T-minus-One Month

Kathlyn:

*Chatter*

"Shut up and listen to me! You all vermins are here today to take part in the assessment exam, not to chit chat or have expectations. My name is Buch and the other name is none of your goddamn business. We're not here to play around today, in this very military camp you stand with your foot on are a total of 20 000 soldiers, you'll all be split into groups of 2000 each."

Tall, muscular, bald, typical image of military prowess, aggressive, a pain in the ass, that's the man in front of us right now. As it was mentioned before, the time has come for our examinations, recruitments, the day I've been waiting for.

"Each group will be assigned to a different Captain, one of them being myself, along with us we have mages who are advanced enough to be able to recognize the mana and aura in and emanating from someone's body, that will be the first and eliminatory test. As for the second test you'll be taken into a room with your Captain and you'll conduct a 1:1 duel, based on how you perform you'll be drafted into different teams. Understood?!"

"YES SIR!" The crowd echoed.

"Check on the official site using your ID to see where you are repartized and move in said direction, we don't have all day."

And after that he left.

"I hope I don't end up in his group." A middle aged woman said

"He looks so scary." A young boy's voice said.

"This is surely ... exciting." A maniac said.

This is a sight to behold, everyone HAS to participate in this type of testing, as a national order, actually I'm surprised they managed to split the whole population so much .. and that they have already many experienced mages to be able to read mana levels, either way it's time to check who I ended up with.

"Unfamiliar names huh but ehh Buch. Tough luck I guess."

I sighted, it's only normal to expect this outcome, after all, there are a lot of civilians ... I need to be serious today. I can't afford to be cheerful or excited. 

*Ring*

"Best of luck to everyone" - Stella messaged in the group chat.

I guess she came despite what happened half a year ago... a lot has changed and more is about to change... This is something I have to do, it's the first step I need to walk first, to be able to strive into the future I envisioned. Melancholy, regret, happiness, sadness, pain, anger, suffering all of them need to be cast aside just for today.

"Oh Lady Saphira, the type of trial you gave me it's not fitting for my attitude, but I'll rise to the challenge, so watch me from the land of the dead as I'm about to change the future."

With those words said in a low voice, only audible to myself, and with my determination in mind I left towards the designated location.

Two hours later

"Next, ..., Rejected! Next, ..., Rejected! NEXT, ..."

The screaming had been around for hours, we were all positioned in rows a few hours ago, waiting to hear our names in order to be assessed. Surprisingly enough General Buch is skilled enough to do the assessment himself, so this is all really ... inefficient. Instead of having the candidate move directly in combat now we have to wait for it to be over. Not a lot passed the first exam, from the few hundred that got examined so far only a handful moved onto the next 'stage'.

"Next, Kathlyn Duska ... Passed, move behind me!"

"Yes, sir!"

What was that smirk on his face when he saw me ... maybe he's into younger? But no way, I already have someone in mind who I cherish, so if he tries something I'll smack the crap out of him. I thought with a small grim on my face as I went past Buch.

"What's the smile on your face girl? This is no amusing matter, take it seriously or I'll crush you."

...

"Next, ..., Rejected! NEXT, ..."

And so this kept going for another two hours, a time in which we had nothing to do but chat, in a low enough voice so as to not piss off the already pissed general.

"So what do you guys specialize in?" A man seemingly in his thirties asked us.

"Shouldn't you start with your name when creating a conversation?" Another man, no, a boy, much much younger, probably a highschooler, retorted.

"Learn to respect your elders, but you got a point, my name is Zach Gonzalez. Thirty-three years old, my favorite type of woman is..."

"Enough, enough information, we don't want to hear more." A girl here quickly stopped the man.

"Uh, my bad."

"Haa... my name is Elizabeth Burnett, twenty-seven years old, and this is my younger brother, who should really learn to respect the elders. His name is Caiden Burnett."

"Osu."

*Smack*

"I mean hello ... and big sister you don't have to hit me so hard."

She kept a smile on her face as the rest of them started talking. But also a lot of us, myself included, are not joining in, as this is not a time for casual conversation, we need to preserve energy, not knowing the extent of power Buch has.

And the chat went on for a little while until the first name got announced.

"Caiden Burnett! Come and follow me into the room."

And so the young sibling did, the chatter toned down, none of us knowing what to expect, how fast it would be? what would happen in the duel? how far is Buch willing to go into testing us. But after two minutes it was clear, the boy left the room in Buch arms, bleeding but alive. 

After the medic took the younger sibling the next name got called.

"Elizabeth Burnett! Follow me and I'm sorry." He said with a hint of remorse on his face as he soon changed disposition.

"Sorry that I didn't crush your brother when I had the chance, I would've done your family a big favor, getting rid of that weakling for free." He grinned.

There and then everyone stopped breathing, taking the response of the general, picking it word by word ... how cruel ... so that's how it is.

Elizabeth soon left, infuriated, and entered the room ... but her faith was not so different from her brother.

"Ilyas Lam! Follow me." He shouted without taking even a minute of respite.

And so person after person entered the room, some leaving with the medics, some holding themselves but barely, they are exhausted. But the man in front of us didn't stop, not even once, not even one break after all these duels, he kept going.

