chapter 4 performance

Kaeya waved her hand before his face and asked if he was listening. He snapped out of it and nodded to her.

“That man can’t challenge my spot. He tried to declare war against me for my 1st rank a long time ago, but it backfired. He failed to claim the 1st rank, and when you claimed your 2nd rank title, he wanted that instead,” said Daemon, his determination shining through.

“I strongly believe that his plan will fail miserably and compel him to withdraw,” Kaeya asserted.

“He used to be rank 3, but they took it from him. He came 4th, 5th, 6th, and so on, and he ended up hitting rock bottom at 20th place due to not attending his classes and not doing well in his classwork,” said Daemon.

“He is so bitter that he cannot step up his game, so that's why he won’t make it far, but for now, we should rest up,” said Kaeya as she unlocked her door.

“Yes, we need our beauty sleep after all,” said Daemon as he unlocked his door.

As soon as they opened their doors slowly, all of a sudden, they were hit with pies straight in the face.

“Ugh, I hate pumpkins, and it’s mixed with soda—what a bad combo he’s made,” said Kaeya as she wiped her face with her handkerchief.

“Gross, is this coconut mixed with dragon fruit that has gone bad? It tastes terrible,” said Daemon as he wiped his face.

“It seems we both thought of the same thing, but you need to work on your cooking skills,” said Kaeya.

“That goes for you, too,” said Daemon as they laughed and headed inside for a nice rest.

“What design should I make for the androids? I should make a male and female outfit just in case they are working on the android tomorrow,” said Azura, thinking hard about what would suit them.

“An elegant style would fit them best,” said Azura as she made the models and drew their hair.

She drew a ribbon on the hair of the female model, with a small ruby on it.

Azura drew a top hat with a bow and an aquamarine gem for the male model.

“A cute red dress with a bit of pink on it. As for the other one, a formal outfit to match the top hat; his tie will be blue, and his pants will be black to match the formal attire,” said Azura as she finished drawing it and started coloring it in detail.

She took out her sewing kit and fabric and started making the outfits.

“Finally finished, this is a true masterpiece. I hope everyone loves it, and I did my best on this design,” said Azura, feeling proud of her work.

“We all have to come up with something grand for the future,” everyone said simultaneously before sleeping.

Class began, and everyone worked hard in each class. They studied for the big exam to determine their rank.

The exam contained math, science, reading, and writing, along with testing their other skills like athletics, art, and performance together.

“Everyone settle down; I get you’re nervous about your test scores. The highest ones will come forth and present their skills, art, and performance,” said the principal.

The score showed Daemon, Kaeya, and Apophis with the highest score and fast timing with no wrong answers.

“The ranking for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd will be based on who does the best, and the remaining ranks will be given for having a good test score along with your timing on how long it took you to finish,” said the principal, announcing it.

“It seems you have improved. I didn’t even think you worked that hard, rank 20 Apophis,” said Kaeya as she glared at him.

“Ha, I’ll wipe the floor with you. Keep talking that way, and the second rank will be mine,” said Apophis as he crossed his arms, waiting for the principal to call them up.

“Man, they are both so competitive, and I thought I loved a good challenge. But they seem to be more into it than I am, which is the funny part because that never happens to me,” said Daemon as he shrugged his shoulders.

“It seems our champions have ranked high again: Daemon, who was in first place, and Kaeya, who’s ranked second, and oh, this is a surprise. Apophis made it. He used to be ranked at 20, and he is going to compete with Daemon and Kaeya, who have kept their rank for a very long time,” said Principle.

“You will be third rank; there's no way you can take second rank from me,” said Kaeya, glaring at him.

“Ignorance will consume you if you aren't careful,” said Apophis as he started smirking at her.

“Now the three of you will show your performance skills and we’ll see how good you really are,” said the principal as he beckoned them to come to the stage.

“Now, head to the back of the stage. You have 10 minutes before showing us your talents,” said the principal, nodding at them

Kaeya and Apophis give each other a stare; neither intends to back down.

“What a pain! I'm going to practice my skills; I would rather not get rusty,” said Daemon as he started practicing.

“You’re an eyesore; leave and bother someone else,” said Kaeya as she glared at Apophis and started practicing her dancing.

“Don't think of getting near me either, or you’ll get my fist,” said Daemon as he practiced his music skill.

“Fine, you two are family; look at your attitude,” said Apophis as he polished his skill and performance.

“Are you three ready? It's time for you guys to show your skills, and first up is Daemon, then Kaeya, and lastly, Apophis,” said the principal.

“My performance is to play instruments from across the world,” said Daemon.

He started playing a calming melody on an instrument from China called a bianzhong.

The next one he played was from Germany, called Celesta, which looked like a piano. Daemon played each piece of music according to where the instruments came from.

The next one he played was from Japan; a taishogoto from the Taisho period. The melody reminded everyone there were peaceful times, even during times of war.

“That was great,” said Kaeya as she looked at Daemon’s performance.

“You are excited about this a little too much; he played this last year's ranking,” said Apophis as he walked away.

“You just don't have a taste for music or good literature,” said Kaeya as she finished her outfits.

Next was France, and Daemon played the organ gracefully.

