Nally took her seat in the exam hall and began to look around. The room was divided into three large terraces, each with around one hundred seats. She found herself in the top right corner, joined by Hitto and Jonah, who sat on either side of her.

Hitto was busy looking upwards at the white ceiling instead of paying attention to what was going on. This was a problem, of course, as Nally was not too confident in his ability to write a test. Sure, when it came to fights, he’s been super effective, but a test? He was already struggling to read a map. How would he get past this?

And Jonah. Oh boy. His face was bloodshot red, and his hands shook like a freezing deer. Plus, his excessive, uneven breathing was forcing its way into her ears. At this rate, Nally wasn’t too sure she’d even be focused enough to write the exam.

“Let’s try to relax, guys,” she suggested, mainly directing the comment to her new acquaintance. “And focus on the test.”

A meek nod was all she got from Jonah as Hitto let out a smirk. “You don’t have to tell me that. I’m already ready for this!”

Is he really? She sighed.

----------------------------------------

[At the front of the exam hall]

Meanwhile, Dr. Scale was finally done setting up. The invigilators were ready to move, and everyone was almost seated. All that was left was to give the exam instructions and begin the test.

Not bad, he thought to himself with a grin. Even without Ozo and Snowl, I’ve been able to get everything done.

He watched as the last few examinees took their seats in the very front row. Among them was Damon Crowe, who was staring directly at him. His brows were furrowed as he flashed a frown. For what reason was he so upset? Dr. Scale hadn’t the faintest ideas.

“Alright then,” the doctor began, taking a stand at the podium. “I hope you can all hear me clearly with the voice amplifier. I will now state the rules for the written examination: One, upon hearing the bell, you may begin the test. Two, once you hear the bell again, the test is finished. And three, attacking invigilators or myself is strictly forbidden. Any questions?”

A single hand shot up in the middle row of the second terrace. Dr. Scale recognized the person as Sven Sommers' son, Ned Sommers. Upon locking eyes with him and giving a nod, the boy spoke. “How long is the test?”

“Till you hear the bell,” the doctor replied. “Anyone else?” he asked while looking around at the rather tense crowd. “No? Then, you may begin handing out the test invigilators. Once everyone has one, we will begin.”

And with that, eight men in all black phased around the exam hall, covering each of the terraces. Like ninjas, they effectively and efficiently got the test to every single test taker in under five minutes and returned to the front. Then, the bell rang, and papers flung open.

…

In the front row, a boy right beside Damon was eager to write his test. Until he realized he had no pen or pencil. Instantly, he cussed as he began to flip through his bag for some stationaries. He and most had not expected a written test this year, especially with the last few years only having physical exams. What was with the change?

“Does anyone have an extra pencil?” he quickly asked. Practically everyone shook their heads as worry began to fill the area. “Not a single one of you!?”

“I do!” a girl in the second row responded. She had a bright smile on her face as she held up a dozen or so pens. “I can lend you all some, but please share them the moment you are done your test. It doesn’t look too hard. It’s just a bunch of geography and history.”

…

Then, Damon stood from his seat and let out a large yawn as his muscles tightened underneath his wifebeater. He had nothing on his person except for a large broadsword hoisted on his back. People couldn't help but let out small gasps or "eeps" when he merely glanced in their direction.

“Do you want a pen too?” the girl asked, slightly intimidated.

“No,” he responded, turning on an axel and leaping into the second row right in front of her. He then clutched the hilt of his blade and gnashed his teeth as a vicious expression sullied his face. “Write my test for me right now.”

“No!” she stammered quickly. “Everyone should write their test themselves. It's only fair.”

“Yeah!” another person agreed.

“Do it yourself!”

Damon unsheathed the broadsword and swung it ferociously. The blade clipped cleanly through the girl's head as bystanders watched on in fear. Her neck erupted blood like a fountain as her body began to sag towards the ground. He then ripped the pens out of her lifeless pale hand and crushed all but one.

“WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU,” the boy who sat next to him raged.

He brandished his blade and instantly leapt toward his foe. Their blades clashed as many fled the area to avoid the bout. At first, the fight appeared to be even, with exchanges being made for either party. But then, Damon let out a scoff as his muscles once again tightened. He stood still, receiving a heavy swing from his foe to his right arm that didn’t even leave a scratch.

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“What,” the boy mumbled.

“Divine art,” the large man responded. “Muscle Enhancement.”

The boy then dropped his blade as Damon cleaved him in two, with his blood splattering everywhere. Then, he took a quick scan of the exam hall while cleaning his blade. He spotted a smart-looking boy wearing glasses in the first row whom he walked towards. Fearing potential consequences, everyone instinctively cleared a path, wary of what he might unleash upon them if they didn’t.

“Write my test,” he gnashed again.

“Y-yes!” the boy responded, extending out his hand and taking the paper.

“No, he won’t,” a person called. He came into view with three others. They were all dressed in knight's attire, sporting spears and swords. “Let him go. This tyranny ends here.”

“Isn’t that Sir Malcolm's party?” an onlooker questioned.

“It is! That’s Sir Malcolm! I heard he was selected as a candidate.”

Damon let out a sigh as he shook his head, “What are you talking about?” he frowned while walking towards them. “You think just because you’re a talented candidate, you can come over here and chat?”

“You heard me!” the knight insisted again. “Let them go, or you’ll be forced to face us all.”

Damon pointed his blade at his new foes and began to dart towards them. Examinees screamed and fled the area as the imposing figure clashed with Sir Malcolm. His group could only remain motionless in the presence of the staggering difference in strength. They watched on in awe as Malcolm successfully parried away attack after attack. He then used his smaller frame to his advantage, sliding through Damon's legs and delivering a blow to his back before staggering onto his feet.

