‘First lets test you close combat skills’ Tiberius said his voice echoed in the melee room.

The melee room has an elevated platform in the middle with the stairs on the left and right side.

Tiberius was standing in there cladded in steel armor, while the recruits are circling the platform.

There were a lot of training dummies which are mad of hay inside the room. There were also weapon racks at the side of the stairs.

‘There are 4 Factions of soldier here in Runk Academy, The Vanguards, The sharpshooters, the spellcasters, and the Havoc.’ Tiberius explained

‘I am a proud member of the Vanguards. We are the one in the frontlines. We are the shield of the army if we fall down the whole army falls down.’

He took out his sword and stabs it on the platform, and then he rested his hand on the pommel

‘Therefore your first test will be sparring. You will test each other’s combat prowess. The winner of the sparring will have a hug chance of being recruited in the Vanguards’

‘Now I will divide you into two groups.’

He points his finger on the left stairs

‘The east’

He then points his finger on the right side.

‘The west’

‘There are 30 new recruits here so 15 west and 15 east, take your side’

Tiberius raised his sword, all of the recruits immediately scrambled. Pushing each other to get to the side they want to be.

After the confusion and chaos the recruits have divided and lined up on each side.

Rend and Lok are both on the east side, they are on the last part of the line.

‘Alright here are the rules, first don’t be afraid to hurt your opponents we have healers at the ready, but don’t decapitate any body parts, we can’t heal that.’

‘Second, you can surrender anytime even if it’s just the start of the battle, but be warned that if you do this you can’t join or be a Vanguard ever.’

‘Third, if you get thrown off the platform or get knocked out, the fight will be stopped immediately’

Tiberius steeped down out of the platform and positioned himself on one of the weapon racks.

‘Pick a weapon here’ he points at one of the racks.

‘Alright, first pair!’ his shout echoed inside the room.

A boy stepped out in the west. He was well built for his age. He was wearing leather armor, and was carrying a long sword.

After took his position on the platform. A slender girl with a ponytail climb up the platform and stood on the opposite of the boy.

She was wearing a two piece outfit showing her bellybuttons and beautiful slender legs. She was also carrying daggers on each hand              .

‘State your name’ Tiberius said.

‘Leo of the Franken family’ the boy said while flexing his head.

‘Imelda of the Ven family’

‘Nice to meet you everyone <3’ she said to the crowd while blowing a kiss.

Tiberius raised his right hand and then quickly dropped it.

‘Begin!’

They both bowed and readied their weapon. They started circling the platform staring each other down.

Then suddenly Leo makes the first move. He raised his sword and took a swing at Imelda, but she was fast.

She dodged right and slashed at the shoulders of Leo. Her dagger is now coated in crimson.

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Leo winced from the pain but still continued to move his sword. He delivers two rapid slashes at her but it only managed to graze her clothes.

‘You bad boy, are you trying to undress me?’ She winked at Leo.

He just grunted and continued his onslaught.

They are now exchanging more strikes and the crowd is cheering loudly after each hit, their voices masking the clashing of metal.

Imelda kicked Leo in the gut which caused him to stagger back.

He was furious of the kick he charged straight to Imelda and swung his weapon.

Imelda stepped back and barely dodged the attack. Then all of a sudden there was a sound of fabric ripping.

Imelda’s top ripped in half releasing the beautiful bouncing melons all men dream about.

The room went silent.

Everyone in the room was awestruck of the spectacle they are witnessing.

Lok gave two thumbs up, while Rend is thinking of a way to preserve to wonderful moment.

‘Kyahh! ’ Imelda sat down and covered her front.

‘You really are a bad boy, don’t you know you have ask the girl for permission first before you can undress her’ she pouted

‘I… I didn’t mean to’ Stuttered Leo.

‘All right that’s enough’ Tiberius intervened.

‘Someone please help Ms. Imelda’

Both of them stepped down.

Leo passed by Lok and Rend. Lok raised his hand signaling for a high five.

‘I’m not like you’ Leo snarled.

Lok put his hand down, while Leo stormed out of the room.

After the commotion the test went on.

There were a lot who got wounded, few people even surrendered early.

The healers were busy mending wound some of them were fatal and some were just cuts and bruises.

