under its protection and beyond the reach of his family until he was strong enough to protect himself.
More importantly, the academy was established to forge young kids into formidable Exorcists that would help greatly in the fight against the Demics. There was bound to be a lot of resources and knowledge.
Tapping his fingers softly on the chair, he finally turned, catching sight of a silvery–blue–haired girl staring his way for quite some time now.
A faint smile graced his lips as their gazes met briefly before she looked away.
'To think she would help me... why would she do that?'
He wasn't used to kindness from his family relations. After all, they had long treated him with disdain, as if he was some sort of curse. He had endured the torture for years and learned to live with it, until finally, one of them had brazenly taken the step to end his life.
Well... he was grateful. After all, the person had helped him escape his cursed fate. But that didn't mean he wasn't going to return the favour.
His eyes scanned his siblings present. Ten in total, including him. His eyes fell on a young guy with spiky blonde hair and molten silver eyes.
Both gazes locked with the guy staring at him with a frown before looking away.
Raziel glanced at the silvery–white haired guy seated beside him for a moment before finally staring back at the podium above.
"... After evaluating their performances, we've finally decided on the three that will represent our clan." Algar finally rounded up his speech and calmly sat back as a new figure rose.
He was Dean Sonoma, another of Raziel's uncles. A brown–haired man with dark green eyes. His plum frame exuded a quiet authority as he began his task.
"Adam Sonoma, please make your way to the podium."
The crowd erupted into cheers as a figure with long silvery–white hair and a sturdy frame calmly stepped forward. His golden brown eyes were filled with confidence as he finally stood on the elevated podium that had risen from the floor.
"Reila Sonoma, please step forward."
Raziel watched as the silvery–blue haired girl calmly rose from her chair. Her porcelain skin shone brightly under the radiant lights as she made her way forward.
She stopped beside Adam, both acknowledging each other with a nod.
"And finally.. Hans Sonoma."
The blonde-haired boy finally stepped forward, his lips crept into a smirk as he walked forward.
Raziel watched with calm eyes as he stopped before Reila, giving her a long look before standing beside her.
'Arrogant as ever.'
'This whole show is finally coming to an end.. thank goodness' he thought with a long sigh.
Raziel knew he was never going to get picked. His performance was the worst among them, after all.
But that didn't mean he was going to be stuck here.
No. There was another way to gain entry into the Exorcist Academy. One could apply manually and take the entry exam to prove their worth.
So all he needed to do was train hard and prepare for the entry exam.
'I think it's a month from now.'
Staring up, he watched as Algar rose from his seat once again.
"These talented three would represent the Shindo clan and show the Exorcist society that we are still top of the chain in producing young talents!"
Raising his glass of wine, he uttered loudly.
"Cheers to a bright future!"
The others raised their glasses in unison. "Cheers!"
Shaking his head, Raziel muttered under his breath. "And here I was thinking it's over."
It had only just begun.
The refreshment was quickly brought in as laughter and small conversations finally began.
The trio chosen were the center of attention. A small crowd had formed around them, congratulating them on their achievement.
Raziel watched quietly from his seat.
"Do I really need to go up there? They won't get mad if I stay back, right?"
"What are you waiting for mas... Raziel, go up there now."
Just as he was contemplating his next action, a voice echoed in his head, jolting him for a moment.
"What the hell." Raziel grumbled. "She's able to talk in my head now? Great." He muttered with his fingers trembling for a moment.
"I mean not going would attract a lot of trouble to you. Which isn't what you want right?" Avina continued.
"I guess you're right. Also I need to congratulate the one who set me free from my bondage."
Rising from his seat, Raziel weaved through the crowd before arriving at the podium.
He greeted Adam and Reila with a calm nod before stopping in front of Hans.
"Ohhh, you came to pay respect to your big brother?" Hans grinned, placing his hands firmly on Raziel's shoulders.
"Of course. Raziel replied softly though his voice carried an unsettling intent in his calm tone. "We are one big family, after all."
"Hahaha. Seems you've finally learnt how to talk back to your seniors." Hans muttered with a chuckle.
A crushing pressure suddenly bore down on Raziel's shoulders.
With his face calm as ever, Raziel let out a wide smile. "Big brother is still nice as always, huh."
The smile only infuriated Hans as the pressure increased.
"Hans."
A sharp voice echoed behind him cutting through the underlying tension between them.
Reila stopped before them, her gaze fixed on Hans' arm still resting across Raziel's shoulders.
Tch.
"Just because you ranked above me doesn't mean you get to order me around now." He spat, clicking his tongue in irritation.
"This isn't over," he muttered, letting go of Raziel. Turning away, he brushed past them, melting into the crowd.
Reila stared at Raziel for a moment before walking away.
"Ahh." Raziel exhaled softly, rolling back his aching shoulders.
He was damn tired.
"I guess I don't need to stay till the end."
With that, he slowly made his way out of the hall.