"Kathlyn Duska! Follow me."

And so my time has come.

The room we entered is empty, nothing but blood painting the white walls, no sign of nature, or natural sunlight entering or leaving.

"Oh you're the smiling girl, where's your smile now? Got chicken legs after seeing how serious this is?"

"Please do not misunderstand, my attitude back then was a slip up, and while I like to think I'm joyful, playful in general, this is a serious matter, so I wish you would not discriminate me based on our previous encounter, or because I'm a woman, if that ever crossed your mind. Go for the kill.

*Whistle*

"I didn't expect these words from a pretty face like yours, but if you wish so, I'll give it my very best, don't blame me for whatever happens." He said changing his demeanor to a relatively cold one compared to before.

Buch:

I have to admit, I didn't expect this girl to have such a serious composure, cold as ice, eyes devoid of any sign of life but instead a flickering determination can be seen. 

From the moment I laid my eyes on her I knew she's strong, compared to the other people whom I tested today she is the real deal, it's evident from the amount of mana emanating from her.

I couldn't help back then but smirk, a defect, or not, I love one thing, COMBAT. The thrill of combat is exciting, so when I see an opponent this strong I can't help but be impatient.

This testing room was made to offer no advantage, as you can't choose your combat place if it comes down to it, it's almost equal for everyone.. almost.

Without so much of a warning I bolted infusing my legs with lightning behind the girl and clenched my fists in a raging fire preparing to strike. 

*Whoosh*

"You think you're the only one who can use lightning magic, old man?" She said after using the same technique to go behind me.

I couldn't help but grin at the display of such moves. I haven't encountered a single lightning user today, everyone had basic magic and a bit of talent in other fields, but to infuse your legs with lightning is something that takes a lot of practice. You have to think about the direction of it, and what nerves it will amplify and by how much so you don't cripple yourself.

"Good, STRIKE!"

In response to my command Duska released a water bullet in my direction, keeping her distance from me. In response I dodged by simply ducking down.

Good, figuring out the enemy strength before revealing more of your abilities is the way to go in scenarios like this. I didn't let anything about me slip and made sure whoever left the room couldn't and would not talk about it, so everything is new to them.

"You have to show me something better if you want to have even a chance, WOMAN!" I said in an attempt to bait her.

Calling her a girl wouldn't fit anymore, from the split second decision making and the abilities she has shown it's worth to say she's at least a woman.

Not being able to fully follow her movement she appeared above me striking at me with more water, this time instead of bullets, full blasts. To protect myself I created a fire tornado to engulf and dissipate the water, hoping she will be caught in it as well.

But that wasn't the case, as soon as I lost her from my vision she appeared in front of me.

Grinning, I laughed, "What fool move is this?"

But before I realized I was bounded by plants that latched onto me out of nowhere.

"Since this is a confrontation in the scope of making a judgment of my abilities I should go all out shouldn't I?" She said while keeping her deadpan expression.

"Shit.." I was caught off guard, as she was talking to me her hand moved at an unnatural speed and the hand which was protected by vines is now inches away from my throat.

"Well well well, this is such a predicament you put me in, I guess I can't afford to hold back either. Now feel the pressure of gravity."

Gravity magic, albeit a bit hard to control, comes in hand, changing her gravitational center to throw her off, and manipulating parts of the walls to crash in her direction is the best I can do at my level. But even then she created a cocoon of vines as defense from the incoming projectiles.

From a grin to a wholeheartedly smile, I can feel my expression changing, and then into laughing and screaming.

"GOOD, GOOD, DON'T LET THIS BE TOO EASY." Infusing more lightning into my feet I jumped higher, almost hitting the ceiling, and projected myself into the cocoon, my whole body covered in flames, and with a weight modified by gravity. Similar to a meteorite but on a lesser scale.

As the cocoon was destroyed, the girl was nowhere to be seen, feeling the pressure from my back. I turned around to see a beast formed from flowers and vines, a snake hurrying towards my direction.

"Tch..."

Concentrating all the fire my mana could produce into one point while giving it lightning attributes I released what I would consider my strongest move. Waiting for the monster to approach me I released a point blank bullet that pierced through the head of the vine snake and then bolted straight down into my target direction. 

A bullet with the intensity of a few thousand degrees, lightning speed and the ability to change direction once.

"You're strong, but I've left something out of our battle until now, general." She said as watching the approaching bullet.

"And what that might be?" I said puffing.

"I've already seen this battle, you're watching a reflection made to look like me from nothing but plants."

Once she finished the sentence I felt the small yet powerful hand pushing my back.

"Such a strong warrior in such a fragile body... I need a break ... you'll be assigned to a special task force, if your services are needed we will contact you, we can't teach you much on our own so please continue your training... Cadet Duska."

With a completely different attitude from the one she had previously, smiling and in a playful manner she said "I'm glad you come to recognize my strength, as you should. Now if you'll excuse me I have to brag about it to a certain someone."

"...If that certain someone is a man ... I'm so sorry for him."

Aight let's take a short break then continue, the rest of these vermins shouldn't pose that much of a trouble. I said to myself while sitting down in a room that wasn't covered only in blood anymore, it was covered in the sweat of two warriors clashing against each other, and imprinted with signs of a battle.