Morning arrived far too quickly for Lina.

The moment the academy bell rang throughout the dormitories, countless students began rushing through the halls preparing for the official combat placement.

They Voices echoed everywhere.

"I heard the top-ranked students will fight professors directly."

"Marcus is definitely getting placed into the elite class."

"Did you hear someone’s beast almost killed a guard last night?"

Lina sat quietly at the edge of her bed while nervously fixing her academy uniform,Compared to the excited students outside, she looked far less confident.

Qhuin rested near the window while observing her silently.

The girl had spent nearly half the morning staring at herself in the mirror before changing clothes three times.

’Humans truly complicate simple things’

Lina glanced toward him anxiously.

"...Do I look nervous?"

Qhuin stared at her with a plain look on his face.

"Squeak."

"That doesn’t help."

Qhuin hopped down from the windowsill before stretching lazily.

After feeding last night, his body felt noticeably lighter and stronger. Even his senses had improved slightly.

He could now hear conversations happening several rooms away, Heartbeats, Footsteps, even their breathing

Lina carefully picked him up before taking a deep breath."...Alright."

"Let’s survive this somehow."

*****

The central courtyard of Aurelius Academy was already crowded when they arrived.

Hundreds of students gathered around several massive battle platforms built of black stone, reinforced with magical inscriptions. Professors and senior students stood around the area while discussing placements and rankings.

Some beasts growled aggressively beside their contractors while others remained calm and disciplined.

Qhuin quickly noticed the difference between common students and noble ones.

The nobles carried themselves differently with confidence, pride, and the feeling of entitlement

Most of their beasts also possessed stronger mana signatures,Several students immediately noticed Lina after she entered the courtyard.

Or more specifically—

They noticed Qhuin.

"There’s the rabbit."

"Poor girl."

"She actually came..."

Qhuin ignored the whispers completely, these pathetic insects weren’t worth attention.

Unfortunately—

Someone else approached instead.

"Well if it isn’t the famous rabbit contractor." 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

Marcus.

The brown-haired noble walked confidently through the crowd with his dark-blue eagle perched proudly on his shoulder. Several students naturally followed him, like servants orbiting a king.

His eyes moved lazily toward Lina before settling on Qhuin.

"You know," Marcus said casually, "combat placement might actually be dangerous for something that tiny."

Qhuin stared at him expressionless.

’This human talked far too much’

Lina quietly tightened her grip around Qhuin.

"We’ll manage."

Marcus chuckled softly."With a mortal rank beast?"

His eagle suddenly spread its wings slightly while glaring toward Qhuin again, the beast clearly still remembered their earlier encounter.

Qhuin lazily met its gaze.

The eagle instantly looked away.

’Coward’

Marcus frowned after noticing the reaction had happened again. Before he could speak further, a loud voice echoed across the courtyard.

"All students report to assigned platforms immediately!"

The professors stepped forward one by one as magical screens appeared above the platforms, displaying names and rankings.

Lina quickly searched the lists, hoping for the best at least then she froze seeing her name, or more of where her name was.

"...Platform Seven."

Qhuin followed her gaze.

Unfortunately, Marcus’s name also appeared directly beneath hers.

’How irritating.’

Marcus noticed too before smirking confidently.

"Well, this should be entertaining."

Several nearby students immediately began whispering excitedly.

"The rabbit girl got matched with Marcus?"

"That’s unfair."

"She’s finished."

Qhuin sighed internally hearing their whispers

’Humans truly loved drama.’

The two eventually moved toward Platform Seven alongside several other students.

Professor Valerius stood near the platform, silently overseeing the fight.

The moment Qhuin saw him, his instincts sharpened immediately his body screaming danger.

Even now, Valerius still carried the overwhelming presence of a monster hunter capable of slaughtering ancient creatures.

His golden eyes briefly moved toward Qhuin, then he looked away.

But Qhuin noticed it, that he was watching him carefully.

