Team SWRZ - Volume 1 - Chapter 9 - First Pairing!

Parachute training in a forest was one of the last things first-year students expected on their second day at Haven Academy. Except, there weren't any parachutes. The faculty leaders of the school legitimately dropped the unexpecting students from their air vehicles several hundreds of feet in the air. Human bodies and multi-colored scrolls rained down all over the mountain ranges. The sheer lack of remorse and irresponsibility shocked Schwartz to no end. Even as he plummeted toward the ground at high speed, he angrily looked up at the air vehicle he was previously carried in.

He could've sworn he spotted a devious smirk across his instructor's face before the floor panels closed shut. Did she enjoy the situation? Dropping students to their untimely deaths? What kind of school did Schwartz enroll in? He thought the bandit tribe was terrible.

Regardless, Schwartz composed himself and assessed the situation. He mentally calculated the amount of time it'd take to hit the ground.

It wasn't long.

Many students flailed wildly about around him, but he ignored them. He listed them off as dead already.

His eyes soon set on the number of scrolls that plummeted to the ground along with the students. It was just a thought. But, should he collect both colored scrolls and find an extraction point without making eye contact with anyone, would he be alone for the remaining four years?

He highly doubted that. But, the scenario was too tempting not to try out.

The young man smirked and kicked off a screaming student beside him. He propelled across a distance and grabbed one of the scrolls. Afterward, he safely secured it within his kidney belt.

One down. One more to go.

With that in mind, he prepared himself for a crash landing. He reached his arm out and grabbed hold of a sturdy tree branch. He used the moment of his fall and swung across to other trees, using them as stepping stones until he safely reached the ground.

"Agh! Got leaves and scuff on my clothes!" Schwartz complained as he brushed himself as clean as possible with his hands. His eyes shifted around him when more students safely landed. He made sure not to make direct eye contact with anyone. Like hell, he wanted to get paired with a bunch of nobodies.

Not wasting any time, he darted further into the forest, searching for the final scroll he needed to pass the exam. He licked his lips and let out a haughty laugh. The anticipation got to his head. He didn't know what to expect from the test.

He couldn't wait to find out.

His first call to action came in the sound of ear-piercing screams a few yards ahead. Schwartz set his eyes on a pack of Beowolves that surrounded wounded students. Blood dripped from their teeth and claws. While disgusted, he couldn't help but get excited simultaneously.

Thankfully, there were an even number of students. He didn't have to worry about pairing up with some random while clearing out the Grimm. He retrieved his swords [Bark & Bite] and rushed in.

Schwartz came up from behind the Grimm and sliced them to pieces. Dismembered parts of the creatures lay strewn around the area. The students looked on in amazement mixed with horror.

They were glad that someone came along to save them. But, the young man's unsettling laughter after slaying the creatures unnerved them.

"You guys good?" Schwartz asked. When he received nods from the students, he sheathed his swords and kept forward. None of them had the desired scroll. So, he didn't see the point in sticking around.

Meanwhile, in a different section of the forest, Watchet landed safely atop one of the tallest trees in the area. He scouted his location in search of potential team members and scrolls. Unfortunately, the freshman could not obtain any during his descent into the forest.

However, he didn't let that discourage him. There was plenty of time for him to make up for his blunder. Several students caught his watchful eyes. None seemed unique to him, and no one carried any scrolls either.

"This area is no good," Watchet noted. He put his finger in his mouth and held it in the air. When he discerned the direction the wind blew, he hopped across the trees in search of a more fitting area.

Sounds of battle erupted around him. As Watchet continued to tree hop, he'd occasionally glance down and spot other students either fighting each other or creatures of Grimm. Not even ten minutes had passed since the exam began, and everything had already started to fall into chaos. Not wanting potential future Huntsmen to die during the test, Watchet grabbed his sword, stabbed it into a tree, and slid down to the ground.

His movements showed no hesitation as he cut down several creatures of Grimm. Thankfully, they were mere Beowolves, one of the weakest of monsters. No effort went into his slaughter of the Grimm.

He slid down a mountain slope and dropped down to a new area. It was more extensive than the previous one. Hardly any trees around. Mainly dirt and bushes. Out into the clearing came a large Ursa.

It spotted Watchet, stood on its hind legs, and roared.

"Have I wandered into your area?" Watchet politely inquired. Despite the danger, he approached the Grimm with a reassuring smile. "Sorry, but I am afraid that I must eliminate you."

The Ursa dropped on all fours and charged. Watchet's smile never faded as he jumped over the Grimm. The blade of his sword, [Serpent's Tongue], elongated and sliced the bear's back. It cried out in pain but continued to fight nonetheless.

It raised its paw and slammed it downward. Watchet jumped back and avoided the strike. Debris and dust flew up into the air, creating a small cloud that the Huntsman used as a cover. When an Ursa lunged out from the dust cloud, Watchet had already leaped into the air with his sword pointed at the beast.

It stretched out again and impaled the unsuspecting monster in the back, pinning it to the ground. Watchet returned the sword to its original length and beheaded the Ursa.

