DIMENSION ECLIPSE CHAPTER 4: TEST DAY
Today was a very important day for all the first-year students. It was the day their selection at the Academy would finally be confirmed. But that wasn't all—something special was happening. A prestigious guest from the Rankers Association was visiting the Academy, and the students could feel the excitement in the air.
Scene | Half an hour before the test
VICE PRINCIPAL EDWARD (with enthusiasm):
"It's a great honor for us that a premium member of the Rankers Association is here today to assess the abilities of our students."
The guest, Mis Eiwa, is the Third Division Commander of the Rankers Association and an S-rank Aura user. She is among the top 30 rankers on the continent, specifically ranked 28th.
MIS EIWA (calm but firm):
"Honestly, I'm not here just to see your students. I'm here to learn more about the incident in the Runes and ask some important questions. But since I'm already here, I'd also like to see the new recruits—after all, they are the future of humanity."
VICE PRINCIPAL EDWARD (nodding):
"That's exactly what I wanted to say. Mis Eiwa, please take a look at the recruits. The test will begin in just half an hour."
MIS EIWA (smiling slightly):
"Of course. After all, Stellar Academy has always been known for producing some of the best rankers for the Empire."
VICE PRINCIPAL EDWARD:
"We always try to recruit the most qualified students for the Empire. That's our priority."
Shift to the present
TEACHER SIWO (raising his voice):
"Alright everyone! It's time to start the test!"
TEACHER LERRY (calmly guiding):
"Now, close your eyes. Focus on your aura roots and try to open them. Feel the aura flowing inside you. Concentrate deeply."
The students obeyed. They closed their eyes and concentrated hard, trying to feel the energy inside their bodies. Time passed—10 minutes, then 20. Finally, one student succeeded. A deep green aura started flowing out from his body.
A GUY (excited):
"I think… I did it!"
MIS LERRY (encouragingly):
"Very good! Let's check with the category detector to see which category you unlocked in your first awakening."
MIS LERRY (smiling):
"Congratulations! You've unlocked Category 1!"
The student, Jiho from Class C, had completed his first awakening. Yet his expression showed disappointment, as if he wasn't satisfied.
JIHO (frustrated):
"I thought I'd get Category 2… or even Category 3…"
MR SIWO (serious but reassuring):
"Look, there's nothing you can do about it. You have to accept the category you unlocked. You've passed—now you can move on."
Just like that, many students unlocked their categories. Most of them fell into Category 1. But there were still some who were struggling to awaken.
RIYO (nervously):
"Looks like I've done it too…"
Riyo also succeeded in awakening his aura. A light purple glow spread from his body. But, unfortunately, his category was… Category 1.
RIYO (angrily):
"Damn! I wanted Category 2 powers!"
Frustrated, he stood up and walked away.
Mis Eiwa watched the students closely. A sly smile appeared on her face.
MIS EIWA (thinking aloud):
"As expected… hoping for much from Class D and C is pointless. Class A and B performed far better this year. Still… I don't see any truly outstanding recruits."
Just then, her eyes locked onto one student—a girl with black hair and bright red eyes that seemed to shimmer. A big smile lit up her face, and a strong red aura radiated from her body.
SHRU (excitedly shouting):
"Yes! I did it!"
MIS LERRY (cheerfully):
"Congratulations! You're an awakened student of Category 3!"
SHRU (jumping with joy):
"Yahoo!! Ahaha!!"
Scene Shift
A short while after Shru's awakening, another student unlocked his aura. It was a boy with light brown hair and unusual yellow eyes. Golden energy slowly started spreading from him.
Some minutes earlier
KAEDE (focused and determined):
"I have to focus… I can't lose this time. I promised… I promised them! I'll never give up. I must do this—for myself!"
Suddenly, Kaede found himself in a strange, mysterious place. Without warning, a powerful surge of aura energy rushed through his entire being.
Back to the present
KAEDE (nervously):
"I think… I've done it too…"
MIS LERRY (analyzing deeply):
"Yes! The aura feels exactly like the one I sensed before. But… the output now is much weaker than it was before. Why is that?"
MIS EIWA (studying him, with a strange smile):
"Hmmm… His energy is dense. Even lower-class students shouldn't be underestimated. Talent can appear anywhere…"
MR SIWO (smiling with pride):
"Congratulations, Kaede! You've awakened into Category 3!"
KAEDE (stunned):
"What?! Am I really… passed?!"
MR SIWO (smiling warmly):
"Yes! And you passed with a perfect score—100%!"
KAEDE (overjoyed):
"Yes!! Finally, I did it! I'm so happy!"
At last, Kaede was learning how to become stronger. At first, he couldn't believe that he had become a Category 3 awakened student. But when he realized it was true, he couldn't contain his joy. Even from behind, Shru smiled and gave him a thumbs up.
However, not everyone was happy.
RIYO (angry and frustrated):
"This damn Kaede! How can this little brat be Category 3?! How dare he try to pass this test!"
