Duel

"For the blood of the tree, gives right to me, for we to be free, I keep the peace."

Weight dropping on their body as the blood flows to their stomach, falling down on all fours the boys feel pressure, squeezing, pulling them closer to Noon. Grunts and screams brings pride towards the superiors. Every cry unlocks a new seed of loyalty of those behind them.

They see their bodies growing taller, expanding out as the weight caves in. Coughing up blood and while experiencing tumors in the brain. They are being reborn, embraced by the land they spring from.

A minute passes.

The boys stood up feeling a freezing chill from their bones, as if death is inside them.

The feeling passes.

Red eyes stares down at a brighter Lift Rank Brown. Disappointment ran through an old man's face. Not only was he hoping to gaze on a blue glow, but a brightest one at that. The way of increasing one's lift rank is by strengthening the body. How much the rank lifts is from the work one put into their training before testing, gaining muscle, controlling air flow, becoming more resilient in the mind. This is why the boys training was so brutal and physically demanding.

The glow goes as follows:

Glow

Bright Glow

Brighter Glow

Brightest Glow

This shows the potential for the warrior's next Rank Lift.

"Attention!"

Officers now standing in front of 6 new men of Zune, as the men rise from their Lift names are given to them by the superiors.

"Kahn!"

This name aimed at ruby eyes staring at it's own hands. They have gotten bigger, body feels lighter, heart pumping harder, breathing much faster.

"Rank two young man. With that you get to choose your starting place in the army. Soldier, Mage, Guard, Hunter. Choose."

"Soldier!"

"Fine. But you could be Hunter."

The rest of the Lifts was completed. As for the rest of the boys:

Brightest Red glowed for Jaz the brown eyed boy. Brown glowed Bright for Ash and Ian new soldiers with blue and green eyes.

Kahn isn't surprised about Jaz rank. He barely does above the minimum. If it wasn't for his friends pushing him so hard he would have been a Glow Red, just like most of the others. Ash and Ian on the other hand had far surpasses anything that was expected of them, and from pretty much everyone, except for a couple of Masters giving each other side eyes as the glows exposed the potential from their students.

As the young men were dedicated to keep formations, they've found themselves in the presence of a of the Officials, closer than before.

"Loyalty, Duty, Honor. The new men of this village rejoice. Planted by our ancestors the tree gave you a new life, a true life, a free life. Keep the peace, defeat our enemies, protect the village and its most valuable assists, YOU AND EVERYONE IN IT!"

Cheers and battle cries roared over Zune. Few hundred young men's lungs animating their new bodies. Aspirations and purposes fulfilled.

"Men of Zune prepare yourself, today you will witness what it takes to rise in title, rise in your right to be men."

Two young men step together out into the open field, one holding a lump of steel, gleaming with a mirror-like polish, the steel possessed a sleek and slender profile. The hilt, adorned with intricate engravings and wrapped in supple leather, the other a sleek pair of metal tonfas, the smooth surface of the tonfas showcased the marks of countless training sessions, evidence of their owner's dedication and skill.

"See what it means so be men in this world."

The two stepped away from each other, turned, and face one another. Tonfas on the left, sword on the right. A duel is about to begin.

The air crackled with energy. The boy with the tonfas, initiated the dance with a lightning-fast strike, aiming to exploit his agility and close-quarters prowess. His opponent, deftly parried the blow with his longsword, the metallic ring reverberating through the forest.

With remarkable swiftness, the left side pressed the attack, his tonfas whirling through the air like an unstoppable cyclone. The right displayed his honed reflexes, expertly deflecting and dodging each strike with calculated precision. Their bodies moved with astonishing speed, leaving streaks of motion and flickers of enhanced strength in their wake.

The left continued his relentless barrage, each swing delivering a potent display of his augmented power. The right met each strike head-on, his longsword a formidable extension of his will and agility. The clash of their weapons echoed through the forest, a symphony of determination and skill.

In a daring maneuver, the left side closed the distance between the two, his tonfas a blur as he deflected a right side attack. With a sudden surge of strength, he disarmed the swordsmen, sending his longsword flying through the air. It landed with a thud against a nearby tree trunk, momentarily forgotten.

Seizing the opportunity, the left side capitalized on his advantage. His movements were a blur of speed and precision as he swiftly incapacitated the swordsman, his tonfas finding their mark in calculated strikes. The unarmed challenger stumbled backward, his enhanced speed no longer a match for the tormented assault.

With a final, decisive strike, the tonfa man brought the other to the forest floor. Everyone stands there for a moment, the silence of the surroundings providing respite from their exhilarating battle. Sweat dripped from their brows, mingling with the forest's motherly scent.