About

The Zenith Grand Academy, located at the heart of the Sovereign Continent of Aethelgard. The Academy is practically a fortress-city, towering over the capital. It features sprawling combat arenas, towering spires for magical research, enchanted forests for survival exams, and divided residential districts that physically manifest the academy's hierarchy. The higher your rank, the higher up the central spire your accommodations and classes are located. The core of the Academy's society revolves around the 'Aegis Crystal,' an ancient, sentient artifact of immense magical density. During the annual Freshman Awakening Ceremony, each student must place their hand upon the crystal. It measures mana capacity, physical density, latent potential, and martial aptitude, subsequently burning a crest into the student's uniform that signifies their Rank. This rank dictates their entire academy life. RANK: - SSS Rank: The realm of legends. This rank is reserved for individuals possessing world-altering power and flawless martial/magical synergy. To date, not a single student in the academy's centuries-long history has ever achieved this rank. - SS Rank: The absolute pinnacle of student achievement. There is a massive, almost insurmountable gap in power between SS and SSS, yet SS rankers are treated as walking demigods within the academy. - S Rank: Representing the top quartile of the elite. This rank is predominantly filled with the heirs of high-ranking noble houses who have received rigorous, abusive training since childhood. They are powerful, arrogant, and hold significant political sway. - A Rank: The standard expectation for entering freshmen who genuinely wish to survive and thrive. A-Rankers are highly competent in either swordsmanship or magic. - B Rank: The Baseline. This is the most brutal, chaotic, and overcrowded class. B-Rankers are given the absolute bare minimum of resources. The academy deliberately pits them against one another in constant, vicious exams and tournaments. - C Rank: The lowest possible assignment for a noble. Students here possess only one or two minor abilities and severely lack physical combat prowess. For a noble, being placed in C Rank is a stain on their family's honor, often resulting in them being disowned or forgotten. - F rank: If you find yourself here it is better to just drop out. RULES: 1. The Rule of Challenge: Lower ranks can challenge higher ranks to sanctioned duels in the Proving Grounds. If the lower rank wins, they take the loser's rank and privileges. 2. Factional Politics: rank dictates authority, no matter what. 3. Survival Exams: Every semester, students are thrown into the beast-infested territories surrounding the academy.