The Huntsman slowly turned when more ferocious growls reached his ears. Beowolves, mixed with Ursa, surrounded the area.

"Ah. This may be problematic," Watchet scratched his cheek. Their numbers exceeded his expectations in this part of the exam. He couldn't allow them to overwhelm him. The Huntsman turned and prepared for a speedy retreat.

However, he spotted a figure sliding down the slope with their weapons drawn. When the person reached the bottom of the hill, he recognized them immediately. It was one of the first few people he met upon entering the academy--Schwartz.

The black-haired Huntsman smirked at the sight of the Grimm. Their numbers meant nothing to him. Because that's all, they were to him. He rushed ahead without a second thought and attacked the horde of Grimm.

Watchet stood still for a moment, dazed merely by the sight of the fearless young man. Schwartz fought against the odds despite the risks and dangers with a bright smile. Inspired by the heroics of his fellow Huntsman, Watchet joined in the battle and helped clear out the area.

Several minutes passed. When the battle ended, Schwartz and Watchet stood back to back with defeated creatures of Grimm evaporating into nothingness. Satisfied with their work, the Huntsmen sheathed their weapons.

"Thank you for the assistance," Watchet faced Schwartz and smiled.

"It was no--ah shit!" Schwartz exclaimed and pointed at Watchet in shock. His thirst for battle got the better of him and clouded his judgment. From afar, he only spotted the Grimm. He didn't even realize there was another person with him.

It only made matters worse when he looked at him. By the rules set out by the instructors, those two were now considered partners. Watchet was definitely at the bottom of the list out of anyone with whom Schwartz could've gotten stuck.

"It looks like you and I are partners," Watchet held his hand out for a handshake. A gesture that Schwartz felt reluctant to return.

"I uh...got a thing about shaking hands," Schwartz said. "You wouldn't happen to have a scroll on you, would you?"

Watchet shook his head, bringing an immediate expression of gloom to Schwartz's face. Not only did he come across someone he wished to avoid, but he had to stick around with him longer until they found the second scroll. If he were lucky, perhaps Watchet would get lost or die somewhere.

"Unfortunately, I was unable to acquire one. Fear not. I am sure that with our combined eyesight, we should be able to find one in no time." Watchet proclaimed. His optimism bounced off Schwartz's chest. The Huntsman couldn't spot a single good thing about the situation.

"Ah, okay." Schwartz folded his arms behind his head and strolled off randomly. His enthusiasm throughout the entire thing had long vanished. He reached in his kidney belt and showed his new partner the blue scroll he had grabbed. "Only got this one so far. We gotta grab the red one."

"We should tread further into the forest in the opposite direction," Watchet suggested. "The Grimm came from that way. It would be wise to avoid that path."

It had already begun. The two hadn't been teammates for five minutes, and Schwartz already felt annoyed. Following orders and suggestions from people, he didn't know or respect never sat well with him. His problems with authority caused many issues for Schwartz and those around him for most of his life.

If the team was going to work, then Schwartz needed to lead — no one else.

"That way it is," Schwartz immediately headed in the direction Watchet advised again. Surprised by the sudden dismissal of his warning, Watchet reached out and grabbed Schwartz's shoulder. Schwartz sharply turned and slapped Watchet's hand away. "No touching!"

"I am sorry. But, you just ignored my warning," Watchet took a step back. "Why would you want to go down that path?"

"If we turn back, most if not all the scrolls will get scooped up by the other students. If we go down the path most will avoid, we have a better chance of finding the last scroll we need." Schwartz harshly answered.

Watchet placed his hand up his chin and took a moment to weigh his options. Schwartz's logic wasn't necessarily flawed. If they went down the dangerous path, their chances of finding the other scroll could increase. But, that left a problem. If the Grimm swarmed them again, their chances of death also rose.

Sure, they handled the first horde efficiently. However, there wasn't a guarantee that it would happen a second or third time. Was a little roll of paper worth risking their lives over?

"You gonna stand there all day? We're burning daylight," Schwartz complained. He didn't plan on standing around much longer. Whether Watchet went with him or not, it didn't matter. He had already made up his mind about his path.

"I cannot allow you to go alone. I shall accompany you, partner." Watchet smiled.

Schwartz cringed at the word. He wouldn't get used to being called that--not by him at least. Without another word, the two departed down the path with their weapons at the ready.

Elsewhere at an extraction point, multiple air vehicles landed in an open area, Grimm-free. The instructors overseeing the exam disembarked from the parked vehicles and made a camp. Tables of food and tents spread out around the grounds. They made themselves right at home while their students ventured out into the dangers of the forest.

The head instructor, Lilith, took a seat and opened her scroll. Multiple screens showed her the progress of the students all around. By that point, most had already paired up. Thankfully, there weren't any recorded deaths.

For now.

Lilith wasn't a blind optimist. There was a substantial chance some of her students would die during the test — a shame, but not something that affected her too much. Death was inevitable as a Huntsmen.

If students died during this test, they wouldn't survive her future trials.

The woman smiled and took a bite of a chunk of meat. "Alright, students, show me what you can do from here on out. It's only going to get harder."