Ignoring others, a few students still continued their attempts to awaken.
SHIROU (determined):
"I have to concentrate. I can't afford to lose here. Yes—I can feel it… my aura…"
Suddenly, another student awakened. A deep blue energy burst forth from Shirou's body. He had finally unlocked his aura.
SHIROU (confidently smiling):
"Yes! I did it too!"
MR SIWO (impressed):
"Wow! Congratulations, Shirou! You've unlocked Category 2! This year, very few students have managed that."
SHIROU (smirking arrogantly):
"Exactly as I expected. I'm a Category 2 awakened student. My calculations are mostly spot-on. This time, I'll push beyond my limits."
MIS EIWA (smiling softly):
"Seems coming here was worth it…"
With that, the other students also unlocked their categories. While most belonged to Category 1, a few achieved Categories 2 and 3.
NOXY (cheerfully):
"Yahoo! I did it too!"
MR LERRY (smiling):
"Congratulations! You're an awakened student of Category 3!"
EMMA (exhausted but relieved):
"I think I did it… finally, I was about to pass out."
MR SIWO (encouraging):
"Good! You're a Category 2 awakened student!"
One by one, the students completed their awakenings, and with that, the Aura Inheriting Exam came to an end.
---
Scene || Meeting Room
MISS EIWA (serious tone):
"Well then, Mr. Edward, I think it's time we discuss the real matter."
VICE PRINCIPAL EDWARD (nodding firmly):
"Yes, of course. Let's go to the meeting room. Everyone else is already there."
Inside were gathered the Chief Investigator, Mr. Lim, along with the academy's higher staff.
MR. LIM (grimly):
"As I informed you, strange activities have been happening across our continent. Runes are activating suddenly, and rifts are appearing in random places. Until now, rifts would only appear in areas with high aura energy."
MR. LIM (lowering his voice, more serious):
"And not just here. Even in the Kronos Empire, similar unusual activities have been reported. I think other continents might be facing the same issue."
MISS EIWA (sharp, analytical):
"So you think this has some connection with the incident that happened with your students inside the Runes?"
MR. SIWO (nodding firmly):
"Yes. Because all these problems started happening only recently. We suspect the same culprit may be behind both incidents."
MISS EIWA (frowning, decisive):
"Hmm. Perhaps we should also question the Kronos Empire about this."
MR. LIM (hesitant, worried):
"But… do you really think the higher authorities will allow that? The history between the Cairo Empire and the Kronos Empire isn't exactly that good ."
Year 4044—after the Great Eclipse, when humanity was nearly wiped out, a few individuals awakened their powers and stabilized humanity. But a century later, when the monster threat slightly decreased, humans began fighting each other over land. Much of the land still belonged to monsters, so wars broke out, leading to the formation of four great continents:
Cairo - The Continent of Oracle
The Cairo Continent is the birthplace of Aura Powers and the first Aura
Warriors, with the first Dimension Crack opening here. It has the highest
aura energy, making it the site of the
most cracks and centuries of continuous battles.
Symbolizes conflict and survival.
Kronos —The Shadow Continent"
A land veiled in eternal darkness caused by a massive dimensional rupture.
Monsters and corrupted aura thrive here.
Symbolizes despair and mystery.
Eldara Continent — "The Continent of Light"
The most wealthy and stable region of humanity.
The continent that has the goddess blessings is the most religious wealthy
Symbolizes order, evolution, and hope.
Valstron Continent — The Continent of Streams"
Oceanic islands connected by energy bridges.
Known for serenity, nature-bound aura users, and ancient runes under the sea.
Symbolizes balance and wisdom.
Humanity survived within these four continents, but history was full of wars among them.
MISS EIWA (firmly, eyes glowing with determination):
"I will handle the higher authorities. We must investigate this matter. This isn't some small problem. If other kingdoms are also affected, then something far bigger is coming in the future. We must prepare now."
MISS EIWA (turning to Mr. Lim):
"Mr. Lim, investigate further. I will do the same. For now, thank you. Leave the rest to me."
The meeting ended, but everyone understood one thing—the problem was far more dangerous than they had imagined.
SCENE SHIFT – NIGHT
NORTHERN BORDER
SOLDIER 1 – [alert, whispering]
"Hey… did you hear something?"
SOLDIER 2 – [shaking his head casually]
"No, nothing. Must be some mutated aura beast. Don't pay too much attention. Let's just finish our patrol and head back inside the barrier."
SOLDIER 3 – [yawning slightly]
"Yeah… again, nothing unusual tonight. These areas have been way too quiet lately."
SOLDIER 1 – [relieved]
"That's good for us. At least there's no monster looking around."
SOLDIER 3 – [suddenly stiffening]
"Wait… hold on. I… I think I heard something this time."
SOLDIER 1 – [annoyed, gripping his weapon]
"I've been saying from the start—keep your aura weapons activated!"