"Combat placement rules are simple," Valerius announced calmly.

"Students will demonstrate synchronization with their contracted beasts."

"No lethal attacks."

"Matches end immediately upon incapacitation or surrender."

The students nodded quickly, one by one, and matches began across the platform.

A fire serpent clashed against an armored boar.

A lightning hawk overwhelmed a stone turtle.

Several students displayed surprisingly powerful abilities for first years.

Lina grew more nervous after each battle, whereas Qhuin remained calm observing the fights.

’Most of these beasts were unimpressive, strong for humans perhaps, but nothing compared to true monsters.’

Eventually, it was finally their turn

"Marcus Valen."

"Lina Woods."

Their names echoed throughout the platform.

The surrounding students instantly focused on them.

Marcus stepped forward confidently while summoning his eagle onto the battlefield.

The beast spread its wings proudly as wind mana gathered around its body.

Lina slowly walked onto the platform next while carrying Qhuin carefully.

The contrast between them looked ridiculous, one side possessed a majestic combat beast radiating mana, while the other—

A rabbit.

Several students already looked sympathetic.

Marcus sighed dramatically."You should surrender now honestly."

Lina hesitated slightly, then she slowly shook her head.

"...No."

Qhuin glanced at her briefly, at least she had some backbone left.

Valerius calmly raised one hand.

"Begin."

Immediately Marcus’s eagle launched into the air, and wind exploded beneath its wings as it circled above the battlefield.

Lina stood frozen, she clearly had no combat experience whatsoever, seeing this Marcus smirked.

"End this quickly."

The eagle dove down fast aiming for the rabbit instantly.

Students gasped around the platform.

Lina panicked, clenching her hands tightly but Qhuin remained still watching the eagle’s movement, and to him it was slow.

The eagle’s movement looked obvious to his enhanced vampire senses.

Just before impact—

Qhuin hopped away.

Boom!

The eagle crashed directly into the stone platform where he had been standing moments earlier.

Dust exploded outward.

The students blinked in surprise, and some began to whisper.

"That rabbit is fast"

"When can a rabbit move like that"

"You think she gave it something for the fight"

"Maybe look at it, how can a rabbit be that calm...she must have done something to it"

Marcus frowned slightly.

"Hm."

The eagle launched upward again before attacking repeatedly from different angles.

Qhuin effortlessly dodged every strike, each of his movements looked almost graceful.

The crowd slowly became quieter, they felt something was wrong.

A mortal-grade rabbit should not move like this.

Marcus frowned, his eyes filled with anger.

"Catch it already," he shouted at the eagle

The eagle screeched loudly before wind mana gathered heavily around its claws.

Its next attack became significantly faster.

Lina’s face paled, but Qhuin just watched with his crimson eyes, and a small smile appeared on his cute face

The eagle descended like a missile, this time Qhuin didn’t dodge immediately.

Instead—

His crimson eyes flashed faintly.

[Crimson Pressure activated.]

A cold invisible force exploded outward instantly.

The eagle froze midair with fear and its wings lost balance immediately.

Boom!

The beast crashed hard into the battlefield, and the hold place went silent.

Marcus’s eyes widen in shock.

"What—?!"

The eagle trembled violently against the ground refusing to move.

Qhuin calmly hopped toward it, like a cute little bunny, but in the eagle’s eyes he felt terrified, it whimpered quietly before lowering its head completely in submission.

The surrounding students stared speechlessly, and even Lina looked stunned.

Valerius’s golden eyes watched the scene, his eyes filled with curiosity and something more.

Marcus immediately shouted angrily, "Get up!", but the eagle refused completely.

Qhuin stopped directly before the fallen beast.

Then—

"Squeak."

The eagle flinched violently again, and several students nearly burst out laughing from the absurdity of the scene.

Marcus’s proud combat beast was bullied by a rabbit.

Valerius finally spoke calmly.

"...Match concluded."

"Winner: Lina Woods."