"Are you sure you want to leave already?" Flora asked as she scribbled over a sheet of paper, glancing quickly up at Akino. "We still have plenty of paperwork that needs to be done."

"I'll come in early tomorrow," Akino responded as she walked towards the front door. "I need to take care of this. Its bothering me."

Only a little bit of time had passed since Jak had left the WGC, taking his massive debt with him after the receptionists ensured the youth was back to full strength. In that period, Akino and Flora had continued to do their jobs as receptionists such as filing reports, rescheduling exams, and helping out other adventurers and Rift Hunters who constantly roamed in and out of the WGC's main building. The work never stopped coming in and there was always something to keep the desk workers busy until they were finally able to switch out with the afternoon shift.

That being said, Akino hadn't been able to concentrate on her work nor had she been able to even think clearly. For the past hour or so, Akino's train of thought had been circling on repeat, running through the final few moments of Jak's trials like a broken record. Though the Elven woman had taken every action possible in ensuring the kid was alive and healthy, she couldn't help but feel largely unsatisfied with the final outcome, allowing the scumbag prick of a temp examiner to emerge unscathed while Jak had been the one to suffer.

The entire incident had been the fault of the stand in examiner Ceon Mapel, had been his and his alone. Akino had replayed the footage of the final trial over and over again and each time she felt that there was quite literally no way that the redhead should've failed. While she was aware that the agreement signed by the examinee Jak Yanda prevented Ceon from taking responsibility for nearly killing a newbie, giving the same examinee a failing score due to either bias or personal reasons wasn't something the WGC condoned. When Ceon had been given the title as temporary examiner, the WGC had only taken into account his ability and disregarded his personality altogether, which Akino believed to be a flawed part of the system. If they had taken the time to review his reputation like Akino had, they would've quickly found out that Ceon was a rude individual who never bothered taking orders.

"You do realize that there's not much else we can do right?" Flora asked rhetorically as she set down her pen. "I'm just as upset as you, but we're just receptionists and the rules written by the WGC are absolute. Our hands are tied."

"So you're saying I have to sit here and just accept it?!" Akino rebuttaled as she released her grip on the front doors handle.

"Yes. That's exactly what I'm saying." Flora leaned back in her seat, rubbing the bridge of her nose as she continued talking. "Ceon Mapel is a temporary examiner and will leave the WGC after today, allowing the original examiner to return once again. In addition, Jak Yanda is, by all accounts, a mere child in a sea full of individuals who try out for these trials. The WGC as a whole will simply write it off without giving it a second glance, even if it was the fault of the examiner."

"But thats just-"

"Idiotic? Retarded? Completely nonsensical? I agree. However, you have to realize that the WGC manages thousands of branches, including the ones that have been established inside the Rifts." Flora let out a sigh as she stared Akino dead in the face. "They're not gonna care about one measly kid, even if that kid does possess some immense physical talent. He's a mere drop in the ocean at the moment and the most the WGC will do is to fine the temp examinee, nothing more."

Everything that Flora was saying made perfect sense and Akino couldnt find a single point in which to argue. Sure she could bring up the fact that hiring Ceon was the WGC's fault and they should take responsibility, but she knew it wouldn't do any good. The World Guild Center hardly ever got hands on when it came down to things they could simply sweep under the rug, refraining from any interference as long as its reputation wasnt at stake. In this particular case, they wouldn't even bat an eye at the incident and would simply make Ceon a sort of scape goat if it came down to it. The young redheads verdict wouldn't change and Jak would still have to wait 3 years before he could try again along with still being saddled with an enormous debt.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

"Isn't there ANYTHING we can do?" Akino questioned loudly, no longer caring about the few adventurers and Rift Hunters walking in and out. "There has to b-"

"What do you want them to do Akie?" Flora interrupted, her tone unnaturally serious. She had an irritated expression on her face, but it was clear that all the intense frustration wasn't directed towards the elven woman. "Remove his debt? That wont work as it was the examinee who took it. The WHY and HOW dont matter, and they cant push it on Ceon due to the signed agreement Jak made before the start of the trials. You want him to pass? They won't do that either as I've already explained. So, all that said, what do you want them to do?"

