- Adventurer Entry Test II -
I kept on running normally until I reach the militia district. It has a gate on its own. On the side of the gate, there's a stationed guard post with an elven militia wearing a fancy [Elven armor] set sat in there for the watch duty. I greeted him, showing him my [Rankless] [adventurer card]. He's allowing me passing through the wooden gate's portal and pointed out the way of where the training field is.
I thanked him before leaving him. He went back and sit in the post after closing the gate wooden portal. I walk my way through to the very end of the militia district, looking for a field surrounded by wooden walls.
As I walk, I realized that the members of this village militia are not that crowded or high. There are only some of them, looks alike that they're all here just for maintaining the district and doing the maintenances. The buildings which consisted of barracks, warehouses, and armories are quite many. There are other races as well, but the majority of the militias are elves.
The possibilities I can get in my mind is only 2. Either most of them are sent out for duty, or we are in the middle of peaceful era which military prowess are not put in a high priority in a settlement. I'm just guessing around in my minf as I walk to the very end of this militia district. Finally, after some time walking, I reached on the spoken destination. 2 guards are standing infront of the wooden gate doors with their fancy elven armors and spears.
"Halt! This area is currently used by the village's officials!", One of them said it to me firmly. Both of them crossed the door with their spears simultaneously.
"I was sent here for the test.", I answered. I walk to one of them after. Showing them my rank-less adventurer's id card, the guard took it and have a close look on to it. He looked back at me while holding the card. I smiled. He sighed. He gave me back the card after.
"Sigh..Do you know who your tester is?", He asked after taking a sigh. He puts on a worried expression.
"Yes, Umm.. Kyou-san, right?", I answered while feeling a little bit confused.
"Yes, he is. Sigh.", he sighed again. "I feel sorry for you. You may pass.", He said while pulling back his spear. Maintaining his worried looks. His partner followed his action after and pushing up the gate doors.
"Uh.. Okay?", I smiled as I respond him in my confusion. I walk passing through them through the opened gate doors. As I passed through the doors, the guard closing it back.
--
As Irumi stepped inside, the guard pulled back the door and closing it.
"I hope that little girl wouldn't be so down after beaten by that demon.", The guard who checked on Irumi's card saying to his partner whose pulling the door in a worried state and face.
"Yeah. That guy is always beat the crap out of those entries who wields blade. Ended up in F ranks no matter how strong they were.", He replied. Both of them sighed.
"Such a wrong place and time for that girl.", The one who checked on the guard implied.
--
As I reach inside. I can see the common training fields with sands as it's base footing. Training dummies made from wooden logs and hays tied up together. I stood there looking around the area.
On the left, following the left side walls, there are some people. Dan, Kyou, Grace, Another Elf woman on fancy dress, and a human girl in shiny silver [Light armor] with a [Rapier] hooked on her left belt. Dan waved at me.
I nodded at him and walk to them. As I walk, Kyou who realized I've came around giving me a gesture to follow him with his body language. He walked to the empty sand field on the very center of the whole place. I saw him, I changed my direction after. Grace giving me the 'Do your best!' Gesture with her hands and smile. The glasses she wears, adding more onee-san power to that smile. For some reason, I rememberred and missing my Hiruma and Hirumi Onee-san though. Kyou who arrived first stands firmly there waiting for me. I reached him after some time.
"...[Magics] are not allowed. [Skills] are allowed. Please show me your potentials as a [Blade] wielder.", he stated the rules for the test with plain expression. He pulled out each finger with right hand as he mentioned with eyes closed.
"Any skills allowed?", I asked to confirm.
"...Yes, any skills which you have learned are allowed.", He replied as he pulls back his hand and opened ul his eyes.
"I see.", I am statisfied with his answer.
"...Any other questions?", He asked.
"I am statisfied, thank you. I just need to show my aptitude as an adventurer to you, right?", I asked again for the last time.
"...Indeed. I will not take the advance. But it doesn't mean I won't hit you back.", He confirmed my statement. He looked at me in the eye standing there silently in a second.
"...Be ready. I will walk away a little further from you. feel free to advance on me when you're ready.", He said as he turns his back on me. Walking some steps away further from me while pulling both of his training blades from their scabbards which hooked on both sides of his belt. He stopped after some distances created, turn his back again facing me who's standing there waiting for him to be ready and he's readying his [Blades].
'Any [Skills], huh?', I uttered those words in my mind.
I activated [Nimble Step], which increases my movement speed by half of my overall [Agility]. [Shadow Step], which increases my overall speed greatly and supressing my movements.
I walked slowly in repeated actions towards him while pulling my training purposed blade from my left side belt slowly. I'm about to use the [Shadow Leap] (Assassin's class skill which used for instantly leaped towards the targeted area. The maximum range of the leap depended on the user's overall battle power) while leaving a [Mirror image] from my repetitive actions.
