Takamori took a deep breath. "Ten, nine, eight..." he began the countdown.

"Aaargh! Come on, fuck!" – Enatsu's fingernails scratched the rough surface of the stone, chipping and starting to bleed. Tears began to drip from his eyes once again. ​​

During those last seconds, Sora's flight had reached an astonishing speed. Moving nimbly and making incredible aerial evolutions, the parrot demon spotted a person who could match the target.

Flapping his light wings and pointing his head forward for maximum aerodynamics, Sora jetted like a bullet towards those long red hair.

"Three, two, one..." Takamori reported, ready to end the test.

"It's her! Shioko! Stall number 102 of the Old Bazaar! She… she's wearing a long dark green cape!" Enatsu shouted. His demon's skill deactivated because of the acute emotional strain, and his eyes returned to their standard colour.

That of the breath of the wind was the only sound that echoed within the walls. For about ten seconds, all those present did not dare to utter a word, waiting for the verdict of the guild master.

Enatsu looked at his fingers covered in blood. Pushing on his hands and knees, he stood up, while his gaze crossed with Takamori's.

After more interminable seconds of waiting, the guild master spoke, "congratulations, Enatsu. You passed your admission test."

"What? Did I make it? Did I really make it?" the young merchant asked incredulously, looking at his friend. Yoichi raised his arms to heaven, exulting happily.

"I give you my official welcome to the Nightblades" the moustached Sensei smiled. Hanging his head forward, he paid his respects to the first aspiring wizard of his guild.

"Whohoo!" Enatsu yelled with joy, hopping. "I can't believe it!" he added, weeping for happiness. Soon after, the pain unleashed by the broken nails on his fingers contained his enthusiasm for a moment.

Like a comet star, Sora flew over the walls of the training arena, losing altitude to its tamer. Flapping its wings in the opposite direction to the swoop, the parrot demon leaned on his shoulder, chirping satisfied.

"You were great, my friend! You've never flown so fast," the merchant rejoiced, petting his Waromu's head and complimenting it.

"Enatsu" Yoichi called. The young tamer approached his friend. "How did you do it? Time was running out and... well, none of us could see what you saw. I'm curious to know how you found Shioko in just ten minutes" he smiled.

"Yes, so would I," Takamori spoke, continuing Yoichi's speech.

"Well, it wasn't easy. During the first few minutes of the search, when I saw that Shioko was not in her bed, nor in the vicinity of the Nightblades tower, I seriously feared that I would not be able to complete the test", Enatsu admitted, with his usual modesty.

"After following the banalest path that had occurred to me, I began to think about what could be the most useful details for my purposes. In the end, the answer was sakè," he stated, chuckling.

"The sakè?" Yoichi and Rinji asked in chorus, standing still to listen.

"Hahahaha! Nice one, Enatsu! Truly remarkable," Takamori laughed. The guild chief put both hands on his big belly, amused.

"Yes, the sakè. Yesterday, during dinner, I noticed that when Sada-sensei had finished his cup of sakè, he had placed the bottle on the table right in front of him. That pale-faced guy, Toshi, if I'm not mistaken, grabbed the bottle. Intent on drinking some of that good homemade liquor, he was disappointed when the last drop fell into his glass," Enatsu explained, chuckling.

Yoichi continued to listen to him without understanding. His index finger was under his nose as if helping him concentrate.

"When the sake finished, after dinner, Shioko took the empty bottle and stuffed it inside a basket full of other identical bottles, also empty. The basket, which was shelved in the corner of the room, had some label attached. 'Satow Liquor Shop – Old Bazaar,' Enatsu remarked, examining every detail of his reasoning.

"Sada-sensei said he sent Shioko to buy a specific object. When I thought about what it could be, I linked his passion for liquor to last night's scene and... well, I just had to look for the name of that stall inside the Old Bazaar."

After his story, Enatsu stood still with his fists resting on his hips and his chin up. With his proud look, he was waiting for the compliments of his companions.

"What? And when did you notice all these things? I haven't seen any of this," Yoichi commented incredulously.

"If I'm not mistaken, you were talking to Yoshiko, or maybe someone else," the merchant answered. With extreme accuracy, making the most of his good eidetic memory, he had managed to complete the admission test, gaining the trust of his Sensei.

*clap*clap*clap*

The indistinct sound of slight applause caught the eye of all those present. Takamori and his warriors turned in the direction of that sound, right next to the tatami entrance stairs.

"Your new warriors have been pretty excellent, Takamori," Ryutaro, the gatekeeper, affirmed. Wrapped in his usual dark aura, the sacred guardian of the arena had approached them.

Yoichi and Enatsu were immediately filled with a sense of malaise as if the man's mere presence disturbed their spiritual stillness.

"Your words flatter me, supreme Ryutaro. Yes, my new warriors were able to impress even a disillusioned outcast like me," the guild leader replied, proudly looking at the two rookies.

The cloth veil that covered the gatekeeper's face swung moved by the wind. Still, his face remained invisible, irradiating in the air a disturbing sense of unconsciousness.

Looking closely at him for the second time, the two adventurers noticed Ruytaro's details that had previously escaped their attention. The long stick he was holding consisted of a simple wooden rod with reinforced edges.

Gold-plated metal rings enveloped the lower and upper end of the stick. In the grain of its wood, a dim green light pulsed as if it were a reflection of the heartbeat of some strange magical relic.