"Tch," Akino spun around and yanked open the door. "Forget it. I'll do it myself."

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

Jak wasn't able to sleep peacefully that night which was a given considering everything that had happened. No matter how much the youth tossed and turned, he failed to pass out, his mind continuing to race a mile a minute. From the newly acquired debt to the failed attempt at the trials, Jak was far too wound up to even sit still, forced to wallow in his own thoughts and contemplate his own actions.

Self doubt, frustration, disappointment, despair, a virtual whirlpool of emotions that refused to leave. Jak had done his best to bottle the feelings up and to shove them aside for the sake of those who believed in him and had helped him grow, but he had only managed to stall it. After knowing that all the years spent learning and training for the moment he could step into the ranks of the Elemental Rookies had been for nothing, he had been ever so close to snapping. At the dinner table, he had barely managed to hold himself together, only keeping his boiling emotions in check with the power of his own will.

Even now, it was all Jak could do to keep from breaking down, his own thoughts strangling him as he attempted to get some sleep.

WHACK!!! WHACK!!

The blunt end of a metallic staff was slammed into Jaks gut, not even a sliver of warning prior to it as the young man immediately sat up, only to be smacked again in the forehead. There was some pain but it quickly dissipated as Jak tossed his blanket to the side, leaping to his feet whilst barely dodging another staff strike as it slammed down right where the youth had been laying. Lifting his legs, Jak slipped through another series of thrusts aimed at his ankles.

"That was rather rude," Jak complained as he quickly made an attempt to evade the next barrage of attacks. "I don't recall agreeing to a sparring match Mako."

"Shut up and fight," Mako said as he thrusted the staff towards Jaks unguarded throat. Even though he was hitting the majority of his strikes, the young redhead didn't seem to be fazed by much of it. "Dont just talk. COME AT ME!!"

"I'm really not in the m-"

Jak was silenced as one of the thrusts hit him on the side of the face, causing him to bite the inside of his own cheek in the process.

"Okay, now its personal," Jak exclaimed as he took a fighting stance, ready to vent all of his emotions out. "You picked a fight and now you're about to get one."

"Shut up and bring it ya redheaded moron," Mako pulled his staff back in, taking his own stance.

Jak leaned forward onto the tips of his toes before blasting forward with insane acceleration, ripping up the carpeted floor beneath his feet as he lunged towards the blue haired youth. Mako spun out of the youths way, whacking him on the back of the head as he retreated, quickly putting some distance between the two of them. Jak recovered siwftly before changing directions, a look of determination and frustration painted upon his visage as he threw out a punch, aiming for Mako's solar plexus.

Mako batted the fist away with a strong swing of his staff, quickly following it up with a full powered swipe to the redheads ribcage, a spot he had left completely open. The blue haired youth was fully aware of just how much damage Jak could withstand so he didnt hold back even a little as he sent his longtime friend and rival rocketing out of the bedroom door. The door had already been wide open from when Mako had first entered, leaving nothing to halt the youths fall as the young redhead went flying, falling all the way down to the first floor.

Quickly following after, Mako sprinted towards the open door, leaping off the railing, completely ignoring the stairs. With staff held high, he aimed to nail Jak in the head the moment he made contact with the tiled ground, smashing his head and finally knocking some sense into him.

Jak however had other plans as, just when he touched the floor, he pushed himself to the side, narrowly avoiding the descending metallic pole. Pieces of shattered tiles flew everywhere, one even almost hitting the redhead as he rolled onto his feet, crimson hues zeroing in on Mako.

"And you were so close," Jak said playfully, straightening up until he had once again taken a stance. "Such a shame that it didn't work."

"That's fine," Mako rebuttaled, twirling the staff. "I'm just getting warmed up anyways."