What the SS-Rank from the Heavens Says
“W-What... is that...?”
The eyes of everyone in the audience stands were fixed on the sky. It made sense, since S-rank hunters had just descended from above moments ago—but all the scheduled S-rank hunters had already made their entrances. There shouldn’t have been any more.
Yet now, someone was descending from the heavens with an overwhelmingly striking presence. Astride a majestic deer, white hair fluttered in the wind. The deer moved leisurely toward the ground with graceful steps, as if strolling through the air.
The cameras zoomed in on the figure behind the deer, and his face appeared on monitors scattered throughout the venue. The crowd gasped in unison. The snow-white hair was one thing, but those piercing blue eyes and features so perfect they seemed inhuman—like the work of a master sculptor of the ages. Just seeing him on camera was breathtaking; how stunning must he be in person?
With such thoughts, the audience narrowed their eyes, watching the elegant deer descend. Then a gust of wind whipped up a cloud of dust, obscuring the cameras. They panned frantically trying to recapture the deer, but it was nowhere to be found. When the dust finally settled in an instant, the deer that had been floating in the air had vanished without a trace.
The crowd’s disappointment was short-lived. The cameras swiveled urgently and soon captured the deer now landed in the center of the arena—and the man seated atop it. Spectators whipped out their phones, flashes popping everywhere. Annoyed by the barrage of camera shutters, the deer pawed at the ground. The man on its back hopped down lightly and stroked its neck soothingly.
In this surreal scene, the crowd was momentarily entranced. Then the deer’s form gradually faded until it disappeared completely. Cheon Ji-hoo, the white-haired man who had ridden down from the sky like some Santa Claus figure, crossed his arms and surveyed the packed arena—like a soccer stadium full of people—with a faint smile.
‘Those people are here to watch Ji-yoon’s match today.’
Performing his arts before such a large crowd wasn’t entirely new for Cheon Ji-hoo. He’d done it a few times back in the days before earning the title of Archmage—at magic tournaments or presenting research results from the Magic Tower, for instance.
“In that case, maybe I should give them a little show.”
Magic wasn’t just for battle; it had endless uses in everyday life. Reviving dead trees, moving heavy objects...
He uncrossed his arms and snapped his fingers. With a pop, a magic circle etched itself beneath his feet. Tree roots burst forth, twisting together to form a massive trunk. Branches spread out in all directions, soon bursting into beautiful cherry blossoms.
“Whoa...”
“Incredible...”
Gasps of awe rippled through the crowd—but only for a moment. The petals soon scattered on the wind. The stands were blanketed in blossoms, and the great tree withered naturally, crumbling to ash that drifted away. Cheon Ji-hoo clapped his hands with a sharp crack! beneath it, snapping the dazed audience out of their cherry blossom trance. They blinked and rubbed their eyes; the flowers were gone. The tree, too.
Cheon Ji-hoo stood tall once more, arms crossed regally. Guards securing the venue rushed over, weapons trained on him as they encircled him. But moments later, someone came panting from the entrance and explained something to them. Only then did the guards lower their guns and back off.
“Cheon Ji-hoo-ssi!”
“Joo-hwan.”
“It’s Joo-hwan! Lee Joo-hwan! What brings you here? Oh, right—your sister’s a student here, isn’t she?”
“Yeah. I figured I’d drop by since it’s tournament day.”
“But that entrance... why so flashy?”
“I looked up some videos, and everyone else was doing it.”
‘What the hell did you watch?’
Lee Joo-hwan sighed inwardly and first led Cheon Ji-hoo away from the arena center. He guided him to an empty waiting room and said,
“I thought my heart was gonna drop out. For real.”
“Why would your heart drop just because I showed up?”
“Can you blame me? You’re the star of the hottest rumor right now, Cheon Ji-hoo-ssi... and your face hasn’t even been revealed yet. Plus, things are tense after that incident last night.”
“I see.”
“Yeah... Anyway, I’ll smooth things over. If you’re here as a participant’s guardian, I can escort you to the audience seats inside.”
“Sure, whatever.”
Cheon Ji-hoo followed Lee Joo-hwan to the waiting room. Its large floor-to-ceiling windows offered a clear view of the arena, and several monitors were set up as well. It was already bustling with people who’d arrived early—guardians of today’s participants, all wearing excited expressions as they awaited the start.
When Cheon Ji-hoo entered, all eyes snapped to him. His rare platinum-white hair, blue eyes, and foreign-looking features deterred anyone from approaching. He scanned the room and plopped down in the front row, where the arena was perfectly visible.
“Enjoy the show.”
