Ethereal: The Goddess's Blood

Chapter 8: Performance

Chapter 8: Performance

YVO’S horse just arrived on the entrance of the place where the competition was to be held when the girl immediately disappeared from the young man's eyes.

"Where did she go?" the guy whispered in the air as he tied his horse to the trunk of a large tree near the entrance.

Yvo was still busy outside as he was recognized by his people while Zeiden was in a hurry to go inside so that she could register immediately.

Upon entering, she immediately noticed the number of participants who also wanted to enter the Mystique University.

Zeiden was about to ask anyone her eyes would see where to register when she saw the right-side part of the room with a long queue. A creased appeared on her forehead as she took a heavy sigh before trying to patiently join the flow of the queue.

While waiting for the long queue to move, the girl decided to look around the room. It looks like a normal place from the outside but now that she is inside, she could see how huge the room was as she could estimate that it could accommodate hundreds of people. It also has a large stage covered with a seemingly cage fence with magic that will be really needed so that the power of the performer will not affect the people who will be watching.

"Next!"

The loud shout of the woman attending to the participants awakened Zeiden’s dozing mind.

"What shall I do?"

The eagerness of the girl's tone made the woman named Fiona, who was in charge of the participants, create crease on her forehead. She looked at the next participant and noticed the color of the girl's hair. Black? What ability will black hair and eyes show? Or is there really? Her eyebrows being raised were not discreetly made so Zeiden knew that she was being judged. Still, that did not kill her excitement.

"Just stick your hand on that paper, put some of your mana towards it and wait for a few seconds. Once the aura released by the magical paper shows a different color other than white, you will be the twentieth participant to pass," the woman explained to Zeiden that made the latter frown.

"Why only twenty when the number of people who lined up earlier are around hundreds?" Zeiden asked.

"They didn't pass," Fiona replied shortly.

Zeiden began to place her hand on the paper and it immediately released a yellow aura—the lowest spot after white.

Everyone who saw it thought that was all in there, that she was a weak one, including the one behind Zeiden, Ebba, and the woman Fiona, but they were wrong.

The paper's aura quickly changed into orange, then red, brown, pink, light violet, sky blue, dark violet, dark blue, ash gray, black!

The paper she was holding turned black! A shocking event!

Everyone thought that was all and nothing more would surprise them but the paper that Zeiden was holding with her right hand gradually burned to ashes.

"How did that happen?!"

"A monster!"

Zeiden groaned when she realized something. She planned to lie low. That’s true because she didn’t want to get a lot of attention. How can her plan to show her average power in the competition happen now if the fight has already started and she has already performed a miracle?

"Y-You passed!" Fiona gasped in shock.

And since the participant's name was not recorded on the magical paper, she decided to ask about it in person.

Zeiden was about to leave when the woman caught her attention.

"W-Wait! What's your name?" Fiona asked her.

"Call me Zeiden," the maiden replied and then she smiled.

The smile was just normal at first glance but soon it delivered goosebumps to all who saw it.

ZEIDEN patiently waited for her turn.

While waiting, she did not get too bored because many of the participants showed a good scene in showcasing their talent. Not like that was surprising because most of the participants were from families with a golden or diamond spoon; low and higher rank nobles, government officials, wealthy commoners.

Then, when her name was called, she marched to the center of the stage with her posture straight while oozing with confidence.

"Who is she?!"

"I feel no power in her!"

"Is she special?"

"There's nothing strange about her except her black eyes and hair!"

Zeiden has not reach the center of the place yet when everyone gasped in surprise at what was revealed in front of their eyes.

"How could she walk in the air?!"

"Look! She’s floating!"

"Is she from the Kingdom of Wisteria?!"

When the king of Wisteria, all the other kings and queens, the prince and princess—who were seated upstairs on their designated place—heard about the last comment, the king suddenly felt like an exemplary father as the rest looked at their direction. One more push, he might have said to those next to him, "That girl is from Wisteria!" But out of embarrassment, he did not.

"But what is this that I see?! Large chunks of crystals?!"

"Look, she's making her way!"

"Why is it so cold?!"

"Is she an ice mage?!"

"Then she's from the Kingdom of Hægl?!"

As the audience embraced themselves because of the sudden decrease of temperature, the king of the coldest kingdom just smiled when he saw the face of the woman who helped his son again. The king's wife expressed a large smile when Zeiden glanced at their direction. Snow happily waved her hand in front of her sister Zeiden while Frost next to her just wondered why the color of the woman's eyes and hair suddenly changed into black.

The glowing large icicles under the maiden’s feet continued to appear while she is taking a step that created a path towards the center of the stage. From outside the barrier, she waved her left hand five times toward the center of the stage, and it produced a frighteningly sharp pointed star.

Upon entering the fence, she stood and positioned herself at the center of the star left with a hole using her levitation spell. Then, Zeiden's moved her hand again causing the edges of the star to raise upwards and wrap around her.

"W-What is she doing?!"

"Is she crazy?!"

"Look! It's snowing!"

The snowfall amazed the people. How could she make the whole place have such a beautiful rain of snow when once the mage entered inside the barrier its power would be restricted in it to make sure that no danger from mistakes could befall to the audience?

Soon, the ice that wrapped around and covered Zeiden’s whole body earlier had opened. Then, she opened her eyes that were closed, revealing the irises of her eyes that suddenly turned white. Afterwards, she pointed her index finger towards north and immediately, a giant cyclops—that seemed lifeless—formed on the place. Then again, she pointed her finger—this time towards to the northwest. Then, a gigantic wolf formed. Again, the wolf did not move, as if it was just a gentle puppy in its place—or more like a statue. Then, to the northeast, a large white serpent formed. In the southwest, a fairy emerged and in the southeast, a mixture of gold and white dragon emerged.

The spectators were amazed at what they witnessed. They felt how powerful the creatures created by woman were.

However, their awe turned into horror and fear as soon as the creatures ran towards one direction with an overwhelming bloodlust flowing from them. The wolf howled aggressively, as the serpent hissed. Then the dragon and the cyclops growled.

All the creatures are running to attack their creator!

"Oh my!"

"What's going to happen?!"

"Th-This is amazing!"

The creatures made by the woman turned to pile of snow when they collided. Zeiden gave everyone a miniature of her ice creations. Snow and even Paris jumped in joy when they received the puppies made of ice.

"Thank you, sister Zeiden!"

"Thank you, Zeiden!"

The two thanked the maiden at the same time so they looked at each other and giggled. They didn’t notice the audience looking at them. The two princesses just focused their attention on Zeiden who was smiling and waving her hands happily at them.

Everyone was still in daze when the speaker spoke.

"Alright! That was a blast and a very magical performance! Judges, her fate is at your hands—woah! Everyone voted ten for the very beautiful lady," he announced cheerfully.

"Anyway, before you proceed to the university, everyone would like to know your name!"

The host pretended that it was only because of his duty that he asked for her name that he even used the audience but, because of what he witnessed, he himself is also highly interested to the girl who did not just look beautiful—she was also powerful!

The maiden smiled genuinely which melted the hearts of all the spectators who saw it.

"I'm Zeiden. Thank you so much jurors for letting me to enter the university," she said with a smile which garnered mixed reactions from the audience before she disappeared from their sight.

"All those who pass the competition are automatically teleported to Mystique University. That's all and thank you so much for watching the spectacles with us."