(Note: I knew it will leave a mirror image by such actions from my Assassin's class instict.)
Right after I know the image I created is about to completely pulled the blade while walking slowly forward to Kyou's direction, I leaped forward instantly trying to get my first hit with a [Heavy slash].
He realized my intention and shocked by my action. That's an experienced adventurer for you! I put my weight, which slightly on mid-air by that slash with both of my hands on its hilt. He parried my slash with both of his blades. I am pushing him backward due the force created by such speed.
I can see his face clearly. He's closing his eyes while parrying my strike. Most importantly, He smirked in an excited manner. His fangs clearly shown up because of that smirk. The speed of him being pushed back gradually reduced, he opened his eyes before pushing me back through his parry. I could see clearly his [Demonic eyes] were activated before I was being pushed back.
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I did a mid-air back flip to stabilized myself and fell back on the ground with both of my feet, securing my stance after. In his [Demonic state], I can slightly feel that he's stronger than before. Not that I can't win if I go all out, but I just need a good recognition from him as my tester. With that in mind, I'm still limitting my output.
I make sure to give them all the show to get the impression of a speed focused warrior from this mock battle on me. With that in my priority, I'm thinking of using speed type skills. In meaning, any skills that involved with high speed movements.
From the stance that I made after my feet reaching the grounds, I dashed forward again while using my [Shadow Clones]. I summoned 3 shadows. I send those 3 to directly confront him to create some opening while I'm waiting, dashing around [Cloaked ]in shadow waiting for the chance. The clones attributes are following mine. But the output damage are significantly lower and the damage received is greatly increased. So, basically the clones speed is almost matching with mine without buffs. I can see Kyou still smiling in his stance by the shared consciousness from the clones. Seems like he's enjoying this battle to his heart content.
"Heh! Come at me!", He provoked my clones as he make a stance with his [Blades]. My clones attacking him in a coordinated way, keeping up the pressure. He parried, blocked, and deflect them all in such movements. He countered my clones with a [Heavy strike] one by one in every possible chances. While looking at his battle with my clones, I get that his battle senses are very sharp. I need to at least landed a hit on him for a better score, I think.
I'm preparing myself to jump in the midst of the battle before all my clones vanished. Was thinking about dashing and skill, or combo skills. I focused my energy to my right arm which holding the blade. Thinking of using the [Special Job's Skill] while experimenting on it. Back when in the Game, [Absolute Assasination], is a combined Jobs Skill. Based on [STR] atrributes for its output damage. Slashing 17 times in 1 second. The animation of the skill was, the character stand in stance with an almost sheathed blade, Slashing once and sheathed back the blade. Then after, 17x dps popped up like spam notifications. I do really need to try this cool skill out.
I sheathed back my blade with my left arm firmly holding the tip of the scabbard which hooked on my left belt, getting ready for my strike attempt. I dashed forward with [Shadow Leap] infront of him right after he countered my last clone in a stance like about to do an [iaido slash] skill or alike, from some animes/games on my previous life's memory. I focused my sight on him. He's shocked, but still remain composured on the battle with his smile. He reacted to my stance, getting ready to intercept any strikes I'm about to made in these such split seconds moment.
I pushed the tip of my blade with my left thumb. My right arm pulling it out further about to execute the spoken skill.
[Absolute Assassination], I murmured it in my mind. My body felt like moving on its own, I barely getting the gist of it. My arm moved in such speed, Slashing Kyou 17 times repetitively in that one 1 second and slowly sheathed the blade back in its scabbard. In any way, I am quite suprised with Kyou. Within that micro seconds of slashes, Kyou parried the whole slash perfectly with his blades. The aftermath of the skill. Both of us stand in silence, I am still on my final stance which sheathing the blade slowly back inside the scabbard.
'Click.', The sound it made when the blade's hilt touched the tip of the scabbard. Right after the sound, Both of Kyou's blade shattered. He shocked. Then, he began to close his eyes. He stood up firmly, opening back his eyes which has back to his normal color. He sheathed the broken blade on his right arm and reached out his right palm on me after.
"I acknowledge you, give me your card.", he requested me with his excited smile. Excited? more like satisfied smile though. Since the mock battle has been finished.
--
Back to the spectators' side.
Right when Irumi doing her repetitive movements. [Images] of [Images] of her, giving the vibe like a moving pictures from the spectators' side. Dan and the other 2 of the ladies are shocked by seeing the images created by her.
"D-did I just see 5 Irumi-s?", Dan shocked. Rubbing his eyes, trying to believe what he have just seen. Grace laughed gently after hearing Dan's words who fell in awed and disbelieve.