SOLDIER 2 – [laughing confidently]
"Relax. It's probably just a small monster. Besides, all of us are B and A level—what's there to be afraid of?"
SOLDIER 1 – [frowning deeply]
"We shouldn't have come this far. Our duty was to stay near the border circle, just check and report back. That's it."
SOLDIER 2 – [patting Soldier 1's shoulder]
"Come on, man, don't be so paranoid. I told you—we're not weak."
SOLDIER 3 – [looking around uneasily]
"But think about it… how can there even be monsters here? This is outside the Empire State territory, yes, but still… all the surrounding monsters were wiped out long ago."
SOLDIER 1 – [gritting his teeth]
"Something's not right… something is definitely wrong."
And just as Soldier 1 spoke those uneasy words, an overwhelming surge of energy suddenly shook the air around them. Out of nowhere, a girl appeared in front of the soldiers—clad in a purple hoodie, strange rune-like designs stitched into her clothes, and her face completely concealed beneath her hood. Her presence was suffocating, unnatural, almost monstrous.
SOLDIER 1 – [trembling, voice breaking]
"Th-this… this presence…!"
SOLDIER 2 – [staring wide-eyed]
"What… what is she…?"
SOLDIER 3 – [gulping]
"Is… is she even human?"
SOLDIER 1 – [shaking his head slowly]
"I… I don't think so…"
The mysterious girl suddenly raised her hands, beginning to weave something unexplainable in the air.
SOLDIER 2 – [panicked]
"What… what is she doing!?"
SOLDIER 1 – [struggling, his body paralyzed]
"Damn it! I… I can't move! What the hell is this!? My body—why can't I move!?"
SOLDIER 3 – [terrified, pointing]
"Look… look at this!"
A surge of dark purple energy erupted from the girl, spreading like a suffocating wave across the entire area. Within moments, she formed a strange circular hole in midair, like a portal—and from within that hole, horrific monsters began crawling out one after another.
SOLDIER 2 – [voice cracking, stammering]
"Y-y-you… how… how did you just do that…!?"
THE GIRL – [lowering her hood slightly, revealing a twisted, deadly smile]
"…."
BLACKOUT.
SCENE SHIFT – TOMORROW MORNING
SHIROU – [stretching his arms with determination]
"So today… they'll finally tell us our first aura levels."
After the Aura Inheriting Test, the aura flow inside each student had stabilized. Now, their current aura levels could be properly measured for the very first time.
TEACHER – [firmly addressing the students]
"Alright, first years. Step forward one by one. Place your hand on this machine—it will measure your aura and display your current rank."
One by one, students tested themselves. As expected, most were at level E. That wasn't surprising at all. After all, they had only just learned how to properly channel aura into their bodies. With training, combat, and experience, their aura output would increase over time, and in the future, their levels could rise.
TEACHER – [calling out]
"Class D, First Year—Shirou! Your turn."
SHIROU – [confident smirk]
"Let's see what rank I get."
As Shirou placed his hand on the glowing machine, the results flickered and displayed clearly: Mid D level.
TEACHER – [reading the display]
"Mid D level. That's your rank."
SHIROU – [nodding, calm but satisfied]
"For a start… not bad at all."
The rest of the students soon finished their tests. Most were indeed at E level, with a few at D.
Kaede: Level E
Shru: Level D Peak
Noxy: Level D Peak
Emma: Level D Low
Riyo: Level D Low
The students exited together, some smiling proudly, others sulking in disappointment.
SHRU – [throwing her hands in the air triumphantly]
"Yahoo! I'm at peak D level! Hahaha!"
SHIROU – [rolling his eyes, muttering coldly]
"Hey, pig… don't scream so loud."
SHRU – [turning sharply, mocking]
"Oh, shut up, kid you are just a weakling! Mid D level, hahaha!"
SHIROU – [calm, dead serious]
"First of all, I should be calling you a kid. You're shorter than me—barely five feet. And second, just because your level's a little higher than mine… doesn't mean you can actually beat me."
SHRU – [face burning red, clenching fists]
"Oh really!? Fine then—let's find out right now!"
KAEDE – [stepping between them nervously]
"Guys, stop! Don't forget, the teachers are right behind us!"
NOXY – [smiling warmly at the group]
"From the way you all act, it looks like you're really good friends."
SHIROU – [snapping coldly]
"Don't include me in this nonsense."
SHRU – [smirking with a glare]
"Who's including you, donkey?"
And with that chaotic exchange, the ranking exams finally came to an end.
SCENE SHIFT – EVENING
SHIROU – [walking alone]
"So finally… all the formalities are done. We're officially academy students now. Time to start preparing for what's to come… because the real challenges are still ahead."
Thus, Shirou officially became a student of Stellar Academy. But this was only the beginning. Much greater trials awaited him in the future.
And what those trials would be… we shall see in the next chapter.
CHAPTER 4 ENDS