Many pairs later it was Rend’s turn. He slowly walked into the weapon rack.

He then runs his hands through every weapon finding the perfect one.

Rend isn’t much of a fighter, the only good thing about him is his curiosity. Once he finds something interesting he will stop at nothing to find more about it.

That’s why he keeps coming back to the Arcanum, learning and reading until his desire is sated.

Then suddenly his hands stopped. A bo staff, perfect, he thought. He read a book about its basic techniques once.

Too bad he only read it.

Well, no harm in trying. He picked up the bo staff climbed unto the stairs.

When he got to the platform he was greeted with smile from his opponent.

It was the girl from outside, the one with the red hair.

Of all the recruits he could face why does it have to be this gorgeous girl? I can’t fight her, rend thought.

‘State your name’ Tiberius said.

‘Rend of the targe family’

Tiberius eyes widened as if he heard the name before.

‘Ruby of the hunter family’

‘All right, begin!’

Ruby raised her sword and point it at rend.

‘Don’t go easy on me just because I’m a girl.’ She warned.

‘Oh, so you like it rough?’

Ruby’s face went red with rage. She lunges forward and slashes at him.

Rend raised both his hand and the sword hit the center of his staff, and then he pushed his sword out of the way.

Ruby staggered and got pushed back.

She gripped her sword tightly and launches another attack, the first and second slash got deflected but the third one hits and cuts a wound on Rends forearms.

‘I told you not to go easy on me.’

Rend realizing the severity of the situation, he gripped his staff tightly, blood dripping from his arms.

‘Alright’

He holds the staff like a spear and launches a barrage of stabs to Ruby.

She barely dodged and deflected all the incoming attacks. Rend then withdrew his staff and proceeds to hold it like a bat, He then swings it, aiming at Ruby’s leg.

She jumped and run at full speed towards him, landing a punch before he can retaliate.

Rend staggered back blood forming at the side of his mouth.

‘Are you sure you’re a girl?’

‘Are you sure you’re a man? Answered Ruby

‘Ohhhh’ the recruits said in unison.

Rend wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. He then raised his staff and put it on his shoulder.

He carefully aims it at Ruby. He winds up and throws it at her.

Ruby ducked.

Rend immediately ran at full speed towards her and tackled her into the ground.

They made a hard thud on the platform.

Rend was now mounting Ruby while holding both of her hands.

‘Give up Ruby, I got you pinned’

Rend only realizing now what he had done, his face went red.

Both are now staring at each other.

Rend was mesmerized by Ruby’s blue eyes.

‘Get a room’ someone shouted at the back.

‘Get off me’ Ruby said

‘Not until you give up’

Rend was now staring at Ruby’s neck there were beads of sweat. Then his sight went downwards looking at her cleavage.

Rend got distracted and his hands loosened its grip.

Ruby pushed his hand away and then put her legs around Rends neck and pulled his hand, choking him.

Ah what soft thighs, I won’t mind dying like this, Rend thought.

His vision went blurrier and then Rend passed out.

*

‘Did I win?’

Rend asked Lok who was beside him sitting on the wall of the room getting healed by a white robed mage.

‘In a way’

‘You were smiling as that girl chokes the life out of you’

‘I wish I was you that time, getting squeezed by those thighs.’

The mage stood up and bowed at the two of them, and then he proceeds to leave.

’So how did it feel?’ asked Lok

‘Like getting choked by a sweet smelling teddy bear’

They both laughed.

‘So what happened to you Lok? Those were some wounds’

 ‘My enemy was a tough one’

‘Did you win?’

‘Of course I won. I used my secret technique slash of the wind dragon’

‘Yeah right’

Joking aside Rend know that Lok was good in fighting. He has been training with his father when he was little. If he wasn’t a lazy ass he could be the best swordsman in Runk.

Who was this person to go toe to toe with Lok and wound him that badly?

‘How’s the other match going?’

‘I don’t know I was sent here immediately. ‘

The recruits watching the fight are getting noisy. Their voices even reached Rend and Lok.

‘Let’s go see what all the fuss is about’ Rend said

As they were about inches to the platform, someone got flung through the air and into the ground below.

Rend and Lok both looked at the body and then to the platform.

They saw the blonde loli whom they saw outside holding a huge Warhammer, with a menacing grin on her face.