"Fufufu.. as It is, I suppose?", Grace said.
The other 2 just silently watch the battle. Trying to fully concentrate watching on Irumi and Kyou, doing the mock battle from those seats afar from their battle. But, when they saw Irumi leaped instanuously while leaving her images behind which disappears after some seconds behind, and then in split second re-appeared while striking at Kyou whose being pushed back due to her tremenduous speed, 3 of them greatly suprised and unconsciously stood right up trying to get a better look on it. More like the 3 of them are discontent and can't believe any of the scene that they just just seen. Cold sweat of fear striked them as they saw such battle prowess.
"See?", Grace broke the silence. "I told you that you won't regret following me here, didn't I? Rose-san.. Fufufu..", Grace said, teasing the lady with the shiny light armor.
She stayed in silence for some moments. "I can see Kyou is having fun now. Well, Speed focused warrior can barely leave a scratch on him anyway. Perhaps I can see where this battle will or how it may end.", Roselia implied while trying to get back her composure. She's pulling herself back to her seat, with cold sweat ran on her body, in silence. While Dan and the other lady still standing there in awed trying to follow the match.
"Indeed, He is. Fufufu...", she agreed. "Remembering the past, young lady?", Grace smiled teasing Roselia again.
She ignored it as she's trying to keep her eyes up with the battle. They were all concentrating on the mock battle of Kyou versus Irumi silently. Right on the finale, they were all suprised by Irumi final strike. Not all of them can saw what was truly happening on that 1 second moment. They even more suprised when they saw Kyou's blade shattered. All of them unconsciouly stood up and move closer to the fence.
"...Grace-sama.", Dan's called her with cold sweat runs through him. "Remind me not to make any trouble with that little lady.", Dan in a worried expression.
"Fuhahahaha! Absolutely!", she laughed hard at Dan. "I am really satisfied today!", Grace hit Dan's shoulder gently with her palm while laughing hard. Breaking the current silence mood.
Roselia shaking her head with her palms on her face. "I wish that this is just a dream.", she said.
"But you are not, in such one, Roselia-san.", The other lady pats her back trying to comfort her.
"Sigh...what rank should I give to that small girl. Is she even Human?", She sighed again, trying to believe what she just saw.
"Fufufu...She is.", Grace answered her.
She stayed in silence after hearing Grace's words. "Sigh...", she sighed again. "Well, at least we got a promising entry on our branch.", She smiles afterward.
"Surely, indeed.", The other lady responded her.
---
I pulled out my stance, stood up and take a deep breath cooling myself down. I can feel a tiny bit of muscle sore on my right arm. I bet it was the aftermath from the tremenduous slashes skill. I called out my ID card (Adventurer's Identification card can be used as an ID card representing one individual.) and put it down on Kyou's palm.
He used the other broken blade on his left hand to cut his right thumb a little. He put it back in its scabbard after. He let a drop of the blood fell on the card. The card absorbed it and printed out his name below that [Recognition]. He gave me back the card after.
"Here's your card.", He said as he shoved his hand with my card at me.
"Ah, Thank you. What's next?", I asked as I immediately saving it into my [Inventory].
"Your blade.", He said in plain expression.
"My blade?", I asked in confusion.
"Turn me back the practice blade.", He explained.
"Oh!", I snalled. "Sorry! Okay, here.", I released the hook and gave back the blade to him vertically while bowing my head a little down apologizing to him.
"Hmm.", he nodded. "As for claiming the rank, you can come back up to the guild tomorrow.", He said as took the sheathed blade.
"I see. So... I can go home now?", I asked.
"Yes, you can. Thank you for today.", he bowed down his head a little showing his appreciation.
"Ah! No, Thank you for today!", I bowed down half way responding to him. Then, I excused myself to him walking out to the Gate Door. I waved at those 4 on the right. They waved back except Dan. Dan's running towards me whose walking to the Gate's door. He reached out for me after.
"Going back?", He asked while scratching his head.
"Umu.", I nodded. "Are you too, Dan-san?", I asked back.
"Yes.", he smiled as he nods. "Those were great moves!", he said outloud, praising me.
"Thank you, Dan-san. You're exaggerating it too much.", I replied in humble manner. Then we talked many light topics and stuffs while walking back to the inn together.
--
Kyou who holds the blade used by Irumi, still standing still right there holding that blade firmly in vertical way.
Out of curiousity, he pulled out the hilt. Only tiny part of the blade left which still intact with the hilt. He shocked and smiled.
Then, he turns the scabbard upside down while squeezing on its tip a little to make the entrace wider. Pieces metals, caming out from it. The used blade was shattered to pieces inside the scabbard.
"Kuhahahah! Finally, someone interesting.", He smirked as he said those words.
--