Morning settled slowly over Shirogane Academy.
Soft light slipped through the tall glass windows of the academic building, turning the marble floors pale silver. From the outside, the campus looked calm—almost peaceful.
Inside, the atmosphere was anything but calm.
Students were already seated inside the lecture hall long before the clock reached nine.
Two hundred minds.
Every one of them exceptional.
Every one of them aware that something had already begun.
Quiet conversations moved through the room in low voices.
"The evaluation starts today."
"Did you see the ranking system?"
"They said our allowance depends on it."
Some students looked excited.
Others looked thoughtful.
A few simply watched the room.
Near the window sat Sakamoto Ren.
His posture was relaxed, but his eyes moved slowly across the hall.
Not searching.
Observing.
Across the room, Takahashi Mei held her tablet tightly.
Her score had been 99.
Just one mark away from perfection.
And now she was part of the Edge Program.
The difference between the two classes felt invisible—but also very real.
The classroom doors opened.
Conversation died instantly.
Professor Kuroda Aika stepped inside.
Her calm presence alone was enough to quiet the room.
She placed a thin tablet on the desk and looked at the students.
For a moment, she said nothing.
Then the large screen behind her lit up.
A single sentence appeared.
First Evaluation Begins Today
A faint tension passed through the room.
Aika's voice was steady.
"The purpose of Shirogane Academy is not simply education."
Her gaze moved slowly across the students.
"It is refinement."
The screen changed again.
A new title appeared.
Strategic Group Assessment
Aika continued.
"You will be divided into teams of four."
Soft murmurs rose immediately.
Students began glancing at one another.
Four people.
That meant choosing allies carefully.
Aika raised one hand slightly.
The room fell silent again.
"Your team will be given a problem scenario."
Another screen appeared.
A digital map.
A city layout.
Several points flashed across it.
"Your task is simple," Aika said.
"Design the most efficient strategy to stabilize the city during a large-scale crisis."
The students leaned forward slightly.
This wasn't a normal test.
It was strategy.
Leadership.
Decision making.
Aika added calmly,
"You will have three hours."
The screen shifted again.
A ranking board appeared.
Every student's name was listed.
Currently blank.
Waiting.
"Your performance today will determine the first official ranking of this academy."
That sentence changed everything.
The room became very quiet.
Some students looked determined.
Others looked cautious.
Because the ranking wouldn't just decide prestige.
It would decide influence.
Allowance.
Reputation.
Future opportunities.
Aika stepped slightly away from the podium.
"You may now choose your teams."
The hall exploded into movement.
Students began approaching one another immediately.
Some formed groups quickly.
Others hesitated, calculating the smartest choices.
Across the room, Mei stood uncertainly.
She could already see the pattern.
Many Crown Class students were choosing each other first.
Leaving the Edge Program students behind.
Her grip tightened slightly on the tablet.
Then a voice spoke beside her.
"Looking for a team?"
She turned.
It was Hayashi Kaito.
Score: 100.
His smile looked friendly.
But his eyes were calculating.
"I suppose we should work together," he said casually.
"Efficiency matters, after all."
Mei hesitated.
Before she could answer—
Another chair moved.
Ren stood up.
His gaze passed briefly over them.
Then he spoke calmly.
"I'll join."
The moment froze slightly.
Three very different minds now stood in the same small circle.
Kaito smiled a little wider.
"Well," he said quietly.
"This might get interesting."
At the front of the room, Aika watched the forming teams.
Her expression remained calm.
But deep in her eyes was a quiet spark of curiosity.
The first test had begun.
And the students were already revealing themselves.