Atela recognized this man.
Participants were divided into different classes according to their strength and abilities: E, D, C, B, A—from weakest to strongest.
Some exceptional individuals, whose strength approaches that of the Generals, reach rank S.
Devi Harman was among the seven individuals who had attained this level.
Little by little, Atela began to understand the situation.
"The memory alteration… it didn't affect everyone. So… does Harman still remember my role as Guardian?"
Maelle, however, disagreed.
According to him, if Harman still possessed those memories, he would have been able to recognize her energy signature, even in the middle of the crowd.
She nevertheless added a nuance:
"For the Generals… the question remains open."
Noa, meanwhile, observed his surroundings.
All the participants were under eighteen.
And unlike Atela, their expressions all shared the same thing: this was their first time here.
He raised his hand.
— Mr. Harman.
He immediately attracted attention. Several gazes turned toward him.
— Yes, I'm listening.
Noa spoke calmly, with confidence:
— Apparently, everyone here is participating for the first time. And since there are only two selections per year… what happens to the people who are eliminated?
Harman looked surprised… then amused.
Few people addressed an S-rank Leader so freely.
Most were intimidated by his status.
But Noa acted naturally.
A faint smile appeared on Devi's face.
— Very good question. Eliminated candidates will never be allowed to take the selection again.
A murmur spread through the assembly.
Some participants immediately turned pale.
Sensing the rising tension, Harman added:
— That said, they will still be integrated into the kingdom's army, even without obtaining the Leader title.
Noa quickly understood one thing:
No one could try again… without knowing the consequences.
Harman then raised a finger.
— If you don't mind… we will begin.
He lowered it.
Instantly—
An overwhelming pressure fell upon the entire room.
The participants instinctively released their aura.
Some wavered, surprised.
Atela brought a hand to her mouth, sweat forming on her forehead.
In this world, when two auras come into contact, the weaker one yields to the stronger.
A natural interference.
The greater the difference, the more brutal the suppression.
Atela turned her head toward Noa.
His aura was already active around him.
— This is the first elimination test. The last 500 able to maintain their aura active… succeed.
Noa quickly analyzed it.
Despite the pressure, maintaining a stable intensity allowed resistance.
But—
If the pressure changed suddenly…
Without warning, several auras shut down in succession.
A domino effect.
— He's gradually increasing the pressure… to prevent any adaptation.
Atela, however, was holding without difficulty.
Her control over her energy was nearly perfect.
Noa, on the other hand, was adapting even faster than the others… despite having less mastery over raw energy.
One conclusion became clear:
If Harman had released his full power all at once… no one would have stood a chance.
Clack.
The pressure vanished.
Harman released his aura.
Silence returned.
— 500. That is the number of participants who succeeded.
The eliminated collapsed.
Some fell to their knees.
Others cried.
In contrast, the survivors remained calm—serious… or sometimes strangely detached.
Noa, for his part, showed almost nothing.
But internally—
"I must not fail."
His gaze hardened slightly.
"The closer I get to the Leader title… the closer I get to my goal. There is no way I'm going to fail this damn selection."