THE GUILDS
Number 27," Victor announced, his voice echoing through the arena.
Cassandra stepped into the arena , her expression calm.
"Pick any weapon you like," Victor told her, adjusting his stance. "And don't hold back.
I need to see your full potential to rank you properly."
Cassandra didn't reach for a blade or shield or a magic staff.
She simply stood there, her arms at her sides.
"I see," Victor noted, narrowing his eyes. "You'll be using your own weapon then."
In a blur of motion, a punch whistled toward Victor's head.
He managed to duck just in time, but the sheer force and speed of the strike left a blooming bruise on his cheek.
He flipped backward to create distance, his heart hammering.
The crowd of new recruits erupted in whispers.
"She hasn't even moved from her spot! Is a Gold Rank actually afraid of a newbie? Why is he bleeding already?"
Victor wiped the blood from his face. She struck so fast she was back in her original position before I could even register the movement, he thought.
Her raw speed is unreal. I have to turn on my detection.
Closing the gap in a single stride, Victor launched a flurry of heavy blows.
Cassandra blocked as best she could, but the sheer power behind Victor's veteran strength took its toll.
A few of her ribs cracked, and her forearm bone splintered under the pressure of his fists.
"I think I've seen enough to rank you," Victor said, turning his back to her. "You can't fight with broken bones, so your rank will be...."
He never finished the sentence.
A devastating punch slammed into him , his guard moved up instantly as his detection detected something, the impact sending him hurtling across the arena.
He smashed into the far wall, leaving a massive crater on the wall , before slumping to the floor, blood dripping from a gash on his head.
"Who said the match was over?" Cassandra asked, her voice steady as she walked slowly toward him.
"A few broken bones are nothing; they'll heal in seconds.
Turning your back on an enemy is a rookie mistake, Victor.
I never told you I was finished."
The other newbies watched in stunned silence.
They had never seen a trainee push a Gold Rank into a corner like this.
Victor struggled to his feet, his mind racing.
I completely underestimated her. She's only sixteen according to her form, yet she has the focus of a seasoned killer.
He summoned a stream of water that flowed through the air, washing the blood from his eyes before it turned to steam and vanished.
"Time to take this seriously," Victor muttered. She must have unlocked her Dio, or she's right on the edge of it.
That speed was purely physical, no Dio or eno boost at all.
He raised his hands, and four balls of red fire were created, flickering .
As they began to spin rapidly, the heat intensified until the flames turned a brilliant, piercing blue.
"Flame Trackers," Victor shouted. "Seek!"
The fireballs shot forward like guided missiles. Cassandra dove and tumbled, but the flames curved in mid-air, relentlessly pursuing her.
They were moving at a terrifying speed, leaving scorched trails in the air as they circled back every time she evaded them.
"I don't have time for this," Cassandra hissed.
As she focused on the tracking flames, Victor seized the opening.
He lunged, his fist appearing right in front of her face.
Cassandra jerked her head to the side at the last possible second.
Victor's hand missed her and slammed into the ground, the impact creating a fresh crater that shook the entire floor.
"That was too close," Cassandra thought. "These flames are a problem.
Even when they exploded , they just reform and keep coming.
It's a perfect tracking system. He can't be using telekinesis, that would drain his Dio too fast.
He must have created them to lock onto my Dio signature signature."
Suddenly, the fireballs stopped chasing and began to spin in place with a high-pitched whine.
"He's out of energy," Cassandra guessed, preparing to strike. But as she moved in, the fireballs began to discharge jagged bolts of lightning.
She barely managed to twist her body away, the electricity singeing her clothes.
"I see," hesper muttered with a dry laugh. "It wasn't stopping, they were increasing the rotation to pull in more oxygen.
By doing that it made the fire so hot it created its own ... little pyrocumulonimbus cloud within it, That's actually kind of clever."
Hesper said as she smiled
"The heat was becoming suffocating. Enough games. I'm ending this now."
She planted her feet and brought her palms together in a deafening clap.
"Harmonized Convergence."
A violent shockwave of Earth, Fire, and Air ripped through the arena. It wasn't a visible blast, but a wall of vibrating sound and microscopic molecules. The attack, the very one Mason had once used to break her" I can't believe she still remembered that one , hesper laughed out loud.
" It tore through Victor's internal defenses. The tiny "blades" carried by the wave bypassed his skin, causing thousands of internal cuts and heavy hemorrhaging."
Because Cassandra had unlocked her Dio, she had refined the technique to be far more efficient than the version that had once caused alot of trouble to her.
Victor stiffened. He tried to speak, but only blood came out. He collapsed to the ground, his nose and mouth bleeding as his body gave out under the internal pressure.
The arena fell deathly quiet. The match was over. The guild's medical team scrambled onto the field, rushing Victor toward the hospital as Cassandra stood alone, the undisputed winner of the trial.
DARIA: THE GREAT LIBRARY OF DARIA
"Phobos, wake up already. You fell asleep while reading," Zira said, nudging him gently.
He stirred, eyes fluttering open, still half-asleep.
When he saw her, standing there in a crisp white blouse tucked neatly into fitted dark trousers, sleeves rolled just below her elbows, and knee-high boots, his groggy voice came out without thought.
"You… look pretty," he mumbled, sinking back onto the cushions.
Zira's cheeks flushed a soft pink. She blinked, speechless.
Gathering her composure, she tried again. She helped him to his feet, holding his hand as they began walking.
"Thanks for having us, Lady Aine," she said politely.
Aine leaned back, smirking.
"Your boyfriend fell asleep during your book date… guess he's committed to resting his eyes more than the history huh? Not a bad strategy."
Zira giggled softly. "Anyway, I guess I'll be filling these out for him, since he's… well, in his current state."
With that, she went through the forms carefully, filling in every necessary detail.
Once finished, she left with Phobos, guiding him gently as they stepped out together.
THE GUILD
"Congratulations on passing your exams," the guild official announced, holding out a pair of sliver tags. "You've both officially become members of the Double V Guild. Cassandra Artemis, you are now a Silver 2 adventurer."
She handed her the tag, its weight solid in her hand.
"And Hesper Eitan, you've earned Silver 3."
Hesper took her tag with a small nod, a quiet pride in his eyes.
Cassandra glanced at her , a soft smile tugging at her lips. "Thanks for your help," she said sincerely.
Together, they turned and walked away,