The chiselled figure felt the wound slightly. Thankfully, it was shallow, but it was still alarming. He had activated Muscle Enhancement before the attack registered, so usually, that would mean physical attacks would be rendered harmless. But that wasn’t the case with Sir Malcolm.

That means, Damon frowned to himself. I have to take this a bit more seriously.

----------------------------------------

[In the middle of the second terrace]

From his seat, Rurah watched in disappointment as chaos unfolded beneath him. Examinees were running around mindlessly, bumping into each other, while others took advantage of the situation to commit atrocious acts.

Especially that large buzz-cut guy, he frowned. Ned and I should remain wary of him. There is a chance he could bring that madness up here.

Even though the unexpected events surprised everyone in the hall, the area where he sat stayed pretty calm. He and Ned had planned ahead and brought pencils for their tests. Plus, most people knew better than to mess with them. After all, it's not common to see a guy over six feet tall carrying a warhammer. That alone was enough to keep the peace.

“This is all common sense,” he smiled while looking over towards Ned. “I don’t even get the point of having us tested on this. Even a toddler could answer these questions.”

“That may be a stretch,” Ned laughed.

Six black figures materialized around them, disrupting their moment. Initially, they mistook them for invigilators, but a swift glance confirmed otherwise. Rurah promptly stood up and glared at the intruders. "What do you want?" he asked sternly.

One of them stood forward and undid the mask that covered their face. Long, light purple locks falling to around hip length took Rurah by surprise. It was a girl. Her eyes were the same shade of purple, and two beauty marks could be seen directly below both of them. She then graced them with a polite and courteous smile.

…

"Crystal!?" Ned exclaimed, taken aback by her sudden presence. "Crystal Vargas?"

“Hey Ned!” she chirped. “It’s been a while!”

It had been. The last time Ned saw Crystal was at the Academy, and he was now wishing it stayed that way. Her father, Mollox Vargas, was the leader of the Assassination Guild - the most notorious institution in Mundus. Whenever someone from that family was around, trouble followed.

“Why are you here?” he asked discreetly. “You’re already a member of the Association.”

“Someone wants you to fail the exam,” she grinned. “I’m here to see that through.”

“Who??” Ned raged before quickly containing himself. He knew better than to entertain a Vargas. It was exactly what they wanted.

So, instead, he closed his eyes tightly and began muttering words under his breath. Alerted, Crystal swiftly signalled for two of her guild members to attack. Springing into the air, they approached Ned before being stopped by Rurah. The giant pummeled them both into the ground in rapid succession.

Her eyes widened in response, seemingly recognizing Rurah’s strength.

“Release!” she yelled. Instantly, black flickered all around her as she regrouped her remaining allies and scowled. “You two, with me! And you, fight Ned.”

…

Two of her companions nodded as they flickered over towards Rurah with her. The giant readied himself for the attack but was completely caught off when they went for his test paper instead. Surprised, he pounced after them as they took off towards the upper portions of the terrace.

As the examinees scattered from the scene, the titan extended an arm toward Crystal's dangling leg. Seizing it, he lifted her into the air. With a quick motion resembling a whip, he prepared to slam her into the chairs forcefully. However, at the last moment, she vanished from his grip.

Then, he noticed a shadow below him getting bigger and bigger. Confused, he looked at it with curiosity and a slight bit of –

Crystal appeared from the shadow with a knife jutting out of her mouth. The titan quickly tried to position his head out of the way, but he hadn’t reacted in time. She slammed the blade into his jaw, with blood splattering everywhere as he staggered back.

She then unclenched her teeth from the blade and used his chest as a bounce pad to throttle herself away. Her companions then flickered to either side of the titan, ready with spears in hand to deliver a decisive blow.

Instantly, Rurah clenched the wound and crossed his middle and pointer fingers together with his free arm. He then shot the arm into the air as static erupted around him. Still unfazed, his foes closed in, now within reach, as a dark cloud appeared above them, rumbling ominously.

…

Crystal watched on as a yellow bolt erupted from the cloud and struck the titan and everything around him. Her companions were immediately rattled by the shock, trembling before collapsing to the ground. She clicked her tongue as she realized the man was still standing and could use incantations despite having his mouth forcefully shut.

This is taking too long, she thought. Time to change plans.

She leapt back towards Ned in the lower terraces, who was busy fighting the guild member she had left there. Then, Rurah appeared directly beside her. “WHAT!?” she screamed.

The juggernaut delivered numerous quick blows to her face, causing blood to trickle down her nose. The force of the impacts left her feeling lightheaded, with her vision becoming slightly hazy. She quickly raised her trembling arms in a defensive stance to stop the thrashing, but it was still an unbearable amount of time until they reached Ned.

Crystal found the whole situation to be quite ridiculous. She knew he was going to come, but she hadn’t known it would be this quickly. Rurah had also been struck by lightning after all, so it should have taken more time for him to recover. She bit her lip and shook her head to avoid thinking any longer. Rurah's attacks at this point had numbed her senses. The mission must continue, she insisted to herself.

Ned was now in view. His fight seemed to have forced its way into a stalemate, which Crystal scowled at. She and Rurah then slammed into the area like meteorites, breaking the confrontation between Ned and her companion.

“Rurah!” the rapier boy wailed. “Crystal, why on earth -”

She ran straight past him towards his seat and held up both his and Rurah's test papers. With a knife in hand, she proceeded to tear them into pieces.

…

Enraged, Ned’s eyes went bloodshot red.