Lee Joo-hwan bowed politely and stepped away. Cheon Ji-hoo crossed his legs, gazing boredly at the arena, when a middle-aged man plopped down beside him and struck up a conversation.
“Nice to meet you. You don’t look like a typical parent—here to scout for your guild?”
At the man’s words, he blinked. Fair enough; these tournaments doubled as student pitches to guilds. Finding the man annoying, he ignored him and stayed quiet, but the guy took it as agreement and kept chattering.
“I’m here for my kid. Still a first-year, but ever since awakening, his talent’s been off the charts. Might even take first in the first-year division.”
“Oh, and you’re the guy who rode in on that deer earlier, right? Guilds are getting creative with promo these days.”
“Kids these days lack grit, you know? That tenacity. You gotta go all-in on everything—succeed or fail spectacularly. Sigh.”
But the man talked way too much. His voice wasn’t soft and murmur-y; it hammered into his eardrums like nails, grating on his nerves. He snapped his fingers, drawing a small magic circle. A soundproof barrier of mana rose between them, blocking all noise. Much better.
He turned back to the arena just as the starting signal sounded. Students streamed out from the entrance, waving to the crowd. Twenty awakened students per year level for a total of sixty, running a tournament to select the top two per grade, then a final six-way bracket.
The first matches were the first-years. With smooth announcing, the bouts began. The arena was divided into ten sections—like a go board—meaning four rounds per grade to crown winners. About ten minutes per round, so roughly three hours total including breaks.
Cheon Ji-hoo’s gaze went to the bottom-right section. There stood Cheon Ji-yoon, wooden sword dangling loosely. Her eyes met his, and she squeezed them shut, cheeks flushing red.
Is she embarrassed that her big bro came to watch? He resolved to be a better brother. He gave her a small wave, and the match started.
How much had her skill grown? Her wooden sword traced an elegant arc.
“Ooh...”
Quick steps. The sword tip sliced smoothly through the air in a perfect curve. Aggressive swordplay that stole her opponent’s rhythm in one breath. It smacked the enemy’s wrist, forcing the sword to drop. Even though the opponent was an awakened hunter, he couldn’t react to Ji-yoon’s pure technique. He scrambled for his fallen sword, but she wouldn’t allow it—knocking it away with her tip and leveling it at his throat.
The referee in her section declared her victory. The fastest win out of all ten.
‘That’s my sister. That’s the bare minimum.’
Match after match, she dominated the first-years, claiming first place. No surprise. With a sword spirit at her side, anything less would mean abandoning her swordmaster dreams forever.
The first-years filed back to the waiting room, followed by second- and third-year matches. Everything proceeded smoothly. The students poured their all into impressing guilds, putting on a good show. Arms still crossed, Cheon Ji-hoo waited impatiently for Ji-yoon’s return.
And there she was. The top two from each grade—six students total—took the field. They split into six sections at the referee’s call. Ji-yoon again disarmed her foe with swift strikes, and it worked. Officially B-rank, but her real power was S-rank or higher. Victorious once more, she beamed toward the waiting room.
Cheon Ji-hoo waved back. They moved to the semifinals, then the finals—
Suddenly, the sky darkened. Dingy mana blanketed the entire school. Spectators and students evacuated under guard instructions. Cheon Ji-hoo narrowed his eyes at the sky. Not a magical barrier—more like a hunter skill.
“Hm.”
What the hell was this? No warning whatsoever. He sat still as the waiting room door burst open. Lee Joo-hwan pushed through the crowd to him, mouthing words silently.
Blub blub.
Cheon Ji-hoo tilted his head. Why was he flapping his lips like a fish? Then he remembered the soundproof barrier and snapped his fingers to dispel it.
“What’s going on?”
“We’re under attack. Unknown intruders have breached the grounds, taken some students hostage, and barricaded themselves.”
“Plenty of S-rank hunters earlier.”
“They’ve all left. And just now—this barrier? It’s cut us off from the outside. No comms. HCU will send backup once they notice, but...”
“Why tell me?”
“You’re the highest-ranked hunter on campus right now, Cheon Ji-hoo-ssi. So I’m asking for your cooperation. Guards are evacuating people. I won’t ask you to take down the attackers—just protect the students?”
Cheon Ji-hoo nodded. Lee Joo-hwan’s eyes were that desperate. Besides, he’d planned to nab the culprits anyway. They’d interrupted Ji-yoon’s big finale. He’d invited himself precisely so she could shine.
He stood. “Lead the way. I’ll help.”
Time to give these clueless bastards a taste of the Archmage’s spicy side.