The one he played next was a harp from England he was given as a kid. He began to play his music, and everyone closed their eyes and relaxed.

Daemon took a small break and looked at his next music score. After he finished, he picked up the following instrument.

It was from Vietnam, and its name was T'rung. It was made from small bamboo tubes of different sizes.

Daemon finished his performance and bowed to everyone. Everyone clapped their hands and threw various flowers onto the stage.

He gathered all the flowers, waved to them, and went backstage, where he felt intense pressure from Kaeya and Apophis.

“You're going to have to step up your game if you plan to take 2nd place from me,” said Kaeya as she walked up to him.

“I’m not scared of losing, and how can you be so sure that you can win?” said Apophis as he polished his things.

“I never lose when it comes to ranking, and I don't ever plan to let anyone take my rank,” said Kaeya.

“You can keep saying that, but it won't change the fact that you will eventually lose, and who cares about when we enter this school? It’s always the same thing each day,” said Apophis as he glared at her.

“You're so optimistic about this. You always say the same boring old thing,” said Kaeya, crossing her arms.

“Ugh, I come back to see you two arguing again. It pains me to even stand in the same room as you,” said Daemon as he sat down and placed his flowers into a vase.

“Kaeya, it’s your turn. Are you ready to show off your performance?" said the principal as he went backstage.

“I’m ready and good to go,” said Kaeya as she glared at Apophis and headed toward the front of the stage.

“Ha, let's see what she got up her sleeves this year,” said Apophis as he peeked at the stage.

“It's so troublesome; it gives me a slight headache, but it’s not a major deal,” said Daemon as he drank water to cool down.

“I will be performing dances from other countries,” said Kaeya.

A smoke screen appeared, and her outfit changed to the country she would perform in.

It was Japan, and the dance was called Kabuki; she elegantly danced around holding her fan. Background music started playing to match her tempo.

“So that’s your performance to dance; I admit that it’s good but not good enough,” said Apophis as he went back to polishing his things.

A smoke screen appeared at the start of each performance, and Kaeya used it to quickly change into her next costume.

The next dance was from Vietnam. It was called Xòe. She performed the dance impressively, curtsied, and took a deep breath.

“It seems my cousin Kaeya’s performance is going well,” said Daemon as the crowd clapped and cheered.

“Have you bothered even looking before complimenting her on a good job?” Apophis said as he eavesdropped on Daemon.

“Why don't you keep your nose out of everyone's business? In due time, someone will teach you a lesson on manners,” said Daemon as he enjoyed a fresh pot of rose tea.

“I know what you're planning, and it won’t succeed anyway,” said Apophis as he sighed.

“Oh, you sure know things, but what can you do?” Daemon laughed, turned around, and glared at him.

“That's for me to know and for you to find out on your own, and your hacking buddies won’t find any dirt on me or what I’m supposedly up to,” said Apophis as he laughed and walked away to get some refreshments.

The next dance was from Thailand, Khon, known for its graceful and elaborate body movements.

Kaeya’s outfit started sparkling from the spotlight shining on her while she danced.

The next one was from Mexico, and the dance was called Jarabe Tapatio.

It was known for its colorful dresses and for having someone there to dance with them, but Kaeya did it alone because she could show off her skills without help.

Subsequently, she changed her outfit again. The dance she went with was from South Korea, and its name was Buchaechum, which is known for having a group to dance with.

Kaeya swiftly moved around, making a rose as if others were helping her.

Everyone was stunned by how beautifully she danced because it was complicated enough to coordinate everything in a group, let alone solo. Next, she chose ballet, which originated in Italy.

Kaeya began to spin and jump without changing the dance pattern.

She bent back and twirled and jumped a few more times. Kaeya carefully landed on the ground and got back up.

The last dance she decided to perform was a court dance from China, which was known for its music, etiquette, costume, poetry, and song.

Kaeya began to sing and dance and show her etiquette to everyone; after she finished, she curtsied again to show that she was done.

They cheered loudly and threw stuffed animals and other gifts onto the stage.

Kaeya gave everyone air kisses, started picking up their gifts, and thanked them before heading backstage.

“Try topping that. Enjoy 3rd place,” said Kaeya as she lay on the sofa and relaxed before the principal announced the ranking.

“You're sleeping already? It’s not over yet, and we’ll see about that,” said Apophis.

“Are you all set? You are the last one to perform,” said the principal as he called him.

“I’m all set to win this, and she can say whatever she wants; it doesn't bother me in the slightest,” said Apophis as he got everything out.

Everyone applauded Apophis and cheered, but it wasn't as exciting as the applause for Daemon and Kaeya.

“Ha, I heard the coward; let’s see if he can convince them,” said Kaeya as she opened one eye before she fell asleep.

“He is known for many things in the school. So I can see why he isn't popular,” said Daemon as he laid back to read his book.

“For my performance, I will wield weapons,” Apophis said. He started by showing off his archery, hitting the target three times without missing.

Then, he showed off his dart skills, took out his sword, and demonstrated his technique.

Next was lancing; one after the other, he showed many skills.

He finished showing off his skills, and they all clapped at his performance.

“Now it’s time for the ranking everyone had waited for,” said the principal.

Daemon, Kaeya, and Apophis stood beside each other and waited for the results.